How we have motivated students in sciences

[EN] For improving academic performance teachers must search for possibilities to increase students’ motivation. Teachers must understand that what motivates teachers may not motivate students (Wiesman 2012). The aim of the article is to present what has helped to motivate students in learning sciences. The article is based on the results of qualitative feedback questionnaires. Although the studies took place mostly in face-to-face classes, students liked to have all the materials in e-learning environments. The most preferred were tutorial videos made with software applications that have the ability to turn a digital device into a virtual board using screen zoom and annotation tools in parallel. These encouraged learners to solve their tasks independently. Online calculators helped to solve more difficult exercises as they offer step-by-step solutions. The choice of bonus tests which were made using interactive videos also received a very positive feedback. Full-time students considered game-based learning platforms to be the most effective revision technique. Using some learners as tutors in teaching was also highly appreciated. Most of the above-mentioned methods support self-studying, therefore, learners need effective learning tools and materials, particularly for independent learning.http://ocs.editorial.upv.es/index.php/HEAD/HEAD18Uukkivi, A.; Labanova, O. (2018). How we have motivated students in sciences. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 769-776. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD18.2018.8082OCS76977

Learning in a blended learning environment: needs and influencing factors

In blended learning, students have the opportunity to choose either online or classroom lectures. For higher education institutions, blended learning has many advantages, such as accessibility to students and teachers, cost efficiency, alleviation of the teacher shortage, etc. But what does this mean for the students? The aim of the study is to find out students' further need for blended learning, its reasons and factors influencing it. An online survey was conducted to answer the research questions. The collected data was analyzed by using statistical analysis methods. The results of the survey revealed that the technical prerequisites for students to participate in blended learning were met. The biggest problems are related to the self-regulation skills of students. Problems with blended learning are stronger among first-year students. However, the respondents were rather positive about blended learning. Blended learning is most strongly supported by distance learning students who live far from university and are over 25 years old. The least supportive of blended learning are full-time students living near of the university and who are under the age of 25. This is due to the fact that full-time students experience blended learning problems on average more often than distance students because of the weaker learning skills. The results of the survey help to understand students' views on blended learning, to plan and conduct studies in a student-friendly way, and to plan trainings for teachers to improve the blended learning process

Students international competition: promoting engagement and social skills

Six Higher Education Institutions (HEI), from different European countries (Estonia, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain) joined forces in 2018 to launch a shared Erasmus+ Project under the Key Action - Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices. The project's “heart and soul” was to provide an online course on fundamental mathematical themes that would serve as a base for the specialized domain of engineering mathematics. Upon its approval and funding, partner institutions have developed a common platform for students and professors interested in Fundamentals of Linear Algebra and engineering applications. A mathematics on-line learning model was developed from the scratch and is now available in seven different languages. As presented in the project proposal, the student competition activity was introduced as a Learning/Teaching/Training activity (LTT) and it was established inside the online course setting and framework to add an international dimension to the studies of the enrolled students. The students’ competition in EngiMath project, connected learners from different countries through common tasks. It has settled an open international space, where students could deal with assessment “stresses” in an indirect and ludic manner, promoting, in a gamification way, their self-confidence when dealing with on-line tasks, tight schedules or even “against the clock”, motivating them to complete the course and to avoid drop out behaviour. Despite all of the pandemic limitations that all partner members had to cope with, the students' competition can be considered one of the Project's main triumphs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Students' international competition : promoting engagement and social skills

Six Higher Education Institutions (HEI), from different European countries (Estonia, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain) joined forces in 2018 to launch a shared Erasmus+ Project under the Key Action - Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices. The project's “heart and soul” was to provide an online course on fundamental mathematical themes that would serve as a base for the specialized domain of engineering mathematics. Upon its approval and funding, partner institutions have developed a common platform for students and professors interested in Fundamentals of Linear Algebra and engineering applications. A mathematics on-line learning model was developed from the scratch and is now available in seven different languages. As presented in the project proposal, the student competition activity was introduced as a Learning/Teaching/Training activity (LTT) and it was established inside the online course setting and framework to add an international dimension to the studies of the enrolled students. The students’ competition in EngiMath project, connected learners from different countries through common tasks. It has settled an open international space, where students could deal with assessment “stresses” in an indirect and ludic manner, promoting, in a gamification way, their self-confidence when dealing with on-line tasks, tight schedules or even “against the clock”, motivating them to complete the course and to avoid drop out behaviour. Despite all of the pandemic limitations that all partner members had to cope with, the students' competition can be considered one of the Project's main triumphs.Peer ReviewedObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::4 - Educació de QualitatObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::4 - Educació de Qualitat::4.3 - Per a 2030, assegurar l’accés en condicions d’igualtat per a tots els homes i dones a una formació tècnica, professional i superior de qualitat, inclòs l’ensenyament universitariObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::4 - Educació de Qualitat::4.4 - Per a 2030, augmentar substancialment el nombre de joves i persones adultes que tenen les competències necessàries, en particular tècniques i professionals, per a accedir a l’ocupació, el treball digne i l’emprenedoriaPostprint (published version

Innovative teaching methodologies for an online engineering mathematics course

The fast evolution of distance learning tools such as Open Educational Resources (OER)) is an evidence of a shift in the way teaching and learning are understood. Several Higher Education Institutions are trying to increase their efficiency, competitiveness and expand their potential public by investing in the development of online courses, which can offer more interaction and support and be accessible to a larger number of students from a wider sort of backgrounds. The adaptation of a face-to face course into an online one is not simple, as it is not just about uploading lecture videos, sets of notes or lessons, it is necessary to consider the student’s needs, the instructional design and the best digital educational tools in order to support learning and teaching process. A partnership between Higher Education Institutions from six European countries, connecting more than twenty lecturers from distinct knowledge areas, is working on a European Erasmus+ Project, EngiMath, Mathematics online learning model in engineering education. These are developing a shared online platform for teachers to teach Mathematics in the first years of Engineering degrees and, on the other hand, to support student-centric learning and to encourage students to actively engage in the learning process to construct their own learning, addressing the recent requirements for an open, independent, competitive and innovative education. In this context, several new methodological and development issues of the online course will be presented, as well as students’ perceptions and feedback about the pilot course conducted by each institution partner of the project.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development of a Mathematics On-line Project in Engineering Education

Embracing tertiary education system represents the beginning of a transition and adjustment period for several students. Most of these have just finished high school where the environment is strictly defined, controlled, stable and attendance is mandatory. Higher Education changes the role of students’ responsibility and this can cause stress and difficulty in the transition to selfdirected learning and autonomy promotion. The purpose of this paper is to present an Erasmus+ project that brought together six Higher Education Institutions from different European countries and to describe its current stage. This project aims to develop a shared understanding of engineering mathematics at an early stage of tertiary education and to raise awareness of cultural, professional and educational issues. The initial focus of the work is on the partners’ mutual interest in active learning, particularly the application of Information and Communication Technology in the field of engineering education. When finalised, the project hopes to provide students with a new authentic engineering mathematics subject which meets their needs. This is also the core reason why the on-line course will be composed using innovative pedagogics and ICT tools, as appropriate pedagogics supports students’ procedural, conceptual and application understanding in mathematics and enhances digital competencies, literacy and skills.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Developing interactive e-contents for a mathematic Ersmus+ Project: challenges and experiences

Stimulating students for learning is a regularly recurring theme that never seems finished, remaining in the frontline of teachers’ day to day struggle, and this recurrent factor is exponentiated when the subjects are directly related with Mathematics. In November 2018 the European Project EngiMath started work the development of a common Mathematics course for engineering students from the 6 countries of the consortium – Estonia, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain. This course will be an online course with all the usual features and e-contents, however the project partners have been particularly focused on the pedagogical features and real digital competences when developing all the materials and interactive e-contents. An exhaustive search has been developed for the best way to build interactive content that would stimulate students to improve their basic mathematical skills, dealing with all the time and financial constraints, common to European higher education. This paper will describe, in a detailed way, all the steps of the construction of the theoretical contents, in English, which are the basis of the course proposed by the project and that are now being translated to each of the five distinct mother languages to avoid the frequent interpretation misleading problems for students and other cultural hitches. These e-contents are based on the construction of SCORM packages (Shareable Content Object Reference Model) for the Moodle platform, created over animated presentations to promote students’ interaction and avoid drop out behaviours.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Online engineering mathematics course: development and implementation of a successful project

According to the New UNESCO global survey studying the effect of Covid-19 on higher education (2021) the pandemic has had an impact on higher education systems in terms of access and quality of teaching and learning. Covid-19 has caused the suspension and cancellation of teaching activities and its major impact on teaching and learning is the increase in online education. The Engimath - Mathematics on-line learning model in engineering education - was successfully carried out at the very right moment, as in recent two years there has been a significant increase in demand for a 100% online mathematics course with interactive learning materials and largescale practicing opportunities as well as for a mathematics online assessment model. This project has successfully developed a high-level online course as a basis for offering output-oriented education in engineering mathematics. Some of development stages, that led this project – EngiMath - to an outstanding successful end, will be presented in this paper. These go from the educational needs’ analysis to its implementation and use, even allowing an open and live test.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Online engineering mathematics course : development and implementation of a successful project

According to the New UNESCO global survey studying the effect of Covid-19 on higher education (2021) the pandemic has had an impact on higher education systems in terms of access and quality of teaching and learning. Covid-19 has caused the suspension and cancellation of teaching activities and its major impact on teaching and learning is the increase in online education. The Engimath - Mathematics on-line learning model in engineering education - was successfully carried out at the very right moment, as in recent two years there has been a significant increase in demand for a 100% online mathematics course with interactive learning materials and largescale practicing opportunities as well as for a mathematics online assessment model. This project has successfully developed a high-level online course as a basis for offering output-oriented education in engineering mathematics. Some of development stages, that led this project – EngiMath - to an outstanding successful end, will be presented in this paper. These go from the educational needs’ analysis to its implementation and use, even allowing an open and live test.Peer ReviewedObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::4 - Educació de QualitatObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::4 - Educació de Qualitat::4.3 - Per a 2030, assegurar l’accés en condicions d’igualtat per a tots els homes i dones a una formació tècnica, professional i superior de qualitat, inclòs l’ensenyament universitariObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::4 - Educació de Qualitat::4.4 - Per a 2030, augmentar substancialment el nombre de joves i persones adultes que tenen les competències necessàries, en particular tècniques i professionals, per a accedir a l’ocupació, el treball digne i l’emprenedoriaPostprint (published version