Innovative Learning Program Research Articles

Evaluation of Caru Programme: A National Programme Supporting Palliative, End of Life and Bereavement Care in Nursing Homes in Ireland

Abstract Background The aim of the interim evaluation report is to provide the Caru Programme team with information on the impact of the Programme to date and to highlight the outcomes and challenges, whilst reiterating the key aims and objectives of the Programme and the overall evaluation. Methods The evaluation utilities’ a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. A pre-post design of baseline, mid-line and end-line primary data collection is used to measure the overall impact of the programme. Secondary data analysis of participant feedback, workshop evaluations and attendance was completed under the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) framework. Results The education sessions provided were highly valued, with the majority of participants indicating an increase in baseline knowledge after attending a session. There were very high levels of positive experience with 80-99% of participants strongly endorsing the activities and recommending the programme. Participants who attended the Project ECHO and the QI workshops, indicated an intention to change practice; however, at this stage of the evaluation, there is a lack of specific details on what practice or change would be introduced, or indeed, its timeline. This will be measured in the next phase of the evaluation. Conclusion Caru is an innovative continuous learning programme supporting nursing home staff in the delivery of palliative, end-of-life, and bereavement care to residents. The learning components are delivered using a range of approaches, Webinars, Project ECHO online learning, Regional Networks, Quality Improvement Workshops. The interim evaluation report outlines the outcomes from Phase I and the first year of the programme’s delivery. It provides insights into its impact, outcomes, and challenges as well as providing a basis for the next phase of the evaluation. This interim evaluation lays the groundwork for a comprehensive understanding of the Caru Programme model and impact and provides valuable insights into its effectiveness.

Manajemen Kepala Sekolah dalam Meningkatkan Program Pembelajaran Siswa di SD Maarif Jogosari Pandaan Pasuruan

In this research, researchers used a qualitative type of research with a case study approach, with data sources including madrasa heads and other stakeholders. Data collection techniques include interviews, observation and documentation. Meanwhile, the data analysis techniques used consist of data condensation, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of this research are: 1) The management of the principal at SD Maarif Jogosari Pandaan has been running well and according to expectations, this includes planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating or what is usually called POAC (Planning, Organizing, Actuating, Controlling). At the innovative learning program stage, SD Maarif Jogosari Pandaan has two mainstay programs, namely a) Collaboration program with Sahabat Pena, an educational initiative program that involves the exchange of letters between students from different schools. The aim is to improve students' writing and communication skills, broaden their insight into other cultures and environments, and develop empathy and cooperation. b) Manziliyah Program, an educational initiative program that aims to create a learning environment that resembles a family atmosphere at home. This program focuses on developing student character, attitudes and behavior through integrated habituation, coaching and supervision. 2) The obstacles experienced by SD Maarif Jogosari Pandaan in improving learning programs are, a) Lack of socialization and school communication with related parties. b) Lack of support from parents who do not implement these programs at home, such as daily behavioral activities.

IBM Center for Cloud Training Helps Close the Cloud Talent Gap

With technology becoming increasingly critical to business success, the value of training is becoming more apparent. As a result, learning and development (L&D) is playing a larger role in the success of professionals and the corporations that employ them.
 For the IBM Center for Cloud Training (ICCT), the challenge was clear: to close the gap between the numbers of people needed to manage the growing field of Cloud technology and the numbers of people qualified for those jobs. The opportunity and path to success also were clear: ICCT provides its clients with innovative learning programs and award-winning support. ICCT’s efforts have played a significant role in building a worldwide body of qualified professionals trained in the role-based and technical skills necessary to enable one of the fastest growing aspects of computer technology.

From High Discipline Referrals to High-Engagement Classrooms: A Design-Based Approach to Creating a Campus-Wide Culture of Positive Learning Support for At-Risk Student Populations through Transforming Educators’ Instructional Teaming Practices

Instructional leaders in many school districts throughout the United States are increasingly confronted with spiraling numbers of discipline referrals from teachers who are unable to manage the off-task behaviors and discipline infractions of the growing percentages of diverse, academically at-risk students populating their classrooms. Many of these at-risk students, who come from families that are economically disadvantaged and have culturally rich and linguistically diverse backgrounds, have become stigmatized and minoritized by an education system whose curricula are often woefully inadequate in being able to meet the unique social and academic support needs of these diverse learners. This article profiles how one high school principal and his instructional turnaround leadership task force colleagues working in a high diversity urban school district utilized multi-leveled data analysis investigative thinking and innovative professional learning program design strategies derived from the education improvement science literature to implement a comprehensive intervention program for ninth through twelfth grade teams of core content teachers and their instructional supervisors. The specific goals of the intervention program were to: 1) change educators’ entrenched pedagogical thinking and instructional planning mindsets regarding the motivation levels and learning capabilities of the high discipline referral students who regularly engage in off-task disruptive behaviors in their classrooms; and 2) transform teachers’ instructional data teaming practices to better serve the academic learning support needs of the campus’s minoritized students. The design-based approach to instructional improvement employed in the high school case study leveraged the use of multiple cycles of new knowledge and skills acquisition, critical self-reflection, and immersive professional learning to assist educators in exploring how to engage together in authentic data teaming and data analysis–informed differentiated instructional planning to craft high-engagement classroom learning environments and interactive instructional units to effectively address the academic development and support needs of the campus’s diverse, at-risk learners.

Innovative Extracurricular Student Engagement: The Community Problem Solving Challenge

The Community Problem Solving Challenge Program is an innovative extracurricular learning program that engages university students with high school students from inner city, economically distressed neighborhoods to develop entrepreneurial solutions for complex socio-economic problems identified by community leaders. Examples of problems addressed by students in the past include drug use among students and members of the community, the transition of incarcerated population to civil society, food deserts, and mobility. This program overcomes the limitations of the outsider-driven top-down model of community development. In this instance, community “insiders”—the high school students—collaborate with “outsiders”—the university students—to develop entrepreneurial solutions to live problems in their communities. The program illustrates how activities designed using entrepreneurship pedagogy theories can provide engaging, enriching, and effective outcomes. The program benefits all stakeholders participating in it. For example, high school students develop an entrepreneurial mindset, learn entrepreneurship principles by application of frameworks to real-world problems, achieve self-efficacy as they discover that they have agency to transform their communities, and by bringing together community leaders, faculty, college, and high school students the program fosters networks, that according to student feedback, increases the likelihood of the high school participants pursuing a college degree. This paper elaborates on the impact for all stakeholders.

Bridging Learning through the Blink: An Evaluation Research

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted traditional education systems, necessitating the creation of innovative learning programs. This study evaluates the implementation of Berkeley School Baguio’s BLINK (Berkeley’s Link to the Entire Community) program, an initiative developed to address the challenges posed by distance learning. BLINK integrates information technology with innovative pedagogical approaches, structured around four core Integrative Learning Clusters: Social Literacy, Logical Analysis, Wika at Pagpapakatao, and Psychomotor Skills. Through a process-based evaluation model, this quantitative descriptive research analyzes data gathered from senior high school students who participated in the program during the 2022-2023 academic year, and the teachers who implemented the curriculum especially redesigned for the BLINK. The evaluation focuses on four main areas: time management, content alignment, teaching-learning, and evaluation. The study reveals that students generally agreed with the effective implementation of BLINK, highlighting proper time management, coherent content alignment, diverse teaching methods, and appropriate evaluation strategies. However, unique challenges were identified, such as technological issues and difficulties in teaching-learning processes. To address these challenges, the study suggests improvements in automated notifications, mobile-friendly access, and streamlined navigation on the BLINK platform. Additionally, it recommends removing open-note assessments to encourage diligent study habits. This evaluation provides insights for administrators, faculty, and parents to refine BLINK, ensuring it continues to offer meaningful and effective educational experiences in a dynamic learning environment.

Pelatihan Pembuatan Modul Ajar Inovatif Sesuai Tuntutan Kurikulum Merdeka di Desa Serdang

This community service activity aims to train teachers in Serdang village, Beringin sub-district in designing innovative teaching modules according to the demands of the independent curriculum, which will be implemented in October-November 2023 with partners as the principal of SD Negeri 101917 and the head of Serdang village, Beringin sub-district, Deli district. Serdang. The location of the activity was held at the Serdang Village meeting office with a capacity of 80 participants. The results of the activities obtained from observations show that the overall achievement of the goals that have been set appears to be in the "very good" category because the indicator value (I) = 4.603 ≥ which means that the activity implementation process has been carried out well. From the evaluation results of PkM activities, it can also be seen that there is a decrease from the evaluation results during PkM activities to the evaluation results after PkM activities, namely from an average of 90.86% down to an average of 89.79%. From the results of the total average of medium completion and high completion, it shows that the motivation of training participants in developing innovative learning processes, designing innovative learning programs according to the demands of the independent curriculum, innovating teaching modules based on innovative learning models, and becoming professional teachers according to the demands of the independent curriculum has increased.

'Walking-the-talk': How to co-design an innovative and sustainable integrated care learning programme.

Integrated care facilitates better outcomes for patients and their family, health workforce and health and social care systems. Accordingly, integrated care is a global and inherent area of work for health professionals. Despite this, formal learning programmes for workforce development in integrated care are still rare. In this paper, I have shared lessons about developing an innovative and sustainable integrated care learning programme for teachers, practitioners and learners in integrated care discipline. These lessons are drawn from my experience of leading an integrated care specialisation programme (that sits at Australian Qualification Framework Level 9) at a public university in Australia. An integrated care learning programme should be designed with appropriate philosophies (e.g., social constructivism and connected learning) and relevant multidisciplinary content that addresses deficiencies in practices of integrated care. Moreover, the programme should aim for sustainability, through financial feasibility and continuity with offering of creative and effective solutions in integrated care. Similarly, the programme should have a suit of curriculum development and teaching initiatives to promote genuine and collaborative learning. Throughout this learning journey, it would be critical for teachers to engage in 'walking-the-talk', that is, genuinely collaborate with patients, practitioners and students, for successful delivery of an innovative and sustainable learning programme.

Mengembangkan Budaya Mutu Sekolah melalui Kepemimpinan Transformasional di SD Negeri 3 Pengkelak Mas

The development of the quality culture in schools is carried out through the development of innovative learning programs, the development of extracurricular activities, the development of the students' culture and character, and the development of academic and non-academic achievement. The obstacles faced by teachers in implementing the culture quality improvement program are the incomplete understanding of the implementation of the 2013 curriculum. The solution to overcome this matter is that the principal applies transformational leadership with a mentoring approach to the teacher when performing his duties in the classroom. The principal's approach through management approach includes: First, the planning stage by determining the quality target, disseminating the quality target to the school community. Second, the organizing stage involves the establishment of an organizational structure, the delivery of tupoksi, and the delegation of authority. Third, the leadership stages include training teachers, assisting teachers and employees, monitoring teachers in the classroom, motivating, discussing findings, focusing on quality targets and follow-up. Fourth, the monitoring and evaluation stage includes: school programs evaluation. The impact of this action is: First, the original learning process of teacher-centered learning with lecture method turned into a more innovative student-centered learning (PAKEM) with an integrated thematic approach to the scientific model, using various media in the classroom and outside the classroom as well utilizing resource persons from community leaders / DUDI. Second, the initial assessment of the knowledge aspect only changes to an authentic assessment by assessing aspects of attitude, knowledge and skills. Second, the initial assessment of the knowledge aspect only changes to an authentic assessment by assessing aspects of attitude, knowledge and skills. Thirdly, the extracurricular development increased, initially, it was only the scouts, but today the other activities are including music, independent garbage management (PSM), Hadroh Art, Vocal, English, Art, Batik, ICT, Qiroati. Fourth, the development of attitude and character has been entrusted, i.e. religious, discipline, environmental care, and achievement. Fifth, academic and non-academic achievement increased from the district-level championship increased until DIY level and even into national level.

Winds of change: How street‐level bureaucrats actively represent minority clients by influencing majority clients—The context of LGB Israeli teachers

AbstractThe literature dealing with representative bureaucracy emphasizes the role that minority street‐level bureaucrats may play when, directly and indirectly, they actively represent clients with whom they share a common identity. My study goes further, contributing to the implementation literature, by examining why and how these street‐level bureaucrats use their discretion to shape non‐minority clients' attitudes toward minorities. I explore this phenomenon empirically through interviews with 36 Israeli lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teachers. I analyze the traditional methods they routinely adopt, such as exposing students to information about minorities, encouraging open discussions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues in the classroom, and entrepreneurially developing and introducing innovative learning programs. I illustrate how they respond to ad hoc cases (e.g., protecting LGBTQ+ clients or taking advantage of outside events to promote understanding of relevant issues) and the approach of leading by example.

How the Online Learning Assistant Program Supported Course Instructor Wellbeing during a Transition to Remote Teaching

Abstract When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, many leisure studies course instructors were asked to transition from in-person to remote teaching. Such a transition affected course instructors’ wellbeing and, in turn, students’ learning experiences in negative ways. At the same time, many talented work-integrated learning students were without work because of challenges faced by organizations that would typically host students. In response to this situation, the University of Waterloo created the Online Learning Assistant (OLA) Program. The programme hired, trained and mobilized over 300 co-operative education students in support of course instructors’ remote teaching. This case describes the positive impact of the OLA Program on one leisure studies course instructor’s wellbeing during a transition to remote teaching. In partnership with the OLA, the instructor created a supportive remote-learning environment for students that resulted in a remote-teaching award. The case offers an example of an innovative work-integrated learning programme that supported teaching and learning in leisure-related education. Information © CAB International 2022

'Pamoja Tunaweza': A Collaborative Program Model for Global Health Training & Education.

The past two decades have seen unprecedented student demand for global health education through experiential and engaged learning within institutions of higher education in the United States. This demand created a need for innovative institutional partnerships. Since 2007, faculty from Cornell University's Global Health Program and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo) have worked together to design, implement, and evaluate an innovative experiential learning program in global health and development policy. Since its inception, 176 Cornell undergraduates and 188 KCMUCo medical students have successfully engaged in the policy case study collaborative program and course, leading to the development of 75 policy case studies. This long-term partnership between Cornell and KCMUCo has led to an innovative cross-cultural teaching model, funding support, professional presentations for students and faculty, a visiting scholars program at Cornell, and new avenues for research and collaboration. Fifteen years of sustained partnership has required the navigation of several unique and complex challenges, providing the opportunity to reimagine and strengthen this program and partnership. The objective of this article is to share a powerful program model for global health training and education, and discuss the challenges, successes, and lessons learned through this continued collaboration.

Повышение коммуникативно-речевой активности будущего педагога в условиях дистанционного образования

The relevance of the research is due to the low level of communicative-speech activity and communicative skills of future teachers, as well as the lack of elaboration of the problem of interest to us in linguometrics in the conditions of distance and mixed forms of education.
 The purpose of the study is to develop methods that stimulate the communicative and speech activity of students in the system of higher pedagogical education in the conditions of distance and mixed forms of education.
 The leading methods of studying this problem are the analysis and abstracting of scientific literature, generalization of the practical experience of a number of researchers and their own, included observation, which allows us to comprehensively consider the issues of interest to us, pedagogical experiment, which allows us to test on an empirical level the developed elements of the author's methodology.
 Results. The article reveals the concept of "communicative-speech activity", identifies the features of its manifestation, identifies the factors and methods of teaching that affect the formation of communicative-speech activity of future teachers.
 The scientific novelty of the research consists in determining the minimum of speech-related knowledge about communicative speech activity and its types, as well as in developing a methodology for increasing communicative speech activity in the conditions of distance and mixed forms of education.
 Practical significance. The materials of the article are of practical value for future teachers who will be able to increase their own communicative and speech activity; will enable the university teacher and the teacher to more effectively organize work on the formation and improvement of communicative skills and can be taken into account when developing manuals, innovative distance learning programs.

Developing peer mentors’ collaborative and metacognitive skills with a technology-enhanced peer learning program

Learning in the 21st century is influenced by a new paradigm regarding the human relationship with knowledge. The change from knowledge transmission to knowledge construction assumes a central role for the development of 21st century key competencies. Despite this, more evidence is required regarding the impact of active learning approaches on the development of such skills, especially metacognitive and collaborative skills. The present study reports findings on the impact of a technology-enhanced peer learning program on the promotion of upper secondary English as a Foreign Language student mentors’ metacognitive and collaborative skills as well as on how digital technologies (social media, multimedia production and collaborative online tools) contributed to their participation. 47 mentors from three Portuguese K-12 schools integrated the sample. Developed within the scope of Educational Design Research, the study follows a mixed-methods approach and combines quantitative and qualitative data from two self-report measurement tools and a survey by questionnaire. Data were analyzed by means of descriptive and inferential statistics and content analysis. Study findings confirmed that participation in the peer learning program had a positive impact on mentors’ metacognitive awareness and on the development of communication and collaboration skills related competencies - interaction and sharing with technologies, adding new evidence of the effectiveness of an innovative peer learning program design as to the deployment of 21st skills on secondary education. Study findings also indicated that the role of digital technologies was critical to supporting mentors’ collaborative work and interaction with their peers while participating in the program.

The ChallenGE Project: Using Design-Based Research to Determine the Effectiveness of a Design Thinking Approach to Professional Learning in Gifted Education

Using a Design Thinking (DT) approach, the ChallenGE Project in South Australia (SA) was an innovative professional learning (PL) program that was developed, implemented, and researched by three Senior Educational Consultants from the Association of Independent Schools of South Australia (AISSA) and one academic from Flinders University over three years. The aim was to support participating schools (n = 27) to improve outcomes for their highly able learners (HALs). The ChallenGE Design-Based Research (DBR) project developed principles and a framework for contextualised PL in gifted education through an inductive qualitative manual coding analysis of participants’ self-reported learning. This paper, applying the format for reporting DBR studies recommended by Jen et al. (2015) explains the goals and elements of the innovation, the setting within which it was implemented, a description of each phase, the outcomes, and the lessons learned. This research study contributes to an expanded view of effective PL in gifted education using insights gained from a DT approach.

Social Presence in Virtual Professional Learning

Our Participatory Action Research (PAR) study explored the development and facilitation of an innovative virtual maker professional learning (PL) program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included four researchers and educators from a university in southern Ontario. Findings indicate that social presence plays a particularly important role in virtual maker PL for participant engagement and learning. Virtual maker educators may experience moments of isolation, doubt and frustration which can be alleviated by making and learning in a community of practice in order to feel supported and sustained in the process.

Sustainable Methodology for Operational and Formal Digital Skills Acquisition: A Case Study of e-Health Inclusion

This study explains the rationale of a methodology developed by the Universidad Politécnica of Madrid (UPM) group TechPeopleCare as applied to the e-Health Inclusion through ICT Training project partly funded by the European Institute of Technology EIT-Health in 2019. An initial sample of 168 participants with different lifestyles and migrant backgrounds, with high female participation, were recruited in three different countries by three different organisations following strict ethical protocols that limit the data that can be shared. The learning materials were aimed at people lacking the operational and formal skills to use digital media, for example, using a mouse, a keyboard, and navigating the Internet. This learning would enable these cohorts to become beneficiaries of e-Health interventions, such as making a doctor’s appointment, accessing a health record, finding the location of a health centre or the nearest open pharmacy. By the end of the training programme, we found that the motivation to learn was high. The possibility of reviewing learning content at the individual’s pace and without the need of an instructor was appreciated, especially by younger cohorts with migrant backgrounds. A majority reported being satisfied with their learning of the health systems, unique to each country, and willing to learn more regardless of the training method. However, allowing for individual and independent learning “by doing” appears more accessible to suit different lifestyles and more sustainable than traditional computer classes. Since social and digital inequality are intertwined, sustainable and innovative learning programmes in developing countries within communities specifically addressing the acquisition of operational and formal skills are a pre-condition to move forward and bridge the gap of being on the wrong side of the digital divide.

Sustainability of Lesson Study on The Lesson Study for Learning Community (LSLC) Program in Batu City East Java Province

LSLC was an innovative learning program. Much research has been done regarding the implementation of LSLC, but few have focused on its sustainability. This study aimed to discover the sustainability of LSLC in Batu City. This study was a quasi-research using multivariate multidimensional scaling analysis. The population used was all the piloting LS schools and LSLC experts from universities. The results obtained present a good result on the development side of students’ cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Good development was revealed in the dimensions of pedagogic, competence, and commitment. In the subsidy and socio-cultural dimensions, shows unfavorable results and requires serious attention. It can be concluded that the sustainability of LSLC requires special attention to several dimensions. Therefore, various studies that can be focused on that dimension need to be done, so that the right model/solution can be found to ensure the sustainability.

Gateway to Opportunity: A promising summer youth employment model to address local workforce needs

Throughout Maine, employers struggle to find workers with in-demand skills and competencies. Concurrently, work-eligible youth are often unable to find skill-building employment experiences. The Gateway to Opportunity (G2O) program is a comprehensive youth-adult partnership model developed in Portland, Maine, that is designed to address both of these challenges. G2O connects high-school-aged young people with paid, work-based learning projects at Maine-based businesses and nonprofits. The model for this program is based on national best practices and lessons learned from multiple highly successful summer youth employment initiatives led by Brandeis University’s Center for Youth and Communities from 2011 to 2013. This article highlights the development and growth of this program model and explores how innovative work-based learning programs such as G2O are critical for Maine’s workforce and local economy.

Learning for sustainable development through innovation in SMEs

The aim of this article is to investigate different types of innovation companies can develop, the relationship innovation and learning/training, defined as sustainable factors in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). An innovative learning program for SME employees is described, which was developed and tested within a European project. The findings, also as a consequence of the learning program offered to SMEs, prove that SMEs can develop and use innovative training/learning to achieve suitable competences to improve the impact on sustainability in their organizations.