Active content for preparation of teaching materials

Teaching materials such as study guides have implicit structure that can be exploited to explicitly assist in the learning and teaching process. Document technologies specific to the teaching context generate visible structures and linkages in a consistent manner across multiple course materials. We describe techniques that:

• Create, manage and validate links between the learning objectives, content related to each objective and corresponding assessment task.

• Explicitly present relationships between concepts, as a concept map, related to unit content and external study resources.

• Treat various study resources (study guide, presentation slides) as consistent views.

• Facilitate the use of external media to support multiple modalities.

The process creates teaching content as a single master document which is annotated to: identify learning outcomes associated with topics and exercises, relationships between concepts covered, references to external resources and media, as well as summary points and keywords. Different views of this master document produce the range of course documentation.

Examples of documents include: a study guide with learning outcomes linked to content, concept maps providing a graphical view of key relationships, and presentation slides that generate visual mnemonics for important topics.

While this structure simplifies formatting of learning materials it also offers additional benefits to the teacher. Reports are generated showing that all outcomes are covered and assessed.   Explicitly annotating and visualizing concepts allows the lecturer to ensure that all elements fall within a single scaffold. Simplified access to external media encourages alternative presentation modalities and produces presentations that are easily adapted to new themes.

Teaching and learning in a context-based chemistry classroom

Many current chemistry programs privilege de-contextualised conceptual learning, often limited by a narrow selection of pedagogies that too often ignore the realities of studentse own lives and interests (e.g., Tytler, 2007). One new approach that offers hope for improving studentse engagement in learning chemistry and perceived relevance of chemistry is the context-based approach. This study investigated how teaching and learning occurred in one year 11 context-based chemistry classroom. Through an interpretive methodology using a case study design, the teaching and learning that occurred during one term (ten weeks) of a unit on Water Quality are described. The researcher was a participant observer in the study who co-designed the unit of work with the teacher. The research questions explored the structure and implementation of the context-based approach, the circumstances by which students connected concepts and context in the context-based classroom and the outcome of the approach for the students and the teacher. A dialectical sociocultural theoretical framework using the dialectics of structure | agency and agency | passivity was used as a lens to explore the interactions between learners in different fields, such as the field of the classroom and the field of the local community. The findings of this study highlight the difficulties teachers face when implementing a new pedagogical approach. Time constraints and opportunities for students to demonstrate a level of conceptual understanding that satisfied the teacher, hindered a full implementation of the approach. The study found that for high (above average) and sound (average) achieving students, connections between sanctioned science content of school curriculum and the studentse out-of-school worlds were realised when students actively engaged in fields that contextualised inquiry and gave them purpose for learning. Fluid transitions or the toing and froing between concepts and contexts occurred when structures in the classroom afforded students the agency to connect concepts and contexts. The implications for teaching by a context-based approach suggest that keeping the context central, by teaching content on a "need-to-know" basis, contextualises the chemistry for students. Also, if teachers provide opportunities for student-student interactions and written work student learning can improve.

Depleting the curriculum: teaching digital platforms and curricular impoverishment

The paper aims at showing how curricular complexity tends to be depleted by the use of digital platforms based on the SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) standard, which was created with the main purpose of recycling content as it is supposed to be independent both from the context of learning and the supporting technology also deemed to be neutral, all surrounded by a rhetoric of innovation and “pedagogical” innovation. The starting point of the discussion is García Perez’s model of Traditional Didactics as a simple tool to show almost graphically that any ancient didactic model is far richer in terms of complexity than the linearity, in disguise most of the times but still visible under a not so sophisticated critical lens, of the interaction human-(reusable) content that is the basis of the SCORM standard. The paper also addresses some of the more common deliberate mix-ups related to those digital platforms, such as learning and teaching, content and learning object, systems of automatic teaching and learning management systems.

Exploring the goals, content, and methods of entrepreneurship professors: A multiple case study

Along with the accumulation of evidence supporting the role of entrepreneurship in economic development (Acs & Armington, 2006; Kuratko, 2005, Reynolds, 2007), governments have persisted in encouraging people to become entrepreneurs (Acs & Stough, 2008; Brannback & Carsrud, 2008). These efforts have tried to reproduce the conditions under which entrepreneurship emerges. One of these conditions is to develop entrepreneurial skills among students and scientists (Fan & Foo, 2004). Entrepreneurship education within higher education has experienced a remarkable expansion in the last 20 years (Green, 2008). To develop entrepreneurial skills among students, scholars have proposed different teaching approaches. However, no clear relationship has been demonstrated between entrepreneurship education, learning outcomes, and business creation (Hostager & Decker, 1999). Despite policy makers demands for more accountability from educational institutions (Klimoski, 2007) and entrepreneurship instructors demands for consistency about what should be taught and how (Maidment, 2009), the appropriate content for entrepreneurship programs remains under constant discussion (Solomon, 2007). Entrepreneurship education is still in its infancy, professors propose diverse teaching goals and radically different teaching methods. This represents an obstacle to development of foundational and consistent curricula across the board (Cone, 2008). Entrepreneurship education is in need of a better conceptualization of the learning outcomes pursued in order to develop consistent curriculum. Many schools do not have enough qualified faculty to meet the growing student demand and a consistent curriculum is needed for faculty development. Entrepreneurship instructors and their teaching practices are of interest because they have a role in producing the entrepreneurs needed to grow the economy. This study was designed to understand instructors’ perspectives and actions related to their teaching. The sample studied consisted of eight college and university entrepreneurship instructors. Cases met predetermined criteria of importance followed maximum variation strategies. Results suggest that teaching content were consistent across participants while different teaching goals were identified: some instructors inspire and develop general skills of students while others envision the creation of a real business as the major outcome of their course. A relationship between methods reported by instructors and their disciplinary background, teaching perspective, and entrepreneurial experience was found.

A case study of teaching and learning practice in a Chinese adult institution

Résumé: Cette recherche s'est réalisée dans une institution chinoise de formation des adultes. Il existe très peu d'études présentant la pratique de l'enseignement et de l'apprentissage en Chine. Aussi, il semble que cette étude de cas puisse être utile. Elle porte sur le personnel de formation en administration économique dans un centre de formation de Tianjin. Le but premier de cette recherche est de décrire ce qui se fait à cet institut de formation des adultes. Les aspects couverts vont de la sélection du contenu de formation et des modalités d'enseignement jusqu'à la compréhension de l'enseignement et de l'apprentissage. À partir de l'expérience des professeurs de ce centre de Tianjin, cette étude cherche précisément à décrire leurs perceptions et leurs attitudes en regard d'un enseignement centré sur l'apprentissage et développé selon un mode de collaboration. Les fondements théoriques retenus s'inspirent des conceptions andragogiques de Knowles, de celles de Brookfield qui ont trait aux rôles des formateurs et formatrices d'adultes et de Conti qui présente une conception de l'enseignement qui se développe selon un mode de collaboration. Les données sont été retenues à la suite d'interviews et de questionnaires. Ce dernier instrument a été administré à 70 professeurs de formation aux adultes. Les résultats obtenus sont décrits et analysés. Les principaux éléments indiquent que la pratique actuelle de formation des adultes à ce centre de Tianjin ne tient pas compte des principes de l'éducation des adultes présenté selon un mode de collaboration. La formation est centrée sur l'enseignement. Il est à souhaiter que cette recherche contribuera à développer une meilleure compréhension de l'enseignement et de l'apprentissage en Chine tel que perçus par les formateurs et formatrices. Quelques suggestions de recherche complémentaires sont proposées à la fin.||Abstract: The present study grew out of one Chinese adult institute. Relatively few works are available that present a view of what actually happens in Chinese adult teaching and learning practice. Accordingly, it is believed that a case study on Tianjin Institute of Training Economic Management Personnel (TITEMP) which has been working for years in varions forms of adult programs, will be very useful addition to the knowledge of Chinese adult teaching and learning. The primary purpose of the present study is to serve as an introduction to one Chinese adult institute (TITEMP) in terms of characteristics of teaching, including selecting teaching content and teaching pattern, and to expand the understanding of Chinese adult teaching and learning. Based on the experiences of teachers at TITEMP, the study seeks to investigate the issues of teacher's perceptions and attitudes of teaching and learning to obtain implications toward learning-centred and collaborative mode. The theoretical foundations include andragogical conceptions (Knowles), roles of adult teachers (Brookfield), and conceptions of collaborative teaching and learning mode (Conti). The main sources of data are: the interviews and results of the questionnaire. Questionnaire responses from 70 teachers with knowledge of adult teaching and learning are described and interpreted. The general findings of the study are that the existing adult teaching practice at TITEMP does not adequately account for the principles of adult learning in a collaborative mode with adult students. Adult learning is teaching-centred. Some suggestions for further research are offered. It is hoped and believed that this research will contribute to a better understanding of Chinese adult teaching and learning in general, more particularly to the empirical study of the teachers from teaching and learning perspective in a Chinese adult higher learning setting. The research findings will be used as basis for the exploration of Chinese adult teaching.

Urban Planning 3. Informal notes from the course's theoretical and practical content

This document compiles in an informal manner, some of the theoretical teaching content considered for the Urban Planning 3, course 2013- 2014. It also includes the outline and hand-in instructions of the two practical exercises developed during the course. The purpose of this compilation of teaching notes is to serve as reference and basis for future courses taught in English, as this was the first experience for the subject Urban Planning 3.

Supporting Students for Flexible Learning

The changing roles for academics relates to a new emphasis on: •developing life-long learners, in addition to teaching 'content'; •ensuring long-term graduate outcomes not just short-term subject objectives are achieved by all students; and •collaborative course and subject design.

Opetussuunnitelman mallin jäsennys : sisältö ja pedagogiikka kokonaisuuden rakentajina

Structuring of the Curriculum Design: Content and Pedagogy Constructing the Whole The object of this qualitative study is to structure curriculum design by drawing from the characteristics of subject content and pedagogy. The aim is to first outline the forms of content and pedagogy within the National Core Curriculum for Basic Education. By analysing these forms I then aim to construct a general view of the curriculum’s structure and its developmental potential as it relates to both current and future pedagogical and intellectual interests. The written curriculum is examined as part of the educational guidance system, which means that it is an administrative and juridical document that governs teacher action and has a pedagogical and intellectual character. Didactical schools, curriculum ideologies and curriculum-determinants are all discussed as means of approaching the curriculum model. Curriculum content itself is defined by the different forms and conceptions of knowledge. The representation of curriculum content can be defined to be either specific or integrated. Curriculum pedagogy is in turn defined on the basis of the prevailing conception of learning and teaching. The pedagogy within the curriculum can be open or closed depending on the extent of pedagogical freedom allowed. An examination of the pedagogical dimension also covers the subject of the interfaces between formal education and informal learning, which must be taken into consideration when developing school pedagogy and therefore also in the curriculum. The data of the study consists of two curriculum documents: The Finnish National Core Curriculum for Basic Education issued in 1994 and the present National core curriculum for basic education issued in 2004. The primary method used in the study is theory-based content analysis. On the one hand the aim of the analysis is to determine if the structure, i.e., model, of the curricula is built from unconnected, self-contained elements, or whether the separate parts make a coherent whole. On the other hand, the aim is also to examine the pedagogical features the two curricula contain. The basis of the study is not the systematic comparison of the curriculum documents, yet an analysis of two very distinct documents must also be based on an examination of their inherent differences. The results of the study show that the content in the analysed documents is not integrated. The boundaries between divisions are clearly defined and the curricula are subject-oriented and based on theoretical propositional knowledge. The pedagogy is mainly closed and based on strong guidance of content, structured student evaluation and measurable learning experiences. However, curriculum documents do have representations of integrated content: the themes covered early on in the core curriculum guidelines of 1994 permeate systematically the different divisions of the curriculum. The core curriculum guidelines of 2004 in turn reveal skills which create connections between subjects. The guidelines’ utilise out-of-school environments and accommodate learner experiences, and focus on flexible studying and emphasize individual learner needs. These characteristics reveal an open form of pedagogy. In light of these results, it is possible to reach an understanding of the content and pedagogical development possibilities of the curriculum. The essential viewpoints are then the setting of thematically-oriented aims as a basis for content development, the curriculum’s pedagogical structuring on the basis of the learning process and the enhancement of connections between curricular content and pedagogy in a purposeful way. Keywords: curriculum, curriculum theory, curriculum design, core curriculum guidelines, teaching content, pedagogy

„…und das bin ich…“. Identitätsförderung und Ausprägung des Körperbewusstseins im Kontext von tänzerischer Bewegungsgestaltung und pädagogischen Bewegungstechniken

Um persönlichkeitsbildende Prozesse zu unterstützen und hierbei den Körper nutzbar zu machen, eignen sich Erfahrungen aus der tänzerischen Bewegungsgestaltung, insbesondere durch die explorative Verhaltensweise sowie der Selbst– und Fremdreflektion von Bewegungen, auf besondere Weise. Der Körper ist Instrument, bewegliche Skulptur, internes und externes Kommunikationsvehikel sowie Forschungsobjekt zugleich. Hierbei bieten Tanz und kinästhetische Bewegungslehren als pädagogisches Medium Förderungsbereiche, die auf körperlicher, emotionaler und kognitiver Ebene liegen und in Bezug zum lebendigen Lernen stehen. Tanz als Teilbereich kultureller Bildung steht hierbei in Bezug als ergänzender Curricularer Gegenstand zu fungieren. (DIPF/Autor)

Lärares beskrivningar av evolution som undervisningsinnehåll i biologi på gymnasiet

Biological evolution is part of the syllabi for Biology and Science in Swedish upper secondary school. In the syllabi, evolution is not only presented as a topic in Biology courses, but is also regarded as a unifying theme. The teacher has a fundamental role in deciding how the national curriculum is translated into the educational situation. This thesis investigates teachers’ accounts of their teaching of evolution in Swedish upper secondary school, describing their understandings of the purpose of teaching and learning evolution as part of biology education. The thesis is based on interviews of teachers teaching the course Biology A, which is compulsory as dictated by the Natural Science Program. The interviews were supplemented with questionnaires. The interviews were orientated towards questions about selection of course content and the reasons for choosing this content. The interviews were focused on teachers experiences based on their own practice. Two aspects of content were examined: (1) the scientific content taught in terms of themes and (2) the socializing value-laden aspects, such as priorities taken by the teachers and the teachers´ overarching aims.   The results showed that teachers described different teaching contents with regard to values, even when the core content of themes was similar. Four different selective traditions for choosing content were identified among teachers. The results are discussed in relation to the context and conditions that the teachers identify as influential on the content chosen. Teachers’ interactions with their students as well as their world views are important for their selection and adjustment of content. There are also indications that teachers’ personal views about purposes are important for selecting the teaching content.

Formação continuada de professores de ciências para o ensino de astronomia nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental

Situated at the intersection of Continuing Formation, Science Teaching and content of astronomy, the research aims to discuss this problematic : What are the challenges encountered in a continuous formation in service of science teachers of the early years of elementary school with contents of astronomy? Aiming to answer this question, we carried out a collaborative action research in a school of Natal / RN, with 6 teachers who teach or lectured Natural Sciences in the early years of elementary school. The study involved 14 encounters of continuos formation in service, to enable a better understanding criticism and propositive concerning the teaching science, especially some content of astronomy for the initial years, through a shared discussion. To this end, we consider that more profound understanding of astronomical knowledge allows the establishment of relationships and connections between theoretical knowledge and the daily teaching practice. All discussions were recorded on audio and transcripts. This research was realized using questionnaires and diary, however, the audio recording was its principal working instrument. About the data collected, several issues emerged as the little field of conceptual content, several misconceptions among teachers about the content of astronomy, lack of adequate space in the school environment to study and the need for collective reflection on the practice. Finally, is indicated that the contents of astronomy should be used in classrooms of Sciences, provided that teaching plan of action consider the existence of diverse alternative conceptions about the subject, among both teachers and students, and the need of permanente continuing education in the teaching

Ensinando sobre a natureza da ciência: uma abordagem explícita e contextualizada a partir da história do vácuo

In last decades, the importance of including the contents of the Nature of Science (NOS) in Science Education has been emphasized. Several studies have focused on investigating the conceptions of NOS, supported by students and teachers, as well as design, implement and evaluate proposals that aim to provide a reflection on this theme in the educational context. Considering the complexity of such content, studies indicate the need for explicit and contextualized approaches and the History of Science (HS) is one of the possible paths to this inclusion. We started from the premise that, through a historical study, that aims to discuss the meaning and the basis of our "beliefs", we can know the process of building on what we "believe" and better understand its meaning. This thesis is part of this perspective, proposing to explore the History of the Vacuum, a themed high didactic potential still little used, in order to collaborate with the teaching content of NOS. We present actions on different fronts that originated three products in the context of this research. On the first front, we insert the research and production of instructional materials (three historical texts) to subsidize people interested in the implementation of HPS for educational context through this material. The relevance of this front is justified by the existence of gaps with regard to the production of such material for the context of teacher training. However, we consider that the preparation of instructional material of good quality and accessible does not guarantee that these resources will be used, if they will not be accompanied by discussions in teacher training, on how to use them, contexts and obstacles to be faced. The second part presented refers to the organization and implementation of a workshop for undergraduate students in physics and physics teachers, considering the instrumentalization of these individuals to the preparation and use of teaching strategies to approach aspects of NOS through episodes of History of the Vacuum, as well as the preparation of the text orientation for people interested in implementing the instructional material for secondary education. This guidance text contemplates the difficulties anticipated by the literature of the area and the main challenges faced by the participants about the didactic transposition of HPS for the educational context they were noted during the workshop. The relevance of this second front, in particular, is justified by the existence of gaps with regard to the inclusion of the theme of NOS and the HPS teacher training

O vídeo didático Conhecendo o Solo e a contribuição desse recurso audiovisual no processo de aprendizagem no ensino fundamental

O uso de recursos audiovisuais no ensino de solos, como estímulo para os alunos, pode auxiliar na construção de um conhecimento crítico e reflexivo. Este trabalho objetivou analisar a contribuição do vídeo Conhecendo o Solo no ensino e na aprendizagem dessa temática no nível fundamental. Com o intuito de estimular os alunos a perceber a importância dos solos nos ambientes, esse vídeo foi aplicado como conteúdo de ensino. em seguida, foi aplicado um questionário, em que os alunos descreveram as principais ideias transmitidas por esse, especificando os pontos positivos e negativos do recurso utilizado. A análise do questionário revelou que o uso do vídeo foi um facilitador da aprendizagem. Porém, as respostas dos estudantes indicaram que alguns aspectos necessitam de adequações, como o dinamismo, a interatividade, a quantidade de informações e a narração. Mesmo assim, o recurso foi classificado pela maioria dos alunos como adequado, e o repertório de conteúdos apresentou similaridade com o exposto no vídeo, caracterizando-o como um recurso de influência positiva no processo de ensino e aprendizagem.

Possibilidades e limites de experiência: imagem e formação de professoras de infância da rede pública de Rio Claro

Pós-graduação em Educação - IBRC

A evolução biológica no ensino médio no Estado de São Paulo: competências curriculares, orientações didáticas e indicadores de aprendizagem

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)