Group Learning Activities Research Articles

Promoting Chinese children's agency in science learning: Conceptual PlayWorld as a new play practice

In pursuit of more creative and imaginative citizens, the Chinese Ministry of Education has launched policies and curriculum guidelines to promote play-based science learning. However, little research has been directed towards Chinese children's agency in play-based science activity settings. Informed by a cultural-historical conception of play, this paper examines how children's agency in science learning improved after the Conceptual PlayWorld implementation. Conceptual PlayWorld as an intervention in this educational experiment framed a larger study of two teachers interacting with 34 children (aged four to five years; mean age of 4.65 years) in group learning activities. 40.38 h of video observations, 5.75 h of child interviews and 1 h of teacher interviews were generated in total. The findings indicate that a Conceptual PlayWorld allows children to obtain some degrees of freedom and co-construct rules in the play-based science activity setting, which promotes children's initiatives and thereby their agency. In addition, children's active involvement in Conceptual PlayWorld activity settings motivates them to solve conceptual problems as responsible and intentional members, which also promotes their agency. We argue that a Conceptual PlayWorld in Chinese kindergartens appears to promote children's agency in science learning and can contribute to an active and creative citizenship.

ELABORASI STRATEGI PEMBELAJARAN INDEX CARD MATCH PADA MATA PELAJARAN BAHASA INDONESIA DI MI/SD

Elaboration in a learning strategy is one of the efforts to develop an Indonesian language learning scenario for fourth grade MI/SD students which aims to actualize students in four aspects of the Indonesian language, namely reading, listening, writing and speaking in terms of delivering meaningful messages. This research method uses library research so that the method used in the research is library research. The index card match learning strategy is a learning strategy that requires students to work together and can increase students' sense of responsibility for what they learn in a fun way. Students will work together to complete a mission given to them. This group learning activity can trigger active learning and the ability to teach through small group learning activities that allow for understanding and mastery of the material. The elaboration of the index card match (ICM) learning strategy can improve reading, listening, writing and speaking Indonesian MI/SD subjects. This certainly can contribute to the process of developing the four language and literary skills of students, especially MI/SD children which will trigger all aspects of the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of students to be better so that the objectives of learning Indonesian language can be achieved. The use of ICM requires a scenario that can develop the social and emotional aspects of students that are synergized in the abilities of MI/SD students who are still in the concrete operational stage with the help of tools in the form of picture cards that must be matched with the description of the children's story given by the teacher

Peer evaluations of group work in different years of medical school and academic achievement: how are they related?

BackgroundTo develop the skills needed in health care teams, training communication and teamwork skills are important in medical education. Small group collaborative learning is one of the methods utilized in such trainings, and peer evaluation is suggested to be useful in reinforcing the effectiveness of group learning activities. In Mie University Faculty of Medicine, group work consisting of book review sessions of liberal arts education in the first grade and problem-based learning (PBL) sessions in preclinical years were conducted using the same peer evaluation system that included three domains: degree of prior learning, contribution to group discussion, and cooperative attitude. This study was conducted to determine the relationships among behaviors during group work and the academic achievement of medical students.MethodsWith the data from a cohort of medical students in three consecutive academic years (n = 340), peer evaluation scores in groupworks of book review sessions, those in PBL sessions and paper test scores of preclinical years were analyzed. The correlations were analyzed with Spearman’s correlation coefficient, and the respective scores were compared by using the Wilcoxon signed-ranked test.ResultsSignificant correlations were observed among the evaluation scores of respective domains in group work and paper test scores. The degree of prior learning had the strongest relationship among the three domains (rs = 0.355, p < 0.001 between book review sessions and PBL; rs = 0.338, p < 0.001 between book review sessions and paper test score; rs = 0.551, p < 0.001 between PBL and paper test score). Peer evaluation scores of respective domains were found to be significantly higher in PBL.ConclusionMedical students maintained their groupwork behaviors to some extent from early school to preclinical years. Those behaviors were positively related to their academic achievement in the later years of the medical education curriculum. Our study highlighted the importance of the early introduction of group work. The results will be useful to motivate medical students to put more effort into group work.

Building Physician-Scientist Skills in R Programming:A Short Workshop Report.

Introduction:Statistical analysis programs require coding experience and a basic understanding of programming, skills which are not taught as part of medical school or residency curricula.Methods:We conducted a five-day course for early-career Nigerian physician-scientists interested in learning common statistical tests and acquiring R programming skills. The workshop included didactic presentations, small group learning activities, and interactive discussions. A baseline questionnaire captured participant demographics and solicited participants’ level of confidence in understanding/performing common statistical tests. REDCap questionnaires were emailed to obtain feedback on educational format and content. A post-workshop assessment covered participants’ overall impression of the program.Results:A total of 23 participants attended the program. Most participants were male (n=14, 60.9%) and at an early stage in their career (assistant professor, n=20, 87.0%). Approximately 70% of respondents indicated having received some prior training in statistics. The proportion of participants without experience using R and SAS software (90% and 85%, respectively) was greater than the corresponding proportions for Stata (55%) and SPSS (20%). Prior to the workshop, most respondents expressed being “not at all confident” in performing one-way ANOVA (60%), logistic regression (68%), simple linear regression (60%), and McNemar’s test (80%). There was a statistically significant post-workshop improvement in the level of confidence in understanding and performing common statistical tests. The course was rated on a 0–100 scale as “moderately difficult” (mean ± SD: 51.7 ± 19.5). Most participants felt comfortable in putting the knowledge learned into practice (82.2 ± 17.1).Conclusion and Public Health Implications:Introductory R can be taught to junior physician-scientists in resource-limited settings and can inform the development and implementation of similar training initiatives in analogous settings.

Parental sexual communication self-efficacy with toddlers and young children: an active learning intervention

ABSTRACT Parents are in a powerful position to teach sexual topics to their children, promoting positive sex attitudes and lifelong sexual health. However, parents may lack sexual knowledge and confidence to address such topics. This study, grounded in social learning theory, tested the effects of an active learning intervention to increase parental efficacy regarding sexual communication with children aged one- to five-years-old. Parents were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 55), a factsheet group (n = 58), and an active learning group (n = 56). Multi-level Modelling (MLM) analyses showed the intervention was not effective at increasing parental sexual communication efficacy. However, a dosage effect was observed for the active learning and factsheet groups. In addition, factsheet and active learning intervention groups showed significant gains in knowledge of child sexual development. The results of this study suggest active learning may be a step towards promoting lifelong sexual health.

The Impact of Active Learning Strategies on Retention and Outcomes in Safety Training

Active learning strategies are generally accepted as a more effective means to increase and sustain students’ learning, since these strategies involve the learner in doing, discovering and collaborating, all of which heightens the cognitive and social presence of the learner. There are few studies that examine outcomes and retention rates of participants in safety training generally, especially studies that compare traditional to active learning methods. The aim of this study was to examine student outcomes and retention rates between two groups of students who received a face-to-face 50-minute hazard communication training. One group of participants received training that used traditional lecture methods while the other group received training that incorporated active learning strategies. Participants were required to take a pre-test, post-test and retention test. The groups received the same training content, and the instruction was delivered by the same instructor team. The results of this pilot study revealed that students who received the traditional training tended to have higher scores immediately following the training, however one month following the training students receiving training that incorporated active learning strategies had higher total scores, suggesting active learning may assist with learning retention. The range of scores was more varied in the active learning group, with a larger range between the highest and lowest scores. The differences were not statistically significant which can be explained by the small sample size. Lessons learned are offered that can help inform the framework of a larger future study.

Using Design-Based Research to Layer Career-Like Experiences onto Software Development Courses

Using Design-Based Research to Layer Career-Like Experiences onto Software Development Courses

Peculiarities of the organization of group learning activities of students in the conditions of mixed learning in higher education institutions

Peculiarities of the organization of group learning activities of students in the conditions of mixed learning in higher education institutions

Precursors of college students’ attitudes towards cross-cultural collaboration: the role of group-learning activity design and openness to diversity

ABSTRACT The increasing calls for diversity research signal a need to redesign learning and teaching strategies and include appreciations of collaboration and diversity as part of the students’ learning outcomes. However, changing the learning environment by incorporating innovative pedagogical techniques into multicultural learning environments is often fraught with difficulties, stemming partly from students’ attitudes towards cross-cultural collaborative learning. The present sequential explanatory study sought to design a collaborative group-learning activity and measure its effect on students’ attitudes towards collaborative learning by using a pre/post intervention design. Another aim was to explore the role of students’ openness to diversity and challenge in explaining these attitudes. Data were gathered from 84 first-year Israeli Arab and Jewish students by three questionnaires: Constructivist Learning in Higher Education Settings, Openness to Diversity and Challenge scale, and Students’ Attitude towards Collaborative Learning, in addition to semi-structured interviews. Findings showed that the Jewish students’ positive attitudes towards collaborative learning have decreased between the tests (after the collaborative activity). The empirical model, designed by Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), indicated a direct contribution of students’ positive perception of the collaborative activity to their attitudes towards collaborative learning above cultural differences. Arab students’ proclivity towards openness to diversity enhanced their positive attitudes towards collaborative learning. The students of both cultures described in their own words the group dynamics throughout the activity. Qualitative analysis of their interviews revealed several explanations related to students’ experienced challenges during the collaborative activity. Recommendations for mitigating these challenges are provided.

Promoting gender equity in very young adolescents: targeting a window of opportunity for social emotional learning and identity development

BackgroundThe transition from childhood to adolescence is a uniquely sensitive period for social and emotional learning in the trajectory of human development. This transition is characterized by rapid physical growth, sexual maturation, cognitive and behavioral changes and dynamic changes in social relationships. This pivotal transition provides a window of opportunity for social emotional learning that can shape early adolescent identity formation and gender norms, beliefs and behaviors. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of a social emotional learning intervention for very young adolescents (VYAs) to improve social emotional mindsets and skills.MethodsDiscover Learning is a social emotional learning intervention designed for VYAs (10-11 years of age) to support development of social emotional mindsets and skills from four primary schools in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The intervention delivered three different packages of learning experiences to three arms of the study. 528 VYAs were randomized to each of the three study arms (A-Content learning, B-Content learning and reflection, and C-Content learning, reflection and experiential practice). A quantitative survey was administered to all participants before and after the intervention to capture changes in social emotional mindsets and skills. A discrete choice experiment measured changes in gender norms, beliefs and behaviors.Results528 VYAs were included in the analysis. Participants in all three arms of the study demonstrated significant improvements in social emotional mindsets and skills outcomes (generosity, curiosity, growth mindset, persistence, purpose and teamwork). However, Group C (who received experiential social learning opportunities in small, mixed-gender groups and a parent and community learning components demonstrated larger treatment effects on key outcomes in comparison to Groups A and B. Results indicate Group C participants had greater change in gender equity outcomes (OR = 1.69, p = <0.001) compared to Group A (OR = 1.30, p = <0.001) and Group B (OR = 1.23, p = 0.004).ConclusionThese findings provide evidence that social emotional learning interventions targeting VYAs can improve social emotional mindsets and skills and gender equity outcomes. The findings indicate the importance of experiential learning activities in mixed-gender groups during the unique developmental window of early adolescence. The study also provides support for the inclusion of parental/caregiver and community engagement in programs designed for VYAs.Trial registrationRetrospectively registered on July 7th, 2020. NCT0445807

An Innovative Needs Assessment Approach to Develop Relevant Continuing Professional Development for Psychiatrists.

ObjectivesGaps in psychiatrists’ competence can interfere with the delivery of optimal patient care, particularly when these gaps have not been identified. This study aimed to assess the perceived and unperceived continuing professional development needs of psychiatrists practicing in Quebec, Canada.MethodsThe authors sent an online cross-sectional survey (2018) to members of the ‘Association des médecins psychiatres du Québec’ and collected data on unperceived needs via the critical incident method (focused on managing challenging clinical cases/situations). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, thematic analysis, and triangulation of data. Two coders independently analyzed qualitative data.ResultsOf 1150 eligible psychiatrists, 187 (16%) completed the survey. Over half were female (58%), caring for adult patients (60%), and practiced in a university hospital (49%). Top perceived and unperceived learning need areas were neurodevelopmental disorders and psychopharmacology. Three hundred forty-three factors influencing the management of reported challenges were classified as case complexity (53%), patient (22%), environment (19%), and lack of knowledge (4%). Consultation with colleagues (49%) was the most frequently accessed resource for approaching challenging cases. During the previous year and across both self-directed and group learning activities, respondents reported engaging more frequently in in-person than online activities.ConclusionsA comprehensive needs assessment integrating perceived and unperceived needs is the cornerstone for planning relevant continuing professional development. The critical incident method is a useful tool to assess psychiatrists’ unperceived needs. Critical reflection after solving complex clinical cases might provide an opportunity to optimize psychiatrists’ selection of relevant continuing professional development.

Peningkatan prestasi belajar siswa dalam pembelajaran bahasa arab menggunakan media kartu bergambar pada siswa

The background of this study was the students' difficulties in memorizing the materials of school equipment. Problem solving is needed by using of effective and easily obtainable learning media such as pictured card (flash card) media, based on group in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to enhance vocabulary mastery of Arabic (mufradat) students on the material of school equipment of students in grade VII.I with core competence (KI) understand and apply the knowledge (factual, conceptual, and procedural) based on their curiosity about science, technology , cultural arts related phenomena and visible eye events. The results showed an increase in students' mastery of Arabic vocabulary using word picture card media. The score average of cycle I is 71,22 and on cycle II increases to 78,11. These competencies can be seen from the first indicator, students happy and active in learning activities. Second indicator , increasing the ability of students in material of school equipment. Students are able to create their own concepts of learning materials from the results of group learning activities other than teacher presentation. Teacher only as a mentor. this instructional model is recommended to the mtsn teacher as an alternative to improve students' ability on the material of school equipment. From the research, it can be concluded that the using of flashcard can improve the student learning outcomes in grade VII.I MTsN Bonjol on the material of school equipment. This learning application based on group can improve student’s skills in the school equipment.

Peningkatan kemampuan siswa mengolah rumus pada materi pesawat sederhana melalui model make a match

This Classroom Action Research is the application of the make a match (group-based) learning model applied in the classroom based on the students' difficulties in simple aircraft material. The purpose of this learning improvement action is to improve students' ability to process formulas on simple machine material for class VIII.1 students with Competency Competency Standards (SK) Understanding the role of effort, style, and energy in everyday life. The results, the implementation of cycle 1 in the classroom shows that by applying/using. The group-based learning model obtained an average score of 69.59 students. In cycle 2 the average score of students rose to 76.89. With the group-based scientific learning model, it turns out that it can improve students' abilities in simple aircraft material. These competencies can be seen from the first indicator, students are happy and active in learning activities. Second, the increasing ability of students in simple planes. Thus in the learning process students are able to build their own concepts about learning materials from the results of group learning activities, not the results of the presentation from the teacher. The teacher's role is only as a guide. This learning model is recommended to MTsN teachers as an alternative to improve students' abilities in simple machine process materials. So it can be concluded that from the implementation of the activities in cycle 1 and cycle 2, there was an increase in the grades of VIII.1 MTsN Bonjol students on the simple plane material.

Comparative educational outcomes of an active versus passive learning continuing professional development activity on self-management support for respiratory educators: A non-randomized controlled mixed-methods study

AimWe compared educational outcomes associated with an active vs. passive continuing professional development activity on self-management support for respiratory educators. BackgroundThere is a need to identify learning activities associated with the most successful continuing professional development programs for respiratory educators. DesignThis was a non-randomized controlled mixed-methods study recruiting respiratory educators attending a continuing professional development activity on self-management support. MethodsIn the experimental group, active learning methods (role-play simulations) were employed, whereas passive learning methods (lecture) were used in the comparison group. Educators were allocated to the comparison group (first 15 months of the study), then to the experimental group (last 17 months). Educators filled questionnaires measuring pre-/post-activity knowledge about self-management support (score 0–25) and self-reported competence (score 1–10). Scores were compared using mixed-effect models. Interviews with educators were conducted and content analysis was performed. ResultsWe recruited 94/94 educators (active: n = 51; passive: n = 43). Knowledge scores increased to a greater extent in the active vs. passive learning group (adjusted difference-in-difference [aDID]=2.01; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.14–3.88), although competence scores increased to a greater extent in the passive learning group (aDID=−0.38; 95%CI: −1.56 to −0.04). Reflecting on their competence, educators of the active learning group identified the need to further improve their self-management support skills, whereas educators of the passive learning group did not. ConclusionsOur results show that an active learning continuing professional development activity on self-management support could help educators to better apply knowledge and appears to engage them in a process of reflection on action.

Flipping a Single Lecture in a Survey Course to Active Learning: Do the Benefits Justify the Costs?

Health education has seen a surge of interest in active learning strategies like the flipped classroom. In response to the need for physical distancing in the age of COVID-19, schools are rapidly shifting to web-based and video technology, sometimes without being able to predict the outcomes of this change. The objectives of this pilot experiment were to (1) compare active learning (AL) methods versus traditional lecture for transmitting and retaining knowledge in the introductory pre-clinical medical school curriculum and (2) weigh whether the costs required to flip instruction were justified by learning gains. The authors took a 2 h lecture for first-year medical students and converted half of it into an AL format. In-person lecture and active learning groups were compared in terms of student knowledge at pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and 6 months post-intervention. Costs for first-time delivery and anticipated costs for repeat delivery of each format were calculated. Students’ gains in knowledge increased in both groups, though more by lecture (control) than via AL. Delivering a single hour of new AL costs 3.4 times that of a new lecture. Repeat offerings of the AL intervention were estimated to cost 5.4 times that of the repeat lecture. The 1 h AL session was less effective than the 1 h lecture for knowledge acquisition and retention at 6-month follow-up. The AL was more expensive to produce and to repeat. Future research needs to evaluate the impact of AL with a larger N, control group, structured faculty/resident procedures, and assessment of gaining and applying attitudes and skills in addition to knowledge.

Resident-based learning model for sustainable resident participation in municipal solid waste management program

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Encouraging resident participation in the Municipal Solid Waste Management system still becomes a challenge for cities in developing countries. Previous studies showed that existing education strategies ineffective and insufficient to change resident behavior sustainably. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a resident-based learning model to encourage sustainable resident participation in waste management programs at the household level using the Community of Practice approach. METHODS: This study was a conceptual model study using a case study as the research strategy. The case being analyzed was Kawasan Bebas Sampah (Zero Waste Area) program implemented in Bandung City, Indonesia. The primary data was collected through field observation on the 8 Kawasan bebas sampah and in-depth interviews with 63 key informants comprising 31 key actors in the educational programs and 32 informants as resident representatives, conducted from January 2020 – November 2020. Additional data from the quantitative method was gathered in April 2021, focusing on surveying resident’s habits toward waste management as evidence of the program result. The respondents were 490 residents, chosen using the purposive-random sampling method. FINDING: The findings showed that the education strategy implemented in Bandung City, Indonesia presented effective results, based on waste reduction rate reaching up to 0, 47% at the city level from 2019 to 2020. The survey provided evidence that the education program has succeeded in forming new habits for residents. Averagely 60% of respondents in each sample area have the habits and up to > 90% for the areas with more durable education program. Some critical points for education strategy implementations are identified. First, collaboration and supports from key stakeholders such as facilitators, local leaders, and educators become the enabler of the program. Second, key stakeholders need to identify knowledge and value needs before the program started. Third, the learning activities are conditioned to facilitate practice-based and dialogue-based learning through group and non-group learning activities. Fourth, local cadres are vital to sustaining the education program. CONCLUSION: This study has succeeded in giving a new strategic approach to improve resident participation in municipal solid waste management. The resident-based learning model proposed in this study offered a more effective strategy for other cities in developing countries to improve the sustainable participation of residents in their waste management system. However, some adjustments may be required for residents with different characteristics. Future studies may focus on testing and refining the model to improve its applicability.

The Influence of Teacher-Student Relationships on Mathematics Problem-solving

Literatures revealed that the cognitive and affective components are the factors affecting problem solving. In this article we identified factors considered by the students in learning mathematical problem solving. Using a descriptive phenomenological research we identified the lived experiences of forty-five (45) students in solving a mathematics problem. Following the Colaizzi method for data analysis, four themes emerged: emotions and self- efficacy as affective factors, and group learning activity and teacher- student relationship as social factors. Sixty items from these four themes were further explored in using an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) for a new set of 200 students. These four-factor structures of the students experiences in mathematics problem solving explained 66% of the variance in the pattern of relationships among the items. All four-factor structures had high reliabilities (all at or above Cronbachs α &gt; .904). The study exemplified that teacher- student interaction relationship during learning activities, which is a social factor, provides the highest correlated factor that influences the mathematical performance of the students.

Assessing the outcomes of an active learning exercise

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to propose an alternative approach to the think-pair-share active learning method and assess it for outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThis paper evaluates student knowledge of the course content presented in the study (data analytics and artificial intelligence) using a pre- and post-test process with control (lecture-based) and test (active learning) groups. A mixed method approach was used. The quantitative portion included the test scores being analyzed statistically. The qualitative portion included analyzing the open-ended question on the post-test.FindingsThe results note that the active learning exercise improves student learning outcomes in a statistically significant manner (p < 0.001). The open-ended question on the post-test provides positive student feedback.Originality/valueThe active learning exercise used in this study offers an alternate approach to the “think” and “pair” portions of the think-pair-share method and determines whether learning outcomes are improved after implementation of the alternative method.

Developing English Listening Skills: Can Active Learning Help?

Listening is often a challenge for foreign/second language learners. Unlike other language skills, listening requires immediate understanding and processing (Vandergrift, 2004) and background knowledge of the target language culture (Vandergrift, 2007; Walker, 2014). Krashen (1985) argued that language can be acquired with comprehensible input; therefore, studies have focused on developing listening skills through both intensive and extensive listening (e.g., Chang &amp; Read, 2006; Jones, 2008; Renandya, 2011). This paper has taken a different approach in that developing listening skills might happen through interaction where learners discuss and negotiate, and not solely through intensive input (Ellis, 1997). Accordingly, the current study examines whether active learning group discussion activities help develop lower-level students' listening comprehension skills. The study creates and implements fifteen active learning group discussion activities based on insights from Elmetaher's (2021) Active Learning Checklist for a full academic term with a group of 25 L1 Japanese students enrolled in a compulsory academic listening course in a Japanese southern university. Pre- and post-listening tests were developed, administered, and showed a significant increase of the listening scores in this group . A discussion on the effectiveness of 'group discussion' in developing listening skills with a newly introduced Four Questions (4Q) teaching strategy has been included.

Striving for Parity: Classroom Collaboration of University Ethnic Diversity Students in Ecuador

This interdisciplinary study aimed to explore the relationship between university students’ participation in community development activities and their collaboration in the classroom. The students concerned form part of an ethnic diversity program in the Ecuadorian capital city Quito. Findings demonstrate the potential for collaborative assignments to exacerbate conditions of inequality, and the belief that experiences and skills gained during participation in community development are transferable to group learning activities. Finally, like other factors impeding effective collaboration, conditions of inequality highlight the necessity for strategies to manage collaborative learning groups within the classroom.