Using Technology to Facilitate Modeling-Based Science Education: Lessons Learned from a Meta-analysis of Empirical Research

This study focused on the integration of technologies in regular science teaching within the pedagogical framework of modeling-based instruction (MBI), a well-established instructional method in science education, and aimed to identify new trends of technology integration in MBI, explore the particular features (Interactivity, Collaboration, and Scaffolding) and affordances of new technologies, and examine the effect of technology-supported MBI on students learning outcomes. By analyzing empirical MBI studies from 2000 to 2010 through a meta-analysis and qualitatively reviewing studies from 2011-2016, this study shared three major findings: (1) computer-based software was the most commonly used technology in MBI, with Internet and mobile technologies rarely used, thus indicating an alarming gap between technology advancement and its integration in education; (2) the majority of technologies used in MBI were considered highly-interactive, but collaborative and scaffolding features of MBI technologies were rarely discussed in MBI literature; (3) technology-supported MBI had an overall much higher effect size on students’ science learning performance. Implications and suggestions for future research were also discussed

How Can I Use Technology in My Classroom to Improve Students\u27 Writing?

Writing has always, until recent developments, been taught through the traditional pencil and paper method. With the advancement in technology and its implementation in education, the traditional method alone is not enough. This research focuses on how technology can be utilized in the writing curriculum. For educators to successfully teach students how to use technology in their classroom they themselves need to know the benefits and drawbacks of technology. For my study, the effect of technology on student writing was observed in an urban classroom of fourth graders in a lower income community. My classroom had one-to-one access to a laptop cart. Students used Worldbook and Microsoft Word to create well developed research papers. I used Ryan and Bernard\u27s (2003) source analysis tools, to look over student work samples and classroom field notes. Using this data, the effects of technology on student writing was analyzed

Media Use Management with Toddlers and Preschoolers: Introducing Screen Time Recommendations in Pediatric Primary Care

As the field of technology has advanced, screens have become easier than ever to access both for adults and their children in the form of smartphones, tablets, laptops, televisions, and more. This advancement has brought on unforeseen challenges for families as they grapple with understanding and implementing healthy boundaries between their children and technology. By their second year of life, 50% of children will have interacted with some form of media, and research is beginning to reflect that there is a measurable effect of screen time on toddler development. The need for intervention has continued to grow, as children are interacting with a screen for seven hours a day on average. This project initiated the use of a screen time screening questionnaire and three-point education tool in a rural pediatrics office where no formal screening or education tool had been in place. Throughout the intervention period, forty families with children ranging from one- to five-years-old were screened for the purpose of further assessment and intervention. Screened families were offered relevant, evidence-based education to allow them to begin to form and implement healthy screen time boundaries within their home. At the completion of the project, the two office providers completed a questionnaire regarding the process and its perceived success or failure. The completed Likert scales were analyzed and revealed that over half of the families engaged in a higher than recommended amount of daily screen time along with other relevant conclusions. The office providers vocalized strong, positive opinions about the project. The office has reported continued use of the questionnaire and three-point education tool for patients of all ages. This project could easily be replicated in other offices of varying sizes, locations, and demographics

Analysis of Factors Affecting Edmodo Adoption as Learning Media Using Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM 2)

Electronic-based learning media is essential in the industrial revolution 4.0 era for the advancement of education. Electronic learning (E-Learning) like Edmodo has an important role to support the practice of teaching and learning at universities. Edmodo was chosen as the one of the most effective User Generated Content (UGC) to directly represent users between lecturers and students. The ease and benefits of using Edmodo have never been measured at Ciputra University, Indonesia. Edmodo must be analyzed in order to determine the acceptance and benefits perceived by users. Distribution of samples was conducted using an online questionnaire as the data collection method. The data analyzed were obtained from 94 respondents using descriptive statistics and path analysis. Respondent data were processed using the SPSS software. Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM 2) is the most suitable method in analyzing the user acceptance adoption based on its constructs. This study used 10 constructs which had been adjusted to answer problems and focus on explanatory research to measure user acceptance with a quantitative approach. The result indicated that the relationship of the highest indicator with a value of 35% is on the Output Quality (X4) which had a significant effect on Perceived Usefulness (Y1); the lowest indicator has a value of 3.1% on the Perceived Ease of Use (Y2) which does not have a significant effect on Perceived Usefulness (Y1). The overall result also showed that Edmodo can be accepted by users as a reference in education, especially at the university leve

The Contribution of Nintendo Wii® in children’s motricity

The increasingly visible sedentarism in the children of our current society is a problem that has been worrying the Childhood Educators. Taking into account the advancement of technology and the fact that children in today's activity rooms are considered as Digital Natives, we intend to introduce the Nintendo Wii® into the motor activities developed by children in order to verify their contribution to children's motor skills. To this end, the objectives of this study focused on the promotion of digital resources in activities related to motor expression; the analysis of the effect of the practice of motor activities performed with Nintendo Wii® and the identification of changes in children's motor development, namely in the analyzed variables, balance, laterality, body notion and global praxia, resulting from practice in the environment virtual. The present investigation was developed in the Supervised Practice in Pre-School Education, in a group of children between the ages of 4 and 5 years. In this investigation the qualitative and quantitative paradigm was combined. A mixed qualitative approach was also developed, combining action research and exploratory case study, due to the uniqueness of the study. For the collection of data, several instruments and techniques were used: participant observation, field notes, audiovisual media, BPM, semistructured interview and questionnaire surveys. The implementation was developed in seven sessions, in which the children of the experimental group used the Nintendo Wii® and its accessories (Wii Remote and Balance Board). After the due analysis of all the collected data, we can conclude that the Nintendo Wii® contributes significantly in the children's motricity, that is, in the improvement of motor skills. It is noteworthy that the accomplishment of motor activities with the Nintendo Wii® generated in the children spontaneous collaborative spirit; healthy competition, because what mattered was the accomplishment of motor activities and not exactly the gain of points, and the punctuation emerged as a motivating element in terms of people, giving rise to greater feelings of selfesteem.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Glass Ceiling and Persons With Disabilities

Glass Ceiling ReportGlassCeilingBackground2PersonsWithDisabilities.pdf: 8336 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

The spanish equality law and the gender balance in the evaluation committees: an opportunity for women’s promotion in higher education

Despite advances in gender policy and equality laws in the twenty-first century, women are still a minority in the full professor category in Europe. Some measures establish gender quotas to balance gatekeeper positions, which will supposedly pave the way to make women’s integration into senior higher education positions easier. In Spain, Organic Act 3/20071 of 22 March on effective equality between women and men launched progressive norms governing gender issues, and the Spanish Science and Technology Act (2011) incorporated measures to promote effective equality in academic institutions. This paper evaluates how Spanish evaluation agencies’ compliance with implementing gender balance has affected the composition of evaluation committees and its impact on the advancement of women in science. Findings reveal some positive figures on women’s representation in recent decades, even though gender-balanced committees do not show any clear evidence of causing this effect. There seems to be no correlation between gender-balanced committees and women’s success rates, suggesting intermediate variables affect women’s low participation in competitive submissions. It explores several factors concerning two agencies’ evaluation procedures, such as formality and transparency, direct/multiple gatekeeping processes, the influence of epistemic cultures, cohorts and confidence of female candidates.Postprint (author's final draft

Global communication part 1: the use of apparel CAD technology

Trends needed for improved communication systems, through the development of future computer-aided design technology (CAD) applications, is a theme that has received attention due to its perceived benefits in improving global supply chain efficiencies. This article discusses the developments of both 2D and 3D computer-aided design capabilities, found within global fashion supply chain relationships and environments. Major characteristics identified within the data suggest that CAD/CAM technology appears to be improving; however, evidence also suggest a plateau effect, which is accrediting forced profits towards information technology manufactures, and arguably compromising the industry's competitive advantage. Nevertheless, 2D CAD increases communication speed; whereas 3D human interaction technology is seen to be evolving slowly and questionably with limited success. The article discusses the findings and also presents the issues regarding human interaction; technology education; and individual communication enhancements using technology processes. These are still prevalent topics for the future developments of global strategy and cultural communication amalgamation

Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration: delivery, take-up, and outcomes of in-work training support for lone parents (Research report No 727)

"This report focuses on the delivery, take-up and outcomes of the in-work training support provided through the Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration... The ERA demonstration was designed to test the effectiveness of a programme to improve the labour market prospects of low-paid workers and long-term unemployed people." - page 4

Barriers to Workplace Advancement Experienced by Native Americans

Glass Ceiling ReportGlassCeilingBackground8NativeAmericans.pdf: 10836 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020