Introduction of interactive learning into French university physics classrooms

We report on a project to introduce interactive learning strategies (ILS) to physics classes at the Universit\'e Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), one of the leading science universities in France. In Spring 2012, instructors in two large introductory classes, first-year, second-semester mechanics, and second-year introductory E&M, enrolling approximately 500 and 250 students respectively, introduced ILS into some sections of each class. The specific ILS utilized were Think-Pair-Share questions and Peer Instruction in the main lecture classrooms, and UW Tutorials for Introductory Physics in recitation sections. Pre- and post-instruction assessments (FCI and CSEM respectively) were given, along with a series of demographics questions. We were able to compare the results of the FCI and CSEM between interactive and non-interactive classes taught simultaneously with the same curriculum. We also analyzed final exam results, as well as the results of student and instructor attitude surveys between classes. In our analysis, we argue that Multiple Linear Regression modeling is superior to other common analysis tools, including normalized gain. Our results show that ILS are effective at improving student learning by all measures used: research-validated concept inventories and final exam scores, on both conceptual and traditional problem-solving questions. Multiple Linear Regression analysis reveals that interactivity in the classroom is a significant predictor of student learning, showing a similar or stronger relationship with student learning than such ascribed characteristics as parents' education, and achieved characteristics such as GPA and hours studied per week. Analysis of student and instructors attitudes shows that both groups believe that ILS improve student learning in the physics classroom, and increases student engagement and motivation

Using the Proteus virtual environment to train future IT professionals

Abstract. Based on literature review it was established that the use of augmented reality as an innovative technology of student training occurs in following directions: 3D image rendering; recognition and marking of real objects; interaction of a virtual object with a person in real time. The main advantages of using AR and VR in the educational process are highlighted: clarity, ability to simulate processes and phenomena, integration of educational disciplines, building an open education system, increasing motivation for learning, etc. It has been found that in the field of physical process modelling the Proteus Physics Laboratory is a popular example of augmented reality. Using the Proteus environment allows to visualize the functioning of the functional nodes of the computing system at the micro level. This is especially important for programming systems with limited resources, such as microcontrollers in the process of training future IT professionals. Experiment took place at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University and Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A. S. Makarenko with students majoring in Computer Science (field of knowledge is Secondary Education (Informatics)). It was found that computer modelling has a positive effect on mastering the basics of microelectronics. The ways of further scientific researches for grounding, development and experimental verification of forms, methods and augmented reality, and can be used in the professional training of future IT specialists are outlined in the article

Development of First-Year Engineering Teams\u27 Mathematical Models through Linked Modeling and Simulation Projects

The development and use of mathematical models and simulations underlies much of the work of engineers. Mathematical models describe a situation or system through mathematics, quantification, and pattern identification. Simulations enable users to interact with models through manipulation of input variables and visualization of model outputs. Although modeling skills are fundamental, they are rarely explicitly taught in engineering. Model-eliciting activities (MEAs) represent a pedagogical approach used in engineering to teach students mathematical modeling skills through the development of a model to solve an authentic problem. This study is an investigation into the impact of linking a MEA and a simulation-building project on students’ model development. The purpose of this research is to further address the need for developing effective curricula to teach students’ mathematical modeling skills and begin to address the need to teach students about simulations. The data for this study were 122 first-year engineering student teams’ solutions to both a MEA and a subsequent simulation-building project set in the context of a nanotechnology topic, specifically quantum dot solar cells. The teams’ mathematical models submitted at the end of the MEA and the simulation project were analyzed using two frameworks to assess the quality of the mathematical models and the level of simulation completeness. Three teams’ works with the feedback they received were analyzed in a case study. The analysis of the 122 teams’ mathematical models showed that many teams selected particular aspects of their final MEA models for further development in their simulations. Based on the components of the models that were consistent in the MEA and project submissions, teams either improved, did not change, or weakened aspects of their models. Twenty-six teams improved the functionality of their model. Six teams increased the input variable handling of their models. Two teams improved the efficiency of their models; eight teams made their models less efficient through poor programming decisions. Based on an analysis of the 122 teams’ simulations, 62 percent were complete simulations (i.e. backed by a model and front-ended with user-input and output visualization capabilities). The case study enabled a more detailed analysis of how select teams’ mathematical models changed across their submissions and the evidence of potential deeper learning about their models across their submissions. The findings of this study suggest that model development continued through simulation development enables student teams an opportunity to either further improve or explore their models. These sequential projects provide teams with low quality models with more time for development and application within a simulation. They provide teams with high quality models an opportunity to explore ideas beyond the original scope of the MEA

Plastic pollution in the ocean

Plastic pollution in the ocean was first reported by scientists in the 1970s, yet in recent years it has drawn tremendous attention from the media, the public, and an increasing number of scientists spanning diverse fields, including polymer science, environmental engineering, ecology, toxicology, marine biology, and oceanography. In the oceans, the threat to marine life comes in various forms, such as overexploitation and harvesting, dumping of waste, pollution, alien species, land reclamation, dredging and global climate change. The extremely visible nature of much of this contamination is easy to convey in shocking images of piles of trash on coastlines, marine mammals entangled in fishing nets, or seabird bellies filled with bottle caps, cigarette lighters, and colourful shards of plastic. Even without these images, anyone who has visited a beach has certainly encountered discarded cigarette butts, broken beach toys left behind, or pieces of fishing gear or buoys that have washed ashore

The effects of using a whiteboard interactively in a middle school mathematics classroom

The purpose of this study was to further examine the effects of using Interactive White Boards interactively versus as a glorified whiteboard. The experimental group consisted of seven eighth grade general education students and six eighth grade special education students. The experimental group was taught with lessons created to promote interactivity and student involvement and covered the five lessons in a unit on three-dimensional geometry. Baseline data was collected by using the mean of the students\u27 recent test scores. The post-test was then compared to the students\u27 baseline scores to show the effectiveness of the intervention. To further data analysis, baseline mean scores and post-test scores from the 26 other students in eighth grade math were analyzed and compared to the experimental group. Overall, the results showed the intervention was successful. Both the special education students and the general education students of the experimental group showed significant growth over their baseline data. Although the control group also showed growth from their baseline to the post-test, the growth was not as significant and a much higher percentage of students either showed very little growth or exhibited a lower score on their post-test than baseline

SOCR: Statistics Online Computational Resource

The need for hands-on computer laboratory experience in undergraduate and graduate statistics education has been firmly established in the past decade. As a result a number of attempts have been undertaken to develop novel approaches for problem-driven statistical thinking, data analysis and result interpretation. In this paper we describe an integrated educational web-based framework for: interactive distribution modeling, virtual online probability experimentation, statistical data analysis, visualization and integration. Following years of experience in statistical teaching at all college levels using established licensed statistical software packages, like STATA, S-PLUS, R, SPSS, SAS, Systat, etc., we have attempted to engineer a new statistics education environment, the Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR). This resource performs many of the standard types of statistical analysis, much like other classical tools. In addition, it is designed in a plug-in object-oriented architecture and is completely platform independent, web-based, interactive, extensible and secure. Over the past 4 years we have tested, fine-tuned and reanalyzed the SOCR framework in many of our undergraduate and graduate probability and statistics courses and have evidence that SOCR resources build student's intuition and enhance their learning.

Tarefas para promover a argumentação na classe de matemática baseada no Software de Geometria Dinâmica

Purpose: The tasks proposed to students have an impact on the cognitive activity they develop and on the construction of concepts and joint meanings. In this article we propose two tasks to promote interactivity in class mediated by argumentation processes with the use of GeoGebra. Description: Dynamic geometry environments allow students to experiment with different types of semiotic representation to mediate the cognitive activity they develop. Although some studies suggest that these environments decrease the cognitive load, it is recognized in the literature the impact that this type of systems generate in school learning, such as their use promotes the development of strategies to extend the problem or explore cases that allow students to generalize on a hypothesis or conjecture. In this sense, the importance of entrainment and of the concepts, definitions and fundamental topics of Euclidean geometry that are necessary for the constructions of the models that are tested is highlighted. Point of view: The teacher\u27s mediation and the presentation of significantly rich and challenging tasks allow generating moments of interactivity where the teacher\u27s actions are articulated with those of the students around the task. Conclusions: it is important for teachers to design activities that promote argumentation spaces in class as an opportunity to learn mathematics, since it allows confronting different points of view and mediating in the construction of meanings.Propósito: Las tareas que se proponen a los estudiantes repercuten en la actividad cognitiva que desarrollan y en la construcción de conceptos y significados conjuntos. En este artículo proponemos dos tareas para promover la interactividad en clase mediadas por procesos de argumentación con el uso de GeoGebra. Descripción: los entornos de geometría dinámica permiten que los estudiantes experimenten con diversos tipos de representación semiótica para mediar la actividad cognitiva que desarrollan. Si bien, algunos estudios sugieren que estos entornos disminuyen la carga cognitiva, se reconoce en la literatura el impacto que este tipo de sistemas generan en el aprendizaje escolar, su uso promueve el desarrollo de estrategias para ampliar el problema o explorar casos particulares que les permita a los estudiantes generalizar sobre una hipótesis o conjetura. En ese sentido, se resalta la importancia del arrastre y de los conceptos, definiciones y tópicos fundamentales de la geometría euclidiana que son necesarios para las construcciones de los modelos que se someten a prueba. Punto de vista: la mediación del profesor y la presentación de tareas significativamente ricas y desafiantes permiten generar momentos de interactividad donde se articulan las acciones del profesor con las de los estudiantes en torno a la tarea. Conclusiones: es importante que los profesores diseñen actividades que promuevan espacios de argumentación en clase como una oportunidad para aprender matemáticas dado que permite confrontar diversos puntos de vista y mediar en la construcción de significadosObjetivo: As tarefas propostas aos alunos têm um impacto na atividade cognitiva que desenvolvem e na construção de conceitos e significados comuns, neste artigo propomos duas tarefas para promover a interatividade na aula mediada por processos de argumentação com a utilização do GeoGebra. Descrição: os ambientes de geometria dinâmica permitem aos estudantes experimentar diferentes tipos de representação semiótica para mediar a atividade cognitiva que desenvolvem. Embora alguns estudos sugiram que estes ambientes diminuem a carga cognitiva, é reconhecido na literatura o impacto que este tipo de sistemas gera na aprendizagem escolar, a sua utilização promove o desenvolvimento de estratégias para expandir o problema ou explorar casos particulares que permitem aos estudantes generalizar sobre uma hipótese ou conjectura. Nesse sentido, destaca a importância do arrasto e dos conceitos, definições e tópicos fundamentais da geometria euclidiana que são necessários para as construções dos modelos que são testados. Ponto de vista: a mediação do professor e a apresentação de tarefas significativamente ricas e desafiantes permitem gerar momentos de interatividade onde as ações do professor são articuladas com as dos alunos em torno da tarefa. Conclusões: é importante que os professores concebam atividades que promovam espaços de argumentação na aula como uma oportunidade para aprender matemática, dado que lhes permite confrontar diferentes pontos de vista e mediar na construção de significados

Investigating Continuance Intention to Use E-Learning of Female Students Majoring in Music in Chengdu

Purpose: Remote learning is expected to become a normal tool after the epidemic’s end and is an important means to promote the digital development of education. This study investigates the impact of system quality, subjective norms, interactivity, course content quality, perceived usefulness, and satisfaction on the continuance intention to use e-learning of music major college students in Chengdu, China. Research design, data, and methodology: The population is 500 female students at Sichuan University using three selected e-learning platforms: DingDing, Tencent meeting, and WeLink. The sample techniques are judgmental, stratified random, and convenience sampling. The Item Objective Congruence (IOC) Index and the pilot test (n=50) by Cronbach’s Alpha were approved before the data collection. The data was analyzed through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results: The findings reveal that system quality and subjective norms significantly impact perceived usefulness. Interactivity and course content quality significantly impact satisfaction. Continuance intention is impacted by perceived usefulness and satisfaction. On the opposite, perceived usefulness has no significant impact on satisfaction. Conclusions: Educational institutions and the Chinese government can exploit the findings in this study to improve accessibility with the highest-performance online learning infrastructure for the country