Advances in Teaching & Learning Day Abstracts 2005

Proceedings of the Advances in Teaching & Learning Day Regional Conference held at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in 2005

An e-learning authoring tool for a didactic unit for Early Childhood Education students (5 year olds): Pets, farm and wild animals

This dissertation analyzes the general contribution of ICT and, in particular, of authoring tools to the pedagogical practice of teachers. The didactic unit “pets, farm and wild animals”, which is included in the second area of the curriculum of the 2nd Cycle of Early Childhood Education: “The physical, natural, social and cultural environment”, was developed with the authoring tool ARTICULATE Storyline 360. In the development of the modules, an attempt has been made to create animations in order to generate points of attention: put triggers (status or intersection of an object), buttons, add audios, videos and connections with web addresses, etc. Furthermore, different sorts of questions and activities have been created for students, to obtain an overview of student learning and performance during the course. Lastly, the teaching unit has been published in Articulate 360, HTML5, Flash, Word, CD, etc., to be used on computers, tablets, mobile phones, etc. This didactic unit is an attempt to use the authoring tool as a didactic mediation strategy elaborated to contribute to the strengthening of the pedagogical practice of the teachers and at the same time to the learning process of the students.Este proyecto fin de grado analiza la contribución general de las TIC y, en particular, de las herramientas de autor a la práctica pedagógica de los docentes. La unidad didáctica “Las mascotas, los animales de granja y los animales salvajes”, la cual está recogida en la segunda área del curriculum del 2º Ciclo de Educación Infantil: “El medio físico, natural, social y cultural”, se desarrolló con la herramienta de autor ARTICULATE Storyline 360. En el desarrollo de los módulos que comprenden la unidad, se ha intentado crear animaciones para generar puntos de atención: poner activadores (el estado de los dibujos o la intersección de un objeto), botones, añadir audios, videos, links con direcciones web, etc. Asimismo, se han creado diferentes tipos de preguntas y actividades, para obtener una visión general del aprendizaje y el rendimiento de los alumnos durante el curso. Finalmente, la unidad didáctica ha sido publicada en Articulate 360, HTML5, Flash, Word, CD, etc., para ser utilizada en ordenadores, tabletas, teléfonos móviles, etc. Esta unidad didáctica es un intento de utilizar la herramienta de autor como una estrategia de mediación didáctica elaborada para contribuir al fortalecimiento de la práctica pedagógica de los docentes y al mismo tiempo al aprendizaje de los discentes.Aquest projecte fi de grau analitza la contribució general de les TIC i, en particular, de les eines d'autor a la pràctica pedagògica dels docents. La unitat didàctica “Les mascotes, els animals de granja i els animals salvatges”, la qual està arreplegada en la segona àrea del currículum del 2n Cicle d'Educació Infantil: “El medi físic, natural, social i cultural”, es va desenvolupar amb l'eina d'autor ARTICULATE Storyline 360. En el desenvolupament dels mòduls que comprenen la unitat, s'ha intentat crear animacions per a generar punts d'atenció: posar activadors (l'estat dels dibuixos o la intersecció d'un objecte), botons, afegir àudios, vídeos, links amb adreces web, etc. Així mateix, s'han creat diferents tipus de preguntes i activitats, per a obtindre una visió general de l'aprenentatge i el rendiment dels alumnes durant el curs. Finalment, la unitat didàctica ha sigut publicada en Articulate 360, HTML5, Flash, Word, CD, etc., per a ser utilitzada en ordinadors, tauletes, telèfons mòbils, etc. Aquesta unitat didàctica és un intent d'utilitzar l'eina d'autor com una estratègia de mediació didàctica elaborada per a contribuir a l'enfortiment de la pràctica pedagògica dels docents i al mateix temps a l'aprenentatge dels discents.Educació

Curriculum –Releasing Maths Anxiety with the Use of Robotics

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inquiry in University Mathematics Teaching and Learning

The book presents developmental outcomes from an EU Erasmus+ project involving eight partner universities in seven countries in Europe. Its focus is the development of mathematics teaching and learning at university level to enhance the learning of mathematics by university students. Its theoretical focus is inquiry-based teaching and learning. It bases all activity on a three-layer model of inquiry: (1) Inquiry in mathematics and in the learning of mathematics in lecture, tutorial, seminar or workshop, involving students and teachers; (2) Inquiry in mathematics teaching involving teachers exploring and developing their own practices in teaching mathematics; (3) Inquiry as a research process, analysing data from layers (1) and (2) to advance knowledge inthe field. As required by the Erasmus+ programme, it defines Intellectual Outputs (IOs) that will develop in the project. PLATINUM has six IOs: The Inquiry-based developmental model; Inquiry communities in mathematics learning and teaching; Design of mathematics tasks and teaching units; Inquiry-based professional development activity; Modelling as an inquiry process; Evalutation of inquiry activity with students. The project has developed Inquiry Communities, in each of the partner groups, in which mathematicians and educators work together in supportive collegial ways to promote inquiry processes in mathematics learning and teaching. Through involving students in inquiry activities, PLATINUM aims to encourage students` own in-depth engagement with mathematics, so that they develop conceptual understandings which go beyond memorisation and the use of procedures. Indeed the eight partners together have formed an inquiry community, working together to achieve PLATINUM goals within the specific environments of their own institutions and cultures. Together we learn from what we are able to achieve with respect to both common goals and diverse environments, bringing a richness of experience and learning to this important area of education. Inquiry communities enable participants to address the tensions and issues that emerge in developmental processes and to recognise the critical nature of the developmental process. Through engaging in inquiry-based development, partners are enabled and motivated to design activities for their peers, and for newcomers to university teaching of mathematics, to encourage their participation in new forms of teaching, design of teaching, and activities for students. Such professional development design is an important outcome of PLATINUM. One important area of inquiry-based activity is that of “modelling” in mathematics. Partners have worked together across the project to investigate the nature of modelling activities and their use with students. Overall, the project evaluates its activity in these various parts to gain insights to the sucess of inquiry based teaching, learning and development as well as the issues and tensions that are faced in putting into practice its aims and goals

Inquiry in University Mathematics Teaching and Learning. The Platinum Project

The book presents developmental outcomes from an EU Erasmus+ project involving eight partner universities in seven countries in Europe. Its focus is the development of mathematics teaching and learning at university level to enhance the learning of mathematics by university students. Its theoretical focus is inquiry-based teaching and learning. It bases all activity on a three-layer model of inquiry: (1) Inquiry in mathematics and in the learning of mathematics in lecture, tutorial, seminar or workshop, involving students and teachers; (2) Inquiry in mathematics teaching involving teachers exploring and developing their own practices in teaching mathematics; (3) Inquiry as a research process, analysing data from layers (1) and (2) to advance knowledge inthe field. As required by the Erasmus+ programme, it defines Intellectual Outputs (IOs) that will develop in the project. PLATINUM has six IOs: The Inquiry-based developmental model; Inquiry communities in mathematics learning and teaching; Design of mathematics tasks and teaching units; Inquiry-based professional development activity; Modelling as an inquiry process; Evalutation of inquiry activity with students. The project has developed Inquiry Communities, in each of the partner groups, in which mathematicians and educators work together in supportive collegial ways to promote inquiry processes in mathematics learning and teaching. Through involving students in inquiry activities, PLATINUM aims to encourage students‘ own in-depth engagement with mathematics, so that they develop conceptual understandings which go beyond memorisation and the use of procedures. Indeed the eight partners together have formed an inquiry community, working together to achieve PLATINUM goals within the specific environments of their own institutions and cultures. Together we learn from what we are able to achieve with respect to both common goals and diverse environments, bringing a richness of experience and learning to this important area of education. Inquiry communities enable participants to address the tensions and issues that emerge in developmental processes and to recognise the critical nature of the developmental process. Through engaging in inquiry-based development, partners are enabled and motivated to design activities for their peers, and for newcomers to university teaching of mathematics, to encourage their participation in new forms of teaching, design of teaching, and activities for students. Such professional development design is an important outcome of PLATINUM. One important area of inquiry-based activity is that of „modelling“ in mathematics. Partners have worked together across the project to investigate the nature of modelling activities and their use with students. Overall, the project evaluates its activity in these various parts to gain insights to the sucess of inquiry based teaching, learning and development as well as the issues and tensions that are faced in putting into practice its aims and goals

The BioS4You European Project: An Innovative Way to Effectively Engage Z-Generation Students in STEM Disciplines

In this contribution, we present the BioS4You project and analyse the results obtained in the first 18 months of its activity. The “Bio-Inspired STEM topics for engaging young generations” (BioS4You) Erasmus+ KA2 Innovation project aims to bridge the gap between STEM national curricula (which include Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and the needs of Z-generation students, uninterested to basic themes, but enthusiastic in issues related to environmental, social, and health concerns. The BioS4You project engages young learners in STEM subjects, starting with current issues of interest for them, as the social and environmental impact of new technologies, connecting STEM concepts to real-world technologies that are supporting on facing environmental, social, and health current challenges. Novel fields such as Bioengineering, Bioscience, Biotechnology can be implemented into classroom teaching, integrating academic disciplines, and stimulating the academic and social growth of young people. The knowledge of new STEM contents makes the students feel an active part of the technological innovation (and not just passive users) and help them to build a better future, bringing them closer to the STEM world and enabling them to make more informed choices for their future careers