‘Getting stuck’ in analogue electronics: Threshold concepts as an explanatory model

Could the challenge of mastering threshold concepts be a potential factor that influences a student's decision to continue in electronics engineering? This was the question that led to a collaborative research project between educational researchers and the Faculty of Engineering in a New Zealand university. This paper deals exclusively with the qualitative data from this project, which was designed to investigate the high attrition rate of students taking introductory electronics in a New Zealand university. The affordances of the various teaching opportunities and the barriers that students perceived are examined in the light of recent international research in the area of threshold concepts and transformational learning. Suggestions are made to help students move forward in their thinking, without compromising the need for maintaining the element of intellectual uncertainty that is crucial for tertiary teaching. The issue of the timing of assessments as a measure of conceptual development or the crossing of thresholds is raised

Improving the Quality of Technology-Enhanced Learning for Computer Programming Courses

Teaching computing courses is a major challenge for the majority of lecturers in Libyan higher learning institutions. These courses contain numerous abstract concepts that cannot be easily explained using traditional educational methods. This paper describes the rationale, design, development and implementation stages of an e-learning package (including multimedia resources such as simulations, animations, and videos) using the ASSURE model. This training package can be used by students before they attend practical computer lab sessions, preparing them by developing technical skills and applying concepts and theories presented in lecture through supplementary study and exercises

The Design of Moodle-Based English Language Learning Environments (Case Study of Indonesian Higher Education)

Integrating English learning content enhance complexity and unconventional demands challenge lecturers in Higher Education. The study investigates and determines an English learning course design through Moodle, the most suitable approach that develops an online environment’s essential language learners’ accomplishment outcomes. The study was conducted with the qualitative approach with a case study research design. The thirty-eight lecturers generate as respondents from Higher Education in the Jakarta area. The result has found that Moodle could implement the demands-complexity of English language learning in the electronic ecosystem. The English course should have obtained attention or engagement with familiarize, encourage, fulfill, evaluate, and understand actual content material integrated Moodle feature.  The Moodle-based designer must develop topological technologies to request the particular necessities of learners needs. Moodle is not fundamentally constructed as a mechanism concerning language learning, and it should have been noticed that the electronic model was not a flawless online learning system for the English educational process. Nonetheless, it presents various resources and excellent learning designs. It frequently engaged learners’ and lecturers’ adverse responses to the acquiring of English as a foreign language. Technical problems and educational challenges should not be neglected while utilizing Moodle program in the electronic ecosyste

Institutional innovation: synthesis of programme outcomes

Report of the work of the Projects funded by the JISC Institutional change/innovation Programme 2008-2010. Report produced by the Synthesis and Benefits Realisation Team linked to the Programme

Developing a virtual engineering lab using ADDIE model. [Article]

In recent years, digital competence has become essential at the workplace. There is a growing demand for engineers with both employability and digital skills. As a result of the technological advancements, the Virtual Laboratory (VLab) concept was created to provide students with a safe environment to acquire the skills and enthusiasm to enhance the delivery of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. This study presents a VLab developed using ADDIE model design criteria that allows users to perform VLab in engineering education. Users were able to carry out experiments individually or collectively, creating an effective, flexible learning environment for students. This was integrated smoothly into the Campus Moodle platform learning environment. The VLab design and implementation details are explained and validated through Alpha and Beta acceptance testing. A mixed-methods research design was used to collect and analyse the data. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from 144 students, and 17 of them were interviewed to collect qualitative data. The findings revealed that the VLab is a collaborative, effective and interactive learning environment, which develops graduates' knowledge, soft skills and digital skills, while also improving their competencies relevant to the enhancement of digital skills at their workplace. As a result, lecturers are recommended to use VLab to enhance the quality of teaching and advance the learning experiences of their students

A gentle transition from Java programming to Web Services using XML-RPC

Exposing students to leading edge vocational areas of relevance such as Web Services can be difficult. We show a lightweight approach by embedding a key component of Web Services within a Level 3 BSc module in Distributed Computing. We present a ready to use collection of lecture slides and student activities based on XML-RPC. In addition we show that this material addresses the central topics in the context of web services as identified by Draganova (2003)