IDATER online conference: graphicacy and modelling 2010

IDATER online conference: graphicacy and modelling 201

Parametric pedagogy: integrating parametric CAD in Irish post-primary schools

Technology education in Irish post-primary schools is undergoing significant change. In recent years the syllabi of all technology-related subjects have been revised. A new subject, Design and Communication Graphics, has replaced the traditional Technical Drawing subject. This new subject aims to develop students’ spatial awareness and graphical communication skills in the context of design. Parametric CAD forms a significant element of the subject. This research paper reports on a study into the use of parametric CAD by teachers in Irish post-primary schools. The research found that teachers were enthusiastic and welcomed the inclusion of the software as part of their teaching. However, the novel teaching environment was challenging which had a significant affect on their pedagogical approaches. The findings highlight the need for affective teacher professional development that explores the declarative as well as the procedural knowledge required for mastery of the CAD software

Heuristics and CAD modelling: an examination of student behaviour during problem solving episodes within CAD modelling activities

Design activities typically involve and culminate in the creation of models representative of new ideas and conceptions. The format is often dictated by the specific discipline, with ideas in design and technology education regularly being externalised through the use of computer aided design (CAD). This paper focusses on the realisation stage of a design process, specifically when conceptual ideas are being externalised through CAD. Acknowledging students as novices or quasi-experts with regards to their levels of technical expertise and recognising the limitations in the cognitive capacities of humans suggests merit in investigating problem solving strategies through the lens of heuristics. A comparative study was employed between two distinct CAD systems to examine students modelling behaviour. Considering the situational context of the problems encountered and the bounded rationality which the students are operating within, a number of insights are generated from the findings which are of importance from a pedagogical perspective within design and technology education

An exploration into the criteria used in assessing design activities with adaptive comparative judgment in technology education

The use of design assignments for teaching, learning, and assessment is considered a signature of technology education. However, there are difficulties in the valid and reliable assessment of features of quality within designerly outputs. In light of recent educational reforms in Ireland, which see the introduction of classroom-based assessments centring on design in the technology subjects, it is paramount that the implementation of design assessment is critically considered. An exploratory study was conducted with a first year cohort of initial technology teacher education students (N = 126) which involved them completing a design assignment and subsequent assessment process through the use of adaptive comparative judgement (ACJ). In considering the use of ACJ as a potential tool for design assessment at post-primary level, data analysis focused on criteria used for assessment. Results indicate that quantitative variables, i.e. the amount of work done, can significantly predict performance (R2 = .333, p < .001), however qualitative findings suggest that quantity may simply align with quality. Further results illustrate a significant yet practically meaningless bias may exist in the judgement of work through ACJ (ϕ = .082, p < .01) and that there was need to use varying criteria in the assessment of design outputs

An evaluation of assessment for graphical education at junior cycle in the Irish system

Junior Certificate Technical Graphics was introduced in Ireland in 1991 and aimed to develop innovative problem solving aptitudes and knowledge of plane and descriptive geometry (NCCA 1991). Despite the philosophy of breadth and balance (NCCA 2004) associated with educational outcomes in the Junior Certificate curriculum, many subjects, Technical Graphics included, employ a summative assessment strategy (Griffin 1998). The summative measurement model portrays a limited view of student learning (Lin and Dwyer 2006, Williams 2011) and has been found to exert significant influence on teaching and learning throughout the course of study (Bloxham and Boyd 2007). This research study aims to evaluate the types of approach to assessment of two different year groups at different stages of the Junior Cycle. The core hypothesis being investigated is whether there is a more sophisticated approach to the assessment evident among the older year groups. In order to achieve this aim a visual protocol similar to Middleton (2008) and Lane et al. (2010) was employed to capture the approach in solving a prescribed graphical task among first and second year students in the Technical Graphics classroom. Findings indicate that the use of a traditional summative approach to assessment has significant  imitations within the subject of Technical Graphics. There are also notable trends occurring in students approach to the assessment, which seem to rely on a low level of graphical knowledge and problem solving skills. The findings confirm that the older year group adopted a more efficient approach to the assessment but displayed unsophisticated approaches to the application of graphical principles. Some limitations of the summative measurement model are supported by the results of this paper

Investigating the use of spatial reasoning strategies in geometric problem solving

A core aim of contemporary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is the development of robust problem-solving skills. This can be achieved by fostering both discipline knowledge expertise and general cognitive abilities associated with problem solving. One of the most important cognitive abilities in STEM education is spatial ability however understandings of how students use this ability in practice are currently underdeveloped. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how levels of spatial ability impacted both performance and approaches to problem solving. In the context of graphical education, selected due to its significant overlap with technological, mathematical and engineering knowledge, a repeated cross-sectional study design was implemented to gather longitudinal data of student approaches to problem solving. A battery of psychometric tests of spatial ability was administered to two cohorts and problem solving was examined through a variety of graphical problems. The findings illustrate a relationship between attaining higher levels of spatial ability and performance. Participants with lower levels of spatial ability evidenced the utilisation of models to a greater extend with a particular emphasis on models with the capacity to alleviate the need for spatial reasoning

The development of pre-service design educator’s capacity to make professional judgments on design capability using adaptive comparative judgment

When design educators are faced with assessment tasks it is important they have a good personal construct of what it means to be capable in design education. The importance of allowing design students the facility to develop creative and innovative capacities is a priority. With standardised testing it is harder to allow for open ended and divergent projects to be facilitated and assessed. Adaptive Comparative Judgment is a dynamic assessment tool to facilitate and capture the complex iterative design process. The validity and reliability of adaptive comparative judgments as an assessment tool has been established by many in Design Education. This paper looks at the impact of A.C.J. on perspective design educators construct of design capability. An ACJ session was completed by 13 volunteers on 24 design portfolios without giving specific criteria. They had their own personal construct of capability based on a process of enculturation. During the study concurrent and retrospective commentaries by the participants were recorded to get an insight into their thinking during the decision making session. The study found there was consensus on what was evidence of capability in open ended design projects. Also it showed that engagement in the ACJ processes led to a further appraisal of what the perspective design educators construct of capability in design education. This prompts further investigation into the impact of the engagement in the ACJ on appraisal skills and the affect it has on a student’s metacognitive awareness of their construct of capability in design education

Promoting deep learning in a teacher education programme through self- and peer-assessment and feedback

The incorporation of self-and peer-assessment and feedback has significant potential as a pedagogical strategy to promote deep learning in project based coursework. This study examined the impact of a deeper approach to learning on pre-service teachers' critical thinking and metacognitive skills. It also examined the impact on student learning outcomes within a project based module with a significant design element. Forty-seven students participated in the pilot of an online peer feedback system. Results suggest that the quality of students' reflections through peer feedback and overall satisfaction with the module remained high despite students' citing a preference for instructor feedback. The data also indicate that the incorporation of self-and peer-assessment and feedback resulted in higher quality learning outcomes and enhanced critical thinking skills

A heuristic framework of spatial ability: a review and synthesis of spatial factor literature to support its translation into STEM education

An abundance of empirical evidence exists identifying a significant correlation between spatial ability and educational performance particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Despite this evidence, a causal explanation has yet to be identified. Pertinent research illustrates that spatial ability can be developed and that doing so has positive educational effects. However, contention exists within the relevant literature concerning the explicit definition for spatial ability. There is therefore a need to define spatial ability relative to empirical evidence which in this circumstance relates to its factor structure. Substantial empirical evidence supports the existence of unique spatial factors not represented in modern frameworks. Further understanding such factors can support the development of educational interventions to increase their efficacy and related effects in STEM education. It may also lead to the identification of why spatial ability has such a significant impact on STEM educational achievement as examining more factors in practice can help in deducing which are most important. In light of this, a synthesis of the spatial factors offered within existing frameworks with those suggested within contemporary studies is presented to guide further investigation and the translation of spatial ability research to further enhance learning in STEM education

Integrating learners into the assessment process using adaptive comparative judgement with an ipsative approach to identifying competence based gains relative to student ability levels

Educational assessment has profound effects on the nature and depth of learning that students engage in. Typically there are two core types discussed within the pertinent literature; criterion and norm referenced assessment. However another form, ipsative assessment, refers to the comparison between current and previous performance within a course of learning. This paper gives an overview of an ipsative approach to assessment that serves to facilitate an opportunity for students to develop personal constructs of capability and to provide a capacity to track competence based gains both normatively and ipsatively. The study cohort (n = 128) consisted of undergraduate students in a Design and Communication Graphics module of an Initial Technology Teacher Education programme. Four consecutive design assignments were designed to elicit core graphical skills and knowledge. An adaptive comparative judgment method was employed to rank responses to each assignment which were subsequently analysed from an ipsative perspective. The paper highlights the potential of this approach in developing students’ epistemological understanding of graphical and technological education. Significantly, this approach demonstrates the capacity of ACJ to track performance over time and explores this relative to student ability levels in the context of conceptual design