MEASUREMENTS OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

The domain of technology in education (or educational technology) is quite broad and it is difficult to pin it down to one area of application, software, device, or tool. The purpose of this study is not on technology as an object of study taught on its own right, but as a tool closely intertwined with pedagogy in an effort to enhance, innovate, and/or transform the teaching learning experience. Moreover, the focus is on technology used in classroom settings across the P-20 domain as opposed to technology used in online or distance education. It is true in today’s interconnected environment, learning often occurs outside of the four walls of the school and to that end we recognize the influence of technology used in classroom setting can extend beyond the school system as students, teachers and other stakeholders interact and manipulate educational resources while at home or in the library, for example. Although the focus of this study is on the use of technology in traditional face-to-face teaching and learning it needs to be underscored that boundaries are increasingly blurred between internal and external environments

A Technologically Enhanced Introduction to Creative Writing --Instructional Unit Plan

Technologically Enhanced Introduction to Creative Writing Unit Plan My educational unit plan serves as an 9th & 10th grade Introduction to Creative Writing. Each lesson includes guiding questions, learning outcomes, content standards, and step-by-step instructional activities. As it spans over poetry, prose, nonfiction, and fiction, the unit plan will serve, for students, as an introduction to Creative Writing and, for educators, as an avenue for integrating different styles of technology into their teaching repertoire. With the assistance of my mentor, I crafted each lesson around the Creative Writing content and skills most precedent for 9th and 10th graders. The addition of technology as a teaching tool in my unit plan provides educational opportunities for teachers across all disciplines. For example, any video can be transformed into instruction with simultaneous assessment using Ed Puzzle. Teachers can film their teaching, use any digitalized video, or time a slideshow and use Ed Puzzle to add checkpoints in which students are asked questions, can ask their own questions, or leave comments. In my unit plan, Ed Puzzle is utilized to teach figurative language terms and assess student knowledge by asking for and providing examples. In our current climate, and as education moves back to a more traditional setting, virtual learning will continue to offer bountiful products, adaptions, and extensions that can vary instruction, create online learning opportunities, and provide modified or advanced learning experiences. As an English Education major with a second concentration in Creative Writing, this unit plan will be adaptable and beneficial to my student teaching experience and future classroom. Through its creation, I am more confident and capable to teach Creative Writing. At UMCUR I will present using an interactive PowerPoint which highlights content covered in my lesson plans as well as their unique emphasis on technology

Bridging the Gaps in Elementary Life Science Lessons

The United States is experiencing a rise in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers while facing a shortage of STEM workers. This could partly be due to a decline in the amount of time allowed for science in elementary schools or possibly because many life science lessons in elementary school lack originality and may not stimulate an interest in science. Lack of captivating STEM education prior to college may be contributing to the decline of students graduating with STEM based degrees. My thesis focuses on getting out of the routine of using monotonous life science lesson plans. I identify gaps within science education of how life science is currently taught in elementary classrooms by compiling a literature review and develop an example lesson based on real-world scientific experimentation. I use my undergraduate research growing milkweeds with and without mycorrhizae, a symbiotic fungus that grows on plant roots, as an example for how elementary students might conduct real-world science experiments. I grew milkweed plants in a greenhouse setting and added mycorrhizae to half of the plants. I measured plant growth using stem width, leaf length, height, and leaf count. My experiment would be easy to replicate in a classroom because milkweed is easy to grow and the measurements easy to take. The experiment looks at relationships between species. The mycorrhizae benefit the milkweed by supporting nutrient uptake, and the milkweed provide food for Monarch butterflies. I connect the lessons to the Massachusetts Science Technology Engineering standards, as well as writing, math, and reading standards. I have explored what is missing in teaching life science in elementary classrooms today and have provided a lesson unit on milkweed and mycorrhizae fungi as an example of how real science experiments can be used in an elementary classroom

PERSPECTIVES AND USAGE OF TECHNOLOGY OF ARABIC LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Abstract This study examined the perspectives and usage of technology by Arabic language teachers' in various schools all across The United Arab Emirates. Barriers to integrating technology were closely examined. Dimensions investigated included: perspectives towards computer-related activities, perspectives towards computer-related activities, perspectives towards computer competence, perspectives towards technology and general perspectives. Arabic language teachers answered questions on electronic surveys regarding their classroom practices and personal opinions and thoughts about computers and technology. The population of teachers was divided into the following categories: 1. Age 2. Years of experience 3. Gender 4. Levels of education For the purposes of this study, more experienced is defined by general teaching experience in excess of ten years, and less experienced is defined as general teaching experience of ten years and fewer. An analysis of the data showed that teachers at different levels of education and age tend to hold very different perspectives about technology integration and that the gender of teachers had no bearing on their perspectives toward technology. Teachers from all levels of education expressed a positive perspective toward technology in some respects, including the benefits that technology can offer Arabic language instruction and student learning. Teachers across all dimensions who expressed negative perspectives towards technology integration discussed, both explicitly and implicitly, the barriers that they perceived as preventing them from having a more positive perspective. These barriers were shown to originate from within the individual teacher, as well as within their environment in the school and classroom setting. For example, many of the barriers uncovered dealt with personal issues like self-esteem related to teaching and the classroom, feelings of inadequacy surrounding teaching, etc. In testing the hypotheses of the study, hypothesis one showed that overall, teachers had positive perspectives towards technology usage. Hypothesis two revealed a P-value of less than 0.001 which means that there are differences between the perspectives and usage of technology of male and female Arabic language teacher's in the UAE, with females having more positive perspectives. The third hypothesis examined the different perspectives and usage of technology between more and less experienced Arabic language teachers in the UAE. The testing of this hypothesis reported that there are differences between the perspectives of this group of Arabic language teachers, with less experienced teachers having more positive perspectives. The fourth hypothesis regarding younger and older Arabic language teachers reported that there are indeed differences in the perspectives of these two groups towards technology, with younger teachers having a more positive perspective. Lastly, the fifth hypothesis, which dealt with teachers who have different levels of education, found that are no differences between the perspectives of Arabic language teachers with different levels of experience. There is a need for more research and resources put into the area of technology usage in Arabic language instruction across The United Arab Emirates, more support for the schools and teachers endeavoring to make technology usage in Arabic language instruction a success, more pre-and in-service training for future and current teachers, and more research into which strategies will work to combat the barriers identified in this study

Simply InGEN(E)ious! How Creative DNA Modeling Can Enrich Classic Hands-On Experimentation

Innovative 21st-century methods for teaching biology should provide both content knowledge and diverse scientific competencies. The Curriculum Guidelines of the American Society for Microbiology highlight the importance of developing scientific thinking skills, which include the abilities to formulate hypotheses, to communicate fundamental concepts effectively, and to analyze and interpret experimental results. Additionally, contemporary science education should enhance creativity and collaboration as key student assets in its bid to overcome negative perceptions and learning difficulties. In recent years, the expanding movement for so-called “STEAM” approaches (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) has increased in STEM curricula. The movement seeks to integrate the arts into science classes to transfer enthusiasm, support individual self-sufficiency, and encourage creative solutions. To meet all these demands, we developed an inquiry-based approach that actively engages students in hands- and minds-on activities on the topic of “decoding the DNA structure” in an outreach laboratory. Since teaching abstract molecular phenomena is a challenge in biology classes, we combine classical experimental tasks (DNA isolation, gel electrophoresis) with creative modeling. The experiments are linked by the modeling phase: immersed in the story of the discovery of the DNA structure, our participants independently construct a DNA model from a box filled with inexpensive craft supplies (e.g., glue, straws, pipe cleaners, beads). After initial pilot testing, the implementation of our approach clearly produced short- and mid-term learning effects among the students, providing a successful example of a STEAM-based approach in a laboratory setting

Student and Faculty Perceptions of Live Synchronous Distance Education for Allied Health Students Following Program Expansion to a Rural Campus

Background & Purpose: Distance education (DE) is a means to meet allied health workforce needs in rural locations where healthcare worker shortages are apparent. Five allied health programs were expanded to a rural campus teaching synchronously using distance education technology. The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study was to explore perceptions of allied health students and faculty at two campus locations. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative information were collected through a survey of students and faculty (physical therapy, physician assistant, and medical imaging [diagnostic medical sonography, radiography, magnetic resonance imaging] programs). Both campuses served as live and distance sites depending on instructor location and area of content expertise. For example, morning courses may be taught live from one campus, and afternoon classes taught live from the other campus. Only one program, physical therapy, offered labs by distance education. Response distributions were compared for questions by campus using Cochran-Armitage trend tests and analyzed de-identified qualitative comments using constant comparisons to establish themes. Results: Student (n=121) and faculty (n=19) mostly agreed distance education technology was effective for teaching and learning. Significant differences were found in student opinions about receiving a similar educational experience between the two campuses. More students at the Main campus somewhat or strongly disagreed (n=34, 37%) it was similar compared to the Rural campus (n= 5, 17%, p=0.024). There were no comments specifically related to the physical therapy lab experience. Open-ended comment themes included training, purposeful engagement of both campus locations, and setting clear expectations. Conclusions: Although differences in learning experiences exist between the main and rural campus locations; the results indicated using distance education technology is an effective means to deliver the curriculum. Both students and faculty commented about the lack of experience with the educational technology before implementation. Synchronous, distance education offers the opportunity for program expansion and effective delivery of curriculum content. Using the results of this study can enhance future education in allied health professions using synchronous distance education technology

Advanced UAS Training; Integration of Remote Live Aircraft Crash Investigation with UAS

Current Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) flight training generally operates at the ab-initio level. As UAS flight and academic programs evolve, so also must UAS training advance, specifically regarding new and evolving uses of UAS. This task must present a quality delivery in a distributed modality. As an example, integration of UAS into missions such as aircraft crash investigation are occurring or in development with safety investigators globally. Bringing this type of specialization (theory and practice) to academia must follow, but currently can only be done well in a face-to-face setting. Near term technology for UAS will allow distribution of a labor force capable of beyond visual line of site operations thus evolving methods for crash investigations and other types of inspections using UAS. A distributed teaching modality, using remote split operations, can exchange face-to-face learning for beyond line of sight skills and knowledge training. Therefore, UAS training must maintain the pace of this evolving process. Academia must resolve how the distributed student experience can approximate similar quality of advanced flight training as can be done face-to-face. In this research, a solution is explored that combines the concept of remote split operations using sUAS to conduct live flight operations over remotely located aircraft crash sites to impart the practical application of theory into a distributed lab setting

Mobile Learning Revolution: Implications for Language Pedagogy

Mobile technologies including cell phones and tablets are a pervasive feature of everyday life with potential impact on teaching and learning. “Mobile pedagogy” may seem like a contradiction in terms, since mobile learning often takes place physically beyond the teacher's reach, outside the walls of the classroom. While pedagogy implies careful planning, mobility exposes learners to the unexpected. A thoughtful pedagogical response to this reality involves new conceptualizations of what is to be learned and new activity designs. This approach recognizes that learners may act in more self-determined ways beyond the classroom walls, where online interactions and mobile encounters influence their target language communication needs and interests. The chapter sets out a range of opportunities for out-of-class mobile language learning that give learners an active role and promote communication. It then considers the implications of these developments for language content and curricula and the evolving roles and competences of teachers