Virginia Earth Science Collaborative Astronomy Course for Teachers

We describe the development and implementation of a professional development course for teachers of grades 4-12 designed to increase their content knowledge in astronomy, space science, and the nature of science using interactive presentations, and hands-on and inquiry-based lessons. The course, Space Science for Teachers, encompasses the astronomy and nature of science components of the Virginia Standards of Learning for grades 4-12 [1]. In addition to increasing their content knowledge, teachers gain experience using innovative teaching technologies, such as an inflatable planetarium, planetarium computer software, and computer controlled telescopes. The courses included evening laboratory sessions where teachers learned the constellations, how to find specific celestial objects, and how to use a variety of small telescopes. Participants received three graduate credit hours in science after completing the course requirements. Space Science for Teachers was taught at the University of Virginia in Summer 2005 and 2006, at George Mason University in Summer 2006 and 2007, at the University of Virginia Southwest Center in Abingdon, Virginia in Fall 2006, and at the MathScience Innovation Center in Richmond during Summer 2005 and 2007. A total of 135 teachers participated in the courses

Integration of course management system communication tools in instruction

A major thrust of education is integration of technology in to teaching. In the face-to-face classroom, computer mediated communication tools such as electronic mail, discussion forums and chat are currently being integrated into instruction at a rapid pace. This is especially true in courses that use course management systems to deliver content. Are the current integration practices leading students to higher levels of cognitive engagement? Faculty members that choose to use technology in their teaching practice need to use a sound pedagogical framework to structure course tasks that use the technologies. The purpose of the study was to identify which Blackboard computer mediated communication tools faculty members chose to integrate in their teaching practices, with particular interest in the cognitive levels at which tools were integrated. Data were gathered via a web-based survey that answered the following research questions: 1. What communication tools are faculty members using to support instruction, based on Blackboard\u27s communication tools, i.e., electronic mail, discussion forum, and virtual classroom (chat)? 2. At what cognitive level(s) can use be categorized based on Bloom\u27s hierarchy of cognitive levels: 1) knowledge 2) comprehension 3) application 4) analysis 5) synthesis and 6) evaluation? Data were gathered using a survey instrument that was completed by 91 faculty members at UTK who were using CMC tools in their teaching. In summary, electronic mail (e-mail) is the most widely used tool, followed by the discussion forum. Chat is being used at a very low frequency. The tools are mainly being used to as a convenience to communicate course management issues. Additionally, when the tools are being used to support instructional tasks, the middle to upper levels of cognitive engagement are rarely reached. Recommendations based on the findings included a reexamination of what is intended by integration and suggestions to increase faculty development in pedagogical uses of technology in instruction in relation to discipline

Online-Learning: A Solution for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education during the Covid-19 Pandemic

This paper describes two teaching and learning approaches that were adopted and compared across five different faculties (i.e., Health Sciences; Natural Sciences; Educational Sciences; Humanities, Social Sciences and Law; lastly Commerce and Administration) over a two-year period (2019 and 2020). Students are subjected to assessments that comprise of essays, practicals, presentations, and written tests. Students were taught using the traditional method (face-to-face learning) in 2019, whereas in 2020 students were taught and assessed using e-learning methods on Blackboard. The Mann-Whitney U test showed that students performed significantly different in 2019 compared to 2020, with greater performance in 2020 than 2019. As a result, there is sufficient data to conclude that online learning is more successful compared to face-to-face learning. Keywords: Traditional method, e-learning, teaching, Higher Education, Students. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-27-07 Publication date:September 30th 202

Determination of Selected Course Management Systems Advantages and Challenges: A Case Study

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Dolruedee Suppacheewa on May 12, 201

Transitioning From Blackboard To Moodle - Course Management Software: Faculty And Student Opinions

Colleges and universities have increasingly invested in specialized software and hardware designed to enhance and facilitate the instructional process for faculty and students. One type of technological assistance is commonly known as course management software (CMS). Once learned, these CMS packages can greatly enhance and enrich the classroom experience and provide internet based access to course materials, assignments, grades, supplementary materials, such as quizzes, PPTs, and study aids. Like all moderately complex software packages (Blackboard is proprietary software and Moodle is open source software), there is a learning curve involved in mastering the functionality of each CMS. This paper examines the process of changing from one type of CMS (Blackboard) to another (Moodle). Faulty (FT & PT) and students (graduate & undergraduate) were surveyed to obtain opinions about the transition from one CMS system to another. The goal is to identify issues that may be addressed by targeted training and insights which would improve the transition process

Expert system decision support for low-cost launch vehicle operations

Progress in assessing the feasibility, benefits, and risks associated with AI expert systems applied to low cost expendable launch vehicle systems is described. Part one identified potential application areas in vehicle operations and on-board functions, assessed measures of cost benefit, and identified key technologies to aid in the implementation of decision support systems in this environment. Part two of the program began the development of prototypes to demonstrate real-time vehicle checkout with controller and diagnostic/analysis intelligent systems and to gather true measures of cost savings vs. conventional software, verification and validation requirements, and maintainability improvement. The main objective of the expert advanced development projects was to provide a robust intelligent system for control/analysis that must be performed within a specified real-time window in order to meet the demands of the given application. The efforts to develop the two prototypes are described. Prime emphasis was on a controller expert system to show real-time performance in a cryogenic propellant loading application and safety validation implementation of this system experimentally, using commercial-off-the-shelf software tools and object oriented programming techniques. This smart ground support equipment prototype is based in C with imbedded expert system rules written in the CLIPS protocol. The relational database, ORACLE, provides non-real-time data support. The second demonstration develops the vehicle/ground intelligent automation concept, from phase one, to show cooperation between multiple expert systems. This automated test conductor (ATC) prototype utilizes a knowledge-bus approach for intelligent information processing by use of virtual sensors and blackboards to solve complex problems. It incorporates distributed processing of real-time data and object-oriented techniques for command, configuration control, and auto-code generation

iwant does not equal iwill: correlates of mobile learning with ipads, e-textbooks, blackboard mobile learn and a blended learning experience

This research tested the efficacy of a blended learning iteration with iPad tablet computers, an etextbook and Blackboard's Mobile Learn application connected with a learning management system (LMS). Mobile learning was embedded into the pedagogical design of an undergraduate subject run in two semesters with 135 students. Using design-based research (DBR), an empirical investigation examined four variables including: iPad use; mobile technology use; attitude, including the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) scale; and academic performance. Quantitative analysis with PASW Statistics included descriptive, scaling, correlations, partial correlations and ANCOVAs. Results suggested that students were positive about mobile learning, but were unconvinced that it made a difference to their learning. Performance variables demonstrated that age and self-managed learning attitudes were important covariates with academic success, and mobile learning per se was important but not independent from curriculum design and student engagement IMS, Learning Tools Interoperability, LTI, learning application, innovation, community of enquiry. © 2011 Jeffrey E. Brand, Shelley Kinash, Trishita Mathew & Ron Kordyban

Using Technology Acceptance Model in Understanding Academics' Behavioral Intention to Use Blackboard Learning Management System

This paper tried to examine the academics' acceptance for the use of Blackboard learning management system using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as an analysis approach. Four factors of TAM namely Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness, Attitude, Behavior Intention, and Perceived convenience  as an additional factor were used as the evaluation model factors to measure the academics’ technology acceptance and a total of six hypotheses were proposed. An online questionnaire was conducted to extract the information from academics of Najran University (NU) and a total of 157 respondents were collected. Our findings illustrated that the five factors mentioned have inter correlated effect to explain the academics’ behavior and Perceived convenience was determined as the key factor. Keywords: Blackboard Learning Management System (BbLMS), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Saudi Arabia

Increasing student attainment and engagement through the use of technology to enhance learning

Enhancing Student Attainment and Engagement through the use of Technology to Enhance Learning; Practical Ideas to Takeaway. The rationale for this workshop is to enable delegates? to have the opportunity to explore the potential of several Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) strategies for themselves, with the specific intention of enabling them to have not only an awareness, but upon leaving the conference to hold the enthusiasm and confidence to explore for themselves, and go onto embed those strategies which are appropriate within their own practice. Following a brief introduction, which will outline the context within which the TEL strategies have been employed, this session will adopt a workshop style format, practical and interactive in nature which is designed to be ?hands on?. The session will be supported by a number of current final year undergraduate students (trainee teachers) who have recently completed work, both in and outside of the University, which has incorporated a variety of TEL techniques. For the duration of the workshop each delegate will be assigned a trainee who will act as a personal TEL mentor. Through this unique approach, working in this way, irrespective of the delegate?s individual awareness or understanding of TEL, with virtually ?one-to-one? support each delegate will be able to choose which aspect(s) of TEL they would like to know more about. In addition to providing delegates? with the opportunity to explore a bespoke number of potential TEL strategies, the session will facilitate the potential for discussion between delegates and trainees, upon the direct impact TEL has had upon their engagement, attainment, motivation and employability. A range of physical and electronic resources, which will include information about each TEL strategy explored within this workshop, will be available for delegates? to take away. TEL Strategies include: QR Codes, Prezi?, Blogging and Augmented Reality (AR)