Coaching teachers to integrate technology: The effects of technology integration on student performance and critical thinking

This article presents the results of a mixed-methods study that investigated effects of technology integration practices of teachers in a 5th grade students’ scores and critical thinking in a public school, and introduced coaching for technology integration as a strategy to train in-service teachers for technology integration. The purpose of the research was to analyse how technology integration in science course effects on student's performance and critical thinking. The participants were 132 students and four teachers in elementary public school. The study used an experimental research design by having a control and research group (68 were in the two teachers’ classrooms that were using technology without coaching intervention and 64 were in the other two teachers’ classrooms, coached by the researchers to integrate available technologies). The data were collected through pre-test and post-test, classroom observation and semi-structured interview with teachers. The results showed that coached teachers integrated technology more frequently, purposefully and diversely. Additionally, the results indicated that technology integration positively affected student performance and student critical thinking behaviours in the 5th grade science unit

Ensino de gerenciamento de projetos de software mediado por ferramentas

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência da Computação, Florianópolis, 2017.Projetos de software muitas vezes fracassam por não seguirem um processo de Gerenciamento de Projetos (GP). A adoção deste processo pode ser apoiada pelo uso de ferramentas de GP. Por isto, saber como utilizá-las é uma competência de grande relevância para os egressos dos cursos na área da Computação. Atualmente, observa-se que as unidades instrucionais (UIs) existentes tipicamente incluem aulas práticas para o uso de ferramentas de GP, adotando a estratégia de aprendizagem experiencial. Ainda, algumas UIs fazem uso de ferramentas de GP educacionais, que incluem características didáticas para facilitar a aprendizagem dos alunos. Entretanto, observa-se que estas UIs podem ser melhoradas, abordando lacunas como a cobertura do conteúdo, que tipicamente não abrange áreas de conhecimentos como integração, comunicação, custos, riscos, aquisições, e qualidade. Neste contexto, o objetivo desta tese é cobrir parte das lacunas existentes no ensino de ferramentas de GP, por meio do desenvolvimento de uma UI abordando os processos de iniciação e planejamento alinhando ao PMBOK. A metodologia de pesquisa inclui métodos de revisão bibliográfica para fundamentação teórica, análise do estado da arte e prática por meio de revisão sistemática da literatura e survey, e design instrucional para o desenvolvimento e avaliação da UI. Os resultados desta tese incluem o levantamento do estado da arte e prática do ensino de ferramentas de GP nos cursos superiores de Computação. Entre os resultados também está uma UI para ensino de ferramentas de GP para a iniciação e planejamento, evoluindo a ferramenta dotProject como parte de seus materiais instrucionais. Resultados da avaliação desta UI indicam como ensinar ferramentas de GP alinhado ao guia PMBOK, promovendo a aprendizagem no nível de aplicação do domínio cognitivo da taxonomia de Bloom. Este resultado busca contribuir para Ciência da Computação ao reduzir lacunas existentes no ensino de ferramentas de GP, impactando na melhor formação dos profissionais da área, e possibilitando o aumento do sucesso de projetos conduzidos pelas organizações de software.Abstract : Software projects fail by not adopting a Project Management (PM) process. The adoption of this process is facilitated by PM tools, which take advantage from technology to support the PM process or part of it. The usage of such tools has been considered mandatory to manage the contemporary software projects. Hence, the usage of such tools is an important competency for computer students. Analyzing the state of the art and practice about the teaching of PM tools, it is observed that the existing Instructional Units (IUs) typically adopts the experimental learning strategy, including practical classes for propitiates the usage of PM tools by students. More specifically, some IUs adopt some educational PM tools that include didactic features to improve students learning. However, when analyzing the addressed content by these IUs it is observed that commonly just the time and human resources knowledge areas are addressed, hence existing a gap between what is currently been taught and the complete PM process. In this context, this thesis aims to develop and evaluate an IU for teaching PM tools covering the initiating and planning processes, addressing the 10 PM knowledge areas aligned with PMBOK. The research design includes methods as bibliography review for background definition, Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and survey for state of the art and practice analysis, and an instructional design approach for developing and evaluating the proposed IU. The main result produced by this thesis is the IU, which based on the context analysis, has developed the IU teaching plan and instructional materials compatible with higher computer education in Brazilian institutions. This IU covers a reasonable part of PM tools education, being aligned with PMBOK and addressing topics of curriculums guidelines for computer science higher education. Secondary results include the state of the art analysis which is composed of 2 SLRs, and the state of practice analysis carried out by a survey conducted with teachers that teach about PM tools in higher computers programs. These results may be important for computer science by reducing existing gaps in the teaching of PM tools, thus better preparing computer professionals, and assisting to the success of software projects conducted by Brazilian organizations