Exploratory factor analysis-instrument for self-assessment of computation thinking skills and collaboration skills

This study focuses on developing and validating instruments to assess the computational thinking skills (CTS) and collaboration skills (CS) of undergraduate students in Indonesia. Employing a quantitative research approach with the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) technique, the research process unfolded in three validation steps. First, face validity was established through expert judgment. Second, discriminant validity was examined using product-moment correlations and Cronbach’s alpha. Finally, EFA were employed to assess the factorial structure. The instrument development process followed five phases: drafting the instrument, face validity assessment by experts, data collection involving 242 undergraduate students as samples, discriminant validity analysis (product moment and Cronbach’s alpha), and EFA analysis to group items and construct dimensions. This study identified six dimensions for CTS (algorithmic thinking, cooperative thinking, problem reformulation, creativity, critical thinking, and systematic testing) and three dimensions for CS (knowledge sharing, planning, and responsibility). These findings support validating the CTS and CS self-assessment scale, making it a valuable tool for evaluating undergraduate student learning and researching computational thinking and CS in Indonesia. Researchers and educators are encouraged to utilize the CTS and CS instrument for self-assessment purposes and further exploration of these competencies among undergraduate students

Introductory programming: a systematic literature review

As computing becomes a mainstream discipline embedded in the school curriculum and acts as an enabler for an increasing range of academic disciplines in higher education, the literature on introductory programming is growing. Although there have been several reviews that focus on specific aspects of introductory programming, there has been no broad overview of the literature exploring recent trends across the breadth of introductory programming. This paper is the report of an ITiCSE working group that conducted a systematic review in order to gain an overview of the introductory programming literature. Partitioning the literature into papers addressing the student, teaching, the curriculum, and assessment, we explore trends, highlight advances in knowledge over the past 15 years, and indicate possible directions for future research

Environmental Engineering (Laboratory)

This module will give the students an understanding of the Environmental Engineering (Laboratory) for the course DAC 12203 offered by the Centre of Diploma Studies (CeDS), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM)

An analysis of staff perceptions of their preparedness for the implementation of active learning in Malaysian engineering education:exploratory approach

Learning and teaching approaches in this 21st century have developed significantly, in particular within higher education. The traditional approach of teacher-centred learning is no longer relevant in preparing future employment of engineering graduates to meet the demand of I.R 4.0 and its society. The vision of ‘I.R 4.0’ is merely aligned with the use of the Active Learning (AL) approach that require the graduates encounter rapid change of technology and world globalization, which provides graduates with necessary skills. Thus, the teacher’s role as ‘knowledge provider’ has changed significantly in the AL environment, as compared to the traditional approach.In addition, AL implementation also gives a considerable challenge to staff beliefs and perceptions about the new teaching and learning process. As staff are a key component in the success of AL implementation, this study focuses on exploring staff perception of the AL approach particularly within Malaysian Higher Education as a way of assessing staff preparedness. It touches in particular the staff or educators who deal directly with students. Furthermore, the study also intends to examine the staff development requirements in introducing AL within engineering education. Other factors, such as the management and institutional roles that influence staff preparedness for AL implementation are also observed. This study employs a mixed-methods exploratory approach with qualitative data collection during the initial stage and is followed by a quantitative survey. For qualitative work, two case studies were conducted in which the institutes involved adopted the chosen AL that suited their engineering course curriculum. Using semi-structured interviews, focus groups and document analysis, data in the qualitative approach was gathered in order to explore the staff perceptions, experience as well as the management’s and the students’ in adopting an AL approach in their learning and teaching methods. The qualitative findings was then used to build the quantitative survey in order to collect data from a larger sample. Data is integrated to present a holistic understanding of staff perceptions with regards to their experience and practices in AL adoption within engineering education in Malaysia. As this study is the first to be done in order to investigate the staff preparedness with regards to AL implementation, results from this study reveals that failure in managing the change from traditional ethos toward an AL setting has led to the unpreparedness of AL adoption. This is due to the fact that a majority of the staff are unable to understand their role upon AL implementation which led to a variety of implementations due to different understanding and interpretation. Thus, the study manages to identify the key problem that hinders proper implementation with regard to the staff preparation which required holistic involvement in order to achieve the target. Hence, a ‘Framework of Managing Change for Active Learning Adoption’ is then produced in order to guide the transition involved as well as highlighting the role of relevant stakeholders towards AL implementation. Subsequently, findings of this study may be useful for informing practice, notably in the engineering education community

Participatory Design for sustainable social innovation in developing countries: Design experiments towards a model to deploy interventions with marginalised youth

An increasing number of practitioners are engaging in the consideration of Participatory Design (PD) as a strategic modus operandi to attain socially progressive ends among marginalised communities in developing countries. However, the structures, methods and objectives of this type of work constitute an ongoing debate. A scattered body of resources in this area tend to focus on either theory (such as journal papers) or practice (such as design toolkits). To fill this gap, this research develops a model of practice that links these two dimensions through a collection of elements drawn upon contemporary approaches to design and development. The model considers three layers of ethos, methods and outputs to guide the design and undertaking of social-entrepreneurially oriented PD interventions with a focus on problem identification. Two case studies are undertaken with communities of marginalised youth in South Africa to evaluate the model and its inherent flexibility respectively. The evaluation found that the model enabled the researcher to build capacity and empower participants to gain leadership and ownership over the intervention, ultimately developing their sense of activism and aspiration for change. On this basis, a final version of the model is put forward to help prepare and guide design practitioners to deploy PD interventions with marginalised youth in developing countries for responsible and sustainable social innovation. In addition, the research reflects on the various roles that design practitioners take on while deploying the intervention and on the use of a cross-paradigm to undertake the type of design research approached in this thesis

Using language learning strategies to develop ab-initio PGCE students' skills in primary modern languages

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of EducationThe announcements concerning the introduction of modern languages in Key Stage Two in England (https://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/ curriculum/national curriculum2014, [accessed 8 March 2013]), although not a new initiative, have renewed the need to train generalist primary teachers in teaching modern languages. Following an initial announcement of the introduction of the English Baccalaureate, the poor outcomes achieved by England in the European languages survey (COE, 2012) and the news that modern languages would be part of the primary curriculum (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18531751 [accessed 21 June 2012]) contributed to refreshing the agenda of languages in the country and the role of early second language learning appears to be slowly resurrecting. In order to provide trainee teachers with the skills necessary for teaching young learners modern languages, this study focuses on increasing subject knowledge and pedagogical competence in a short time by developing trainees’ reflective practice, broadly following the tradition of strategy-based instruction (Macaro, 2001; Cohen, 2007; Oxford, 2011), but within a social constructivist understanding of learning using collaboration. The research, which follows a mixed method case study approach, proposes and trials a teaching approach that incorporates language learning strategies in a collaborative manner. The design of a revised strategy-based approach has a three-fold purpose: (i) to enable primary trainee teachers to develop the linguistic skills necessary to teach another language through the use of the linguistic knowledge they already possess in their own mother tongue (Saville-Troike, 2012); (ii) to use self-regulation to build confidence and competence in the target language; and (iii) to enable trainees and pupils to develop their language learning autonomy. Results indicate that, within the case studies reported here, such an approach seemed to be an effective way of learning and teaching another language simultaneously for adults, as it provided ab-initio language learners with a basis for the development of linguistic skills thus increasing their capacity for languages. Whilst there is no claim to generalisation here, the studies indicate that using language learning strategies may create and sustain interest and engagement in the subject—a condition that has been identified as critical to the success of any teaching approach. Whilst the results were positive in terms of developing acceptable levels of linguistic competence in adult learners over a short time, the use of a strategy-based method with children did not prove satisfactory, perhaps because of the high metacognitive demands placed on them when they had not yet developed high level abstract thinking, particularly the amount of prior knowledge needed and the language required to verbalise complex cognitive processes

Design for Social Sustainability in Digital Fabrication for Development in the Global South

Context: The demand for humanitarian and development aid has risen to an unprecedented level. With an urgent need for new solutions, the aid sector has started turning to digital fabrication (3D printing, laser cutting and computer numerical control (CNC) milling). Collectively, these initiatives are referred to as Digital Fabrication for Development (DF4D). It is commonly believed that DF4D can support more low-cost, appropriate and localised forms of production in the Global South. Problem: Despite rhetoric about the transformative potential of DF4D, there is concern that technology projects in the aid sector have historically failed to create lasting impact. It is put forward that social sustainability is currently lacking and that this is limiting the success of DF4D. Despite recognition that social sustainability is the foundation for sustainable development, it is a challenging concept that is often neglected in mainstream sustainability research. In addition, the role of design in promoting social sustainability has not been well understood. Until this problem is addressed, it is believed that DF4D will not succeed in creating the social impact it desires. Research aim: To investigate how design can promote social sustainability in DF4D. Methodology: This thesis follows a pragmatic research paradigm. First, an exploratory study is conducted with fourteen case studies to validate that social sustainability is currently lacking in DF4D. Building on these findings, the main study is conducted with three case studies: a 3D printed otoscope in Nepal; a digitally fabricated prosthesis in India; and, a digital fabricated suction pump machine in Kenya. The main study diverges in two directions, with the first part focusing on an analytical approach and the second part taking a critical systems approach. In the analytical approach, thematic coding of case study data is used to identify the key principles of Design for Social Sustainability in DF4D. In the critical systems approach, Actor-Network Theory is used to investigate the networks of DF4D projects. Results: The analytical approach results in a normative framework to support Design for Social Sustainability in DF4D. It offers practical guidelines that are relevant in project planning and evaluation. The framework highlights the need for radical, systems-focused solutions. It reveals that design can trigger social sustainability at product, process and paradigm levels. The critical systems approach explores an interpretative version of Design for Social Sustainability. It supports the development of an initial toolkit that allows actors to collaboratively map their own networks during ongoing projects. Network analysis of the case studies clarifies the linkage between participation and Design for Social Sustainability. Reciprocity is highlighted as a key network metric that reveals (in)equitable relationships. The results of the analytical and critical systems approaches are compared to identify their complementary insights. It is put forward that Design for Social Sustainability in DF4D demands several shifts in practice from: products to capabilities; exogenous to endogenous development; passive to active actors; quick fixes to open-ended solutions; and, one-off projects to scalable interventions. It is argued that Design for Social Sustainability also has the potential to shape sustainability transitions beyond the project level. Theoretical implications: Synthesis of fragmented knowledge on Design for Social Sustainability and identification of its key principles in the DF4D context. Practical implications: The development of a practical framework and an initial toolkit that can support practitioners in DF4D to develop more socially sustainable solutions. Methodological implications: Explanation of how and why analytical and critical systems approaches can provide complementary insights for exploring complex phenomena.This research was supported by the EPSRC Doctoral Training Programme, grant number EP/L504920/

Patterns for Active E-Learning in CMS Environments

The proliferation of course management systems (CMS) in the last decade stimulated educators in establishing novel active e-learning practices. Only a few of these practices, however, have been systematically described and published as pedagogic patterns. The lack of formal patterns is an obstacle to the systematic reuse of beneficial active e-learning experiences. This paper aims to partially fill the void by offering a collection of active e-learning patterns that are derived from our continuous course design experience in standard CMS environments, such as Moodle and Black-board. Our technical focus is on active e-learning patterns that can boost student interest in computing-related fields and increase student enrolment in computing-related courses. Members of the international e-learning community can benefit from active e-learning patterns by applying them in the design of new CMS-based courses – in computing and other technical fields