PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF ENGAGEMENT IN ACTIVE LEARNING THROUGH PEER TEACHING AND PEER ASSESSMENT

The study intends to investigate the perceptions of higher education students about their engagement in active learning through peer-teaching and peer-assessment. A group of 22 students comprising nine female and thirteen males participated in the study. The researchers taught the course within six weeks, and then divided it amongst students through assignments. The students prepared it, discussed with researchers, shared and taught the assigned part of the course to their peers in the classroom in the presence of one of the researchers. The peers assessed the quality of presentation and mastery of the content and teaching skills of their peers against a given rubric. Three instruments namely: questionnaire, interviews and focussed group discussion were used to investigate students’ perceptions. The analysis of data revealed that students felt actively engaged in their studies through peer teaching and peer-assessment. Moreover correlation between peer assessment and teacher assessment was also calculated. Peer teaching and peer assessment can be confidently used in higher education in Pakistan on condition that teacher as a supervisor is highly vigilant

Designing, developing and implementing a software tool for scenario based learning

The pedagogical value of problem-based and inquiry-based learning activities has led to increased use of this approach in many courses. While scenarios or case studies were initially presented to learners as text-based material, the development of modern software technology provides the opportunity to deliver scenarios as e-learning modules, providing learners with a more accessible and engaging learning experience. Scenario Based Learning - interactive (SBLi) has been specifically developed to provide teachers and trainers with a generic tool that enables them to easily build interactive, multimedia scenarios without requiring programming skills. The software consists of a builder and player application, for constructing and playing scenarios from hard drives or from a CD/DVD, and a server-based player and manager, for deploying scenarios on the web, either for public use or for restricted and managed use in specific courses. This paper describes the history of SBLi, its design and operational features, how SBLi is being used to achieve innovative and effective learning experiences, and the practical issues that need to be addressed in supporting and sustaining e-learning software such as SBLi

Aspects to Be Considered when Implementing Technology Enhanced Learning Approaches. A Literature Review

The significance of approaches to technology-enhanced learning (TEL) has increased rapidly during the last few years. Nowadays in education different approaches such as game-based learning, web-based learning, video-based online courses, and many others are used on a daily basis. However, what defines the success of technology-enhanced learning approaches and how can such approaches be developed in a structured way? Furthermore, what different aspects have to be considered while doing so? To answer these questions, 4567 publications were analyzed in this present literature review in order to recognize the different aspects of implementing technology-enhanced learning approaches. Finally, 20 categories are defined in four main areas that summarize all the aspects in the field of technology-enhanced learning. Moreover, the study also reveals research areas that are important but hardly investigated in the observed journals of this study

PENGEMBANGAN PEMBELAJARAN TEMATIK TERPADU DI SEKOLAH DASAR DENGAN GANGGUAN NEUROPSIYCHOLOGY

Potensi peserta didik yang beragam dalam suatu kelas pembelajaran merupakan hal yang perlu dipahami oleh seorang guru kelas. Kemampuan memahami keragaman potensi peserta didik merupakan bagian dari kompetensi pedagogik guru. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk memberikan informasi berkenaan dengan pelaksanaan pembelajaran tematik terpadu di sekolah dasar dengan peserta didik yang mengalami gangguan neuropsichology. Apalagi dengan diterapkannya kebijakan pelaksanaan pendidikan inklusi, suatu keharusan bagi guru kelas untuk memahami pelaksanaan pembelajaran tematik terpadu pada kelas inklusi. Pada kelas inklusi dapat dipastikan terdapat peserta didik yang mengalami gangguan neuropsychology, seperti terdapat siswa yang mengalami ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), learning disabilities, autis, dan/atau tunagrahita, tunarungu, tunadaksa, tunawicara, tunanetra, tunalaras, serta tunaganda, meskipun pada kelas noninklusi, keragaman potensi peserta didik juga perlu untuk mendapatkan layanan pendidikan yang developmentally appropriate practice dengan tingkatan pendidikan sekolah dasar. Pelaksanaan pembelajaran tematik terpadu di kelas dengan terdapat siswa yang mengalami gangguan neuropsichology, atau pada sekolah dasar inklusi tentu membutuhkan setting pembelajaran yang bervariasi, misalnya menciptakan lingkungan belajar yang interatif (interactive learning environment) antara siswa dengan siswa atau antara guru dengan siswa. Pembahasan ini dilakukan dengan me-review literatur yang relevan, selanjutnya disintesis dan digeneralisasi sehingga diperoleh formula efektif dalam pelaksanaan pembelajaran tematik terpadu di sekolah dasar inklusi

2DrawChem: Σχεδιασμός και ανάπτυξη ενός γνωστικού εργαλείου μοντελοποίησης συντακτικών τύπων

Στη παρούσα εργασία παρουσιάζεται ο σχεδιασμός και η ανάπτυξη ενός γνωστικού εργαλείου σχεδιασμού και μοντελοποίησης συντακτικών τύπων άκυκλων οργανικών ενώσεων, του 2DrawChem. Η τοπολογία, η συνδεσιμότητα και η γεωμετρική διαμόρφωση των συντακτικών τύπων μοντελοποιήθηκε με το σχεδιασμό κατάλληλων δομών δεδομένων που επιτρέπουν τον αλγοριθμικό τους χειρισμό, εφαρμόζοντας έννοιες και μεθόδους της χημικής θεωρίας γράφων. Η πληροφοριακή μοντελοποίηση επιτρέπει την αποθήκευση, ανάκληση και σύγκριση μοριακών δομών γεωμετρικά και τοπολογικά, την ανάπτυξη μεθόδων διάδρασης και τον σχεδιασμό ποικίλων λειτουργικών υλοποιήσεων των διαδράσεων που επιτρέπουν την εκτέλεση επιστημικών δράσεων στις οπτικοποιήσεις, υποστηρίζοντας, επαυξάνοντας και κατευθύνοντας τις γνωστικές διεργασίες του μαθητευόμενου. Με το 2DrawChem ο χρήστης έχει τη δυνατότητα να σχεδιάζει ελεύθερα συντακτικούς τύπους προσθέτοντας ή αφαιρώντας άτομα με απλούς ή πολλαπλούς δεσμούς, να εκτελεί περιστροφές και κατοπτρισμούς, καθώς και να αριθμεί τα άτομα ελέγχοντας εάν η αρίθμηση αντιστοιχεί σε κύρια ανθρακική αλυσίδα. Η αντικειμενοστραφής προσέγγιση στην αρχιτεκτονική του λογισμικού επιτρέπει την παράλληλη υλοποίηση πολλαπλών, ανεξάρτητων και επικοινωνούντων, στατικών και διαδραστικών καμβάδων 2DrawChem, καθιστώντας το κατάλληλο για το σχεδιασμό και την ανάπτυξη εκπαιδευτικού λογισμικού με ασκήσεις και προβλήματα στο γνωστικό αντικείμενο των άκυκλων οργανικών ενώσεων.In this thesis the design and development of a cognitive tool for drawing and modelling structural formulas, namely 2DrawChem, is presented. The topology, connectivity and geometrical configuration of structural formulas of acyclic organic compounds is modelled by the design of proper data structures that allow their algorithmic treatment, employing concepts and methods of Chemical Graph Theory. Chemical information modelling affords the storing, recalling and comparison of molecular structures topologically and geometrically, the development of interaction patterns and the design of a variety of operationalizations of interaction that allow the execution of epistemic actions on visual representations, supporting, enhancing and guiding the cognitive processes of the learner. The user of 2DrawChem can design freely structural formulas by adding and/or removing atoms with single and/or multiple bonds, perform rotations and reflections and assign numbers to atoms, checking whether the numbering corresponds to a main carbon chain. Object-oriented software architecture allows the occurrence and communication of multiple, independent, static and interactive instances of 2DrawChem, making it suitable for the design and development of educational software with exercises and problems in the topic of acyclic organic compounds

Cognitive Activity Support Tools: Design of the Visual Interface

This dissertation is broadly concerned with interactive computational tools that support the performance of complex cognitive activities, examples of which are analytical reasoning, decision making, problem solving, sense making, forecasting, and learning. Examples of tools that support such activities are visualization-based tools in the areas of: education, information visualization, personal information management, statistics, and health informatics. Such tools enable access to information and data and, through interaction, enable a human-information discourse. In a more specific sense, this dissertation is concerned with the design of the visual interface of these tools. This dissertation presents a large and comprehensive theoretical framework to support research and design. Issues treated herein include interaction design and patterns of interaction for cognitive and epistemic support; analysis of the essential properties of interactive visual representations and their influences on cognitive and perceptual processes; an analysis of the structural components of interaction and how different operational forms of interaction components affect the performance of cognitive activities; an examination of how the information-processing load should be distributed between humans and tools during the performance of complex cognitive activities; and a categorization of common visualizations according to their structure and function, and a discussion of the cognitive utility of each category. This dissertation also includes a chapter that describes the design of a cognitive activity support tool, as guided by the theoretical contributions that comprise the rest of the dissertation. Those that may find this dissertation useful include researchers and practitioners in the areas of data and information visualization, visual analytics, medical and health informatics, data science, journalism, educational technology, and digital games

A Conceitualização Sobre Estruturas Aditivas e Multiplicativas no Uso de Formas de Representação Visual em Uma Interface Educativa

Em contrução..