A forensic investigation : 15 years of team-teaching in an interdisciplinary science course

Comprend des références bibliographique

Visual literacy skills of students in college-level biology: learning outcomes following digital or hand-drawing activities

This study examines the role of visual literacy in learning biology. Biology teachers promote the use of digital images as a learning tool for two reasons: because biology is the most visual of the sciences, and the use of imagery is becoming increasingly important with the advent of bioinformatics; and because studies indicate that this current generation of teenagers have a cognitive structure that is formed through exposure to digital media. On the other hand, there is concern that students are not being exposed enough to the traditional methods of processing biological information - thought to encourage left-brain sequential thinking patterns. Theories of Embodied Cognition point to the importance of hand-drawing for proper assimilation of knowledge, and theories of Multiple Intelligences suggest that some students may learn more easily using traditional pedagogical tools. To test the claim that digital learning tools enhance the acquisition of visual literacy in this generation of biology students, a learning intervention was carried out with 33 students enrolled in an introductory college biology course. The study compared learning outcomes following two types of learning tools. One learning tool was a traditional drawing activity, and the other was an interactive digital activity carried out on a computer. The sample was divided into two random groups, and a crossover design was implemented with two separate interventions. In the first intervention students learned how to draw and label a cell. Group 1 learned the material by computer and Group 2 learned the material by hand-drawing. In the second intervention, students learned how to draw the phases of mitosis, and the two groups were inverted. After each learning activity, students were given a quiz on the material they had learned. Students were also asked to self-evaluate their performance on each quiz, in an attempt to measure their level of metacognition. At the end of the study, they were asked to fill out a questionnaire that was used to measure the level of task engagement the students felt towards the two types of learning activities. In this study, following the first testing phase, the students who learned the material by drawing had a significantly higher average grade on the associated quiz compared to that of those who learned the material by computer. The difference was lost with the second “cross-over” trial. There was no correlation for either group between the grade the students thought they had earned through self-evaluation, and the grade that they received. In terms of different measures of task engagement, there were no significant differences between the two groups. One finding from the study showed a positive correlation between grade and self-reported time spent playing video games, and a negative correlation between grade and self-reported interest in drawing. This study provides little evidence to support claims that the use of digital tools enhances learning, but does provide evidence to support claims that drawing by hand is beneficial for learning biological images. However, the small sample size, limited number and type of learning tasks, and the indirect means of measuring levels of metacognition and task engagement restrict generalisation of these conclusions. Nevertheless, this study indicates that teachers should not use digital learning tools to the exclusion of traditional drawing activities: further studies on the effectiveness of these tools are warranted. Students in this study commented that the computer tool seemed more accurate and detailed - even though the two learning tools carried identical information. Thus there was a mismatch between the perception of the usefulness of computers as a learning tool and the reality, which again points to the need for an objective assessment of their usefulness. Students should be given the opportunity to try out a variety of traditional and digital learning tools in order to address their different learning preferences

Compétences en littératie visuelle chez les étudiantEs en biologie au niveau collégial: bilan des apprentissages selon des activités digitales ou des activités de dessins à la main

This study examines the role of visual literacy in learning biology. Biology teachers promote the use of digital images as a learning tool for two reasons: because biology is the most visual of the sciences, and the use of imagery is becoming increasingly important with the advent of bioinformatics; and because studies indicate that this current generation of teenagers have a cognitive structure that is formed through exposure to digital media. On the other hand, there is concern that students are not being exposed enough to the traditional methods of processing biological information - thought to encourage left-brain sequential thinking patterns. Theories of Embodied Cognition point to the importance of hand-drawing for proper assimilation of knowledge, and theories of Multiple Intelligences suggest that some students may learn more easily using traditional pedagogical tools. To test the claim that digital learning tools enhance the acquisition of visual literacy in this generation of biology sudents, a learning intervention was carried out with 33 students enrolled in an introductory college biology course. In this study, following the first testing phase, the students who learned the material by drawing had a significantly higher average grade on the associated quiz compared to that of those who learned the material by computer. This study provides little evidence to support claims that the use of digital tool enhances learning, but does provide evidence to support claims that drawing by hand is beneficial for learning biological images.||Résumé: Cette étude porte sur le rôle de la littératie visuelle dans l'apprentissage de la biologie. Les enseignantEs de biologie font la promotion de l'utilisation d'illustrations digitales dans leurs stratégies d'enseignements pour deux raisons : premièrement parce que la biologie est une des sciences parmi les plus visuelles, et l'imagerie numérique devient de plus en plus importante avec le développement de la bioinformatique; aussi des études démontrent que la génération actuelle d'adolescentEs utilisatrice de cette technologie depuis leur plus jeune âge possèderait un schéma de développement cognitif particulier, propre à cette exposition. Par contre, certains sont préoccupés par le fait que les étudiantEs ne sont plus mis autant en situation d'apprentissage des informations propres à la biologie là où les efforts à fournir stimulent davantage l'hémisphère gauche du cerveau, siège de la pensée cognitive, du raisonnement logique et séquentiel. La théorie de la cognition incarnée (ou de l'énaction) insiste sur l'importance du dessin à la main dans l'assimilation de connaissances, et la théorie des intelligences multiples suggère que certaines personnes apprennent mieux avec les outils pédagogiques traditionnels. Dans le but de mettre à l'épreuve l'affirmation que les outils d'apprentissage numériques augmentent la capacité d'assimilation, ou d'intégration de l'information de la connaissance des sciences biologiques chez les étudiantEs de la génération actuelle, une expérience a été entreprise auprès de trente-trois étudiantEs inscritEs au cours d'introduction à la biologie au niveau collégial. L'étude démontre que les étudiantEs du groupe ayant utilisé la technique du dessin à la main lors de la première expérience (ou rencontre) avaient significativement de meilleures notes test en comparaison avec les étudiants du groupe qui avaient commencé l'expérience en utilisant le matériel d'apprentissage par l'ordinateur. Cette étude ne vient donc pas soutenir l'argumentation que l'utilisation d'outils d'apprentissage numériques favorise les apprentissages; cependant, elle montre que le dessin fait à la main par l'étudiant aide à l'assimilation des informations des illustrations

Reviewing the Impact of the National Strategies Design and Technology Framework for Key Stage Three: A small-­‐scale evaluation of the Design and Technology Framework in England

Since the beginning of Design and Technology (D&T) in the English secondary school curriculum, the teaching of design has been identified as less effective than that of making. Research Questions: What are the experiences of pupils between the ages of 12 and 14 of design learning? Purpose of Study: In 2004 as part of the National Strategies, the D&T framework was launched, aiming to support the teaching of design skills. This is a small-­‐scale study, which begins to explore the experiences of pupils and teachers in four schools in the Northwest of England. Research Methods: The study used a mixed methods approach, gathering quantitative and qualitative data in a questionnaire with a convenience sample of school pupils. The questionnaire responses are analysed alongside qualitative interviews with D&T teachers from the schools. Findings: The findings indicate that many pupils had a clear understanding of the role of designing. However, some common assumptions of the nature of design activity centering on the act of sketching or drawing were evident. The majority of pupils were unable to accurately identify the names of many of the design activities introduced as part of the framework. Conclusions: Whilst some progress has been made in the teaching of design, through the use of design activities introduced in the D&T Framework, the support experienced by teachers was limited and were not sustained beyond the initial training. There are implications for initial teacher educators in supporting beginning teachers and balancing the tensions trainees experience whilst on placements in school. Key Words: Design, designing, pedagogy, teacher educatio

Visual literacy skills of students in college-level biology : learning outcomes following digital or hand-drawing activites /

Essai présenté à la Faculté d'éducation en vue de l'obtention du grade de Maître en éducation (M.Éd) Maîtrise en enseignement au collégialM.Éd. Université de Sherbrooke 2012Bibliographie : pages 103-10

Identifying excellent coaching practice along the sporting pathway

First paragraph: Recognising that coaches operate within different contexts and with different participant populations is important in determining how coaches work with participants. Identifying examples of excellent coaching practice for each of these populations is a critical step towards enhancing a quality participant pathway and coaching system. The purpose of the project was to identify excellent coaching practice along the participant pathway and identify areas for future research and/or education

Legal frameworks for unique ecosystems – how can the EPBC Act offsets policy address the impact of development on seagrass?

Environmental or biodiversity offset policies allow for impacts occurring at one site to be offset through activities at another site. The federal government has recently released a policy for offsetting the impacts of activities approved under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act). The EPBC Act policy can be used to offset impacts on terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and one of the first applications of the policy has been to offset impacts on seagrass meadows at risk due to the Abbot Point coal terminal expansion. The significant ecological differences between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, such as seagrass meadows, require different management approaches to ensure that impacts are offset. This article analyses the EPBC Act policy to determine whether it adequately caters for offsetting impacts on marine ecosystems, with seagrass used as an example. It concludes with recommendations for policy change directed at ensuring that the unique characteristics of seagrass ecosystems are considered in offset policies

Rolling covenants to protect coastal ecosystems in the face of sea-level rise

This article considers how “rolling covenants” (i.e., covenants on land title that can operate in a “rolling” geographic area to keep pace with sea-level rise) can be used to permit productive use of land in the short term, while ensuring land use can shift over time to allow for coastal ecosystem migration in the medium to long term. We use Australia as a case study, and through analysis of legislation and a series of semistructured interviews, we demonstrate how land title-based covenants can be used to give legal effect to “rolling covenant” arrangements where land is subject to existing use and occupation. We then consider practical issues associated with drafting a rolling covenant arrangement, including an analysis of the types of events or scenarios that could be used as a basis for land use changing (e.g., projected sea-level rise, actual ecosystem migration), and the advantages and disadvantages of each. We conclude that rolling covenants are a viable option for land management in the coastal zone, especially in circumstances where funding sources are available to incentivize uptake. Rolling covenants may provide opportunities for coastal wetlands to be maintained and even enhanced in cover, thereby delivering important ecosystem services (e.g., blue carbon) into the future

Light-induced states in attosecond transient absorption spectra of laser-dressed helium

Laser-dressed absorption in atomic helium is studied, both theoretically and experimentally, by transient absorption spectroscopy using isolated 400-as pulses centered at 22 eV and 12-fs near-infrared (NIR) pulses with 780-nm central wavelength. Multiple features in the helium singly excited bound-state spectrum are observed only when the NIR and attosecond pulses are overlapped in time. Theoretical analysis indicates that these light-induced structures (LISs) are the intermediate states in resonant, second-order processes that transfer population to multiple dipole forbidden states. The use of broadband, coherent extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation allows observation of these LISs without specifically tuning to a two-photon resonance, as would be required with narrowband XUV light. The strength and position of the LISs depend strongly on the NIR intensity and the pump-probe delay. © 2012 American Physical Society