The role of instructional design in promoting digital pedagogy. Review of the book: Beetham H., Sharpe R. (2020) Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age

Авторы коллективной монографии «Переосмысливая педагогику в цифровую эпоху: принципы и практики дизайна» считают, что цифровое общество не только формирует запрос на освоение новых навыков и способов учить и учиться, но и порождает вызовы в области экономики, цифровой безопасности, конфиденциальности, этики. Они показывают, как образовательный дизайн отвечает на вызовы цифровизации, помогает определить, чему сегодня надо учить, какие образовательные результаты нужны студентам, какие необходимы ресурсы, технологии, обучающая среда, как меняется роль преподавателя. В первой части монографии, «Принципы и теории обучения», обсуждается поиск фундамента для решений в образовательном дизайне, предложены три перспективы: ассоциативная, когнитивная и ситуативная. Учебные активности рассматриваются как фокус образовательного дизайна, образовательные результаты понимаются как четко определенные изменения, которые ожидаются от обучающегося. В ответ на растущий запрос на методы социального обучения в цифровой среде предложены идеи относительно дизайна коллаборативного онлайн-обучения и смешанного обучения для обучающихся сообществ. Во второй части монографии, «Практики», авторы подводят итоги более чем 10-летней практической работы. На примере ряда кейсов университетов Австралии и Великобритании показано, как проекты в области педагогического дизайна помогли решить стратегические задачи по реализации новой модели выпускника, по интенсификации исследовательской деятельности преподавателей и ее более тесной интеграции в образовательный процесс, по массовому переходу на смешанное обучение. В третьей части, «Будущее», обсуждаются проблемы и перспективы образовательного дизайна для мобильного обучения, а также для профессионального обучения. Критически оцениваются датафикация образования, учебная аналитика. Рассматриваемая монография представляет собой важный шаг в переосмыслении роли педагогического дизайна в новых реалиях цифрового мира. Принципы дизайна обучения обсуждаются и адаптируются в ней с учетом происходящей трансформации роли студента и преподавателя, изменений учебной среды и ожидаемых образовательных результатов. Особую актуальность идеи авторов монографии приобретают в условиях интенсивной цифровизации образования, обусловленной пандемией COVID-19, и высокого спроса на качественный редизайн образовательных продуктов

Matematiksel Problem Çözme Yeterliliğinin Bileşenleri ve Matematiksel Modellemeye İlişkin Öğretim Stratejilerinin Aracılık Etkileri

This study is aimed at investigating the relationships between the components of problem solving skills (four procedural components and modeling competence) and the impact of instructional strategies (collaborative learning and problem posing) on students’ mathematical modeling competence. A survey on students’ mathematical problem solving competence, that was comprised of 40 items, was administered to 1,224 students in Korea and their responses were analyzed quantitatively (exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and path analysis). The results indicated that students’ competencies regarding procedural components of mathematical problem solving positively affected their mathematical modeling competence. Additionally, instructional strategies utilizing collaborative learning and problem posing mediated and synergized the effect in terms of procedural components of mathematical problem solving and mathematical modeling competence. The study also discusses its contributions to and implications for mathematics educators and teachers.Bu çalışmanın amacı problem çözme becerisinin bileşenleri (dört adet yöntemsel bileşen ve modelleme yeterliliği) arasındaki ilişkilerin ve öğretim stratejilerinin (işbirlikçi öğrenme ve problem kurma) öğrencilerin matematiksel modelleme yeterliliği üzerindeki etkisini araştırmaktır. Kore’de 1224 öğrencinin katılımıyla öğrencilerin matematiksel problem çözme yeterliliğine ilişkin 40 maddeden oluşan bir anket gerçekleştirilmiş olup ankete verilen yanıtlar nicel yöntemler kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir (açımlayıcı faktör analizi, doğrulayıcı faktör analizi ve yol analizi). Anket sonuçları, öğrencilerin matematiksel problem çözmenin yöntemsel bileşenlerine ilişkin yeterliliklerinin matematiksel modelleme yeterlilikleri üzerinde olumlu etkisi olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca işbirlikçi öğrenme ve problem kurma yöntemlerinin kullanıldığı öğretim stratejileri, matematiksel problem çözmenin yöntemsel bileşenleri ile matematiksel modelleme yeterliliği açısından bir etki meydana getirmiş olup bu anlamda sinerji yaratmıştır. Çalışmada aynı zamanda matematik eğitimcileri ve öğretmenlerine yönelik katkı ve öneriler de tartışılmıştır

An Investigation of Students' Learning of Integral Calculus with Maple Software and Paper-Pencil Strategies in the Western Region of Ghana.

The goal of the research was to look into the impact of Maple software instruction on senior high school students' understanding of integral calculus. The study adopted a mixed-method design comprising qualitative and quantitative research designs. The researcher used both purposive and simple random sampling techniques to select one hundred (100) participants: fifty (50) participants for the control group and fifty (50) participants for the experimental group. The data collection instruments used in the study were an interview, pre-test and post-test. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics and an Independent Samples t-test. The study found that 7(7%) participants found it difficult to execute correct substitution of the lower and upper limits of definite integral questions. Moreover, most of the participants, 35(35%), omitted the constant of integration after responding to the indefinite integral test item of the pre-test. It was noted that 18(18%) of the participants could not correctly integrate the polynomial or quadratic function administered to them. The independent samples t-test analysis of the post-test scores for the experimental and control groups revealed a statistically significant difference between the experimental group (M = 24.80; SD = 9.48) and the control group (M = 20.65; SD = 7.67). The estimated t-statistic was (t = 2.986; p = 0.005). This shows that Maple Software's experimental group outperformed the control group using the paper and pencil strategy. The analysis of the interview data indicated that Maple Software has contributed to the success of students’ achievement in the integral calculus by arousing and sustaining the student’s interest. The Maple Software also made it easier for students to follow the calculus instruction. The findings recommended that technology and mathematical software should be used in the teaching and learning of integration at schools

Procesos neurocognitivos en la resolución de problemas geométricos

"En esta investigación, observamos, describimos y caracterizamos las dos primeras fases de la resolución de problemas geométricos y las áreas corticales involucradas en estos procesos cognitivos. Utilizamos un equipo electroencefalográfico (EEG) de 8 canales para registrar la actividad cerebral del participante mientras resuelve una tarea geométrico-cognitiva. Al leer los reactivos, encontramos que los participantes muestran una activación relevante dentro del lóbulo occipital, específicamente en la corteza visual. Además, detectamos ondas alfa predominantes al comienzo de la fase de definición, que luego pasaron a ondas beta cuando aumentó la carga cognitiva. Los participantes experimentaron la fase de codificación con una mayor activación en la corteza prefrontal dentro del lóbulo frontal; la activación en esta área está relacionada con la toma de decisiones, la metacognición y el cálculo matemático. Los resultados respaldan una integración esencial y relevante de técnicas de correlación neuronal y tareas cognitivas para comprender los procesos cognitivos involucrados en el aprendizaje geométrico. Estos procesos suelen ser inaccesibles a simple vista; sin embargo, son cruciales para resolver problemas geométricos"

Integrating Cognitive Learning Strategies into Physics Instruction : Developing students’ approaches to physics and learning

Introductory physics courses are obligatory for many disciplines outside of physics. As experienced by many students, they are notoriously difficult, often with high failure rates. Many students, whether they passed or failed a physics course, fail to acquire the required conceptual knowledge and skill to become able to model complex situations with physics principles. In some cases, this can be attributed to a lack of study time; in many cases, it can be attributed to inefficient learning strategies. The aim of this thesis was to find ways to create self-regulated physics students who use effective learning strategies, achieve a deep understanding of physics principles, and, ultimately, become able to solve conceptually challenging physics problems through the use of physics modeling. In this research project, we have identified and tried to fill some of the gaps in students’ knowledge that hinder them from becoming able to practice physics modeling. Research within cognitive science, educational psychology, and physics education has informed us about the structure of the knowledge students fail to learn. We matched proven, effective learning strategies to each aspect of this cognitive knowledge structure and we developed tools for scaffolding the process. In the first phase of the first paper, we investigated students’ memory for physics principles and basic facts shortly before the exam and experimentally tested the efficacy of retrieval practice of a novel hierarchical principle structure for improving their declarative memory. The results showed that many of the control group students had a severe lack in their memory for basic facts and principles and that seventy minutes of retrieval practice resulted in large gains for the experimental group. In the second phase, we implemented structured retrieval practice in lectures throughout the semester. The multiple regression model indicated that retrieval practice improved students’ results on the final exam, especially for the weaker students. In the second paper, we quasi-experimentally (study 1) and experimentally (study 2) tested the effects of doing retrieval practice before self-explanation on posttest problem-solving and conceptual scores. In sum, results indicated a medium-sized effect of doing retrieval practice on the problem-solving score. The results were inconclusive for the score on conceptual tests. We also investigated the knowledge students should seek to acquire when self-explaining worked examples in physics. The results from the two studies indicated that when explaining the physics model, students should seek to explicate the principles and their conditions of application, how the principle is set up, and how the physics model can lead to the goal of the problem; and when explaining the mathematical procedures, students should seek to explicate what is done in the particular procedural action, the goal of that action, and the conditions for its application. In the third paper, we built on the results and experiences from the first two papers and tried to integrate three learning strategies and three scaffolding tools into an introductory mechanics course. The three learning strategies were elaborative encoding for acquiring associative links within and between physics principles; retrieval practice for building strong memories of physics principles; and self-explanations for building effective declarative rules for problem-solving. The three tools were: A set of elaborative encoding-questions as a scaffold for elaborative encoding; the Hierarchical Principle Structure for Mechanics, which together with retrieval practice was meant for scaffolding students’ construction of a meaningful and hierarchical cognitive knowledge structure; and a problem-solution structure with emphasis on physics modeling for scaffolding self-explanation and for developing knowledge and skills in physics modeling. Using thematic analysis, we found that the two main encoding strategies—elaborative encoding and self-explanation—require substantial work for overcoming the existing barriers to student adoption and achieving effective implementation. We had more success with the integration of retrieval practice, the hierarchical principle structure, and the practice of physics modeling during problem-solving. The paper provided multiple suggestions for how to overcome barriers and better integrate these learning strategies and tools into the structure of physics courses. Together, these three papers contribute to the physics education research literature with increased knowledge of how we can support students’ conceptual learning, from simple cognitive learning processes like elaborative encoding to the complex practice of physics modeling; with new tools for scaffolding students’ conceptual learning in introductory physics, especially the Hierarchical Principle Structure for Mechanics and the problem-solution structure; and with insights into barriers to students’ adoption of effective learning strategies.Doktorgradsavhandlin

Teaching problem solving in students with special learning disabilities in mathematics : a case study of teaching calculus problems

Διπλωματική εργασία--Πανεπιστήμιο Μακεδονίας, Θεσσαλονίκη, 2018.Η παρούσα μεταπτυχιακή διατριβή έχει ως θέμα ένα πρόγραμμα εκπαιδευτικής αξιολόγησης της περίπτωσης μαθήτριας που φοιτά στην Γ΄ Τάξη του Γενικού Λυκείου σε επαρχιακή πόλη της Βόρειας Ελλάδας με ειδικές μαθησιακές δυσκολίες στα Μαθηματικά, με σκοπό την όσο το δυνατόν καλύτερη καταγραφή του ελλείμματος των γνώσεων και δεξιοτήτων που την χαρακτηρίζουν. Το πλαίσιο αξιολόγησης που χρησιμοποιήθηκε είναι το Αξιολογικό Συστήμα Μαθησιακών Αναγκών (ΑΣΜΑ) το οποίο στηρίζεται στις αρχές της οικοσυστημικής αντίληψης, σύμφωνα με την οποία οι συμπεριφορές του ατόμου είναι αποτέλεσμα της αλληλεπίδρασης τόσο των ατομικών του χαρακτηριστικών όσο και των ποικίλλων περιβαλλόντων μέσα στο οποίο αυτό ζει. Για τους σκοπούς της παρούσας αξιολόγησης εφαρμόστηκαν τέσσερα από τα οκτώ στάδια του ΑΣΜΑ λαμβάνοντας υπόψη ότι η διαδικασία αξιολόγησης δεν έλαβε χώρα σε σχολικό περιβάλλον αλλά στην οικία της μαθήτριας. Στο πλαίσιο της παρούσας αξιολόγησης πραγματοποιήθηκαν επιμέρους έλεγχοι στα πεδία της Γραφής και της Ανάγνωσης καθώς και στο πεδίο των Μαθηματικών και συγκεκριμένα στην επίλυση απλών προβλημάτων Διαφορικού Λογισμού με θέμα τον υπολογισμό της πρώτης παραγώγου πολυωνυμικής συνάρτησης μέχρι τρίτου βαθμού με ακέραιους συντελεστές. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι η μαθήτρια παρουσιάζει σημαντικά ελλείμματα σε προαπαιτούμενες βασικές γνώσεις οι οποίες δεν είναι εφικτό να αντιμετωπιστούν σε σύντομο χρονικό διάστημα και ολοκληρωμένα. Επομένως δεν μπορεί να ανταποκριθεί και στις απαιτήσεις του υφιστάμενου προγράμματος σπουδών της τάξης του φοιτά. Στις περιπτώσεις αυτές κρίνεται απαραίτητη η κατάρτιση ενός εξατομικευμένου εκπαιδευτικού προγράμματος παρέμβασης, κατάλληλα οργανωμένου με βάση τις ιδιαίτερες χαρακτηριστικές δυνατότητες και αδυναμίες του ατόμου που έχουν προκύψει στο στάδιο της Αξιολόγησης

Understanding Calculus Through Maple-Based Dynamic Visualization Tools

First-year college students experience difficulties in understanding the concepts of derivatives and integrals. At the postsecondary level, the use of static visualization and other traditional instruction delivery methods often are unable to meet students\u27 needs in calculus. This problem is current and essential in the field of education and needs consideration to enhance the method of teaching calculus. The rationale for this study was to scrutinize the effects of Maple dynamic visualization instructional activities, within the framework of the animation-visualization theory, on students\u27 conceptual and procedural understanding of differential and integral calculus. The usage of a quantitative 2x2 factorial pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental mixed design, with multivariate analysis of variance for data (de-identified list of 81 students\u27 test scores on derivatives and integrals) analyses, helped examine the relationships between the research variables. Results showed that the Maple dynamic visualization group, significantly (p \u3c 0.001), outperformed the non-Maple static visualization group with a significant interaction between the groups with a substantial effect size of at least 0.27. This study augments the body of evidence that supported the efficacy of animated visuals over static visuals in producing more exceptional academic performance. A future researcher should use the random assignment to groups to minimize the possibilities of nonequivalent groups and the same measure for pretest and posttest. This study provides a groundwork for positive social change to reach a shared vision in education, enable learners to gain skills in calculus, and prepare students in and for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors and careers

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Literacy and Numeracy in Australian School Children

Each year, Australian students in Grades 3, 5, 7, and 9 sit nationwide tests in literacy and numeracy. These tests inform government, principals, and parents about student, school, and state performance in five domains: reading, spelling, grammar and punctuation, writing, and numeracy. As such, the results of these tests are of wide interest for diverse reasons depending on the stakeholder in question. In this thesis I examine the influence of genes and the environment on individual differences in performance on these tests. Using longitudinal data collected from a large sample of Australian twins and their siblings.
 Initially, as a test of validity, I compared the performance of large-scale reading tests against three literacy tests in comprehension, word reading and vocabulary individually administered to twins in Grade 3. The individually administered tests accounted for a substantial amount of the variance in the large-scale reading tests. Additionally, they were preferentially related, both genetically and environmentally, to large-scale reading tests compared to large-scale numeracy tests, confirming that large-scale school reading tests measure, at least in part, the literacy skills tapped by individual tests considered “gold-standard” in testing.
 In the second paper, I examined the extent to which genes and the environment contributed to variation in and covariation among the five domains in each grade. Averaged across domains and grade, genetic factors explained 60%, shared environment 10%, and unique environment 30% of the variation. Independent pathway models showed similar genetic and environmental structures at each grade with approximately one third to one half of the variation in each domain due to genes that influenced all domains.
 In the third paper, I explored the genetic and environmental influences on stability and growth in each of the domains. Stability in performance was primary due to genes. For growth, reading followed a compensatory growth pattern, and variation in growth was due to the genes that also influenced differences in performance at initial testing. By contrast, growth in numeracy was principally influenced by unique environmental factors. These results suggest individual differences in growth of reading are primarily due to a genetically influenced developmental delay in the acquisition of necessary skills, while for numeracy, differences are due to environmental influences, such as different teachers or interests.
 In the fourth paper, I tested if family or school SES moderated heritability of performance. Genetic influence was substantial and stable across all levels of family and school SES, with some evidence of a stronger influence of the shared environment when SES was lower, particularly for Grade 3 literacy. A final chapter presents a discussion summarising the principal findings, their implications, and their limitations