scholarly journals Supporting Project-Based Learning through Economical and Flexible Learning Spaces

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse Eickholt ◽  
Vikas Jogiparthi ◽  
Patrick Seeling ◽  
Quintrese Hinton ◽  
Matthew Johnson

Project-based learning often centers learning experiences around projects and is characterized by the application of knowledge, management of resources, and self-directed learning. In recent years, newer classroom designs have been developed to facilitate communication, classroom interaction and active learning but the cost of such spaces can be prohibitive. Here we present two economical options for flexible learning spaces that support the aims of project-based learning and cost much less than typical active learning classroom models. In a quasi-experimental study, one of our economical active learning environments was paired with a traditional classroom and a prototypical active learning classroom. These learning environments were used in a CS2 course that employed a group-based, active learning pedagogy centered on in-class projects. Students’ perceptions were gathered on the classrooms and their supporting technology. Between the economy and prototypical active learning environment, no significant differences were found in students’ perceptions of the space as it related to collaboration and supporting learning. Results from accompany focus groups indicates that the space was conducive to their learning and helped them engage with peers. These economical and flexible options support the aims of project-based learning at a reduced cost.

2021 ◽  
pp. 009164712110115
Author(s):  
Charissa H. W. Wong ◽  
Li Neng Lee ◽  
Alberto Pérez Pereiro

Short-term Christian overseas volunteer trips, also known as short-term mission trips (STMs), have become increasingly prevalent (Howell & Dorr, 2007). However, research on these programs has been limited. This quasi-experimental study adds to the literature by quantitatively measuring the effects of an STM from Singapore to Thailand. STM recipients’ ( n = 44) self-esteem and readiness for self-directed learning (RSDL) were compared across timepoints – pre-test, post-test, follow-up – and with a control group ( n = 50). It was hypothesized that recipients would experience an increase in self-esteem and RSDL such that their scores would be higher than the control group post-STM. Results provide partial support for the hypotheses; while improvements among recipients were either not significant (for self-esteem) or not long-lasting (for RSDL), recipients had higher scores than the control group post-STM. This suggests that STMs have some, albeit limited, positive effects. Recommendations for promoting greater and longer-lasting effects are offered.


BMC Nursing ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter C. Millanzi ◽  
Patricia Z. Herman ◽  
Mahamudu R. Hussein

Abstract Background Self-directed learning is important in nursing as it is associated with improved clinical and moral competencies in providing quality and cost-effective care among people. However, unethical professional conduct demonstrated by some graduate nurses is linked with the way they are developed in schools alongside the content and pedagogies prescribed in nursing curricula. Pedagogical transformations appear to be inevitable to develop enthusiastic nursing students who can work independently in delivering quality and cost-effective nursing services to people. This study intended to examine the impact of facilitation in a problem-based pedagogy on self-directed learning readiness among undergraduate nursing students in Tanzania. Methods A controlled quasi-experimental design was conducted in Tanzanian higher training institutions from January to April 2019. A 40-item Self-directed learning Readiness scale for nursing education adopted from previous studies measured self-directed learning and the Student A descriptive analysis via a Statistical Package for Social Sciences software program (version 23) was performed to establish nursing students’ socio-demographic characteristics profiles. Independent samples t-test determined mean scores difference of self-directed learning readiness among nursing students between groups while regression analysis was performed to discriminate the effect of an intervention controlled with other co-related factors. Results The post-test results of self-directed learning readiness showed that nursing students scored significantly higher [(M = 33.01 ± 13.17; t (399) = 2.335; 95%CI: 0.486,5.668)] in the intervention group than their counterparts in the control. Findings of SDL readiness subscales were significantly higher among students in the intervention including self-management [(M = 10.11 ± 4.09; t (399) = 1.354; 95%CI: 0.173,4.026)], interest learning [(M = 9.21 ± 2.39; t (399) = 1.189; 95%CI: 0.166,4.323)] and self-control [(M = 13.63 ± 5.05; t (399) = 2.335; 95%CI: 0.486,5.668)]. The probability of nursing students to demonstrate self-directed learning readiness was 1.291 more times higher when exposed to the intervention (AOR = 1.291, p < 0.05, 95%CI: 0.767, 2.173) than in the control. Conclusion Facilitation in a problem-based pedagogy promises to change the spectrum of nursing learning habits potentially to their academic and professional achievements. Nurse tutors need to be empowered with it to prepare nursing students to meet their academic and professional potentials.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Giveh

The present study tried to investigate one of the options for improving self-directed learning in Iranian EFL learners, i.e., contemplative L2 instruction with a flavor of transformative instruction. Accordingly, it adopted a quasi-experimental design to investigate the influential effects that contemplative teaching would exert on Iranian EFL learners&rsquo; L2 self-directed learning and reading comprehension abilities. To this end, two groups of Iranian EFL learners were taught on the L2 through either contemplative teaching (Experimental Group) or a traditional method (Control Group). The results of the study indicated that contemplative teaching, accompanied with transformative instruction, would in fact have significant effects on Iranian EFL learners&rsquo; L2 autonomy, i.e., self-directed L2 learning, and L2 reading comprehension skills. In addition, the analysis of the qualitative indicated that the participants in the Experimental Group held positive attitudes towards contemplative and transformative L2 instruction and believed these instructional strategies would create a supporting and viable classroom atmosphere. The findings of this study would have significant implications for both theory and practice on L2 contemplative teaching, self-directed learning, and reading comprehension.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (40) ◽  
pp. 3483-3488
Author(s):  
Pandurang Narhare ◽  
Padmakar Sasane ◽  
Revathi Mohanan ◽  
Mriganka Baruah

BACKGROUND The motivation to learn begins with a problem. The ideology of problem-based learning (PBL) is to encourage the students to think beyond the books and apply the basic knowledge to various clinical scenarios. Problem based learning has been a concept in existence for decades, yet its implementation in medical education is limited. So the study on PBL was taken up to know analytical skills, comprehensive understanding of disease process and inculcate the practice of self-directed learning in physiology. METHODS This was an educational interventional study carried out on 60 first MBBS students chosen by simple random sampling. Students were further randomly divided into two groups containing 30 students in the control group and 30 students in the study group. Control group was taught by didactic lectures. 10 clinical scenarios were given to study group and discussions were conducted under the moderation of faculties. Objective evaluation was performed using pre-test and post-test examination for both groups. Subjective evaluation of attitude in study group towards PBL was recorded using self-developed questionnaire using Likert’s scale. Data was analysed by using paired students t test. RESULTS The mean pre-PBL (9.83±4.88) and post-PBL scores (15.61 ± 2.99) in study group were significant (p < 0.00001). The comparison of mean scores of postdidactic lectures (12.88 ± 3.13) in control group and post-PBL (15.61 ± 2.99) in study group were significant (p < 0.001). Subjective evaluation using Likert’s scale revealed increased interest in active learning, better confidence, communication, comprehension, and motivation amongst the PBL group. CONCLUSIONS From the results of this study, it can be concluded that problem-based learning is a good supplementary tool in teaching physiology, and it can be included in the regular medical teaching programmes so that the students have a better understanding of the various challenges in the field of medical education and research so that newer strategies for better health care provision can be planned. KEYWORDS Active Learning, Medical Education, Problem Solving, Self-Directed Learning


Author(s):  
Elizabeth Sarange Bosire Abenga ◽  
Elijah Owuor Okono ◽  
Mzee Awuor ◽  
Sarah Otanga

Active learning transforms the learning process and activities from tutor focused to learner-cantered and is driven by the learner's learning ability. In other words, active learning provides an opportunity for self-directed learning that enables the learners to engage with the learning materials at personal level and pace. Thus, this chapter argues that active learning can provide equal learning opportunity for every single learner irrespective of the differences in their personality traits that would otherwise affect how they learn. Hence, this chapter proposes a framework for technology-enriched active learning for young learners that provides a personalized learning that deviates from the traditional “fit-for-all” classroom setups that tends to favour only the extrovert students. The proposed framework leverages advancement in technology such as personal learning network, virtual physics labs, massive open online courses, and crowd-sourced expert opinions to provide the learners with just-in-time active learning opportunity.


Author(s):  
Nicoletta Adamo-Villani ◽  
Hazar Dib

This article is an overview of online virtual learning environments for discovery learning. The paper defines Virtual Learning Environments and discusses literature findings on the benefits of using web-based VEs for self-directed learning. It gives an overview of the latest technologies/platforms used to develop online VEs, discusses development and delivery challenges posed by complex, information-rich web-based 3D environments, and describes possible solutions that can be adopted to overcome current limitations. The paper also presents and discusses two 3D web-deliverable virtual learning environments that were recently developed by the authors: the “Virtual Tour of the Muscatatuck State Hospital Historic District (MSHHD)” and the “VELS: Virtual Environment for Learning Surveying”. The “Interactive 3D Tour of MSHHD” is a web-based digital heritage application that uses Virtual Reality as a tool to document and preserve historic sites and educate the public about them; the “VELS” is an online virtual learning environment whose objective is to help undergraduate students learn surveying concepts and practices.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1763
Author(s):  
Jaehee Jeon ◽  
Sihyun Park

Effective teaching methods are vital for cultivating advanced professional skills in nurses and equipping them with the necessary training. Problem-based learning (PBL) and self-directed learning (SDL) have been consistently used in nurse education. Therefore, their effects on nursing students’ academic performance warrant comparison. This study compared the effects of PBL and SDL on an adult nursing university curriculum. Participants in this quasi-experimental study with a pre-post non-equivalent control group design were 106 third-year nursing students divided into the PBL and SDL groups. Data collection, conducted from April to June 2019, included a pre-test before an eight-week intervention, followed by a post-test. Changes in the scores of each group were analyzed for learning motivation, self-directed learning ability, self-efficacy, learning confidence, learning satisfaction, and academic performance using paired and independent t-tests. The PBL group scored higher on learning motivation, self-directed learning ability, and academic performance than the SDL group. Based on these results, the PBL method was more effective than the SDL method in an adult nursing curriculum. To maximize the learning effect in adult nursing education, it is necessary to apply SDL education, including the PBL method, with a clearer learning process.


Author(s):  
Elena Aurel Railean

Learning and communication received much attention in applied learning theory since it provides instructional designers with opportunity to plan and innovative learning environments and spaces. However, not only do many teachers find learning and communication demanding, it also remains unclear what they should do to foster learning and communication in teaching and self-directed learning activities. This chapter investigates the issue of learning and communication from the perspective of ecology science and phenomenology. The first objective aims to identify new drives and ecological events within behavioral and cognitive processes. The second objective is to describe the concept of education ecosystem, its structure, and functions. Results show that important drives of ecological ecosystems are information overload, extra time of working on computer, old classroom settings, and the old content of textbooks This leads to importance of the practical application of the cognitive and organisational ergonomics norms in learning design. In addition, is important to remark that the behavior of drives, influenced by personalized events, marks the capacity of learning and communication of each individual.


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