Developing Visible Thinking and Motivation Through the Curricular Design of an Escape Room in Higher Education

Introduction. The term escape room has undergone a notable evolution in recent years, extending its presence to areas not only recreational but also business or educational. The defining traits (overcoming obstacles, problem-solving, teamwork, time management...) have proven to be valid in business and education. This study presents the pedagogical design of an escape room based on visible thinking and analyses its effect on the motivation and cognitive processes of higher education students. Method. For this purpose, a quasi-experimental research with pretest/post-test was conducted, and it was evaluated whether the instructional design of the escape room was adequate to enhance the learning of the 238 students, whether it was motivating, and whether it contributed to the development of cognitive processes. We used two structured questionnaires with multiple-choice questions and one questionnaire with open-ended questions. We also applied a mixed method for quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. Results. The results show that the students consider the characteristics of the escape room and the organization of its elements to be of high quality; they also show that the curricular design of the escape room enhances students’ learning. In particular, the students consider that they have developed group thinking, critical thinking, and the activation of prior knowledge through the escape room and have found it a motivating experience. Conclusions. The use of the escape room in educational environments has a high educational potential. This is not only because it encourages the development of higher-order cognitive processes but also because it contributes to teamwork, self-regulation, and student motivation. However, it must be designed as a significant part of the didactic program, taking special care in the development of competences and thinking.

Project Zero: A Framework for Innovative Pedagogy in the Teaching of English in Malaysia?

This paper marks the beginning of a project aimed at trialing a Western learning model in a Malaysian context where it is yet to be tested by previous research. This paper is the first of a series of research papers written to show the process in which a framework used in a bigger study was designed. It gives a sound theoretical background to support the building of Project Zero (PZ) framework and provides a comprehensive argument to realise the needs identified by the government of Malaysia, by explaining why Visible Thinking (VT) might be a useful tool for developing a more constructivist pedagogy. Most of PZ research was conducted in school classrooms in a Western setting. This study prides itself in taking PZ research to a whole new level, that is to a higher learning institution in a Malaysian classroom setting where undergraduate students were studied, this marks the novelty of this research. The PZ framework for observation and analysis was developed by carefully studying the Visible Thinking Project to determine the thinking routines used, this in turn formed the core of the framework. Data from interviews with 3 groups of 59 undergraduate students and their 3 teachers were then analysed qualitatively. It was found that this Western learning model has positive implications for students’ learning.

La promoción y la enseñanza de las habilidades del pensamiento profundo y visible en las sesiones de Educación Física en Educación Primaria (The promotion and teaching of deep and visible thinking skills in Physical Education sessions in Primary Educat

El siglo XXI demanda desarrollar en el alumnado competencias vinculadas con el pensamiento crítico, la resolución de problemas, la creatividad, etc. Por ello, enseñar a pensar de forma eficaz debe ser el eje vertebrador de la acción educativa para conseguir que el alumnado desarrolle aprendizajes profundos. Diversas herramientas metodológicas se pueden emplear para la consecución de este fin, entre ellas el enfoque del pensamiento visible. El objetivo de este estudio es conocer la percepción del profesorado sobre la promoción y la enseñanza del pensamiento en Educación Física (EF, en adelante) de Educación Primaria. Se ha seguido un diseño cualitativo fenomenológico mediante la realización de entrevistas semiestructuradas a profesores de EF vinculados con la etapa de Educación Primaria. Los principales resultados reflejan que el profesorado considera necesario potenciar el pensamiento del alumnado en EF, aunque a veces no se le otorga demasiada importancia debido a la herencia negativa del área, a la falta de formación docente y a la inseguridad del profesorado. Asimismo, predomina el desconocimiento del pensamiento visible, el cual puede convertirse en un marco global desde el cual instaurar una cultura del pensamiento en las sesiones de EF, a la vez que se enseña al alumnado a pensar de forma eficaz. Por ello, se finaliza el artículo realizando diversas recomendaciones para introducir el enfoque señalado en las sesiones de EF. Abstract. A competence-based education model for 21st century requires to develop critical thinking, problem solving and creativity. A principal objective of a quality curriculum is teaching to think effectively to develop deep learnings. Several methodologies and strategies can promote deeper learnings in schools, as the visible thinking approach. In light of this, the present study aims to explore teachers' perceptions of the promotion and teaching of thinking in Physical Education (PE) in Primary Education. The research involved a qualitative phenomenological design that employed semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample of experienced teachers linked to Primary Education level. Overall, teachers consider it necessary to strengthen the thinking of the students in EF, although sometimes it is not given much importance due to the negative legacy of the area, the lack of teacher training and the insecurity of the teaching staff. The majority of teachers reported that they were unaware of the visible thinking approach. This approach could become a global framework to promote a culture of thinking in EF. Therefore, the article finishes with recommendations to introduce the visible thinking approach into EF sessions.

Innovative Methodologies in a Pandemic: The VESS Model

The VESS (Meaningful Life with Balance and Wisdom) model is considered to be a learning method based on the construction of knowledge through critical and visible thinking, with a neuroeducational base. The aim of the present work is to conduct a psychometric study of a measurement scale about the learning of the VESS model created for teachers-in-training. This article presents two survey-based descriptive studies conducted at the University of Cordoba (Spain). The data were subjected to descriptive, correlational, reliability and validity analysis through exploratory and confirmatory analyses, respectively. It is an instrument with high goodness-of-fit indices and suitable validity and reliability values. This instrument is applicable to similar study contexts.

Ένα διδακτικό σενάριο για την “Οργανωσιακή Κουλτούρα” βασιζόμενο στη μέθοδο της Μετασχηματίζουσας Μάθησης μέσα από την αισθητική εμπειρία.

Η χρήση της τέχνης ως εργαλείου κριτικής σκέψης στην ενήλικη μάθηση παρουσιάστηκε από τον Α. Κόκκο το 2009, στην 8η Διεθνή συνδιάσκεψη για τη μετασχηματίζουσα μάθηση. Η μέθοδος υποστηρίζει τη σημασία της συστηματικής παρατήρησης και της κριτικής ανάλυσης έργων τέχνης στο πλαίσιο της μετασχηματίζουσας μάθησης. Αποτελείται από 5 διακριτά στάδια, ενώ οι βασικές της παραδοχές στηρίζονται στις ιδέες του Freire, στη χρήση σημαντικών έργων τέχνης, στη χρήση της αισθητικής εμπειρίας και στις τεχνικές παρατήρησης Perkins και Visible thinking. Το διδακτικό σενάριο που ακολουθεί αποσκοπεί να αποτυπώσει τα βήματα της παραπάνω μεθόδου στην προσπάθεια μετασχηματισμού των στερεοτυπικών αντιλήψεων μιας ομάδας εκπαιδευομένων-δημοσίων υπαλλήλων- αναφορικά με το θέμα της Οργανωσιακής Κουλτούρας των δημόσιων υπηρεσιών. Η υλοποίησή του πραγματώθηκε στο πλαίσιο ενός 5νθήμερου επιμορφωτικού σεμιναρίου.

A Project Zero Model Classroom in a Malaysian Culture

This paper is taken from a bigger study aimed at trialing a Western learning model in a Malaysian context where it is yet to be tested by previous research. The Visible Thinking (VT) Project of Project Zero research is used as benchmark for this study. A summary of selected PZ research projects presented in this paper highlights the learning benefits of establishing patterns of thinking within the classroom as projected by PZ studies of Harvard Graduate School of Education, the hallmark institution. Many aspects of classroom teaching have been shown by PZ research to enhance learning, this paper will focus on a Malaysian undergraduate classroom that has decided to trial this highly recommended model using a framework derived from PZ school settings. Part of the focus of the study was to check if the ideas and paradigms are transferable to a Higher Education ESL context of a culturally different setting in terms of the manifestations of classroom interactions, students’ and teacher’s perception of it as well as from the researcher’s observation of this classroom in session. The literature on the findings of VT project, mainly the thinking routines employed, the importance of establishing thinking routines in the classroom and examples of instances where these routines were visible in the classroom contexts are the summarized in this paper. Most of PZ research was conducted in school classrooms in a Western setting. This study prides itself in taking PZ research to a whole new level to study undergraduate students in a Malaysian classroom setting.