Pervasive learning analytics for fostering learners' self-regulation

Today's tertiary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in Europe poses problems to both teachers and students. With growing enrolment numbers, and numbers of teaching staff that are outmatched by this growth, student-teacher contact becomes more and more difficult to provide. Therefore, students are required to quickly adopt self-regulated and autonomous learning styles when entering European universities. Furthermore, teachers are required to divide their attention between large numbers of students. As a consequence, classical teaching formats of STEM education which often encompass experimentation or active exploration, become harder to implement. Educational software holds the promise of easing these problems, or, if not fully solving, at least of making them less acute: Learning Analytics generated by such software can foster self-regulation by providing students with both formative feedback and assessments. Educational software, in form of collaborative social media, makes it easier for teachers to collaborate, allows to reduce their workload and enables learning and teaching formats otherwise infeasible in large classes. The contribution of this thesis is threefold: Firstly, it reports on a social medium for tertiary STEM education called "Backstage2 / Projects" aimed specifically at these points: Improving learners' self-regulation by providing pervasive Learning Analytics, fostering teacher collaboration so as to reduce their workload, and providing means to deploy a variety of classical and novel learning and teaching formats in large classes. Secondly, it reports on several case studies conducted with that medium which point at the effectiveness of the medium and its provided Learning Analytics to increase learners' self-regulation, reduce teachers' workload, and improve how students learn. Thirdly, this thesis reports on findings from Learning Analytics which could be used in the future in designing further teaching and learning formats or case studies, yielding a rich perspective for future research and indications for improving tertiary STEM education

An evaluation of the initial scientific field teacher education programme in the colleges of education, Oman

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the initial teacher education programme which is specifically offered by four Omani colleges of education to prepare "scientific field" female teachers to teach science and mathematics subjects for pupils in Basic Education schools (Grades 1-4), ages of students from (6-10). This evaluation questions the adequacy of this programme to prepare qualified teachers to teach these subjects in a changing school system implementing a reformed Basic Education curriculum and programme. This system tends to transfer the teaching and learning process from the traditional learning environment to one that is a constructivist teaching environment. This study focuses on this programme's defined teaching competencies and to what extent the participants perceived themselves properly trained with respect to these listed competencies in their professional practices. The study also spotlights student teachers' and practicing teachers' attitudes and motivation towards the teaching profession, and towards aspects of science and mathematics teaching in primary schools. The study tried to examine the extent of the constructivist approaches by student teachers and practicing teachers in their science and mathematics lessons. The evaluation framework of the study was designed to conduct the research plan and to achieve its purposes. Several evaluation models were examined and they were critically reviewed. The review concluded that there is no one specific model which can be considered (the most) outstanding in terms of excellence, the selection of the evaluation model depends on factors such as the aim of the study, the nature of the programme, its context, and the targeted population, Thus the study constructed of three stages with findings from conducted evaluation instruments of each stage leading consequently to the next stage. In the first stage both questionnaires and semi-structured interviews are implemented. while observations with a checklist followed by follow-up interviews are conducted to gather information during the second stage. In the third stage, conversational open interviews are proceeded. Although the group focused upon for the study are the first stakeholders (the student teachers and practicing teachers), the research was extended to get information from other participants, educators from different positions, such as curriculum advisors, college lecturers, inspectors, head teachers and senior teachers. The findings from this study indicated that in general, participants' considered of the importance of the some of the listed competencies. Even though there is some consensus of the importance for these competencies, there are some un-ignorable critics who view these competencies as being far away from the goals for the preparation of scientific field teachers for the reformed Basic Education schools, most of the listed competencies are supposed to be the foundations of the programme's components, and thus the colleges of education's courses are far too general. Findings from the questionnaire show that student teachers and practicing teachers amplified their self-rating of competence in the listed competencies because responses from the face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with them found divergence views. These differing views were supported by interviewed teacher educators and principals, and their opinions towards the insufficiency of the graduates of the colleges of education. The study found from the observations of some of the practicing teachers and student teachers observed while teaching science and mathematics lessons, and from the follow-up interviews, that there is very little sign of constructivist teaching approaches used in these lessons. The study proposes recommendations which can improve and strengthen the preparation of cycle one scientific field teachers at the pre-service level and to future in-service so that teachers might better meet the range of work and responsibilities they are facing in the reformed Basic Education schools. Finally, it recommends areas for further research

Misconceptions sequencing the chemical processes in daniell and electrolysis cells amongst first-year science and mathematics education university students

This study aims to analyse a number of misconceptions amongst first-year students from the Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Academic Year 2013/2014, at the University of Tadulako, Indonesia. The purpose is to explore the students’ understanding of the concepts and the processes involved in electrolysis cells. In addition, the use and purpose of a salt bridge in these cells are also considered. A two-part test instrument was used to obtain the data. The test instrument involved a paper for the students to answer. The paper encompassed a series of stages for the mechanisms and processes that take place in (i) the Daniell cell (Zn-Cu) and (ii) the electrolysis cell for molten NaCl. Both processes were summarised into seven stages. Each stage consisted of three scientific illustrations for the students to choose from, with only one considered to be chemically correct. In addition, the students were asked to give a brief description of the mechanism they thought occurred at each stage and why. The results demonstrated that there was a higher level of misconceptionwithin the students’ understanding of the electrolysis cell of molten NaCl (44%) when compared to their understanding of the Daniell cell (31%). For the Daniell cell, the half-reduction reaction (51%) was the most common misconception amongst the students, whilst for the molten NaCl cell ion migration (65%) appeared to be so

Learning Basic Electrical Concepts With Models and Analogies Using a Multimedia Package

Secondary school teachers aim at helping their students to learn efficiently by using many exploratory treatments, especially in physics. Leading science educators and researchers promote learning by confronting students with the inconsistencies entailed by their own beliefs. The thesis indicates that well designed computer based environments with models and analogies can provide advantages over many approaches using other media. The facilities provided by such environments can be exploited to promote cognitive conflict which is believed to be beneficial for learning. Within the framework of using models and analogies to support learning science, the claim of the thesis is explored through: the nature of students' beliefs about electrical concepts which are in conflict with scientific beliefs the required prerequisites of computer based environments which can promote learning of these concepts through models and analogies the issues which relate to educational theory and practice, students' learning & teaching, and the design of software using HyperCard techniques and multimedia for the creation of models and analogies. Software was constructed within the framework of the design claimed by this research. Questionnaires were given to the students, and interviews and observations were made of their use of the software. With reference to the results, an analysis is included of the use of models and analogies in teaching & learning science topics. The advantages and disadvantages of these kinds of computational environments for the improvement of students' learning are discussed in details mainly with emphasis on the nature of students' beliefs, which are deeply seated and persistent. The recommendations included focus on how such environments can be designed and constructed in the near future in order to create suitable mental models for a better understanding of electrical concepts and phenomena