scholarly journals Parent Perceptions of Outdoor Learning in the Kids in the Woods Program

2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (Autumn 2021) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Mazyck ◽  
Michael Andreu ◽  
L. Annie Hermansen-Baez ◽  
M. David Miller
Keyword(s):  
Program Evaluation ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Parent Perceptions ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Outdoor Learning ◽  
Opportunities To Learn ◽  
Outdoor Activities ◽  
Science Classes

Research shows that exposure to the outdoors is beneficial to children and can improve the learning experience for students. The Kids in the Woods program in Gainesville, Florida provides 6th grade students with opportunities to learn science through a series of outdoor activities during their regular science classes. The article reports on an evaluation of the Kids in the Woods program. We surveyed parents/guardians of students participat- ing in the program to examine the impacts of the program and to better understand parent/guardian perceptions of the program and of outdoor learning in general. Results indicate that parents/guardians observed positive changes in their children and had largely positive perceptions of outdoor learning and the Kids in the Woods program. Lessons learned and recommendations for using parent surveys as a tool in program evaluation are discussed.

Staying the distance: Transforming Latin pedagogy at the Open University

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 101-128
Author(s):  
Mair E. Lloyd ◽  
James Robson
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Open University ◽  
Ancient Rome ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Pedagogical Changes

Abstract Between 2000 and 2013, over 8,000 students studied the module Reading Classical Latin at the Open University, the United Kingdom’s largest distance education provider. But while many learners attained high grades, a significant proportion withdrew from study or failed the module. In 2015, the original module was replaced with a completely new course, Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome. This article details the innovative ways in which new technology and pedagogical theory from Modern Foreign Language (MFL) learning were drawn on by the team designing this new module, resulting in a learning experience which gives greater emphasis to elements such as spoken Latin, the intrinsic pleasure of reading, and cultural context. The (largely positive) effects of these pedagogical changes on student success and satisfaction are subsequently analysed using a rich mix of qualitative and quantitative data. Finally, the authors reflect on lessons learned and the possibilities for future research and enhancement.

scholarly journals Shifting the evaluative gaze: Community-based program evaluation in the homeless sector

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Wallace ◽  
Bernadette Pauly ◽  
Kathleen Perkin ◽  
Mike Ranfft
Keyword(s):  
Program Evaluation ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Transitional Housing ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Urban Centre ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Community Based Research ◽  
Evaluation Community ◽  
Structural Inequities

Homelessness is a growing social issue that is a consequence of structural inequities and contributor to the development of health inequities. Community-based research (CBR) has been proposed as an effective research strategy for addressing health equities and promoting social justice through participatory processes. The purpose of this article is to examine the application of CBR principles and practices in the homeless sector and the implications for the production of knowledge and social change to address homelessness. Drawing on our experiences as researchers and service providers, we reflect on the significant successes and challenges associated with using CBR in the homelessness sector. In our discussion we emphasise insights, challenges and lessons learned from a community-university partnership that focused on an evaluation of a transitional shelter program in a large urban centre where housing is expensive and often unavailable.Keywords: Homelessness, housing, transitional housing, transitional shelter, program evaluation, community-based research

scholarly journals Building Tools to Support Active Curation: Lessons Learned from SEAD

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-85
Author(s):  
Dharma Akmon ◽  
Margaret Hedstrom ◽  
James D. Myers ◽  
Anna Ovchinnikova ◽  
Inna Kouper
Keyword(s):  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Opportunities To Learn ◽  
Data Repositories ◽  
Team Coordination ◽  
Data Infrastructure ◽  
Data Life Cycle ◽  
The Us ◽  
National Science ◽  
Future Data

SEAD – a project funded by the US National Science Foundation’s DataNet program – has spent the last five years designing, building, and deploying an integrated set of services to better connect scientists’ research workflows to data publication and preservation activities. Throughout the project, SEAD has promoted the concept and practice of “active curation,” which consists of capturing data and metadata early and refining it throughout the data life cycle. In promoting active curation, our team saw an opportunity to develop tools that would help scientists better manage data for their own use, improve team coordination around data, implement practices that would serve the data better over time, and seamlessly connect with data repositories to ease the burden of sharing and publishing. SEAD has worked with 30 projects, dozens of researchers, and hundreds of thousands of files, providing us with ample opportunities to learn about data and metadata, integrating with researchers’ workflows, and building tools and services for data. In this paper, we discuss the lessons we have learned and suggest how this might guide future data infrastructure development efforts.

Designing a Flipped Classroom in a Higher/Teacher Education Context in the Caribbean

2017 ◽  
pp. 274-295
Author(s):  
Jacqueline A. Morris ◽  
Ayles-Anne Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
Caribbean Students ◽  
Higher Level Thinking ◽  
Active Learning Strategies ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Context Of Learning

Set in a tertiary level environment for adult learners, the process involved in flipping a classroom is elucidated. This chapter is not a research paper, but rather a primer that can assist the reader to implement the flipped model in their own practice. The chapter sets out to discuss our experiences with Flipped learning in the Caribbean and what we learnt from it. Is it useful in our Caribbean Higher Education context? Will it assist Caribbean students to mastery of their subjects? Benefits can include an increased ability to use active learning strategies, to focus on higher level thinking activities, and to maximise use of faculty-student time. The chapter covers the rationale and theory of the Flipped method, and its positioning in the context of learning strategies. It then covers the instructional design facets of developing a flipped course, including the instructional materials, so that the entire process focuses on structuring the learning experience. It discusses the experiences of the authors in implementing the flipped model in their own practice, and the lessons learned from that experience. The environment necessary to implement the method is discussed, as well as best practices in the use of tools, assessment, evaluation, all drawn from the experiences of the authors.

Designing a Flipped Classroom in a Higher/Teacher Education Context in the Caribbean

2017 ◽  
pp. 262-288
Author(s):  
Jacqueline A. Morris ◽  
Ayles-Anne Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
Caribbean Students ◽  
Higher Level Thinking ◽  
Active Learning Strategies ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Context Of Learning

Set in a tertiary level environment for adult learners, the process involved in flipping a classroom is elucidated. This chapter is not a research paper, but rather a primer that can assist the reader to implement the flipped model in their own practice. The chapter sets out to discuss our experiences with Flipped learning in the Caribbean and what we learnt from it. Is it useful in our Caribbean Higher Education context? Will it assist Caribbean students to mastery of their subjects? Benefits can include an increased ability to use active learning strategies, to focus on higher level thinking activities, and to maximise use of faculty-student time. The chapter covers the rationale and theory of the Flipped method, and its positioning in the context of learning strategies. It then covers the instructional design facets of developing a flipped course, including the instructional materials, so that the entire process focuses on structuring the learning experience. It discusses the experiences of the authors in implementing the flipped model in their own practice, and the lessons learned from that experience. The environment necessary to implement the method is discussed, as well as best practices in the use of tools, assessment, evaluation, all drawn from the experiences of the authors.

Lessons Learned About Gamification in Software Engineering Education

2022 ◽  
pp. 1473-1496
Author(s):  
Beatriz Marín
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Software Engineering ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Software Engineering Education ◽  
Functional Size Measurement ◽  
Class Diagrams ◽  
Improved Learning

Software engineering courses traditionally mix theoretical aspects with practical ones that are later used in the development of projects. Teaching software engineering courses is not easy because in many cases the students lack motivation to exercise the topics prior to project development. This chapter presents the application of gamification on some topics of a software engineering course to engage students and increase their motivation. The authors argue that with the proper motivation, the students can better exercise the topics and obtain stronger knowledge. The authors have created five games to help in the learning process of the software engineering course. The games are related to risk management, BPMN modeling, Scrum process, design and inspection of class diagrams, and COSMIC functional size measurement. Gamification has been applied during four years in the software engineering course, resulting in an improved learning experience for the students. Finally, lessons learned are presented and discussed.

Teaching Graduate Students to Evaluate Public Health Programs Through Community-Based Learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-127
Author(s):  
Brenda M. Joly
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Program Evaluation ◽  
Core Competency ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Public Health Programs ◽  
Public Health Professionals ◽  
Community Based Learning

Public health professionals are increasingly called on to demonstrate program evaluation skills, a core competency for the field. Learning opportunities that are connected to community organizations with identified evaluation needs give students meaningful opportunities to build and test new skills. When thoughtfully implemented, community-based learning benefits both the student and the community, yet there are several important considerations for designing a course that incorporates this feature. This article describes one approach for teaching graduate public health students how to conceptualize and write a comprehensive program evaluation plan for a community agency, based on the needs, priorities, and capacity of that agency. Lessons learned and recommendations for adopting this model are discussed.

scholarly journals Can an Outdoor Learning Environment Improve Children’s Academic Attainment? A Quasi-Experimental Mixed Methods Study in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 1079-1104
Author(s):  
Matluba Khan ◽  
Sarah McGeown ◽  
Simon Bell
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Outdoor Environment ◽  
Control School ◽  
Academic Attainment ◽  
Outdoor Learning ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Science Classes ◽  
And Control ◽  
School Ground

The present study adopted a quasi-experimental mixed method approach to investigate the influence of an improved school ground on children’s academic performance. In total, 123 children from two (intervention and control) primary schools in Bangladesh participated. In the intervention school, a barren school ground was redesigned with several behavior settings (e.g., gardens and amphitheater) for teaching and learning. Treatment group children ( n = 29) received math and science classes outdoors, while a comparison group ( n = 32) received usual indoor classes. A control school with no changes to the outdoor environment was included ( n = 62). The redesigned school ground was associated with higher levels of academic attainment. Furthermore, all intervention schoolchildren perceived more opportunities to explore in the redesigned school ground. Qualitative insights suggest the diverse settings provided more opportunities to explore, experiment, and work collaboratively. These results highlight the potential for school ground design to contribute to improvement of children’s academic attainment in developing countries.

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