75 research outputs found
Evaluating engagement with graduate outcomes across higher education institutions in Aotearoa/New Zealand
Reciprocal elucidation: a student-led pedagogy in multidisciplinary undergraduate research conferences
© 2016 HERDSA. There is no previous study of the benefits of attending a national multidisciplinary conference dedicated to undergraduate researchers, despite the growing number of such conferences internationally. This paper addresses the gap in knowledge of the learning gains from these conferences, and reveals a student driven learning process, a multidisciplinary signature pedagogy. It presents the results of 90 in-depth interviews with student conference participants conducted over three consecutive years of a multidisciplinary National Conference of Undergraduate Research (2012â2014). This paper uniquely captures the student voice on their perceived learning gains from this experience. The results reveal that some students co-create a pedagogy of Foucauldian reciprocal elucidation, through a sense of âunfinishednessâ, allowing them to reflect on their own learning in the light of divergent perspectives, questions and frames of reference. Bidirectional exchange of ideas and insights enabled students to ask and answer questions that transformed each otherâs thinking, allowing them to arrive at understandings they could not have achieved by themselves. The opportunity to present research in an authentic setting beyond disciplinary and institutional contexts developed studentsâ skills and confidence, giving additional value over and above the recognised benefits of engaging in research. The undergraduate research conference is framed as a threshold experience for the development of self-authorship. Significant implications for practice include supporting constructive dialogues between students and the creation of authentic and professional multidisciplinary contexts for sharing research
Are tutor behaviors in problem-based learning stable? A generalizability study of social congruence, expertise and cognitive congruence
The purpose of this study was to investigate the stability of three distinct tutor behaviors (1) use of subject-matter expertise, (2) social congruence and (3) cognitive congruence, in a problem-based learning (PBL) environment. The data comprised the input from 16,047 different students to a survey of 762 tutors administered in three consecutive semesters. Over the three semesters each tutor taught two of the same course and one different course. A generalizability study was conducted to determine whether the tutor behaviors were generalizable across the three measurement occasions. The results indicate that three semesters are sufficient to make generalizations about all three tutor behaviors. In addition the results show that individual differences between tutors account for the greatest differences in levels of expertise, social congruence and cognitive congruence. The study concludes that tutor behaviors are fairly consistent in PBL and somewhat impervious to change. Implications of these findings for tutor training are discussed
Bioclimatic Architecture and Urban Morphology. Studies on Intermediate Urban Open Spaces
This paper deals with the interactions between biophysical and microclimatic factors
on the one hand with, on the other, the urban morphology of intermediate urban open spaces,
the relationship between environmental and bioclimatic thermal comfort, and the implementation of
innovative materials and the use of greenery, aimed at the usersâ well-being. In particular, the thermal
comfort of the open spaces of the consolidated fabrics of the city of Rome is studied, by carrying
out simulations of cooling strategies relating to two scenarios applied to Piazza Bainsizza. The first
scenario involves the use of cool materials for roofs, cladding surfaces, and pavement, while the
second scenario, in addition to the cool materials employed in the first scenario, also includes the use
of greenery and permeable green surfaces. The research was performed using summer and winter
microclimatic simulations of the CFD (ENVI-met v. 3.1) type, in order to determine the dierent
influences of the materials with cold colors, trees, and vegetated surfaces on the thermal comfort
of the urban morphology itself. Meanwhile, the comfort assessment was determined through the
physiological equivalent temperature (PET) calculated with the RayMan program. The first scenario,
with the use of cool materials, improves summer conditions and reduces the urban heat island
eect but does not eliminate thermal discomfort due to the lack of shaded surfaces and vegetation.
The second scenario, where material renovations is matched with vegetation improvements, has a
slightly bad eect on winter conditions but drastically ameliorates the summer situation, both for
direct users and, thanks to the strong reduction of the urban heat island eect, to urban inhabitants as
a whole
Modelling the potential of green and blue infrastructure to reduce urban heat load in the city of Vienna
A review of the benefits and drawbacks to virtual field guides in todayâs Geoscience higher education environment
Virtual Field Guides are a way for educators to tackle the growing issue of funding pressures in areas of higher education, such as geography. Virtual Field Guides are however underutilised and can offer students a different way of learning. Virtual Field Guides have many benefits to students, such as being more inclusive, building student skills and confidence in a controlled environment pre fieldtrip and can increase engagement in the topic studied. There are also benefits to the educator, such as reduced cost, more efficient students on fieldwork tasks and the ability to tailor and update their field guides to suit their needs. However there are drawbacks in the challenge of creation and their outcome as educational standalone tools. This paper reviews the literature around the benefits and draw backs to the creation and incorporation of virtual field guides in geoscience education. © 2017, The Author(s)
Improving the assessment of transferable skills in chemistry through evaluation of current practice
The development and assessment of transferable skills acquired by students, such as communication and teamwork, within undergraduate degrees is being increas-ingly emphasised. Many instructors have designed and implemented assessment tasks with the aim to provide students with opportunities to acquire and demon-strate these skills. We have now applied our previously published tool to evaluate whether assessment tasks allow students to demonstrate achievement of these transferable skills. The tool allows detailed evaluation of the alignment of any as-sessment item against the claimed set of learning outcomes. We present here two examples in which use of the tool provides evidence for the level of achievement of transferable skills and a further example of use of the tool to inform curricu-lum design and pedagogy, with the goal of increasing achievement of communi-cation and teamwork bench marks. Implications for practice in assessment design for learning are presented
Science teachersâ experiences of inquiry-based learning through a serious game:a phenomenographic perspective
This study employed a phenomenographic approach to investigate science teachersâ conceptions of inquiry-based learning through a serious game. Simaula is a prototype game designed and used as a virtual practicum for eliciting understandings on how in-game inquiry was appeared to, or experienced by, the participating teachers. Group interviews with 20 secondary education science teachers revealed four qualitatively different ways of experiencing inquiry-based learning through Simaula: (a) as uncovering insights about studentâs learning needs, interests and emotions; (b) as generating ideas and concepts for meaningful inquiry; (c) as a set of operations for designing and carrying out scientific research; and (d) as authentic inquiry for enabling knowledge building processes. Seven dimensions of variation have been identified viewed as contextual influences on conceptions of in-game inquiry constituting discernment of: epistemic inquiry-based learning modes; role of teacher; role of student; game-play focus; core mechanics focus; feedback and progress mechanics and game uncertainty. The results illuminated a partial in-game inquiry approach with distinct epistemic modes from developing empathy and meaning making to knowledge construction and knowledge building. The findings also indicated that game design elements played central role in shaping conceptions of in-game inquiry from focusing on rules and logic as means to completing the gameâs level to understanding the complexity of core mechanics for developing and transferring in-game inquiry to the real classroom. This insinuates that distinct game design properties may be considered in terms of extending intrinsic in-game inquiry experiences to actual in-class inquiry practice
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