THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTERIZED INTERACTIVE TEACHING ASSISTANT IN PHYSICS: THE CITA ON CHIP PROJECT

One of the many roles of university instructors is to provide help to students throughout the semester - especially in the form of feedback on homework. Personalized feedback from the instructor might be possible in a small classroom setting, but becomes unmanageable when class sizes grow to dozens or even hundreds of students. As a result, universities are turning to computerized homework systems that guide students through problems and provide focused grades and feedback

Theoretical foundations of educational strategies used in e-learning environments for developing clinical reasoning in nursing students : a scoping review

E-learning environments expand opportunities for the use of educational strategies that may contribute to the development of clinical reasoning in nursing students. The purposes of this scoping review were the following: 1) to map the principles of cognitive companionship and the theoretical foundations underlying the design and implementation of educational strategies used in e-learning environments for developing clinical reasoning in nursing students; and 2) to identify the types of educational strategies used in e-learning environments for developing or assessing clinical reasoning in nursing students. A scoping review was conducted and was based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Framework. Bibliographical databases were searched for studies published between January 2010 to July 2017. Out of 1202 screened articles, 18 met eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Principles of cognitive companionship in e-learning environments provide key clues from a learning support perspective, such as integrated feedback, interactive group discussion, gaming, and questioning. However, theoretical foundations underlying educational strategies in e-learning environments are poorly documented and insufficiently associated with cognitive learning models. E-learning environments must have solid theoretical foundations to provide support for the development of CR in nursing students

A study of applications of microcomputer technology in special education in western Massachusetts schools.

The purpose of this study is to survey microcomputer applications in special education in Western Massachusetts Schools and, in particular, to assess the extent to which special education is moving beyond drill and practice software with special needs students. Data were collected from 185 special education teachers by a questionnaire and follow-up interviews from eleven special education teachers in Western Massachusetts. Results showed that computers and software are generally integrated in special education teachers\u27 curricula. They used the microcomputer as a compensatory tool to sharpen students\u27 mathematics skills, language arts and reading comprehension. Some special education teachers also used computers for language assessment, speech training, eye-hand coordination and communication. Apple computers were the most popular brand used in this study. Adaptive devices such as firmware cards, switches, and speech synthesizers were used to help special needs students access computers. Computer-assisted instruction, word processing and games were the most popular software used. Students worked on computers generally alone, or in a small group, or in combination; the amount of supervision required depended upon students\u27 functioning level and physical limitations. Most special education teachers did not teach and computer language; only a few teachers explored Logo or BASIC with their students. Special education teachers realized that the computer is a good tool to motivate students and to increase self-esteem and attention; they received some inservice training on computer uses, but complained that it was not enough to help their students. Factors making it difficult for special education teachers to use computers were: lack of appropriate software, teachers being behind the trend, not enough class time to use computers, and perceptions of computers as dehumanizing. The study concludes with recommendations for increasing special education teachers\u27 computer training via input from hardware and software experts, and for requiring special education teachers to take introductory computer courses such as Logo, BASIC programming, authoring language systems and software evaluation. Also, it recommends that school administrations give financial and technical support for such training in order to use microcomputers and related devices more effectively

Case-studies, problem based learning and simulations in biomedical teaching : a review

This paper aims to review the use and application of CBL, PBL and SBT in biomedical education, as well as to review significant differences found in studies trying to assess the effectiveness of these pedagogical approaches in promoting learning and higher order thinking. Our research method was a systematic search and review of published journal articles and conference proceedings, between 1990 and 2011 in several databases. The study shows that the main area where we can find CBL, PBL or SBT is the Medical field, followed by Pharmacy, and Nursing and Allied Health in similar proportions. Generally, studies agree when referring the advantages of CBL, PBL and SBT regarding traditional teaching. There is however a lack of evidence when comparing learning effectiveness among the three approaches. The main conclusions show that although the situations presented are, in general, success cases, one must constrain in making generalized affirmations regarding significant difference in student learning and development, because no long term controlled studies have been conducted. Students’ perspectives and attitudes towards these learning approaches are, in general, positive. However it seems important to develop more consistent research in this field, namely, longitudinal studies with larger samples

Aprendizagem baseada em casos, problemas e simulações no ensino das profissões biomédicas: uma revisão da literatura

This paper aims to review the use and application of CBL, PBL and SBT in biomedical education, as well as to review significant differences found in studies trying to assess the effectiveness of these pedagogical approaches in promoting learning and higher order thinking. Our research method was a systematic search and review of published journal articles and conference proceedings, between 1990 and 2011 in several databases. The study shows that the main area where we can find CBL, PBL or SBT is the Medical field, followed by Pharmacy, and Nursing and Allied Health in similar proportions. Generally, studies agree when referring the advantages of CBL, PBL and SBT regarding traditional teaching. There is however a lack of evidence when comparing learning effectiveness among the three approaches. The main conclusions show that although the situations presented are, in general, success cases, one must constrain in making generalized affirmations regarding significant difference in student learning and development, because no long term controlled studies have been conducted. Students’ perspectives and attitudes towards these learning approaches are, in general, positive. However it seems important to develop more consistent research in this field, namely, longitudinal studies with larger samplesEste artigo pretende sistematizar a evidência disponível sobre o uso e aplicação de CBL, PBL e SBT no ensino das profissões biomédicas, bem como analisar, diferenças significativas publicadas em estudos que versam a avaliação e eficácia destas abordagens pedagógicas na promoção da aprendizagem e do pensamento de ordem superior. O estudo baseia-se numa revisão sistemática de artigos e atas de congressos, publicados entre 1990 e 2011 em várias bases de dados. O nosso estudo revela que a principal área biomédica de aplicação de CBL, PBL ou SBT é a Medicina, seguida da Farmácia e finalmente da Enfermagem e Tecnologias da Saúde em proporções semelhantes. Geralmente, os estudos são concordantes no que diz respeitos às vantagens de CBL , PBL e SBT comparativamente com o ensino tradicional, porém não existe evidência que sustente a eficácia comparativa da aprendizagem entre as três abordagens. As principais conclusões mostram que, embora as situações apresentadas sejam, em geral, casos de sucesso, cautela deve ser exercida quando se pretendem generalizar os resultados sobre diferenças significativas na aprendizagem e desenvolvimento do aluno, pois não existem estudos controlados a longo prazo. Também as perspetivas e atitudes dos estudantes em relação a CBL, PBL ou SBT são, em geral, positivas. Não obstante, é de crucial importância, o desenvolvimento de uma investigação mais consistente neste campo, suportada por estudos longitudinais e amostras com número superior às retratadasinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

AN EVALUATION OF AN I-READY MATH PROGRAM FOR 5TH GRADERS IN ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT

This study evaluated the impact of i-Ready Math instruction on 5th grade students identified as performing below grade level in mathematics. The participants in this study, administrators and teachers from three Title I schools, answered survey and interview questions to provide their perception on the program’s effectiveness. Equally important, I analyzed student assessment data and online program usage data to ascertain the program’s impact on student achievement. The results of this study revealed a lack of fidelity of implementation of the i-Ready Math program. Based on these findings, I proposed an extension to the teacher contract and a revision to the Professional Staff Orientation and Training policy to provide teachers with high-quality professional development opportunities

Performance Tracking E-Learning Model: A Case Study

Implementing e-learning in universities has become an obligatory requirement and has been increasingly adopted globally. This study proposes a versatile combined educational model integrating face-to-face and e-learning approaches, including synchronous and asynchronous learning, to bridge the education gap resulting from the sudden transition to e-learning in universities. Utilizing knowledge management, the researchers monitored implementation and tracked performance at Zarqa University for four months. Preliminary outcomes and one-way ANOVA results revealed students’ success in collaboration, suggesting its significance. Students also performed strongly in other domains, particularly Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving. These findings provide valuable insights into students’ strengths and weaknesses, informing future instruction and support for enhanced skill and knowledge development

Cognitive Training With Healthy Older Adults: Investigating the Effectiveness of the Brain Age Software for Nintendo DS

An increasing number of empirical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive training (CT) with healthy, cognitively intact older adults. Less is known regarding the effectiveness of commercially available “brain training” programs. The current study investigated the impact of daily CT presented via the Brain Age® software for Nintendo DS on neurocognitive abilities in a sample of healthy, community-dwelling older adults. Over the six-week study, participants in the CT group completed training activities and were compared to an active control group who played card games on the Nintendo DS. At pre-test and post-test, a wide range of empirically validated neuropsychological outcome measures was administered to examine the proximal and distal transfer effects of training. Although within normal range, the average MMSE score was significantly higher in the control group at pre-test; no other baseline differences in demographics or performance on primary neuropsychological outcome measures were observed. In the CT group, estimated “brain age” decreased and performance on daily training tasks significantly improved over the six-week study period. Importantly however, performance improved from pre-test to post-test on measures of everyday verbal memory, visual working memory, and math fluency in both the CT and active control groups. Participants in the CT group rated usage of the Brain Age software as significantly more mentally challenging and endorsed greater subjective memory improvement at post-test than participants in the control group. These findings demonstrate that both CT and cognitive stimulation protocols produced transfer effects in the current study. That is, Brain Age software use led to enhanced cognitive performance over time, but it did not do in a manner that exceeded the effects achieved by general cognitive stimulation. Enhanced working memory in the CT group and executive attention in the control group are discussed as possible explanation for improved performance on the outcome measures