Using Cognitive Apprenticeship to Enculturate New Students into a Qualitative Research

Acquiring and mastering research skills is essential for doctoral students preparing for a future in academia or research-focused positions. However, they are among the most difficult to teach, and significant practice and enculturation is necessary to attain proficiency. The subjective nature of qualitative analysis often leads students to doubt their own abilities. This paper describes how cognitive apprenticeship was paired with Lincoln and Guba’s Constant Comparative Method for Naturalistic Inquiry, using a hands-on, physical card sort approach to mentor a novice qualitative researcher. Steps followed are discussed in detail, and voices of both the mentor and mentee are shared

Integrating Liberal Education Perspectives in a Transdisciplinary Design Studio

Short Abstract: In this presentation, we describe the evolution of our approach to integrating liberal education perspectives within an innovative transdisciplinary learning program. Our experiences are used to illustrate challenges in systematically incorporating liberal education perspectives, including instructional and student barriers to viewing the world from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Full Abstract: The increasing complexity of design outcomes requires students to develop deep competence in communication and interpersonal skills, including an understanding of how technology is intertwined with societal and human needs. Locating and synthesizing information is crucial to solving interesting and worthwhile problems, but may not be obvious from a solely technical or solely humanities perspective. However, there is relatively little guidance as to how liberal education perspectives might be systematically integrated. In this presentation, we describe the evolution of our approach to integrating liberal education perspectives within an innovative transdisciplinary learning program located at the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. This evolution has included a merger of existing courses, a dual-strand seminar and studio learning experience, and most recently, an integrated studio experience that encapsulates a multiplicity of disciplinary perspectives from liberal education and technology. Our program design experiences are used to illustrate the challenges in systematically incorporating liberal education perspectives in a transdisciplinary learning environment, and the instructional and student barriers to viewing the world through multiple lenses from a variety of disciplinary perspectives

The educational experiences of software designers working in education/instructional technology related fields

As custom-built educational software becomes ever more complex, there is an increasing need for software design skills (including software architecture, business and technical requirements gathering, high- and low-level design, and programming) to produce high-quality software. However, it is unclear whether there is a typical educational path for computing professionals working on this area, or to what degree these software designers feel that domain-specific knowledge is required in order to succeed in this area. This three-phase mixed-methods study explores the formal (university) and non-formal (including work-sponsored, self-taught, and informal) educational experiences of software designers currently working in this field. Gaps between what is needed on the job and what is taught in school are highlighted, and participants' recommendations for improving educational programs to prepare students for entering this field are summarized. Implications for researchers, educators, and hiring managers are discussed. Findings indicate that software design professionals come from variety of backgrounds, which include multiple formal educational paths and a wide variety of life experiences. Computing fields (such as Computer Science) and Instructional Design are two common starting points for professionals in this field. Regardless of formal educational background software designers typically play a number of roles over time, both within and outside of educational software development. Participants indicate that critical thinking, communication skills, and the ability to learn on one's own are among the most important competencies needed on the job, and that these should be taught alongside Computing and/or Instructional Design foundations. Recommendations for educational programs focus on developing those skills through real-world experiences such as team projects

Managerial and Professional Skills and Dispositions from Professionals’ Interviews

Employability should be a primary objective for computing programs, as the majority of IT and other computing graduates go to work in industry upon graduation. Furthermore, students want to be prepared for a career, not just an entry-level job. However, literature has shown a gap between employers’ needs and undergraduates’ preparation in non-technical areas. Competencies (skills, knowledge, and dispositions) can be a common language used by both employers and educators. The more we learn about competencies employers expect, the more we can ensure programs match their expectations. This study focuses on competencies required by managers, by interviewing ten directors/managers, project managers, and product managers who had prior experience in computing-related roles. Each was asked to discuss competencies most important to their current position. Emerging themes identified the most important managerial skills (project management, evaluation of candidates, mentorship, managers’ own technical skills and knowledge, adjusting management style as needed, and appropriately assigning team members), professional skills (communication, problem solving, and relationship building), and dispositions (lifelong learning; adaptability/flexibility; being self-driven; self-awareness; being helpful, positive and pleasant; valuing communication and collaboration; having passion for technical work; and perseverance). Implications for education are discussed. This study is part of a larger NSF-funded project related to investigating the competencies required by computing professionals, and the design of educational resources to promote the development of these competencies

Innovations in Instructional Design and Technology Programs: A View from PIDT 2018

During the 2018 Professors in Instructional Design (PIDT) Conference, faculty representing over a dozen institutions met to discuss curricular initiatives that were being implemented across programs, and the challenges and benefits of these initiatives. The discussion focused on several areas, including: interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary programs and courses, online programs, and undergraduate initiatives. The outcome of these conversations led faculty to gather information from across these institutions to highlight and share ways that their respective programs have promoted the field through innovative partnerships, projects, and programs within the broader community. It is anticipated that this summary will serve as a catalyst for other programs to propose and share their own innovative program plans and encourage individuals to attend future PIDT conferences

Flipping STEM

This chapter contains case studies from stem content areas. Case studies in this chapter focus on the concept of discovery learning, incorporate constructivist principles, but also constructionist theories. Several cases reference the tradition of apprenticeship and research that shows the value of project work as a means to highlight the iterative nature of design, while maximizing in-class time with active learning through collaborative activities and personalized instruction. Each case study opens with the instructional context and a rationale for flipping the classroom. The case-study authors also describe the structure of the course, as well as descriptions about how they prepared their students for flipping, and an evaluation of the flipping experience from both the instructor and student perspectives