18 research outputs found
Digital Wet Laboratories: Transforming Biological Science with Engaging Blended Learning and Online Support
No full textEducation policy in South Korea: A contemporary model of human capital accumulation?
No full textWe argue that South Korean families with children are today overinvesting in the level of education due to their high levels of expenditures on private after-school tutoring programs. This situation has evolved due to a combination of factors: a changing labor market, increasing housing and debt payments, as well as an educational 'arms race' among Korean families with children. These changes are exacerbating both economic and social issues in Korean society, but are increasingly difficult to address due to issues of complementarity and coordination failures related to educational expenditures. Korea might be inexorably falling into a surprising 'education trap.
TURKISH PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGH METAPHORS
No full textThe aim of this qualitative study is to examine and interpret Turkish pre-service teachers’ perceptions of social entrepreneurship through metaphors. Answers to the questions “How do pre-service teachers perceive and express social entrepreneurship through metaphors?” and “Under which conceptual categories could the metaphors be collected” were sought accordingly. The study group consisted of 130 pre-service teachers at Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi Ahmet Keleşoğlu Eğitim Fakültesi (Faculty of Education), Konya, Türkiye. Data were collected through semi-structured, individual interviews and were analysed by qualitative content analysis. 66 metaphors in relation to social entrepreneurship were categorized as ‘Personal characteristics’, ‘Social and solidarity characteristics’, ‘Innovative characteristics’, ‘Working, producing and functional characteristics’ and ‘Other’. Additionally, 57 positive features related to How to Become a Social Entrepreneur were classified into 4 categories: "Having Affective Characteristics", "Skills Needed as a Social Entrepreneur", "Social Relations, Social Environment and Team Building", "Entrepreneurial Process Planning and Implementation"
Digital wet laboratories: Transforming biological science with engaging blended learning and online support
No full textUniversity science graduates face unprecedented technological and environmental challenges and are frequently distracted by multiple priorities. To ensure that they can meet current and future workforce needs and have seasoned problem-solving skills, academic staff need to incorporate reality-based learning into courses to engage them in and outside the classroom. A blended learning approach using situated learning was therefore adopted to redesign the curriculum of cell, plant and microbiology courses in a first-year science programme in the School of Applied Sciences at RMIT University (Australia). The new curriculum included (1) constructively aligned online pre-practical class activities and (2) electronic resource packages which enable students to (a) self-help during practical classes and (b) electronically record results of experiments to enable faster assessment and feedback by teaching staff. Some of the lecture content was moved online and this led to a one-third reduction of lecture hours for introductory microbiology. Staff focus groups were held and student perceptions of the new learning environment were evaluated by survey. The findings indicated that (a) gains were related to the engagement of students in higher levels of cognitive processing especially the investigative analyses in real-life scenarios, (b) there was a significant increase in the overall teaching quality scores and (c) there was an increase in achievement of learning outcomes as well as student/staff engagement and satisfaction. In conclusion, digital wet laboratories enabled efficiencies and heightened motivation for both staff and students and mandated the development of many online resources that could be used both in and outside of the face-to-face learning environment
Frugal MOOCs : An Adaptable Contextualized Approach to MOOC Designs for Refugees
No full textThere is a growing body of literature that recognizes the role Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can play in improving access to education globally, and particularly to thousands of people in developing and developed countries. There is increasing concern, however, that the millions of displaced refugee learners throughout Europe, the Middle East, and other regions are still disadvantaged when it comes to engaging in learning through MOOCs. The reasons for this disadvantage range from a lack of appropriate infrastructure or other supporting structures, to a lack of contextualized content. So far, little attention has been paid to contextualized MOOC models, which may both impact policies and be adapted to the specific needs of these learners who often do not have the means to access many education opportunities. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to propose a frugally-engineered MOOC model that addresses the barriers of access and participation for refugees. This paper engages in an exploratory research methodology, using findings from the literature and expert opinions gathered through interviews. These findings lead to the development of what the authors call a Frugal MOOC Model which can be contextualized to meet the needs of refugee learners. The paper goes on to highlight the development of the Frugal MOOC Model as the first phase of an ongoing study. It concludes with recommendations for the next phase of the study: how to implement the newly developed model
Enough of the chit-chat: A comparative analysis of four AI chatbots for calculus and statistics
No full textThis article presents a comparative analysis of four AI chatbots with potential utilization in the fields of mathematics education and statistics, namely ChatGPT, GPT-4, Bard, and LLaMA. Our objective is to evaluate and compare the features, functionalities, and potential applications of these platforms within the domains of calculus and statistics. By examining their strengths and limitations, this study aims to provide insights into the selection and implementation of AI chatbots in calculus and statistics to enhance student learning. The results of the comparative analysis reveal that, while not perfect, GPT-4 outperforms ChatGPT, Bard, and LLaMA as a learning tool in calculus and statistics. Findings also reveal that chatbots may have a positive transformational impact on higher education
New Era of Artificial Intelligence in Education: Towards a Sustainable Multifaceted Revolution
No full textThe recent high performance of ChatGPT on several standardized academic tests has thrust the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) into the mainstream conversation about the future of education. As deep learning is poised to shift the teaching paradigm, it is essential to have a clear understanding of its effects on the current education system to ensure sustainable development and deployment of AI-driven technologies at schools and universities. This research aims to investigate the potential impact of AI on education through review and analysis of the existing literature across three major axes: applications, advantages, and challenges. Our review focuses on the use of artificial intelligence in collaborative teacher–student learning, intelligent tutoring systems, automated assessment, and personalized learning. We also report on the potential negative aspects, ethical issues, and possible future routes for AI implementation in education. Ultimately, we find that the only way forward is to embrace the new technology, while implementing guardrails to prevent its abuse
Promoting Long-lasting Learning Through Instructional Design
No full textPassively listening to a lecture (deWinstanley & Bjork, 2002), skimming a textbook chapter, or googling for an answer to a homework problem is not conducive to deep and lasting high-order learning. At the same time, presenting complex concepts in problem-based classes might overload students’ working memory capacity. Effective student learning necessitates students to process information in their working memories, as well as storing information, facts and skills, in their long-term memories. Students must then be able to retrieve this information into their working memory in the future, in order to apply the information to new situations. That is, students must be able to recognize the characteristics of a future situation or problem and correctly retrieve the appropriate information stored in their long-term memory (Kirschner, Sweller, & Clark, 2006) to tackle the issue. Using the framework of Cognitive Load Theory, this article proposes an instructional model that promotes five strategies for learning and teaching; i.e. spacing, retrieval practice, elaboration, interleaving, and concrete examples, to effectively help students store and retrieve information from their long-term memory
Perceptions of student support professionals (SSPs) during and after the transition to online learning
No full textThis qualitative study explores the perspectives and practices of student support professionals (SSPs) at a higher education institution (HEI) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with a focus on evaluating the effectiveness of their strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a social constructivist framework, this study analyses the insights from online support experiences, focusing on strategies adopted during and sustained after the pandemic. Semi-structured interviews and the analysis of the narratives and perceptions of SSPs revealed themes of convenience, value and support, connection/community, communication, and role confusion. The study sheds light on SSPs’ lived experiences and roles, offering implications for sustaining effective support in hybrid learning environments. Furthermore, the paper proposes recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of professional services support staff in universities, therefore improving the overall student experience. The findings highlight the importance of flexible and responsive support strategies in the context of continually evolving educational environments
