Language learning through cultural exchanges on site

The Spanish educational system has been engaged in a far-fetching language program that promotes a bilingual training for a high number of students in most primary and secondary state schools. At tertiary level, most universities in Spain, among them the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid-Spain (UPM, require a B2 certificate (CEFR) to enroll in the compulsory subject “English for Professional and Academic Communication” . Even though students are supposed to have achieved a B2 level on completing their secondary education, experience over the last years shows that they are far from this high-intermediate level. Fully aware of this problem the UPM is promoting several programs of Innovation in Education to help students bridge the gap and obtain the B2 certificate. The Language Learning through Cultural Exchanges on Site Program presented in this article is based on a partnership between the UPM and the University of British Columbia, Canada (BCU) . This program offers opportunities for language learning (English-Spanish)through in situ encounters and acts as a model for innovation in language and culture engagement. This initiative aims to follow novel methodological trends such as the promotion of autonomous learning, self-assessment and peer-assessmen

Investigating best practices for online homework and the beginning of lessons for 9th-grade algebra students with various English language abilities in an international school setting

https://www.ester.ee/record=b5163072*es

Automating stem learning by engaging in artful-inspired play

A full range of experimental methodologies split between two distinct yet related projects was performed in an effort to define ways to automate STEM learning in artful-inspired play. Both projects aim to offer impactful learning experiences through artful-inspired activities meant to automate STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) learning in children that are both scientifically and non-scientifically inclined. By participating in play that is both fun and engaging, learning is a byproduct of the activity which acts to automatically embed STEM knowledge and experiences within the user. Bridging the gap between STEM and artistic tendencies has the potential to provide a multi-faceted learning experience that could attract non-traditional STEM candidates, such as children with a passion for drawing. The first project presents the concept and initial prototype of a color-driven tangible learning environment that teaches mathematics, while the second project presents the preliminary results of longitudinal study conducted to analyze how children use hand-drawn sketching to expand and facilitate their design thinking for STEM-based activities. The Math Bright Blocks introduce a gaming module that intends to cognitively color code mathematical operations and automate STEM learning by achieving increased interest, cognitive speed, and excitement in children with regards to the field of mathematics. Conception, design, construction, and initial testing of the module were performed to innovate a new cross-cutting approach to education. However, through careful consideration, it was determined that the color space is too much of an unexplored arena and that additional theoretical frameworks and testing approaches are necessary for constructing an appropriate testing environment for color and its implications for children. Lastly, the ways children use sketching methods to communicate design ideas during a variety of activities in the Purdue sponsored GERI Toy Design Lab in Mechanical Engineering, including how color is utilized to communicate ideas, were evaluated. The activities that this observational research focuses on are those that purposefully implemented hand sketching; Marshmallow Tower, Sketching Workshop, and the NERF Blaster challenge. With only 17 participants, there are not enough data points to be able to offer any type of meaningful statistical significance. Therefore, this work acts to establish a foundation built upon initial observation on which future in-depth sketching analyses can be facilitated. Observations of the participants offered mixed results. The participants did not use sketching for iterative design, but suggested in the respective survey materials that sketching was important for design planning. Additionally, observations made during the NERF Blaster challenge suggest that children need a physical representation to visualize in order to be fully engaged in sketching for design. Color was rarely used to facilitate design communication, and when used, colors were seemingly chosen based on real-world representations

Learning Sciences Beyond Cognition: Exploring Student Interactions in Collaborative Problem Solving

Composed of insightful essays from top figures in their respective fields, the book also shows how a thorough understanding of this critical discipline all but ensures better decision making when it comes to education

A Model for Integration of Language & Leadership Learning Strategies for Communicative Competency and Transformational Servant Leadership for Students in Secondary Schools in Kenya

This research aimed at establishing how English as a medium of instruction could be used as a vehicle for attitude change, exploring how integrated textual and audio-visual media could be used in learning English and leadership, investigating the teachers’ core beliefs and opinions on student leadership, investigating the effects of leadership on the students’ academics and relationships and developing a model for the integration of language and leadership learning.Literature review comprised of the function of language in the human society, language learning and the transformational servant leadership theories. The sample was; fifty principals, 116 teachers, 146 prefects and 1176 ordinary students. Data was mined using questionnaires, interview protocols and a written Pre and post-test. The study established that language has power to change attitude, gives confidence to communicate and that textual and audio-visual media are significant in the ESL classroom. Teachers’ believed that leaders are made, high achievers make good leaders, fluency, eloquence, personality traits and physical appearance influenced selecting students to particular leadership positions. Teachers felt that prefects should be democratically elected.Through the triangulation of primary and secondary data a Lingua leadership Model was developed tested and validated. A two tailed t- test was done and the result led to the rejection of the null hypothesis at .001 level of significance. The four skills of language were examined and the results led to the rejection of the null hypothesis at.001 level of significance. It was established that leadership affected the learners’ academics and their relationships. There was a significant difference between the student’s score at primary (KCPE) and the final mean score at secondary (KCSE) at .001 level of significance. This led to the rejection of the null hypothesis. Mistrust among students and between students and their leaders were among the causes of unrests in schools. The relationship between prefects and teachers in most schools was negative. Effects were more felt in Girls’ schools than boys’ schools and were less severe in day schools than in boarding schools

Decoding learning: the proof, promise and potential of digital education

With hundreds of millions of pounds spent on digital technology for education every year – from interactive whiteboards to the rise of one–to–one tablet computers – every new technology seems to offer unlimited promise to learning. many sectors have benefitted immensely from harnessing innovative uses of technology. cloud computing, mobile communications and internet applications have changed the way manufacturing, finance, business services, the media and retailers operate. But key questions remain in education: has the range of technologies helped improve learners’ experiences and the standards they achieve? or is this investment just languishing as kit in the cupboard? and what more can decision makers, schools, teachers, parents and the technology industry do to ensure the full potential of innovative technology is exploited? There is no doubt that digital technologies have had a profound impact upon the management of learning. institutions can now recruit, register, monitor, and report on students with a new economy, efficiency, and (sometimes) creativity. yet, evidence of digital technologies producing real transformation in learning and teaching remains elusive. The education sector has invested heavily in digital technology; but this investment has not yet resulted in the radical improvements to learning experiences and educational attainment. in 2011, the Review of Education Capital found that maintained schools spent £487 million on icT equipment and services in 2009-2010. 1 since then, the education system has entered a state of flux with changes to the curriculum, shifts in funding, and increasing school autonomy. While ring-fenced funding for icT equipment and services has since ceased, a survey of 1,317 schools in July 2012 by the british educational suppliers association found they were assigning an increasing amount of their budget to technology. With greater freedom and enthusiasm towards technology in education, schools and teachers have become more discerning and are beginning to demand more evidence to justify their spending and strategies. This is both a challenge and an opportunity as it puts schools in greater charge of their spending and use of technolog

Doc management: Proposal for a doctoral management system

Control is an essential function for good management, for which a bureaucratic organization, that is, a system of rules, regularized procedures, division of responsibilities, and hierarchy, contributes. For a bureaucracy to be effective, tools to help are needed, and so the development of applications for the management of products or services are important. This paper addresses the issues related to a problem encountered in the management of doctorate students. Traditionally manual, this process is no longer efficient. This brings problems such as difficulty in searching a student's file and its information, difficulty in noticing if a student is undocumented, or in figuring out what tasks must be completed and turned in and what dates to do so. The current system is prone to delays, errors and requires unnecessary effort. The goal of this work is to develop a proposal to solve the problems described, by means of an application, with a simple interface, that can manage, create and edit students, their information, their grades and their deliveries, manage, create and edit curricular units and the related information, manage create and edit academic teachers and their functions. In other words, it is intended that the application is able to facilitate the management of all course processes and document a student's academic path. This will provide workers with a better quality of life, reducing the probability of error and generating gains in quality and efficiency in the management of student processes, thus improving the professional life of those who use the application.O controlo é uma função essencial para uma boa gestão, para o que concorre uma organização burocrática, ou seja, um sistema de regras, procedimentos regularizados, divisão de responsabilidades e hierarquia. Para uma burocracia eficaz são necessárias ferramentas que ajudem e por isso o desenvolvimento de aplicações para a gestão de produtos ou serviços são importantes O presente trabalho aborda as questões relacionadas com um problema encontrado na gestão de alunos dos doutoramentos. Tradicionalmente manual, este processo deixou de ser eficiente. Isto traz problemas como dificuldade em pesquisar o processo de um aluno e suas informações, dificuldade em perceber se um aluno está sem documentação ou em descobrir que tarefas devem ser concluídas e entregues e quais as datas para o fazer. O sistema atual é propenso a demoras, erros e exige um esforço desnecessário. O objetivo deste trabalho é desenvolver uma proposta para a resolução dos problemas descritos, por via de uma aplicação, como uma interface simples, que consiga gerir, criar e editar alunos, as suas informações, as suas notas e as suas entregas, gerir, criar e editar unidades curriculares e as informações relacionadas, gerir criar e editar docentes académicos e as suas funções. Ou seja, é pretendido que a aplicação consiga facilitar a gestão de todos os processos do curso e documentar o caminho académico de um aluno. Isto irá fazer com que os trabalhadores tenham uma melhor qualidade de vida, reduzindo a probabilidade de erro gerando ganhos de qualidade e eficiência na gestão dos processos do aluno, assim melhorando a vida profissional de quem use a aplicação

Implementation and Application of Artificial Intelligence in Selected Public Services

Data-intensive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, imply huge opportunities for transforming the delivery of healthcare and social services, improving people’s quality of life and working in the health and welfare system. The aim of this paper is to present examples of the implementation of artificial intelligence techniques in healthcare and social services and to sketch the trends and challenges in the adoption of artificial intelligence techniques, with an emphasis on the public sector and selected public services. Analysis is based on a realistic assessment of current artificial intelligence technologies and their anticipated development. Besides the benefits and potential opportunities for healthcare and social services, there are also challenges for governments. Understanding the huge potential of artificial intelligence as well as its limitations will be a key step forward, but it is essential to avoid the trap of an overestimation of artificial intelligence potential

Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) College Report 2016

In 2005 the American Statistical Association (ASA) endorsed the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) College Report. This report has had a profound impact on the teaching of introductory statistics in two- and four-year institutions, and the six recommendations put forward in the report have stood the test of time. Much has happened within the statistics education community and beyond in the intervening 10 years, making it critical to re-evaluate and update this important report. For readers who are unfamiliar with the original GAISE College Report or who are new to the statistics education community, the full version of the 2005 report can be found at http://www.amstat.org/education/gaise/GaiseCollege_full.pdf and a brief history of statistics education can be found in Appendix A of this new report. The revised GAISE College Report takes into account the many changes in the world of statistics education and statistical practice since 2005 and suggests a direction for the future of introductory statistics courses. Our work has been informed by outreach to the statistics education community and by reference to the statistics education literature

LATAM Intelligent Filter for Education (LIFE)

The LIFE system is designed to inspire primary-aged students in Latin American schools to pursue higher education in STEM related fields. We hope the students educate others in their community about the public health implications stemming from the lack of clean water and grow to bring about more lasting solutions to the water crisis. Many family’s lives are stymied by the inability to access clean drinking water, with many students ending up spending hours carrying water or spending time recovering water themselves in lieu of attending school. The LIFE team created a tabletop water filter and pump system accompanied by an app that will act as an educational tool for ten Latin American schools, with more on the horizon. This project was designed with both the needs of the teachers and students in mind but also frugality and ease of use by a wide variety of peri urban and urban communities as well as other quantifiable design metrics. The LIFE system is made up of two parts, the Intelligent Filter and the app. The water filter is designed to remove the top contaminants of our target audience: lead, arsenic, nitrates, fecal contamination (E. coli, Salmonella, etc.), and pesticides. The app is complete with full learning modules and interactive components to engage with the students and guides for teachers. The project was successful at a local school test and approved by our clients at the PASSAGE project and Frugal Innovation Hub. It will be replicated in the near future to be distributed to the different communities by our client, PASSAGE