A Course-Based Teaching Experience for STEM Undergraduates Improves Student Perceptions of Teaching Self-Efficacy and Attitudes Toward Teaching Careers

In the Learn By Doing Lab, STEM majors teach hands-on science to third- through eighth-grade students visiting the campus. Participants develop confidence in their ability to teach science and a more positive view of the teaching profession. Participants recognize that the experience builds 21st-century competencies.

The Digital Transformation of Assessment: Challenges and Opportunities

In the education sector, the digitization of the learning process has been a topical issue for several decades. It includes various components of the learning process, including assessment, which is an integral part of the learning. Innovative educators have been using technology in assessment for several years, but since March 2020, all educators have been forced to use it. Some educators started using technology without sufficient skills and adequate training, so the forced transformation was not always successful. In most cases, educators learn by doing, as well as developing skills and finding the best technologies for assessment. The aim of this research is to identify opportunities and challenges in the application of technologies in assessment. To achieve this goal, the results of a survey of educators (n = 181) and interviews, both individual and group (26 respondents), were evaluated. The main results are related to the findings of new ideas in assessment, and an exploration of the possibility of providing more frequent and timely feedback. At the same time, there is the challenge of developing needed technological skills, as well as coping with an increase in the amount of work and time required to adequately prepare for the assignments. Having knowledge concerning digital assessment can complement an educator’s practice. It gives an insight into a wider study – the post-doctoral research project “Models of Assessment in the Digital Learning Environment (MADLE)”.

Aprendizaje basado en proyectos y learn by doing como herramientas de autonomía en el desarrollo de la creatividad de la asignatura “Dirección de actores”

Enseñar creatividad en materias prácticas es un reto para docente y alumno. Las competencias docentes actuales usadas para la enseñanza de la creatividad han de incluir metodologías de aprendizaje que contemplen el protagonismo del alumnado en su propio proceso de aprendizaje. Creatividad y autonomía van de la mano en materias en la que el alumno debe adquirir herramientas de liderazgo e independencia para el desempeño de su futura profesión. Este artículo recoge la sistematización de una metodología de Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos -ABP- y learn by doing usada durante siete años en la asignatura de “Dirección de actores” del Grado de Comunicación audiovisual y del Máster de realización de series de ficción de la Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, para fomentar la creatividad, y permitir la adquisición gradual de autonomía e independencia del discente. Se explica el sistema de trabajo empleado para la adquisición de habilidades, conocimientos y aptitudes del alumno-director de forma gradual y por fases a través de talleres prácticos.

Forcing a change: a learn-by-doing workshop on circadian rhythms to understand the complexities of human physiology

Physiology is an integrative science that requires an understanding of the organism as a whole to acquire a deep comprehension of its functions and avoid misconceptions that may impair further learning. Thus it is necessary to develop resources that promote the integrative vision that Physiology requires. Chronobiology is a challenging discipline and one of the least addressed concepts in Physiology curricula. The activity here presented proposes a workshop with a theoretical-practical perspective in the context of the Neuroscience Conferences held annually at our university. All conference presentations are neuroscience-related topics, in combination with practical activities, some of them analyzing variables of the students themselves. We chose to assess this informal teaching scenario to involve the students with a scientific perspective while learning and hoping to increase their appreciation for different topics related to neuroscience. Specifically for this activity on chronobiology, the evaluation was carried out via a survey study including quantitative and qualitative questions and semistructured personal interviews. In general, the results reveal a very positive opinion from students regarding aspects such as the teaching methodology, the organization before and during the activity or the added value of the experience for their future professional performance. Some of the students stated they were more aware of the importance of their circadian system and even changed some of their personal daily routines after the activity. Such positive feedback encourages us to continue working in this theoretical-practical format in the future, as it contributes to improving students’ perception of their own learning.

Promoting computational thinking through project-based learning

This paper introduces project-based learning (PBL) features for developing technological, curricular, and pedagogical supports to engage students in computational thinking (CT) through modeling. CT is recognized as the collection of approaches that involve people in computational problem solving. CT supports students in deconstructing and reformulating a phenomenon such that it can be resolved using an information-processing agent (human or machine) to reach a scientifically appropriate explanation of a phenomenon. PBL allows students to learn by doing, to apply ideas, figure out how phenomena occur and solve challenging, compelling and complex problems. In doing so, students take part in authentic science practices similar to those of professionals in science or engineering, such as computational thinking. This paper includes 1) CT and its associated aspects, 2) The foundation of PBL, 3) PBL design features to support CT through modeling, and 4) a curriculum example and associated student models to illustrate how particular design features can be used for developing high school physical science materials, such as an evaporative cooling unit to promote the teaching and learning of CT.

Improvement of Learning Skills in Geometry Incorporating a Metacognitive Learning Model in Boys Compared to Girls

“We learn by doing and by thinking about what we are doing.” (John Dewey) In this article, we shall present findings that describe the degree to which metacognitive orientation contributes to the study of the geometry the plan in boys compared to girls in 9th grade of middle school. The geometry study process does not only involve knowledge but also high thinking abilities. Beyond the knowledge of definitions and sentences, the students are required to write a full, precise, and logically constructed proof, as well as to show the validity and its correctness. In this article, we shall present a model of metacognitive orientation aiming to develop higher-order thinking skills in geometry. We built and applied the model to 9th-grade students. Since students experience difficulties in the study of geometry, the development of a structured study process is required. Numerous studies clearly show that the study process involving metacognitive orientation improves their study ability and deepens their understanding of the topic in question. The question that we addressed was to what extent the metacognitive orientation in geometry impacted boys in comparison to girls? In this study, we shall present data according to which metacognitive learning explicitly benefits girls more than boys. Nevertheless, as a modular model, it allowed every student of both sexes to strengthen the weak aspect and to overcome blockades inhibiting the learning process.

“Me and Socrates, we are tight friends”: Co-constructing a polis of teachers and philosophers of education.

It is an educational truism that reflection helps teachers to be more effective and ethical. Building on John Dewey’s assertion that we learn by doing and reflecting, and Hannah Arendt’s that reflection is strengthened through discourse among peers, I argue that a valuable role for teacher educators is to be interlocutors with whom teachers can reflect. Adding to previous scholarship that positions philosophers of education as ideal interlocutors, I focus on the nature of the relationship between teachers and philosophers of education. Mirroring the format of the Socratic dialogues, I include three dialogues to explore how teachers and philosophers of education might reflect together. The first dialogue is the transcription of an interview about reflection and teaching between a former elementary school teacher colleague and me (then a doctoral student in philosophy of education). The second is a written dialogue that brings the interview into communication with Plato and Arendt to further elucidate what it means to reflect as a teacher and with teachers. The third dialogue occurred many years later as a group of philosophers of education reflected upon dialogues 1 and 2 to consider how they might better engage with teachers.

Organizational models for social media institutionalization: An exploratory analysis of Dutch local governments

Social media institutionalization in public administrations has been conceptualized as the final stage of the adoption process. However, an understanding of organizational models for social media institutionalization in public administration is lacking. This exploratory study of Dutch local governments contributes to the literature by identifying how governments organize social media institutionalization. Drawing on an original questionnaire on social media adoption, two advanced cases were selected based on their high level of social media institutionalization: Utrecht and Eindhoven. For each case, in-depth semi structured interviews were carried out aiming at detecting institutionalization patterns. Our study highlights that, in contrast with the literature on stages of technological maturity, social media institutionalization shows two different organizational models: a centralized model, based on trust, with highly structured and formalized policy guides, low experimentation, formal training and evaluation supported by standardized reports; and a distributed model, based on control, with simple guiding principles, higher levels of experimentation, training build on a “learn by doing” basis, and individual evaluation mechanisms. These results enrich current academic understanding of social media institutionalization and may guide public officials involved in social media institutionalization practices.

Inquiry-Driven Bioinformatics Laboratory Research Module: Metagenomic Study of Student Oral Microbes

American Society for Microbiology Curriculum Guidelines highlight the importance of enabling students to think critically and learn by doing research. Moreover, information in biology, especially genetics and biotechnology, increases too rapidly for instructors to teach everything.

Active learning activities

First year architecture students are introduced to the library by taking part in an “Escape Room” activity in the KTH library. The aim of this initiative is to introduce the students to the library space and the library ́s resources in an interactive and playful way and to enable them to learn and reflect upon their learning within the frame of an active learning activity.1 Another objective with this active learning introduction is to engage students in a collaborative peer-to-peer learning activity that gives them opportunities to share knowledge and solve problems together. In this presentation, we will talk about the introduction in more detail and discuss the benefits of the live-action method as well as share results and improvements. “Escape room” is a live-action game, developed from a computer game. Gamification is a new trend in education to support cooperation, learn by “doing” and develop new knowledge through a more playful way.2 During the workshop, the students worked in groups, which gave them the opportunity to socialize and learn from each other while solving the tasks on time.The results of the students’ assessment after the game indicates that the students enjoyed the game, the teamwork, the competition and the creativity of the introduction compared to a lecture. They also found it a pedagogical way of learning about the library’s resources. During the workshop,the librarians had the opportunity to adjust instructions that were not clear enough. These adjustments effected the comments in the last group where some answers indicated a wish for more difficult clues. 1Brian Detlor et. al., “Student perceptions of information literacy instruction: The importance of active learnings”, Education for Information29 (2012), DOI 10.3233/EFI-2012-0924, 147-161 2Cassano, Fabio, Antonio Piccinno, Teresa Roselli, and Veronica Rossano. “Gamification and Learning Analytics to Improve Engagement in University Courses”,Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing804 (2019),156-63