Integrated technologies instructional method to enhance bilingual undergraduate engineering students

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonMathematics permeates almost every aspect of human life and it is a skill much needed by the increasingly complex technological world. It is necessary that this essential skill must be properly developed among students to prepare them for future academic and professional careers. An assessment of the research-based instructional strategies blending with old traditional methods with the modern technological development is a must. Due to the complexity of mathematics learning and the varied learning styles of learners, an integration of appropriate multiple instructional strategies into mathematics education will positively impact mathematical achievement of students. The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of the use of Integrated Technologies Instructional Method (ITIM) as a supplement to the traditional lecture method on mathematics achievement of the Integral Calculus students at the College of Engineering, University of Ha'il, Saudi Arabia. The ITIM includes the four instructional strategies such as the use of the Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, the collaborative learning, the bilingual support and the study support. Different types of academic supports have been used to examine their effects on students achievement in mathematics. Mathematics, the bedrock of science and engineering, is considered a very important indicator of a student's academic success in professional higher education. Undergraduate engineering students' low achievement in the first year mathematics is an issue demands much attention. The study was undertaken to address students' weak background in mathematics and particularly their high failure rates in this particular course. A total of 218 undergraduate engineering students, comprising of both the experimental and the control groups, were involved in this experimental design study. The control group was taught by the traditional lecture method whereas the experimental group was exposed to the ITIM as a supplement to the traditional lecture method. Apart from the effects of the use of ITIM, students' performance in the previous courses (covariates) such as mathematics, computer, and the English language were compared with their final grades of the Integral Calculus course. The final grades of students were taken as the dependent variable and the ITIM and students' scores in the previous courses as the independent variables. It has been noticed from the literature review that the application of only one instructional strategy does not address the needs of the diverse learning styles of students. A mixed mode method, quantitative and qualitative, was used to collect and analyse data. The quantitative data instruments included students' final exam grades and the student questionnaires. Interviews with students were used as qualitative tools of data collection. An independent t-test, ANOVA, univariate analysis and the stepwise multiple regression analysis were performed to determine the overall statistical significance. The study concluded that there was a statistically significant difference in the performance of the experimental group of students' in terms of their end-of-course grades compared to that of the control group. The regression model revealed significance of covariates on the dependent variable. However, no significant relationship was found between the mathematics achievement and attitudes towards the use of ITIM. The study was an attempt to demonstrate the suitability of the instructional strategies on the bilingual Arab undergraduate engineering students; however, they can probably be applicable to other bilingual students

Enhancing Learning in Engineering Mathematics Education: Utilising Educational Technology and Promoting Active Learning

This study contributes to the discussion of development of engineering mathematics education from two different perspectives: to explore the possibilities to enhance engineering mathematics teaching and learning with the help of educational technology, and to promote active learning of students. From these two perspectives, it has been explored, for example, how engineering students experience the usage of selected educational technology and does utilisation of educational technology affect students’ activity or learning. The investigations have concentrated on developing a feasible framework for mathematics teaching and learning in Bachelor’s level engineering education. From the theoretical perspective, this dissertation discusses instruments to promote students’ active learning as a part of the framework.The research has been conducted between 2011-2017 with four empirical studies at Tampere University of Applied Sciences. The adopted research approach is design-based research that has included several iterative cycles for developing the framework for mathematics teaching and learning. This process has included twentyfive university of applied sciences level engineering mathematics course implementations. Short educational video lectures and computer-aided assessment were the main educational technologies that were implemented during the research process.As an outcome of the research, the guidelines for utilising selected educational technology and activating students in similar educational setting are given. These guidelines provide knowledge for developing instructional design and learning resources especially at UAS-level engineering mathematics context. The findings indicated that engineering students experience short educational video lectures and computer-aided assessment as meaningful and feasible for mathematics learning.Students used short educational videos for different learning purposes and pointed out such benefits as repeatability and having more time in peace to learn and understand the current task at hand. When non-compulsory automatically assessed online exercises were provided, high completion rate were detected among study groups.Utilising short educational videos and computer-aided assessment provides instant feedback to students about their learning process. The findings indicated that such resources have a potential to motivate, activate and promote self-regulated learning. However, the most of the students were studying nearby the deadlines. Hence, proper and distinct assignment deadlines guide students’ learning activity and are more likely to activate them.Overall, the focus of this dissertation has been on the utilisation of potential of digitalisation and the promotion of active learning. At the center of the prevailing digitalisation hype, these both goals play a central role in higher education. Thus, the dissertation discusses topics covered in many higher education institutions nationally and internationally.Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on tuoda näkökulmia insinöörikoulutuksen matematiikan opetuksen kehittämiseen. Tutkimusprosessin aikana on tarkasteltu erityisesti kahta toisiinsa liittyvää näkökulmaa: mahdollisuuksia kehittää insinöörimatematiikan opettamista ja oppimista opetusteknologian avulla ja edistää opiskelijoiden aktiivista oppimista. Näihin näkökulmiin liittyen tutkimus tarkastelee esimerkiksi, miten insinööriopiskelijat kokevat opetusteknologian käytön, ja vaikuttaako se opiskelijoiden aktiivisuuteen tai oppimiseen. Tutkimuksen käytännön opetustyöhön liittyvänä tuloksena syntyy toteutuskelpoinen toimintamalli AMKtasoisen insinöörimatematiikan opetuksen järjestämiseksi. Työn teoreettinen kontribuutio koskee aktiivista oppimista tukevien elementtien sisällyttämistä toimintamalliin.Tutkimus on toteutettu vuosina 2011-2017 Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulussa neljänä empiirisenä tutkimuksena. Lähestymistapana on käytetty design-tutkimusta, joka on pitänyt sisällään useita iteratiivisia syklejä toimivan toimintamallin löytämiseksi. Tutkimusprosessiin on sisältynyt 25 AMK-tasoista insinöörimatematiikan opintojaksototeutusta. Opetusteknologiat, joita tutkimuksessa pääosin hyödynnettiin, olivat lyhyet pedagogisesti käyttökelpoisiksi suunnitellut opetusvideot ja tietokoneavusteinen arviointi.Neljän osatutkimuksen tulosten perusteella tutkimus on tuottanut ohjeita opetusteknologian hyödyntämisestä, opetuksen järjestämisestä ja opiskelijoiden aktivoimisesta samankaltaisessa matematiikan oppimisen kontekstissa. Tutkimuksen tulokset indikoivat, että opiskelijat kokivat lyhyet opetusvideot ja tietokoneavusteisen arvioinnin käyttökelpoisina ja mielekkäinä menetelminä. Opiskelijat käyttivät lyhyitä opetusvideoita erilaisissa oppimistilanteissa. Hyödyiksi koettiin mm. videoiden toistettavuus ja se, että omaan tahtiin videoita katsomalla oli enemmän aikaa ymmärtää ja oppia opetettuja asioita. Opiskelijat suorittivat myös ei-pakollisia automaattisesti arvioituja matematiikan verkkotehtäviä huomattavasti aktiivisemmin kuin mitä odotettiin.Lyhyet opetusvideot ja automaattisesti arvioitavat matematiikan tehtävät tarjoavat opiskelijalle välitöntä palautetta oppimisprosessista. Tulokset indikoivatkin, että työssä hyödynnetyn opetusteknologian käyttäminen voi motivoida, aktivoida ja edistää oppimisen itsesäätelyä. Tutkimustulosten valossa kuitenkin oppimistehtävien palautusten määräajat ohjaavat opiskelijan aktiivisuutta, sillä opiskelijat opiskelevat lähellä tehtävien palautusten määräaikoja.Kaiken kaikkiaan tämän väitöskirjan fokus on ollut hyödyntää digitalisaation tarjoamaa potentiaalia mutta myös edistää aktiivista oppimista. Keskellä vallallaan olevaa digitalisaation hypeä, molemmilla näistä on keskeinen rooli korkeakoulutuksessa. Tämän vuoksi tämä väitöskirja pureutuu aihepiireihin, jotka ovat esillä monissa korkeakouluissa niin kansallisesti kuin kansainvälisestikin

Exploring mathematical activities and dialogue within a pre-service teachers’ calculus module: a case study.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Local and international research findings have shown that high school learners, university students, as well as some of the practicing educators, struggle with calculus. The large numbers of unqualified or under-qualified mathematics educators are a major contributing factor to this problem. Many researchers agree on the fact that profound subject content knowledge is one of the contributing factors to effective teaching. Thus, this study seeks to explore what is counted as mathematics teaching and learning, what is counted as mathematics, as well as the nature of dialogue in a calculus lecture room. The Mathematics for Teaching framework and the Cognitive Processes framework informed this study, in order to explore what was counted as mathematics teaching and learning in the calculus lecture room. The Mathematical Activities framework and the Legitimising Appeals framework informed this study, in order to explore what was counted as mathematics in the calculus lecture room. The Inquiry Co-operation Model also informed this study, in order to explore the nature of dialogue within the calculus lecture room. The findings of this study showed that there are various mathematical activities that develop the students’ higher order thinking which is required for problem solving. These activities include mathematical activities that promote conjecturing, proving, investigations, the use of multiple representations, the use of symbols, the use of multiple techniques, as well as activities that promote procedural knowledge through conceptual understanding. These activities also keep the students’ cognitive demand at a high level. The findings of this study also showed that the types of questions that are asked by the lecturers have a positive impact on the development of the students’ high order thinking, as well as in terms of keeping the students’ cognitive demand at high levels. The study has also shown that the lecturers exhibited a variety of mathematics for teaching skills and this is done both explicitly and implicitly. It has also been revealed that introducing the rules of anti-differentiation as the reverse of differentiation is an alternative way to introducing the concepts of integral calculus. Based on these findings, it was recommended that students who enrol for the calculus module with low marks in mathematics, ought to use the derivative concept and the rules of differentiation as a foundation to build on the rules of anti-differentiation

A Twenty-Year Look at “Computational Geology,” an Evolving, In-Discipline Course in Quantitative Literacy at the University of South Florida

Since 1996, the Geology (GLY) program at the USF has offered “Computational Geology” as part of its commitment to prepare undergraduate majors for the quantitative aspects of their field. The course focuses on geological-mathematical problem solving. Over its twenty years, the course has evolved from a GATC (geometry-algebra-trigonometry-calculus) in-discipline capstone to a quantitative literacy (QL) course taught within a natural science major. With the formation of the new School of Geosciences in 2013, the merging departments re-examined their various curricular programs. An online survey of the Geology Alumni Society found that “express quantitative evidence in support of an argument” was more favorably viewed as a workplace skill (4th out of 69) than algebra (51st), trig (55th) and calculus 1 and 2 (59th and 60th). In that context, we decided to find out from successful alumni, “What did you get out of Computational Geology?” To that end, the first author carried out a formal, qualitative research study (narrative inquiry protocol), whereby he conducted, recorded, and transcribed semi-structured interviews of ten alumni selected from a list of 20 provided by the second author. In response to “Tell me what you remember from the course,” multiple alumni volunteered nine items: Excel (10 out of 10), Excel modules (8), Polya problem solving (5), “important” (4), unit conversions (4), back-of-the-envelope calculations (4), gender equality (3). In response to “Is there anything from the course that you used professionally or personally since graduating?” multiple alumni volunteered seven items: Excel (9 out of 10), QL/thinking (6), unit conversions (5), statistics (5), Excel modules (3), their notes (2). Outcome analysis from the open-ended comments arising from structured questions led to the identification of alumni takeaways in terms of elements of three values: (1) understanding and knowledge (facts such as conversion factors, and concepts such as proportions and log scales); (2) abilities and skills (communication, Excel, unit conversions); and (3) traits and dispositions (problem solving, confidence, and QL itself). The overriding conclusion of this case study is that QL education can have a place in geoscience education where the so-called context of the QL is interesting because it is in the students’ home major, and that such a course can be tailored to any level of program prerequisites

Learning Opportunities 2011/2012

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are in concert with those maintained by the State of Illinois with additional requirements as established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of 5 academic courses (2.5 credits) for a grade (not Pass/Fail). Fine Arts, Wellness, and Independent Study courses, or any course taken on a Pass/Fail basis do not count towards the 5 course (2.5 credits) minimum. Most students will take between 5 (2.5 credits) and 7 (3.5 credits) academic courses per semester. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count towards graduation credit. Students who take more than 5 courses may choose to take all courses for a grade. It is recommended that students who are approved to take 7 academic courses declare one elective Pass/Fail

Strategies for teaching engineering mathematics

This thesis is an account of experiments into the teaching of mathematics to engineering undergraduates which have been conducted over twenty years against a background of changing intake ability, varying output requirements and increasing restrictions on the formal contact time available. The aim has been to improve the efficiency of the teaching-learning process. The main areas of experimentation have been the integration in the syllabus of numerical and analytical methods, the incorporation of case studies into the curriculum and the use of micro-based software to enhance the teaching process. Special attention is paid to courses in Mathematical Engineering and their position in the spectrum of engineering disciplines. A core curriculum in mathematics for undergraduate engineers is proposed and details are provided of its implementation. The roles of case studies and micro-based software are highlighted. The provision of a mathematics learning resource centre is considered a necessary feature of the implementation of the proposed course. Finally, suggestions for further research are made

Learning Opportunities 2009/2010

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are in concert with those maintained by the State of Illinois with additional requirements as established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of 2.5 credits and a maximum of 3.5 credits. One-semester classes generally receive .5 credits and two semester classes (e.g., World Languages) generally receive 1.0 credit. Most students will take between 5 and 7 academic classes per semester. Fine Arts, Wellness, and Independent Study courses do not count towards the 2.5 credit minimum. However, if a student wishes to take 3.5 credits of academic classes, he/she may choose to enroll in a Fine Arts or Independent Study course on a Pass/Fail basis (see below)

Learning Opportunities 2010/2011

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are in concert with those maintained by the State of Illinois with additional requirements as established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of 2.5 credits and a maximum of 3.5 credits. One-semester classes generally receive .5 credits and two semester classes (e.g., World Languages) generally receive 1.0 credit. Most students will take between 5 and 7 academic classes per semester. Fine Arts, Wellness, and Independent Study courses do not count towards the 2.5 credit minimum. However, if a student wishes to take 3.5 credits of academic classes, he/she may choose to enroll in a Fine Arts or Independent Study course on a Pass/Fail basis (see below)

THE IMPACT OF EMBEDDED MULTIMEDIA VIDEO LEARNING OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PRACTICE ON CONSTRUCTION STUDENTS

Building construction practice involves the process of producing buildings. Over the years, students have reported difficulties grasping the concept because it goes beyond theory. The visual aspect of the course makes the understanding and practice of the course worthwhile for construction students. As the saying goes, seeing is believing. Various instructional designs such as frequent site visits, construction clip arts, workshop practice have been instituted to ease the burden of understanding the course. In this vein, the study aims to assess the impact of embedded multimedia video learning of building construction practice on construction students. The study is a quantitative one through the use of questionnaires. A random sampling design was used for the study. The respondents were building technology students from year two to year five offering the course in a Private tertiary institution in Nigeria. The result revealed that the use of embedded multimedia video learning of building construction practice increased the memory of the course and encouraged class discussion. The study revealed that the use of a maximum 10 minutes instructional video on specific building construction topics were most effective. The major challenge identified in the use of video learning was the frequent power outage making it difficult either to use or complete its use. In conclusion, the use of embedded multimedia video learning should be encouraged at all levels. It was recommended that smart boards multimedia connected to alternative power sources be made available for all building construction practice classes, although this requires sufficient funding. Also, video cameras should be mounted on local construction sites to capture valuable construction activities and made available for academic purposes