Effective use of communication and information technology: Bridging the skills gap

There is a revolutionary culture change taking place within higher education in the United Kingdom. Part of this change is the adoption of new communication and information technologies (C&IT), such as the World Wide Web (WWW), for teaching, learning and assessment. Many academics have limited experience of the WWW for teaching and learning and perceive that the use of new technologies involves transferring traditional teaching methods into an electronic format, with no regard for the underlying pedagogical implications. Our current research with teaching staff has given insight into essential skills and competencies required to empower the use of C&IT bearing in mind the importance of the underlying pedagogy. In this paper we present an analysis of research carried out with academic staff members to determine the nature of staff and student skills needs regarding the use of C&IT in teaching and learning. This analysis is followed by a case study of how these findings were incorporated into the development and implementation of a staff development programme aimed at encouraging innovative teaching at the University of Strathclyde

Educating the global citizen in sustainable development: the influence of accreditation bodies on professional programmes

It is estimated that over 50% of UK CO2 emissions arise from the buildings and industry sector. Globally construction is estimated to be the world’s largest employer with 111 million employees. The Built Environment sector is therefore a major economic player with significant environmental, social and economic influence across the globe. Pressure on Built Environment degree curriculum partly comes from the professional bodies, with whom a large proportion of the School of the Built and Natural Environment’s programmes are accredited. Accreditation is in many cases a requirement in order for graduates to practice their profession while in others it is not a requirement but an expectation. As a result, accreditation is vital to the marketability of School degree programmes. This paper discusses the key competencies within professional accreditation requirements for three case study subject areas within the School. Through this case study analysis it was found that all three accreditation requirements analysed referred to the accepted three pillar model of sustainability (see for example Kates et al (2005); van Zeijl-Rozema et al (2008); Mackelworth and Carić (2010)). Guidance in all three disciplines referred further to ethics and social responsibility. However, the three professional body accreditation guidelines differ in the prescribed quantity, and the detail of guidance, on sustainability criteria. In ensuring compliance with accreditation guidelines, the three subject areas have taken differing approaches across a continuum. The authors consider that the approaches taken, and the extent to which sustainability criteria are explicit or implicit within the curriculum, are in part influenced by the pedagogic approaches typical of the subject discipline

Enhancing Literacy Instruction through Technology

Technology has altered how children experience language. As technology has taken root in society, literacy skills have expanded beyond simply reading and writing print texts to include interacting with digital texts and media. To prepare students to operate in this digital environment, teachers should integrate technology into language arts instruction; however, many teachers feel unprepared to do so effectively. Additionally, some teachers hesitate to implement technology into language arts instruction as a tool because of its supposed negative effects on literacy. Despite beliefs about technology inhibiting reading and writing, teachers can utilize technology to enhance literacy instruction. The digital age has laid the foundation for new literacies, and teachers must build upon it

A double-edged sword: Use of computer algebra systems in first-year Engineering Mathematics and Mechanics courses

Many secondary-level mathematics students have experience with graphical calculators from high school. For the purposes of this paper we define graphical calculators as those able to perform rudimentary symbolic manipulation and solve complicated equations requiring very modest user knowledge. The use of more advanced computer algebra systems e.g. Maple, Mathematica, Mathcad, Matlab/MuPad is becoming more prevalent in tertiary-level courses. This paper explores our students’ experience using one such system (MuPad) in first-year tertiary Engineering Mathematics and Mechanics courses. The effectiveness of graphical calculators and computer algebra systems in mathematical pedagogy has been investigated by a multitude of educational researchers (e.g. Ravaglia et al. 1998). Most of these studies found very small or no correlation between student use of graphical calculators or exposure to computer algebra systems with future achievement in mathematics courses (Buteau et al. 2010). In this paper we focus instead on students’ attitude towards a more advanced standalone computer algebra system (MuPad), and whether students’ inclination to use the system is indicative of their mathematical understanding. Paper describing some preliminary research into use of computer algebra systems for teaching engineering mathematics

Civic Education in Basic School: Problems and Challenges in the Digital Age

This paper focus on the analysis of preliminary data of an ongoing study involving Portuguese teachers and students, in the non-disciplinary curricular area of Civic Education. The project aims at encouraging collaborative behaviour in educational communities, involving teachers and students in the development of digital contents, and at exploring different issues on citizenship education, under a case-based methodology. We believe this action research study is of relevance because it can unveil examples of good practices and innovative teaching strategies that need to be disseminated in this compulsory subject taking into account the results of recent studies, which exposed some of the inefficiency of the strategies adopted so far

Educational Assessment in Portugal

This paper discusses some of the Portuguese education features and its intended learning assessment system. Pupils’ retention and drop out rates are analysed and discussed. Three characteristics of the intended assessment system are presented and discussed in this paper: a) the predominance of formative assessment; b) the predominance of internal assessment; and c) student retention decisions made at the end of basic schooling cycles. Some features of both internal and external assessments are also analysed and discussed. Generally speaking the Portuguese assessment system can be seen as appropriate and progressive. However, there still exists a significant gap between what has been legally proposed and the so-called “real system”. Thus, some recommendations are made aimed at reducing or eliminating that gap which is seen as one of the greatest challenges to be faced by Portuguese society in the years to com

Physics for non-physicists - Two bio-degrees reforms in Spanish universities: Health Biology and Biology

We present a review of two different innovative experiences of Physics education for Bio-Sciences in two Spanish Universities - the Health Biology degree of the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares (UAH) and the Biology degree of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM). Both experiences took place simultaneously and coincident with the implementation of Bologna Plan. Although they were developed under different contextual constraints, set by the respective Faculties, they share a number of similar pedagogical strategies which are analyzed. In both cases the reforms allowed a substantial improvement in learning results compared to those obtained in the previous Physics courses in the respective degreesLHM participated in the GIREP-MPTL 2018 on behalf of the project IPLS-Spain, promoted and supported by an inter-university group of physics teachers and young biologist

Creative thinking in teacher education colleges : an investigation of the preparation of primary pre-service student teachers in Kuwait

PhD ThesisThis research focuses on investigating the role of creative thinking in student teacher education colleges in Kuwait. The research is based on a (two) single-case study design, with data being collected via multiple methods from five primary departments of Kuwait’s main colleges of education. The study used four instruments to collect the data; semi-structured interviews, focus groups, document analysis, and observation. Inductive and creative synthesis was used as a data analysis approach. An analysis of the study data showed that creative thinking in the preparation and training programmes of pre-service teachers was considered to be a secondary concern in both colleges. The research findings indicate that several factors do not support the development of creative thinking in primary teacher education colleges; including teaching strategies used, classroom environment, social and cultural attitudes of the community (especially towards women’s motivation in choosing the speciality), admission policies, use of technological materials, and the type of communication and cooperation between all educational institutions. This study makes specific recommendations, primarily focused on directing the development of creative thinking to include collaborative efforts by all those involved in every element of teaching and training programmes, and the education system in general. The researcher proposes a theoretical framework designed to serve as a guideline for the development of creative thinking at primary teacher education colleges in Kuwait

Pre-service teachers developing literacy identities

This paper highlights how individual literacy narratives influence pre‐service teacher literacy identities. Working with a diverse group of future literacy educators provides a challenge in negotiating and making sense of their personal literacy narratives and considering the impact this has on their literacy learning. Going beyond outcome measures and development of creative individuals (Stables, 2003) in their futures as literacy educators, we consider how to develop shared understandings of literacies within a university course context and how 'classroom' interactions and opportunities for dialogue not only develop literacy competencies, but allow for the meta-awareness of the personal literacy narratives that pre-service teachers bring to the teaching/learning context. Further to this, we consider how literacy identities can be developed through dialogue to help pre-service teachers make connections between authoritative pedagogies, pedagogy in the field and their personal literacy narratives to begin creating personal literacy pedagogies for the future