Developing and assessing pre- and in-service science and engineering teachers’ systems thinking and modeling skills through an asynchronous online course

Systems thinking and modeling are two critical 21st-century skills that teachers and educators are expected to impart to students, and students are expected to acquire and master them as part of their preparation to become literate citizens of a society and environment that is becoming ever more complex. Systems thinking is a thought process in which assumptions about interactions among interconnected elements of a system or a phenomenon can help predict the system’s behavior, outcomes, and in the case of human-made artifacts, the value to its beneficiaries. Conceptual modeling involves the simultaneous visual and textual representation of one’s ideas about a phenomenon or system in science or engineering. The qualitative study described here aimed to examine the effect of an online interdisciplinary asynchronous course on the development of systems thinking and conceptual modeling skills among pre- and in-service science and engineering teachers. Engaging in a qualitative case study with an exploratory orientation, we investigated how science and engineering teachers and teacher educators coped with (a) online learning of conceptual modeling and systems thinking using Object-Process Methodology in a food and sustainability context, and (b) developing an online assignment for teaching those skills to their students and assessing them. Research tools included the online assignment that the participants developed, dedicated rubrics for analyzing their assignments, accounting for use of modeling, media, visualization, micro–macro-process scientific understanding levels, and a mix of closed- and open-ended questions. Additionally, the participants’ reflections were analyzed to characterize their sense of self-efficacy and academic progression. We characterize five teacher-developed assignment cases along with the related teachers’ reflections, which exposed the benefits they had gained from the online course, as well as the systems thinking and modeling challenges they had faced. Analysis of the effect of the course with emphasis on the final task reveals that this approach is effective for developing the systems thinking and modeling skills of the teachers and serves as a catalyst for their professional development. The study offers a methodological contribution by providing a basis for evaluating teachers’ assessment knowledge and skills using a six attributes rubric

how does technology-enabled active learning affect undergraduate students' understanding of electromagnetism concepts

Educational technology supports meaningful learning and enables the presentation of spatial and dynamic images, which portray relationships among complex con-cepts. The Technology-Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) Project at the Massachu-setts Institute of Technology (MIT) involves media-rich software for simulation and visualization in freshman physics carried out in a specially redesigned classroom to facilitate group interaction. These technology-based tec learning materials are especially useful in electromagnetism to help students conceptualize phenomena and processes. This study analyzes the effects of the unique learning environment of the TEAL project on students ’ cognitive and affective outcomes. The assessment of the project included examining students ’ conceptual understanding before and after studying electromagnetism in a media-rich environment. We also investigated the effect of this environment on students ’ preferences regarding the various teaching methods. As part of the project, we developed pre- and posttests consisting of conceptual questions from standardized tests, as well as questions designed to assess the effect of visualizations and experiments. The research population consisted of 811 undergraduate students. It consisted of a small- and a large-scale experimental groups and a control group. TEAL students improved their conceptual understandin

Analysis of online assignments designed by chemistry teachers based on their knowledge and self-regulation

Learners’ independence and self-regulated learning (SRL) may be achieved by online teaching, promoting learners’ 21st century skills. Transitioning into online learning and teaching requires a variety of teachers’ knowledge types and competencies. Mapping these knowledge types with a dedicated tool can help improve teachers’ professional development processes to enhance the SRL of teachers and subsequently students. We aimed at investigating the types of knowledge chemistry teachers expressed in online assignments they had designed, which included guidelines to foster their students’ SRL, and reviewing their reflections upon implementing these assignments. The participants were 20 high school chemistry teachers, who took part in two professional development programs focusing on fostering students’ SRL skills in online assignments, the teachers had designed. Research tools included teachers’ online assignments and teachers’ written reflections. We analyzed the assignments using a special rubric, which consists of three types of teachers’ knowledge: technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK), assessment knowledge (AK), and SRL. Findings show that the analysis rubric of online assignments, designed by teachers, enabled identifying various teacher knowledge types and their levels. The use of a validated rubric for mapping and assessing teachers’ knowledge types is a methodical contribution to research on chemistry teachers’ professional development

Career Choice of Undergraduate Engineering Students

AbstractChoosing engineering as a profession has traditionally not been a top priority among women. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), choice is contingent upon attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, all of which influence behavior. Our research aimed at determining whether the frequencies of these three factors are the same or different among women and men choosing engineering careers. We examined the set of three TPB factors for 330 undergraduate engineering students majoring in information and systems engineering and computer science. We asked the students what had led them to choose a future engineering career. Analyzing each response for recurring TPB factors and sub-factors, which were identified and validated, we found that undergraduate female students who did not express the attitudes factor in their statements are influenced by the subjective norm factor more than men. At a higher resolution, women are significantly more influenced than men by other people. Our study contributes to advancing our understanding about gender-dependent career choice by exploring factors and sub-factors that expand on TPB. These factors and sub-factors can serve researchers interested in developing tools for encouraging women to choose and retain STEM careers

Metacognition in Science EducationTrends in Current Research /

VIII, 280 p.online resource