1,720,975 research outputs found
Translations of industry-based student learning and academic performances
No full textWe hypothesized that Industry based learning and teaching, especially through industry assigned student projects or training programs, is an integral part of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. In this paper we show that industry-based student training and experience increases students’ academic performances independent to the organizational parameters and contexts.\ud
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The literature on industry-based student training focuses on employability and the industry dimension, and neglects in many ways the academic dimension. We observed that the association factors between academic attributes and contributions of industry-based student training are central and vital to the technological learning experiences.\ud
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We explore international initiatives and statistics collected of student projects in two categories: Industry based learning performances and on campus performances. The data collected were correlated to five (5) universities in different industrialized countries, e.g., Australia N=545, Norway N=279, Germany N=74, France N=107 and Spain N=802 respectively.\ud
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We analyzed industry-based student training along with company assigned student projects compared with in comparisons to campus performance. The data that suggests a strong correlation between industry-based student training per se and improved performance profiles or increasing motivation shows that industry-based student training increases student academic performance independent of organizational parameters and contexts. The programs we augmented were orthogonal to each other however, the trend of the students’ academic performances are identical. An isolated cohort for the reported countries that opposed our hypothesis warrants further investigation
Transformation in educational practices through STEM
No full textThe need for strong science, technology and innovation linkages between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and industries is a pivotal point for middle-income countries in their endeavor to enhance human capital in socioeconomic development. Currently, the University-Industry partnerships are at an infant stage in Sri Lankan higher education context. Technological maturity and effective communication skills are contributing factors for an efficient graduate profile. Also, expanding internship programs in particular for STEM disciplines provide work experience to students that would strengthen the relevance of higher education programs.\ud
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This study reports historical overviews and current trends in STEM education in Sri Lanka. Emphasis will be drawn to recent technological and higher education curricular reforms.\ud
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Data from the last 10 years were extracted from the higher education sector and Ministry of Higher Education Policy portfolios. Associations and trend analysis of the sector growth were compared with STEM existence, merger and predicted augmentations.\ud
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Results were depicted and summarised based on STEM streams and disciplines. It was observed that the trend of STEM augmentation in the Sri Lankan Higher Education context is growing at a slow but steady pace. Further analysis with other sectors in particular, Industry information, would be useful and a worthwhile exercise
STEM education for sustainable development : a sociotechnical analysis
No full textIt is debated that for sustainable STEM education and knowledge investment, human centered learning design approach is critical and important. Sustainability in this context is enduring maintenance of technological trajectories for productive economical and social interactions by demonstrating life critical scenarios through life critical system development and life experiences. Technology influences way of life and the learning and teaching process. Social software application development is more than learning of how to program a software application and extracting information from the Internet. Hence, our research challenge is, how do we attract learners to STEM social software application development?\ud
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Our realisation processes begin with comparing Science and Technology education in developed (e.g., Australia) and developing (e.g., Sri Lanka) countries with distinction on final year undergraduates’ industry ready training programmes. Principal components analysis was performed to separate patterns of important factors. To measure behavioural intention of perceived usefulness and attitudes of the training, the measurement model was analysed to test its validity and reliability using partial least square (PLS) analysis of structural equation modelling (SEM).\ud
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Our observation is that the relationship is more complex than we argue for. Our initial conclusions were that life critical system development and life experience trajectories as determinant factors while technological influences were unavoidable. A further investigation should involve correlations between human centered learning design approach and economical development in the long run
Does usability engineering matters for STEM education?
No full textTechnological maturity and the exponential growth of digital applications are contributing to lifestyle changes worldwide. Consequently, learning and teaching is demanding more effective sociotechnical interactions involving emerging technologies, as opposed to traditional, conventional face-to-face learning and teaching approaches. In this context, usability engineering is making significant contributions for improving computer and distance-based learning, both for learners and instructors, which have often been ignored when designing online learning and teaching applications. Usability testing is a central part of the human centered learning approach for developing sustainable STEM education from the socio-technological perspective.\ud
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Our experiences with usability engineering and the impact of teaching low-cost rapid usability testing methods on knowledge translation from undergraduate to graduate courses to real-world practice (i.e. getting the methods out there in real use) are diverse and multi-modal. Our sample space has been hundreds of trained students who have learned how to do effective usability engineering in real-world situations at higher levels of realism (i.e. fidelity) and at a much lower cost than using traditional fixed usability labs. Furthermore, this low-cost rapid approach to usability engineering has been adopted by many of our graduates who are now managers, CIOs etc and who are using the methods routinely in their organizations in real world applications and scenarios. This knowledge has been used to improve design and implementation of a wide range of applications, including applications designed for teaching and learning
Urban youth sustainability leaders’ leadership competencies in engaging transformative social innovative solutions for local wicked problems
No full textThe complex and wicked problems of our uncertain and changing world has necessitated a need for education to foster awareness of the consequences of the global trends and equip youth with key leadership competencies to navigate and tackle the challenges. This requires inquiry into what urban youth consider to be critical in terms of their response to unfolding wicked problems. This study investigated how urban youth sustainability leaders engaged in mobilizing local efforts to generate solutions to local wicked problems, and the leadership competencies they deployed to mobilize creativity for innovative solutions. The study was guided by the following three key questions: 1) What is the nature of wicked problems which urban youth sustainability leaders in north and south global contexts engage to create socially innovative sustainability-oriented solutions? 2) What are the leadership values, skills and knowledge that manifest during the process of social innovation used in solving these wicked problems? 3) How do analyses from this study, inform, and extend our understandings and practices regrading sustainability education?
Investigation of these questions employed principles of interpretive phenomenological methodology, with interviews being the key source of data. Select groups of urban youth sustainability leaders from Global North (Vancouver, Canada) and South (Delhi, India) were interviewed about the nature of wicked problems in their locality and how they went about mobilizing efforts to create locally based social innovative solutions. Analysis of the data corpus revealed that the nature of wicked problems was seen as systemic, complex, intersectional, political, and dynamic. The results include a set of 15 key competencies needed throughout the process of sustainability social innovation that urban youth sustainability leaders employed, and deemed necessary, to solve the local wicked problems.
Grounded in Transformative Learning Theory and informed by the data corpus, this study’s analysis proposes a Transformative Sustainability Learning (TSL) model for sustainability competence development in youth. The model situates self-transformation as a central tenet for social transformation and is reinforced by three methods that are critical to cultivating the competencies often needed for the complex and wicked sustainability challenges – values clarification, discourse, and reflection.Education, Faculty ofCurriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department ofGraduat
Effect of computer simulations on female students' motivation for and engagement with physics learning : a case of secondary schools in Tanzania
No full textThe purpose of the study was to examine the effect of computer simulations on female students' motivation for and engagement with physics learning in Tanzanian secondary schools (Form 2, grade 10). The case study design was based on interpretive mixed methods (n=265, 154 male, 111 female). The students’ views before and after the computer simulations were elicited by completing an adapted Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence towards Motivation in Learning Science (SSSC-MLS) instrument. The six teachers whose students participated in the study were interviewed along with a sample of students (n=48) at pre-and post-simulation intervals. Both female students’ and teachers’ initial anticipations for the new approach affected engagement and heightened task value, hence motivation to learn. Quantitative Factor Analysis was employed to identify components that best explored pre- and post-simulation views/perceptions (n=265). Four key factors or themes were found: 1) Satisfaction and confidence in computer simulation as a technology for learning; 2) Fear of performing physics tasks due to traditional approaches to teaching/learning; 3) Individual perceptions and values in learning physics; and 4) Using active strategies in learning physics concepts. Qualitative Thematic analysis was employed to identify effects of the simulations. Four themes emerged: 1) Computer simulations enhance confidence in females’ learning; 2) Perceptions influence females’ learning; 3) Relevance improves understanding; and 4) Motivation and engagement improve learning. Findings from this study show that female students were satisfied with the simulations since they were able engage in various interactive ways including experimenting, problem solving, analyzing and interpreting results, and reporting findings to understand physics concepts. Findings also indicate that employing computer simulation does not guarantee canonical knowledge construction among students if the teachers’ understanding of how female students’ socio-cultural background might shape their learning experience is inadequate or limited. Recommendations include: 1) Focusing on all students’ (not only females’) learning outcomes following a simulation approach for all science subjects at the Form 2 level; and 2) Extend Eccles’ (2007, 2008) work and conduct further research on parents’ familial beliefs and influences on achievement and motivation for female learners in STEM disciplines in Tanzania and other Sub-Saharan countries.
Education, Faculty ofCurriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department ofGraduat
Secondary science teachers' views on climate change education in British Columbia
No full textAs effects of climate change continue to manifest in serious impacts on human and non-human health and well-being globally, there is the urgent need for research into this climate crisis through an education lens. This necessarily implicates how teachers understand the issues involving climate change and the nature of climate change discourses in which they engage their students. Hence this study investigated secondary school science teachers’ views on climate change and how it is framed or should be framed within secondary school science curriculum and instruction. Investigating science teachers’ views is very important due to the fact that climate change is not sufficiently addressed in many secondary school science curricula and especially in the British Columbia Ministry of Education curriculum. Thus, by employing a qualitative interview method approach, six practising BC secondary science teachers were recruited to participate in a study that sought their views on climate change through a series of semi-structured interviews. The interview data were analysed resulting in key themes that characterised the teachers’ understanding of climate change and related issues and how they taught it. The key themes included: 1) participating teachers’ perspectives on climate change as shaped by their own experiences, their students and society; 2) participating teachers’ assessment of the current BC secondary science curriculum to be lacking on the methodology to teach and structure climate change content; 3) participating teachers’ views that enhancing student experiential and propositional knowledge on climate is the best way to effect change; and 4) participating teachers’ views that climate change topic is best understood by the students when it is taught through place-based pedagogies with an interdisciplinary approach of which science is a part.
The study’s findings have implications on how climate change topic and discourses can be framed in the local BC curricula including secondary school science curriculum and instruction.Education, Faculty ofCurriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department ofGraduat
Exploring students' understandings and perspectives of place : the case of place in a Skagit Valley school
No full textDrawing upon notions of Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic and Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Becoming Naturalized to Place, this dissertation explored how students revealed their perspectives and understandings of place at their school in the Skagit Valley, Washington State. This study employed an ethnographic case study approach guided by phenomenographic principles and informed by Indigenous perspectives to document students’ stories of place. Data were collected through an introductory questionnaire and stationary and walking interviews. Findings revealed that the students’ understandings and perspectives of place were situated within the following themes: Place as Action; Place as People; Place as Social Arena; Place as Nature; Place as Journey and Time; and Place as Displacement. This study contributes to the current research on Place and related phenomena due to the unique context of the school and the individual students’ stories which give voice to diverse and distinctive narratives of place.Education, Faculty ofCurriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department ofGraduat
The educational experiences of refugee youths in greater Vancouver schools : parents’ and teachers’ perspectives
No full textThis master’s thesis is a report of the analysis of the refugee youths’ educational experience in schools in the Greater Vancouver area from the perspectives of their parents and teachers. On an international scale, when people have been forced to leave their home country, the United Nations (UN) defines them as refugees. Based on the 1951 Refugee Geneva conference, a refugee is someone who has been forced to flee their country because of war, racial persecution, gender
identity, religion, nationality, political opinion or/and environmental catastrophes and has crossed international borders to find safety in another country (UNHCR, 2019).
This thesis looks at what has been said in previous studies about refugee students’ experiences in classrooms and integration into the new host society. While some studies have explored the behaviour of refugee children in classrooms and their integration with the school community, they have often focused on the teachers’ perspectives. Thus, there appears to be a lack of studies that involve the voices of refugee students’ parents about their children’s educational experiences in Greater Vancouver schools. Hence, the reason for my decision to explore parents’ and teachers’ perspectives of refugee youths’ educational experiences in schools within the Greater Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada. At the core of the exploration about the topic is the interplay between one's national home culture and the Canadian culture, the school's multicultural/ multi-ethnic environment, the development of friendship across cultural borders, and the role that social class plays in the integration of refugee children in the school community.Education, Faculty ofEducational Studies (EDST), Department ofGraduat
Understanding children’s object choice and play in an outdoor setting : the embedded learning and meaning of playing with sticks
No full textThis study employed a phenomenographic, Mosaic, case study approach to understanding young children’s outdoor learning by analysing a select group of young children’s engagement with their chosen activities in an outdoor setting. This group was comprised of 20 Grade 1 students (5 to 7 years) at a public school in Vancouver, British Columbia. The students’ learning was investigated through a Personal Construct theoretical framework. The data collected included notes based on both video recordings made by the children and detailed researcher observations including interviews and interactions with the children.
Use of sticks was observed to be the most important element in the students’ chosen outdoor activities. Thus, the students’ engagement with sticks by creating/improvising activities in an urban forest setting can be described as stick-based, physical, and tactile outdoor learning. In this way, the outdoor activities that prominently feature the use of sticks can become important to the development of children’s engagement with environmental education and science learning.
Therefore, it can be concluded from the study’s outcomes that: 1) effective childhood outdoor curriculum and pedagogy should include the children’s chosen outdoor activities and emphasize physical and tactile interactions with natural items; 2) young children’s chosen outdoor activities can be considered cultural and social in nature, which may promote children’s inclusion and feelings of competence in the culture of environmental education and school science; 3) the incorporation of children’s chosen outdoor activities in childhood curriculum and pedagogy may offer an opportunity to better understand how children’s agency affects environmental education and science learning within local and natural settings.Education, Faculty ofEducational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department ofGraduat
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