The Development of E-Book Based on A Scientific Approach to Train Critical Thinking Ability on The Structure and Function of Plant Tissue Topic

Educational demands that must be met in the 21st century are mastery of 4C skills (Critical Thinking, Collaborative, Creativity, and Communicative) and centered on higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). One of the HOTS is the ability to think critically. These critical thinking skills can be realized by applying the right learning approach with the support of appropriate learning media, including through a scientific approach. The goal of this research is to create an e-book based on a scientific approach to train critical thinking skills on the structure and function of plant tissues that are valid, practical, and effective. This study used a 4D development model, which included define, design, develop, and disseminate. The methods used to collect data are questionnaires, readability, pretest and posttest, and observation. Data analysis was performed using a quantitative descriptive technique. The e-book's validity was obtained by the assessment of three validators, resulting in a percentage of 97.50% in the very valid category. The practicality of the e-book was obtained by the results of student responses resulting in a percentage of 94.80% in the very practical category, and the readability test using a fry chart was at level 11. The effectiveness of the e-book was obtained by the results of the students' pretest and posttest gain scores resulting in an average of 0.72 in the high category, and the results of observations obtained a score of 3.80 in the very good category. Therefore, the developed e-book is declared valid, practical, and effective for use in learning. Keywords: e-book, scientific approach, structure and function of plant tissues, critical thinking skills

Team-Based Learning in Law

Used for over thirty years in a wide variety of fields, Team-Based Learning is a powerful teaching strategy that improves student learning. Used effectively, it enables students to actively engage in applying legal concepts in every class -- without sacrificing coverage. Because this teaching strategy has been used in classes with over 200 students, it also provides an efficient and affordable way to provide significant learning. Based on the principles of instructional design, Team-Based Learning has built-in student accountability, promotes independent student preparation, and fosters professional skills. This article provides an overview of Team-Based Learning, reasons to adopt this teaching strategy in light of Best Practices for Legal Education and the Carnegie and MacCrate reports, concrete methods to use Team-Based Learning in Law School, and ways to address challenges to this teaching strategy. Co-authors Sophie M. Sparrow and Margaret Sova McCabe provide examples from their years of teaching a variety of courses using Team-Based Learning

Key competency development and students use of digital learning objects

The inclusion of key competencies in the New Zealand Curriculum (2007) has presented challenges for teachers in their efforts to gather evidence and detail student progress for reporting purposes. Research identifies the need to adopt different evaluation processes and systems, as outcomes and progression in key competencies is fundamentally different from those associated with more conventional learning. It also suggests the use of digital tools may assist in this process, but offers few suggestions as to how this might take place. This article introduces and describes a current research project utilising a thinking skills framework and screen-recording software to map students’ interaction with digital learning objects, and explore the extent to which they provide opportunities to develop thinking and relating to others competencies. It suggests the approach offers potential to make explicit for reporting purposes the nature and quality of students’ thinking, and how their interaction with others in groups, influences their ability to solve problems presented by the objects. However, it also suggests the approach may suffer from manageability challenges, and that student-led administration systems need to be developed to ensure its viability in whole class context

The use of electronic voting and peer assessment to encourage the development of higher order thinking skills in learners

In the research reported here, electronic voting and peer assessment were used with 215 first year computer science and information technology undergraduates undertaking an electronic media design module. In previous years it proved difficult for learners following this module to develop good quality practical skills resulting in poor results in practical tests. In this study, the module delivery team used electronic voting and a form of peer assessment in order to motivate learners and to engage them more deeply in learning. It was hypothesised that this would improve higher order thinking skills and lead to improved performance in practical work. A significant improvement in performance of 6% was achieved (p<0.001) as compared to previous years. We were able to show that the most likely reason for this was the use of electronic voting systems and peer assessment. In the concluding section of the paper we discuss some issues related to this finding and our teaching approachPeer reviewe

Training Faculty to Adopt the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm, IPP and its Influence on Teaching and Learning: Process and Outcomes

This is the second of two articles describing the action research undertaken by the three trainees and their trainer (author of this article). After formal training, the training team integrated the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (IPP) into their undergraduate courses from fall of 2010 through May 2013 in the College of Professional Studies (CPS) at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The first article was published in this journal in fall 2012 and provided a narrative describing the faculty development process, predicated on the five constructs of the IPP: Context, Experience, Reflection, Action and Evaluation. This article includes a full description of the training protocol, data collection process, and the qualitative data analysis methods. This training team used an Action Research model put forth by Reil over two years and nine months to determine the influence of the IPP on their teaching. This study seeks to provide others who teach at Jesuit Colleges and Universities a rationale for using the IPP both as pedagogy, a curriculum guide along with specific instructional practices, and learning activities. In addition, a replicable IPP training protocol is provided that is based on best practices derived from analogous research in the fields of contemporary learning, cognitive, and educational research. The study also provides the outcomes related to the impact the infusion of the IPP had on the instructors’ curricula, pedagogies, instructional strategies, learning activities, and assessment practices, as well as the student-teacher learning relationship

Cognitive Domains Found on Speaking Skill Questions Used in English Language Textbook

This is a qualitative study of cognitive domains of speaking skill questions used in Interlanguage: English for Third Grade Senior High School. In this study, the writer observed the six categories of cognitive domains and the dominant order thinking skill applied in the questions on speaking skill. In order, to know the position of the student\u27s proficiency in the speaking skill questions used in this textbook. The data were collected from the textbook. The theory used was from Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) about Revised Bloom\u27s Taxonomy. This study showed that there were five from six categories of the cognitive domains applied in the questions on speaking skills used in the textbook, the dominant category was ‘remembering\u27 because in speaking skill students need to remember what they want to say and what people said. The writer found that the questions on speaking skill in this textbook belongs to lower order thinking skill because it was important for the students to master the lower order thinking skill before they achieve the higher order thinking