Towards blended learning: Stakeholders’ perspectives on a project-based integrated curriculum in ICT engineering education

2021 ◽  
pp. 095042222199447
Author(s):  
Maisa Mielikäinen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Integrated Curriculum ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Remote Work ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Digital Ecosystem ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Information And Communication

It is increasingly vital, in the current era of ever-expanding remote work and learning, to develop blended methods for engineering education. This research aims to develop a blended, project-based information and communication technology (ICT) education model, conceptualizing a digital ecosystem based on stakeholders’ experiences and expectations. The article describes the first phase of the first cycle of the design-based research, analysis and exploration. Semi-structured interviews and online surveys were used to gather stakeholders’ – i.e. students’ (N = 27), instructors’ (N = 15) and industry representatives’ (N = 3) – thoughts and expectations about the current holistic integrated and project-based curriculum, on which little academic literature exists. The article gathers design principles for a broader intervention through which ICT education is transferred into blended learning. Study participants included third-year ICT engineering education students and instructors at the Lapland University of Applied Sciences, along with local industry representatives. The vast majority of the students described the integrated curriculum and project-based learning approach as a motivating pedagogical model. The participation of industry representatives was perceived as motivational to students. Working-life cooperation with companies should thus be encouraged and further developed in higher education curricula. The students’ positive attitudes towards integrated project-based learning may inspire higher education institutions to apply this framework.

scholarly journals Development of a Mathematics On-line Project in Engineering Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 257-261
Author(s):  
Filomena Soares ◽  
Ana Paula Lopes ◽  
Anna Cellmer ◽  
Anne Uukkivi ◽  
Carolina Rebollar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Engineering Mathematics ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Directed Learning ◽  
Ict Tools ◽  
On Line

AbstractEmbracing 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 self-directed 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.

scholarly journals The Impact of Faculty Experience with Emergency Remote Teaching: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-23
Author(s):  
Maha Al-Freih
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this phenomenological study is to provide a deeper understanding of the impact of remote teaching on instructors’ perceptions of online learning and future teaching practices amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze open-ended semi-structured interviews conducted with five higher education faculty in Saudi Arabia. Three major themes were identified: enhancing student engagement; increased awareness of technology affordances and constraints; and moving from emergency remote teaching to technology-enhanced and blended learning. Participants of this study were mainly concerned about finding ways to support active student engagement in this new learning environment, which in turn increased their awareness of the educational affordances and constraints of online learning and technologies. Participants’ deeper understanding of the potential of online technologies in supporting student learning, as well as their own and students’ increased familiarity and comfort with online learning and technologies, served as the main drivers for potential future implementation of blended learning and technology-enhanced teaching practices. With that said, participants were still apprehensive about engaging in fully online teaching, arguing that blended strategies and enhanced-technology integration are more likely to overcome some of the limitations of face-to-face teaching and improve the overall learning experience for their students. Discussion of these findings in relation to the extant literature and their implications for higher education institutions moving forward are provided.

Facebook as Complementary Teaching Material: Reconceptualizing the Context Boundaries of Formal and Informal Learning in EFL Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. 23-35
Author(s):  
Iman Abbas
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Survey Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Formal Curriculum ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Skills Learning

This article is a case study that aims to understand and explore a teacher's perspective about integrating Facebook as an informal social platform into the EFL classroom in a higher education context in Oman. The study further aims to identify the attitudes and perspectives of a group of students belonging to the same context. Research data came from semi-structured interviews with a teacher participant and a survey questionnaire with student participants. The study provides a set of findings based on interview data analysis and questionnaire survey analysis. The study's findings revealed the teacher and students' positive attitudes and perspectives towards the role of Facebook in boosting pedagogical practices and increasing English language skills learning. This study contributes to knowledge by providing insights on the integration of Facebook as an informal platform into the formal curriculum-based learning in TESOL. The insights and findings are of value to the teachers and instructors in EFL higher education contexts. Pedagogical implications for ESL (English as a second language) and EFL (English as a foreign language) and researchers are offered in the light of these results.

Educational Online Technologies in Blended Tertiary Environments

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberley Tuapawa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Online Technologies ◽  
Key Characteristics ◽  
Effective Use

Although educational online technologies (EOTs) present an extraordinary range of higher education opportunities, significant gaps in knowledge about their purpose and functionality may impede levels of adoption. As the demand for online learning grows, it is critical that tertiary education institutes (TEIs) address gaps in knowledge by developing their understandings of EOT applications. This paper aimed to identify, and describe the application of a range of EOTs popularly used in blended tertiary environments (BTEs). Through qualitatively designed semi-structured interviews with 13 blended learning experts from New Zealand, Australia and Canada, and a 5-step analyses of data, it verified the use of 35 different EOTs in BTEs, including Adobe Connect, Blackboard, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Their key characteristics were summarised using a multi-dimensional taxonomy, called the Pentexonomy, which synergised a range of perspectives into a robust, contextualised, and multi-dimensional framework for categorising EOTs. An outline of recommendations for the effective use of some of these EOTs was also provided. As EOTs advance and usage accelerates, the outcomes of this research will assist TEIs in their efforts to keep abreast of EOT developments, make informed choices about EOT use, and contribute to the delivery of relevant, meaningful EOT support.

Comparing Engineering Education Systems Among USA, EU, Philippines and South Africa

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anabela C. Alves ◽  
Franz-Josef Kahlen ◽  
Shannon Flumerfelt ◽  
Anna Bella Siriban Manalang
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
University Education ◽  
Engineering Practice ◽  
Solid Core ◽  
Education Systems

Globalization has permeated our personal and professional lives and careers over the past two decades, to a point where communication, product development, and service delivery now are globally distributed. This means that the globalization of engineering practice is in effect. Large corporations tap into the global market for recruitment of engineers. However, the education of engineers occurs within the context of individual Higher Education Institutions. Engineers are educated with varying pacing and scoping of higher education programming with varying methods and pedagogy of higher education teaching. The expectations for engineering practice normed from the corporate side within the engineering marketplace, therefore, often do not match the widely dispersed educational experiences and outcomes of engineering education delivery. This gap brings challenges for all stakeholders, employers, higher education and the engineering graduate. But particularly, university education systems which traditionally are slow to respond to shifting market trends and demands, are expected to realign and restructure to answer this shortfall. A response to this shortfall has been prepared independently in different regions and countries. This paper discusses the response from Europe, USA, South Africa and Philippines. The European Commission started building a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) with the intention of promoting the mobility and the free movement of students and teachers in European tertiary education. US universities are introducing a design spine and strengthening students’ systems thinking and problem solving competencies. Philippines is trying to be aligned with ABET system from US. South Africa universities are evolving to a solid core undergraduate engineering curriculum with a limited set of electives available to students which include project-based learning. This is intended to address the education-workplace gap as well. This theoretical paper will provide a comparison study of the differences between the Engineering Education in USA, EU, Philippines and South Africa. The authors will compare current trends and initiatives, aimed at improving the readiness and competitiveness of regional engineering graduates in the workplace. Given that several worthwhile initiatives are underway, it is possible that these initiatives will remain as disparate responses to the need for the globalization of engineering education. Lean performance management systems are widely used in engineering practice internationally and represent one possible rallying concept for the globalization of engineering education in order to address the education-workplace gap. Therefore, this paper examines whether the introduction of a Lean Engineering Education philosophy is a worthwhile global curricular innovation for engineering courses.

scholarly journals ON THE PRE-SERVICE AND IN-SERVICE TRAINING AT THE STATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION “UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT” OF NAES OF UKRAINE UNDER THE BLENDED LEARNING

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mykola Kyrychenko
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
The State ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Higher Education Institution ◽  
Technological Support ◽  
Digital Ecosystem ◽  
Service Training ◽  
State Higher Education

The report presents the implementation of blended learning at the State Higher Education Institution “University of Education Management” of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine caused by the priority of forming an innovative environment for pre-service and in-service training. The focus is on introducing online technologies, fundamental changes in approaches to the organization of education at the University with appropriate methodological approaches and models. The following components of the organization of the educational process are presented: organizational (regulatory framework, technological support, material and technical base, creation of digital workplaces, mastering digital technologies by lecturers and students, mastering necessary competencies by academic staff, content creation for training programs); methodical (flipped classroom model, use of online courses, educational and methodical support, author’s courses, academic mobility); technological (learning platforms, digital tools). Pre-service and in-service training under the blended learning in the system of formal, non-formal, and informal education by creating a unified educational and digital ecosystem is analyzed. The organization of in-service training at the “Ukrainian Open University” based on the cloud technologies in the non-formal education system is described. The results of monitoring key indicators of the educational environment are presented.

ESP learners’ beliefs about CALL – A qualitative perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-172
Author(s):  
Edyta Olejarczuk
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English For Specific Purposes ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Considerable Body

AbstractA considerable body of research has grown up on learners’ perceptions of computer-assisted language learning, clearly a key consideration for curriculum designers and teachers involved in the planning and deployment of technology. This article aims to contribute to this work by focusing specifically on learners of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) (n=20) in light of their experiences with a blended learning course (classroom + Moodle). Analysis of semi-structured interviews suggests generally positive attitudes towards the experience, and yields insights into the specific aspects of the course which were valued by students and which were less so.

Blended Learning Models

2011 ◽  
pp. 375-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles R. Graham
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Corporate Training ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
American Society ◽  
Widespread Access

Technological advances and widespread access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) have facilitated the rapid growth of blended learning approaches in both higher education and corporate training contexts. In 2002, the president of Pennsylvania State University expressed his belief that blended learning was “the single greatest unrecognized trend in higher education” (Young, 2002, p. A33). At the same time, the American Society for Training and Development also identified blended learning as one of the top 10 emergent trends in the knowledge delivery industry (Finn, 2002). Since then, the visibility of blended learning environments has increased dramatically in both formal education and corporate training settings. At the third annual Sloan-C Workshop on Blended Learning and Higher Education, Frank Mayadas, the program director for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, predicted that “by 2010 you will be hard pressed to find a course that is not blended” (Mayadas, 2006). There is increasing interest in the concept of blended learning as evidenced by greater numbers of books, journal articles, and trade magazine articles that directly address issues related to blended learning. This article will provide an overview of current models of blended learning and provide references to the most recent resources in this emergent area of research and practice.

scholarly journals Playing the Project: Incorporating Gamification into Project-based Approaches for Software Engineering Education

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurício Souza ◽  
Renata Moreira ◽  
Eduardo Figueiredo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Software Engineering ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Technical Skills ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Software Engineering Education ◽  
Game Elements

In Software Engineering higher education, besides learning theory and acquiring technical skills, students need to develop the ability to apply, evolve, and practice those skills throughout their lifetime. From 2016 to 2018, we had been adapting an introductory Software Engineering course from a theory-oriented course to a more practical experience for students. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to describe our experience incorporating Project-based Learning (PBL) principles and gamification elements in practical assignments for SE education. To achieve this goal, we present the structure of PBL projects we have been using and how we adapted game elements to the context of SE education in order to create a gamified course. Based on our experience, we defined 17 guidelines that instructors may follow when defining a practical assignment for SE education. While PBL was helpful to create a practice-oriented teaching experience, gamification was not only useful in improving the engagement of students, but also in creating a roadmap of activities and a structure for students to self-assess their progress in the project.

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