Reimagining Non-Formal Science Education: A Case of Ecojustice-Oriented Citizenship Education

Abstract

 This article presents a study of youth participating in a program that engages in a form of ecojustice education, addressing social inequities, along with science-linked concepts, through a localized and culturally oriented food-based curriculum. A community-based food justice organization provides a rich space for encountering and examining the intersection of science education and citizenship education. Analyses of qualitative data indicate that youth became oriented toward activism as they accommodated new identities in experiencing the edible dynamic. This ethnographic study contributes to literature on the complexity of local and global issues, highlighting the value of place-based education toward increased social justice in society.     

基于腾讯云的在线教育系统设计与实现

在信息化社会环境下,伴随着云计算技术和移动互联网的使用范围越来越广,移动学习（M-Learning）作为一 种新的学习方式应运而生。基于此,本文利用移动应用和云计算技术开发了基于腾讯云的在线教育系统。通过对当前智慧校 园建设和移动学习内涵和特点的分析,确定采用Java EE开发技术和腾讯云技术。系统使用MySQL数据库,开发基于MVC模 式实现,完成了课程资源发布、在线学习等基本功能。     

Flexibilizing and Customizing Education using Inverted Classroom Model

ABSTRACT

Traditional academic teaching can be transformed and enhanced by the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) implemented in suitable didactical frameworks. The “inverted” or “flipped” classroom model can create diverse learning opportunities for heterogenic learning needs. Within a multicase study approach the research on two teaching projects at two German higher education institutions was conducted that provided an insight into students’ opinions toward the inverted classroom model.     

Exploring e-mentoring: co-designing & un-platforming

ABSTRACT

The underrepresentation of women in the STEM workforce is a global issue. In Saudi Arabia, women constitute 48% of undergraduates in STEM, but their participation in STEM careers remains particularly low. We explored the current state of e-mentoring, and the potential for co-designing to enhance e-mentoring experiences for youth in the Saudi context. We report on how we sought to understand the opportunities, barriers and requirements of e-mentoring for young women in Saudi Arabia through (1) the application of a traditional programme of STEM e-mentoring, (2) workshops on the redesign of e-mentoring, and (3) a co-design activity as the first phase of an alternative e-mentoring process. The study demonstrated that the traits of the participants’ generation had a major effect on the findings; more so than cultural norms. This means that the findings have wider implications than just within the Saudi context. We identify a number of recommendations for designing e-mentoring programmes for young women and teenagers, including un-platforming traditional approaches to e-mentoring and the inclusion of co-design activities as a first step in the e-mentoring process.     

Solution Spaces of Multiple-Solution Connecting Tasks as a Mirror of the Development of Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge

Abstract

This study aims to deepen our understanding of the development of teacher knowledge in systematic (through learning) and craft (through teaching) modes. The main research tools of this study were multiple-solution connecting tasks. We used the notion of solution spaces to analyze the data and demonstrated that modifications of the teachers’ solution spaces were situated in their practices of varying types. We found that the implementation of multiple-solution connecting tasks in systematic mode meaningfully developed teachers’ problem-solving performance due not only to the reproduction of solutions offered during the course but to the production of new solutions. Furthermore, in creating opportunities for students to solve tasks with multiple solutions, teachers expanded their personal solution spaces. We conclude that the combining of systematic and craft modes is an optimal condition for the development of teachers’ knowledge.     

Parental perspectives on children’s use of portable digital devices

Small portable digital devices (PDDs) – tablets and smartphones – are becoming increasingly popular among children at early ages. In this qualitative study, we applied the theoretical frameworks of self-efficacy and othermothering to examine the perspectives of parents from rural areas regarding the role of PDDs in children of early and primary education age (4–7 years old). We conducted in-depth interviews with parents, observed children at home, and collected artefacts related to children’s PDDs use to capture daily habits, experiences, and attitudes from different angles. Data revealed that parents supported PDDs as entertainment and learning tools. Parents reported improvements in dexterity, memory, attention, and linguistic and mathematical skills, and believed that PDDs positively affect children’s cognitive development. During observations, children exhibited versatility and skill with app navigation for entertainment and educational purposes. Children completed tasks in an independent and efficacious manner that reinforced engagement. Parents seemed to unconsciously transfer to PDDs a cognitive and social role that created another parenting modality as in othermothering. Parents, meanwhile, appeared concerned with uncontrolled overuse of PDDs by children. These findings suggest that parents from rural areas view PDDs as tools that pose opportunities and challenges for entertainment and learning.     

Categorization of risk factors for distributed agile projects

ContextOrganizations combine agile approach and Distributed Software Development (DSD) in order to develop better quality software solutions in lesser time and cost. It helps to reap the benefits of both agile and distributed development but pose significant challenges and risks. Relatively scanty evidence of research on the risks prevailing in distributed agile development (DAD) has motivated this study.ObjectiveThis paper aims at creating a comprehensive set of risk factors that affect the performance of distributed agile development projects and identifies the risk management methods which are frequently used in practice for controlling those risks.MethodThe study is an exploration of practitioners’ experience using constant comparison method for analyzing in-depth interviews of thirteen practitioners and work documents of twenty-eight projects from thirteen different information technology (IT) organizations. The field experience was supported by extensive research literature on risk management in traditional, agile and distributed development.ResultsAnalysis of qualitative data from interviews and project work documents resulted into categorization of forty-five DAD risk factors grouped under five core risk categories. The risk categories were mapped to Leavitt’s model of organizational change for facilitating the implementation of results in real world. The risk factors could be attributed to the conflicting properties of DSD and agile development. Besides that, some new risk factors have been experienced by practitioners and need further exploration as their understanding will help the practitioners to act on time.ConclusionOrganizations are adopting DAD for developing solutions that caters to the changing business needs, while utilizing the global talent. Conflicting properties of DSD and agile approach pose several risks for DAD. This study gives a comprehensive categorization of the risks faced by the practitioners in managing DAD projects and presents frequently used methods to reduce their impact. The work fills the yawning research void in this field.     

The Impact of Differentiated Instructional Materials on English Language Learner (ELL) Students’ Comprehension of Science Laboratory Tasks

Abstract

Through a qualitative research design, this article investigates the impacts of differentiated laboratory instructional materials on English language learners’ (ELLs) laboratory task comprehension. The factors affecting ELLs’ science learning experiences are further explored. Data analysis reveals a greater degree of laboratory task comprehension when utilizing language-modified and visually modified laboratory instructional materials. The findings suggest the further development of linguistically appropriate science course materials. This study also indicates that teachers must consider the sociopsychological influences affecting the individual ELL in order to better facilitate science learning.     

Big data and sentiment analysis to highlight decision behaviours: a case study for student population

ABSTRACT

Starting from the assumption that the factors orienting University choice are heterogeneous and multidimensional, the study explores student’s motivations in higher education. To this aim, a big data analysis has been performed through ‘TalkWalker’, a tool based on the algorithms developed in the context of Social Data Intelligence, which allows understanding the sentiment of a group of people regarding a specific theme. The data have been extracted by drawing on published posts from anywhere in the world over a 12-month period from many online sources. According to the findings, the main variable capable of influencing the choice of University is training offer, followed by physical structure, work opportunities, prestige, affordability, communication, organisation, environmental sustainability. The study establishes an innovative research agenda for further studies by proposing the elaboration of a systems and process-based view for higher education. However, it presents the limitation of the superficial investigation, determined by the analysis of a large amount of data. Therefore, for future research, it might be appropriate to apply a different technique to realise a comparison and to check whether the size of the considered sample and the depth of the analysis technique can affect the results and the consequent considerations.     

From Writing to Doing: The Challenges of Implementing Integration (and Interdisciplinarity) in the Teaching of Mathematics,Sciences, and Technology

Abstract

This text offers an educational perspective on the challenges surrounding the implementation of integration (and interdisciplinarity) of mathematics and sciences and technology (M-S&T) in education and in the initial training of secondary school teachers. We find that the core nature of scientific and school disciplines in initial teacher training and in youth education needs to be redefined. This study is partly based on our past and present research on the teaching and learning of M-S&T. The main results show that the challenges of integration (and interdisciplinarity) are multiple mainly because of strongly established academic traditions in teacher training and also because of other variables explored in this text. Even though progress was made in the way didactics classes are taught in universities, much remains to be done. We will conclude with four avenues of future study and research development considering that M-S&T have very similar program contents.     

Towards an integrated learning analytics framework for quality perceptions in higher education: a 3-tier content,process, engagement model for key performance indicators

ABSTRACT

The integration of quality in Higher Education is multidimensional. Higher Education administration, programs, procedures and evaluation provide the context for the application and diffusion of quality metrics. Our research intends to provide a holistic discussion on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to quality in Higher Education. The analysis of recent literature resulted in the construction of two research tools. The first one is related to a structured agenda for a qualitative interview targeted at Higher Education administrators. The second is related to a quantitative research model that analyses the relations of various quality factors. We provide a mapping of quality perceptions as discussed in previous work and we construct a theoretical model for the affordances of scholars to this perception. The research design includes interviews with academic administrators and teaching staff involved in the creation of academic programmes and courses. The main contribution is an analytic discussion of their perceptions about quality that updates significantly contemporary literature in interesting dimensions. Three-dimensional value space with twenty factors is presented. The outcomes of this research work are used as input for our quantitative study. In fact, a list of 20 quality factors is exploited in three main dimensions of learning analytics namely: content, process and engagement. Key Performance Indicators are highlighted for further investigation.     

The Design and Assessment of a Proposed Library Training Unit for Education Graduate Students

This article presents the design and assessment of a proposed library training unit for education graduate students. A literature review of graduate students’ information-seeking behavior and training initiatives supports the selection of the course content as well as the assessment of student learning. In addition, research on behaviorist and constructivist learning theories and related instructional design strategies directed the development of the learning environment. The proposal represents a collaborative effort between an institution's librarian and a department faculty member in a required Ethics and Laws in Education class for beginning students. The objectives for the pilot project were to teach students how to use scholarly resources, to mirror the Association of College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) Information Literacy Competencies, and to include hands-on database demonstrations as well as inquiry-based learning exercises. The learning environment supports students’ diverse learning styles and offers opportunities to utilize technology, underscoring its importance to information use and especially to libraries in the digital era.     

移动学习理论研究与实践

本文通过对移动学习(M-Learning)理论的研究,分析了移动学习与其理论基础之间的承接关系,探讨了如何在移动学习中对各种理论基础进行延伸和拓展,并在此基础上对移动学习系统进行了设计与实现。     

Impact of physical ambiance on communication,collaboration and coordination in agile software development: An empirical evaluation

ContextCommunication, collaboration and coordination are key enablers of software development and even more so in agile methods. The physical environment of the workspace plays a significant role in effective communication, collaboration, and coordination among people while developing software.ObjectiveIn this paper, we have studied and further evaluated empirically the effect of different constituents of physical environment on communication, coordination, and collaboration, respectively. The study aims to provide a guideline for prospective agile software developers.MethodA survey was conducted among software developers at a software development organization. To collect data, a survey was carried out along with observations, and interviews.ResultsIt has been found that half cubicles are ‘very effective’ for the frequency of communication. Further, half cubicles were discovered ‘effective’ but not ‘very effective’ for the quality/effectiveness of communication. It is found that half-height cubicles and status boards are ‘very effective’ for the coordination among team members according to the survey. Communal/discussion space is found to be ‘effective’ but not ‘very effective’ for coordination among team members. Our analysis also reveals that half-height glass barriers are ‘very effective’ during the individuals problem-solving activities while working together as a team. Infact, such a physically open environment appears to improve communication, coordination, and collaboration.ConclusionAccording to this study, an open working environment with only half-height glass barriers and communal space plays a major role in communication among team members. The presence of status boards significantly help in reducing unnecessary communication by providing the required information to individuals and therefore, in turn reduce distractions a team member may confront in their absence. As communication plays a significant role in improving coordination and collaboration, it is not surprising to find the effect of open working environment and status boards in improving coordination and collaboration. An open working environment increases the awareness among software developers e.g. who is doing what, what is on the agenda, what is taking place, etc. That in turn, improves coordination among them. A communal/discussion space helps in collaboration immensely.     

The effect of governance on global software development: An empirical research in transactive memory systems

ContextThe way global software development (GSD) activities are managed impacts knowledge transactions between team members. The first is captured in governance decisions, and the latter in a transactive memory system (TMS), a shared cognitive system for encoding, storing and retrieving knowledge between members of a group.ObjectiveWe seek to identify how different governance decisions (such as business strategy, team configuration, task allocation) affect the structure of transactive memory systems as well as the processes developed within those systems.MethodWe use both a quantitative and a qualitative approach. We collect quantitative data through an online survey to identify transactive memory systems. We analyze transactive memory structures using social network analysis techniques and we build a latent variable model to measure transactive memory processes. We further support and triangulate our results by means of interviews, which also help us examine the GSD governance modes of the participating projects. We analyze governance modes, as set of decisions based on three aspects; business strategy, team structure and composition, and task allocation.ResultsOur results suggest that different governance decisions have a different impact on transactive memory systems. Offshore insourcing as a business strategy, for instance, creates tightly-connected clusters, which in turn leads to better developed transactive memory processes. We also find that within the composition and structure of GSD teams, there are boundary spanners (formal or informal) who have a better overview of the network’s activities and become central members within their network. An interesting mapping between task allocation and the composition of the network core suggests that the way tasks are allocated among distributed teams is an indicator of where expertise resides.ConclusionWe present an analytical method to examine GSD governance decisions and their effect on transactive memory systems. Our method can be used from both practitioners and researchers as a “cause and effect” tool for improving collaboration of global software teams.     

Copyright and the Delivery of Library Services to Distance Learners

SUMMARY

Library service for distance education necessitates knowledge of important new regulations that were enforced by recent amendments to copyright law. This article begins with an overview of the copyright law of 1976 related to nonprofit educational institutions. Then the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998 and the Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH Act) of 2002 are discussed. These acts, which amended the Copyright Act of 1976, require more rigorous measures by nonprofit educational institutions to ensure compliance. The article concludes with how to avoid copyright infringement and the necessity to educate library personnel about copyright law.     

How to mitigate the significant negative influence of computer anxiety on ease of use perceptions

Contemporary research into virtual learning embraces the concept that the constraints of time and place of study are eliminated. The potential market it could therefore encapsulate is phenomenal and the subsequent changes that threaten to ricochet through the higher education sector can be described as evolutionary. Whilst concurrently being an incredibly exciting prospect for future learners, online learning is also making the traditional 'bricks and mortar' higher education establishment extremely uneasy, arousing fears of global competition, which would evoke a need for transformational change. The UK has embraced technology to support virtual learning across the whole tertiary education sector. There is an implicit assumption that the provision of systems to support remote, independent learners will provide learner-centred environments for all to access. This may not be the case as evidenced by O'Donoghue et al . (2001), amongst others. This paper aims to examine the possible metamorphosis of the organizational structure of the higher education system, and the methods university administrators and lecturers will need to use to adapt to this. Through considering the impact on students, an analysis will be made of the extent of the threat that distance learning imposes on the traditional campus. The work centres on the UK experience, but draws heavily on the opportunities, threats and promises of globalize learning paradigms.     

Presence in personalised e-learning – the impact of cognitive and emotional factors and the moderating role of gender

ABSTRACT

Digital technologies offer tremendous opportunities to develop flexible and personalised e-learning environments which are capable of delivering high-quality services. The success of these e-learning environments is linked to their ability to elicit subjective experiences of presence, through which e-learners feel individually ‘placed’ within a true, humanised education environment. We built an integrated model that situates cognitive processes (the e-learner’s perceived control, focused attention, mental imagery) and emotion at the core of presence formation, and considers the moderating role of gender. We tested the model with a large sample of students at a personalised e-learning environment. The results indicate that cognitive and emotional processes, all unleashed by external stimuli coming from the personalised e-learning environment, activate presence and that gender has a crucial moderating role for emotion-presence predictions.     

Higher education in Brazil: an exploratory study based on supply and demand conditions

This paper aims to assess the context of Brazilian higher education institutions, its undergraduate courses and students, comparing their supply and demand conditions. It adopts a three-phase methodological approach: first, an inductive and exploratory step through the longitudinal analysis of data provided by the Brazilian Census of Higher Education, between the years of 2008 and 2014 and the Demographic Census of 2010; second, an analysis between the most important variables identified in the exploratory study (step 1) and its influence on the undergraduate courses’ perceived quality through the General Index of Evaluated Courses, which is responsible for the evaluation of all higher education institutions (HEIs) in Brazil; third, a comparison to other countries is performed, based on the 2015–2016 OECD Education Indicators. Its contribution shall enable HEIs to identify future trends concerning its sustainability conditions, providing subsidies for strategic information. It concludes that offer conditions are diverse, and that, especially in Brazil, demand is increasingly limited for the population considered ideal for undergraduate courses. Also, the expansion of students’ enrollment during the period was desirable and was intertwined with the diversification of higher education establishments and the diversity of programs, due to the national higher education policy system. However, this increasing diversity of HEIs and courses, contrary to what some authors (Teichler in High Educ 56(3):349–379, 1) propose, does not represent an improvement in the number of undergraduate students in Higher Education as most of the students do not conclude their studies.     

The role of a location-based city exploration game in digital placemaking

ABSTRACT

Many digital technologies, such as social media, community systems, and public displays, have been studied to explore how people engage with each other in their community. Yet little is known about how one form of technology, location-based games (LBGs), can support urban residents in community awareness, city exploration, and placemaking as they navigate spaces and places in their cities. To explore this topic, we investigated the challenges urban residents faced in finding information about their community along a transit network. We then designed, developed, and evaluated an LBG called City Explorer that supports city exploration using gamification and the viewing and sharing of community information. We found that residents valued the fun, competition, and rewards afforded through play in public spaces, creating opportunities for placemaking through location services and knowledge sharing. Players also wanted additional knowledge about their transit commutes, including data about the frequency and routines of their transit rides. Collectively, such ridership data offers potential for smart city initiatives and illustrates that careful design considerations are required to balance people’s needs for play, personal data, privacy, and community information acquisition.