Showing papers on "Curriculum published in 2016"

Narrative Inquiry Experience matters

Abstract: Narrative Inquiry is a research methodology that we adapted over the past two decades from Canadian higher education and curriculum studies to nursing research, education, and health-care practice. The Narrative Inquiry we use originated from Connelly and Clandinin in the 1990s, and rests on John Dewey's philosophy that experience is relational, temporal, and situational, and as such, if intentionally explored, has the potential to be educational. More specifically, it is only when experience is reflected upon and reconstructed that it has the potential to reveal the construction of identity, knowledge, and the humanness of care. Congruent with the expectation that nurses are reflective practitioners and knowledge-makers, Narrative Inquiry provides a means to enhance, not only quality of care, but quality of experience of those in our care: in education, our students, and in practice, our patients. In this article, we explicate how Narrative Inquiry may be lived in health-care education and practice, with a primary focus on nursing. We illuminate how we support our graduate students, the next generation of narrative inquirers, through a Narrative Inquiry Works-in-Progress group.

The Theory and Practice of Culturally Relevant Education A Synthesis of Research Across Content Areas

Abstract: Many teachers and educational researchers have claimed to adopt tenets of culturally relevant education (CRE). However, recent work describes how standardized curricula and testing have marginalized CRE in educational reform discourses. In this synthesis of research, we sought examples of research connecting CRE to positive student outcomes across content areas. It is our hope that this synthesis will be a reference useful to educational researchers, parents, teachers, and education leaders wanting to reframe public debates in education away from neoliberal individualism, whether in a specific content classroom or in a broader educational community.

Best teaching practices in anatomy education: A critical review

Abstract: In this report we review the range of teaching resources and strategies used in anatomy education with the aim of coming up with suggestions about the best teaching practices in this area. There is much debate about suitable methods of delivering anatomical knowledge. Competent clinicians, particularly surgeons, need a deep understanding of anatomy for safe clinical procedures. However, because students have had very limited exposure to anatomy during clinical training, there is a concern that medical students are ill-prepared in anatomy when entering clerkships and residency programs. Therefore, developing effective modalities for teaching anatomy is essential to safe medical practice. Cadaver-based instruction has survived as the main instructional tool for hundreds of years, however, there are differing views on whether full cadaver dissection is still appropriate for a modern undergraduate training. The limitations on curricular time, trained anatomy faculty and resources for gross anatomy courses in integrated or/and system-based curricula, have led many medical schools to abandon costly and time-consuming dissection-based instruction in favour of alternative methods of instruction including prosection, medical imaging, living anatomy and multimedia resources. To date, no single teaching tool has been found to meet curriculum requirements. The best way to teach modern anatomy is by combining multiple pedagogical resources to complement one another, students appear to learn more effectively when multimodal and system-based approaches are integrated. Our review suggests that certain professions would have more benefit from certain educational methods or strategies than others. Full body dissection would be best reserved for medical students, especially those with surgical career intentions, while teaching based on prosections and plastination is more suitable for dental, pharmacy and allied health science students. There is a need to direct future research towards evaluation of the suitability of the new teaching methodologies in new curricula and student perceptions of integrated and multimodal teaching paradigms, and the ability of these to satisfy learning outcomes.

Is Kindergarten the New First Grade

Abstract: Recent accounts suggest that accountability pressures have trickled down into the early elementary grades and that kindergarten today is characterized by a heightened focus on academic skills and a reduction in opportunities for play. This paper compares public school kindergarten classrooms between 1998 and 2010 using two large, nationally representative data sets. We show substantial changes in each of the five dimensions considered: kindergarten teachers’ beliefs about school readiness, time spent on academic and nonacademic content, classroom organization, pedagogical approach, and use of standardized assessments. Kindergarten teachers in the later period held far higher academic expectations for children both prior to kindergarten entry and during the kindergarten year. They devoted more time to advanced literacy and math content, teacher-directed instruction, and assessment and substantially less time to art, music, science, and child-selected activities.

Visual programming languages integrated across the curriculum in elementary school

Abstract: Several authors and studies highlight the benefits of the integration of Computer Science into K-12 education. Applications such as Scratch have been demonstrated to be effective in educational environments. The aim of this study is to assess the use of a Visual Programming Language using Scratch in classroom practice, analyzing the outcomes and attitudes of 107 primary school students from 5th to 6th grade in five different schools in Spain. The intervention takes place in two academic years analyzing the practice of integrating coding and visual blocks programming in sciences and arts. The "Computational concepts and computational practices" dimension details a quasi-experimental approach, which showed significant improvement regarding learning programming concepts, logic, and computational practices with an active approach. The "Learning processes and coding in primary education" dimension analyzes the practice of the experimental group through questionnaires and structured observation. In this pedagogical design, students interact and create their own content related to curricular areas with several advantages, such as motivation, fun, commitment, and enthusiasm, showing improvements related to computational thinking and computational practices. Understanding of computational concepts through an active approach, Project Based Learning, usefulness, motivation, and commitment underline the importance and effectiveness of implementing a Visual Programming Language from active methodologies in primary education. Due to the aforementioned benefits and positive results obtained in this research, it is recommended to implement a Visual Programming Language in educational settings in 5th and 6th grade in primary education through a cross-curricular implementation. Display Omitted We analyze the use of "Scratch" through statistical inference and case study.Pretest/posttest design (99%) Active approach and Computational Concepts.Active Learning, contents in art and History, usefulness and fun.Possibility of learning sequences, loops, parallelism and events.Project Based Learning enables an active approach, obtaining high values.

Tolerating Uncertainty — The Next Medical Revolution?

Abstract: When we become obsessed with finding the right answer, at the risk of oversimplifying the richly iterative and evolutionary nature of clinical reasoning, the result is the very antithesis of humanistic, individualized patient-centered care.

An Interview Reflection on “Intelligent Tutoring Goes to School in the Big City”

Abstract: Our 1997 article in IJAIED reported on a study that showed that a new algebra curriculum with an embedded intelligent tutoring system (the Algebra Cognitive Tutor) dramatically enhanced high-school students’ learning. The main motivation for the study was to demonstrate that intelligent tutors that have cognitive science research embedded in them could have real impact in schools. This study was one of the first large-scale classroom evaluations of the integrated use of an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) in high schools. A core challenge was figuring out how to embed this new technology into a curriculum and into the existing social context of schools. A key element of the study design was to include multiple kinds of assessments, including standardized test items and items measuring complex problem solving and use of representations. The results were powerful: “On average the 470 students in experimental classes outperformed students in comparison classes by 15 % on standardized tests and 100 % on tests targeting the [course] objectives.” We suggested that the study was evidence “that laboratory tutoring systems can be scaled up and made to work, both technically and pedagogically, in real and unforgiving settings like urban high schools.” Since this study, many more classroom studies comparing instruction that includes an ITS against business as usual have been conducted, often showing advantages for the ITS-enhanced curricula. More rigorous randomized field trials are now more commonplace, but the approach of using multiple assessments in large-scale randomized field trials has not caught on. Cognitive task analysis will remain fundamental to the success of ITSs. A key remaining question for ITS is to find out how they can be used most effectively to support open-ended problem solving, either online or offline. Given all the recent excitement around Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), it is interesting to note that our field of Artificial Intelligence in Education has been making huge, less recognized, progress with impact on millions of students and with the majority of those students finishing the course!

Open educational resources and college textbook choices: a review of research on efficacy and perceptions

Abstract: Textbooks are a vital component in many higher education contexts. Increasing textbook prices, coupled with general rising costs of higher education have led some instructors to experiment with substituting open educational resources (OER) for commercial textbooks as their primary class curriculum. This article synthesizes the results of 16 studies that examine either (1) the influence of OER on student learning outcomes in higher education settings or (2) the perceptions of college students and instructors of OER. Results across multiple studies indicate that students generally achieve the same learning outcomes when OER are utilized and simultaneously save significant amounts of money. Studies across a variety of settings indicate that both students and faculty are generally positive regarding OER.

Relationship between water-conservation behavior and water education in Guangzhou, China

Abstract: Water conservation is critical under the current state of climate change and population growth; however, water-conservation programs and research in China have generally focused on technological rather than behavioral innovations. This paper focuses on the state of water-conservation behavior and water education in China to assess how education, particularly the 9-year compulsory education program, affects water-conservation behavior. A survey (237 participants) was conducted in Guangzhou, the third largest city in China, to determine the attitudes of citizens towards conserving water. Overall, the following observations were made: (1) although 95 % of the participants were aware of water conservation, only 42 % recognized that it is urgently needed; (2) water-conservation actions lag behind water-conservation awareness, and only 19 % of the participants were willing to perform more than five actions, including daily water reuse and conservation, whereas 48 % of the participants performed less than two actions; (3) additional education will result in improved water-conservation behavior; (4) more than half of the participants who had graduated from primary and secondary schools showed poor water-conservation behavior; and (5) water-conservation education in the 9-year compulsory education program was extremely rare (representing 0.2–1.4 % of the curriculum) and only included in four compulsory courses. From these observations, it was concluded that water education seriously lags behind the economic development of Guangzhou. Water and environmental education should be emphasized in the 9-year compulsory education curriculum because this program has a relatively large number of students in China.

Robotics in the early childhood classroom: learning outcomes from an 8-week robotics curriculum in pre-kindergarten through second grade

Abstract: In recent years there has been an increasing focus on the missing “T” of technology and “E” of engineering in early childhood STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) curricula. Robotics offers a playful and tangible way for children to engage with both T and E concepts during their foundational early childhood years. This study looks at N = 60 children in pre-kindergarten through second grade who completed an 8-week robotics curriculum in their classrooms using the KIWI robotics kit combined with a tangible programming language. Children were assessed on their knowledge of foundational robotics and programming concepts upon completion of the curriculum. Results show that beginning in pre-kindergarten, children were able to master basic robotics and programming skills, while the older children were able to master increasingly complex concepts using the same robotics kit in the same amount of time. Implications for developmentally appropriate design of technology, as well as structure and pace of robotics curricula for young children are addressed.

Incorporating intersectionality into psychology: An opportunity to promote social justice and equity.

Abstract: Intersectionality is receiving increasing attention in many fields, including psychology. This theory or framework has its roots in the work of Black feminist scholar-activists, and it focuses on interlocking systems of oppression and the need to work toward structural-level changes to promote social justice and equity. Thus, the current interest in intersectionality in psychology presents an opportunity to draw psychologists' attention more to structural-level issues and to make social justice and equity more central agendas to the field. The large, ever-growing bodies of research demonstrating the wide-ranging adverse consequences of structural- and interpersonal-level oppression, inequality, and stigma for the health and well-being of many diverse groups of people support that these issues are central to the field of psychology. We as individual psychologists and the field as a whole can work to fully incorporate the insights of intersectionality and therefore contribute to making social justice and equity more central across the varied subfields and realms of our work. Specific ways that we can do this are to (a) engage and collaborate with communities, (b) address and critique societal structures, (c) work together/build coalitions, (d) attend to resistance in addition to resilience, and (e) teach social justice curricula. There are important examples both within and outside of psychology that can guide us in achieving these goals. These suggestions are meant to foster conversation and consideration by psychologists across all subfields and areas of focus. (PsycINFO Database Record

A K-6 computational thinking curriculum framework: implications for teacher knowledge

Abstract: Adding computer science as a separate school subject to the core K-6 curriculum is a complex issue with educational challenges. The authors herein address two of these challenges: (1) the design of the curriculum based on a generic computational thinking framework, and (2) the knowledge teachers need to teach the curriculum. The first issue is discussed within a perspective of designing an authentic computational thinking curriculum with a focus on real-world problems. The second issue is addressed within the framework of technological pedagogical content knowledge explicating in detail the body of knowledge that teachers need to have to be able to teach computational thinking in a K-6 environment. An example of how these ideas can be applied in practice is also given. While it is recognized there is a lack of adequate empirical evidence in terms of the effectiveness of the frameworks proposed herein, it is expected that our knowledge and research base will dramatically increase over the next several years, as more countries around the world add computer science as a separate school subject to their K-6 curriculum.

A Snapshot of Writing Instruction in Middle Schools and High Schools.

Abstract: There have been many changes in policies and practices influencing the teaching of writing over the past 30 years—the advent of high-stakes testing, the press for evidence-based practice, and the availability of new technologies for writing and research. However, we have very little evidence about the extent to which such changes have influenced actual classroom practice. We began the four-year National Study of Writing Instruction (NSWI) with this concern in mind. In the May 2009 issue of English Journal, we reported on our analysis of data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress to provide a first look at changes in the teaching of writing over the past 30 years. In this article, we provide a more detailed look, drawing on data collected from visits to 260 English, math, social studies, and science classrooms in 20 middle schools and high schools in five states (schools all chosen for reputations for excellence in the teaching of writing), interviews with 220 teachers and administrators, and with 138 students in these schools, and a national survey of 1,520 randomly selected teachers. A full description of methods and procedures for the various phases of the National Study is available at http://albany.edu/cela. The most recent extensive previous study of writing instruction is Applebee’s Writing in the Secondary School: English and the Content Areas, based on data collected during the 1979–80 school year. The earlier study combined case studies of writing across the curriculum in two contrasting high schools with a national survey of writing across the curriculum. The results of that study indicate that writing instruction 30 years ago was a relatively simple affair: the typical assignment consisted of a few sentences setting out a topic, given in class and finished up for homework. Students were expected to write a page or less, to be graded by the teacher. Almost no class time was given over to writing instruction, or even to introducing the assignment. When students were asked to write, the teacher took an average of just over three minutes to introduce the assignment, answer the inevitable procedural questions (How many pages? Single or double spaced? Can it be in pencil?), and ask the students to start writing (Applebee 74). Things have changed since 1980, but in what ways and how much? That is the focus of this article, for which we analyzed the amount of writing currently required, the audiences for student work, the impact of high-stakes tests, the approaches to writing instruction, and the impact of technology in the core subject areas in middle schools and high schools across the United States. Because so much has changed over the 30 years, the present article addresses a number of issues in curriculum and instruction that were not salient in the earlier study. The discussion to follow will make comparisons over time when possible, using findings from the current study to provide a baseline for understanding present practice.

Toward Defining the Foundation of the MD Degree: Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency

Abstract: Currently, no standard defines the clinical skills that medical students must demonstrate upon graduation. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education bases its standards on required subject matter and student experiences rather than on observable educational outcomes. The absence of such established outcomes for MD graduates contributes to the gap between program directors' expectations and new residents' performance.In response, in 2013, the Association of American Medical Colleges convened a panel of experts from undergraduate and graduate medical education to define the professional activities that every resident should be able to do without direct supervision on day one of residency, regardless of specialty. Using a conceptual framework of entrustable professional activities (EPAs), this Drafting Panel reviewed the literature and sought input from the health professions education community. The result of this process was the publication of 13 core EPAs for entering residency in 2014. Each EPA includes a description, a list of key functions, links to critical competencies and milestones, and narrative descriptions of expected behaviors and clinical vignettes for both novice learners and learners ready for entrustment.The medical education community has already begun to develop the curricula, assessment tools, faculty development resources, and pathways to entrustment for each of the 13 EPAs. Adoption of these core EPAs could significantly narrow the gap between program directors' expectations and new residents' performance, enhancing patient safety and increasing residents', educators', and patients' confidence in the care these learners provide in the first months of their residency training.

The clinical learning environment in nursing education: a concept analysis

Abstract: Aim The aim of this study was to report an analysis of the clinical learning environment concept. Background Nursing students are evaluated in clinical learning environments where skills and knowledge are applied to patient care. These environments affect achievement of learning outcomes, and have an impact on preparation for practice and student satisfaction with the nursing profession. Providing clarity of this concept for nursing education will assist in identifying antecedents, attributes and consequences affecting student transition to practice. Design The clinical learning environment was investigated using Walker and Avant's concept analysis method. Data sources A literature search was conducted using WorldCat, MEDLINE and CINAHL databases using the keywords clinical learning environment, clinical environment and clinical education. Articles reviewed were written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals between 1995–2014. Methods All data were analysed for recurring themes and terms to determine possible antecedents, attributes and consequences of this concept. Results The clinical learning environment contains four attribute characteristics affecting student learning experiences. These include: (1) the physical space; (2) psychosocial and interaction factors; (3) the organizational culture and (4) teaching and learning components. These attributes often determine achievement of learning outcomes and student self-confidence. Conclusion With better understanding of attributes comprising the clinical learning environment, nursing education programmes and healthcare agencies can collaborate to create meaningful clinical experiences and enhance student preparation for the professional nurse role.

U.S. science parks: the diffusion of an innovation and its effects on the academic missions of universities

Abstract: "The paper is an exploratory study of science parks in the United States. It models the history of science parks as the diffusion of an innovation that was adopted at a rapid and increasing rate in the early 1980s, and since then at a decreased rate. It models the growth of a science park once established, showing significant effects on growth for the proximity to universities and other resources. The paper also reports university administrators’ perceptions about the impact of their science parks on the academic missions of their universities. Statistical analyses show there is a direct relationship between the proximity of the science park to the university and the probability that the academic curriculum will shift from basic toward applied research."

Attention span during lectures: 8 seconds, 10 minutes, or more?

Abstract: In the current climate of curriculum reform, the traditional lecture has come under fire for its perceived lack of effectiveness. Indeed, several institutions have reduced their lectures to 15 min ...

Decolonising the university curriculum

Abstract: The student protests of 2015 precipitated a renewed interest in the decolonisation of the university in South Africa, and by association the decolonisation of the university curriculum. The decolonisation of the curriculum is an important conversation, and long overdue, given that the Western model of academic organisation on which the South African university is based, remains largely unchallenged. In this article I add to the conversation by discussing what decolonisation entails, why the need for decolonisation, the importance of rethinking how curriculum is conceived, and outlining some possible ways of decolonising the university curriculum. The purpose is not to provide a set of answers but to open up ways of (re)thinking the university curriculum.

Guided Play Principles and Practices

Abstract: Competing trends in early childhood education emphasize the need for strong curricular approaches and for unfettered exploration. We propose an approach to early learning that avoids this false dichotomy: guided play. Guided play takes advantage of children’s natural abilities to learn through play by allowing them to express their autonomy within a prepared environment and with adult scaffolding. We provide examples of how guided-play situations have been implemented in past work, as well as evidence that guided play is successful for education across a range of content—perhaps even more successful than other pedagogical approaches.

The Future of Student Self-Assessment: a Review of Known Unknowns and Potential Directions

Abstract: This paper reviews current known issues in student self-assessment (SSA) and identifies five topics that need further research: (1) SSA typologies, (2) accuracy, (3) role of expertise, (4) SSA and teacher/curricular expectations, and (5) effects of SSA for different students. Five SSA typologies were identified showing that there are different conceptions on the SSA components but the field still uses SSA quite uniformly. A significant amount of research has been devoted to SSA accuracy, and there is a great deal we know about it. Factors that influence accuracy and implications for teaching are examined, with consideration that students’ expertise on the task at hand might be an important prerequisite for accurate self-assessment. Additionally, the idea that SSA should also consider the students’ expectations about their learning is reflected upon. Finally, we explored how SSA works for different types of students and the challenges of helping lower performers. This paper sheds light on SSA research needs to address the known unknowns in this field.

Parting the Clouds: Three Professionalism Frameworks in Medical Education.

Abstract: Current controversies in medical education associated with professionalism, including disagreements about curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, are rooted in part in the differing frameworks that are used to address professionalism. Three dominant frameworks, which have evolved in the medical education community, are described. The oldest framework is virtue based and focuses on the inner habits of the heart, the development of moral character and reasoning, plus humanistic qualities of caring and compassion: The good physician is a person of character. The second framework is behavior based, which emphasizes milestones, competencies, and measurement of observable behaviors: The good physician is a person who consistently demonstrates competence in performing patient care tasks. The third framework is identity formation, with a focus on identity development and socialization into a community of practice: The good physician integrates into his or her identity a set of values and dispositions consonant with the physician community and aspires to a professional identity reflected in the very best physicians. Although each professionalism framework is useful and valid, the field of medical education is currently engaged in several different discourses resulting in misunderstanding and differing recommendations for strategies to facilitate professionalism. In this article, the assumptions and contributions of each framework are described to provide greater insight into the nature of professionalism. By examining each discourse in detail, underlying commonalities and differences can be highlighted to assist educators in more effectively creating professionalism curricula, pedagogy, and assessment.

Blended instructional practice: A review of the empirical literature on instructors' adoption and use of online tools in face-to-face teaching

Abstract: College and university instructors are increasingly incorporating online tools into face-to-face teaching approaches, such that blended instruction is forecasted to become “the new traditional model” ( Ross & Gage, 2006 , p. 168; Norberg, Dziuban, & Moskal, 2011; Watson, 2008 ). Yet, less than 5% of the scholarship on blending in higher education explores academic practice (e.g. teaching, curriculum design, professional development and training for instruction; Torrisi-Steele & Drew, 2013 ). This discussion reports the results of a systematic review of the literature on faculty member's adoption and use of online tools for face-to-face instruction. Six influences that cut across the literature are identified: faculty member's interactions with technology, academic workload, institutional environment, interactions with students, the instructor's attitudes and beliefs about teaching, and opportunities for professional development. Strengths and limitations of the literature and future directions for research on socio-technical systems of instruction are identified.

A review of models for introducing computational thinking, computer science and computing in K-12 education

Abstract: Computer science is becoming ever increasingly important to our society. Computer science content has, however, not traditionally been considered a natural part of curricula for primary and secondary education. Computer science has traditionally been primarily a university level discipline and there are no widely accepted general standards for what computer science at K-12 level entails. Also, as the interest in this area is rather new, the amount of research conducted in the field is still limited. In this paper we review how 10 different countries have approached introducing computer science into their K-12 education. The countries are Australia, England, Estonia, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, South Korea, Poland and USA. The studied countries either emphasize digital competencies together with programming or the broader subject of computer science or computing. Computational thinking is rarely mentioned explicitly, but the ideas are often included in some form. The most common model is to make computer science content compulsory in primary school and elective in secondary school. A few countries have made it compulsory in both, while some countries have only introduced it in secondary school.

The Posthuman Child: Educational transformation through philosophy with picturebooks

Abstract: The Posthuman Child combats institutionalised ageist practices in primary, early childhood and teacher education. Grounded in a critical posthumanist perspective on the purpose of education, it provides a genealogy of psychology, sociology and philosophy of childhood in which dominant figurations of child and childhood are exposed as positioning child as epistemically and ontologically inferior. Entangled throughout this book are practical and theorised examples of philosophical work with student teachers, teachers, other practitioners and children (aged 3-11) from South Africa and Britain. These engage arguments about how children are routinely marginalised, discriminated against and denied, especially when the child is also female, black, lives in poverty and whose home language is not English. The book makes a distinctive contribution to the decolonisation of childhood discourses. Underpinned by good quality picturebooks and other striking images, the book's radical proposal for transformation is to reconfigure the child as rich, resourceful and resilient through relationships with (non) human others, and explores the implications for literary and literacy education, teacher education, curriculum construction, implementation and assessment. It is essential reading for all who research, work and live with children.

The Usefulness of Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches and Methods in Researching Problem-Solving Ability in Science Education Curriculum

Abstract: Research in science education is to discover the truth which involves the combination of reasoning and experiences. In order to find out appropriate teaching methods that are necessary for teaching science students problem-solving skills, different research approaches are used by educational researchers based on the data collection and analysis used at a given time. Though qualitative and quantitative research methods lies on separate continuum, they all aimed at identifying educational problems using different approach. This study critically examined the usefulness of both qualitative and quantitative approaches in researching problem-solving ability in science education curriculum. In doing this, six articles relating to problem-solving were examined to show the usefulness of both qualitative and quantitative research approaches to educational research. Advantages, disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses of both methods were discussed. Ethical consideration in relation to research in problem-solving instructions were discussed as well as suggestion for future research.

Moving on From Millennials: Preparing for Generation Z.

Abstract: Much has been written about teaching Millennials; however, little has been discussed about Generation Z-those just entering college. Nursing instructors must adapt to the upcoming generation's mobile tech-savviness and self-directed learning, which often is accompanied by a lack of critical thinking skills. Teaching strategies and incorporating technology are highlighted. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2016;47(6):253-254.