Active Construction Of Knowledge Research Articles

ENGAGING PROSPECTIVE ENGINEERS IN MATH EDUCATION THROUGH ROBOTICS AND KNOWLEDGE BUILDING

Robotics, with its multidisciplinary nature, integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines and is considered a gateway to STEM education. When integrating robotics into teaching activities, most educators employ Competition-Based Learning (CBL) approach. CBL may diminish robotics potential, because competitions may discourage active construction of knowledge and the development of talent by isolating students. This study aims to use robotics to teach math concepts to students. In order to address the concerns regarding competitions, I employ knowledge building pedagogy and technology and explore which approach is more effective for learning: Knowledge Building or Competition Based Learning. The preliminary results show that employing Knowledge Building results in a better outcome, in terms of learning math concepts.

Going immersive in a community of learners? Assessment of design processes in a multi‐setting architecture studio

AbstractFuture learning spaces (FLSs), such as immersive virtual environments, have expanded the architectural studio beyond traditional spaces, offering new affordances for learning communities (LCs) to enculturate design practices. These developments raise a need to assess how different spaces foster intended learning activities. In response, we developed a model to assess the way (LCs) are supported during the design process. Our model aggregates learners' design decisions, along with their physical, virtual and social settings, into units called knowledge construction activities. These are then linked with subsequent units, to create design development graphs. The model was applied to two studio courses that used a conventional classroom and a technology‐enhanced immersive FLS. Analyses show that each space supported different learning activities. Notably, the immersive FLS was shown to support design convergence, considered to be an essential skill. While advancing concepts related to design pedagogy, the model can support additional designers of FLS for (LCs) when integrating multiple spaces. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Future Learning Spaces (FLSs), such as immersive virtual environments (IVEs), have expanded the architectural studio beyond traditional spaces, offering new affordances for design learning communities to enculturate expert design practices. IVEs are known to support spatial perception and enhance design flow, suitable for constructing design knowledge. Studio assessments mostly focus on learners' final outcomes and learner–teacher communication. What this paper adds New knowledge about how an immersive FLS can foster the emergence of design learning communities. An analytical toolkit to measure the way IVEs affect the enculturation of design skills, particularly in divergent and convergent activities. A comprehensive method to map design learning processes and analyze learning progress. Implications for practice and/or policy The educational sector can use this model to evaluate the way technology‐enhanced learning spaces for learning communities meet given educational goals. The education community can use this method as a powerful and efficient tool to design multiple‐setting courses and develop teaching strategies to support learning communities in FLSs.

Entre trilhos e trilhas: relato de experiência da utilização da Aprendizagem Baseada em Problemas em um curso de psicologia

A Aprendizagem Baseada em Problemas (ABP) é um método de ensino-aprendizagem que tem como base a construção ativa do conhecimento por parte do estudante. Implantado em um curso de psicologia na cidade de Salvador/Bahia em 2009, tem gerado reflexões por parte do corpo docente acerca da adequação na sua utilização, consideradas as especificidades dessa área do conhecimento, as adaptações estruturais necessárias ao contexto em que é aplicado e à formação de seu grupo de tutores. Objetiva-se contrapor as regras estabelecidas para sua utilização aos caminhos percorridos ao longo de sete anos de história com o método no referido curso, a partir do relato de experiência de uma das tutoras, decorrente de reflexões acerca da sua prática pedagógica com o método e da sua participação em reuniões institucionais. Conclui-se que a estrutura do método é importante para que se tenha um direcionamento pedagógico, e que adaptações são necessárias ao contexto em que é aplicado. Porém, seu principal objetivo não deve ser desvirtuado, ou seja, o deslocamento subjetivo do estudante para o lugar de construtor do conhecimento.

IGen Digital Learners: Let’s Collaborate via Coggle

The Forth Industrial Revolution emphasizes creativity skill in the demand of 21st century learning: requiring learners to be active and responsive. Therefore, this innovation is a switch from the traditional paper-pencil method to digital based learning; aiming to facilitate students in the primary and secondary schools to collaborate and respond actively by exploring effectively a variety of topics and skills through the pictorial module guidelines. Significantly, the integration of listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar and language arts skills was ignited through fun and creative manners. This study involved 40 primary and 40 secondary participants from Klang, Selangor, Cameron Highlands, Pahang and Ipoh, Perak. The action research data were gathered through pre and post-tests, observations and survey questionnaires. It was evidenced that students were able to collaborate and brainstorm ideas clearly using Coggle. They sustained high level of attention, interest, active participation and engagement throughout the lessons. Observations revealed that students had the ability to expand the digital mind maps from pictures to words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs. It provided technology infused fun learning context which instilled and boosted students’ self-confidence and kindle interest in using English Language communicatively through active knowledge construction. Hence, this innovation can be utilized effectively by educators throughout Malaysia due to its flexible features to enhance English Language learning and teaching.

Significance of Digital Technologies in Teaching and Learning: A Case Study on Finishing School, Griet

Digital technologies in teaching and learning encourage active learning, knowledge construction and exploration and also allow information sharing between teachers and/ or learners at same/different physical locations. GRIET FINISHING SCHOOL(GFS) is unique initiative training program with the motivation that all students with variety of backgrounds like rural/urban, medium of instruction, societal and culture forms will complete their course as per their respective academic calendar and be ready to take up the careers of their choice. The knowledge transformation through digital technology is playing a vital role in achieving our objective. With the help of digital technology GFS is able to create interest towards a course by sharing relevant information and providing proactive support beyond working hours and also witnessing an overall improvement in results. The difficulties that we are facing in this process and the way to overcome such challenges are also mentioned as a part of the study.

Learning pain neuroscience education from the WHOQOL-Bref instrument in the classroom. Case reports

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: During the undergraduate course students have the opportunity to learn and understand health promotion and prevention, quality of life and other concepts, but they rarely learn about health education, let alone pain. Knowing that there are gaps in the training of health professionals regarding pain, and in the use of pedagogical methodologies that encourage the active construction of knowledge, the objective of this study was to provide an experience about the process of understanding pain neuroscience education from an instrument and the role-playing technique in the academic environment of Physiotherapy students. CASE REPORTS: During a Basic Complexity class, Physiotherapy students from the Ceilândia campus of the University of Brasilia were invited to provide care to a fictitious population and develop explanations and lessons about pain and its processes in the human body using the WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire to evaluate the quality of life of the individual and target the care accordingly. CONCLUSION: The experience provided by the simulation of clinical cases was important for the analysis and discussion of challenging issues such as psychological, social and behavioral factors in the health education process in multi and interdisciplinary interventions.

Innovación, tecnologías y educación: las narrativas digitales como estrategias didácticas

La innovación como categoría de análisis en el ámbito educativo, arrastra una herencia y tradición que viene desde el escenario empresarial, que impulsa la idea de mejoramiento de un bien o servicio, que en este caso se traduce en la aplicación de los procesos formativos en la evaluación cuantitativa de los logros académicos. El presente trabajo, propugna la idea de que la innovación tiene que ser replanteada en la educación, considerando que la mejora no se da en la aprobación o desaprobación de los estudiantes, sino más bien en el poder replantear modelos, didácticas y metodologías de enseñanza y aprendizaje de tipo activas, dinámicas y participativas para los estudiantes. Con lo antes expuesto, se presenta a las narrativas digitales como estrategias de aprendizaje innovadoras, que posibilita dar un cambio de modelo educativo unidireccional hacia uno de tipo muldireccional y el campo de la didáctica, estimular procesos de aprendizaje desde una lógica de la activación sistémica de tipo visual, auditivo, sensorial, dando el paso de un proceso de memorización hacia asimilación, comprensión y transferencia del conocimiento hacia los aprendizajes en contextos reales. El caso del storytelling constituye una expresión de narrativas digitales, que se entiende como un sistema de lenguajes visuales, sonoros y que permiten la navegación hipertextual, que en el caso del ámbito educativo se presentan como un arte de contar historias, lo que posibilita generar una educación dinámica, sensorial y abierta, que propone metodologías de aprendizaje activas, de co-creación y construcción del conocimiento de manera colectiva.

Cross-age tutoring: how to promote tutees’ active knowledge-building

Cross-age tutoring is characterised by status and age differences between tutors and tutees. Tutees are often inactive in this setting, because responsibility for effective learning is transferred to the more experienced tutors. This study focused on improving the outcomes of cross-age tutoring for tutees by providing tutors with a tutor training session that emphasised knowledge-building instead of knowledge-telling. The tutors learned to encourage tutees’ autonomy, competence and active knowledge construction. In a quasi-experimental design, an experimental group of 74 tutors, who were 8th-grade secondary school students, received the tutor training in knowledge-building, and a control group of 82 tutors received no training. The students in both groups subsequently tutored 583 3rd-grade primary school students in small groups on elementary aspects of electric circuits. The tutoring process was videotaped and coded. Trained tutors showed more knowledge-building and less knowledge-telling behaviour. In the tutoring interaction with trained tutors, tutees showed more active behaviour and tutors showed more restrained behaviour. Tutees coached by trained tutors reported more experiences of autonomy, competence, and intrinsic motivation and learned more than tutees instructed by untrained tutors. The study showed that cross-age tutoring can be improved by providing tutors with training that focused on knowledge-building.

Play, research work and critical dialogue in teaching: Class teacher experiences

The demands of the modern society have led to changes in the concept of education and to the approach to learning based on active construction of knowledge, the development of divergent thinking, initiative and cooperative behaviour through encouraging reflective practice in all participants in the process of education. This paper reports on the results of a research referring to the implementation, monitoring and reflection of practice, i.e. the analysis of teacher experiences from experimental classes. The aim of the research was to determine the way in which teachers perceive the use of research work, critical dialogue and play in class teaching. Research participants were 12 third- and fourth-grade primary school teachers from Belgrade. Qualitative methodology was used to analyse the data obtained by encouraging reflective practice in teachers. A significant finding is that the change in the approach to learning has created the conditions for motivation, autonomy and self-organisation of students at the group level, in which the teacher plays the role of a mentor and coordinator of activities. Teaching that is organised and conceptualised in this way creates the conditions for students to develop awareness on their own learning through different phases of work, as well as to monitor and manage it. A recommendation for further implementation of the researched approaches and methods refers to providing support to teachers to continuously use these methods of work in teaching and to exchange the ideas and experiences from classes through reflective practice.

The implementation strategy and reflection of constructivism theory in biochemistry teaching

According to the current situation of biochemistry teaching and the theoretical character-istics of constructivism, the necessity and feasibility of applying constructivism to the biochemistry teaching were analyzed. Consequently, the implementation strategies of constructivism theory in the process of bio-chemistry teaching were introduced in detail. Through the reasonable choice of teaching content and the optimal combination of various teaching methods, it was helpful not only to realize the student-centered active construction of knowledge, but also to improve the comprehensive quality of students. At last, we per-formed a dialectical thought on the constructivism theory. In the concrete teaching practice, the different teaching theories should be used rationally and comprehensively based on the actual situation to improve the teaching quality of biochemistry. Key words: Biochemistry; Constructivism; Situational teaching; Inquiry teaching; Autonomous learning

A theoretical application of epistemological oppression to the psychological assessment of special educational needs; concerns and practical implications for anti-oppressive practice

There has been brief but important discussion regarding the concepts of “oppression” and “anti-oppression” in the educational psychology professional practice literature. This article aims to both further and focus this discussion. In particular, the concept of “epistemological oppression” is introduced and the significance it has for the meaning-making and knowledge construction activities of educational psychology practice is explored. A conceptual application of two predominant theories of epistemological oppression, Standpoint Theory and the Three Levels of Epistemological Oppression theory, is made with regard to the psychological assessment of special educational needs (SEN). It is posited that as psychological assessment of SEN is fundamentally an epistemological endeavour these two theories provide a crucial framework through which educational psychologist (EPs) may base reflective practice in order to realise and ameliorate potential oppression. It is concluded that EPs have a responsibility to orient themselves toward the potential for epistemological oppression in their work and help towards its amelioration.

Desafios na escolarização da criança com altas habilidades/superdotação: um estudo de caso

The study investigates self development aspects of a high talented/gifted child in school. It aims at analyzing the meaning about school processes by this child giving priority to the socio-affective self positions’ dynamics and the self conception emerging through the transition to the first grade. It conducts a case study with a six years old gifted boy that also attends a special education program by the Education State Secretary of Federal District, Brazil. The empirical work consisted of observation and interviews with the child, family members and teachers. The analysis design considered dialogical self positions within narratives and discursive interactions. Results show that a high talented/gifted child’s self development goes through shared social experiences and individual meaning in school and family contexts. The child is fascinated by the knowledge construction, enjoys interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary activities. The transition to the elementary school increased the interests in content, but also shows frustration and confusing moods while facing schooling processes. There is a need for integrating projects that acknowledge and fulfill knowledge in its multiplicity in a playful way and by the promotion of social interactions.

The curious case of climate change: Testing a theoretical model of epistemic beliefs, epistemic emotions, and complex learning

We propose a theoretical model linking students' epistemic beliefs, epistemic emotions, learning strategies, and learning outcomes. The model was tested across two studies with 439 post-secondary students from Canada, the United States, and Germany for Study 1, and 56 students from Canada for Study 2. For Study 1, students self-reported their epistemic beliefs about climate change, read four conflicting documents about the causes and consequences of climate change, self-reported their epistemic emotions and learning strategies used to learn the content, and were given an inference verification test to measure learning. Study 2 used the same procedure but added a think aloud protocol to capture self-regulatory processes and emotions as they occurred. Path analyses revealed that epistemic beliefs served as important antecedents to the epistemic emotions students experienced during learning. Students who believed that the justification of knowledge about climate change requires critical evaluation of multiple sources experienced higher levels of enjoyment and curiosity, and lower levels of boredom when confronted with conflicting information. A belief in the complexity of this knowledge was related to lower levels of confusion, anxiety, and boredom. A belief in the uncertainty of this knowledge predicted lower levels of anxiety and frustration, and a belief in the active construction of knowledge predicted lower levels of confusion. Epistemic emotions predicted the types of learning strategies students used to learn the content and mediated relations between epistemic beliefs and learning strategies. Learning strategies predicted learning outcomes and mediated relations between epistemic emotions and learning outcomes. Implications for research on epistemic beliefs, epistemic emotions, and students' self-regulated learning are discussed.

Characteristics of Post Graduate Education Research Mentoring in Universities in Nigeria: Curricular Enhancement Strategies

Globally, the post graduate education landscape simultaneously undergoes rapid and tremendous changes withemphasis on research through equipping students with the necessary skills and knowledge to foster the growth ofindependent, creative and lifelong researchers. Among the resources to facilitate this aim, mentoring plays a vitalrole. This paper investigated the characteristics of research mentoring provided to post-graduate students inuniversities in Southern Nigeria. Two research questions were used. Proportionate stratified sampling technique wasused to select 180 post graduate students for the study. A 27 -item questionnaire was used to collect data which wasanalysed using frequencies and percentages. Findings indicate that research mentoring across institutions wascharacterized by supervisor’s criticisms without providing insights, setting of unrealistic deadlines and expectations,and erosion of students’ self-esteem. Focus on improving technical research skills, communicating high expectations,self-monitoring processes, encouraging active knowledge construction process, widening networks for researchimprovements, and supervisor-supervisee brainstorming were almost lacking. The observed characteristics would notin any way serve as catalysts for research as they are most unlikely to promote quality post graduate research.Recommendations were made to propose curricular enhancement strategies to reinvigorate research mentoring forquality postgraduate research.

How Cognitive Styles Affect the Learning Behaviors of Online Problem-Solving Based Discussion Activity

Cognitive styles play an important role in influencing the learning process, but to date no relevant study has been conducted using lag sequential analysis to assess knowledge construction learning patterns based on different cognitive styles in computer-supported collaborative learning activities in online collaborative discussions. This study applies Pask's cognitive styles (holist–serialist dimension) as the grouping basis for students who performed an online problem-solving based discussion activity to analyze how cognitive styles affect learning behaviors. By using quantitative content analysis and lag sequential analysis, the study attempts to identify the distribution structure of the knowledge construction activities demonstrated by students with different cognitive styles, as well as the sequential pattern of those behaviors. The results suggest that, with respect to the quantitative content analysis, students who are holists demonstrate sharing, comparing, and discovery tendencies while neglecting the negotiation and coconstruction of knowledge. As a result of their preference for sequential discussion behavior patterns, students who are serialists may find they have limited time for subsequent discussions because they often tend to continue the discussion of previous, unresolved topics. With respect to the pattern of knowledge construction behaviors, students grouped as serialists may remain at the stage of communication and integration during discussions, throughout which process such students may bring up different viewpoints for each topic step by step, conduct resolution-oriented discussions, and then come to an understanding. The holist students, on the other hand, lack such sequential discussion behavior patterns and hence require more intensive intervention and instruction from teachers for the purpose of improving the diversity of their knowledge construction behavior.

Engaging preservice primary and preprimary school teachers in digital storytelling for the teaching and learning of mathematics

AbstractA significant criticism made of preservice teacher education is that it fails to prepare teachers in such a way that they would feel confident in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching, despite the assumed digital literacy of student‐teachers and the children they will eventually teach. New technologies have enabled multimodal design and digital storytelling in meaning‐making and communication and are now often instrumental and influential in shaping students' social practices and identities. The purpose of this study was to explore an integrative approach in applying ICT in learning with specific reference to the formation of mathematics teaching capability in preservice teachers. It takes into consideration student‐teachers' lived experiences when introducing ICT supported learning into their classrooms as well as their exposure to related university courses such as educational technology, special didactics of mathematics and mathematics. This paper describes the instructional design framework and assessment criteria for mathematical problem solving and digital storytelling introduced to an ICT course for student‐teachers. Based on the analysis of pre‐ and posttesting of the subjects' capabilities and reports of their perceptions, it is suggested that preservice teachers can efficiently develop their content knowledge in mathematics problem solving and that an integrative approach such as that described here may facilitate both mathematical problem‐solving competences and pedagogical competences for applying digital storytelling in solving mathematical problems. The cohort of preservice teachers had no prior experiences of digital storytelling or multimodal design and perceived them as new practices. Their conceptions changed during the course from the passive recipients to active producers of media content. They demonstrated reflection relative to learning‐by‐design and representation modelling. They perceived digital storytelling as a strategy and means for empowering the “student‐voice” and the active construction of knowledge. The findings of the study contribute to preservice teacher education indicating that an integrated approach of instruction that deploys digital storytelling and multimodal design can help facilitate preservice teachers' pedagogical competencies and mathematical content knowledge.

Moving from research on preservice teachers to co-learning with preservice teachers: Employing website design for knowledge mobilization

This paper outlines a two-phase research project on body image with Canadian preservice teachers. The first phase was mainly quantitative in the form of an online survey sent to 236 preservice teachers to explore their perceived levels of efficacy for teaching about body image and health. The results support earlier findings that teachers, in general, have a low comfort level with teaching body image in its complexity, and those preservice teachers who have ability and experience with sports tend to see body size more simplistically as an area of personal responsibility. Phase 2 of this research was a knowledge mobilization project working with a sub-group of the same preservice teachers. While both research phases involved the preservice teachers, the first phase involved a minimal level of cooperation in the form of data extraction. In comparison, the second phase involved significantly more cooperation with the participants through co-learning and knowledge construction activities. Findings indicate that knowledge mobilization projects can be one form of cooperative research where researchers and practitioners can collaborate in meaningful ways. These findings also illustrate how a co-learning orientation to the knowledge mobilization project promoted knowledge creation and learning for both the researchers and the preservice teachers.

An Ecologic Approach to Chinese Traditional Ethnic Sports Education

This research aims to discuss and explore, from the perspective of Ecologic Education, the ecologic characteristics of the traditional Chinese sports education and the developmental direction of the teaching model of Chinese traditional ethnic sports education under the guide of the view of Ecologic Education. Firstly, this research explores the background of the appearing of the view of Ecologic Education and the basic ideas of Ecologic Education. After that, the writer of this article comes up with the ecologic characteristics particularly embraced in Chinese traditional ethnic sports education. These characteristics or features include the educational aim of pursuing harmony, the developmental model of advocating co-existence, the knowledge view of cultural circumstance, and the interactive and win-win relationship between teachers and students. After the analysis made above, the writer of this article further argues that under the view of Ecologic Education pursuing life education full of spirituality, focusing on the active construction of knowledge and exploring multiple ways of enculturation can be the very direction of the teaching model of Chinese traditional ethnic sports education.

The main aspects of the application of educational technologies in the study process

Rapidly changing economic, social and political conditions, the penetration of new technologies also requires a completely different type of the university lecturers who are innovation-friendly. They must have relevant knowledge and combine didactic technologies and information and communication technologies in order that they would be able to give students an opportunity to study in an innovative and effective way. Taking into consideration that the study process is always based on a certain technology and paying attention to the shift of education paradigms, it can be established that, in the modern study process, it is extremely important to realise precisely today's educational objectives and principles which assist in implementing up-to-date educational technologies. The study is aimed at establishing what most important factors of the application of educational technologies in the process of modern studies are. The study is based on a quantitative research methodology the choice of which was determined by the newness of the analyzed problem. The study shows that the objectives of a subject of studies are always discussed with students, the latter also have an opportunity to set their own individual study objectives, they are continuously kept informed why they study concrete knowledge and what it will be needed for in the future. The creation of an environment favourable to studies is also proved by the fact that the opportunity is given to students to combine the content of their studies of a subject with their own personal experience, interests. The study process is dominated by the study process of the active creation and construction of knowledge .

The Effect of a Case-Based Reasoning Instructional Model on Korean High School Students’ Awareness in Climate Change Unit

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the case-based reasoning instructional model on learning about climate change unit. Results suggest that students showed interest because it allowed them to find the solution to the problem and solve the problem for themselves by analogy from other cases such as crossword puzzles in an aspect of students‟ awareness of the designed model. This means students are motivated to study and the process of selecting and organizing educational content and teaching methods has to focus on students‟ active construction of knowledge. Therefore, the casebased reasoning instructional model can help researchers, teachers, and curriculum developers better understand students‟ process of learning and developing scientific knowledge about climate change.