Responsible research and innovation in science education: insights from evaluating the impact of using digital media and arts-based methods on RRI values

The European Commission policy approach of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is gaining momentum in European research planning and development as a strategy to align scientific and technological progress with socially desirable and acceptable ends. One of the RRI agendas is science education, aiming to foster future generations' acquisition of skills and values needed to engage in society responsibly. To this end, it is argued that RRI-based science education can benefit from more interdisciplinary methods such as those based on arts and digital technologies. However, the evidence existing on the impact of science education activities using digital media and arts-based methods on RRI values remains underexplored. This article comparatively reviews previous evidence on the evaluation of these activities, from primary to higher education, to examine whether and how RRI-related learning outcomes are evaluated and how these activities impact on students' learning. Forty academic publications were selected and its content analysed according to five RRI values: creative and critical thinking, engagement, inclusiveness, gender equality and integration of ethical issues. When evaluating the impact of digital and arts-based methods in science education activities, creative and critical thinking, engagement and partly inclusiveness are the RRI values mainly addressed. In contrast, gender equality and ethics integration are neglected. Digital-based methods seem to be more focused on students' questioning and inquiry skills, whereas those using arts often examine imagination, curiosity and autonomy. Differences in the evaluation focus between studies on digital media and those on arts partly explain differences in their impact on RRI values, but also result in non-documented outcomes and undermine their potential. Further developments in interdisciplinary approaches to science education following the RRI policy agenda should reinforce the design of the activities as well as procedural aspects of the evaluation research

Access, Action, & Agency: Inclusive Design for the Non-visual Use of a Highly Interactive Simulation

Interactive computer simulations are effective learning tools commonly used in science education; however, they are inaccessible to many students with disabilities. In this Major Research Project, we present findings from the design and implementation of accessibility features for the PhET Interactive Simulation, Balloons and Static Electricity. Our focus was access for screen reader users. We designed an interaction flow that connected keyboard interactions with reactions in dynamic content. Using a Parallel Document Object Model (PDOM), we created access for screen reader users to simulation content and interactive sim elements. We conducted interviews with 12 screen reader users to evaluate our progress on verbal text description and keyboard access, and to understand better how blind users engage with interactive simulations. We share findings about our successes and challenges and the insight we have gained in making an interactive science simulation more inclusive

Interactive computer-based simulations as exploratory learning activities.

Typical college lectures follow a direct instruction framework, where instructors deliver a lecture, followed by an activity. Exploratory learning flips this routine by providing students with an activity prior to instruction. Research suggests that this inversion benefits students’ conceptual understanding and ability to transfer their knowledge. The majority of exploratory learning tasks in the literature are problem-solving activities. The current work investigates the use of computer-based simulations during exploratory learning, and whether manipulating the cognitive load of the activity impacts learning. In Experiment 1, undergraduate students (N=66) were randomly assigned to explore a simulation-based circuit construction activity prior to instruction (explore-first) or receive instructions on the topic prior to the activity (instruct-first). The learning assessment consisted of conceptual knowledge and transfer of knowledge to a similar topic. Participants in the instruct-first condition scored higher on the assessment than participants in the explore-first condition, and reported lower cognitive load. In Experiment 2, participants received one of two versions of the exploration activity, designed to provide stronger guidance and reduce intrinsic or extraneous cognitive load. Undergraduate students (N=195) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions based on order (explore-first or instruct-first) and cognitive load reduction type (intrinsic load reduction or extraneous load reduction). Participants in the intrinsic load reduction conditions scored at an equal level on conceptual knowledge, and higher on transfer, compared to participants in the extrinsic load reduction conditions, regardless of order. Across both experiments, participants in the explore-first conditions reported motivational benefits (higher curiosity and higher perceived knowledge gaps). Yet the instruct-first approach led to higher learning, suggesting that these components are not enough for effective exploratory learning, even when reducing intrinsic cognitive load through guidance. Simulation environments may be too complex for students to effectively explore the deep problem features that otherwise provide conceptual advantages

Enhancing Free-text Interactions in a Communication Skills Learning Environment

Learning environments frequently use gamification to enhance user interactions.Virtual characters with whom players engage in simulated conversations often employ prescripted dialogues; however, free user inputs enable deeper immersion and higher-order cognition. In our learning environment, experts developed a scripted scenario as a sequence of potential actions, and we explore possibilities for enhancing interactions by enabling users to type free inputs that are matched to the pre-scripted statements using Natural Language Processing techniques. In this paper, we introduce a clustering mechanism that provides recommendations for fine-tuning the pre-scripted answers in order to better match user inputs

Teachers Support for English Language Learners to Build Inquiry Skills in Online Biology Simulations

The population of English language learners (ELLs) is on the rise in the United States, but they are lagging behind English speaking students in several subject areas--including biology. Scholarly literature lacks information on how biology teachers use scaffolding strategies to support ELL students with inquiry skills during online simulations. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore how biology teachers support ELLs in learning biology, using biology simulations to promote inquiry learning. The conceptual framework for this study included the constructivist perspective regarding the zone of proximal development, Electronic Quality of Inquiry Protocol, and technology use in science instruction. The purposive sample for this study was 4 biology teachers from 2 high schools in large school districts in the southeastern region of the United States who taught ELL students using inquiry-based online simulations. The data sources were face to face interviews with teachers, scaffolding documents, and lesson plans. Data were coded and analyzed for common themes across within and across cases. Results indicated that although biology teachers believed that ELL students benefited from inquiry simulations because of the already incorporated visuals and their ability to interact and manipulate the program, they sometimes lacked technology experiences and struggled with English and literacy that may reduce the benefits of the simulation experiences. The results of this study have the potential to contribute to social change by providing insights that may increase the understanding of how biology teachers can support ELL students when using technology in the form of simulations to promote inquiry learning

Scaffolding problem-based learning with CSCL tools

Small-group medical problem-based learning (PBL) was a pioneering form of collaborative learning at the university level. It has traditionally been delivered in face-to-face text-based format. With the advancement of computer technology and progress in CSCL, educational researchers are now exploring how to design digitally-implemented scaffolding tools to facilitate medical PBL. The "deteriorating patient" (DP) role play was created as a medical simulation that extends traditional PBL and can be implemented digitally. We present a case study of classroom usage of the DP role play that examines teacher scaffolding of PBL under two conditions: using a traditional whiteboard (TW) and using an interactive whiteboard (IW). The introduction of the IW technology changed the way that the teacher scaffolded the learning. The IW showed the teacher all the information shared within the various subgroups of a class, broadening the basis for informed classroom scaffolding. The visual records of IW usage demonstrated what students understood and reduced the need to structure the task. This allowed more time for engaging students in challenging situations by increasing the complexity of the problem. Although appropriate scaffolding is still based on the teacher's domain knowledge and pedagogy experience, technology can help by expanding the scaffolding choices that an instructor can make in a medical training context. © 2010 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 01 Dec 201

Implicit Bias in Health Professions: From Recognition to Transformation

Implicit bias recognition and management curricula are offered as an increasingly popular solution to address health disparities and advance equity. Despite growth in the field, approaches to implicit bias instruction are varied and have mixed results. The concept of implicit bias recognition and management is relatively nascent, and discussions related to implicit bias have also evoked critique and controversy. In addition, challenges related to assessment, faculty development, and resistant learners are emerging in the literature. In this context, the authors have reframed implicit bias recognition and management curricula as unique forms of transformative learning that raise critical consciousness in both individuals and clinical learning environments. The authors have proposed transformative learning theory (TLT) as a guide for implementing educational strategies related to implicit bias in health professions. When viewed through the lens of TLT, curricula to recognize and manage implicit biases are positioned as a tool to advance social justice

Adaptive and Re-adaptive Pedagogies in Higher Education: A Comparative, Longitudinal Study of Their Impact on Professional Competence Development across Diverse Curricula

This study addresses concerns that traditional, lecture-based teaching methods may not sufficiently develop the integrated competencies demanded by modern professional practice. A disconnect exists between conventional pedagogy and desired learning outcomes, prompting increased interest in innovative, student-centered instructional models tailored to competence growth. Despite this, nuanced differences in competence development across diverse university curricula remain underexplored, with research predominantly relying on students’ self-assessments. To address these gaps, this study employs longitudinal mixed-methods approaches with regard to theory triangulation and investigator triangulation to better understand how professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions evolve across varied curricula and contexts. This research emphasizes adaptive and re-adaptive teaching approaches incorporating technology, individualization, and experiential learning, which may uniquely integrate skill development with contextual conceptual learning. Specific attention is paid to professional education paths like design, media, and communications degrees, where contemporary competence models stress capabilities beyond core conceptual knowledge. Results from this study aim to guide reform efforts to optimize professional competence development across diverse academic areas