Enhancing the effectiveness of flipped classroom in health science education: a state-of-the-art review

Background In a flipped classroom, students acquire knowledge before class and deepen and apply this knowledge during class. This way, lower-order learning goals are achieved before class and higher-order skills are reached during class. This study aims to provide an overview of the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the flipped classroom and how these factors can be stimulated. The effectiveness of the flipped classroom is conceptualized in this study as test scores, the achievement of higher learning goals, and student perceptions. Methods A state-of-the-art review was conducted. The databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were consulted. The timeframe is 2016 till 2020. The studies were qualitatively analyzed according to the grounded theory method. Results After screening the studies based on the inclusion-and exclusion criteria, 88 studies were included in this review. The qualitative analysis of these studies revealed six main factors that affect the effectiveness of the flipped classroom: student characteristics, teacher characteristics, implementation, task characteristics, out-of-class activities, and in-class activities. Mediating factors are, amongst other factors, the learner’s level of self-regulated learning, teacher’s role and motivation, assessment approach, and guidance during self-study by means of prompts or feedback. These factors can be positively stimulated by structuring the learning process and focusing the teacher training on competencies and learning-and teaching approaches that are essential for the flipped classroom. Conclusion This paper provides insight into the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the flipped classroom and how these factors could be stimulated. In order to stimulate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom, the positively and negatively affecting factors and mediating factors should be taken into account in the design of the flipped classroom. The interventions mentioned in this paper could also be used to enhance the effectiveness.

Reaching into the basket of doom: Learning outcomes, discourse and information literacy

Learning outcomes form a type of arrangement that holds the practice of information literacy within higher education in place. This paper employs the theory of practice architectures and a discourse analytical approach to examine the learning goals of five recent English-language models of information literacy. Analysis suggests that the practice of information literacy within higher education is composed of 12 common dimensions, which can be grouped into two categories, Mapping and Applying. The Mapping category encompasses learning outcomes that introduce the learner to accepted ways of knowing or what is valued by and how things work within higher education. The Applying category encompasses learning outcomes that encourage the learner to implement or integrate ideas into their own practice, including to their own questions, to themselves or to their experience. Revealing what is prioritised as well as what is less valued within the field at the present time, these findings also raise questions about supposed epistemological differences between models, the influence of research, and the language employed within these documents. This paper represents the third and final piece of work in a research programme that is interrogating the epistemological premises and discourses of information literacy within higher education.

About the professionalism of the teacher in the conditions of distance learning

The article provides a review of the scientific psychological and pedagogical literature on the issue of the study of the teacher's professionalism in the conditions of the implementation of distance learning. For a modern teacher, the formation and development of his own professional and pedagogical competence becomes important, which, in accordance with the existing professional standards of pedagogical work, can be represented by such components of competence as the presence of certain personal characteristics that are of priority importance for scientific and pedagogical activity; the ability to motivate students to achieve the goals of educational interaction; understanding of the goals and objectives of pedagogical activity, the subject and its content and assimilation; skills and abilities to develop programs of pedagogical activity and readiness to make pedagogical decisions; possession of information culture and information and communication technologies in various forms of education; competence in the organization of their pedagogical work. Among the key digital competencies of teachers currently distinguish such as the use of information technology in everyday teaching work, the possession of digital tools to evaluate the results of pedagogical activity, the use of information tools to expand the educational opportunities of students, the development of skills for creating and sharing digital resources, etc. One of the significant results today is the expansion of the professionalism of teachers (unexpectedly for them), the development of new technical knowledge, skills, skills in the implementation of distance learning, mutual assistance and psychological and pedagogical support for both students and teachers at various stages of the distance learning process. Possession of information technologies for the transmission and presentation of educational material, a certain level of information culture, methods of digital and e-learning is a mandatory requirement for a teacher, which allows him to holistically build a distance learning process, develop and update his professional competencies and, thus, realize the set learning goals.

The key characteristics of project-based learning: how teachers implement projects in K-12 science education

The aim of this multiple-case study was to research the key characteristics of project-based learning (PBL) and how teachers implement them within the context of science education. K-12 science teachers and their students’ videos, learning diaries and online questionnaire answers about their biology related PBL units, within the theme nature and environment, were analysed using deductive and inductive content analysis (n = 12 schools). The studied teachers are actively engaged in PBL as the schools had participated voluntarily in the international StarT programme of LUMA Centre Finland. The results indicate that PBL may specifically promote the use of collaboration, artefacts, technological tools, problem-centredness, and certain scientific practices, such as carrying out research, presenting results, and reflection within science education. However, it appeared that driving questions, learning goals set by students, students’ questions, the integrity of the project activities, and using the projects as a means to learn central content, may be more challenging to implement. Furthermore, although scientific practices had a strong role in the projects, it could not be defined how strongly student-led the inquiries were. The study also indicated that students and teachers may pay attention to different aspects of learning that happen through PBL. The results contribute towards a deeper understanding of the possibilities and challenges related to implementation of PBL and using scientific practices in classrooms. Furthermore, the results and the constructed framework of key characteristics can be useful in promoting research-based implementation and design of PBL science education, and in teacher training related to it.

The Impact of Cooperative Learning on University Students’ Academic Goals

Cooperative learning encourages the development of interpersonal skills and motivates students to participate more actively in the teaching and learning process. This study explores the impact of cooperative learning on the academic goals influencing university students’ behavior and leading to the attainment of a series of academic objectives. To this end, a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was used, with a sample of 509 university students from Preschool, Primary and Social Education undergraduate degree courses. Using the Academic Goals Questionnaire (AGQ), pretest and posttest measures were taken via self-reports to evaluate three types of academic goals: learning goals, social reinforcement goals and achievement goals. The results show that cooperative learning is an effective tool for encouraging university students to develop academic goals that motivate them to fully engage with the tasks they are set in order to acquire knowledge and skills (learning goals). In addition, when students are asked to work as part of a team on an autonomous basis without the structure and supervision necessary to ensure a minimum standard of cooperation, they display a greater tendency toward social reinforcement goals than toward learning and achievement goals. These findings contribute new knowledge to the conceptual framework on cooperative learning. Goals may be considered one of the most important variables influencing students’ learning and the use of cooperative learning techniques in university classrooms creates the necessary conditions for encouraging students to develop goals oriented toward learning.

Student Self-Assessment Practices in Lower Secondary Education in Kosovo

Self-assessment has a direct impact on students’ achievement. Through self-assessment students have the opportunity to assess themselves in regards to learning goals and assess their achievement. The purpose of our research is to reflect on the use of the self-assessment practices of students in schools, as well as the impact that student self-assessment has on their achievement. Another purpose of this research is to evaluate if students compare their knowledge with other students in the class and to evaluate if students during the self-assessment process can overestimate or underestimate themselves. Two hundred and two students, from four classes of seventh grade (n=112) and four classes of eighth grade (n=90) of lower secondary schools from five urban schools and five rural schools in Kosovo, in the subject Civic Education, participated in the research. The results show that there is a significant difference between seventh-graders and eighth-graders on the use of student self-assessment. There is also a difference between schools in the city and schools in the village. There is a significant difference between classes and based on residence even when the students are asked if they are encouraged to have self-confidence and be independent. Received: 13 October 2021 / Accepted: 26 November 2021 / Published: 3 January 2022

Connecting student interests and questions with science learning goals through project-based storylines

In this conceptual paper, we describe the approach in storylines that builds on principles of project-based learning and focuses on supports for making science learning coherent from the students’ perspective. In storylines, students see their science work as addressing questions and problems their class has identified. We present design principles that guide the teaching and enactment of storyline units and explore the connections of these principles to ideas of project-based science. We illustrate how these design strategies are reflected in a high school biology unit co-developed by teachers and researchers. We present student artifacts that document the agency students take on in this work. We then summarize results from earlier studies examining students’ learning and perceptions of coherence of their learning experiences.

Examining Motivational Game Features for Students With Learning Disabilities or Attention Disorders

Students with learning disabilities (LD) or attention disorders (AD) often require supplementary or alternative instruction to achieve their learning goals. Computer-assisted intervention (CAI) has been explored as a promising method for fostering students' success by providing an engaging learning environment. The following chapter examines publications employing empirical studies of computerized games designed for students with LD or AD conducted between 2006-2016. The goal of this chapter is to give a brief overview and critique of the current research on incorporating computerized games into modern education for students with LD or AD, and to identify the key game features that successfully motivate and engage students.

Providing Validity Evidence for Ignite by Hatch

The authors of this study seek to provide practitioners with evidence to support the instructional value of Ignite by Hatch, a digital learning game designed for preschool children. Analyses were conducted using the entire population of three- and four-year-old children who used Ignite during the 2020-2021 academic year (n = 29,417) and included the use of descriptive statistics to explore patterns of growth and the Rasch measurement model to explore item difficulty. This chapter also features a preliminary crosswalk establishing the alignment between the domains, subdomains, and games presented within the Ignite game environment and the learning goals provided by the North Carolina Foundations for Early Learning and Development framework. Results suggest strong preliminary evidence in support of the instructional value of Ignite by Hatch. Further research is recommended to understand how knowledge and skill acquisition within the game environment translate to developmental growth outside of the gaming environment.

“Talk to Me!”

As educators, we aim for students to seek, identify, and utilize a range of feedback to gain an understanding of their present performance in relation to learning goals, and ultimately to identify and use tools to close the gap between present and desired performance. We strive for all students to be their “own first assessors”—intelligent deciders—and develop the independence to self-assess the quality of their own work when they leave higher education institutions and enter the workforce. For students with a print disability such as vision impairment or blindness, traditional forms of feedback may not be successful in providing the information they need to close the gap. The most important issue for these students is access to feedback and agency in the feedback conversation. It is incumbent on higher education educators to find ways to provide equity of access to the provision and reception of feedback for all students. As such, this chapter explores ways for providing feedback to students with a vision impairment to ensure they are able to contextualize and utilize the feedback to improve learning outcomes. This is achieved by aligning the use of mobile technologies and audio feedback with the key principles of connectivism—autonomy, connectedness, diversity, and openness—to provide educators with recommendations.