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Power of the Powerless – Fighting the Good Fight Against Double Oppression
Full text linkDouble Oppression (DO) is a phenomenon that encompasses the experience of individuals facing intersecting forms of oppression based on various identities, such as race, gender, sexuality, and class. DO arises from the interconnectedness of societal structures and systems of oppression, with racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and poverty being interrelated factors. Individuals who identify with multiple marginalized identities may face compounded forms of oppression, resulting in distinct experiences and social disadvantages. While the legal response to DO is essential, it poses unique challenges due to its intersectional nature. Law may also perpetuate or exacerbate existing forms of oppression.
This paper argues that legal frameworks and policies must consider the specific needs and experiences of affected individuals and groups. Inadequate consideration of intersectionality can result in insufficient legal remedies that fail to address the complexity of intersecting discrimination. Effective legal strategies require a comprehensive approach that acknowledges the distinct experiences of marginalized communities. This includes ensuring access to legal protections and resources, funding legal aid services, promoting community-based legal advocacy, and addressing systemic barriers to legal resources. Collaboration between legal experts and social justice advocates, as well as ongoing engagement with impacted communities, is crucial in developing tailored legal strategies. This paper advocates for a holistic approach that acknowledges the empowerment of marginalized individuals in their resistance against oppression
What Types of Feedback do Undergraduate Chemistry Students Give Each Other? A Case Study from Singapore
Full text linkThis study was part of a larger project to improve learning of undergraduate chemistry in Singapore through the use of self-authored three-tier multiple-choice questions (3TMCQs) and the giving/receiving of peer feedback. Specifically, we examined the quality of written feedback based on the classification by Hattie and Timperley (2007) that year 2 to 4 learners (N=31) gave each other on responses in their 3TMCQs (N=466 administered). It was found that the most common type of voluntary feedback given by test-makers was task (& self), followed by process (& self), self alone, and lastly regulation (& self) levels over seven chemistry courses. In addition, question type (based on revised Bloom’s Taxonomy) had a marginal effect on the quality of feedback received; instead, items answered incorrectly garnered higher quality feedback and were four times more important than the cognitive level of questions. Feedback quality given by more experienced students was also no better than those given by less experienced ones. While there is growing evidence supporting the self-authoring of questions and giving/receiving peer feedback to enhance learning at undergraduate levels, further research is warranted into the types of peer feedback that learners may receive when attempting different question formats
ACSME 2022 Special Issue – Editorial
Full text linkThe 2022 Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education (ACSME) was finally held in Perth, three years after the original decision was made to bring the conference west. COVID-19 had a massive impact on the tertiary education sector with many of us still feeling the aftershocks of a rapid change to online modes of teaching and learning. The conference organisers were determined to create an in-person conference that so many of us were craving during the COVID years. The theme of the conference was “An Education for All: Accessible, Equitable, Sustainable”. A hybrid conference format was challenging to administer but we were very glad that we took this decision, as it allowed accessibility to those that could not make it to the conference due to funding restrictions or teaching commitments.
The authors in this special issue have presented very different studies on different aspects of STEM tertiary education. Field trips are an important part of the agriculture and earth science disciplines and there is a study on the development of virtual field trips. Laboratories are a major part of any science tertiary education curriculum and there is timely analysis of student grades of wet laboratories on overall failure rate. Finally, the format of meaningful learning for bioscience students and their perceptions of meaningful learning are explored.
The paper by Suresh Krishnasamy, Millicent Smith, Edward Narayan, Ammar Abdul Aziz and Eleanor Hoffman develops and evaluates a virtual field trip for students in agriculture. Field trips are an expensive part of the agriculture curriculum. Moreover, students that have other commitments such as childcare and work often find it hard to take the time to travel the long distances for field trips. Therefore, the development of a virtual field trip can help provide a more sustainable and accessible mode of teaching. Although the students surveyed in this study did not want the virtual field trip to replace the in-person experience, they did have positive reflections. Students reflected that the virtual field trip was an active learning experience, relevant and authentic.
Sheila Doggrell provided analysis of the allocation of marks to wet laboratories and its affect on the academic performance of students in the biochemistry discipline. Students perform well on their laboratory, and this was a moderate predictor of academic performance in the exam. However, further modelling by allocating a higher overall percentage of marks to the exam would cause the failure rate to increase. The allocation of marks to wet laboratories can have a major effect on the percentage of students who pass courses. This paper presents an interesting discussion on the allocation of marks to wet laboratories and potential future implications.
Daniel Andrews, Emile van Lieshout and Bhawana Bhatta Kaudal present an interesting analysis of the results of a survey completed by 321 students to determine which class formats (lectures, workshops, laboratories) and delivery modes (online, face-to-face) they believe maximise opportunities for meaningful learning. As educators try to utilise more online learning, this study provides the student voice on what they value in their education. In-person workshops and laboratory classes were rated highly. Barriers to meaningful learning included a lack of engagement, difficulty in facilitating peer and educator interaction, and a lack of opportunities to confirm understanding.
We hope that you find the papers in this special issue interesting and thought provoking.
References
Andrews, D., van Lieshout, E., & Kaudal, B. B. (2023). How, where, and when do students experience meaningful learning? International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 31(3), 28-45. https://doi.org/10.30722/IJISME.31.03.003
Doggrell, S. A. (2023). Does the proportion of marks for wet laboratories affect the overall mark, grade, and failure rates? International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 31(3), 20-27. https://doi.org/10.30722/IJISME.31.03.002
Krishnasamy, S., Smith, M. R., Narayan, E., Aziz, A. A., & Hoffman, E. W. (2023). Developing virtual field trips for Agriculture. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 31(3), 3-19. https://doi.org/10.30722/IJISME.31.03.00
How much do they really do? Assessing student workload
Full text linkHow much time do we (as educators) expect students to spend studying for a given subject? When designing courses (or units of study), academics often have a clear expectation about what students should do, and how much time students should invest into their studies (Brown-Kramer, 2021). There is some evidence correlating student grades to invested time, and even to the time in the day students study (Young, 1998; Marbouti et al., 2018). However, how realistic are the expectations, how much time do students effectively spend? Are we expecting them to do more (or less) than what they do? If they do less, does this give reason to question the course design and even the validity of achieved grades?
Here, we tried to understand, how much time students effectively invested in a course, how this compared to expectations and how is correlated with final grades.
In a third-year simulated work experience course, we have had students self-report their study effort for the course for every week of the semester. The course is largely based on a group project, with the final grade being moderated by peer evaluation. We have analyzed the submissions and correlated the self-reported time investments with student final grades. At Flinders University, guidelines state that a course (or unit, or topic, worth 4.5 Units) should have approximately 135 hours of student workload. The self-reported study times from the students came, with a few exceptions, nowhere near this value, yet a significant number of students were awarded high grades for the course.
REFERENCES
Brown-Kramer, C. R. (2021). Improving Students’ Study Habits and Course Performance With a “Learning How to Learn” Assignment. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 48–54. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628320959926
Marbouti, F., Shafaat, A., Ulas, J. & Diefes-Dux, H.A. (2018). Relationship Between Time of Class and Student Grades in an Active Learning Course. Journal of Engineering Education, 107, 468-490. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20221
Young, William P. (1998). A Study to Determine the Correlation Between Extra Study Time After School to Grades Earned by Students. OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers, 292
Immersive learning: Enhancing student engagement using 360° photography and unity simulations in undergraduate medical science courses
Full text linkStudent engagement is a crucial factor that can influence both the student learning experience and student success. However, in response to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, learning for tertiary students had been affected as many universities introduced fully online learning. This shift to online learning has had an adverse effect on engagement for many students. Immersive online learning modules, including interactive simulations, have potential to enhance motivation and engagement. This study aimed to compare existing online standard module lessons (2D virtual laboratory spaces) with platforms and conditions that apply immersive virtual learning environments (360o photography and desktop Unity 3D immersive simulations) and evaluate the effects on the student learning experience and performance.
Novel virtual learning environments were created to pilot within a third-year undergraduate pathology course, at the University of New South Wales. The study was conducted using a multimodal approach with two different pathology undergraduate cohorts from 2022 to 2023. Each cohort was randomly divided into two groups to trial a different learning environment. In 2022, we compared an existing online standard module (developed using a HTML platform, H5P) with a 360o laboratory space. In 2023, we compared the existing standard online module with an immersive 3D Unity laboratory simulation. Student engagement and performance was assessed across all learning environments using pre- and post-simulation knowledge/transfer tests, and Qualtrics feedback surveys. Qualitative and quantitative data obtained were used to compare factors such as student motivation, engagement, and confidence within the different learning environments.
In feedback surveys, students reported being engaged and immersed in both the 360o environments and in the 3D Unity simulations. However, students also reported navigation issues within the virtual learning environments in addition to reporting cognitive overload. Quantitative data revealed an increase in performance on knowledge/transfer tests regardless of the learning environment type, but the level of improvement between each group was not significantly different. Further data revealed an overall improvement in understanding of content for all learning environments, but there was a greater increase with the standard module groups. This could be attributed to possible cognitive overload experienced within the new virtual learning environments. As reported in this study, despite the engaging/immersive properties of the 360o/Unity environments, newly developed learning simulations may overload or distract the learner.
Therefore, further work is required on immersive learning environment factors that promote student engagement and motivation. These promoting factors could also be incorporated into face-to-face learning so that key elements for student engagement are aligned in all learning environments
Flipping after a pandemic: A case study
Full text linkThe idea of ‘flipping’ a course, i.e., delivering all content before class time and instead focusing on active learning opportunities, is not a new one. Studies have shown that these classrooms can increase student engagement and performance, while decreasing the required number of face-to-face hours (Karabulut‐Ilgu et al., 2018). However, it has also been shown that students state a lowered preference for these activities, believing they learn better in passive environments (Deslauriers et al., 2019).
This mismatch of student preference and actual performance is particularly important as the COVID-19 pandemic has seen extremely low attendance rates across most science lectures and tutorials worldwide. In this study, the method of content delivery was flipped in a single unit from 3 lectures and one tutorial a week to 1 workshop a week and all content delivered before class time. The laboratory content remained the same. In particular, we used:
lightboard videos made with Mayer’s Multimedia principles (Mayer, 2002) in mind,
a blended online delivery platform with interactive H5P embedded questions,
and full contextualised problem sets with weekly in-class quizzes.
Using a range of questionnaires and student/staff interviews, alongside marks analysis of the cohort, we have found:
1. High attendance rates.
2. Students preferred the new mode.
3. Tutors stated an increase in the ‘level’ of student questions.
4. Marks surprisingly remained the same!
REFERENCES
Deslauriers, L., McCarty, L. S., Miller, K., Callaghan, K., & Kestin, G. (2019). Measuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(39), 19251-19257.
Mayer, R. E. (2002). Multimedia learning. In Psychology of learning and motivation (Vol. 41, pp. 85-139). Academic Press.
Karabulut‐Ilgu, A., Jaramillo Cherrez, N., & Jahren, C. T. (2018). A systematic review of research on the flipped learning method in engineering education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 49(3), 398-411
“Humans not ScienceBots” – the need for acknowledging other ways of knowing in STEM higher education
Full text linkSTEM graduates operate in workplaces and societies reshaped by advancements in AI, interdisciplinary demands, globalisation, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, virtual collaboration, and a constantly evolving ethical and social context. It is evident that in this climate, STEM graduates require not just core technical knowledge and ability, but also wider competencies in cultural and social skills, an appreciation of different knowledge systems, global awareness and an open but critical mindset.
This presentation will “trouble” STEM educators with a call to move beyond the boundaries of disciplinary content in preparing future graduates for the evolving world of the 21st century. The notion of troubling originates from Kumashiro (2002) and refers to “looking beyond the theories and methods that we already know” (p. 9). Most of us who are trained in STEM disciplines are generally socialised into a postpositivist paradigm (Harding, 2006; Boiselle, 2016). Postpositivism assumes that objectivity is possible if one is guided by the scientific method. STEM subjects are dominated by the belief that the Eurocentric scientific method is above all other ways of knowing because it is considered to be objective and neutral (Bhambra et.al., 2018).
We argue that for our STEM graduates to function in workplaces and social contexts of ever-increasing complexity, they need a level of understanding of other knowledge systems alongside the dominant Eurocentric scientific method. While students need to understand and apply the scientific method in their work, they equally need to embrace other ways of knowing to successfully navigate the context of that work, ethically and with cultural and social competency.
Introducing this knowledge and the corresponding critical thinking skills requires us as STEM educators to be open to explore other epistemologies with our students. At present, many of these skills and ideas may be taught in our courses, but students and staff often perceive them as external to the business of doing science. We advocate for reform, with these approaches becoming an integral component of all STEM courses and, as such, articulated as a Threshold Learning Outcome for Australian STEM higher education.
REFERENCES
Bhambra, G. K., Gebrial, D., & Nisancioglu, K. (2018). Decolonising the university. Pluto Press.
Boisselle, L. N. (2016). Decolonizing Science and Science Education in a postcolonial space (Trinidad, a developing Caribbean nation, illustrates). SAGE Open, 6(1), 215824401663525. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016635257
Harding, S. (2006). Science and social inequality: Feminist and postcolonial issues. University of Illinois Press.
Kumashiro, K. K. (2002). Troubling education: Queer activism and antioppressive education. RoutledgeFalmer
The use of augmented reality apps to make laboratories more accessible to people with colour vision deficiencies
Full text linkColour is an important part of how we understand the world around us, from choosing fresh fruit and vegetables to reading traffic lights. Learning and research in science also has a large focus on colour, using colour and colour-based observations to inform experiments and interpret results. For people with a colour blindness, better described as colour vision deficiency (CVD), the colour focus of science can be an implicit barrier to learning or science-based careers. This study first explores the ways in which chemistry experiments can be inaccessible to people with CVD and next assesses tools that could be used to improve the accessibility of laboratories in STEM.
Recognising components of experiments that may prove challenging to CVD participants is a proactive approach to improving CVD accessibility, but they can be difficult to identify. There are several augmented reality (AR) apps available for mobile devices which can simulate CVD vision but no scientific evidence has been shown on their accuracy. During this study, four of these AR CVD simulating apps were evaluated using the Farnsworth D15 hue-based colour vision test results from eleven participants. The best performing CVD simulating app, based on scientific evidence, was then used to evaluate current undergraduate chemistry experiments at The University of Sydney. Of the 24 experiments identified as being potentially challenging for students with CVD, we applied CVD simulation to five chemistry experiments experienced by First Year students.
In the final part of this study, we evaluated the potential of AR apps assisting CVD participants in a laboratory environment. Farnsworth D15 colour test were used again to evaluate colour naming, colour filtering and colour shifting functions of AR CVD assistive apps. These CVD assistive apps were then applied during a live chemistry experiment to evaluate their real-life laboratory applicability. The results of this study will be presented along with recommendations of which apps and practices are best applied to improve the accessibility of STEM laboratories to CVD students
Embedding career climate skills broadly into Australian degrees
Full text linkOne of the emerging barriers to climate action in Australia, and globally, is having enough people with the skills and interest to accelerate decarbonisation across the economy. While universities have a critical role to play in addressing these skills issues, many degrees are not currently geared towards developing a workforce suitably equipped to address climate change. Likewise, building the knowledge and skills necessary to address climate change - including understanding the challenges and opportunities for innovation - are often too narrowly defined or considered. Growing breadth of conception will be key to successfully nurturing future leaders in this regard
Gender analysis of Employment of Mongolia
Full text linkMongolia, one of the world’s youngest democracies, faces ongoing challenges in developing an open, transparent and sustainable economy. The Mongolian economy is still heavily dependent on mining, which remains the country's driving force with a share of almost 24% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Additionally, there remain significant shortcomings in the participation of all population groups, particularly women, in economic and political decision-making processes. This article is based on documentary research and argues for gender equality in employment at the meta (social norms), macro (policies and laws), meso (institutions) and micro (groups) levels. We argue that a holistic gendered analysis of the Mongolian economy is important for the preparation and designing of new opportunities for gender equality