Frontiers in Education 

About: Frontiers in Education is an academic journal published by Frontiers Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Computer science & Medicine. It has an ISSN identifier of 2504-284X. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 3238 publications have been published receiving 17648 citations. The journal is also known as: FEDUC.

Remote laboratories versus virtual and real laboratories

Abstract: During the last decade the exponential expansion of the Internet has had an enormous impact on the tertiary education sector. The new technology has brought a significant improvement in communication within the academic community and has improved students' learning experiences. However, one of the most important factors in forming the engineering graduate qualities is the practical component of the engineering curriculum. Many software packages have been developed for the simulation of real experiments and although very useful, none of them are as effective as learning from undertaking real experimental work. Remote laboratories offer all the advantages of the new technology, but are often a poor replacement for real laboratory work. In this paper we present a remote laboratory called NetLab, developed at the University of South Australia. With its specially designed graphical user interface it offers students all the advantages of a real laboratory environment.

EPICS: engineering projects in community service

Abstract: Multidisciplinary, multi-semester design projects with real customers and a compelling context create a rich environment for engineering, technology and computer science students to learn about design, teamwork and experience the need for the professional skills that can be difficult to teach in traditional classes. Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) is a model for implementing these characteristics within a service-learning framework where community service providers serve as the "customers". The application of design to community issues can broaden students' understanding of their discipline and has the potential to increase participation of underrepresented populations. This interactive workshop will introduce participants to the EPICS model of service-learning design; explore the educational needs and resources of the participants' institutions and the potential for implementing similar programs at their own institutions.

Predicting student performance: an application of data mining methods with an educational Web-based system

Abstract: Newly developed Web-based educational technologies offer researchers unique opportunities to study how students learn and what approaches to learning lead to success. Web-based systems routinely collect vast quantities of data on user patterns, and data mining methods can be applied to these databases. This paper presents an approach to classifying students in order to predict their final grade based on features extracted from logged data in an education Web-based system. We design, implement, and evaluate a series of pattern classifiers and compare their performance on an online course dataset. A combination of multiple classifiers leads to a significant improvement in classification performance. Furthermore, by learning an appropriate weighting of the features used via a genetic algorithm (GA), we further improve prediction accuracy. The GA is demonstrated to successfully improve the accuracy of combined classifier performance, about 10 to 12% when comparing to non-GA classifier. This method may be of considerable usefulness in identifying students at risk early, especially in very large classes, and allow the instructor to provide appropriate advising in a timely manner.

The Gender Gap in STEM Fields: The Impact of the Gender Stereotype of Math and Science on Secondary Students' Career Aspirations

Abstract: Studies have repeatedly reported that math and science are perceived as male domains, and scientists as predominantly male. However, the impact of the gender image of school science subjects on young people’s career choice has not yet been analyzed. This paper investigates the impact of the masculinity image of three school subjects – chemistry, mathematics and physics – on secondary students’ career aspirations in STEM fields. The data originated from a cross-sectional study among 1’364 Swiss secondary school students who were close to obtaining their matriculation diploma. By means of a standardized survey, data on students’ perception of masculinity of science school subjects were collected using semantic differentials. The results indicate that for both sexes, math has the strongest masculinity attribution, followed by physics as second, and, finally, chemistry with the lowest masculinity attribution. With respect to gender differences, our findings have shown that among female students, the attribution of masculinity to the three school subjects does not differ significantly, meaning that female students rated all subjects similarly strongly as masculine. Within the group of male students however, the attribution of masculinity to math compared to chemistry and physics differs significantly, whereas the attribution of masculinity to chemistry and physics does not. Our findings also suggest that gender-science stereotypes of math and science can potentially influence young women’s and men’s aspirations to enroll in a STEM major at university by showing that a less pronounced masculine image of science has the potential to increase the likelihood of STEM career aspirations. Finally, the paper discusses ways of changing the image of math and science in the context of secondary education in order to overcome the disparities between females and males in STEM.

Applying Best Practice Online Learning, Teaching, and Support to Intensive Online Environments: An Integrative Review

Abstract: Demand for flexible online offerings has continued to increase as prospective students seek to upskill, re-train, and undertake further study. Education institutions are moving to intensive modes of online study delivered in six- to eight-week study periods which offer more frequent intake periods. Prior literature has established key success factors for non-intensive (12-13 week) online offerings; for teachers, skill development is critical to promote a flexible, responsive approach and maintain technological capabilities; for students, an ability to navigate the technology, interact with the learning environment in meaningful ways, and self-regulate learning is important, as the absence of physical infrastructure and opportunities for face-to-face interactions in online environments places a greater emphasis on alternate forms of communication and support. The current paper explores known best practice principles for online instructors, students and student support, and considers how these might apply to intensive online environments. It is suggested that the accelerated nature of learning in intensive settings may place additional demands on students, instructors and support mechanisms. Further research is imperative to determine predictors of success in online intensive learning environments.