Usability and Usage of Interactive Features in an Online Ebook for CS Teachers

There are too few secondary school computing teachers to meet international needs for growing secondary school computing education. Our group has created an ebook to help prepare secondary teachers to teach the programming and big data concepts in the new AP Computer Science Principles course. The ebook was designed using principles from educational psychology, specifically worked examples and cognitive load. The ebook interleaves worked examples and interactive practice activities, which we believe will lead to more efficient and effective learning than more typical approaches to learning programming. This paper reports the results from initial studies of our ebook. First, we conducted a usability study comparing three different ebook platforms. Next, we conducted a study of teacher use of the ebook. Ten teachers worked through the first eight chapters of the ebook at their own pace. Five of the ten teachers completed the first eight chapters which is a 50% completion rate. Significantly, teachers who used more of the interactive features in the ebook did better on the post-tests and reported higher confidence in their ability to teach the material than teachers who used few of the interactive features

Preparing to Teach, Committing to Learn: An Introduction to Educating Children Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Preparing to Teach is an open-source eBook on deaf education for students and faculty in professional preparation programs, practitioners in deaf education, and families of children who are DHH. Although the focus is on deaf-education teachers who are providing services to students who are DHH, the text is useful to students and faculty in related fields including speech-language pathology, audiology, and special education. Because the text is introductory in nature it covers a broad range of topics and does not replace texts that go into more depth on a particular aspect of deaf education. The text includes references and additional recommended readings and resources for further study. The text addresses the range of communication options used by students in deaf education with an emphasis on listening and spoken language approaches and strategies that have often been only minimally addressed in introductory texts. References and resources for further study of approaches that are primarily visual are included.https://griffinshare.fontbonne.edu/oer-books/1000/thumbnail.jp

Bridging the gap between digital libraries and e-learning

Digital Libraries (DL) are offering access to a vast amount of digital content, relevant to practically all domains of human knowledge, which makes it suitable to enhance teaching and learning. Based on a systematic literature review, this article provides an overview and a gap analysis of educational use of DLs.The research work presented in this paper is partially supported by the FP7 Grant 316087 AComIn ”Advanced Computing for Innovation”, funded by the European Commission in the FP7 Capacity Programme in 2012-2016.peer-reviewe

Using Phonically Based E-books to Develop Reading Fluency

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the ‘Tales of Jud the Rat’ reading fluency programme and its logic, and to present preliminary results from its use as a form of e-learning. The first section of the chapter provides an overview of the development of the ‘The Tales Jud the Rat’ series. Literature relevant to the neurolinguistic basis of the materials is then reviewed. Results from initial case study and the first cohort of children who have worked on this programme with their parents are presented in the third section, while the final section of the chapter provides an evaluation of the current status of the programme and indicates its potential uses

The National System of Education, 1831–2000.

This chapter critically examines the establishment and development of the national system of education in Ireland between 1831 and 2000. The rationale for the establishment of the system is delineated at the outset. This is followed by an overview of the impact of wider contextual developments, including political, socio-economic, cultural and religious factors. The curricula developed and implemented in national schools during fi ve distinct eras throughout the period are used as the armature around which the wider educational developments at primary level are structured. By focusing on what was taught, why it was taught and how it was taught, the chapter provides an insight into the evolving educational experiences of children in national schools in Ireland during the period. These curriculum eras are largely distinct by virtue of their context, the philosophy underpinning the curriculum, the content and methodologies advocated, the approach to teacher education and the concept of the child inherent in the curriculum. The fi ve distinct periods are: • The establishment of the national system [1831–1872] • The era of Payment by Results [1872–1900] • The Revised Programme of Instruction (1900) [1900–1922] • The curricula developed following Independence [1922–1971] • The Primary School Curriculum (1971) [1971–1999] The chapter concludes by focusing on the key ideological changes underpinning the national system from its establishment in 1831

Lesson Plans Integrating Art with STEAM: Providing Students with Universal Education Experience

With funding being cut in public schools, many students are no longer being exposed to the arts. Studies have shown that integrating art with math and science leads to a more successful student. As an alternative to classroom instruction, museum education can be used to not only develop art skills, but can also assimilate those skills into math, science, and engineering. As an intern at the Columbus Museum in Columbus, Georgia, I developed lesson plans for teachers to use in the classroom. Alternatively, students may come to the museum to participate in the activities. The lesson plans will be presented in the spring of 2018 at an event for local teachers. By bridging the gap between schools and the museum, these plans allow students to benefit from art as well as science, math, and technology

Addressing cultural and gender project bias: engaged learning for diverse student cohorts

Engaged student learning is based on creating significant learning experiences for every student. Attracting a more diverse student body into Engineering requires a re-evaluation of the conventional project topics that dominate the discipline. Recognising and addressing cultural and gender bias in the development of project work allows for the education of Engineering faculty on the development of a range of project work opportunities that support the learning for a more diverse cohort. The selection of set project work has the potential to negatively impact the learning experience of minority students. This chapter considers the elements influencing set project work and provides strategies for understanding cultural and gender bias, and for redesigning project work that provides for a more diverse cohort.Arts, Education & Law Group, Queensland College of ArtNo Full Tex

Contemporary developments in teaching and learning introductory programming: Towards a research proposal

The teaching and learning of introductory programming in tertiary institutions is problematic. Failure rates are high and the inability of students to complete small programming tasks at the completion of introductory units is not unusual. The literature on teaching programming contains many examples of changes in teaching strategies and curricula that have been implemented in an effort to reduce failure rates. This paper analyses contemporary research into the area, and summarises developments in the teaching of introductory programming. It also focuses on areas for future research which will potentially lead to improvements in both the teaching and learning of introductory programming. A graphical representation of the issues from the literature that are covered in the document is provided in the introduction