Innovative Learning Activities Research Articles

Development of Learner Worksheets Based on PjBL Model to Increase Creativity on Material Changes in the Form of Objects

Objective: Creativity is the ability of individuals to express themselves so that they will produce new ideas and works. Creativity can be enhanced by creating innovative learning activities that encourage students to express themselves and provide creative ideas so that students' creativity continues to increase. This study aims to determine the development of PjBL-based SW, its attractiveness, and increased student creativity. Method: This research (R&D) uses the ADDIE model (Analyze, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation). Results: The results of this study indicate that 1) the product developed with the ADDIE model is declared "very valid." 2) PjBL-based SW obtained interesting results, and 3) PjBL-based SW has been proven to increase student creativity in a very creative category. Novelty: The novelty of this research is that the results of the independent thinking indicator are low when compared to other indicators, so these findings can be used as a basis for making research instruments on independent thinking for students' creativity.

Innovative Learning Practices as A Driver of Students' Performance

Higher education institutions have faced the imperative of adapting pedagogical approaches to meet the demands of the twenty-first century and the changing needs of their students. This study investigates how active learning methodologies impact undergraduate students' academic performance in two different academic fields: engineering education and the social sciences. The study was carried out within the context of a Portuguese higher education institution, the Polytechnic University of Coimbra, using a sample of 97 undergraduate students. Results reveal that active learning approaches, particularly problem-based learning (PBL), enhance student engagement, learning experiences, and competencies. Moreover, the research indicates significant differences in the effectiveness of these approaches between the fields of engineering and the social sciences, with engineering students demonstrating a more pronounced improvement in their academic performance. These findings highlight the importance of integrating innovative active learning practices into higher education environments to better prepare students for the challenges of modern societies.

Published Case Reports in Clinical Laboratory Education: A Function and Improvement Evaluation of an Innovative learning activity

Published Case Reports in Clinical Laboratory Education: A Function and Improvement Evaluation of an Innovative learning activity

Team-Based Questioning Battles in Construction and Building Engineering Educational Environments: A Useful Tool for Engaging Active Learning in the Classroom

This manuscript presents a comprehensive exploration of an innovative active learning approach implemented in a Master’s Degree in Construction Engineering program. The pedagogical intervention involved a series of competitive battles among student teams, wherein each team formulated and presented multiple-choice questions to their peers. The study aims to provide a detailed account of the implementation process, assess the effectiveness of this approach, and evaluate its impact on students’ learning and motivation. The assessment was conducted through triangulation of experiences, surveys, and interviews. The results provide key insights into how Team-Based Questioning Battles can foster highly competitive environments, enhancing the learning experience, understanding, and retention of concepts, all while motivating and engaging students.

A framework for virtual learning in industrial engineering education: development of a reconfigurable virtual learning factory application

Advances in digital factory technologies are offering great potential to innovate higher education, by enabling innovative learning approaches based on virtual laboratories that increase the involvement of students while delivering realistic experiences. This article introduces a framework for the development of virtual learning applications by addressing multidisciplinary requirements. The implementation of the framework can be eased by the use of the proposed virtual learning factory application (VLFA), an open-source solution that takes advantage of virtual reality to support innovative higher-education learning activities in industrial engineering. A complete design and development workflow is described, starting from the identification of the requirements, to the design of software modules and underlying technologies, up to the final implementation. The framework and the VLFA have been tested to implement a serious game related to the design and analysis of manufacturing systems, also collecting the feedback of students and teachers.

Innovative Learning Activities to Prepare Nursing Students for the Next Generation NCLEX.

The purpose of this course innovation was to introduce Next Generation NCLEX (NGN)-style questions and create supplemental cooperative learning assignments (CLAs) to enhance content mastery in a prelicensure maternity course. The course itself is divided into three modules focusing on maternal, newborn, and women's health. Three CLAs and two Canvas quizzes were developed to reinforce the course content and integrate NGN-style case studies and questions. The CLAs and quizzes aligned with the course module content. Anecdotally, students endorsed the CLAs as a positive experience, emphasizing the value of learning to set care priorities for maternity patients.

Effective drug-target affinity prediction via generative active learning

Drug-target affinity (DTA) prediction is a critical early-stage task in drug discovery. Recently, deep learning has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in DTA prediction. However, acquiring experimentally verified data for target proteins proves to be a time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly endeavor. In this study, we introduce an innovative generative active learning method for DTA prediction, referred to as GAL-DTA. GAL-DTA comprises two modules, data augmentation and generator fine-tuning. In the data augmentation module, the algorithm uses an optimized generator to produce informative and diverse molecules, thereby enhancing training of the predictor. The generator fine-tuning module introduces Fisher's informativeness and molecule diversity as objectives and employs the Pareto ranking algorithm to compute rewards. The final generator is fine-tuned using the policy-gradient method. GAL-DTA performs data augmentation by directly generating diverse and informative data, effectively reducing annotation costs while preserving model performance. Extensive experiments on independent test sets involving four target proteins consistently demonstrated that GAL-DTA achieves superior performance, resulting in an average reduction of 8.402% in mean squared error.

Case Study of Innovative Second Language Learning Activities for Saudi Women Undergraduates Learning English

Gardner described second language (L2) instrumental motivation, where the learning goal is practical application, and Dörnyei described L2 motivation based on the learner’s vision of their future, ideal L2 self. In the Arabic-speaking Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Vision 2030, a new countrywide strategic plan, emphasizes English mastery for business and provides new vocational avenues for women. KSA women now have instrumental L2 motivation for occupational purposes but lack models on which to base their future ideal L2 selves. While they face additional barriers to L2 acquisition due to an ineffective L2 learning environment (L2LE), and societal features that dissuade Saudis from interacting with each other in English, educational technology such as the Padlet could be used to surmount those obstacles. This case study presents an innovative, student-centered use of Padlet to teach speaking strategies (SSs) to an L2 female KSA higher education class while avoiding direct L2 dialogue and maintaining L2 motivation (n = 33). Students were provided an instructor-led lesson and offered the choice of either using the Padlet or doing a similar individual audio activity. Thirty students participated in five SS lessons, and by the third lesson, Padlet was the activity of choice, with 97%, 83% and 77%, choosing it over the audio activity for lessons three through five, respectively. Qualitative responses consistently supported that the Padlet was successful at increasing student-centered collaborative applied peer learning in this female KSA higher education classroom without requiring direct interaction in the L2, and keeping L2 motivation levels high.

Navigating the peer-to-peer workflow in non-formal education through an innovative e-learning platform: a case study of the KIDS4ALLL educational project in Hungary and Italy

The digital revolution is affecting all aspects of life, radically transforming everyday tasks and routines. The ability to cope with new challenges in life, including new forms of learning are key skills in the 21st-century, however, education systems often struggle with tackling digital inequalities. A digital learning platform developed by the KIDS4ALLL educational project, implemented in face-to-face student interactions, aims to mitigate the divide and the resulting social disadvantages among children with and without migration/ethnic minority background. Analyzing data collected during the pilot phase of the project in two of the participating countries, Italy and Hungary, this paper examines how students and teaching staff adapt to a newly introduced digital learning tool based on peer-to-peer workflows. Firstly, it examines the role of educators' interpersonal competences in navigating the innovative learning activities and delves into how they use them and how they manage resources. Secondly, the study explores what attitudes and behaviors are observed among students engaged in the proposed peer-led activities, in particular in terms of their ability to cope with uncertainty and complexity. The analytical framework of the paper is based on two cultural dimensions offered by Hofstede, the index of uncertainty avoidance (UAI) and power distance (PDI), and it utilizes the personal, social and learning-to-learn competence of the eight LLL Key Competences as defined by the European Commission to conceptualize the skills of educators and students. Interpreting data from Italy and Hungary in their respective social and educational contexts, the study finds that the most important features that proved to be effective and useful during the pilot phase were the democratic power-relations between students and educators, the peer-to-peer scheme and its further development to the peer-for-peer approach. The child-friendly and real-life-related new curriculum and its appealing digital learning platform, embedded into a flexible, playful and child-centered pedagogical approach, were also successful. These are all complementing the traditional, formal school environment and pedagogy which, despite all developments in formal education in the past decades, can be characterized as teacher-centered and frontal.

Optimizing dynamic aperture studies with active learning

Dynamic aperture is an important concept for the study of non-linear beam dynamics in circular accelerators. It describes the extent of the phase-space region where a particle's motion remains bounded over a given number of turns. Understanding the features of dynamic aperture is crucial for the design and operation of such accelerators, as it provides insights into nonlinear effects and the possibility of optimising beam lifetime. The standard approach to calculate the dynamic aperture requires numerical simulations of several initial conditions densely distributed in phase space for a sufficient number of turns to probe the time scale corresponding to machine operations. This process is very computationally intensive and practically outside the range of today's computers. In our study, we introduced a novel method to estimate dynamic aperture rapidly and accurately by utilising a Deep Neural Network model. This model was trained with simulated tracking data from the CERN Large Hadron Collider and takes into account variations in accelerator parameters such as betatron tune, chromaticity, and the strength of the Landau octupoles. To enhance its performance, we integrate the model into an innovative Active Learning framework. This framework not only enables retraining and updating of the computed model, but also facilitates efficient data generation through smart sampling. Since chaotic motion cannot be predicted, traditional tracking simulations are incorporated into the Active Learning framework to deal with the chaotic nature of some initial conditions. The results demonstrate that the use of the Active Learning framework allows faster scanning of the configuration parameters without compromising the accuracy of the dynamic aperture estimates.

VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE HOME, APARTMENT, ETC. FOR CZECH REAL ESTATE COMPANIES' CLIENTELE. INTEGRATION WITH PRIMARY EDUCATION

The article Integrating Innovative Active Learning in Elementary Schools: A Major Shift in Learning Paradigms from Theory to Practice to Enrich the Learning Journey of Elementary Students by Creating More Interactive, Engaging, and Effective Learning Environments represents This summative assessment reflects the implementation, results, and future directions of innovative activelearning strategies in primary education settings that correspond to the general theme of theoretical and methodological foundations of teaching and learning.

Integrating technologies, active methodologies, and curriculum: promoting interactivity in the teaching-learning process

This study, based on a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), sought to understand how the fusion of emerging technologies, active learning methodologies, and curriculum could optimize education. The analysis of a successful practice by a history teacher, who used Virtual Reality to engage his students in the construction of historical knowledge, was one of the highlights. The strategy of integrating innovative technologies and active learning methodologies proved promising for improving education, especially when aligned with student-centered and interdisciplinary curricula. The pandemic highlighted the flexibility of teaching, with practices such as interactive virtual classes and virtual reality simulations keeping education active in remote environments. Interactivity is crucial in the teaching-learning process, as it stimulates student engagement and broadens the understanding of concepts. In the face of constant global changes, students need to be equipped with adaptable skills and critical thinking. Therefore, the intersection between technologies, active methodologies, and curriculum creates fertile ground for a more engaging and effective education. The continuous exploration and application of these approaches will significantly contribute to the creation of an enriching and effective teaching environment.

Aplikasi Media Pembelajaran Tumbuhan Langka Indonesia menggunakan Augmented Reality berbasis Android

The absorption and understanding of grade 2 students at SDN SINDUADI 1 in learning about rare plants is still lacking, resulting in students having little or no knowledge of Indonesia's rare plants. Using smartphones as a learning medium is an example of utilizing today's technology. The use of technology in education supports teachers and students in creating creative, innovative, educational, and interactive learning activities. The aim of this research is to create learning media using augmented reality technology to increase students' absorption, understanding, and interest in learning about rare Indonesian plants. This research uses the research and development method to develop products and test their level of effectiveness. System development uses the waterfall SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) model, including requirements analysis, modeling, implementation, testing, and maintenance stages. Data collection was done through literature study techniques, observation, and questionnaires. Application testing in this research used an alpha test by us and a beta test in the form of a questionnaire using a random sampling technique carried out by nine user samples taken from 30% of the population. The results of this research show that combining augmented reality technology with educational games can support students' absorption and understanding of learning about rare Indonesian plants. Indonesian rare plant learning media shows the feasibility of the media, getting a score of 95.6%. Based on the Likert scale test results, it was concluded that the application for learning rare Indonesian plants using AR technology was very suitable for use.

Development of Integrated Thematic Learning Based on Seesaw in Fifth-Grade Elementary School

The use of smartphones in students' daily lives causes low student motivation to learn, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. Students prefer to use their smart phones rather than studying. This causes low student learning outcomes. Innovative learning activities that make smartphones a fun learning medium for students are needed. The Seesaw digital class can be a solution to this problem. Therefore, this study explains the validity, practicality, and effectiveness of the Seesaw digital class in fifth-grade elementary schools. This research is a development research with a 4-D model. The participants were fifth-grade students from Cluster One Baso District, Agam Regency. The data collected in this study are validity data, practicality data, and data on the effectiveness of the Seesaw digital class. The data collection instruments used were questionnaires and interview sheets. The data obtained was then analyzed in the form of quantitative calculations and descriptive analysis. This development research produced a product in the form of Seesaw-based integrated thematic learning in elementary schools. The results of product validation in the form of Seesaw-based integrated thematic learning tools show that the product is valid based on the assessment made by the validator in a very valid category. The results of teacher responses and student responses for practicality with very practical categories. The results of the effectiveness test were seen from the learning outcomes of students who also increased. This shows that Seesaw-based integrated thematic learning is suitable for use in fifth-grade elementary schools.

Escape Rooms and Collaborative Problem-Solving: Examining the Competence of Teacher Candidates

The paper discusses the use of educational escape rooms as an innovative learning activity that can engage and motivate students to master the curriculum. Traditional didactic models are no longer sufficient to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed in the real world. Therefore, competencies such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, learning, and performance enhancement are essential.
 An educational escape room is a game created for pedagogical purposes. It involves clues, logical puzzles, and tasks that a team must solve in a limited time. The game's goal is to escape from a physical room or find a hidden object. A crucial aspect of the game is the development of soft skills.
 The paper presents the authors' own educational escape room game, which was designed to measure collaborative problem-solving competencies among students in higher education. The authors used Guttmann diagrams to analyse students' performance according to their competence level.
 The study provides insights into the methodological possibilities of using educational escape rooms to measure collaborative problem-solving competence among students in higher education. The findings have implications for the design of future educational escape room games and for the development of collaborative problem-solving skills among students in higher education.

Peran Guru Dalam Meningkatkan Motivasi Belajar Siswa Di Era Digital

This research explores the dynamics of teaching and learning in the Digital Era, making a significant contribution to discussions regarding the position of education in facing changing times and the digital era. Through literature research, it was found that learning in the digital era has unique characteristics, especially because today's students are the digital native generation. They were born, grew, and developed in a digital environment, creating differences in the way they obtain information compared to previous generations. Therefore, teachers, as partners in the learning process, need to have the ability to design learning activities that enable students to obtain information effectively in the context of limited time. Learning motivation reflects students' internal drive to achieve learning goals. Motivation has a crucial role in student enthusiasm, and support from teachers is an important supporting factor. Teachers have a role in improving the quality of education by providing motivation to students. The success of the learning process depends on the level of student motivation. To achieve optimal learning outcomes, teachers need to use creativity in motivating students by presenting innovative and creative learning activities.

Strengthening the Image of Islamic Schools Through the AIDA Approach: The Role of Public Relations in Engaging the Community

This research aims to reveal the strategy of public relations in building the image of Madrasah. The research was conducted at Madrasah Aliyah NU 05 Gemuh, using a qualitative approach and triangulation techniques. Data collection was carried out through interviews, observations, and field observations. Sources of informants involved school principals, public relations, teachers, and student parents. The research results show that the public relations manager's strategy in building the Madrasah image involves the "Madrasah Greets" program. This approach involves understanding the internal and external conditions of the Madrasah, which is adopted through the Aida theory. Madrasah Greeting is implemented with steps such as understanding the image of the Madrasah from the perspective of attention, public interest, desire, and action. The next step is the implementation of Madrasah consistency and, finally, the Madrasah control program. The implications of this research are the realization of quality Madrasah capable of meeting the educational needs of the community, improving the quality of public education, making Madrasah a center for innovative and creative learning activities, as well as increasing confidence in the existence of Madrasah and eliminating arguments as a second option.

PENINGKATAN REGULASI MAHASISWA PPG MELALUI AKTIVITAS PENGEMBANGAN PERANGKAT PEMBELAJARAN

The development of learning tools aims to facilitate students to design innovative learning activities by utilizing the results of analysis of problem-based, literacy and HOTS teaching materials. Project-Based Learning is aimed at improving high-level thinking skills, understanding problems and strengthening literacy. This classroom action research describes increasing the regulatory abilities of PPG students in using Project Based Learning (PjBL). This research was carried out in two cycles. The research results show that Project Based Learning (PjBL) model learning through the Learning Management System can improve the regulatory abilities of Teacher Professional Program (PPG) students. In the first cycle, the achievement of indicators of student regulatory success reached the quite good category with a percentage of 71%. In the second cycle of action, PPG students' regulatory abilities increased to the good category with a percentage achievement of 76%. It can be concluded hat self-regulation abilities to increase and be consistent, the implementation of Project Based Learning can be carried out in three cycles and reinforced with various learning topics in the Learning Management System (LMS). This effort is important with a focus on improving aspects of self-regulation capabilities, namely deepening essential questions, strengthening plans and implementation of HOTS-based projects.

Modeling living in the present: a novel learning activity about US military-connected populations and trauma

ABSTRACT Addressing trauma among US military-connected populations can be complex and layered, however, it is imperative to facilitate their wellbeing, functionality, and continued service. Shared trauma is a novel phenomenon among social workers, and may have relevance to the military context. Innovative approaches in social work are necessary to enhance provider’s awareness of addressing shared trauma. We propose an innovative learning activity that incorporates the use of the film, Top Gun: Maverick, to reveal sophisticated understandings about shared trauma among military-connected populations. Since this activity has not been formally tested, educators should assess its impact on practice with military-connected populations.

The impact of hybrid intercultural intervention sprint (HIIS) on developing intercultural competence of adult business learners in Slovenia

This paper presents research about the impact of a hybrid intercultural intervention sprint (HIIS) on the development of intercultural competencies in a group of Slovenian adult learners enrolled in a graduate-level MA business program. The study used a longitudinal design, with quantitative data collected both before N=40 and after N=36 the sprint. The HIIS consisted of innovative hybrid learning activities implemented in the form of inventive case-based learning, that took place January-February 2023. The study utilized the VALUE rubric, a survey instrument that measures attitudes, values, and knowledge related to intercultural competencies, with 14 items on a Likert scale. The longitudinal design of the study allowed for a comparison of intercultural competencies before and after the intervention. The results showed an increase in every category of intercultural competency, including attitudes (openness, curiosity), skills (communication, empathy), and knowledge (worldview and self-awareness): Attitudes increased from 30% to 41.7%, Skills increased from 22.55% to 41.7%, and Knowledge increased from 42.5% to 58.3%. This paper contributes to the existing literature on intercultural competency development and provides original insights with empirical data linked to the effectiveness of an innovative hybrid teaching approach in developing intercultural competencies in the Slovenian context.