Practice sharing paper: motivating computer scientists to engage with professional issues

Modules in professional issues sometimes sit a little awkwardly in the computer science curriculum. They can be seen as an island of discursive teaching coming from what Biglan might have termed the ‘soft applied’ field of study. In computer science the more usual context is of knowledge and skills based learning and activities of a ‘hard pure/hard applied’ fields of study. This gap may be particularly difficult in those countries where students arrive who have specialized early in subjects related to science, technology and mathematics. The authors of this practice sharing paper have had many years of experience teaching such modules to computer science cohorts, but have recently been faced with the challenge of consolidating two distinct courses previously taught in years one and two of the undergraduate curriculum. The resultant course was required to be one quarter smaller in terms of its notional hours, and there was a need to save on face-to-face contact time. There is a considerable challenge generated by the squeezing of content an contact while at the same time trying to motivate students with a strong technical motivation to spend time on a topic which is not, at first glance, directly relevant to their chosen specialisms. The paper will present a description of the motivations for designing the module and the approaches taken primarily from the perspective of the teachers and the small curriculum design support team. We will provide a detailed explanation of the rationale alongside a consideration of the impact and implications of this type of change. We will situate our rationale in the context of striving to motivate the learners’ to gain a deeper insight into their own learning and technological preferences in such a way that they can take ownership of the new approaches to which they have been introduced in a way which they will sustain during their future individual professional development

Path Associations Between Preservice Physical Educators’ Beliefs About Epistemology and Their Value and Self-Efficacy for Sport Education and Teaching Games for Understanding

Teachers’ beliefs about epistemology – that is, their personal broad mental representations about the nature of reality, knowledge, and how people know and learn – have been associated with the many educational outcomes both in the classroom and in physical education. Little is known about whether these beliefs predict physical educators’ value (i.e., interest, importance, like, and usefulness) and self-efficacy (i.e., confidence in performing) for using constructivist teaching models such as sport education and teaching games for understanding. As a result, this study examined path associations from beliefs about epistemology (epistemic worldviews and epistemological beliefs) to value and self-efficacy for sport education and TGfU in prospective physical educators. The sample consisted of 317 undergraduate students enrolled in a large (19,000 student) public university in south-central Canada. These participants completed a survey lasting approximately 10-12 minutes near the conclusion of one of their elective university classes in formal individual-dual games/sports (third year) or formal team games/sports (fourth year). Results revealed that students on average held more to a constructivist than a realist epistemic worldview, held relatively low unavailing epistemological beliefs for games (e.g., stable and simple knowledge that is learned quickly, and had high value and self-efficacy for sport education and teaching games for understanding. The path analyses revealed an excellent fit of the model to the data for these constructivist instructional models with each pathway significant for teaching games for understanding and three of the four for sport education. The results signal that prospective physical educators may be more susceptible to having less value and self-efficacy for using more constructivist instructional models if they believe games knowledge is relatively stable, objective, uncomplicated (simple), quickly learned facts derived more passively (rote learning) from mainly outer sources like expert teachers, coaches, and information resources. More efforts may be needed to uncover, explain, and account for underlying beliefs about epistemology prior to operationalizing constructivist instructional models such as sport education and teaching game for understanding

Situating Interprofessional Education Curriculum within a Theoretical Framework for Productive Engaged Learning: Integrating Epistemology, Theory, and Competencies

Interprofessional education (IPE) has a longstanding presence in the health and social care (HASC) professions, by which its sustainable implementation in HASC professional education has the potential to effectively prepare HASC professional students for interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP). Implementation of IPE has increased over the last two decades with the emergence of a curriculum guided by constructivist epistemology and learning theories that emphasize demonstrating competence in practice. Nonetheless, since IPE first emerged in the early 1960s, most IPE initiatives have been sporadic and lacked guidance through theoretical underpinnings. This conceptual article first discusses why it is important to have theory drive HASC professional education. Next, it explores what is meant by curriculum, followed by a discussion on the importance of curriculum theory to HASC professional education processes. This article then illustrates the learning theories arising from behaviourist and constructivist epistemologies that inform curriculum theory in the HASC professions, with particular emphasis on how constructivist learning theories inform IPE. Lastly, the article proposes a theoretical framework for productive engaged learning through which IPE opportunities may be grounded, leading to student proficiency in interprofessional professional competencies (knowledge, skills, and dispositions), establishment of professional communities of practice, and eventual improvement of patient/client-oriented outcomes

Evaluation of the use of ICT to support students’ learning and communication in a Saudi Arabian higher education institution : conflicts, contrasts and tensions in lecturers’ perspectives

This thesis explores lecturers’ views on the main issues surrounding their use of information and communications technology (ICT) to support students’ learning and communication in Jeddah University. It also identifies lecturers’ pedagogical beliefs in terms of using ICT in the classroom and explores the factors that might influence their use of ICT to support students’ learning and communication.A mixed-methods, two-phase research design, comprising a survey (n=160) of male and female lecturers and semi-structured interviews (n=16) with female lecturers only, was conducted. Using SPSS for the quantitative data, the results were analysed using thematic analysis.The analysis of the collected data resulted in several findings indicating that there are tensions between lecturers’ views on using ICT and what they claim to practise in the classroom. These tensions demonstrate contrasts in lecturers’ views in relation to many factors that may hinder their integration of ICT. These tensions are presented in the context of internal factors, such as pedagogical beliefs, attitudes and ICT skills, and external factors, for example ineffective ICT integration policy, university culture, and a lack of technical support, training and resources.The findings suggest that lecturers’ use of ICT to support students’ learning and communication faces a number of issues, such as tensions between the lecturers’ stated beliefs, practices, and the above-mentioned internal and external barriers. The study explores the main issues around lecturers’ use of ICT to support students’ communication in the light of a range of learning theories, as well as ICT acceptance models and the TPACK framework. Finally, the discussion leads to evaluating how facilitating lecturers’ use of ICT might be advantageous in moving towards a broadening of the pedagogical culture in Saudi Arabia

Touch it, feel it and experience it: Developing professional IS skills using interview-style experiential simulations

The IS education field has made increasing use of computerised experiential simulations, but few attempts have been made to create an authentic learning environment that combines and balances elements of video-based computer simulation with real-life learning activities. This paper explores the design principles used to develop a CD-ROM simulation where learners use interviewing skills to elicit system requirements from simulated employees in an authentic context. The employees are videoed actors who converse with each other and with learners within a dynamic interaction model. The paper also describes how we combined this simulation with other teaching approaches such as in-class discussions, student team work, formal presentations, etc

Learning Sciences for Computing Education

his chapter discusses potential and current overlaps between the learning sciences and computing education research in their origins, theory, and methodology. After an introduction to learning sciences, the chapter describes how both learning sciences and computing education research developed as distinct fields from cognitive science. Despite common roots and common goals, the authors argue that the two fields are less integrated than they should be and recommend theories and methodologies from the learning sciences that could be used more widely in computing education research. The chapter selects for discussion one general learning theory from each of cognition (constructivism), instructional design (cognitive apprenticeship), social and environmental features of learning environments (sociocultural theory), and motivation (expectancy-value theory). Then the chapter describes methodology for design-based research to apply and test learning theories in authentic learning environments. The chapter emphasizes the alignment between design-based research and current research practices in computing education. Finally, the chapter discusses the four stages of learning sciences projects. Examples from computing education research are given for each stage to illustrate the shared goals and methods of the two fields and to argue for more integration between them

Epistemic Cognition During Problem Solving

Students’ beliefs about knowledge and knowing (personal epistemologies) have been shown to in-fluence various aspects of learning including, self-regulated learning, metacognition, and problem solving achievement (Bromme, Pieschl, & Stahl, 2009; Muis & Franco, 2009b, 2009a). Additionally, these beliefs have been shown to be discipline and context specific (Hofer, 2006; Hofer & Pintrich, 1997; Liu, 2011; Chinn, Buckland, & Samarapungavan, 2011). Multiple studies have investigated students’ personal epis-temologies across disciplines and how these beliefs influence aspects of learning; however, little work has investigated the connections between students’ personal epistemologies and the processes they utilize during problem solving. Through a three phase study, this work sought to answer the overall research question, “How do undergraduate engineering students’ epistemic beliefs and need for cognitive closure relate to their activation of components of epistemic cognition during problem solving?” This study investigated epistemic cognition in two unique problem solving contexts, the classroom and research environment. Throughout this work, engineering epistemic beliefs are defined based on Hofer and Pintrich’s (1997) conceptualization and include students’ beliefs about the source, structure, and certainty of knowledge. Epistemic cognition is defined based on Chinn and colleagues’ (2011; 2014) proposed framework that brings work from philosophy and psychology together. This framework suggests considering the nature of students’ aims when approaching a task to determine if they are epistemic (related to gaining knowledge or understanding), as well as the processes students use to accomplish these goals. Phase I (Chapter 2) of the study focused on assessing the reliability and validity of a survey instru-ment designed to measure students’ engineering epistemic beliefs and need for cognitive closure. During this phase, the internal consistency reliability of each construct was assessed and students’ open-ended responses to items were analyzed to further understand their beliefs. Phase II (Chapter 3) aimed to understand the connections between students’ engineering epistemic beliefs, need for cognitive closure, and activation of components of epistemic cognition when solving an open-ended homework problem using a mixed methods approach. This phase revealed similar epistemic cognitions among students in clusters based on their epis-temic beliefs and need for closure. Additionally, it revealed aspects within the classroom that influence how students approach assigned problems. Phase III (Chapter 4) sought to understand students’ epistemic cogni-tions when making decisions in their undergraduate research experiences. The results of this phase revealed how students chose a research topic and the processes students use when making research decisions. The outcomes of these three phases provide a more complete understanding of students’ epistemic cognitions and beliefs related to problem solving in the classroom and research environment. Many of the findings presented in this work have direct implications for both practice and research. Future work will seek to understand how these results translate to other disciplines and students at other institutions in order to push theory and practice further

Creating New Metaphors for Women Engineering Students through Qualitative Methods

The purpose of this study is to describe female students’ experiences in an engineering living-learning program using metaphorical analysis through a constructivist theoretical perspective. Extant literature uses metaphors from a negative viewpoint or a deficit model to describe the experiences of female undergraduates in engineering; however, new metaphors have not been used to describe the experience. This study aims to fill existing gaps in LLP literature using qualitative methods. Data from 13 semi-structured individual interviews (7 initial interviews and 6 follow-up interviews) serve as the primary data source. After conducting metaphorical analysis, I found five interpretive metaphors emerging: LLP as a Starting Point, LLP as a Neighborhood, Engineering Classes as Challenges, Different as Normal, and Female Engineers as a Support System. Two significant findings were found: advantage-based metaphors are used to provide a positive description of women in engineering and metaphorical analysis is an appropriate method for conducting research under the constructivist theoretical perspective

E-Learning. A study of students’ attitudes and learning outcome when using blended learning with integration of multimedia instructions

The advent of new technologies has provided opportunities and challenges for education institutions to seek more effective ways of teaching and learning. Elearning is now an established phenomenon in education and institutions are increasing their effort to offer greater flexibility, more personalized learning, and greater learner satisfaction. Consequently blended learning has emerged as a delivery method that addresses the face-to-face advantages of a traditional classroom and the time efficiency and location convenience of an online teaching and learning environment. The opportunities of flexibility and convenience are not evident in a classroom environment. However the face-to-face interactions provide the foundation for social communication which can be critical to online learning. Educators who are comfortable with traditional classroom delivery will meet learners’ enhanced demands for flexibility through online presence for courses. As educators are generally time-pore, and with little clear direction, research can give them valuable insights into advantaged and disadvantaged of various teaching and learning formats. This thesis examines students’ attitudes when using blended learning with integration of multimedia instructions. It identifies aspects around cognitive learning outcome and provides insight into students’ experiences and their overall satisfaction with this instructional design. The main objective with this initiative is to sustain the evolution from traditional teaching to active learning and to better integrate the increasing number of educational resources online. In particular this study includes aspects about students’ attitudes towards using a blended learning format, learning theories, the instructional principles of multimedia production, and identification of optimal ways to use e-learning. This thesis contributes to the field of e-learning by three main contributions (A1-A3): A1: A contribution utilizing blended learning with integration of multimedia instructions. The quality of the blended learning format is discussed on the basis of the attitudes and experiences from the adult participants. The contribution outlines characteristics about good properties of multimedia instructions to supplement traditional classroom teaching. The content of A1 constitutes a paper that is submitted for journal publication. A2: A model for testing the cognitive learning outcome using a blended learning format with two different teaching treatments. A2 constituted the main part of a conference proceedings paper. The study further contributes in a book with the title: Cases on managing e-learning: Development and implementation. Will be released in 2012. A3: This contribution outlines a blended learning course design for postgraduate dental students with emphasis on flexibility and location convenience. The course was redesigned from a former traditional course format. The content of A3 constitutes a paper that is submitted for journal publication. The research makes a contribution in the exploration of the advantages and disadvantaged of utilizing blended learning. The research methods comprise both quantitative and qualitative investigation approaches. The empirical data for this thesis were collected through 149 participating students and 13 semi-structured interviews. The thesis supports the view of increased favorable ways of teaching and learning when using new online technologies. However no evidence for increased cognitive learning outcome was identified. Nonetheless the blended learning format with integration of multimedia instructions holds an experienced potential for improved quality of teaching and learning in terms of enhanced satisfaction among learners. The main findings. The thesis contributes to the field of e-learning by the following main contributions. First, an identification of educational key issues favourable to a blended learning format with integration of multimedia instructions; second, identification of factors to produce high quality multimedia instructions; third, the design of a test procedure to conduct measurements on cognitive learning outcome based on a basic retention level and a more advanced transfer level; forth, suggestions how to improve the influence of the internet media for future postgraduate dental educational programs