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CIED 5370 Research In Teaching
Literature Reviews for Education and Nursing Graduate Students by
This open textbook is designed for students in graduate-level nursing and education programs. From developing a research question to locating and evaluating sources to writing a sample literature review using appropriate publication guidelines, readers will be guided through the process. This book has been peer-reviewed by 7 subject experts and is now available for adoption and use in courses or as a library resource.
Teacher’s Guide to Using Literature to Promote Inclusion of People with Disabilities by
Designed to assist teachers who wish to use literature to promote inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of life. The Guide consists of two parts. Part 1 is a rubric for evaluating how short stories, books, poems, TV programs, movies, digital media, and other forms of literature portray characters with disabilities. Part 2 of the Teacher’s Guide to Using Literature to Promote Inclusion of People with Disabilities is a curriculum guide with learning objectives, lesson activities, and strategies for outcome evaluation. The curriculum guide is a resource for teachers who wish to design lessons using literature to teach about disabilities. | <urn:uuid:c8fbc5db-2764-4688-beac-dafab328bc4a> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://shsulibraryguides.org/stloer/curriculum | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473871.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222225655-20240223015655-00695.warc.gz | en | 0.933354 | 258 | 3.328125 | 3 | 1,165 |
DT - Statement of Intent
At Elmtree Infant and Nursery School, Design and technology is an intricate part of our day to day lives and it is therefore important that our children are taught how this subject is of great importance, in our rapidly changing world. Children are encouraged to think creatively in order to solve problems and/or make improvements to existing ideas and products. It is through these methods that they can make positive changes to their own and others’ lives. At Elmtree School, every teacher is a teacher of SEND. As such, inclusion is a thread that runs through every area of the school. The teaching of Design and technology enables children to identify needs and opportunities, and to respond by developing ideas and eventually making products and systems. Through the study of design and technology, they combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as of functions and industrial practices. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses and impacts. Design and technology gives children the opportunity to work and think both as individuals and as part of a team, which helps them develop and learn while demonstrating our key values of the school.
Through our Design and Technology curriculum we intend to:
give children the opportunity to take part in creative and practical activities
to understand the importance of design and technology in the wider world
to develop imaginative thinking in children and to enable them to talk about what they like and dislike when designing and making things
to enable children to talk about how things work, and to draw and model their ideas
to explore computing as a means of design
to encourage children to be analytical and critical when they are considering and analysing products
to encourage children to select appropriate materials, tools and techniques for making a product
to follow safe procedures when using equipment
to explore attitudes towards the made world and how we live and work within it
to develop an understanding of technological processes and products, their manufacture and their contribution to society
to foster enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose in designing and making things.
The Curriculum Leader works with the whole staff to develop a cohesive Design and Technology experience throughout the school. The Curriculum Leader will also:
support colleagues in their development and understanding of detailed work plans and implementation of schemes of work and in assessment and record keeping.
take responsibility for the purchase and organisation of resources for Design and Technology.
Monitoring whole school planning, to ensure progression and continuity.
Keep staff informed of developments or changes in the Design and Technology curriculum.
Evidence of children’s work will be recorded by pictures which will then be put into art folders.
Design and technology is a foundation subject in the National Curriculum. At Elmtree we use the National Curriculum as the basis for its curriculum planning. We have adapted the National Curriculum to the local circumstances of our school. We use the local environment and our topic plan as the starting point for certain aspects of our work. We carry out the curriculum planning in design and technology in three phases: long-term, medium-term and short-term. The long-term plan maps out the units covered in each term during the key stage. Our medium-term plans give details of each unit of work for each term. They identify learning objectives and outcomes for each unit, and ensure an appropriate balance and distribution of work across each term. Class teachers plan for individual design and technology sessions as part of weekly planning. The weekly plan lists the specific learning objectives for each lesson and detail how the lessons are to be taught. The class teacher keeps these individual plans, and the class teacher and subject leader often discuss them on an informal basis. We plan the activities in design and technology so that they build upon the prior learning of the children. We give children of all abilities the opportunity to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding and we also build planned progression into the scheme of work, so that the children are increasingly challenged as they move through the school.
The teachers at Elmtree use a variety of teaching and learning styles in design and technology lessons. The principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding in design and technology. Teachers ensure that the children apply their knowledge and understanding when developing ideas, planning and making products, and evaluating them. We do this through a mixture of whole class teaching and individual or group activities. Within lessons we give the children the opportunity to work on their own and to collaborate with others, listening to other children’s ideas and treating these with respect. Children critically evaluate existing products, their own work and that of others. They have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources, including computing.
In all classes there are children of differing ability. We recognise this fact and provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. We achieve this through a range of strategies:
setting common tasks that are open-ended and can have a variety of results
setting tasks of increasing difficulty where not all children complete tasks
grouping children by ability and setting different tasks for each group
providing a range of challenges through the provision of different resources
using additional adults to support the work of individual children or small groups.
The school has a range of resources kept in the stock cupboard. Each class teacher is responsible for their safe use and return when they are finished with. Great care will be taken and safety procedures adhered to when the children are using saws and the glue gun.
A range of approaches will be used and incorporated into our Design and Technology activities. This will allow all children to develop their potential according to their age and ability.
The Foundation Stage:
We encourage the development of skills; knowledge and understanding that help reception children make sense of their world as an integral part of their school experience. We relate this development to the objectives set out in the Early Learning Goals. This learning forms the foundations for later work in design and technology. These early experiences include asking questions about how things work, investigating and using a variety of construction kits, materials, tools and products, developing making skills and handling appropriate tools and construction materials safely and with increasing control.
We plan according to the children’s interests and provide an enabling environment offering a range of experiences that encourage exploration, observation, problem solving, critical thinking and discussion.
Teachers assess children’s work in design and technology as they observe them during lessons. At the end of a unit of work teachers make a judgment using the school’s assessment materials which are linked to the National Curriculum levels of attainment. Children will be assessed on if they are developing, secure or exceeding these key objective and skills so their skills can be developed the next time they revisit the area of the subject. Children are also encouraged to make judgements on how their work can be improved. Teachers then use this to plan future work and to make an annual assessment of progress for each child, as part of the annual report to parents. This information is passed on to the next teachers at the end of the year.
The school’s Marking and Feedback policy allows children’s levels of independence to be evident, as instances where pupils have the most secure knowledge and skills can most easily be recognised when they’ve applied learning independently and in a range of ways, including across different areas of the curriculum. On occasions when such extended depth has yet to be developed, an expected core impact of our curriculum is that pupils are at least ready to move on to the next key stage of learning. | <urn:uuid:033e5bcd-6a9b-4759-b76e-96031dcd6d1a> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.elmtreeschoolandnursery.co.uk/design-technology/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475757.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20240302052634-20240302082634-00695.warc.gz | en | 0.95491 | 1,548 | 2.953125 | 3 | 1,166 |
Creating a good curriculum for students can be tricky. Fortunately, there are several helpful strategies you can use when designing and tailoring your curriculum to fit the needs of your students.
This guide will walk you through examples of successful curricula, as well as how to go about creating your own effective curricula for your classroom.
Identify Your Goals and Core Values.
Before setting out to create a curriculum, it’s important for educators to identify their goals and core values. Reflect on what you want your students to learn, and how you want those lessons to benefit them.
What do you think the most important aspects of learning in the classroom should be?
Consider these questions as you create your curriculum and use them as the basis for creating engaging learning experiences.
Develop Learning Objectives for Each Subject Area.
Before you can design your curriculum, you need to create learning objectives. These should be written to help outline what students should know or be able to do after completing each subject.
According to Mena Wahezi, director of admissions in New York with years of experience in curriculum development, “To make sure that the objectives reflect the core values of your curriculum and goals for learning, have several teachers review them and provide feedback. Make sure that each learning objective is measurable and specific.”
For example: “Students will be able to analyze a text using critical thinking skills” is an example of a well-crafted learning objective, Mena Wahezi added.
Choose Related Materials and Activities.
Now that your learning objectives are complete, it’s time to choose the materials and activities that will make up your curriculum. Think about the topics, skills, and concepts you wish to include.
- What books, articles, videos, websites, etc. should be used in the course?
- What kinds of activities can students do to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding?
Make sure all selected materials are age appropriate and will help students reach the goals outlined in the learning objectives.
It’s also helpful to provide a range of options – from independent work to collaborative projects – so students have room for creativity and can show off the skills they develop over time.
Evaluate Curriculum’s Readiness for Instructional Setting.
Once you’ve settled on your desired approach to learning, and identified the materials and activities required, it’s important to ensure that they are ready for use in your instructional setting. Assess student access to materials, and make adjustments if needed.
- Can all students access them in their own homes?
- Do you need to provide print or digital copies?
- Have cultural implications been taken into account?
- Have the learning objectives and activities been tested in a real classroom setting?
Answering questions like these will help you determine if your curriculum is indeed instructional-ready.
Monitor, Collect Data and Adapt as Needed.
As you begin instruction, monitor the success and engagement of your students. Are they experiencing difficulty understanding concepts, feelings of frustration, or disengagement?
Collecting this data can provide vital insight into real-time information about your curriculum. If needed, make adaptations to activities or materials to meet student needs. Flexibly responding to this feedback may involve the addition of new activities, lectures, or technology that supports learning objectives.
Over time, your curriculum should improve in its ability to teach effectively and cost-efficiently! | <urn:uuid:ed8ba2e5-e8e3-40de-8955-08b995ee0ef6> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://theatreghost.com/education/how-to-create-the-perfect-curriculum-in-5-simple-steps-with-examples/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476396.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20240303142747-20240303172747-00695.warc.gz | en | 0.933942 | 705 | 4.375 | 4 | 1,167 |
Creating A Classroom Community
Infants & Older Infants
Infants thrive in our nurturing environment! You want the place where your child is cared for to be as trusted and as much like home as possible. We want to make this first transition as seamless as possible, for you AND your infant! We take our cues from your baby, and use playtime and age-appropriate activities to help them learn about their world. Older Infants are children who are becoming more mobile and need lots of space to move around. We have designed a room just right for this to happen. EEC DE treats every child as a unique individual, and offers a great beginning for life-long learning!
Think of summer as "down time"? Not at EEC! All our programs continue throughout Summer, so EEC bustles with activity. Plenty of things to do, age-appropriate projects to participate in, things to experience, fun to be had! We use creativity to expand your child's interest, and encourage them to be part of a fun-filled, creative summer! They will take part in weekly specials if age-appropriate, spend time playing outside on the playground, and inside doing all sorts of creative activities. They can look forward to arts and crafts, playing ball, listening to music, and dancing. Let your little one explore their environment and have lots of fun, too!
Children in Preschool through Kindergarten are involved in enrichment programs throughout the school year.
These include yoga, music, and Spanish. There is no additional cost for these programs.
All Classrooms Include:
Our classroom environments are learning-center based. Learning is child-initiated, or child-guided. We offer children choices about where to play, which materials to use, how to use them, and whether to play alone or with others.
This area promotes language, math concepts, socialization and creativity. Infants pile and knock blocks and begin to see how they cause things to happen in their world, toddlers begin simple stacking and unstacking, and pre-school children are constructing objects and add more complex elements.
Puzzles, pegboards, beads, small building or linking materials are here. These help children develop small motor coordination, sorting and patterning that help them gain skills needed for writing and math.
Pretend play encourages the development of social and language skills. Children learn how to cooperate to reach a goal. They also learn how to negotiate and solve problems with their peers.
In the art area, children have free access to a variety of media. Children are encouraged to use their imaginations and to create their own unique masterpieces! This is where they learn to create freely and to express themselves individually. Children practice small muscle control by using scissors, markers and paint brushes. They are learning colors, experimenting with size and shape, and socializing with their peers. While there may be some special projects, the children’s “creations” will reflect their unique perspectives. There will be few teacher directed activities.
Both reading and writing are practiced to help children develop basic skills necessary to be successful in school and life. Infants are introduced to the richness of language and recognition of objects. Toddlers are expanding their vocabulary and connecting words to objects in their world. Pre-School children begin to learn thee foundations of reading and comprehension (read left to right, recognize themes, predict outcomes). They also learn letter names and sounds and to love reading! The environment is rich in written language and offers a variety of opportunities for children to practice their language and literacy skills.
Cooking is fun! It is also a laboratory for helping children develop and learn. When children participate in cooking activities they learn how food is prepared and how it contributes to their health and well-being. It also promotes pride in their ability to produce a food others can enjoy, strengthens small-muscle control and eye-hand coordination, expands vocabulary (ingredients, recipe, knead, boil, etc.), and it inspires children’s curiosity and thinking. They learn measurement concepts, develop problem-solving skills, and explore cause and effect. Children are following sequences of a recipe and carrying out multiple directions, and it is an outlet for creativity!
“What will happen if I push this button?” “Why did my plant die?” This is a place to spark children’s curiosity by offering interesting materials. Children use their senses to touch, feel, taste, smell, and see. They act on objects and observe what happens. Teachers pose questions and help children wonder aloud. Children investigate and explore strengthening skills in all areas of development.
Music & Movement
Music naturally delights and interests children! Music and movement provides an outlet for children’s high spirits and creative energy. Experiences help to develop both sides of the brain and contribute to children’s social-emotional, physical, language and cognitive development and learning.
In our sensory areas children learn to work together. They experience tactile exposure and often invent elaborate role-playing situations. In addition, children learn science and math through experimenting with volume and measurement. Play dough is used in this area to stimulate small muscle control for future writing and creative art skills.
Small Group Time
In the course of each day teachers conduct a variety of planned small-group activities. These activities are designed with particular learning objectives in mind. The teacher guides learning by choosing materials that invite exploration and enables the teacher to observe the skill levels of the children so that the environment can be further developed to incorporate materials that support learning goals.
Large Group Time
The whole class gathers together once or twice during each day. It may be to listen to a story, to participate in a music or movement activity, or to discuss a topic the children are studying. These meetings enable children to learn to be part of a large group as well as to learn particular information.
This is the area where childhood memories are developed. Children have the freedom to discover what their bodies can do. They are developing large muscle control and are provided with the opportunity to participate in elaborate play that involves following directions, rules, and reaching goals. Teachers continually adapt the outdoor environment to challenge children’s motor development and fitness and to spark their imaginations! | <urn:uuid:ada839a5-9b24-4e80-aff0-fdb8a6fcbdde> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.eecde.org/programs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476592.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20240304232829-20240305022829-00695.warc.gz | en | 0.955123 | 1,282 | 2.828125 | 3 | 1,168 |
This is a three-module online autism awareness course containing information on autism diagnoses, how the condition impacts the individual on a day-to-day basis and the challenges autism presents to people who work with or care for people with autism.
The course will look at key issues such as the autistic spectrum, the causes of autism, autism and social communication issues, autism and body language, facial expressions and tone of voice, mind blindness, sensory issues, coping methods and the positives of autism.
This course is helpful for anyone working with, or likely to work with, people on the autistic spectrum or those interested in human development. It’s also useful for parents, carers or friends of people with autistic spectrum disorders.
You will automatically get a course certificate on course completion, containing your name, CPD hours, date and learning objectives. | <urn:uuid:df128ae9-0b2c-41eb-af86-76a2238bec8c> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.go1.com/lo/autism-awareness/4773301 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474671.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20240227053544-20240227083544-00795.warc.gz | en | 0.903182 | 171 | 2.84375 | 3 | 1,169 |
Okuu Keremet! (Learning is Awesome) Project: Building a Sustainable Foundation for Improving Children's Reading and Math Skills in the Kyrgyz Republic
To improve reading and math performance of 300,000 students in Grades 1-4 in 1,687 target schools in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Working in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science (MOES) and its affiliated departments, as well as other relevant Ministries and local stakeholders, Okuu Keremet! focuses on improving the quality of teaching reading and math to early grade learners, providing students with high-quality supplementary learning materials, and increasing the capacity of the government to improve the quality of education for every child.
The Okuu Keremet! project offers a path for the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to optimize early grade learning outcomes and ensure that students succeed at the primary level by improving their performance in reading and mathematics.
The Kyrgyz Republic is making considerable progress towards improving the quality of its education system. The country maintains high levels of access to primary and secondary education, has well established pre-service and in-service education infrastructure, and has reshaped its education system in line with the values of the independent Kyrgyz Republic. Accomplishments are evidenced in improved curricula, teaching materials, textbooks, teacher education, and continued government investments in its education sector.
The country is also investing significant resources to prepare for participation in the 2025 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), an international large-scale educational assessment that measures 15-year-olds’ ability to use reading, mathematics and science knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges. The Okuu Keremet! project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, is supporting the MOES to build a foundation that will lead to strong performance on the 2025 PISA assessment.
The project’s methodology is straightforward yet powerful: use evidence-based learning programming to systematize effective practices and build capacity of relevant actors involved in education programming so that the MOES becomes self-reliant in using these practices. Underpinning the implementation is the consistent use of educational data to monitor, learn from, and improve learning at all levels.
Improved Outcomes via Evidence-Based Learning Programming
To improve student learning outcomes, by the end of the project, Okuu Keremet! will:
- Streamline curricula, standards, and teacher professional development (TPD) materials as key inputs into student learning outcomes, while providing administrative, technical, and programmatic support to the MOES to strengthen teacher development and management systems, tailoring the approach as needed for the diverse country’s context.
- Encourage the practice of skills both in and out of the classroom to accelerate learning and address inequities in access to and quality of school-based instruction.
- Systematically improve pedagogical support to teachers, equip teachers to adjust instruction to diverse children based on formative assessment findings, make reliable data available for decisions making about resource allocation and budgeting, improve the quality of pre-service teacher training, and increase support to vulnerable students.
Improved Teacher’s Instructional Skills for Reading and Math
The Okuu Keremet! project collaborated with the MOES’ Republican Institute for Advanced Teacher Training to improve the existing teacher training reading modules by:
- Adding advanced strategies for teaching comprehension
- Embedding strategies for transitioning from a first language to a second language, and
- Employing adult learning strategies to ensure mastery
The project also developed a complementary set of five advanced evidence-based reading modules, all specifically designed to further equip teachers to accelerate student learning and close the comprehension gap.
For mathematics, the project developed five basic and five advanced evidence-based mathematics modules for foundational (e.g., numbers and number sense) and functional math literacy (the math assessed on measures such as PISA and later life skills). All modules and materials were developed in four languages – Kyrgyz, Russian, Tajik, and Uzbek – and developed in both print and blended formats designed for distance teacher training and self-paced learning.
To date, more than 18,000 teachers and librarians have been trained and have active accounts on the online training platform Okuu Keremet and more than 470,000 students (significantly higher than the anticipated 300,000) are benefiting from the project’s work in 1,687 schools.
Increased Availability of Children’s Books
Okuu Keremet! is increasing the supply of quality books, especially for Tajik and Uzbek languages which are considered minority languages. The project works with the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy and the Kyrgyz Academy of Education to set an agenda for engaging local authors and illustrators to develop (using the web-based, open-source software Bloom), print, and distribute quality supplemental books.
The project aims to adapt or develop 1,500 titles. These books will complement existing books and extend beyond the fairy tale and folklore genres to include biography, fantasy, humor, informational, narrative, series, and math-focused books, particularly in the Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Tajik languages. These books will include big books, read-alouds, supplemental readers, and decodables that are leveled to facilitate independent reading and build comprehension skills.
As of June 2021, the project had supported 45 authors and illustrators to adapt and develop close to 400 books; 335 of which were digitized and hosted by the MOES. The project also improved technical specifications for the local publishing industry to ensure that books feature a variety of genres in addition to being skill- and age-appropriate. The project aims to distribute 700,000 children’s books by the end of the project; 275,000 copies of 45 different titles have been delivered thus far.
Strengthened Education System for Primary Education
Improving how teachers teach and having access to learning materials are both crucial to learning outcomes gains, but quality systems are essential for long term education improvement. Therefore, Okuu Keremet! is systematically addressing four critical gaps in the education system and working to increase:
- Pedagogical support for teachers
- Availability and use of data for making resource allocation and budgetary decisions
- Pre-service teacher development, and
- Support for vulnerable students
Okuu Keremet! and MOES are working closely to develop a strategic institutionalization plan and roadmap highlighting key areas of required capacity building across all MOES levels to improve reading and mathematics. To this end, systems will be adapted or developed as needed, to introduce the use of technology innovations to facilitate classroom-based learning assessments by teachers; map and institutionalize the flow of classroom data and how it is used to improve key processes; and focus on just-in-time monitoring of implementation to inform accurate decision-making.
The MOES’ approval of a roadmap for revisions and development of evidence-based learning standards for reading and mathematics marked a milestone for the improvement of the quality of education In the Kyrgyz Republic: The roadmap is the first such document developed in the country that provides a clear path and steps to revise learning standards.
COVID-19 Adaptive Management – Virtual Learning & Remote Accommodations
Okuu Keremet! has successfully responded to the implementation challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with government counterparts, the project adjusted the existing five basic reading modules and developed five advanced modules and 10 math modules through a virtual process involving experts in the Kyrgyz Republic, experts in the United States, and two subcontractors, one in the United States, and the other in the Kyrgyz Republic.
At the request of MOES, Okuu Keremet! supported the development of 1,488 video lessons that the government used to educate children virtually during the 2020–2021 school year. Okuu Keremet! continues to respond to MOES initiatives aimed at addressing educational challenges, especially as the government tackles the effects of long school closure and the uncertainties of COVID-19’s trajectory in the future.
A major aspect of adaptive management has been to maintain interventions that improve primary education and to achieve deliverables while staff as well as key counterparts have worked remotely. Achievements included conducting a nationally representative Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA) from April to May 2021, and keeping a math pilot going in 30 schools despite the pandemic. The project will continue to support the MOES to adapt to challenges of the pandemic, while helping to strengthen the system to be more resilient to future shocks, no matter their source.
View the Baseline Results on the Early Grade Reading Barometer
- U.S. Agency for International Development
- Long Story Short Media
- Brattle Publishing Group
- Resonant Education | <urn:uuid:0bb421b7-de02-4b8e-b7f3-162a1dc792a3> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.rti.org/impact/improving-early-grade-reading-and-mathematics-kyrgyz-republic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474671.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20240227053544-20240227083544-00795.warc.gz | en | 0.93013 | 1,813 | 2.921875 | 3 | 1,170 |
History students should have successfully completed their propaedeutic exam and both second-year BA-seminars, one of which in General History. By choosing this seminar, students also choose General History as their BA graduation specialisation.
Throughout its history, the United States has surfed recurrent waves of intense social activism. Studying the history of US protest cultures and movements is crucial to understanding how US democracy has been challenged and expanded, how radical ideas have moved into the mainstream, and how citizenship has been constantly mediated and renegotiated. This course takes the students through the actions, struggles, and campaigns of a plethora of different social organizations that, from the late nineteenth century onward, have pushed for broader inclusion, empowerment, enfranchisement and reform in the United States. Students will learn about populists and suffragists, labor and religious organizations, peace and civil rights groups, student and LGBTQ movements, environmental and health care protests.
The course consists of both seminar discussions and in-class guided research assignments. During the seminars, students will learn about and examine a wide range of US protest movements from the Gilded Age to contemporary social media activism. Through a series of in-class assignments and under the guidance of the instructor, students will have an opportunity to gain first-hand experience of archival research. They will be asked to search for primary sources through ad-hoc digital databases, to contextualize and problematize relevant documents, and to critically assess and discuss their historical significance.
General learning objectives
The student can:
1) devise and conduct research of limited scope, including:
a. identifying relevant literature and select and order them according to a defined principle;
b. organising and using relatively large amounts of information;
c. an analysis of a scholarly debate;
d. placing the research within the context of a scholarly debate.
2) write a problem solving essay and give an oral presentation after the format defined in the first year Themacolleges, including;
a. using a realistic schedule of work;
b. formulating a research question and subquestions;
c. formulating a well-argued conclusion;
d. giving and receiving feedback;
e. responding to instructions of the lecturer.
3) reflect on the primary sources on which the literature is based;
4) select and use primary sources for their own research;
5) analyse sources, place and interpret them in a historical context;
6) participate in class discussions.
Learning objectives, pertaining to the specialisation
7) The student has knowledge of a specialisation, more specifically; in the specialisation General History: of the place of European history from 1500 in a worldwide perspective; with a focus on the development and role of political institutions; in the track American History: of American exceptionalism; the US as a multicultural society and the consequences of that for historiography; the intellectual interaction between the US and Europe.
8) Knowledge and insight in the main concepts, the research methods and techniques of the specialisation, more specifically; -in the specialisation General History: of the study of primary sources and the context specificity of nationally defined histories; in the track American History: of exceptionalism; analysis of historiografical and intellectual debates.
Learning objectives, pertaining to this specific seminar
9) acquires the analytical tools to study social movements as independent historical subjects;
10) assesses the cultural and political impact that social movements have had on US history;
11) is confronted with the historical relevance of radical ideologies through the use of primary sources;
12) delves deeper into the interconnections between social, cultural, and political history.
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Seminar (compulsory attendance)
This means that students have to attend every session of the course. If you are not able to attend, you are required to notify the teacher beforehand. The teacher will determine if and how the missed session can be compensated by an additional assignment. If specific restrictions apply to a particular course, the teacher will notify the students at the beginning of the semester. If you do not comply with the aforementioned requirements, you will be excluded from the seminar.
Written paper (6.000-7.000 words, based on problem-oriented research using primary sources, excluding front page, table of contents, footnotes and bibliography)
measured learning objectives: 1-5, 12
measured learning objectives: 3-5, 6-7; 9-11
measured learning objectives: 6-8
Research Assignment: In-class research on a given topic/theme; in-class presentation and discussion of the research findings
measured learning objectives: 4-6; 11-12
Written paper: 60%
Oral presentation: 10%
Research Assignment: 20%
The final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average with the additional requirement that the written paper must always be sufficient.
The written paper can be revised, when marked insufficient. Revision should be carried out within the deadline as provided in the relevant course outline on Brightspace.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organised.
Michael Kazin, American Dreamers: How the Left Changed a Nation (New York: Vintage, 2011)
Claude S. Fischer, Made in America: A Social History of American Culture and Character (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2010)
Additional literature, including the database list for research assignments, is to be announced in class and/or on Brightspace.
Registration takes place via a form that is sent to all History students on the day registrations open.
For course related questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga.
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The Inclusion Illusion: How children with special educational needs experience mainstream schools
By Rob Webster
Abridged notes from this book will follow. Essential findings:
TAs as they are currently used often lead to worse outcomes.
SEND students are still excluded internally from mainstream experience and encounter much worse pedagogical experiences than their peers.
SEND students tend to be in bottom sets, are removed from the classroom more often and when they are in the classroom - get less one-to-one time with the teacher due to the outsourcing of their learning to non-specialist TAs.
Their recommendations are as follows:
1. Create a central database for maintaining an up-to-date record of where pupils with an EHCP are receiving their education. •Develop and trial a ‘between school’ measure of inclusion to complement and contextualize a ‘within school’ measure of inclusion. •When writing an EHCP, ensure the emphasis is on the quality of pedagogy, not the quantity of support. •Make improving teachers’ confidence and competence regarding SEND central to all forms of ITE, and a recurrent topic of their on-going, in-service training.
•Make career progression for teachers and school leaders contingent on evidence practice that has improved experiences and outcomes for pupils with SEND. •Make judicious use of withdrawal for intervention and small specialist classes for pupils with high-level SEND, ensuring that time in these contexts compensates for time away from mainstream teaching and curriculum coverage. •Support teachers to adopt grouping strategies that provide opportunities for pupils with high-level SEND to interact, work with and learn from their peers. •Train and deploy TAs to support pupils to engage in learning and to develop the skills to manage their own learning independently.
My favourite quote is when he attacks Hattie's apparent belief that more teacher training is the answer rather than fundamental structural change:
"The influential Australian academic John Hattie (2002) writes that educational structures and the composition of the classroom appear ‘less consequential than … the nature and quality of instruction in the class’. He frames this position in terms of ‘attending to classroom organisation practices versus improving what happens once the classroom door is closed’ [emphasis added]. This, however, is something of a false dichotomy. One of the main motivations for the research behind this book is that what happens in the classroom is informed to an under-appreciated degree by its composition. Indeed, too little attention has been paid to the fundamental, but often taken-for-granted, ways in which schools and classrooms are organised, and specifically, how this informs, influences and inhibits an inclusive education. (p30)
The summarized notes are as follows:
Mainstream schools frequently depend heavily on Teaching Assistants (TAs) to support the inclusion of children with special needs. This reliance, however, might limit the experiences these children can gain. (p16)
The term 'inclusion' implies that students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in mainstream schools are integrated. The concept of inclusion, however, is debated among experts (Farrell, 2010; Norwich, 2013; Thomas and Vaughan, 2004). For clarity, we define it here broadly as a system wherein students with SEND are primarily educated alongside their peers in their local mainstream school. The goal of inclusion, in this context, is to ensure that students with SEND have experiences comparable to their non-SEND peers in mainstream education. (p20)
However, for those students with more profound SEND, simply being in a mainstream school doesn't ensure a mainstream educational experience. Despite sharing the same school environment with their peers, their daily experiences can be strikingly different. (p21)
This publication posits that schools' structure and classroom organization perpetuate a kind of 'structural exclusion'. This model reserves mainstream education for average students while offering a watered-down educational experience for those with significant SEND. Yet, the primary blame for this predicament, as proposed in this book, falls on policymakers rather than the schools themselves.
Evolution of SEND and Associated Challenges in England:
The 1978 Warnock Report served as a turning point for inclusive education in England. Before this landmark report by Mary Warnock, children with SEND might have attended special 'handicapped' schools or missed out on formal education altogether. Those with the most severe disabilities might have been confined to infirmaries or specialized care facilities. (p25)
The recommendations of the Warnock Report were institutionalized in the 1981 Education Act. This led to a formalized system of SEND assessment and potential statements outlining students' needs and required resources. Such provisions were understood as supplemental or distinctive from what a mainstream school typically offers.
Subsequent acts, such as the Education Act (1996), the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001), and the Disability Discrimination Act (2005), bolstered children's rights to inclusive education. The Labour government (1997-2010) laid the groundwork for broader, progressive policies, though their ambitious 10-year Children's Plan (DCSF, 2007) never saw full implementation.
Over the years, the assessment system became entangled in bureaucracy. For parents, securing a statement for their child became a taxing, legal, and sometimes costly standoff with Local Authorities (LAs). These confrontations often prioritized available resources over the child's actual needs and rights (Hartas, 2008; Jones and Swain, 2001; Lamb, 2009; Penfold et al., 2009). Ironically, Baroness Warnock, one of the architects of this system, criticized its unintended outcomes and branded it as a detrimental resource scramble (Webster, 2019a).
In many mainstream schools, support mainly translated into a set number of hours with a Teaching Assistant (TA). Over time, these TA hours became the main measure of support, overshadowing potentially more critical educational factors. This focus on TA support was noted by educational oversight bodies like Ofsted but was not sufficiently addressed.
In a subsequent shift, the 2010 Conservative government heralded the most significant change in SEND since the 1981 Education Act (Ward and Vaughan, 2011). Based on Brian Lamb's inquiry into parent confidence in the SEND system (Lamb, 2009), 2014 reforms replaced the previous statements with EHCPs (Education, Health, and Care Plans). However, these changes were largely superficial and did not rectify the underlying systemic issues lamented by figures like Baroness Warnock.
In the fall of 2019, two prominent evaluations highlighted the shortcomings, inefficiencies, and widespread displeasure with the SEND system in England. The House of Commons Education Committee's study of the system's 'application and personal experiences' deduced that there exists a significant gap between the real-life experiences of young individuals, the challenges faced by their families, and the understanding at the ministerial level (HoC, 2019). Another assessment by the National Audit Office noted the Department for Education’s lack of assurance regarding the quality of SEND support in mainstream schools and its limited understanding of the system's impact (NAO, 2019). (p27)
Individuals with SEND are:
Seven times less likely to secure paid jobs.
Twice as probable to experience poverty.
Four times more susceptible to mental health issues.
Thrice as likely to be incarcerated.
Expected to have a lifespan shorter by at least 15 years than those without SEND.
Furthermore, students with SEND are nine times more likely to face permanent or temporary exclusion from school compared to their peers (O’Brien, 2016).
Considering schools as a reflection of the broader society (Dewey, 1900) prompts the question: Is this still accurate today?
Diving into educational dynamics, renowned Australian scholar John Hattie (2002) emphasized that the essence and caliber of in-class instruction hold more significance than the classroom’s structural layout. He suggests focusing on refining classroom experiences rather than simply the organization. However, this viewpoint somewhat overlooks the intricate relationship between classroom composition and the ensuing experiences. The foundation for this book's research argues that classroom experiences are significantly shaped by their organization. The book asserts that the fundamental structures and organization of schools and classrooms, which are often overlooked, play a crucial role in shaping inclusive education. (p30)
Expanding our understanding of exclusion, beyond merely physical removal, can shed light on subtle forms of sidelining and the subsequent implications for learning and social engagement. A more intricate analysis, resonating with Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory model, looks at education as unfolding in hierarchically structured settings. The argument of this book extends this model, suggesting that within a school's 'microsystem', smaller entities like classrooms have their unique dynamics. These dynamics differ between students with and without SEND. The lived experiences of students with high-level SEND within these micro-environments diverge significantly from their mainstream peers, so much so that their 'inclusion' often mirrors exclusionary practices. This book's underlying study discovered that mainstream classroom settings, when accommodating students with high-level SEND, inadvertently endorse separation and isolation patterns. Even though unintended, schools systematically alienate students with high-level SEND. They often segregate these students from their non-SEND peers, inadvertently constructing barriers to comprehensive engagement. With all good intentions at heart, the outcome is the unintentional creation of two distinct learning realms. One for mainstream students, offering a typical mainstream experience, and another for those with high-level SEND, which is considerably distinct. Although it occurs within mainstream settings, it doesn't qualify as a mainstream experience. P33
A deeper understanding of exclusion not only covers the physical displacement of an individual from a learning environment but also highlights subtle forms of sidelining and the impact of these on learning and interpersonal interactions. This detailed perspective on exclusions emphasizes envisioning educational operations within structured hierarchies, paralleling Bronfenbrenner’s 1979 ecological systems theory. The book's primary argument expands on this concept, emphasizing the distinct smaller units within a school's 'microsystem', like individual classrooms and sub-groups. These units have unique characteristics and dynamics. For students with and without SEND, these dynamics vary considerably. Those with high-level SEND often find their experiences more aligned with exclusion than genuine inclusion. This research shows that accommodating high-level SEND pupils in mainstream settings inadvertently leads to their separation. This unintentional segregation means that they are often isolated from their non-SEND peers, creating barriers to their full involvement. Though implemented with good intentions, the result is the creation of two distinctly different educational experiences: one for regular students and another for those with high-level SEND, which although set in a mainstream context, differs significantly from it.
Factors Leading to ‘Internal-Exclusion’ for SEND Students:
Large Class Sizes: Bigger classrooms disproportionately affect SEND students, leading to reduced one-on-one attention. Their frequent medical visits further decrease their interaction with teachers.
Setting: Stobart (2014) demonstrated that 88% of four-year-olds grouped in low-achieving categories remained there till the end of their education. Francis and others (2017) concur, noting that even progress doesn't seem to change a student’s grouping, which is surprising given that it's the very basis for such grouping strategies.
Number of TAs in the Classroom: While TAs offer additional support, they often take over the primary educator role for students in dire need. This role reversal means pupils with significant needs interact mostly with TAs, not trained teachers (Blatchford et al., 2012).
Interaction Analysis: Studies showed that TAs focus more on completing tasks than fostering learning. Their interactions are more restrictive compared to the more open interactions offered by teachers (Rubie-Davies et al., 2010; Radford et al., 2011).
Summary of Chapters:
Chapter 2: Methodology: Data reveals that pupils with a Statement miss more than a day of classroom activities per school week.
Chapter 3: The Findings – Quantitative: SEND students miss an average day per week from the classroom. They are often placed in low-ability groups and have reduced interactions with teachers. The purported inclusivity for high-level SEND students in mainstream schools seems more like marginalization. This brings forth the question of the impact of these structural decisions on these high-need pupils.
Chapter 4: The Findings – Qualitative: The dual nature of Learning Support offers safety yet might limit students from broader experiences. Despite the perceived benefits of working outside the classroom in smaller groups, the makeup of these groups sometimes counteracts learning objectives. There's a concerning practice in schools: they pull out students for behavioral and social interaction classes, but these students only interact with others with similar issues. Another observation was 'stereo-teaching', where TAs would repeat what teachers said in real-time, leading to overlapping communications and diluting the teaching process.
Chapter 5: Teacher-TA Communication Gaps Many schools consistently identified a recurring issue: the insufficient time for teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) to communicate prior to lessons. This lack of coordination might elucidate why certain tasks felt inadequately challenging.
Chapter 6: Clarifying Pedagogical Roles
Who truly takes charge of instructing pupils with advanced SEND requirements? The implication is a binary choice between the teacher or the TA. Yet, our research indicates a collaborative effort, though the boundaries of their roles often seem indistinct and vary. A recurring theme is the frequent ambiguity and operational confusion it results in. This confusion could shed light on the subpar instructional experience pupils with a Statement face (as referenced in Chapter 5). While teachers often assume TAs will fill instructional voids, they might unintentionally neglect pupils with a Statement. This inconsistent reliance leads to a significant amount of pedagogical decision-making and execution being handled by TAs. Their approach often veered towards spontaneous adaptation rather than informed individualization. It’s vital to note that we didn't gather qualitative data on the teaching strategies typically developing pupils received. Yet, the observation data demonstrated that TAs barely interacted with these students, implying they received more robust, teacher-led instruction. This disparity further intensifies the instructional divide. The term "pedagogical diet" represents the murkiness around roles, responsibilities, and strategies for pupils with a Statement. All these factors culminate in an educational experience for pupils with high-level SEND that's dissimilar to their typically developing counterparts – an experience that’s arguably not fully mainstreamed. – p118
Empowering SEND Excellence: Integrate SEND accomplishments into career progression evaluations. For career advancement, educators and school leaders must showcase their effective SEND strategies, potentially motivating schools to elevate SEND training standards. P 142
Encouraging Mixed-Ability Interaction: Secondary institutions should consider implementing mixed-attainment teaching for some subjects. At the very least, adopt group strategies that decrease the negative aspects of strict attainment grouping. Ensure that pupils with SEND have diverse interaction opportunities and aren't always grouped with similar peers. P145
Repositioning TAs: Transition TAs into roles of learning facilitators, assisting pupils in becoming independent learners, moving away from merely ensuring task completion.
Inverting Classroom Dynamics: Instead of TAs staying stationary assisting specific students, let them roam the classroom, identifying pupils who need focused attention from the teacher. Meanwhile, teachers can dedicate extended time to struggling pupils, reinforcing or re-teaching concepts as necessary.
Improving SEND Training: The government must intensify efforts to enhance the SEND component in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and ongoing in-service training. P152
Establish a central EHCP student database.
Introduce a "between school" inclusion metric to supplement the "within school" measure.
Prioritize pedagogical quality over support quantity in EHCPs.
Ensure SEND competence is foundational in all ITE forms and remains a recurrent theme in continuous training.
Action Points for Improvement:
Elevate the role of evidence in teacher and school leader career progression regarding SEND improvement.
Wisely utilize withdrawal interventions and small classes for pupils with high-level SEND to compensate for mainstream teaching time.
Support grouping strategies that promote diverse interactions for pupils with high-level SEND.
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Ancient Greek models
I've met and interviewed hundreds of people who have used ancient Greek and Roman philosophies to help them live their lives better, including soldiers, astronauts, politicians and business leaders. They all used philosophy to help them achieve "eudaimonia", by which the Greeks meant "flourishing" or "the good life". Here are seven techniques, from seven philosophers, which businesses can use to become more eudaimonic.
Socrates: dare to disagree
Socrates, one of the first philosophers, insisted on our right to think for ourselves. Too often, he warned, humans sleepwalk through life, simply going along with the crowd.
This is dangerous in questions of morality, and particularly in corporate governance. When corruption is uncovered, too often people say "everyone else was doing it". But our characters are our responsibility. Socrates was prepared to die rather than go against his conscience. Does your organisation encourage independent thinkers, and people who follow their conscience? Does it allow people to give critical feedback to managers? Does it create opportunities for good people to blow the whistle on bad behaviour?
Aristotle: let people seek fulfillment
Aristotle was a great biologist as well as a great philosopher. He based his ethics on a psychological theory of human nature, insisting that we are naturally virtuous, rational, social and happiness-seeking. Governments and organisations need to build the best systems to let humans fulfill their natural drives.
Humans want to believe in something and to serve it. Appeal to your employees' best nature and they will answer that call.
Your employees will also be more motivated if you give them the opportunity to feed their natural curiosity through learning opportunities. That could be vocational training, but it could also simply be learning about the world, ideas, culture. Does your company have an evening or lunch-time lecture series, such as Google Talks? Could it give credits for evening adult learning classes, as companies such as Cadbury and Ford once did?
Plutarch: be a good role model
Plutarch, the ancient Greek historian and educator, understood that humans are incredibly social creatures, who constantly observe the people around them and imitate them.
Unfortunately, people often grow up surrounded by bad role models. However, we can steer people, by providing them with better patterns to imitate. That's what Plutarch tried to do with his famous work, Parallel Lives, which offered biographical sketches of some of the great Greek and Roman heroes – Cicero, Caesar, Alexander the Great, Pericles – to give young people something to emulate.
In organisational terms, that means what you say to your employees is less important than what you do. They will watch how you behave, how you treat others, how you cope with pressure and whether you follow through on your promises. And they will imitate you. If you talk about ethics and then cut corners at the first opportunity, they will follow your lead.
Set a good example and they will follow it. Plutarch would also warn that your best young employees will use you as a bar to aim for and exceed. That's natural. Let them compete with you and encourage them to go further.
Epictetus: build a resilient mind-set
Epictetus grew up a slave in Rome, and then became a Stoic philosopher. Both of these positions were incredibly precarious – slaves could be abused or killed by their owners, while Stoic philosophers were constantly falling foul of the imperial authorities (Epictetus himself was eventually exiled). Epictetus coped with this insecurity by constantly reminding himself what he could control and what he couldn't. We can control our thoughts, beliefs and attitudes, but everything else is to some extent out of our control – other people's perceptions and behaviour, the economy, the weather, the future and the past. If you focus on what is beyond your control, and obsess over it, you will end up feeling helpless. Focus on what you can control, and you will feel a measure of autonomy even in chaotic situations.
This insight is now part of the US Army's $125m resilience training course, which teaches soldiers the Stoic lesson that, even in adverse situations, we always have some choice how we react. We can learn this resilient thinking, and it will make our organisation and employees more capable of reacting to crises. The environment may be worsening, the economy may be double-dipping. Focus on doing what you can, on the practical steps you can take to improve the situation.
Rufus: keep track of your ethical progress
Musonius Rufus was known as the Socrates of Rome. He was another Stoic, who taught that philosophy cannot just be theoretical. If you want to be an ethical individual or an ethical company, you can't just study ethics, you have to practise it, every day, to get into good habits. The ancient Greek word for ethics is actually the same word for habit.
You also need to keep track of your progress, to see how you're doing. You can't just rely on your intuitions, because they're often wrong. So the ancient Greeks learned to keep accounts of themselves. They would track their daily behaviour in journals, keeping account of how many times they lost their temper, for example, or got too drunk. Then they could see if they were really improving their behaviour, or just going round in circles.
In organisational terms, keeping track of ourselves means trying to take an evidence-based assessment of our performance. We might say we're a green company, but how do we know if we're making progress? We might say we're a eudaimonic organisation, but how do we know? We can keep track of this, for example by asking our employees (anonymously) how worthwhile they feel their job is. Then see if, in a year, we have managed to enhance their sense of purpose. | <urn:uuid:2cbec737-e77c-4047-b384-8875e0648cfe> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | http://astro-andy.eu/83dcf28ade.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474541.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20240224144416-20240224174416-00895.warc.gz | en | 0.973931 | 1,206 | 2.890625 | 3 | 1,173 |
In today’s competitive job market, the demand for employees with strong soft skills is at an all-time high. As educators, it is crucial to recognize the significance of incorporating soft skills training into the academic curriculum.
This strategic integration not only prepares students for future career success but also enhances their overall personal and professional development. By emphasizing communication, teamwork, adaptability, and other essential soft skills, educational institutions can equip students with the tools necessary to thrive in the modern workplace.
This introduction aims to explore the various aspects of integrating soft skills training into the curriculum, providing valuable insights into the benefits, challenges, and best practices for educators seeking to enhance their students’ skill sets.
- Soft skills such as effective communication and problem-solving are essential for a productive work environment.
- Educators should identify and develop the essential soft skills that students need for success in the modern workplace.
- Workplace readiness, interpersonal skills, and professional development are important aspects of soft skills training.
- Integrating teaching methods, problem-solving activities, teamwork projects, and clear evaluation criteria are crucial for incorporating soft skills training into the curriculum.
The Importance of Soft Skills
In today’s competitive job market, the importance of soft skills in the workplace cannot be overstated. Effective communication is a cornerstone of successful business interactions. The ability to convey thoughts and ideas clearly, whether through verbal or written means, is crucial for fostering a productive work environment. Employees with strong communication skills can articulate their thoughts, listen actively, and provide constructive feedback, leading to better collaboration and understanding among team members.
Furthermore, problem-solving techniques are essential in navigating the complexities of modern business. Soft skills such as critical thinking, adaptability, and creativity enable employees to approach challenges with a strategic mindset. The capacity to identify, analyze, and resolve issues efficiently is highly valued in today’s dynamic work landscape. Employees who possess strong problem-solving skills contribute to innovation and organizational growth, positioning themselves as invaluable assets to their employers.
Identifying Key Soft Skills
As educators, it is crucial to identify the essential soft skills that students need to succeed in the modern workplace.
Additionally, understanding industry-specific soft skills allows for tailored training that meets the demands of specific professions.
Essential Soft Skills
Identifying key soft skills is an essential task for educators and curriculum developers, as it enables them to prioritize the most important abilities for student success.
The following are essential soft skills that are crucial for students to develop:
- Workplace readiness: Equipping students with the necessary skills and attitudes to seamlessly transition into the professional environment.
- Interpersonal skills: Fostering effective communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution abilities.
- Professional development: Cultivating a mindset of continuous learning, adaptability, and resilience to thrive in the ever-evolving workplace.
Industry-Specific Soft Skills
The identification of industry-specific soft skills is imperative for tailoring educational curricula to meet the unique demands of various professional fields. Industry-specific adaptability and cultural competency integration are crucial for success in today’s diverse work environments. By integrating these key soft skills into educational programs, students can better prepare for the specific challenges and opportunities within their chosen industries.
|Industry-Specific Soft Skills
|Customer service, adaptability
|Analytical thinking, attention to detail
Understanding the distinct soft skills required in different industries allows educational institutions to provide targeted training, ensuring that graduates are well-equipped to excel in their chosen career paths. By emphasizing industry-specific soft skills, curricula can better align with the current and future needs of the workforce.
Integrating Soft Skills
To seamlessly transition from the exploration of industry-specific soft skills, it is essential to delve into the process of integrating key soft skills into educational curricula. When identifying key soft skills for integration, consider the following:
Communication Skills: Implement teaching methods that encourage active participation, group discussions, and presentations to enhance students’ communication abilities.
Critical Thinking: Integrate problem-solving activities and case studies into the curriculum to stimulate critical thinking and decision-making skills.
Collaboration and Teamwork: Design projects that require teamwork, fostering student engagement and the development of collaborative skills.
Integrating Soft Skills Into Lesson Plans
When integrating soft skills into lesson plans, educators must consider the practical application of these skills in real-world scenarios. Lesson plans should be designed to facilitate skill development through collaborative learning and interactive activities. Incorporating soft skills into lesson plans requires a thoughtful approach that aligns with the overall learning objectives.
To integrate soft skills effectively, educators can incorporate group projects that require students to communicate, problem-solve, and collaborate. For example, a lesson plan could include a group activity where students must work together to solve a real-world problem, requiring them to utilize skills such as communication, teamwork, and adaptability.
Additionally, interactive activities like role-playing scenarios can help students practice skills such as conflict resolution, empathy, and active listening.
Furthermore, educators can integrate soft skills into lesson plans by providing opportunities for students to present their ideas or work in front of their peers, fostering skills such as public speaking, confidence, and presentation skills.
Assessing Soft Skills Development
Assessing students’ acquisition of soft skills requires the development of clear evaluation criteria and the incorporation of observation, self-assessment, and feedback mechanisms.
When measuring progress in soft skills development, it is essential to consider both quantitative and qualitative indicators.
Practical application of soft skills in real-life scenarios is a crucial aspect of assessment, as it allows students to demonstrate their ability to apply these skills in various situations.
Additionally, self-assessment tools can enable students to reflect on their own progress and identify areas for improvement.
Furthermore, peer and mentor feedback mechanisms can provide valuable insights into students’ soft skills development by offering different perspectives and constructive criticism.
Lastly, incorporating observation into the assessment process allows educators to directly witness students’ application of soft skills in different contexts, providing a comprehensive understanding of their development.
Fostering Collaboration and Communication
Fostering collaboration and communication are essential components of a well-rounded curriculum. By emphasizing teamwork in learning, students can develop crucial interpersonal skills that are invaluable in the professional world.
Effective communication strategies and collaborative projects and assignments can provide practical opportunities for students to hone their ability to work with others and communicate effectively.
Teamwork in Learning
How can educators effectively integrate activities that promote collaboration and communication skills into the learning process?
When it comes to fostering teamwork dynamics and cooperative learning, educators can consider the following strategies:
Group Projects: Assigning tasks that require students to work together encourages collaboration and improves communication skills.
Peer Feedback Sessions: Allowing students to provide constructive feedback to their peers promotes effective communication and teamwork.
Role-Playing Activities: Engaging students in role-playing scenarios that require teamwork can enhance their collaborative skills and communication abilities.
Effective Communication Strategies
Implementing interactive group discussions is a key strategy for promoting effective communication and fostering collaboration in the learning environment.
Active listening, where individuals focus on understanding the speaker’s perspective before formulating a response, is crucial for effective communication. Encouraging students to actively listen to their peers fosters a culture of respect and understanding.
Additionally, assertive speaking, which involves expressing thoughts and opinions clearly and confidently while respecting others, is equally important. By teaching students to communicate assertively, educators can empower them to express themselves effectively while being open to different viewpoints.
These communication strategies not only enhance students’ academic experience but also prepare them for future professional interactions. Emphasizing active listening and assertive speaking in the curriculum can significantly contribute to developing students’ soft skills and preparing them for success in their academic and professional lives.
Collaborative Projects and Assignments
Promoting collaboration and communication skills through collaborative projects and assignments is essential for cultivating a dynamic and interactive learning environment. This approach not only enhances students’ understanding of the subject matter but also develops their ability to work in teams and communicate effectively.
To achieve this, educators can incorporate collaborative learning activities such as group projects, case studies, and problem-solving tasks into their curriculum. Additionally, project-based assessment allows students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations, fostering critical thinking and teamwork.
Overcoming Challenges in Implementation
Despite the challenges, incorporating soft skills training into your curriculum is essential for preparing students for the demands of the modern workforce. However, there are several implementation challenges that educators may face when integrating soft skills training into their curriculum. One of the main challenges is the need for teacher support. Teachers may require additional training and resources to effectively incorporate soft skills training into their existing lesson plans. They may also need guidance on how to assess and evaluate students’ progress in soft skills development.
The following table illustrates some common implementation challenges and potential solutions for overcoming them:
|Lack of teacher support
|Provide training and resources
|Limited class time
|Integrate soft skills into existing subjects
|Resistance from students
|Highlight real-world benefits
|Develop clear assessment criteria
|Collaborate with other educators
Leveraging Technology for Soft Skills Training
The integration of technology into soft skills training programs is becoming increasingly essential for educators seeking to prepare students for the demands of the modern workforce. Leveraging technology can significantly enhance the effectiveness of soft skills training, providing students with realistic scenarios to practice and develop their interpersonal abilities.
Here are three key ways technology can be leveraged for soft skills training:
Technology Integration: Incorporating online platforms, virtual reality, and digital tools into soft skills training programs allows for more interactive and engaging learning experiences. These technologies offer opportunities for students to practice communication, teamwork, and leadership in realistic virtual environments.
Virtual Simulations: Utilizing virtual simulations enables students to immerse themselves in lifelike scenarios that require the application of soft skills. Through these simulations, students can receive immediate feedback and learn from their experiences in a safe and controlled setting.
Remote Learning: Technology facilitates remote soft skills training, allowing students to access resources and participate in training sessions from anywhere. This flexibility accommodates diverse learning styles and schedules, making it easier for students to develop and refine their soft skills.
Incorporating soft skills training into the curriculum is essential for preparing students for success in the workforce. By identifying key soft skills, integrating them into lesson plans, and assessing development, educators can foster collaboration and communication among students.
Overcoming implementation challenges and leveraging technology can further enhance the effectiveness of soft skills training. Educators may face obstacles such as resistance from traditional teaching methods or limited resources, but finding creative solutions and seeking support from administrators can help overcome these challenges. Additionally, incorporating technology tools like online platforms or virtual simulations can provide students with opportunities to practice and develop their soft skills in a realistic and engaging way.
In conclusion, it’s crucial for educators to ensure that students are well-equipped with these essential skills, as they are the building blocks of future success. Soft skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, and adaptability are highly valued by employers and can significantly impact students’ personal and professional lives. Therefore, educators should continuously provide opportunities for students to practice and refine their soft skills, allowing them to reach their full potential. After all, ‘practice makes perfect.’ | <urn:uuid:d93c4b49-9cfe-417b-befb-ef262ba4be47> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://esoftskills.com/incorporating-soft-skills-training-into-your-curriculum/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475825.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20240302120344-20240302150344-00895.warc.gz | en | 0.926722 | 2,345 | 3.421875 | 3 | 1,174 |
Research on critical thinking
Critical thinking is an important academic skill. But what do you notice about it in your studies? What exactly is critical thinking and what does it mean to you? That's what we'd like to know.
Completing the questionnaire will take about 10 to 15 minutes. All Humanities students - except first-year students - can participate voluntary. Read more on the background and implementation below. We will invite a selection of respondents for focus group interviews. Thank you very much for your contribution!
Would you like to know more about the study? Please contact Merel van Goch ([email protected]) or Vincent Crone ([email protected]). They are conducting research into what critical thinking means for students in the Humanities. Would you like to contribute? Participating is simple: you fill in an online questionnaire, which takes about 10-15 minutes.
Everything at a glance
Learning to think critically is an important academic skill, which is also often mentioned in learning objectives and outcomes of programmes in the humanities. However, what do students notice about this, and how do they themselves think about critical thinking in their programme? In this research project, which is exploratory in nature, we are going to question students in the Humanities students about this. We ask you to participate. This means that you will be asked to complete a questionnaire and can participate in a focus group interview. The research was approved by the FETC-GW. If you don't want to participate, you don't have to do anything.
2. What is the background and purpose of the research?
In this exploratory study, we examine how students think critical thinking has a place within their programme and how they notice this themselves and how they view it. Ultimately, together with students, we want to arrive at a definition of critical thinking within the Humanities, by doing two-step research into this. First, we present a questionnaire to students about how they think critical thinking has a place in their programme, what characteristics critical thinking has and how they themselves describe critical thinking. Then we will conduct focus group interviews with a selection of students, in which we discuss these characteristics of critical thinking in more detail and try to come to a (re)definition of critical thinking in the humanities in co-creation. This (re)definition could also be further investigated in other humanities subjects and programmes in the future.
3. How is the research carried out and what is expected of you?
What do we ask of you? The announcement contains a link to the survey. The questionnaire is prepared in Qualtrics, takes about 10-15 minutes and can be completed anonymously. At the beginning of the questionnaire, permission to participate will be requested from you. In addition, we will ask a number of the students, who sign up for this, to participate in a focus group interview. That is separate from the survey, so you can participate in both the questionnaire and the focus group interview. The interview will last a maximum of 1.5 hours. The interview is recorded using audio to facilitate processing of the data. If you are asked to participate in the focus group interview, we will ask you to complete the informed consent form attached to this letter.
- Survey: grant permission in the Qualtrics environment (see link in the announcement)
- Focus group interview: grant permission using the form in the pdf
5. What are the possible advantages and disadvantages of participating in this study?
There are no benefits of this research. We do ask a bit of your time (10-15 minutes survey, 1.5 hours maximum for the interviews).
6. Voluntary participation
Participation in the study is voluntary and has no relation to any course you are taking (it will not affect your grade or participation in the course). You can terminate your participation in the study at any time, including during the survey or interview. Consent may also be withdrawn after participation: then your data will not be included in the analyses. Your research data can no longer be deleted if the data has already been analysed, or if research data can no longer be traced back to you.
7. What happens to the collected data?
Directly traceable personal data, such as your name and email address, are managed by the research team (Merel van Goch and Vincent Crone). This data is stored on a secure UU server during the research and stored separately from the research data. If you want to have your personal data corrected or deleted, please contact the researchers (see bottom of the letter). This personal data will not be provided to others.
During your participation in the study, data is collected. The survey results are anonymous, i.e. they cannot be traced back to individual persons. The interview data is pseudonymized, i.e. personally identifiable data is deleted in the transcripts of the interviews. The audio files will be destroyed as soon as possible. The anonymous survey results and the pseudonymised interview data are stored for at least 10 years on Yoda, the UU's secure server. You give permission for this if you participate in this research. If you don't want to, you can't participate in this study. This pseudonymized research data (both regarding the survey and the interviews) can be shared with other scientists to possibly answer other research questions.
8. Is there a financial compensation if you decide to participate in this study?
There is no financial compensation for participation.
9. Approval of this research project
The Faculty Ethical Review Committee - Humanities (FETC-GW) has approved this research. If you wish to submit a complaint about the procedure regarding this investigation, you can contact the secretary of the FETC-GW, e-mail: [email protected], or the data protection officer of Utrecht University, e-mail: [email protected] | <urn:uuid:db9d1865-279e-439e-bfde-908128794cd9> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://students.uu.nl/en/news/research-on-critical-thinking | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475825.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20240302120344-20240302150344-00895.warc.gz | en | 0.941376 | 1,222 | 2.671875 | 3 | 1,175 |
Objective: In this part of the seminar, we'll provide a brief overview of some concepts of learning assessment and the relationship between assessment and course design. Afterward, you should be able to explain the place of assessment in the course design process and to begin identifying types of assessments that may be appropriate for your course.
What's Assessment Got to Do with It?
While this seminar is not focused on assessing learning - that topic demands an entire seminar of its own - we do want to touch briefly on the topic, since designing assessments and designing courses should go hand-in-hand.
Many people think of assessment as the thing you do after learning has taken place. But as Fink (2003) and other proponents of backward course design suggest, effective, integrated course design demands that we consider both the desired destination (where students will end up) and also the activities and assignments that serve as vehicles for arriving at that destination. Designing courses effectively for learning demands that we not only articulate what students will know and be able to do upon leaving the course, but also that we develop the learning activities, methods, and criteria for assessing this learning at the same time. Only in this way can we ensure that the choices we make for our course's design are aligned with or appropriate for advancing the learning we aim to see happen in our courses.
This image (which you saw earlier in Part 4: Developing Course Goals) represents the major elements of course design:
As this image shows, the word "assessment" can have more than one meaning in the course design process: it is the act of measuring or determining whether students have met the learning objectives you've set for them. But it also can represent the activities you assign, from formal essays and presentations to informal blog posts and in-class writing exercises. In this latter sense, the "assessments" you design for your course (a.k.a., the assignments you ask students to complete) can serve as both the vehicle for learning and the vehicle for measuring learning.
While you do not need to know every single assessment activity you'll assign in the early stages of designing your course, you should give some thought to major assignments - and their assessment criteria - as you design your class. Only then can you be sure that you are actually asking students to do work that will help them achieve the learning objectives you've set for them.
Types of Assessment
There are both formal and informal ways to assess student learning. Assessment activities can be formative, summative, and/or diagnostic.
Formative assessment allows you to provide feedback for the purposes of forming (and sometimes re-forming) student achievement of the learning objectives you've set for them. An example would be when you provide feedback on an ungraded essay, for the purposes of student revision. Formative assessments can be formal or informal.
Summative assessment is usually "grading," providing the kind of information and feedback that evaluates how well students performed on a given task compared to a set standard. This kind of assessment may or may not be aimed explicitly at future learning. Typically, summative assessments are formal assessments (rather than informal, in-class activities).
Diagnostic assessments typically are assigned at the beginning of a course, unit, or lesson. They are activities designed to uncover prior knowledge and skills. Diagnostic assessments (and even self-assessments) can provide rich information about where students are at the beginning of a learning opportunity. This information can help you tailor your course and instruction to the specific learners in your teaching situation. It also can motivate students to be more intentional about the choices they make as learners, since it often can reveal to them deficits in their own understanding and knowledge base.
While there is much more we could say about various types of assessments - we haven't even touched on the area called authentic assessment - we will.
Designing Assessments for Your Course
As you design your course, then, it's important to be mindful of the kinds of assessments you might ask students to undertake. Think of all the activities and assignments that can help students learn the things you want them to learn and that can help you to assess whether students are, in fact, learning: in-class exercises, quizzes, formal essays, research projects and presentations, the list goes on and on. At a minimum, you should give some thought to the formal assessments and assignments you'll include as you design your course.
Your task is to identify the activities and assessments that will are most likely to contribute to the specific student learning you have in mind. Obviously, this task must be completed with an eye toward learning objectives. As we discussed in Part Five: Identifying Learning Objectives, aligning your assessment activities with course goals and learning objectives is essential to effective course design.
Aligning your assessment activities with goals and objectives is essential to effective course design.
Otherwise, you could find yourself in a situation where your students do a lot of work but do not seem to be learning what you want them to. This happens when there is a misalignment between learning objectives and assessment methods. (For a humorous - and powerful - example of mis-aligned assessments and learning objectives see the YouTube video of Professor Dancelot at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWi5vy6TSso.)
One way to think about it is this: if you never ask students to do the kinds of activities that will facilitate the learning you want and demonstrate their achievement of your learning objectives, how will you know they have achieved them? Misaligned courses and activities result in far less learning, as well as a lot of wasted time. Activities and assessments that are not aligned to learning objectives can leave students feeling like they've completed a lot of "busy work," without it adding up to anything significant for their learning.
Tips for Designing Formal Assignments
Here are a few tips for creating formal assignments to suit your learning objectives:
Tip 1: Work backward from learning objectives and goals.
Determine the specific tasks and assignments that could help students learn the things you want them to and help you to measure their learning.
Then, select the ones that seem best suited to your teaching situation and your course goals / learning objectives. Rather than asking, "what will students do?" consider asking, "what will doing that activity do for students?" By asking this question, you ensure that you're discerning the best activities and assignments for the task, not simply defaulting to assignments that are typical for a course like yours.
For complex projects and assignments, ask yourself what students will need to know and be able to do in order to complete the work successfully. Then, break those things into smaller, more manageable tasks. (This will help you ensure that you are scaffolding in appropriate ways and covering the content and teaching the skills necessary for success on the larger assignment.)
Tip 2: Determine your assessment criteria as you design assignments (not afterward).
Try to write a description of the characteristics of the most successful versions of the assignment. Answer this question: What would be the signs that the student work is meeting the objectives? If you can describe the features of successful versions of the assignment, you can develop a rubric or other scoring guide to give students; this not only conveys how they will be assessed, but it also enhances their learning.
Then, try to write a description of the features you would see if the student work were falling short of meeting its objectives. Try to answer these questions: What would be missing? What would be there that shouldn't be? As before, if you can describe the symptoms that student work is not meeting its objectives, you can better articulate your assessment criteria.
Finally, use these descriptions to plan the lessons that will prepare students for the assignment and to develop rubrics or other tools for assessing how well they do.
Tip 3: Consider letting students design some of the assignments or choose how they will demonstrate their learning for specific learning objectives.
When students have to develop assignments, they have to internalize the learning objectives in a different way than when they simply complete assignments you've designed. Ask them to brainstorm possible tasks or activities that would demonstrate their achievement of specific learning objectives.
If letting students design their own assignments isn't appealing, consider letting them choose from a list of possible assignments. Provide students with the criteria you'll use to assess their learning, and a list of possible assignments / activities they could complete to demonstrate their learning. Give them the freedom to choose which ones best suit them. This act of choice can increase their motivation to learn and to complete the assigned tasks.
Both of these suggestions fall into the category of what M. Weimar calls "learner-centered teaching."
It can be tempting to put off the work of developing course assessments until after you've finished preparing your syllabus and need to slot major assignment due dates. However, the best way to ensure that your course is designed for learning is to develop formal assignments as you design your class. The work of course design is an ongoing dialogue between how you'll structure learning for students and how they will achieve and demonstrate that learning.
Click to continue to Part 8: Wrapping Up
To Learn More About...
Assessing learning and designing assignments:
Bean, J. C. (2011). Engaging ideas: The professor's guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Carnegie Mellon's Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence. (n.d.). How to assess student learning and performance. Retrieved from http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/assesslearning/index.html.
Korn, J. H., Stephen, M., & Sikorski, J. (2012). Assessment and grading. In A guide for beginning teachers. Retrieved from https://www.slu.edu/reinert/docs/e-books/unit-7.pdf.
Suskie, L. (2009). Assessing student learning (2nd edition). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Walvoord, B. (2009). Effective grading (2nd edition). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Walvoord, B. (2010). Assessment clear and simple (2nd edition). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. | <urn:uuid:cf7dc1f2-b773-4f26-b176-d59a31d69dcd> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.slu.edu/cttl/resources/designing-courses/part-seven-assessing-learning-a-brief-introduction.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707948223038.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20240305060427-20240305090427-00895.warc.gz | en | 0.956754 | 2,143 | 2.6875 | 3 | 1,176 |
Listen to my interview with Jen Serravallo (transcript):
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A few weeks ago, a teacher named Isabelle O’Kane sent me a direct message on Twitter. She had been reading a debate that was raging all over social media, and she wondered if it was something I might want to write about. The debate took place in response to a single tweet sent out by literacy experts Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell:
The classroom library should NOT be organized according to level, but according to categories such as topic, author, illustrator, genre, and award-winning books. #FPLiteracy pic.twitter.com/hxJNDow3Qz
— Fountas & Pinnell (@FountasPinnell) September 21, 2018
Teachers responded to the tweet from all directions: Some shouted hallelujah, because it supported what they were already doing. Others agreed, but argued that their hands were tied because administration required leveled libraries. Quite a few insisted that the best approach was to do both; yes, students should be able to seek out books based on interest, but without levels, how would they ever find appropriate books on their own? And some threw up their hands entirely, wondering if a single, clear answer was ever going to present itself.
Because my training and classroom work has all been with students in grade 6 and above, I don’t have a lot of experience or knowledge on this topic, but it definitely seemed like something teachers needed help with.
So it was pretty serendipitous when literacy consultant and author Jennifer Serravallo contacted me right around that time about her new book, Understanding Texts & Readers: Responsive Comprehension Instruction with Leveled Texts.
In the book, Serravallo takes a deep dive into the question of how best to match texts to readers. She starts with a discussion of why we have leveled texts to begin with, what their original purpose was, and the missteps we often make as teachers when using them. Then she explores the levels themselves—for fiction and non-fiction—and unpacks the characteristics to look for in each one. Finally, she brings it all together, showing teachers how to combine their knowledge of text levels and students to assess student comprehension, set goals, and match students with books that are just right for them.
In our conversation, which you can listen to on the podcast player above, we talked about the mistakes a lot of teachers and administrators make in how they use leveled texts, and what they should be doing instead.
What Are Leveled Texts?
When schools first attempted to differentiate reading instruction, they did it with texts that were written specifically for that purpose, like the SRA cards that were popular in the 1960s and 70s. Although these programs offered different levels to match student readiness, “(they didn’t) actually offer kids real language structures or really interesting storylines,” Serravallo explains. “And kids were not able to read those with as much comprehension as real children’s literature.”
In the 1990s, a shift came when teachers started looking at ways to level real books, books that were not written with “levels” in mind. Two types of text leveling emerged around this time:
Quantitative Leveling: Systems like the Lexile Framework leveled texts through computer programs that measured dimensions like text length and complexity.
Qualitative Leveling: This type of leveling is done by humans, and while it considers things like text length and complexity, it also takes more nuanced qualities into consideration, like whether a text delivers information in a purely straightforward way or contains multiple levels of meaning. One popular qualitative system is Fountas and Pinnell’s Text Level Gradient.
Common Mistakes with Leveled Texts
When leveled texts are used in classroom and school settings, teachers and administrators make some well-intentioned but significant missteps that can negatively impact students’ growth as readers.
1. Leveling Readers Instead of Books
One of the biggest mistakes Serravallo sees is labeling students by text levels. “Levels are meant for books, not for kids,” she explains. “There’s really no point in time when a kid is just a level, just one. There’s a real range, and it depends on a lot of other factors.”
This misstep, she says in her book, has had negative consequences. “Kids nationwide have become aware of something that many would argue they shouldn’t be aware of at all…causing some students to compete, race through levels, and experience shame.”
To compound the problem, a number of schools have begun basing student learning objectives (SLOs)—part of teacher evaluation protocols—on these levels: “(Districts will) say, ‘You come up with goals for your students, and then we’re going to measure and make sure you met your goals.’ And what’s happening is that I find teachers are using levels (to measure growth)—’This student’s starting off at an L and is going to end up at a P,’ or something like that.”
This type of system often prompts teachers to put books in students’ hands that they’re not quite ready for. “The teacher is going to be pushing the student into harder texts in order to meet the goal,” Serravallo says. “You’ve got this kid being pushed through because they can maybe decode the text but not because they’re actually getting everything they can from it in terms of comprehension and meaning making. If the kids are not thinking on that level, why be pushing them into harder and harder books? Why not work with them in texts that they choose to help them get more from the texts that they’re reading?”
What to do instead: Rather than focus narrowly on text levels, teachers should get to know students as readers from a variety of angles. “Factors such as motivation, background knowledge, culture, and English language proficiency should all be on our radar when considering how to help students find books they’ll love, and how to evaluate students’ comprehension and support them with appropriate goals and strategies.”
2. Restricting Book Choice Based on a Single Assessment
“One of the ways that levels get misused is that teachers administer one assessment,” Serravallo says. “It’s usually a short assessment. It could be a computer assessment that’s a short text with multiple choice, it could be a running record where kids read a selection of a text and answer a few questions. So there’s this one assessment, and then from that they get a level or a level range, and they say to the kids, you can only pick from that level range. But the problem is that’s misunderstanding all of the different variables that kids bring to the table, things like motivation, prior knowledge, stamina, their command of English, the genre. There’s so many variables.”
What to do instead: Take multiple factors into account when pairing students with texts. “We need to look at a couple of different assessments,” Serravallo recommends, “and we need to account for these variables, and then once we have a sense of about where kids are able to read, we still need to be flexible when they go to choose. So if I have a kid who knows a lot about dinosaurs who typically reads books around Level O-P, if it’s a dinosaur book and he wants to read it, and it’s a Level R or S, maybe that’s okay.”
Even if we have a pretty thorough idea of what types of texts would be a good fit for a student, only allowing them to choose books from a narrow range of levels doesn’t take other important factors into account. There may be times when a student wants to challenge herself by going for a book that will require more support to get through, and other times when students want to read an easier book for fun.
“Saying to a student, ‘You are a Level __ so you can only read Level __ books’ is deeply problematic,” Serravallo writes in her book. “We can use reading levels to help guide student choice, but levels should never be used to shackle a reader.”
What to do instead: Use reading levels as a shortcut to knowing some likely features of books, but allow other factors to influence book choices. In her book, Serravallo shows us how to adjust our language to help students make these decisions for themselves: Instead of saying something like, “That book is too hard for you,” she recommends saying something like, “That book is harder than what you typically read. Let’s think about how I/your friends can support you as you read, if you find you need it.”
4. Organizing Books by Level
While Serravallo admits to organizing the books in her classroom library in leveled bins years ago, “I’ve changed my thinking after seeing the consequence of what that does to kids’ reading identity. What ends up happening is kids go to the classroom library and they say, ‘I’m a Q. I’m going to pick a Q book.’ And they go to the Q bin and they only look in the Q bin.”
What to do instead: “I would organize them by topic, by genre, by author,” Serravallo says, “So the first thing kids see when they go to the library is identities. And they think about themselves first before they think about level: Who am I as a reader, and what am I interested in reading?”
For her own purposes, Serravallo would still keep text levels on books, but put them in an inconspicuous place on the book, like on the inside of the front cover. “That way, when a child is holding a book, it’s not like everyone can see the level on the book, so it’s a little bit more private. But I like that having them on the book, because if I haven’t read that book, I can peek at the level and be like, oh yeah, okay. Complex characters in this one. And I can use that to guide my discussions when I’m working with kids.” | <urn:uuid:5faf8b39-4744-4865-be7e-d54accd207da> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/leveled-texts/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474775.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20240229003536-20240229033536-00095.warc.gz | en | 0.961422 | 2,246 | 2.546875 | 3 | 1,177 |
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Try: Developed and maintained sales analytics reports, that identified and effectively helped to eliminate major bottleneck generating 20% loss of revenue, See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here, See more templates and create your resume here, The Best Job Skill Set to Put on a Resume, How to Make a Resume for a Job: Writing Guide, 6 Tips on How to Tailor Your Resume to a Job Description, Work Experience on a Resume: Job Description Bullet Points Samples, Common Job Interview Questions & Answers [Top 20 Samples for 2019], 65+ Best Questions to Ask an Interviewer & Land Top Jobs [Proven Tips], 20 Situational Interview Questions and Answers to Nail Your Interview, Emailing a Resume: 12+ Job Application Email Samples, 40 Best Resume Tips & Tricks 2020: Writing Advice & Samples, Data Analyst Resume Examples 2020 (Also Entry Level). Analytical skills interview questions are used in analytical skills tests to test and measure candidate’s ability to think logically, evaluate advantages and disadvantages and to break down and analyze data. Want to read more about all kinds of skills you can put a resume? Analytical essay is a kind of an essay which focuses on the detailed interpretation or examination of a certain subject, such as a book report, an event, or any work of art or literature. Learn how to find the right job and get it. Why employers value analytical skills and how they test them. If we start from each corner we can make one pentagon. To do that, the teacher will review the writing tests looking for areas of improvement. For example, a teacher might need to figure out how to improve student performance on a writing proficiency test. Here are some tips on using Abacus to solve mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction,... Exponents and Powers are additional operations that go beyond the addition, subtraction,... Properties of parallel and perpendicular lines. If you want to impress your future employer with your analytical skills, there’s no better way of demonstrating them than on a carefully crafted resume. It does not require any specific knowledge other than understanding of some specific words. So, showcasing analytical skills is an important factor for increasing your chances of employment. There are many skills that are useful and necessary in your day-to-day life. What does the structure of the page look like? Take a moment to reflect on your media skills. Analytical Reasoning involves deductive reasoning, which means the problem may be solved with no specialized knowledge. (A) 4 (B) 5 (C) 7 (D) 8. Accountants must sift through hefty financial records to ensure every detail is accurate and current. Therefore, the world’s top universities attempt to differentiate themselves by focusing on building and developing analytical skills. So, how important are analytical skills? Uses of Analytical Reasoning Skills in Business and Education. From the job offer you’ve learned which skills you need to focus on. So inside small squares there are 8 triangles. Little practice can make you proficient. Looking for other career advice? Boost your chances of having your resume read with our help. The Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) of a collection of information is the average distance between... Empirical Relationship Between Mean, Median and Mode. You can approach making your resume in a truly analytical manner. Analytical skills consist of a set of abilities. Have a go at a couple of tests to see what’s expected of you. Then squares of second larger dimension, which arte 7. The schedule shown above also demonstrates that response (2) is incorrect. Examples of Critical Thinking in the Workplace. 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Bethel Covid Hotline, | <urn:uuid:d8fd25df-78ba-4a21-80f9-a998724717a8> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | http://childrenssmiles.org/hfe953j/real-life-example-of-analytical-skills-5623df | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475238.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20240301093751-20240301123751-00095.warc.gz | en | 0.921591 | 4,423 | 2.515625 | 3 | 1,178 |
This topic would like to show you from afar what a computer network looks like. We won’t show you deep inside because that’s where things tends to get difficult, for example subnets, network traffic, protocols, etc. Simply we want to Introduce what is the computer network, how today’s people rely on it now, and how is it even or how we are able to use it. From afar The Internet looks complicated as on Figure A, but to explain it simply it’s a connection of so many nodes consist of computer, servers, and other networking devices.
If some stranger asked you of what is The Internet and you can answer simply, then you got the gist of this course. If you can find the puzzle pieces and form the picture of The Internet puzzle, then you have fulfilled the learning objective of this course. For now we would like to list the following learning objective. Simulate Local Area Network (LAN). Simulate Wide Area Network (WAN). Common services of The Internet. Design your simple cloud (Figure B for example).
1. A tour around todays Network
This contains two words “computer” and “network” is a connection of computer devices in order to exchange data with each others refer to Figure 1.1. It doesn’t matter how it is connected or what it is connected, whether we are using wired like serial cable, UTP, fiber optic, and usb, or wireless for as long as it’s connected it is a computer network. A computer network is not limited to private computers (PCs), computer devices such as gadgets, mobile phones, printers, and gaming consoles are counted into computer network. The place where these devices interact with each other is the computer network.
1.2 The Internet
On the previous Figure 1.1 there are lots of device connected and one Earth like planet. The… | <urn:uuid:7987dbfe-6ed5-4a9e-b171-5b06e6289262> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://0fajarpurnama0.medium.com/simple-introduction-to-computer-network-and-the-internet-f97001834276 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475897.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20240302184020-20240302214020-00095.warc.gz | en | 0.939388 | 393 | 3.515625 | 4 | 1,179 |
Training manuals are an essential tool for learners to be able to refer to information throughout the training process and review information after the training. It also allows the learner to focus less on note taking and more on the presentation. A training manual is also a helpful tool for the trainer as it serves as a visual reminder of what they are teaching and helps them to maintain a consistent program for each group they instruct.
I often receive inquiries from trainers and educators who have a great deal of content they would like to deliver, but need direction on how to organize and display their content into a more effective training manual to compliment their instruction. The following process can be applied to any sort of classroom or online training that requires a training manual.
Step 1: Analysis
Determine what the training is intended to teach and use this as a basis for developing a list of learning and/or performance objectives. Learning objectives are statements that define the expected goal of a curriculum, course, lesson or activity in terms of demonstrable skills or knowledge that will be acquired by a student as a result of instruction. Learning objectives help define which tasks the instructor should focus on throughout the course. Learning objectives should be appropriate to the level and skill-set of the learner and also be organized to build on one another, in that, often one learning objective will need to be accomplished prior to moving on to the next. After completing this analysis, you should have a general course outline that will help to guide you in writing the rest of your content.
Step 2: Break content into modules
A module is one section of content of an entire course. All content in a module is related in topic and is focused on the specific set of learning objectives that are presented at the beginning. Modules generally begin with a brief introduction, followed by a list of learning objective for the module.
After the content is broken into modules, from that a Table of Contents can be developed to introduce how the rest of the book will be organized.
Step 3: Writing the content
Content should be well-written and the language/style of writing should be appropriate to the level of the learner. It is also important to keep the tone active and the style and terminology consistent. Several different methods of presenting the content should be used such as: step-by-step instruction, anecdotes, quotes, lists, terms and definitions, etc. And of course, the spelling and grammar should always be free of mistakes.
After the content is written, a Table of Contents, Further Reading List, as well as an Index or list of Terms and Definitions may be added to provide further resources and enhance usability of the training manual.
Step 4: Design
A successful design should be attractive, appropriate to the subject matter and be easy to read. There are several important principles to consider when designing the training manual such as:
Text and Layout – The layout of the text an graphics allows the reader to easily read the content and identify important information. Another important consideration is font size and style to maximize readability. Consistently sized page and section headings should be used to break each module up into smaller sections in order to improve readability.
Cover – A successful cover design should capture the subject and style of the course
Graphics – Photos, illustrations, charts, models, etc. should all serve the purpose of informing the learner and providing a visual representation of the content in order to enhance understanding. As with the writing, all graphics should also be visually consistent and maintain a similar style.
Printing and binding – The printing process and binding should provide a sturdy and functional book that allows it to be written on and holds up under multiple uses. Binding style depends mainly on the book’s intended use during and after the training.
Step 5: Create supplementary materials
Often, materials such as PowerPoint presentations, videos, audio, handouts, posters, etc. will be required to supplement the training guide. The needs for these vary by course, but it is helpful to consider that there are other options available to a trainer to help provide reference materials.
Step 6: Test and revise the training materials
The final step is to test the training manual with a sample group. The purpose of this is to ask a group use, analyze and offer suggestions for improvement. People unaffiliated with the design process generally find areas for improvement that those closely involved with the design sometimes miss. | <urn:uuid:11b782ef-d269-43f5-adbf-dfe42673b6a1> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://pribbledesign.com/how-to-design-a-more-effective-training-manual/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473735.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222061937-20240222091937-00196.warc.gz | en | 0.940514 | 894 | 3.703125 | 4 | 1,180 |
There are numerous factors that can affect a student’s desire and ability to learn, including family expectations, learning differences, and socioeconomic status. However, a supportive educational environment can be key for student motivation and success. Students who feel safe – socially, emotionally, and physically – can learn, grow, and thrive, regardless of the challenges they face. “Maslow before Bloom” is a common phrase in educational circles, describing the conditions that must exist for students to be prepared for and receptive to learning.
What Does “Maslow Before Bloom” Mean?
Decades of research and practice in the field have given rise to many educational theories. Perhaps the most well-known is Maslow before Bloom.
In 1943, Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, proposed a hierarchy of needs that established a ranking order of basic human needs. The foundation of this hierarchy is physiological needs such as food, water, shelter, clothing, and sleep. Once those needs are met, individuals next need a sense of safety and security, which can be found in good health, economic security, and social well-being. Building on top of that are needs for belonging, including friendship, family relationships, and a sense of connection. Achieving those three levels enables individuals to develop self-esteem, which includes attributes like self-acceptance, self-worth, and self-respect. Finally, having achieved each level in the hierarchy allows for learning and development, both academic and psychological.
More than a decade later, a committee of educators established a series of hierarchical models used to categorize educational learning objectives. Named after Benjamim Bloom, who oversaw the committee, Bloom’s Taxonomy is a framework of educational objectives used by educators everywhere. Like Maslow’s pyramid of needs, Bloom’s Taxonomy begins with a basic foundation and builds as each level is achieved. As an individual moves through the stages defined in the framework, they achieve learning and mastery of knowledge.
“Maslow before Bloom,” then, is the premise that an individual’s basic psychological needs must be met before learning can occur. A safe and supportive educational environment provides the conditions in which a student can be prepared to learn.
How SEL & PBIS Fit Into Maslow Before Bloom
Social-emotional learning (SEL) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) play essential roles in fostering a supportive educational environment, particularly in the context of Maslow before Bloom. Maslow’s hierarchy emphasizes the significance of fulfilling basic human needs before cognitive functions can be addressed. Together, SEL and PBIS form the foundation of a safe and supportive learning environment. Let’s take a closer look at this process:
Maslow: Physiological Needs & Safety
The base of Maslow’s pyramid addresses basic human needs, including food, shelter, clothing, health, and safety. SEL programs target these foundational needs through the promotion of emotional regulation, interpersonal skills, and a sense of safety within the school community. Within SEL, these fundamental aspects are the bedrock upon which students can build an academic foundation.
Maslow: Belonging & Self-Esteem
Once basic physiological and safety needs are met, the next levels of Maslow’s pyramid are belonging and self-esteem. PBIS aligns with these needs by establishing a positive and inclusive school culture, in which diversity is accepted and achievement is encouraged. Through recognition of positive behaviors, PBIS helps to foster a sense of community and helps to fulfill students’ needs for belonging. In this educational environment, students are better able to learn and interact positively with one another. SEL complements this stage by helping students to develop a strong sense of self as well as positive interpersonal relationships. This integration of SEL and PBIS lays the groundwork for students to engage more effectively in academic pursuits.
The pinnacle of Maslow’s pyramid is the need for self-actualization, in which an individual is able to realize their full potential. Here, Bloom’s Taxonomy aligns by emphasizing higher-order cognitive skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. In enhancing self-awareness and interpersonal skills, SEL equips students with the emotional intelligence necessary for effective collaboration and communication. PBIS emphasizes positive behavior and supportive school climate, creating an environment in which self-actualization is possible.
Encouraging Student Social-Emotional Well-Being and Academic Success
Together, SEL and PBIS create a strong foundation for learning by establishing an environment for students’ social and emotional well-being, as outlined in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Once established, this foundation enables educators to apply Bloom’s Taxonomy to encourage successful academic learning. This holistic approach not only fosters academic success but also nurtures well-rounded individuals capable of realizing their full potential.
Navigate360 enables districts and schools to positively impact social-emotional learning, school culture and climate, and critical life skills with Suite360 for Students and PBIS Rewards. Download our comprehensive guide to SEL and PBIS to learn how you can help create a ripple effect of positivity for students, teachers, and the school community as a whole! | <urn:uuid:13177241-6b95-47a6-a346-6bd3fd2b65a9> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://navigate360.com/blog/the-role-of-sel-pbis-in-maslow-before-bloom/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474445.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20240223185223-20240223215223-00196.warc.gz | en | 0.938247 | 1,075 | 4.125 | 4 | 1,181 |
In a non-formal learning setting, one can break down the model of a seminar in badge-related activities. Participants can decide what activities they want to confirm in a badge, such that they can also steer their learning plan more actively.
The Open Badge system is used in university and adult learning and has made a strong impact in non-formal education (NFE) for several reasons, the main one being its flexibility. You can build and design any number of badges for an event or workshop, dealing with any aspect. Want to focus on the skills practiced? Content discussed? Both? Likewise, when used to highlight these elements of your workshop or event, they become a tool for reflection after the workshop. To remember the content of a session, or to have a concrete description of the skills or competences employed in that session is invaluable a year after that event finished.
Receiving the badge is only the outcome though. The design and implementation of badges is an immensely creative endeavour. The design of the badge can be as simplistic, colourful, eye-catching or intensive as the organiser wishes. Titles of badges can be thematically linked to the workshop, to previous events, other projects or even other badges. For example, in a series of events that were part of a project dealing with civic education, discussions of pop culture and the influence on society, the titles of our badges were based on quotes from films, as a medium with a significant influence on pop culture
Open Badges as Recognition
This ability to fill the space required makes Open Badges a great way to fill the niche of recognition in NFE, using an approach that Formal Education cannot incorporate. Primarily, since NFE does not certify, the experience of a participant is personal, not standardised, and Open Badges aid this in helping participants to reflect on the skills and content employed, rather than qualifying a specific threshold of achievement. In many ways, this is exactly why something like Open Badges should be used in NFE. The purposes are neither structured nor categorised like a curriculum. There is no national or international body standardising content or method. Despite this, there is a wide variety of institutions who accept Open Badges as evidence of skill or content engagement, including some universities. This will not replace a CV, of course, but it is an excellent way to augment one’s competences.
The Open Badge system was introduced by the Mozilla Foundation in 2011, driven by their open-source community approach. Like other open-source projects, the aim is to share and improve your ideas through collaboration and personal motivation. By using the product, you contribute. Of course, many people have different ideas about how to solve the intended problem, and so, between many thousands of users, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Open Badge platforms. (Please visit https://openbadges.org for more information.)
How to Check Evidence
The programme we use is by Badgecraft (badgecraft.eu), and it lets you set several options.
- Organisers can confirm the evidence.
- The user can confirm for themselves.
- You can set a number of other participants as required to confirm the evidence for the participant to earn the badge.
I usually set this at one or two, for two important reasons. Firstly, I want participants to actually earn the badges, and the more checks required, the harder this becomes. Secondly, those participants will see somebody else’s submission for evidence. Every participant has a submission and will see at least one other submission. They get to see someone else’s interpretation. Variety is the spice of life, after all.
This objectives- and achievements-based process and the form of peer review translate well from youth to adult education, in processes where the learner can take the lead and direct their learning while supporting colleagues in their assessment. Continuing to expose learners, young and old, to other opinions and perspectives is a key element of non-formal education. These processes make Open Badges a useful tool for adult educators to share responsibility and raise motivation between their students in this way.
Open Badges in Adult Learning
As I have outlined above, Open Badges are a tool that can be applied to any structure with which you wish to engage it. Therefore, the benefits of including them in adult learning environments are virtually the same as other contexts. The downsides will depend on the organiser and participants. Creating badges for your event or workshop requires additional time, plus the “maintenance” of walking your participants through the steps of being able to engage with them. The more complex you make them, the more time you will need to dedicate to creation and maintenance. A potential problem that could be more prevalent in adult learning is dismissal of Open Badges. Contextualisation will be important. If your participants believe badges are a flimsy attempt to look like certificates or qualifications, and they understand it is optional, then they will refuse to engage with them. However, if you are clear that they are not tracking achievement, not meant to replace a qualification, but to help with reflection as a personal tool, to aid personal growth, you can pique interest in this alternative approach.
Conclusions for Educators
In the end, the optional nature of Open Badges is most important when considered by the organiser. If you can find some aspect of employing Open Badges that inspires you, whether the creative aspect, the engagement for participants, or the opportunity to reflect thematic links in your projects, you will be motivated to include them and make them the best tool available to your participants (and because this is NFE, you make some mistakes and learn better methods along the way). If the breadth of application, optional nature, or lack of quality-assurance are knock-down arguments for you, then you would do a disservice to your participants by forcing yourself to include them. Open Badges done well will only highlight what good elements are already present in your project. Done out of reluctance, they will draw time away from your planning and detract from the content you want participants to engage with.
That’s the great thing about Open Badges being optional. The choice is yours.
Mike has an MA in Philosophy, Science and Society from Tilburg University, NL and is a Project Coordination Assistant at CGE Erfurt in Germany.
Education and Learning
This text was published in the frame of the project DIGIT-AL - Digital Transformation Adult Learning for Active Citizenship.
Pirker, G. and Martínez, R. (Ed.): Education and Learning (2020). Part of the reader: Smart City, Smart Teaching: Understanding Digital Transformation in Teaching and Learning. DARE Blue Lines, Democracy and Human Rights Education in Europe, Brussels 2020. | <urn:uuid:bae3406b-c5bd-4416-8bda-633270d326fd> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://competendo.net/en/Open_Badges_in_Non-formal_Education | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474594.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20240225071740-20240225101740-00196.warc.gz | en | 0.94164 | 1,393 | 2.859375 | 3 | 1,182 |
Everyday energy consumption
With this matching exercise students learn exactly what can be done with one kilowatt-hour of energy.
Information and ideas:
The medium can be used as an entertaining introduction to the topic of “Saving energy” or for monitoring learning objectives. The hourly values indicate how long the pictured appliances and devices can be operated with one kilowatt-hour of electricity. | <urn:uuid:cc3918ef-57d3-4132-af01-cbc101d54ee3> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://medienportal.siemens-stiftung.org/en/everyday-energy-consumption-102255 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474594.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20240225071740-20240225101740-00196.warc.gz | en | 0.856661 | 82 | 2.921875 | 3 | 1,183 |
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
What is the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies?
Interdisciplinary studies is an approach that draws upon and integrates the perspectives, concepts, theories, and methods from multiple disciplines (fields of study) in order to understand an issue, solve a problem, answer a question, or address a topic that is too broad or complex to be dealt with adequately within a single discipline.
Interdisciplinary Studies in Action
- In order to understand financial dynamics the economist and Nobel Laureate Robert J. Shiller integrated insights from psychology, sociology, history, and literature with the models of economics
- Seeking to explain soil erosion in West Africa, the geographer Piers Blaikie combined perspectives from ecology with theory from political economy (the study of social power in the economy). In so doing, he created a new field known as political ecology.
- Endeavoring to improve science education, in particular more effectively teaching science to non-science majors, UWG chemistry professor Anne Gaquere-Parker and her colleagues brought together analytical techniques from chemistry and concepts and tools from art history.
Is this major for you?
- Are you motivated to be an intellectual pioneer, seeking an academic path that challenges you to think outside-the-box, be creative, and produce innovative approaches, applications, and answers?
- Are you returning to college or university with previously-earned credit hours that can be built into a program of study around a topic or career field in which you are interested?
- Are you in the workforce and looking to further develop your skills or knowledge about an issue specific to your industry or one you aspire to move into?
- Are you interested in multiple academic fields and would like to explore them in the context of a real-world problem or challenge?
- Are you interested in a question that seems too broad, complex, or dynamic to address within the confines of any single existing field of study?
Program of Study
Program of Study
All BIS majors design a program of study organized around a theme and grounded in two disciplines. The degree plan is the specification of this thematic program of study and is developed by the student in consultation with an advising committee. A degree plan:
- articulates the theme, topic, or issue that will be the focus of the BIS major’s program of study,
- identifies two grounding disciplines,
- lists long-term goals and learning objectives,
- identifies 24 hours of coursework, including courses from the two grounding disciplines as well as Interdisciplinary Methods (XIDS 3000) and Interdisciplinary Capstone (XIDS 4000),
- describes an idea for a capstone project (research, performance, exhibition, service learning, etc.).
The student’s advising committee consists of an interdisciplinary studies advisor and two disciplinary mentors, each representing one of the grounding disciplines. Both the student and the committee sign the degree plan as well as any subsequent revisions of it. Any BIS major with at least 60 hours must have a signed degree plan.
Dr. Neema Noori
Director, Center of Interdisciplinary Studies | <urn:uuid:5a2b9bd5-dda3-466f-9a31-06866fa94ece> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.westga.edu/academics/university-college/ids/bachelor-of-interdisciplinary-studies.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474663.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20240226194006-20240226224006-00196.warc.gz | en | 0.934256 | 636 | 2.609375 | 3 | 1,184 |
Before you teach human sexuality, you need to understand your own values and biases. It’s important because you don’t want to project your personal values upon your students. The way you teach sexual health is as important as the information itself. When students feel like they belong, it encourages them to stay in school to learn and succeed.
Students are better able to succeed and develop a positive sense of self when schools are inclusive, welcoming, caring, respectful and safe. These environments support students in building healthy relationships with others, valuing diversity and showing respect, empathy and compassion.
The statements below will help you assess your values, as they could influence your teaching style. There’s no ‘perfect’ way to approach sexuality education. You won’t know all the answers, but you do need to know where to get the answers. If, after going through these statements, you feel you aren’t able to teach the sexual health education curriculum because of ethical, moral or religious differences, please speak with your school administration.
Think about each statement and how you feel about what it says. Click on the statement to find what the research says.
Parents and guardians are an important source of sexual health education for children and teens. They lay the basis for a child’s attitude, morals and values. However, 72% of boys and 66% of girls say they first learned about sex from someone other than their parents.
Canadian teens stated that friends, siblings and the media are the most common sources of sexual health information. Survey results consistently show that Canadian parents and students want schools to offer sexual health education. Schools can be the main source of ensuring that students have access to consistent, accurate and up-to-date sexual health education as part of a comprehensive sexual health education program.
Don’t assume that all students:
- would rather learn about sexuality from health professionals
- come from traditional nuclear families
- are heterosexual
- are cisgender
- are sexually active
- are not sexually active
- consent to sexual activity
- who are sexually active, are having intercourse
- have the same knowledge base
- have the same cultural and religious beliefs
- express the sexual behaviour that matches their sexual orientation
- gender expression will match their gender identity
Comprehensive sexual health education is designed to give students the skills to make responsible sexual decisions. Programs that teach about contraception and safer sex don’t make teens have intercourse earlier or more often. In fact, programs that teach about both abstinence and safer sex can help teens postpone intercourse. Evaluations of comprehensive sexual health education programs show that teens had sexual intercourse later, had fewer partners and used condoms much more than teens that weren’t part of a program.
Sexual health can be hard to talk about. Let your class know that you’re uncomfortable—it can help everyone feel more comfortable. Knowing where to look for information is an important part of feeling comfortable. If you’re unsure about a question, tell your students this and be sure to find the correct answer and get back to your students. No one knows all the answers. The Responding to Student Questions page has information to help you answer your student’s questions with confidence.
Building on the protective factors that make a student more resilient is the best way to ensure sexual health. Scare tactics only draw attention to the issue in the short term. In the long term, healthy sexual behaviour is reached through effective education that focuses on developing skills, taking action, identifying role models and reinforcing positive behaviour.
This is normal and common. Sexual health education must address and acknowledge the diverse needs of all students. It’s important for sexual health educators to provide comprehensive sexual health education that’s both culturally appropriate and reflects different social situations. Talking about facts rather than values helps. The instructional methods section of this website has many learning strategies that you can use to teach the curriculum. Consider taking the “Teaching Sexual Health 101” Workshop to increase your knowledge and confidence.
Sexual health education can give children of all ages the knowledge and skills they need to make and act upon healthy decisions. Teachers play a key role in teaching comprehensive programs designed to promote sexual health.
Feedback needs to be complete, accurate and appropriate to the age and developmental stage of the students. Every question is a valid question. You can choose to group common questions together, to respectfully acknowledge that a question is confusing or off topic, and to defer questions that relate to future course content. Questions that specifically ask about your personal experiences (e.g. “When was the last time you got/gave a blow job?”) do not need to be answered, but can be an opportunity to discuss privacy or remind students of the ground rules.
It is common for teachers to feel that some of the more ‘clinical’ topics, like birth control and STIs, or more controversial or sensitive topics, would be better handled by a nurse or sexual health educator. However, there are many resources available on this site to help you get comfortable with these topics. In addition, the personal relationships you have developed with your students make you a more effective educator than a guest speaker.
Alberta Education mandates teachers to teach the human sexuality curriculum. It’s the teacher’s responsibility to ensure curriculum learning objectives are met. When involving community resources, a teacher must stay involved in all aspects of the program/presentation, including appropriate pre- and post-session learning activities.
Please note that teachingsexualhealth.ca does not have a list of approved guest speakers for schools. Alberta Health Services defers to each school board/jurisdiction as to whom they choose as their school guest speakers.
One tool teachers and school administration can use to guide their decisions on guest speakers is the Guide for Choosing School Health Resources. This resource will help schools choose high quality health and wellness resources that will meet their needs.
It’s important to have ground rules related to vocabulary at the beginning of the course. Encourage students to phrase questions and comments as best they can. Identify and acknowledge that the word is a slang term and reinforce that in class the proper terminology will be used (e.g., “The scientific term for that word is ____”). | <urn:uuid:db3a62a9-5ae8-470f-851d-35312d7a800b> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://teachingsexualhealth.ca/teachers/sexual-health-education/understanding-your-role/your-values/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474852.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20240229170737-20240229200737-00196.warc.gz | en | 0.950356 | 1,293 | 3.578125 | 4 | 1,185 |
The Common Core Standards Across the Curriculum
As of January 2014 forty-five states, including Illinois, had adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for education grades K-12. Teachers and administrators already are familiar with creating standards-based curriculum and are aligning their programs with the CCSS across content and grade levels.
Infusing real life issues into these standards-aligned curricula IS NOT a mandate to re-tool the entire curriculum or an add-on to an already full program. The CIRLI model IS another tool in the teacher’s toolbox, one that can be readily used to incorporate relevance and real-life learning into lessons and units across the K-12 curriculum consistent with existing learning objectives based on the CCSS.
According to its Mission statement,
"the Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers."
Not only are high-level skills explicitly required for students in English Language Arts and math but literacy skills in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects, and Writing are also required in grades 6-12. Students who are college and career-ready need to demonstrate complex reading, writing, speaking, listening and language skills across content areas in addition to mathematical "processes and proficiencies." The Illinois State Board of Education website provides additional, extensive information about the Core Standards, assessments, diverse learners and resources. The CIRLI model can have a seamless role in the implementation of these skills for all students in all K-12 grade levels.
Current and Future K-12 Teachers
These guidelines are for in-service and pre-service teachers. The format below will help you write a Real Life Issues Curriculum Infusion lesson plan for your K-12 class. Use the worksheet and sample lesson plans. They are excellent tools to help you produce a CI lesson plan for your class.
To download a K-12 lesson plan worksheet click here.
For Incorporation of Evidence Based Strategies & Examples of Instructional Activities click here.
Kindergarten – High School
Examples: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, etc.
ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS
Describe which Illinois Learning Standard (ILS) you will follow.
Link for specific ILS in your subject area: http://www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/
To infuse real life issues prevention into your subject lesson.
In what ways will this lesson encourage substance abuse, bullying, violence, social ostracism, and/or HIV/AIDS prevention? For Example: Will it encourage prevention by…
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
Are their materials and/or resources that you will need to bring in as a part of your instructional strategy?
Will your prevention lesson be taught in a concentrated block or spread over the course?
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ ACTIVITIES
Describe the active learning instructional methods. How do you plan to encourage active student participation?
Be specific about assignments, reading, papers, movies, simulations, case studies, role plays, debates, discussions topics, small group activities, etc.
What techniques or forms of assessment will you use to evaluate the effectiveness of this lesson?
Free 5 CPDU online workshop through Northeastern Illinois University’s College of Education
Integrate pressing life issues into classes across the curriculum to effectively engage students in learning and support social emotional growth
CLICK HERE to access the online workshop
No need to come to a training. Download and complete the online workshop at your own pace | <urn:uuid:3ab19ece-25fa-42c3-9b91-7346aa825390> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | http://www.cirli.org/k-12-schools.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473738.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222093910-20240222123910-00296.warc.gz | en | 0.894626 | 788 | 4.28125 | 4 | 1,186 |
In the field of history education, assessment strategies play a crucial role in helping students develop a deeper understanding of the subject. These strategies go beyond traditional methods of testing and grading, and instead focus on creating meaningful and engaging learning experiences for students. By incorporating different assessment techniques into lesson planning, educators can foster critical thinking, analytical skills, and a deeper connection to historical events and concepts.In this comprehensive resource, we will explore various assessment strategies specifically tailored for history education. Whether you are a new teacher looking for innovative ways to assess student learning or a seasoned educator seeking to enhance your current methods, this article is designed to provide you with valuable insights and practical tools to implement in your classroom.Join us as we delve into the world of assessment strategies for history education and discover how they can transform the way students learn about the past. When it comes to teaching history, assessment is crucial in ensuring that students are truly understanding and retaining the information being taught.
It allows teachers to measure their students' progress and adjust their teaching methods accordingly. In history education, assessment strategies play a key role in evaluating students' understanding of historical events and concepts. There are various types of assessment strategies that can be used in history education, each with its own unique benefits and purposes. These strategies can range from formative assessments, which are used to monitor student progress throughout a lesson or unit, to summative assessments, which are used to evaluate students' overall understanding at the end of a lesson or unit. Formative assessments are an important tool for teachers as they provide ongoing feedback to students and allow for adjustments to be made in instruction. This can include quizzes, exit tickets, or even informal discussions with students to gauge their understanding.
By using formative assessments, teachers can identify areas where students may be struggling and provide additional support or clarification. On the other hand, summative assessments are used to evaluate students' overall understanding of a topic or unit. These can include traditional tests, essays, or projects that require students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of historical events and concepts. Summative assessments also provide a final grade or evaluation of student performance. Another type of assessment strategy commonly used in history education is performance-based assessments. These assessments require students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge through a project or presentation.
For example, students may be asked to create a timeline of historical events or give a presentation on a specific historical figure. Performance-based assessments not only assess students' knowledge but also their ability to apply that knowledge in a real-world setting. In addition to these types of assessments, teachers can also use informal observations and discussions as assessment tools. These can provide valuable insight into students' understanding and can be used to inform instruction and support student learning. Now that we have discussed the different types of assessment strategies, how can they be effectively implemented in the classroom or personal studies? First and foremost, it is important for teachers to clearly communicate the purpose and expectations of assessments to their students. This can help alleviate any anxiety or confusion students may have and ensure that they are prepared for the assessment. Teachers should also make sure that assessments are aligned with the learning objectives and content being taught.
This means that the assessments should accurately reflect what students have been learning and the skills they have been developing. Another tip for effectively implementing assessment strategies is to provide timely and meaningful feedback to students. This can help students understand their strengths and areas for improvement, and can also serve as motivation for future learning. In conclusion, assessment strategies are a crucial component of history education. They allow teachers to measure student progress, provide valuable feedback, and adjust instruction accordingly. By using a variety of assessment strategies, teachers can ensure that students are truly understanding and retaining the information being taught.
Whether you are a teacher or an individual seeking to expand your knowledge of history, incorporating these strategies into your teaching or personal studies can greatly enhance the learning experience.
Formative and Summative AssessmentsWhen it comes to assessment strategies for history education, it is important to understand the difference between formative and summative assessments. While both types of assessments are essential for measuring student understanding, they serve different purposes and can be used at different points in the learning process.
Formative assessmentsare used to gather information about students' understanding and progress during the learning process. These assessments are typically low-stakes and can take various forms such as quizzes, exit tickets, or class discussions. The goal of formative assessments is to provide feedback to both the teacher and the students on what areas need more attention and where improvements can be made.
Summative assessments, on the other hand, are used to evaluate students' overall understanding and mastery of a particular topic or unit.
These assessments are typically high-stakes and can include tests, projects, or presentations. The goal of summative assessments is to measure the extent to which students have met the learning objectives and standards set for the course or lesson.
Performance-Based AssessmentsWhen it comes to history education, it is not enough for students to simply memorize dates and events. It is important to also assess their skills and knowledge in a more comprehensive manner. This is where performance-based assessments come in. Performance-based assessments are a way to measure students' understanding and application of historical concepts and events.
These assessments go beyond traditional tests and quizzes, and instead require students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills through projects, presentations, and other hands-on activities. One of the key benefits of performance-based assessments is that they allow for a more authentic assessment of students' learning. By engaging in real-world tasks, students are able to apply their knowledge in a meaningful way, rather than simply regurgitating information. This also helps to foster critical thinking skills and encourages students to make connections between historical events and their own lives. Another advantage of performance-based assessments is that they can provide a more well-rounded evaluation of students' abilities. While traditional tests may only assess a narrow range of skills, performance-based assessments allow for a more diverse set of skills to be measured.
This can include communication, teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving. When designing performance-based assessments for history education, it is important to align them with the learning objectives and standards for the lesson or unit. This ensures that the assessment is truly measuring what students have been taught and are expected to know. Overall, performance-based assessments are an essential tool in measuring skills and knowledge in history education. They provide a more authentic and well-rounded evaluation of students' understanding and encourage critical thinking and real-world application of historical concepts. Incorporating these types of assessments into your teaching can greatly enhance the learning experience for your students.
Using Rubrics for AssessmentOne of the most effective assessment strategies for history education is the use of rubrics.
A rubric is a scoring tool that provides clear expectations and criteria for evaluating student work. It allows both the teacher and student to have a shared understanding of what constitutes a successful response or project. When creating rubrics for history assessments, it is important to be specific and include clear descriptions of what is expected at each level of achievement. This helps students understand what they need to do in order to meet the desired standards. For example, if the assessment is focused on analyzing historical events, the rubric should outline the key elements that need to be included in the analysis, such as identification of key individuals and their roles, connections to larger historical trends, and use of evidence from primary sources. This not only sets clear expectations for students, but also helps teachers provide more targeted feedback for improvement. Additionally, rubrics can be used for both formative and summative assessments in history education.
Formative assessments can help students track their progress and make adjustments as needed, while summative assessments provide a final evaluation of their understanding. Overall, using rubrics for assessment in history education can greatly improve the clarity and effectiveness of evaluations. By creating clear expectations, students are better equipped to demonstrate their understanding and teachers are better able to provide targeted feedback for growth. Assessment strategies are an essential aspect of history education. They allow for a deeper understanding of historical events and encourage critical thinking skills. By implementing the strategies discussed in this article, you can create a more engaging and effective learning experience for yourself or your students. | <urn:uuid:034be521-1f3b-4f52-bcb4-ce66288c064b> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.lessonsinhistory.com/lesson-planning-assessment-strategies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474581.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20240225035809-20240225065809-00296.warc.gz | en | 0.953633 | 1,679 | 3.59375 | 4 | 1,187 |
Education is a lifelong journey, and with the rise of technology, learning has become more accessible than ever before. Online courses have revolutionized the education system by providing learners with the ability to learn at their own pace and from anywhere around the world.
The online learning platform offers an array of benefits to both instructors and students in terms of flexibility, accessibility, and convenience. However, one of the biggest concerns surrounding online courses is how to ensure that learners are receiving a quality education.
This is where feedback and assessment come in. Feedback and assessment are essential components of any educational program as they provide both instructors and students with information about their progress, strengths, weaknesses, and areas that need improvement.
Explanation of Online Courses
Online courses are educational programs that are offered over the Internet through a virtual learning environment where students can access course materials at their own pace. The courses can range from short-term certifications to undergraduate or graduate degree programs offered by universities across the globe.
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- Balancing Extracurricular Activities and Academics for Students
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Online courses allow for flexibility in learning where students can choose when they want to study without being constrained by a fixed schedule or geographic location. With online courses, you have access to educational resources such as e-books, videos, and podcasts alongside traditional textbooks.
The Importance of Feedback and Assessment in Online Courses
Feedback is a process whereby learners receive information about their performance on assignments or tests which helps them understand what they did well or what needs improvement. Assessment refers to evaluating student progress toward course objectives through various methods such as quizzes, projects, or exams.
In online courses where there’s often no face-to-face interaction between students and instructors like in traditional classrooms; feedback becomes even more crucial because it provides valuable insights into how well learners are meeting course objectives.
Effective feedback mechanisms ensure that learners understand how well they’re doing on assignments while helping them identify areas for improvement so that they can perform better on future assignments and ultimately achieve their learning goals. Assessments, on the other hand, provide instructors with information about how well students understand the course materials and help them make adjustments to improve student learning outcomes.
Feedback and assessment are critical components of online courses that play a significant role in enhancing learner performance and overall quality of education. These mechanisms ensure that learners remain engaged in the course material while receiving valuable feedback to assist them in achieving their learning objectives.
Benefits of Feedback and Assessment in Online Courses
Feedback and assessments play a crucial role in online courses. They are important tools that help both students and instructors to measure learning outcomes, provide a clear understanding of progress, and identify areas that may require improvement. Here are some benefits of feedback and assessment in online courses.
Helps to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Course
Feedback and assessment provide instructors with valuable information on how well their course materials are working for students. They can evaluate whether their course content is relevant, engaging, accessible, and comprehensive enough to meet students’ needs. Instructors can use this information to make necessary changes or improvements to their courses.
In addition, feedback and assessment can help programs assess the overall effectiveness of a course or program. This is especially important for institutions that offer online courses as part of their curriculum since it helps them ensure academic rigor across all course modalities.
Provides Students with a Clear Understanding of Their Progress
Feedback and assessment allow students to understand how well they are performing in the course. It provides them with valuable insights into their strengths and weaknesses, which they can use to tailor their studying approach accordingly.
Through timely feedback from instructors, students receive an evaluation of their work that provides guidance on what went well or what needs improvement. This helps students build confidence as they track improvements over time.
Helps Instructors Identify Areas for Improvement
Feedback from assessments also allows instructors to identify areas where there might be gaps in student understanding or where instructional methods may not have been effective enough. By reviewing feedback provided by assignments submitted by multiple students throughout a learning process – instructors might find themselves analyzing trends across student submissions – identifying areas they could improve upon so all students benefit.
Effective feedback mechanisms are critical at every stage of learning as they enable faculty members to monitor student progress while giving recommendations for improvement.
Types of Feedback and Assessment in Online Courses
Formative Assessment: The Power of Feedback During the Learning Process
Formative assessment is a valuable tool for enhancing student learning outcomes in online courses. Unlike summative assessment, which typically occurs at the end of a course or unit, formative assessment takes place during the learning process. It provides students with timely feedback on their progress and helps instructors to identify areas where students may be struggling.
There are many different types of formative assessment that can be used in online courses.
For example, quizzes and polls can be used to provide immediate feedback on student understanding. Interactive discussions and group projects can help instructors to monitor student progress and provide feedback throughout the course.
Additionally, self-reflection exercises can help students to assess their own understanding and identify areas where they need additional support.
Overall, formative assessment is a powerful tool for enhancing student learning outcomes in online courses. By providing timely feedback during the learning process, instructors can help students to stay engaged and motivated while also identifying areas where they may need additional support.
Summative Assessment: Evaluating Student Understanding at the End of a Course
While formative assessment is focused on providing feedback during the learning process, summative assessment occurs at the end of a course or unit. The goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student understanding and determine whether they have met specific learning objectives.
In online courses, there are many different types of summative assessments that can be used. For example, exams or final projects are common forms of summative assessment.
These assessments typically cover all topics covered throughout the course or unit.
The key benefit of summative assessments is that they provide instructors with an opportunity to evaluate student understanding across all topics covered within a course or unit. By using multiple forms of summative assessment, instructors can get a more comprehensive understanding of student learning outcomes.
Peer Evaluation: The Benefits and Challenges of Student Feedback
Peer evaluation is a valuable tool for providing students with feedback from their peers. In online courses, peer evaluation can take many different forms.
For example, students may be asked to review and provide feedback on each other’s assignments or projects.
Peer evaluation has many benefits for both students and instructors. For students, it provides an opportunity to receive feedback from their peers and learn how to provide constructive criticism themselves.
It also encourages collaboration and helps to build a sense of community within the course.
However, there are also challenges associated with peer evaluation in online courses. One common challenge is ensuring that all students are held to the same standards when providing feedback.
Additionally, technical difficulties may arise when implementing peer evaluations in an online environment.
Overall, peer evaluation is a valuable tool for enhancing student learning outcomes in online courses. While there are challenges associated with its implementation, the benefits make it worth considering as part of an overall assessment strategy.
Strategies for Effective Feedback and Assessment in Online Courses
Effective feedback and assessment strategies can enhance learning outcomes for students in online courses. Instructors must provide timely feedback to ensure students are aware of their progress, implement rubrics to evaluate student work systematically and encourage self-reflection. This section will examine these three strategies in more detail.
Providing Timely Feedback
Providing timely feedback is crucial in an online course because it allows students to stay on track with the material. When assignments are graded quickly, students can adjust their approach if necessary before moving on to the next unit or topic; it also increases student engagement because they feel recognized for their efforts.
To provide timely feedback regularly, instructors can use tools such as automated grading software or templates that help facilitate grading tasks. They can also establish a deadline for submission of assignments by students, ensuring that they have enough time to grade the work before moving on to other tasks.
Using Rubrics to Evaluate Student Work
Instructors can use rubrics as a tool for evaluating student work systematically. A well-crafted rubric provides both the instructor and the student with a clear understanding of how assignments will be assessed. Additionally, it ensures that each assignment is graded consistently and reduces subjectivity in grading.
Rubrics should include various elements such as clarity of ideas, relevance of content, grammar usage, and organization skills among others depending on the assignment type. By communicating expectations clearly through rubrics content lecturers provide clarity which enhances learning outcomes since students know what they need to deliver.
Self-reflection enables learners to identify areas where they did well and those they need improvement ultimately enhancing performance. Content delivery lecturers should encourage self-reflection by providing an opportunity for reflection within assignments or at the end of each module/overview section.
Instructors may also ask students to keep a reflective journal detailing challenges they faced, and how they tackled them, among other aspects of their learning experience.
By reflecting on their progress, students can identify areas requiring improvement and seek further clarification or assistance from their instructors. By implementing timely feedback provision practices, using rubrics for grading student work, and encouraging self-reflection practices instructor enhances the learning experience in online courses.
Challenges with Feedback and Assessment in Online Courses
One of the challenges of providing feedback and assessment in online courses is technical difficulties. Technical issues such as poor internet connectivity, compatibility issues, or server downtime can significantly affect the reliability and consistency of online assessments. Instructors may also face challenges in designing and developing assessment tools that are user-friendly, secure, and easy to navigate.
Furthermore, technical difficulties can have a negative impact on students’ learning experiences. For instance, students may feel frustrated when they cannot submit their assignments on time due to technical issues or when they cannot receive timely feedback from instructors.
Technical difficulties can also create anxiety among students who rely heavily on technology to complete their coursework. To mitigate the effects of technical difficulties in online courses, instructors should ensure that they use reliable and user-friendly assessment tools.
They should also provide clear guidelines on how to handle technical issues that may arise during assessments. Additionally, instructors should consider providing alternative modes for submitting assignments or taking assessments in cases where students face persistent technical problems.
Lack of Personal Interaction Between Students and Instructors
Another challenge with online course assessments is the lack of personal interaction between students and instructors. Unlike traditional classroom settings where instructors can interact with their students on a one-on-one basis, online courses often lack opportunities for meaningful student-instructor interactions.
This makes it difficult for instructors to provide personalized feedback that addresses individual student needs. Furthermore, the lack of personal interaction between students and instructors may lead to a sense of isolation among learners.
When learning remotely without regular interactions with peers and instructors, some learners may struggle to stay motivated or engaged throughout the course. To address this challenge, it is essential for online course designers to incorporate interactive features into their assessments.
For example, including discussion forums where learners can ask questions or share ideas can help foster peer-to-peer interaction. Instructors can also use video conferencing tools to conduct virtual office hours and provide personalized feedback to learners.
Conclusion: Overcoming Challenges in Online Course Assessments
Providing feedback and assessment in online courses comes with its unique challenges. However, by using effective strategies for delivering assessments and feedback, instructors can help mitigate these challenges.
To ensure that technical difficulties do not negatively affect students’ learning experiences, instructors should use reliable and user-friendly assessment tools.
To address the lack of personal interaction between students and instructors, course designers can incorporate interactive features such as discussion forums or virtual office hours into their assessments. By overcoming these challenges, online course designers can create a positive learning experience for learners that fosters engagement, motivation, and achievement.
Feedback and assessment are crucial elements of any educational program, including online courses. In an online environment, it is even more important to provide regular, constructive feedback and assessments to students.
Online learners may feel isolated or disconnected from their instructors and peers, so effective feedback and assessment strategies can enhance their learning outcomes significantly. In this article, we have discussed the importance of feedback and assessment in online courses.
We have explored the benefits of feedback and assessment strategies for both students and instructors. We also talked about some effective methods for providing feedback and carrying out assessments in an online environment.
By providing timely feedback to learners through different types of assessments such as formative or summative with the help of peer evaluation, instructors can help students identify areas where they need improvement. Moreover, using rubrics to evaluate student work can help ensure that all students are assessed according to objective criteria.
Encouraging self-reflection is another effective way to promote accountability in students by having them take responsibility for their own progress. Using effective feedback and assessment strategies is essential for ensuring the success of online courses.
By creating a supportive learning environment where learners receive regular constructive feedback with proper assessments helps foster a growth mindset among them that leads to better learning outcomes. Ultimately these techniques contribute towards enhancing student engagement leading to greater academic success. | <urn:uuid:6c541b6a-8b48-4e6a-a1a6-6cf053af26b0> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://maerkseducationalconsult.com/importance-of-feedback-and-assessment-in-online-courses-enhancing-online-learning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474482.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20240224012912-20240224042912-00396.warc.gz | en | 0.936942 | 2,849 | 3.890625 | 4 | 1,188 |
The Science Behind Social and Emotional Development
Beth Zack: Welcome to "BabyTalks.” Thank you for joining us. "BabyTalks" is a series of webinars for teachers, providers, home visitors working with infants and toddlers, serving Early Head Start, Head Start, and child care programs. These webinars will introduce you to some of the research behind the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework, or the ELOF. My name is Beth Zack, and I'm from the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning. My colleagues and I from I-LABS – the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences – will be presenting these webinars. I-LABS, a partner organization in the NCECDTL consortium, is one of the leading infant research centers in the country. Today, we'll be talking about a topic that's been on a lot of our minds during this trying year – infants' and toddlers' social and emotional development. But we, the adults – we are a huge part of that because at the heart of social and emotional development are relationships.
If it feels comfortable for you, I'd like to begin with a short reflection. Think about your own relationships. What one or more first come to mind? Maybe you thought of relationships at work with other staff, the children in your care and their families, or families on home visits. Or maybe your own home came to mind – a partner, your children, grandparents or friends, or people in your community. What do you value about those relationships? Relationships build belonging. I value how they help us feel supported and cared for, whether we're 1 or 99. Today, we're going to be talking about the science behind social and emotional development in the context of our earliest relationships. The relationships we build with young children – they teach them and us so many things about security, caring for one another, and developing strong attachments to people in our lives and our communities. Look at this tiny baby. How do infants learn to trust and connect with others? How do they use social cues to communicate and understand others' emotions? What makes them feel loved and supported so they can form friendships, use language to communicate their emotions, and show care and concern for others as they grow into toddlers, preschoolers, and beyond.
Here's our learning objective for today. By the end of this webinar, you will be able to use your understanding of social and emotional development to build stronger relationships to support all children's learning. We'll focus on three areas that help meet our learning objective. We'll start with how early relationships support children's social and emotional development and set the stage for a lifetime of learning. Then I'll describe more research about how social and emotional development supports learning across the ELOF domains. And finally, we'll talk about relationship-building strategies you can use to support children's social and emotional development.
Let's jump into that first section. Early relationships supports infants' and toddlers' social and emotional development that set the stage for a lifetime of learning. Our brains are wired for social connection. What do you see in these images? Chances are you saw a face in each one. Even if there's only the slightest suggestion of facial features, the brain automatically interprets it as a face. Like adults, newborns are attracted to faces or even things that vaguely resemble faces. Take a look at these two images. They're essentially the same. They both have three squares and a round part of the blue shape. But which one looks more like a face to you, A or B? Well, most people say B because the three squares are arranged in a more face-like way. The two squares on top could resemble eyes. The square on the bottom could be a mouth. But in A, the configuration is flipped. If you show babies these same two images, they spend more time looking at B. They may not understand what they're looking at, but they prefer to look at something that has similar features to a human face. This is yet another indication that babies are born social creatures. But the faces that infants and toddlers prefer to see are these – a parent, a grandparent, a trusted caregiver, or teacher. From the child's perspective, all faces are fascinating. Each one presents the possibility for comfort and understanding, for support and care – a relationship. And that's what infants and toddlers crave at this age. It's what they need – a relationship.
And it turns out, we're actually born with an inclination toward interacting with other humans. A classic study done by I-LABS co-director Andrew Meltzoff found that we are social from birth. Early in his career, Dr. Meltzoff went to hospitals and made faces at newborn babies – what a fun job – faces that young infants are able to do, like sticking out your tongue. And what he found was pretty remarkable. Within hours of birth, babies imitated his facial expressions. These infants begin to imitate even before they know that they have a tongue to stick out or a mouth to open. These findings actually came as quite a surprise. It really changed how we think about infants. They are born learning. Infants are born wired to connect with nurturing adults and form these central early relationships. In turn, these earliest and primary relationships literally shape the architecture of the brain, setting a foundation for learning throughout life. It's not just about infants and toddlers, but us adults, too. We have a really important job to do. We help infants understand themselves and connect to others. We help them feel safe, cared for, and loved. We are an essential part of their social and emotional development.
Relationships build our brains. When an infant sees our face, hears our voice, feels a touch, and gets comfort from that, that makes connections in the brain. Those connections gets stronger, and then they build new connections, and so on. This is brain building in action. If you'd like to learn more about early brain development and missed our January "BabyTalks" webinar on building the brain, you can watch it through our streaming platform, Push Play DTL On Demand. I really encourage you to check it out. And with new technologies, we can actually see brain building happening. Let's look at touch as an example. Researchers at I-LABS looked at the brains of infants as they were being touched. And we've known for a long time that adult brains have a sort of map of the body, and stimulating a part of the body will cause very specific parts of the brain to activate. And it turns out this is true of infants, as well. When you touch an infant's hand, you stimulate this body map in their brain. You're not simply building a relationship with that child and giving that child a sense of security and belonging, all of which is true and important, [Inaudible] but helping that child reinforce these connections. When you touch a child's foot, you can see corresponding parts of the brain firing, learning what touch is. Infants are able to perceive and process touch in their brains from a very early age in a sophisticated way.
And as I mentioned, it's not just our touch, but seeing our face, hearing our voice that makes that connection in the infant brain. And what's particularly important to infants is a familiar caregiver. Researchers show that newborns prefer to look at and listen to a familiar caregiver. Their brain activates differently than with a stranger. For example, newborns prefer to look at their mother's voice and listen – look at their mother's face and listen to their mother's voice compared to a stranger's. They even prefer hearing the language their mother speaks over a foreign language. This familiarity actually helps children learn. When babies listen to their mother, areas of their brain related to language are activated, but this does not occur when they are listening to a stranger. This is just one way that social and emotional development supports learning across other domains, such as Language Development.
Now, these research studies looked at mothers, but these findings are important for fathers and all of us who care for young children. Continuity of care really matters for establishing strong social bonds between an adult and child. The more time spent together, the more opportunities for connection and learning to occur. Keep this in mind for virtual check-ins and as children transition back to full in-person-learning settings. During virtual check-ins, young children can maintain familiarity with you by hearing your voice and seeing your face. Keep these sessions positive and brief. Try a game of peekaboo. Read a short book or play a fun game, like "I spy," to connect. Remember – even if you were a child's caregiver before their extended time away, they might need some extra support and time to rebuild those connections in person when they return to your program. Be consistent and responsive and patient to meet children where they are. Making authentic connections matters to infants and toddlers. In one study, researchers found that 5-month-olds prefer to listen to recorded laughter between friends compared to laughter between strangers. That warmth and familiarity and that history of relationships actually came through in the laughter between friends, and babies could sense that authentic relationship. How cool is that?
And remember – as teachers, providers, and home visitors, making an authentic connection with families matters, too. Over the first few months of life, a baby's preference for familiar people develops into intimate relationships. Over time, that infant-adult relationship develops into what researchers call an attachment bond. An attachment bond is the lasting emotional bond that forms between infants and primary caregivers. A child can have attachment bonds with multiple adults in his or her life, and each relationship can be different. Children come to depend on these relationships, not only for protection, but for emotional and social support. Strong bonds with their primary attachment figure are particularly important in development.
Forming emotional bonds is the foundation for all learning across domains. But what happens when infants and toddlers don't experience supportive, responsive care? Many of you may have seen a video from the classic Still Face experiment. Dr. Edward Tronick designed this research study to look at that social and emotional relationship between caregivers and their children. I'm going to describe the experiment because, unfortunately, we don't have permission to share the video with you today. But I did include a link to that video in your resource widget if you'd like to watch it. It's quite powerful. In the Still Face experiment, Dr. Tronick wanted to see what happens when a caregiver no longer responds to their infant's needs. At first, that caregiver is engaging with her child in a back-and-forth interaction. In this photo, the mom's actually singing "The Wheels on the Bus," and her infant is sort of imitating some of those actions and her facial movements. And then the mom is following the lead, and then she's imitating the baby back. Then the caregiver is asked to stop being socially and emotionally responsive to her infant. She turns around, and when she turns back, she just sits there and stares at her child with a blank expression for two long minutes.
And at first, infants try to re-engage their caregiver. They might smile or vocalize or point. This little girl gives a little wave. They are used to their caregiver responding. And eventually, they become distressed. When that long two minutes is up, the caregiver is able to engage with her infant again. When children are used to responsive caregiver, they're happy to reconnect to their caregiver again. "Finally, she's interacting with me like she normally is.” This is important because there will always be times we can't immediately respond to a child's needs, and that's OK. In the context of relationships, of these supportive relationships, the distress a child feels is buffered because of that relationship. Remember the touch study I described earlier? Well, another group of researchers did the Still Face experiment again, only they allowed one group of caregivers to touch their infants with their hands while otherwise being unresponsive. And those infants were actually less upset, and they smiled more, compared to infants who did not have that caregiver touch them during the unresponsive period. Touch is an amazing way to create and maintain connections with infants and toddlers.
Children benefit from multiple strong relationships, but even just one strong relationship can help buffer the impacts of stress and/or traumatic experiences in young children's lives. Resilience equals relationships. Why is that? Well, it's exactly what we've been talking about. Brain development during these first few years of life depends on strong social relationships with a primary caregiver. Over time, this yields positive outcomes for the child that persist into adulthood. The benefit of at least one responsive, consistent caregiver go beyond our social and emotional skills. Early relationships set the stage for the quality of our future relationships, academic motivation and achievement, our ability to persist through challenges, and our cognitive and executive function. We've touched on some of the science behind social and emotional development, but in this next section, I really want to make the connection between the research and the ELOF.
The ELOF has five central domains for infants and toddlers. They are Approaches to Learning, Social and Emotional Development, Language and Communication, Cognition, and Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development. We're going to continue with some examples within that Social and Emotional development domain, but there is so much research in this area. I would honestly need weeks to cover it all. But the good news is, is that there are a lot of great resources on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, or the ECLKC, that I've provided in the resources widget for you. And this includes a "BabyTalks" webinar that I did last year on infant and toddler behaviors that can challenge adults. These behaviors are a big part of children's early social and emotional development, but I'm not going to be covering them today since we already have this great webinar and other resources and plenty to talk about.
We've established that children learn in the context of their early relationships, but how does an infant or toddler know what to pay attention to, what to learn about during these interactions? Luckily, they have us. We can help them. In addition to giving them that comfort and support, we can give them cues. Take eye gaze, for example. From a very young age, children in many cultures are tuned in to a big part of social learning – the eyes. Through eye gaze, infants and toddlers create a strong emotional bond. This connection helps a baby feel loved and learn about other people. Eyes are the basis for watching others, communicating, and imitating, and they show you where another person is looking and directing their attention. By about 10 months, children are starting to understand that looking at another person's eyes actually gives a lot of valuable information. They're also starting to incorporate objects into their interactions with adults. Let's take a closer look at some of this research.
In this study, a researcher sits at a table across from an infant, and there are identical toys on other side. First, she established eye contact with the infant, and then she turns to look at one of those toys. She doesn't say anything, and she has a neutral expression. And what does the baby do? Well, the baby turned his head to look at the same toy. Looks like the baby was thinking, "She's looking at that. Must be interesting. I'm going to look at that, too.” The eye gaze is a cue prompting the child to look. When do infants realize the eyes are important to share attention? 9-month-olds actually tend to follow the experimenter's head turn when their eyes are open and when they are closed. But between 10 and 12 months of age, infants tend to follow the adult's gaze only if their eyes are open. They begin to realize that the eyes are important for communication. This places them on a path toward eventually understanding the thoughts and attentions of others.
Researchers at I-LABS have recently extended this work to look at gaze following with deaf infants of at least one deaf parent, and they've found that infants who are deaf showed enhanced gaze following compared to hearing infants of the same age. Infants pay special attention to eye gaze as a social and communication tool [Inaudible]. Infants' gaze following is also related to their language development. Researchers found that infants who are better at following adults' gaze were more likely to have better language skills at 18 months and use more words describing emotions and desires like "wish," "need," and "happy," at 2 1/2 years of age. Non-verbal forms of communication, like eye gaze and pointing, can be helpful for supporting language development in all children, including children who are dual language learners. The longer a child looks at an object or event, the more time that you have to provide language to describe what they see. And this supports goals in the Social and Emotional Development and Language and Communication domains of the ELOF.
A goal of the sub-domain Relationships with Adults is the child learns to use adults as a resource to meet needs. This includes behaviors such as looking, smiling, pointing, and reaching and dropping objects. And a goal of the Language and Communications sub-domain, Attending and Understanding, is the child attends to, understands, and responds to communication and language from others. Sharing attention through eye gaze and gestures helps infants to learn language and form social connections before they can talk. But eye gaze isn't the only way to share attention and connect to others. In some cultures, adults teach children they should avoid eye contact with speaking to an adult out of respect. But then again, in other cultures, it's an important part of social interaction. These are things we need to navigate, and they influence how caregivers use eye gaze to connect with their young children. And not all children use eye gaze to form these social connections. For example, research suggests that children with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, show typical patterns of eye contact of infants. By the time they are 2, children with ASD typically show an aversion to looking at eyes. Children with ASD may engage with adults in other ways, like imitation. In fact, research shows that after imitation sessions, children with ASD engage with adults who imitate them. They also show more social behaviors, like looking, smiling, and playing with other children.
Imitation can be a powerful tool for building relationships and learning from other people. Learning by watching others is especially helpful for infants before they can talk, and young children love to imitate. They watch us, and they want to be like us. When you imitate them back, they know that you're in synchrony. They're making a social connection and establishing that back-and-forth relationship pattern. Through imitation, children also learn social rules, like what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. These early social experiences set the stage for later learning. Early imitation supports goals in the Social and Emotional Development and Cognition domains of the ELOF. Imitation and playing with other children is a goal of the sub-domain Relationships with Other Children, and showing confidence in their abilities through their relationships with others is a goal of the sub-domain Sense of Identity and Belonging. For Cognition, a goal of the Imitation and Symbolic Representation and Play sub-domains is for children to observe and imitate sounds, words, gestures, actions, and behaviors. Children use imitation to learn more about the world and themselves. In the process, they gain a better understanding of other people and their own culture.
Another important part of social and emotional development is understanding our own and other people's emotions. There's evidence that even 3-month-olds show basic emotions, like happiness and sadness, but a 3-month-old is in the early stages of emotion understanding. They have a lot to learn about how to feel, act, and relate to others. How does this mother feel with her daughter during a home visit? How do you think this little boy feels? And what about this teacher? As adults, we sense happiness when the corner of a person's mouth turns up, and when the corners turn down, we know they likely feel sad. We pick up on subtle changes in other people's mouth, their eyes, and even their eyebrows, and we use those to make sense of how they are feeling. How do infants go from expressing emotions to being able to interpret and use other people's emotions? Language helps them first understand, then use words to describe how they feel and how other people feel. Well, what do they do before that?
As we've said, children are drawn to faces, and one of the things they get from faces is a growing awareness and understanding of emotions. That's one of the things we do in our relationships with them. We help them to understand what emotions are and how to manage them. We help them regulate their emotions. And they look to the faces of trusted adults for support and comfort in uncertain situations. "Is this person safe to me? Is this tunnel safe for me to crawl through? Can I keep going, or should I stop?” Researchers call this social referencing. Young children look at our emotional reaction to gauge how they should feel. There's a classic research study called the visual cliff. It was designed to examine the development of social referencing. And for this study, pre-verbal children were placed on this raised platform. Now, to young infants, it appears to have two levels with a 3-foot cliff in between, but really, there's this plexiglass cover across the whole platform, so it's entirely safe. They can't fall. A child is brought to one side, and the caregiver goes to the other with an interesting toy. And the child is allowed to crawl to their caregiver and the toy if they want, but with the visual cliff there, the child isn't sure it's safe. They look to their caregiver. In some instances, the caregiver makes a frightened warning face, like this. And other times, they are asked to smile encouragingly, like this. No words were used at all. The only information the child got was that smiling or the frightened face. It was enough. Most of the children whose caregivers were smiling crossed over, and most of the children whose caregivers appeared frightened did not.
Infants understood these emotional cues and used them when they were uncertain what to do. But what if infants hadn't been uncertain about what to do? To test this, researchers reduced that steep drop-off to just a few centimeters to create a shallow cliff. The cliff appeared safe to infants. This time, most of the infants didn't even look to their caregivers for advice about whether it was safe to cross. And when caregivers displayed that fearful expression, even if children did look to them, they crossed anyway. They knew they had the ability to safely cross. They looked to their trusted caregiver as a source of information when they were unsure what to do. These support goals within the Social and Emotional domain of the ELOF. Between 8 and 18 months, children look to adults for emotional support and encouragement. In this and a follow-up study with a shallow drop-off, children also used perceptual information in combination with their caregiver's emotional cues to decide whether it was safe to cross. This supports a goal within the Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development domain of the ELOF.
These findings are important in thinking about our relationships with children's families, too. Children watch how we interact with their family – the words we say, the tone of voice we use – and they use what they observe to learn that we are safe and that we are someone that they can trust. Children recognize emotions, which is great because emotions help them understand and make decisions about their environment. But remember, at first, they can't understand emotions, other people's or their own. They need help. They need help regulating their emotions so they can begin to understand and control them. Responsive, supportive relationships help young children to regulate their emotions, behaviors, thoughts, actions, and attention. This is called self-regulation.
In the early years, children are hugely dependent on adults to help them manage their emotions. We provide a bottle when they are hungry. We sing songs or walk them when they are upset or tired. We set up routines and respond consistently so they learn what to expect. With consistency, children learn they can count on us to be there for them. They learn strategies for regulating their emotions. Self-regulation skills develop over the entire course of childhood, in the context of caring, consistent relationships. In fact, research shows that the quality of the interactions between an infant and a parent are predictive of a child's self-regulation skills. How well a baby manages emotions during their first year is influenced by the quality of our interactions with them, and even more so by what researchers call mind-mindedness, which is caregiver's ability to understand and manage the physical and emotional states of their baby. It's how in tune parents or caregivers are to the child. Researchers measured mind-mindedness by observing whether parents respond appropriately or inappropriately to their child's emotions during free-play interactions.
For example, imagine a child becomes overstimulated by too many toys or other children. They might turn away from their caregiver, tune out, or have a frantic moment. A mind-minded parent understand the child's signal. They respond appropriately by pausing the play and enabling the child to recover. This often enables the child to return to play. When such responses are repeated over and over, children learn from their caregivers how to manage their own emotions. This is why it's so important for us to make time for our own wellness. When we feel supported and confident and well, we're better able to respond and help children regulate. We're better able to make these great connections.
A strong relationship, plus being sensitive and responsive to a child's cues, supports their growing ability [Inaudible]. This supports both managing feelings, emotions, actions, and behavior. These goals are found under the sub-domain Emotional and Behavioral Self-Regulation and Approaches to Learning and Emotional Functioning in the Social and Emotional Development domain. Self-regulation skills are fundamental for success in life and school. They are part of a suite of skills called executive functioning. They include the ability to think flexibly, to solve problems, to pay attention and focus on a task, to remember rules and procedures, and the ability to control emotional impulses.
Now, we've covered a lot of examples about the science behind social and emotional development, and there are so many more I could share. And as I wrap up this section and move through the next, I'd like for you to keep in mind that infants and toddlers learn best across the ELOF domains when they feel safe and cared for. I'd love to spend the rest of our time together talking about ways to build relationships to create spaces that you can use to help families and children in your program develop those strong social and emotional skills. These strategies are important whether you're providing full, in-person services or still transitioning toward in-person programming or offering some virtual services. We'll cover these six key areas – responsive caregiving, engaging in back-and-forth interactions, reading and responding to cues, providing emotional regulation, setting up the environment and creating everyday routines, and making time to play. Each of these are connected. Being consistent and nurturing is also important during routines and a key part of back-and-forth interactions. And during those back-and-forth interactions, we read and respond to cues, we make them playful, consider the child and their environment, and we create quiet, safe places for them to occur. We build relationships moment by moment, day by day.
Responsive caregiving refers to parenting, caregiving, and effective teaching practice that is consistent, nurturing, and responsive to a child's temperament or the way they approach the world and their needs. Responsive caregiving builds on social, responsive, back-and-forth interactions. It helps us get to know each individual and child, including their strengths and challenges. Each child has strengths rooted in their family's and community's cultures, backgrounds, their languages, traditions, and beliefs. Make those authentic connections with families to learn about them. You can use that knowledge to adopt the classroom and home activities, and home visitors – they can help parents use their observation skills to pay attention to small cues their child might be giving. Responsive caregiving fosters trust and emotional security. We let children know they matter when we are nurturing and responsive to their needs. Because young children's learning and brain development happens in the context of relationships, responsive caregiving supports a foundation for most other learning in young children.
When you are in the moment with an infant or toddler, check in with yourself. What is going well? What do you need to be more responsive? Infants and toddlers learn through social, face-to-face interactions with the people around them. Being responsive during back-and-forth interactions is more than just the words that you say, although those are important, too. It's the tone and warmth in our voice, like, "Ahh," or speaking using speech that's slowed down and the vowels are exaggerated, like, "You are so big!” It's also our eye gaze and gestures. Spending quality time together means children have more opportunities to share attention. "I see you. I see what you see. We are in sync.” This is a skill you can naturally incorporate into play to connect and help children learn. Home visitors can model eye gaze and pointing for caregivers and help caregivers recognize when their child's attempting to share attention with them. You can do this during virtual visits, too.
Keep in mind that, as we talked about before, not all children or families feel comfortable engaging using the eye contact. There are other ways to share attention and participate in back-and-forth exchanges. Remember – children love to imitate. And you can imitate them, reflect that behavior back to them. In this photo, the little girl doesn't have the language to say, "All done," so she shows her provider through gesture, and her provider responds by – she imitates the action. We also talked about touch. It's a great way to connect and communicate, and we know it builds connections in the brains. And then there's our facial expressions, like a warm, comforting smile that shows comfort, security. See what the child likes and pay attention to their cues. Are there other ways the child might prefer to engage? Try it out and see how the child responds. Home visitors can collaborate with families to help them identify what works best for their child. During those virtual check-ins, watch a child's cues and ask families, "What has your child been interested in?" And then think of ways to incorporate that into your time together. Supporting children's emotional regulation is a big part of building relationships, of being that trusted, responsive caregiver.
Young children have big emotions, but they need us to help them manage them. You can validate children's emotions and provide empathy. Let children know it's OK to feel the way they are feeling. You are there for them. Connect feelings to pictures and help children put their emotions into words. You can also use gestures or sign language to help all children communicate their feelings or needs. For younger children or those with disabilities or suspected delays, try using puppets to talk about different emotions and act out different scenarios. Provide options to help children manage their emotions, like a quiet place to calm down, taking deep breaths [Breathes deeply] or physical comfort, like a hug. Read infants' cues to see what they respond to. Do they need a quiet space or for you to hold them or maybe both? You can describe infants' and toddlers' emotions using a soothing voice. [Soothing voice] "You're so upset right now. Let's take a break and snuggle for a minute.” [Normal voice] This teaches them about emotions and later define them. As children begin to talk, teach them to use words to express what they need and how they are feeling. With adult support, children will develop strategies for dealing with strong emotions and build brain connections necessary for more sophisticated self-regulation skills as they learn and grow.
One of our jobs is to read and respond to children's cues during these back-and-forth interactions. Creating a pattern of responsiveness over time helps children learn to regulate their emotions and behaviors. It builds relationships and connections in their brains. Pre-verbal babies and toddlers use many of these cues, too. Even when they can't talk yet, I like to have time to communicate my part in a conversation. I look, I coo, I imitate you, and you respond. The timing of responses are important. Remember to pause and give babies a chance to engage again. This keeps the conversation and connection going. Research shows that when babies receive immediate or contingent feedback to their sounds or actions, they babble more, and their babbles become more complex. You're building a relationship and supporting language development at the same time. Sometimes an infant or toddler uses cues to show they are not ready to engage, or they need a break. They might turn away or cry out or hide behind the caregiver's leg. Let's watch a video example. In this video, the adult, Keisha, noticed that one of the children in her program was a little unsure about the person in the room who was there filming. And let's take a look at how she responds.
Keisha: [Gasps] Oh! You're choosing the shaker with the bells. Come on, Mia. You want to come? You want to come see our toys? You're still waking up, huh? Let me help your friend Mia. I think she's feeling a little shy. Ms. Liza, can I trade you? Mia, come here. How are you? Huh? Good seeing your friends in a classroom? Yeah? Yeah? You have some friends in here, huh? Do you want to play? What do you want to play with? Look what we have here. Let's see. Let's see. What do you choose, huh? I have the purple ring. Ooh, you going to use the ladybug, huh? [Singing] Ladybug, ladybug, shake, shake, shake, ladybug, ladybug, shake, shake, shake. [Chuckles] [Speaking] I see you. I'm still here. Yes. I had to go get your friend Mia. She was feeling a little shy. Yes. Watch this.
Beth: What did you notice in this video? Do you think the little girl's familiar with Keisha? How can you tell? I noticed responsive caregiving. Keisha noticed this little girl was feeling a bit reluctant to engage. Her voice was calm. She was warm and nurturing. She was gentle in her approach. She smiles and she picked up the child and she engaged with the child when she brought her near the other infant to play. This little girl might have even felt a little bit of stress at the stranger in the room, but not all kinds of stressful situations are necessarily bad. A child can learn, for example, that a new person in the room is a safe person, as long as the child feels supported. It's important for the caregiver or teacher to be available and nurturing, but also calm, as Keisha was. We talked about faces and other social cues. With a warm and responsive adult, young children can more easily move through mildly stressful situations and learn from them. Infants and toddlers thrive in predictable environments. Unpredictable can be stressful, like having somebody new in the little girl's space in that video.
Knowing what to expect essentially allows them to free up their brain power to pay attention to and learn other things. Safe and cozy, warm spaces makes it easier for them to focus on building relationships. You can reduce the noise level in the room or create quiet spaces for children who are easily overwhelmed. This can be particularly helpful for children with visual or hearing impairments or those who struggle with sustaining attention. Build a sense of belonging by including children's families, their culture, and community in your space. You might hang up pictures, like in this photo, or ask families to include items from home. Visual schedules and support during transitions teach children what to expect next. You can use the verbal first-then strategy. "First, we change your diaper. Then we wash your hands. First, we read a book. Then it's time for nap.” This strategy helps babies and toddlers learn predictable sequences, while allowing schedules to flex as they grow.
In this photo, I love that they included photos of the children and descriptions in both English and Spanish for children and families who are dual language learners. The apples are actually significant, too, as the children's families work in local apple orchards. This is a small but important way to incorporate families and communities into the learning environment. Schedules and routines help build relationships by teaching young children what to expect and that you'll be there for them – to change their diaper, to read a book before nap, to give them their bottle, to pick them up at the end of the day. During virtual check-ins, encourage families to maintain or establish routines at home. When children transition back to in-person care, establish new routines right away. Talk to families about what was working at home. Then try a similar approach in your center or family child care. When children know what to expect, it's easier for them to practice regulating their emotions and behaviors. But keep in mind, even when children know what to expect, these transitions, both big and small, can be hard. Reading together is a wonderful relationship-building routine for your learning environment or for home visitors to encourage families to include in their routines at home. Thumbing through a book to look at pictures and talking about what you see can be a great strategy for adults with low literacy.
Consider a family's culture. For some, it's primary oral, so storytelling is a wonderful approach. All of these ways promote bonding and feeling close and connected. Reading benefits not only children's language and literacy development, but research shows when caregivers read with infants, it's related to more gentler parenting – using less harsh words and actions when those children are 3. And reading at 3 was related to gentler parenting at 5 years of age. Now, I love seeing routines in action, so let's watch a video of this home visitor talking to a mom about how to support a young toddler during routines. It's primarily in Spanish, but focus on the adults' cues rather than the words. And if you don't speak Spanish, you can also follow the captioning if you'd like. As you watch, think about how the mom is building her relationship with her son during a clean-up routine.
Mom: [Singing in Spanish] Clean up, clean up, time to put the toys away; clean up, clean up, time to put the toys away.
Home visitor: [Speaking Spanish] Do you have more?
Mom: [Singing] Clean-up, clean-up, everybody and everywhere, clean-up, clean-up, every … [Speaking Spanish] My turn. It’s my turn [Singing] Everybody do your share. [Speaking Spanish] Look, we missed one.
Home visitor: [Speaking Spanish] Finished.
Beth: What did you notice about this routine? This mom sings to support her toddler. She uses a quiet, calm voice, which matched her toddler's calm demeanor. I honestly felt calm just listening to it. The mom models putting the crayons into the jar, and the son follows her lead. They are in sync. And did you notice anything about the home visitor? She also served as a model for the mom. She signs and says "más," or "more," as the child puts the crayons away. She also acknowledges the child's vocalization at the end with that calm, "Ahh.” And this brings us to the last area I want to mention – play. Playing with children is one of the best ways to build and strengthen your relationship. And it's fun. When children play with other children, it gives them an opportunity to practice their social skills, learn to manage emotions, and build relationships with peers. Letting a child lead is a great relationship builder. Follow their cues and interests. Use the strategies we've been talking about to connect.
And play with toddlers might be a bit more obvious because they're more interactive and they're on the move. But we can play with babies, too. Physical games, like bouncing on the lap, that gentle touch we talked about, peekaboo, imitation, and book reading. And I promise it's OK if they chew on the books. Most babies also love sensory play and singing songs and rhymes. Music can also be a great way to connect. You can gently bounce an infant in your arms to music or have toddlers clap their hands to that steady beat. And research shows that infants who are moved in sync to music with another person were more likely to engage in helping behavior following the music session. Music can build our social and emotional development skills, too. As you play together, infants and toddlers are practicing how to share attention and are developing language and communication skills.
As we wrap up today, I'd love for you to continue to think about how you can add more of these relationship-building strategies into your everyday interactions with the children in your care. And I want to bring us back to where we started, the heart of social and emotional developments – relationships. Research shows that children's social and emotional skills are strengthened and supported through responsive caregiving from parents, caregivers, and teachers. Through relationships, we build belonging and community. We learn what it feels like to be cared for and loved. Relationships build connections in our brains. When children feel safe, supported, and cared for, they are ready and able to learn.
Thank you for your attention and all the work you do to support the children in your care. Thank you again for joining the webinar today. We hope to see you again when our "BabyTalks" series resumes in December.Close
Our earliest relationships are at the heart of social and emotional development. They set the stage for learning throughout our life. Learn the science behind early social and emotional development in infants and toddlers. Explore research on how social and emotional development supports learning across the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) domains. Discover relationship-building strategies to support infants and toddlers.
Note: The evaluation, certificate, and engagement tools mentioned in the video were for the participants of the live webinar and are no longer available. For information about webinars that will soon be broadcast live, visit the Upcoming Events section. | <urn:uuid:17d00e4c-cdfd-40ba-9c75-34fde22dd45e> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/video/science-behind-social-emotional-development | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474663.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20240226194006-20240226224006-00396.warc.gz | en | 0.969031 | 8,913 | 3.171875 | 3 | 1,189 |
By: Barbara Pape
COVID-19 has laid bare a long-standing challenge to America’s economic landscape: an underpaid, underappreciated, and underprepared workforce that has recently faced the harshest of economic blows. Part of the solution for economic justice is an education and professional development system that recognizes the unique backgrounds and needs of each adult learner.
In partnership with educators, researchers, and training providers, Digital Promise’s Learner Variability Project has developed an evidence-based Adult Learner Model.
The model is built on a whole learner framework of adult literacies, cognition, social-emotional learning, and learner background—all of which research shows are essential factors of learning. The goal? To place learning sciences research for adults at the fingertips of adult and continuing education leaders and edtech product developers so they can provide evidence-based strategies that ensure each adult learner meets their potential and is prepared to thrive in a 21st-century job market.
“Many people recognize a range of essential skills adults need to succeed in the workplace and community—digital literacy, communication, problem solving—but fewer understand the myriad connections and context in which these skills reside,” said Medha Tare, PhD, director of research for the Learner Variability Project. “Our Adult Learner Model places learners in context and shows how their cognitive abilities, emotional skills, and background factors weave together so we can better understand their ability to learn and more appropriately build skill development across contexts.”
Brendaly Drayton, Ph.D., Scholar in Residence, Learning Communities, Pennsylvania State University, on why it is important to include LVN’s whole person framework when developing programs for the adult learner.
The Adult Learner Model is not a curriculum. Instead, it can be used to supplement and support any program or edtech platform being used to provide rigorous instruction for adult learners. A key function of our Learner Variability Navigator (LVN) is the ease with which the web app can tailor instruction to meet the individual needs of each learner. Based on the factors a facilitator or product developer selects, connections are made to strategies that aptly consider those factors.
“When instructors, trainers, and edtech developers are designing learning experiences for adults, the strategies selected should build on the strengths of the individual learners, clearly support their needs in meaningful ways, and build on their lived experiences,” said Trisha Callella, product partnerships director for the Learner Variability Project. “The Adult Learner Model Strategies identify how to support the full diversity of adult learners aligned to selected factors.”
A few strategies unique to the Adult Learner Model that support cognition, social emotional learning, and unique learner backgrounds include:
- Communities of Practice
- Expanding Social Networks
- Game-based Learning
- Simulations & Immersive Virtual Environments
Todd Windisch, Assistant Professor, English as a Second Language, College of San Mateo; on the importance of considering the evidence-based factors of learning when working with adult English Language Learners.
Many adult learners enter the workforce with less-than-adequate K-12 schooling or training as a result of longstanding systemic inequities in our country. Individual anxiety may have also swelled over time, weighing heavily on their current ability to learn. The LVN, through the Adult Learner Model, personalizes the learning experience, encouraging a deeper understanding of each learner that creates a sense of belonging for each adult learner.
An underlying principle of the Adult Learner Model is that people are experts of their own experiences. The framework is built to encourage educators, providers, and edtech developers to first learn about their students in order to co-design more meaningful learning experiences.
“We often design education and workforce training programs with the best of intentions, then recruit adult learners for participation and measure rates of completion to mark success,” said Sarah Cacicio, senior project director of adult learning at Digital Promise. “The Learner Variability Project’s Adult Learner Model makes clear the need to throw out assumptions about what people need, and learn more about the whole person to create meaningful opportunities for learning and achievement.”
For more information, visit the new Adult Learner Model, read “The Science of Adult Learning: Understanding the Whole Learner,” and watch the webinar Learner Variability Among Adult Learners: Strategies for Programs and Practices.
This post was originally published at Digital Promise.
Barbara Pape is the Director of Policy and Communications for the Learner Variability Project at Digital Promise.
Stay in-the-know with innovations in learning by signing up for the weekly Smart Update. | <urn:uuid:c514c6ca-bec7-43ed-9584-50d05ad69010> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.gettingsmart.com/2021/02/24/the-adult-learner-understanding-their-variability-to-customize-their-learning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474663.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20240226194006-20240226224006-00396.warc.gz | en | 0.931412 | 983 | 2.515625 | 3 | 1,190 |
By Stacy Palen.
Discussing the calendar can bring a “science and society” learning objective into the astronomy classroom.
Islam, for example, uses a lunar calendar. The resulting gradual drift of holidays and festivals such as Ramadan through the seasons opens discussion not only to the use of calendars, but also to the earliest observed crescent phase that marks the beginning and end of the fasting month.
Asking students to imagine, and then explain, how Ramadan differs when it is celebrated in different seasons, can give students a better appreciation for why seasons and calendars matter. When we discuss the lunar calendar, Muslim students often raise their hands to add stories of Ramadan, such as waiting for the first observation of the crescent moon that signifies the end of the fasting period.
A few years ago, a Muslim student, Kimi, would come to intro astronomy class wearing traditional attire and veil. Kimi was quiet until we reached this discussion of the calendar. She stepped in to talk about the meaning and practice of Ramadan. This talk, in turn, transformed the views of other students, and they welcomed hearing about her experience.
Later in the year, Kimi had some problems in her neighborhood. Her car was broken into, and her door was vandalized. Kimi stayed after class to explain that this was why she was late that day. Three other students waited to walk with her across campus and offer moral support. We do teach more than astronomy in the astronomy classroom.
The Gregorian Calendar
Students find it surprising that the date of a long-ago event does not tell you precisely how many days ago it happened. This is due to the number of days in a year (365.25) not being an integer. A random error occurs because early calendars did not take the fraction of a day into account, so they needed adjusting once in a while. Students are often surprised to hear this.
For example, in 1582, when the calendar changed from Julian to Gregorian, 10 days were deleted: Thursday, October 4 was followed by Friday, October 15! The Gregorian calendar was invented to correct the systematic errors, so that the random adjustments were no longer necessary.
Explaining the Gregorian calendar is cumbersome: every fourth year is a leap year, except if it's a centennial. The only exception to this is if the centennial is divisible by 400. The effect can be difficult to visualize.
Image created by Wikipedia user BasZoetekouw using Astrolabe data and used under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
This graphical representation shows how the date of the summer solstice changes over the course of 400 years. This graph shows that the summer solstice moves 1/4 day later each year, until the fourth year, when it resets to, almost, the original date. As time passes, those almost errors accumulate, until they add up to just about one day after 100 years.
That “just about” error accumulates until it adds up to a full day after 400 years. And then the leap day is skipped.
Asking students to visualize how far the blue line would rise without the leap-year reset helps them understand that the date of the summer solstice would change significantly, by nearly a month, over the course of just one human lifetime. A visual representation of the effect helps students grasp a difficult concept with ease.
Image retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gregoriancalendarleap_solstice.svg | <urn:uuid:c242a52a-a407-4d60-a5c5-70327f59811e> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.tada101.com/2018/10/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474893.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20240229234355-20240301024355-00396.warc.gz | en | 0.953514 | 727 | 3.625 | 4 | 1,191 |
Adaptive Activities: Personal Practice
Personal Practice Activities
Personal Practice activities are adaptive, formative assignments that generally appear at the end of a module prior to its paired summative assessment. These activities provide you with personalized practice to prepare you for the assessment.
You receive feedback as you answer the questions, which helps you prepare for the quiz at the end of the module. Your score is based on your percentage completion of these assignments, and your performance on the module's learning objectives determines the questions that the activity provides:
Low-performing students see additional low- and medium-level questions that scaffold up to the core questions that all students receive.
Mid-level-performing students see only the medium-level and core questions.
High-performing students see only the core questions and not any scaffolded questions.
Note: Data show that students who complete these adaptive activities perform better on module quizzes.
Each Personal Practice activity contains core questions that all students receive. Students who have struggled with the material receive additional questions and content that scaffold up to these core questions. The scaffolded questions help you prepare for questions that are similar to questions that you may see on the quiz.
If you begin an activity before you've done any work in the module, you will receive all the available questions.
Below is a side-by-side view of the questions generated by these activities for two different students. On the left is a high-performing student; she receives four questions on the first page of this sample activity. On the right is a low-performing student; he receives eight questions total (not all of them are shown below), including additional questions and content that the high-performing student does not receive. | <urn:uuid:0cc0fa13-93fc-4385-9d48-28fb5c50f196> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://support.acrobatiq.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500008843542-Adaptive-Activities-Personal-Practice | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475825.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20240302120344-20240302150344-00396.warc.gz | en | 0.948335 | 348 | 3.125 | 3 | 1,192 |
In the face-to-face classroom, each faculty member typically designs and teaches their own course with minimal input from departmental colleagues. Reflective of this approach, many colleges and universities have adopted similar models for their online program in which each faculty member, either alone or in collaboration with an instructional designer, creates and teaches their online course.
While this type of autonomy in course design makes sense for the face-to-face classroom, it may be less practical–and less effective–in the context of online education. Simply put, development of a high-quality online course takes considerable time and advanced knowledge of online pedagogy. If multiple faculty members are teaching the same course online (as is often the case with general studies or other high-demand courses), it is not an efficient use of departmental time, resources, or budget to have multiple faculty developing their own online classroom for different sections of the same course.
Compounding the issue, independent course development of different sections of the same course presents challenges for ensuring consistency. This may be particularly problematic for general studies courses that are the gateway to a department, major or college. Further–and perhaps most problematic–not only do general studies courses need to teach content, but they need to connect students with the department/university and provide a foundation for future engagement in the discipline.
Perhaps the key to address these challenges lies in advice our parents instilled in us as toddlers: share. Rather than each faculty member creating their own course, departmental faculty can collaborate to design an online shell for general studies courses that can be modified and adapted by any faculty teaching the course online. Multi-faculty design approaches range from full integration in which all faculty weigh in on all aspects of the course, to distributed collaboration in which each faculty utilizes a shared design template to create designated portion of the course.
Multi-faculty collaboration for online course design allows you to:
- Streamline online course development time and resources
- Ensure quality across all online sections of a course
- Reallocate faculty time from online course development to online teaching
- Create a high-quality online course
- Create a course shell that allows for individual faculty to modify and adapt to fit personal preferences
The key to collaborative course design is not to standardize and lock-down every aspect of the online learning experience, but rather to provide a consistent baseline from which each faculty member can personalize their course.
Recognizing the importance of general studies courses and the disconnect that online learners often feel, it is important that collaboratively designed courses simultaneously:
- Promote content learning
- Introduce students to all faculty in a department
- Foster excitement about the discipline
- Help distance students feel more intimately connected to the academic department
As such, it is not enough for faculty to simply agree on learning objectives, content delivery, and assessment; rather, deliberate attention should focus on “humanizing” the online learning experience to promote students’ engagement with departmental faculty. For example, different faculty can create introductory or summary videos for each online course module in which they discuss their own interests, service, or research related to module topics.
While sharing is at the heart of multi-faculty course design, it is important that your collaborations are based in more than just good intention. Before you begin, it is essential that your department and/or university has guiding policies and procedures in place to support collaborative online course design. For example:
- In the case of conflict or quality concerns, how are final course design decisions handled? Who is responsible for final course approval?
- What are the policies surrounding intellectual property and “ownership” of collaborative course content?
- What type of training or support is available to assist faculty with online course development?
- How is course development compensation divided among contributing faculty?
- Who is responsible for on-going maintenance of the shared course shell? How is on-going course maintenance compensated?
Multi-faculty collaborative online course design has the potential to benefit both students and faculty. With a little forward planning, your department will be on the way to creating dynamic shareable online course shells to ensure general studies courses are educational and engaging–without overwhelming your faculty, resources, or budget.
Join B. Jean Mandernach on September 12 for a live online seminar, Collaborative Design for Online Introductory Courses: How to Maximize Time and Resources. During the seminar, Mandernach highlights a model for department-wide, collaborative online course design, while also explaining how to maximize faculty time and resources. | <urn:uuid:0a1c59bb-2b96-4002-9c65-21126002102b> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/online-course-design-and-preparation/online-course-design/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707948223038.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20240305060427-20240305090427-00396.warc.gz | en | 0.936964 | 932 | 2.6875 | 3 | 1,193 |
Lesson 4: Treatment of Malaria
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Lesson
- 2.1 The Principal Objectives of Malaria Treatment
- 2.2 The principle objectives of Malaria treatment are:
- 2.3 The Role of Health Workers in the Treatment of Malaria
- 2.4 Drug Used In the Treatment of Malaria
- 2.5 Treatment of Simple Malaria
- 2.6 First Line Treatment
- 2.7 Second Line Treatment
- 2.8 Treatment schedule
- 3 Management of Severe Complicated Malaria.
- 4 Self Assessment
- 5 Assignment
Welcome to Unit 4 on treatment of Malaria. In the last unit you learnt about severe and complicated Malaria and how to diagnose it.
In this unit we shall look at the treatment of both simple and severe Malaria. Let us start by looking at our objectives for this lesson.
By the end of this unit you should be able to: wn the principle objectives of malaria treatment;
- State the role of health workers in the treatment of Malaria;
- Describe the treatment of simple Malaria;
- Describe the management of severe and complicated Malaria;
- Treat and/or refer severe and complicated Malaria}}
The Principal Objectives of Malaria Treatment
It is important to bear in mind that although malaria is among the top 5 causes of morbidity and mortality in Africa, it can be managed with proper diagnosis and prompt treatment. One of the reasons behind the renewed interest in this disease is the emergence of drug resistant strains of the parasites towards the easily available like Chloroquine and Fansidar. That is why it is very important to have guiding principles on malaria treatment
Before you read on do activity 1. It should take you 5 minutes to complete.
Compare your answers with the information given in the following discussion.
The principle objectives of Malaria treatment are:
- To shorten the duration of the illness and cure it;
- To prevent the illness from becoming severe;
- To avoid death;
- To prevent further transmission;
- To serve as secondary prevention.
Having learnt about the principle objectives of malaria treatment, let us now turn to your role as health worker in treatment of Malaria.
The Role of Health Workers in the Treatment of Malaria
As a health worker you play a very important role in ensuring that the principle objectives of malaria treatment are achieved. How do you do this? Remind yourself by doing Activity 2. It should take you 3 minutes to complete.
Correct your response as you read the following discussion.
The following are some of your key roles you play in the treatment of Malaria.
- Making proper diagnosis;
- Starting prompt and correct treatment with antimalarials;
- Supervising treatment, and ensuring the first dose of antimalarials is administered using “Direct observed therapy (DOT)”.
- Giving patients and their families information about diagnosis, importance of taking treatment as prescribed, need for their participation in the recovery process and prevention of further attack of Malaria;
- Keeping confidentiality;
- Being alert to the possibility that patients may have sought and received antimalarial treatment from other sources.
Having learnt what your role is in the treatment of Malaria, let us now turn to drug treatment of Malaria. We shall start by looking at the drugs used in the treatment of malaria.
Drug Used In the Treatment of Malaria
There are many antimalarial drugs available in Africa. You may have noticed this from the many advertisements of antimalarial drugs available from your health centre pharmacy or local drug shop.
There are various antimalarial drugs available in Africa. Some act specifically on a stage of the malaria cycle while others are non-specific.
Some of these drugs include
- Amodiaquine (CAMOQUINE)
- Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (FANSIDAR)
- Halofantrine (HALFAN)
- Artemether (ARTENAM)
There are other drugs which have antimalarial activity but are not primarily used as antimalarials. These include: Azithromycin, Clindamycin, Doxycycline, Proguanil, Tetracycline and Septrine (Cotrimoxazole).
When deciding on the drug of choice for malaria treatment, it is important to take note of the following points:
- It is no longer advisable to use drugs that have shown high failure rates (e.g. Chloroquine, Amodiaquine, Sulphadoxine/Pyrimethamine and Sulfalene/Pyrimethamine) for the treatment of Malaria.
- The use of monotherapies such as Artesunate, Dihydroartemisinin, Artemether, Lumefantrine, Mefloquine, Chlorproguanil/Dapsone and Atovaquone/Proguanil are not recommended to avoid the rapid emergence of resistance to individual drugs;
- Where artemisinines are used as monotherapies, a 7 day course of treatment is recommended and adherence to treatment should be ensured.
The use of combination therapy/treatment is the recommended approach and especially atemisinin combined therapy (ACTs)
You have now learnt about the drugs used in the treatment of malaria. Next we shall discuss in turn, how to treat simple and severe/complicated Malaria. We shall start with treatment of simple malaria.
Treatment of Simple Malaria
As we mentioned in the last unit, Malaria may be described as simple or uncomplicated when the infection is not life threatening and is easily treatable.
There are four drugs that have previously been used for treatment of simple Malaria. These are *Chloroquine
- Sulphur Perimethamide (Fansidar]
However, due to the development of parasite resistance to some of these drugs, several changes have been introduced in the treatment of malaria. As a result, malaria is no longer treated with a single drug. A combination of drugs for treatment malaria is recommended. Although the choice of drug combination may vary from country to country, It is now recommended that malaria should be treated with a combination of two drugs one of which should be an artemisinin derivative. Combination drugs can either be co-formulated or co-packaged. Co- formulated drugs are two or more different drugs combined and taken as one tablet whereas co-packaged are two or more different drugs packaged together to be taken at once. The drugs can be given either as first line treatment or second line treatment. What does that mean? Let us see below.
First Line Treatment
First line drug combination for treatment of Malaria refers to the drugs used initially for treatment of simple Malaria. The recommended first line treatment for Kenya is a fixed dose combination of ARTEMETHER/LUMEFANTRINE (20/120mg).
NB: For countries in which the antimalarial drug policy has not been changed refer to Annex A (or use the country specific recommendations).
Second Line Treatment
Second line drugs are used for the treatment of Malaria after the parasites have failed to respond to the 1st line treatment. They are also in case a patient develops an allergic reaction to 1st line drugs. In Kenya the drug used for second line treatment is oral Quinine.
You should always treat a patient with oral preparations unless there is a contraindication, such as, vomiting, severe nausea, or difficulty in swallowing. In case you begin with parenteral route, change to oral drugs as soon as the patient is stable enough to take the medicine orally.
If a child below two (2) months of age is brought to your facility with fever, this is usually a very serious condition and the cause may not necessarily be Malaria. In highly endemic areas, you should exclude other causes of fever such as meningitis, septicemia, urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, local sepsis/abscess, or ear infections.
The following are the treatment guidelines for both first line and second line treatment of simple malaria in Kenya.
1st line Treatment of simple malaria
Table 1: DOSAGE FOR ARTEMETHER/LUMEFANTRINE (20/120mg) (COARTEMR )
NB: In children weighing less than 5 Kg quinine is recommended.
Second line treatment of Malaria
The Second line treatment should be oral quinine. A full course of quinine tablets should be given when the 1st – line treatment (Coartem) has failed due to any of the reasons we mentioned earlier.
Refer to the Schedule in Annex B
Now you are ready to treat a patient with simple Malaria. Let’s practice from the following case studies.
Based on the above case study, do Activity 4 below. It should take you 3 minutes to complete.
Confirm your answer as you read the following discussion.
From the case study, we can see that Tonny’s condition is Uncomplicated P. falciparum Malaria because it is not life threatening, that is, it has no danger signs. His management therefore includes:
- Drug treatment using Artemether/Lumefantrine (CoartemR) using 2 tablets each at 0,8,24,36,48 and 60 hours.
- Tablets panadol 1 ½, stat.
- Advising the mother on the benefits of using insecticide treated mosquito nets;
- Advising the mother on how to prevent mosquito bites through appropriate clothing, repellents and elimination of mosquito breeding places;
- Advising her to monitor the Tonny at home, he should be reviewed in 2 days time and thereafter start school if his condition is good;
- Giving Tonny an anti-emetic if vomiting is severe, or use injectable forms if available;
- Treating coexisting conditions such as dehydration by advising the mother on adequate fluid intake.
Based on the above information do Activity 5, it should take you 3 minutes to complete.
We hope you were able to diagnose that Tonny’s condition is now severe complicated Malaria. This is because he has presented with the following signs and symptoms of severe Malaria:
- Prostration/lethargy (danger sign).
- Severe anaemia,
- Vomiting every thing (danger sign).
This case study now leads us to the second part of this section where we discuss the treatment of severe Malaria.
Management of Severe Complicated Malaria.
The ideal conditions for the management of severe complicated Malaria dictate the need for an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Unfortunately, this is not always possible in many developing countries such as Kenya. Figure 4.1 shows a section of an Intensive Care Unit.
Figure 4.1: Part of the Intensive Care Unit in a Hospital
Since ICUs are not widely available, it is therefore very important to equip yourself with the necessary knowledge and skills so that they can give the desired management with basic equipment wherever you are stationed.
Treatment of severe and complicated Malaria calls for close supervision between the clinician and the nursing staff. You should ensure proper recording of observations and careful nursing of unconscious patients. You should also give medication strictly on schedule and at required doses.
The management of severe Malaria depends on the level of your health facility. Let us look at management at the following two levels:
- peripheral level, that is health centre, dispensary, or community post;
- Hospital level.
Management at Peripheral level:
At this level you should do the following:
- Recognize severe Malaria;
- ive pre-referral treatment: Quinine 10mg salt/Kg body weight, I.M. In adults loading dose quinine 20mg/kg then maintenance at 10mg/kg 12 hourly (8hrly in adults) till can take orally then change to Coartem or oral quinine to complete 7 days of treatment. Repeat 12 hourly while awaiting transport;
- In the absence of quinine, start with any available antimalarial I.M.;
- Control temperature by tepid sponging, Paracetamol or fanning;
- Control any convulsions with rectal diazepam 5 mg in children, 1/M or I/V diazepam 10mg in adults;
- Pass Nasogastric tube for feeding, if patient is not able to take orally;
- Give oral glucose to correct hypoglycaemia;
- Give oral fluids to correct fluid imbalance;
- Look for danger signs and start management, for example, take blood for grouping and cross-matching, institute anti-meningitis treatment, do L. P. if possible etc
If referral is not possible, keep the patient at the unit and continue with:
- Quinine 10 mg salt/Kg body weight IM 8 hourly until the condition is better, that is, the patient is conscious, or can eat orally, can sit up, can talk, or symptoms have subsided. Then change to oral quinine to complete 7 days of treatment. (Refer to Quinine Treatment Schedule for dosage on page 9)
- If there is no quinine then continue with I/M chloroquin 3.5mg base/Kg body weight 6 hourly until a full dose of 25mg/Kg body weight is completed (i.e., 8 injections)( in countries where chloroquin is still sensitive).
NB: If the total is more than 3 ml, split the volume into two and inject one half in each thigh muscle.
- You MUST always refer the following conditions to hospital because they require intensive care:
- Persistent convulsions;
- Renal failure;
- Pregnant mother with severe Malaria;
- Pulmonary oedema;
- Severe anaemia See Figure 4.2;
- Coma, See Figure 4.3.
Figure 4.2 Transfusing a child with severe anaemia due to Malaria.
Figure 4.3 A malaria victim in coma.
Management of severe malaria at Hospital level.
At this level, you should do the following:
- A. Institute URGENT Antimalarial Treatment:
- Use IM/IV Quinine as the drug of choice for treatment of severe Malaria;
- Administer quinine dose as 10mg salt/kg body weight, 8 hourly to complete 7 days of treatment, both adults and children;
- Give 10mg of quinine salt/kg body weight (not to exceed 600mg as single dose) in 5% dextrose infusion, given over 4 hours period. Repeat this dose after every 8 hours until the patient can take oral medication;
- In an adult, put the required quinine dose in 500 mls of 5% dextrose then run it over 4 hours;
- In children you should give quinine 10mg/kg body weight in appropriate volume of 5% dextrose as 5-10mls/kg of body weight depending on the patient’s Onset fluid balance;
- Because of the danger of cardio-toxicity, never exceed a single dose of quinine of 600 mg salt, even when body weight exceeds 60 kgs;
- Give a bolus of 50% dextrose slowly IV over 1-2 minutes to correct hypoglycaemia.
IV 50% DEXTROSE DOSE
- Give a bolus of 1 ml/kg body weight of 50% dextrose in children.
- Give a bolus of 20 mg in an adult.
Please note the following regarding the duration of treatment with quinine in severe malaria case:
- Give IV quinine until the patient is able to take orally. Ensure that the patient continues with oral quinine to complete a 7-day’s course or artemether/lumefantrine full course;
- It is unusual to continue IV infusions of quinine for more than 4-5 days. This is because patients usually improve by 3rd day of intensive treatment.
B. Institute Supportive Treatment.
Supportive treatment is important in the management of severe Malaria and you should always provide it for the following conditions:
• Hypo-glycaemia. : To correct hypoglycaemia, you should:
- give a bolus of 50% dextrose in both adults and children.
• Dehydration. Ensure continuous adequate feeding. Assess the degree of dehydration and fluid requirement based on body weight and set up appropriate volume of fluids to run in the first four hours;
• Convulsions. To control convulsions, first correct any detectable cause of convulsions, for example, hypoglycemia, and hyperpyrexia. Give anti-convulsion drug, such as:
- I.V Rectal diazepam 5 mg in children(0.3mg/kg iv or 0.5mg/kg rectal),
- 10mg diazepam IV in adults.
• Temperature: Reduce body temperature if greater than 38.5o C, you can do this best by giving Paracetamol by mouth if possible. AL has no anti-pyretic activity. Other ways you can use to reduce body temperature are tepid sponging or fanning;
• Severe anaemia: To correct severe anaemia, you should give a transfusion with packed cells;
• Renal failure: To correct this you should correct dehydration. Pass a urinary catheter, this is necessary to guide fluid balance. If the patient is still oliguric, give furosemide 1-5 mg/kg body weight slowly I.V, if there is no response, consider dialysis.
Maintain proper fluid balance for those patients on IV fluids.
C. Carry out Vital investigations
- Ensure that the following vital investigations are done:
- Blood For malaria parasites;
- Blood Sugar;
- Full Blood Count (Hb, Wbcs);
- Laboratory monitoring of malaria parasites daily;
- Lumber puncture and csf analysis to exclude meningitis;
- Blood electrolytes: Na+, K+, urea;
- Blood culture to exclude any bacterial infection (septicemia).
D. Monitor the vital signs and laboratory indicators
- You should monitor the following vital signs:
- Level of consciousness (use Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) for adults and Blantyre coma scale for children given in Annex B);
- Parasitaemia by (blood smears);
- Temperature at least twice daily;
- General condition of patient.
- Blood pressure
Your aims of monitoring include:
- Controlling delivery of drugs and infusion fluids;
- Detecting complications of Malaria;
- Detecting toxic effects of drugs given;
- Documenting the patient’s recovery and charting findings and treatment.
You have now come to the end of this unit. In this unit we looked at the principles of management of simple and severe or complicated malaria. We saw that the management of severe malaria should consist of:
- Establishing an I/V line as soon as possible;
- orrecting hypoglycaemia;
- Administering appropriate volume of fluids;
- Administering correct drug in correct dosages for treatment of Malaria;
- Controlling body temperature;
- Maintaining body fluid balance.
You should now review the learning objectives at the beginning of this unit to see if you have achieved all of them. If there is any you are not sure about go over the relevant section in the unit again. If you are satisfied that you have achieved all the objectives, complete the attached Tutor Marked Assignment before you proceed to the next unit. Make sure you also do the practical exercise below to reinforce your knowledge and skills in the management of malaria.
Enjoy the rest of the course! ANNEXE A
• PARENTERAL DRUGS:
- ANNEXE B
The Glasgow Coma Score (for Adults and Children over 12yrs)
- To obtain the Glasgow coma score obtain the score for each section add the three figures to obtain a total.
The modified Glasgow Coma scale (The Blantyre Coma Scale) for children < 12 years
- Press knuckles firmly on the patients sternum
- Press firmly on the thumbnail bed with side of a horizontal pencil
- Press firmly on the supra-orbital groove with the thumb
The scales can be used repeatedly to assess improvement or deterioration. | <urn:uuid:041f9a36-cd35-449c-9bd3-cea99d2351e6> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://wikieducator.org/Lesson_4:_Treatment_of_Malaria | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473401.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20240221070402-20240221100402-00496.warc.gz | en | 0.897707 | 4,334 | 3.34375 | 3 | 1,194 |
In the 19th Century there was an increasing numbers of Black Tumours reported in medical literature – described as Melanose in 1806 when Rene Laennec published that the Blackness of these tumours was not related to black carbon deposits found in the lungs of patients upon autopsy.
By mid 20th Century, a more evidence based approach was taken.
Today, through molecular biology advances, we know genetic mutations are important in the genesis of tumours such as melanoma.
This podcast includes an interview with Dr Craig James MBBS (Hons), FRCPA, AACD and this section of the podcast conducted by Dr Craig James is eligible for 1 RACGP CPD point – self reporting.
Episode notes, references and learning objectives, available at
This Pathological Life is produced by Clinpath Pathology in South Australia.
Dr Craig James
MBBS (Hons), FRCPA, AACD
Specialties Cytopathology, Dermatopathology, and Histopathology
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | <urn:uuid:381c2670-8bdc-4263-a04b-15c460d2405e> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://doc.social/episodes/s1e3-ep-3-melanoma-the-black-tumour/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473824.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222161802-20240222191802-00496.warc.gz | en | 0.92434 | 222 | 2.671875 | 3 | 1,195 |
What is Assessment?
Assessment is the process of observing and measuring learning. Assessments provide faculty with a better understanding of what your students are learning and engage students more deeply in the process of learning geoscience content. By using assessment strategies that draw students into the assessment process it is more likely that they learn more of the geoscience content that you want them to learn while getting the added benefits of learning skills that will be useful to them in the future. As the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996
) points out, assessments don't take time from learning, they are learning experiences by themselves. Click on the following link for additional information on the Domains of Learning
Why Is Assessment Important?
By deliberately using different Functions of Assessments
at specific times during the learning process students will have a clearer vision of what is expected of them and generally will be more positive about their course experiences. They will also learn to use skills that will help them understand how scientists analyze and present findings. In addition, a program of sustained student assessment is the foundation for evaluation of courses
and geoscience programs
How to Use an Assortment of Assessment Strategies
Imagine that you have just finished a lecture on atmospheric dynamics, ocean currents or plate tectonics. Students anxiously ask "will we be tested on this?" They are concerned about getting a good grade. There might be some questions you have yourself, such as, "How do I know my students learned anything? Have they met my learning objectives for the unit? Are they ready to tackle more abstract conceptual ideas in the geosciences?" By learning how to use the assessment strategies
in this module, you will reduce student anxiety and it is likely that they will learn and remember more of what you want them to know.
Examples of Assessment in Various Learning Settings
Geoscientists teach and learn in the laboratory, classroom and in the field. Students learning in those varied settings can get value added learning experiences by engaging in some of the same activities that geoscientists use to gather and analyze data and report their findings to their colleagues. Click on the following link to see examples of assessment in several learning settings | <urn:uuid:57317aac-16f6-4d49-b66d-9a42f50c9ff1> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/assessment/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474641.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20240225171204-20240225201204-00496.warc.gz | en | 0.956061 | 444 | 3.625 | 4 | 1,196 |
Be Proud! Be Responsible! An Evidence-Based Intervention to Empower Youth to Reduce Their Risk of HIV is a multi-media, 6-module curriculum that provides adolescents with the knowledge, motivation and skills to change their behaviors in ways that will reduce their risk of contracting HIV.
To reduce their risk of HIV through behavioral change, adolescents not only need information on their perception of personal vulnerability, but also skills and confidence in their ability to act safely. Be Proud! Be Responsible! is a multi-media, 6-module curriculum that provides adolescents with the knowledge, motivation and skills to change their behaviors in ways that will reduce their risk of contracting HIV. Although not specifically pregnancy prevention oriented, many of the communication and condom skills taught will also help participants avoid unintended pregnancy and other STDs.
Be Proud! Be Responsible! is comprised of a series of fun and interactive learning experiences designed to increase participation and enhance learning. Activities include educational videos, trigger films, role plays, condom demonstrations and other exercises. Most activities are brief, lasting no more than 20 minutes.
The goals of the program are to:
As a result of participating in Be Proud! Be Responsible! students will be able to:
The curriculum was designed to be used with small groups ranging from 6 to 12 participants, but has been implemented in recent years in settings with larger numbers of participants. It can be implemented in various community settings, including schools and youth-serving agencies.
Loretta Sweet Jemmott, PhD, RN, FAAN, is one of the nation’s foremost researchers in the field of HIV/AIDS, STD and pregnancy prevention, with a consistent track record of developing evidence-based sexual risk-reduction interventions. As an expert in health promotion research, she has led the nation in understanding the psychological determinants for reducing risk-related behaviors and how best to facilitate and promote positive changes in health behaviors. Her research is devoted to designing and evaluating theory-driven, culturally competent sexual risk-reduction behavioral interventions with various populations across the globe.
An outstanding translational researcher, Dr. Jemmott’s work has had global impact and changed public policy. She has partnered with community-based organizations, including churches, clinics, barbershops and schools, and transformed her NIH-funded evidence-based research outcomes for use in real-world settings. She has presented her research to the U.S. Congress and at the NIH Consensus Development Conference on Interventions to Reduce HIV Risk Behaviors. Dr. Jemmott has received numerous awards for her significant contributions to the field of HIV/STD and pregnancy prevention research, including the U.S. Congressional Merit Award, Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society’s Episteme Award and Hall of Fame Award, and election to membership in the Institute of Medicine, an honor accorded to very few nurses.
John B. Jemmott III, PhD, received his PhD in psychology from the Department of Psychology and Social Relations at Harvard University. He holds joint faculty appointments at the University of Pennsylvania as the Kenneth B. Clark Professor of Communication in the Annenberg School for Communication, and as Professor of Communication in Psychiatry in the Perelman School of Medicine. He is also the director of the Center for Health Behavior and Communication Research at the Annenberg School for Communication.
Dr. Jemmott is a Fellow of the Association of Psychological Science, the American Psychological Association and the Society for Behavioral Medicine. He has published more than 100 articles and book chapters, and has received numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health to conduct research designed to develop and test theory-based, contextually appropriate HIV/STD risk-reduction interventions for a variety of populations in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa.
Konstance A. McCaffree, PhD, CSE is a certified sexuality educator and adjunct professor in the Center for Education Human Sexuality Program at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania. As a classroom teacher in the public schools, she has taught human sexuality to both elementary and secondary students for over 35 years. Her professional association work includes serving on the Board of Directors of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS), as President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS) and as an officer in the American Association of Sexuality Education, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). She conducts workshops nationwide to help educators improve their skills in teaching sexuality education. She also conducts programs for parents, churches and community organizations to enhance their knowledge and skills in dealing with the sexuality of children and teenagers.
In recent years, Dr. McCaffree has developed curricula and implemented training programs for educators and other health professionals in South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria and the Philippines. For the past 10 years she has trained teachers and professors to implement a curriculum she developed in coordination with local educators throughout the country of Nigeria. She has used her expertise to develop training for curricula to prevent HIV/AIDS, unplanned pregnancy, and other health and social issues among children, teenagers and adults.
The curriculum has 6 hours of content divided into six 50-minute modules. It can be implemented in six sessions of 50 minutes each or in three 1-hour-and-40-minute sessions. In community settings, it can be implemented in a 2-day format (2.5 hours each day), a 6-day format (50 minutes each day) or on a single day (Saturday) for approximately 5 hours, plus time for serving lunch and snacks.
Core intervention materials include:
The Be Proud, Be Responsible implementation set includes the facilitator's guide, activity set, a classroom set of 30 student workbooks and 4 DVDs. The curriculum requires the use of a monitor with DVD capabilities.
Student workbooks are recommended for every student. Additional workbook sets of 5 and 30 are available.
An optional LGBTQ Supplement is also available from ETR. It includes a lesson that can be taught before implementing the intervention as well as suggestions for acceptable adaptations to make evidence-based programs more inclusive of LGBTQ youth.
This curriculum is designed to be taught by classroom teachers or family life educators. Educators interested in implementing this program should be skilled in using interactive teaching methods and guiding group discussions, and should be comfortable with the program content.
It is highly recommended that educators who plan to teach Be Proud! Be Responsible! receive research-based professional development to prepare them to effectively implement and replicate the curriculum with fidelity for the intended target group. Training on Be Proud! Be Responsible! is available through ETR's Professional Learning Services.
It is essential to inform parents and guardians regarding the nature and scheduling of this or any sexual health education program. Prior to implementation of the curriculum, families should receive written notice describing the goals of Be Proud! Be Responsible! and the nature of the content to be covered. Parents also should be given an opportunity to view the curriculum and related materials if they wish. The vast majority of parents want their children to receive appropriate instruction and be given the information and skills they need to protect their sexual health, but parents/guardians also must be allowed the chance to opt out or exclude their children from participating in the program, if they wish.
When teaching adolescents strategies to reduce their risk for HIV, one must go beyond simply giving students correct information. Instructors must also build students’ perceptions of vulnerability and bolster positive attitudes and outcome expectancies while building self-efficacy and skills to negotiate and practice safer sex and/or abstinence.
The program logic model can be found here:
Logic Model (pdf)
In the original study (Jemmott, Jemmott and Fong, 1992), a randomized control trial was conducted to test the effects of the Be Proud! Be Responsible! (BPBR) intervention. In the research study, the 5-hour curriculum was implemented in a small group setting with African-American male adolescents on two Saturdays in a local school in Trenton, New Jersey. The participants were 157 African-American male adolescents with a mean age of 14.6 years. (S.D. = 1.66), who were recruited from a local medical clinic (44%), high school (32%) and YMCA (24%).Participants were stratified by age and randomly assigned to receive one of two curricula: Be Proud! Be Responsible! or a career development intervention.
The participants completed questionnaires before, immediately after, and 3 months after the intervention. Of the original 157 participants, 98% attended the 3-month follow up from the BPBR intervention and 93% of the control intervention attendees returned. The primary outcome was an index of risky sexual behaviors in the previous 3 months, which included sexual intercourse frequency, multiple partners, number of sex partners involved with other men, consistent condom use, and heterosexual anal sexual intercourse.
The participants who received the Be Proud! Be Responsible! intervention reported significantly less sexual risk behavior, based on the risky sex scale at 3-month follow-up (p < .01). They also reported fewer number of partners (p < .003). The BPBR intervention also significantly reduced sexual intercourse frequency (p < .008), compared to the control group. BPBR participants also reported fewer female sex partners involved with other men (p < .05), and fewer days not using a condom during sex (p < .003). In addition, adolescents in the intervention group were significantly less likely to report engaging in heterosexual anal sex (p < .02) than adolescents in the comparison group at the 3-month follow-up.
The BPBR intervention effect was greatest with female facilitators, suggesting facilitator gender can moderate intervention efficacy. The adolescents who received the BPBR intervention believed more strongly that practicing abstinence would prevent pregnancy, STDs and AIDS (p < .0001, p=.04, p=.04), expressed less favorable attitudes toward sexual intercourse (p < .0001, p < .0001, p< .0001), and reported weaker intentions of having sexual intercourse over the next three months (F(1, 144) = 7.58) than did those in the control group. BPBR participants also scored significantly higher in HIV risk-reduction knowledge (p < .0003) compared to the control group.
Jemmott, J. B. III, Jemmott, L. S., Fong, G. T. 1992. Reductions in HIV risk-associated sexual behaviors among Black male adolescents: Effects of an AIDS prevention intervention. American Journal of Public Health 82 (3): 372–377.
Jemmott, J. B. III, Jemmott, L.S., Fong, G. T., McCaffree. K. 1999. Reducing HIV risk-associated sexual behavior among African American adolescents: Testing the generality of intervention effects. American Journal of Community Psychology 27 (2): 161-87.
ETR is a leader in developing adaptation guidelines to enable professionals to adapt evidence-based intervention programs for implementation in underserved communities, while maintaining fidelity to the intervention's core components. ETR works with program developers to ensure that these tools are of the highest quality and meet the different needs of the field and end users, e.g., teachers, trainers, program mangers/staff, research teams, and funders.
For answers to Frequently Asked Questions about program adaptations, please visit our Program Support Help Desk.
Read ETR's Adaptations Policy.
Click the link below for the log for Be Proud! Be Responsible! Fifth Edition.
Classroom teachers can use pre/post tests to examine whether short-term knowledge learning objectives have been met. A simple pretest-posttest assessment design can be used to measure pre-instruction levels and post-instruction changes in student learning. The sample pre-test provided here is from the research study and gathers demographic data on participants in addition to assessing attitudes and sexual health knowledge.
Your ability to detect student change using this survey may vary and can be affected by numerous factors (e.g., number and content of lessons students receive, student scores at pretest, student motivation and interest in topic and survey, etc.) Improvement between pretest and posttest can be viewed as supportive, but not definitive, evidence of the curriculum's impact on short-term knowledge learning objectives. A well-designed evaluation study (e.g., using a strong experimental design with a well-matched comparison group and adequate sample size) with more extensive measurement would be needed to provide stronger evidence of curriculum impact.
For over 30 years, ETR has been building the capacity of community-based organizations, schools, school districts, and state, county and local agencies in all 50 states and 7 U.S. territories to implement and replicate evidenced-based programs (EBPs) to prevent teen pregnancy, STD/STI and HIV. Our nationally recognized training and research teams work in partnership with clients to customize training and technical assistance (TA) to address the needs of their agencies and funding requirements.
All trainings align with ETR’s distributive learning process, an interactive experience that takes place over time. Core to this research-based approach is the acquisition of knowledge and development of skills, followed by the implementation of the program and educator self-reflection. During this process, ETR trainers engage learners through teaching strategies, interactive activities, modeling and follow-up support.
All of the following components are critical for skill development and implementation success. Make sure you can commit about 10 hours of total time to the training experience for program excellence!
Educators will have the knowledge, skills and confidence to effectively implement the program with youth. | <urn:uuid:796d4777-edd3-44ed-bf5c-8b16a7557846> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.etr.org/ebi/programs/be-proud-be-responsible/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474641.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20240225171204-20240225201204-00496.warc.gz | en | 0.941439 | 2,813 | 2.765625 | 3 | 1,197 |
THE IMPROVEMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES IN CLASS XII AKL 1 AGAINST FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING LESSONS BY MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF DISCUSSION LEARNING METHODS AT SMK NEGERI 1 SUBANG
The learning objectives will be successfully determined by many factors, one of the prominent factor is the implementation of teaching and learning process by the teacher, as the teacher can directly influence, foster and enhance students' intelligence and skills. To overcome the above mentioned issue in order to achieve educational objectives to the fullest, the teacher's role is highly substantial and it is expected that the teacher provides a proper teaching method or model and is able to choose the suitable learning model in accordance with the concepts of the subject to be delivered.
This research utilizes the so called Action Research within two cycles. Each cycle consists of four stages, namely design, activity and observation, reflection and revision. The targets of this study are the 12th grade students of class AKL 1 at SMK Negeri 1 Subang in the academic year of 2019/2020. The data are obtained in form of formative test results, observation sheets of teaching and learning activities.
Based on the analysis results, it is concluded that student achievement has increased from cycle I to cycle II, namely cycle I (63.89%), and cycle II (94.44%).
The conclusion of this Action Research is that the discussion method can positively influence the learning motivation of the 12th grade students of class AKL 1 at SMK Negeri 1 Subang in the academic year of 2019/2020, furthermore this method can be be utilized as an alternative learning method in Financial Accounting subjects. | <urn:uuid:933c418f-1966-4ea2-9056-6131affcc6a8> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://ojs.stiesa.ac.id/index.php/jass/article/view/603 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473472.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20240221102433-20240221132433-00596.warc.gz | en | 0.928637 | 349 | 2.734375 | 3 | 1,198 |
Online learning is a tool that brings education to everyone, regardless of age, lifestyle, or learning goals. Keep reading to find out more about how online learning works and how to make it as effective as possible for your personal education journey.
What Is Online Learning?
Online learning uses digital platforms instead of traditional classrooms to create your educational experience. Students navigate virtual modules, watch videos, and complete assignments online.
It offers the flexibility to learn at your own pace from anywhere with an internet connection. Interaction with instructors and peers happens through forums, chats, or video conferencing. Assessments and feedback are typically delivered electronically.
Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Classes
In online learning, “synchronous” and “asynchronous” define the timing of your classes. Synchronous classes involve real-time engagement where students and instructors participate simultaneously through live sessions, video conferencing, or online chats. For a synchronous class, you have to be online at a certain time.
The upside of synchronous classes is that you get immediate interactions and feedback. It’s more of a guided style of learning. You’ll likely have a cohort of classmates learning at the same time as you. However, it’s the slightly less flexible option because you have to stick to a schedule.
Asynchronous classes, on the other hand, allow you to access pre-recorded lectures, discussion forums, and assignments at your own pace. This structure can accommodate varied schedules and geographical differences, but it limits real-time interaction and feedback.
The choice between synchronous and asynchronous formats depends on individual preferences, time constraints, and the nature of the learning objectives. Different online platforms offer their own methods of learning. When considering online classes, think about your schedule and needs when choosing synchronous vs. asynchronous courses.
15 Tips for Effective Online Learning
No matter what type of classes you take, it’s essential to set yourself up for success. These 15 tips for online learning will help you make the most of your educational experience.
1. Set Goals
Get started with your online learning path by setting clear and attainable goals. Break down your long-term objectives into specific daily tasks for each course: outline the chapters to study, set page targets, or identify assignments to complete. Achieving these small victories contributes to your overall success.
2. Try the “Chunking” Method for Studying
The “chunking method” involves segmenting your time into focused intervals rather than long study sessions. The idea is to begin with small tasks, committing to just 10 minutes of work, which may lead to more extended study sessions. Once you complete a task, reward yourself with a break, like grabbing a snack or taking a short walk. This approach not only combats burnout but also reinforces a healthy, sustainable learning routine.
3. Designate a Study Space
Create a dedicated study space that fosters an atmosphere for effective learning. Minimize distractions as much as possible by creating an area separate from your relaxation space. This will train your brain to associate it with focused work.
Try to make the environment as quiet as you can, especially when participating in live classes. This not only aids your concentration but also prevents background noise interference during discussions or presentations.
Keep your study space organized and tidy, as a clutter-free environment can positively impact your mindset and workflow.
4. Use a Calendar or Planner
Manage your online learning more efficiently by using a calendar or planner to organize deadlines, tests, and instructor office hours. Structure your days by dedicating specific time slots for each course. This can help you achieve a healthy school-life balance.
5. Hold Yourself Accountable
Treat online learning with the same seriousness as in-person classes. Respect your instructor and peers — actively engage in discussions and meet your deadlines.
Also, communicate with your family and friends about your online learning needs, including a designated study space and quiet time. Doing so not only reinforces personal accountability but also enables a support system of loved ones to keep you on track when you face challenges.
6. Avoid Multitasking
Maximize your study time by steering clear of multitasking. Juggling multiple tasks may seem efficient but can actually hinder your ability to pay attention and retain information. Commit to focusing on one task at a time to more effectively complete your to-do list. This approach not only streamlines your workflow but also enhances the quality of your results.
7. Stay Engaged
Just because you’re learning in a virtual space doesn’t mean you don’t have to stay actively engaged in your online class. Take thorough notes and regularly review and recap information before each class. Pay attention to instructor feedback, including comments on essays or quizzes, to identify areas where you can do better. Utilize office hours for clarifications and seek guidance from instructors or peers. Join class discussions and study groups so you can get the most out of your online learning path.
8. Seek Out Opportunities to Interact With Your Peers
Online learning doesn’t have to be a solitary endeavor. Try to actively seek opportunities to engage with peers, especially if you’re in asynchronous or self-paced environments. The absence of traditional in-person interactions provides you with different opportunities to leverage platforms like GroupMe or Microsoft Teams to create and maintain a sense of community with your classmates.
Platforms like Facebook or WhatsApp allow you to foster connections and mutual support beyond formal forums. You might create virtual study groups for collaboration and shared learning experiences with your cohort. This intentional effort to connect with fellow students not only combats isolation but also enriches your learning journey by providing diverse perspectives and shared insights.
9. Learn the Classroom Setup
Some platforms give you early access to your classroom. If so, take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with your online class setup before you begin your course. As you look around, make a list of contact information for key resources, including TAs and technical support, so you can address any problems as soon as they pop up.
If video conferencing software is required, try testing it out before your first lecture, so you’re ready to go on Day 1. Since some classes have cloud-based assignments, check that you have the necessary account details for platforms like Google Drive or Dropbox in advance of deadlines. Being prepared ahead of time will help minimize distractions and other avoidable problems once classes begin.
10. Check Your WiFi Connection
Online learning success depends on a strong WiFi connection. If your home WiFi is unreliable, explore free and stable options like your local library. Having access to an ethernet cable and outlet provides a backup in case of WiFi emergencies. Plan ahead by downloading and saving all course materials to your computer for offline access and minimal disruptions during study sessions.
11. Avoid Procrastination
Procrastination can happen to anyone at any time, but it’s an even bigger challenge when taking asynchronous or self-paced classes that don’t meet on a regular schedule. Combat procrastination by implementing effective strategies. Study buddies are great ways to interact with your peers and stay accountable through regular check-ins.
Additionally, there are many productivity tools, such as to-do lists, alarms, reminders, or Pomodoro timers that help you structure and manage your study sessions. Consider the real-life applications of the work you're doing — and remember why you’ve chosen this path — to keep yourself motivated.
12. Cultivate a Positive Mindset
As with most other things in life, a positive mindset can go a long way, especially when facing challenging online classes. Remind yourself of the reasons why you’re taking these courses, whether it's career advancement or personal development.
Visualize success by imagining yourself overcoming obstacles and excelling in your studies, and embrace challenges as opportunities for growth.
13. Keep an Open Mind
Learners with an open mind are more likely to find success in the dynamic and collaborative online learning environment. The nature of online learning automatically opens it up to different ages and experience levels of learners.
As you learn, try to embrace the opportunity to benefit from the knowledge of older, more experienced peers while letting the energy and curiosity of younger learners keep you engaged. Everyone is on this learning journey together, and compassion for your peers will help you get the most out of your study time.
14. Take Care of Yourself
A healthy lifestyle is just as important as your educational journey. Try positive self-talk to manage anxiety. Adequate rest, nutrition, and exercise can help you stay focused and energized. Schedule breaks for activities like walking, meditating, or connecting with loved ones to prevent burnout.
Be kind to yourself. Remember, breaks, stretches, and moments of relaxation are not only beneficial but essential to your overall productivity and mental health.
15. Find Relevant Classes
Beyond pursuing courses for personal interest, consider taking classes that align with your career path or are designed to save on college pre-requisite courses. Many online learning providers, like StraighterLine, offer diverse career paths, including technology, business, healthcare, and more.
Explore courses that can contribute meaningfully to your skill set or will get you where you want to go. For instance, technology enthusiasts may find coding or data science courses relevant, while those in business might benefit from finance or marketing classes.
Or, if you’re working toward your bachelor’s degree, identify standard pre-requisite courses for your desired college program, such as introductory mathematics or English composition, to efficiently progress toward your academic goals.
StraighterLine Is Your Best Source for Online Learning
StraighterLine’s online learning programs encourage student success, whether you’re taking classes to save money on college prerequisites or changing careers. We offer over 60 flexible, asynchronous courses that allow you to learn at your own pace. Each class is affordably priced and includes e-textbooks and 24/7 student support. The credits you earn with StraighterLine are transferable to over 150 partner schools, plus thousands of other colleges and universities that accept ACE Credit.
Browse our complete list of online courses to see how we can help you accelerate your learning journey. | <urn:uuid:37d69416-4e9b-453e-b9f4-933509a982ea> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.straighterline.com/blog/tips-for-effective-online-learning | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474700.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20240228080245-20240228110245-00596.warc.gz | en | 0.912568 | 2,122 | 3.421875 | 3 | 1,199 |
In this game activity, students match correlation values with plots generated by the applet. Competition in this game setting encourages students to become more involved in the classroom and attainment of learning objectives. This game is best if used in a lab setting, although it may be modified to fit other classroom situations.
Content Quality Concerns:
One of the learning goals is for students to distinguish between strong and weak association, however, these terms are not defined in the lesson outline, so the instructor needs to add this element when doing the activity.
Content Quality Strengths:
The outline for using the activity is clear and succinct. The summary at the top of the page is helpful in setting the pedagogical context for the activity. The instructions are specific and flow in a logical sequence.
Ease of Use Concerns:
The applet does not have any instructions on how to use it, but its functionality becomes obvious after trying it one or two times.
Ease of Use Strengths:
The applet is easy to access and for students to use. It requires a minimal amount of time to learn how to use it.
Potential Effectiveness Concerns:
The activity is simple and the students who grasp the concept quickly might quickly lose interest.
Potential Effectiveness Strengths:
Creating visual images is essential in helping students grasp and remember the concept of correlation. The example quiz questions for assessment are a key element in an effective activity.
Source Code Available:
Source Code Available
Intended User Role:
Free for All | <urn:uuid:1f8b6f71-5ad2-456c-a6cb-87057736adfe> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://causeweb.org/cause/resources/library/r1731 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475727.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20240302020802-20240302050802-00596.warc.gz | en | 0.916391 | 317 | 3.90625 | 4 | 1,200 |
The Educational Benefits of Wooden Toys by Grimms
Unlocking Creativity and Cognitive Development: How Grimms Wooden Toys Enhance Early Education
In a world driven by technology and screens, it's easy for children to miss out on the wonders of imaginative play and cognitive development. That's where Grimms Wooden Toys come into play. These beautifully crafted toys are not only visually stunning but also serve as powerful tools to unlock creativity and enhance early education. With their simple yet captivating designs, Grimms Wooden Toys provide endless opportunities for children to explore, discover, and learn through open-ended play. By engaging in hands-on activities with these toys, children can develop essential skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and fine motor skills. Whether it's building towering structures with the vibrant rainbow blocks or creating intricate patterns with the geometric shapes, Grimms Wooden Toys offer a world of possibilities for young minds to thrive. Join us as we delve into the captivating world of Grimms Wooden Toys and discover how they can revolutionize early education, nurturing the next generation of creative thinkers and problem-solvers.
Grimms Wooden Toys have a rich history that dates back to the early 1970s in Germany. Founded by the husband and wife team of Rudolf and Ines Mann, Grimms Wooden Toys began as a small family business dedicated to crafting high-quality wooden toys that would inspire children's creativity and imagination. Today, the company has grown into a global brand known for its exceptional craftsmanship and commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly practices.
Grimms Wooden Toys are unique in their design and materials. Made from sustainably sourced wood and finished with non-toxic dyes, these toys are not only safe for children but also environmentally friendly. The natural, tactile feel of the wood adds an extra layer of sensory stimulation, allowing children to fully engage with the toys and explore their various textures.
The designs of Grimms Wooden Toys are intentionally simple and open-ended, allowing children to use their imagination and creativity to transform the toys into anything they desire. From the iconic rainbow blocks to the whimsical forest animals, each toy is carefully crafted to spark curiosity and invite endless possibilities for play. The vibrant colors and smooth edges further enhance the visual appeal and safety of the toys, making them a favorite among parents, educators, and children alike.
Benefits of using Grimms Wooden Toys in early education
The benefits of using Grimms Wooden Toys in early education are manifold. First and foremost, these toys provide a break from the digital world and encourage children to engage in hands-on, imaginative play. By stepping away from screens and using their hands and minds to manipulate the toys, children can develop essential skills and enhance their cognitive abilities.
One of the key benefits of Grimms Wooden Toys is their ability to enhance fine motor skills. Through activities such as stacking, sorting, and building, children can refine their hand-eye coordination and develop precise control over their movements. The various shapes and sizes of the wooden blocks also challenge children to think strategically and problem-solve, further honing their fine motor skills.
In addition to fine motor skills, Grimms Wooden Toys promote imaginative play and storytelling. By creating their own narratives and scenarios, children can explore their creativity and express their thoughts and emotions. Whether it's building a castle for a princess or creating a bustling city for toy cars, the open-ended nature of Grimms Wooden Toys allows children to take on different roles and immerse themselves in imaginative worlds.
Enhancing fine motor skills with Grimms Wooden Toys
Grimms Wooden Toys are excellent tools for enhancing fine motor skills in young children. The act of stacking and balancing wooden blocks requires precise control over hand and finger movements, helping children develop their hand-eye coordination and dexterity. As they experiment with different combinations of blocks, children learn to adjust their grip and apply the right amount of pressure, improving their fine motor skills.
The tactile nature of Grimms Wooden Toys also contributes to the development of fine motor skills. The smooth surface of the wooden blocks provides sensory feedback, allowing children to refine their sense of touch and explore different textures. By manipulating the blocks, children engage their sense of proprioception, which is crucial for understanding spatial relationships and coordinating movements.
Furthermore, the various shapes and sizes of the wooden blocks present children with opportunities to problem-solve and think critically. As they try to build stable structures or fit pieces together, children must consider the weight distribution, balance, and stability of the blocks. This process of trial and error helps develop their analytical thinking skills and encourages them to find creative solutions to challenges.
Promoting imaginative play and storytelling
Imaginative play is an essential aspect of a child's development, fostering creativity, communication, and emotional expression. Grimms Wooden Toys are perfect catalysts for imaginative play, providing children with the tools they need to create their own stories and bring their imagination to life.
The simplicity of Grimms Wooden Toys allows children to use them in a variety of ways. The rainbow blocks, for example, can be transformed into bridges, towers, or even animals. By combining different shapes and colors, children can create their own unique worlds and characters. This open-ended approach to play encourages children to think outside the box, explore different possibilities, and express their individuality.
Through imaginative play with Grimms Wooden Toys, children also develop their communication and language skills. As they engage in pretend play and create narratives, children learn to express their thoughts, emotions, and ideas verbally. They also practice listening and responding to others, fostering social interaction and empathy.
Additionally, imaginative play with Grimms Wooden Toys allows children to explore and process their own emotions. They can use the toys as a medium for self-expression, acting out different situations or scenarios that reflect their feelings and experiences. This form of play provides a safe and nurturing space for children to explore their emotions, develop empathy, and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and others.
Developing problem-solving and critical thinking abilities
Grimms Wooden Toys are not just tools for imaginative play; they are also powerful instruments for developing problem-solving and critical thinking abilities in children. The open-ended nature of these toys encourages children to experiment, take risks, and find creative solutions to challenges.
By engaging with the various shapes and sizes of the wooden blocks, children learn to analyze, plan, and problem-solve. They must consider factors such as balance, stability, and weight distribution as they construct structures or fit pieces together. This process of trial and error helps children develop their analytical thinking skills and teaches them the importance of persistence and perseverance.
Furthermore, Grimms Wooden Toys provide opportunities for children to engage in mathematical thinking. As they explore patterns, shapes, and sizes, children develop an understanding of spatial relationships and geometric concepts. They learn to recognize and replicate patterns, compare and contrast different sizes, and understand concepts such as symmetry and balance.
Through these experiences, children develop their logical reasoning and critical thinking abilities. They learn to approach problems from different angles, think creatively, and consider multiple perspectives. These skills are essential for navigating the complexities of the modern world and solving real-life problems.
Fostering social skills and collaboration through cooperative play
Grimms Wooden Toys not only promote individual development but also foster social skills and collaboration through cooperative play. When children engage in play with others, they learn valuable lessons in communication, cooperation, and teamwork.
Cooperative play with Grimms Wooden Toys encourages children to share, take turns, and negotiate with their peers. As they work together to build structures or create stories, children learn to listen to others, respect different ideas, and find common ground. They develop empathy and understanding, recognizing the importance of compromise and collaboration.
Furthermore, cooperative play with Grimms Wooden Toys allows children to develop their leadership and problem-solving skills. In group settings, children take on different roles and responsibilities, learning to delegate tasks, make decisions, and manage conflicts. They learn to communicate their ideas effectively and contribute to the collective goal, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie.
The collaborative nature of play with Grimms Wooden Toys also encourages children to appreciate and celebrate diversity. As they engage with children from different backgrounds and perspectives, they gain a broader understanding of the world and develop tolerance and acceptance.
Incorporating Grimms Wooden Toys in different educational settings
Grimms Wooden Toys can be incorporated into a variety of educational settings, from preschools to homeschool environments. The versatility and adaptability of these toys make them suitable for different age groups and learning objectives.
In preschools and early childhood centers, Grimms Wooden Toys can be integrated into various activities and learning centers. For example, the rainbow blocks can be used in a math center to explore patterns and shapes, while the forest animals can be incorporated into a storytelling corner. By incorporating these toys into different areas of the classroom, educators can create a rich and stimulating environment that supports children's holistic development.
In homeschool environments, Grimms Wooden Toys can serve as valuable resources for hands-on learning. Parents can use the toys to introduce concepts such as colors, shapes, and sizes, or incorporate them into thematic units. For example, the geometric shapes can be used to explore symmetry and spatial relationships, while the rainbow blocks can be used to create art and patterns. By incorporating Grimms Wooden Toys into their curriculum, parents can provide their children with engaging and interactive learning experiences.
Tips for using Grimms Wooden Toys effectively in early education
To make the most of Grimms Wooden Toys in early education, here are some tips for educators and parents:
1. Encourage open-ended play: Allow children the freedom to explore and create their own play scenarios with the toys. Avoid imposing strict rules or expectations, and instead, let children's imagination guide their play.
2. Rotate the toys: Introduce new sets of Grimms Wooden Toys periodically to keep children engaged and excited. By rotating the toys, educators and parents can provide fresh opportunities for exploration and discovery.
3. Facilitate conversations and storytelling: Engage children in conversations about their play and encourage them to share their stories and ideas. This not only enhances language skills but also fosters critical thinking and reflection.
4. Provide prompts and challenges: Offer prompts or challenges that encourage children to think creatively and problem-solve. For example, ask them to build a bridge that can support a certain weight or challenge them to create a pattern using specific colors.
5. Incorporate the toys into other learning activities: Grimms Wooden Toys can be used as tools for teaching various subjects, from math and science to language arts. Integrate the toys into different learning activities to enhance engagement and provide a multisensory learning experience.
Testimonials and success stories from educators using Grimms Wooden Toys
Here are some testimonials and success stories from educators who have incorporated Grimms Wooden Toys into their early education programs:
- "Since introducing Grimms Wooden Toys into our classroom, we have seen a significant increase in children's engagement and creativity. The open-ended nature of the toys allows children to explore their interests and take ownership of their learning." - Sarah, Preschool Teacher
- "Grimms Wooden Toys have revolutionized the way we approach early mathematics. The rainbow blocks and geometric shapes have become invaluable tools for teaching concepts such as patterns, shapes, and counting. The children are not only learning math but also developing their fine motor skills and critical thinking abilities." - Mark, Elementary School Teacher
- "As a homeschooling parent, Grimms Wooden Toys have been a game-changer for our learning environment. The toys provide endless opportunities for hands-on exploration and experimentation. They have made learning fun and engaging for my children, and I have seen a tremendous growth in their creativity and problem-solving skills." - Lisa, Homeschooling Parent
Conclusion: The long-lasting impact of Grimms Wooden Toys on creativity and cognitive development in early education
Grimms Wooden Toys have proven to be invaluable tools for unlocking creativity and enhancing cognitive development in early education. These beautifully crafted toys provide children with endless opportunities for open-ended play, allowing them to explore, discover, and learn in a hands-on and engaging manner. From developing fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities to fostering imaginative play and collaboration, Grimms Wooden Toys offer a holistic approach to early education.
By incorporating Grimms Wooden Toys into educational settings, educators and parents can nurture the next generation of creative thinkers and problem-solvers. The long-lasting impact of these toys on children's creativity, cognitive development, and social skills cannot be overstated. As we navigate an increasingly digital world, Grimms Wooden Toys serve as a reminder of the power of simplicity, imagination, and hands-on learning in shaping the minds of our future leaders. Let us embrace the wonders of Grimms Wooden Toys and unlock the full potential of our children's creativity and cognitive development. | <urn:uuid:49653740-c23e-48e6-951c-5fd1a6d27c7d> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.amousewithahouse.com.au/blogs/mouse-blog/the-educational-benefits-of-wooden-toys-by-grimms | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475727.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20240302020802-20240302050802-00596.warc.gz | en | 0.939892 | 2,655 | 2.765625 | 3 | 1,201 |
The Association of Governing Boards’ Trusteeship Magazine recently asked Kevin P. Reilly, president emeritus and Regent Professor at the University of Wisconsin System, about his work with the new national teacher training and credentialing program spearheaded by the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) and ACE, and why it’s so important that boards understand what good teaching is and how to promote it on their campuses. What do boards need to understand about teaching? Curriculum and instruction are appropriately the domain of the faculty. Yet board members, working with the administration, can be a powerful force for good teaching at their campuses.
What do boards need to understand about teaching?
Curriculum and instruction are appropriately the domain of the faculty. Yet board members, working with the administration, can be a powerful force for good teaching at their campuses.
Advancements in adult learning and cognitive science have helped demystify the complexities of the teaching profession, establishing a body of practice in effective instruction. In addition, recent research shows that students learn more in courses taught by faculty who participate in high-quality professional development.
Knowing this can help boards expand and enrich their conversations about student success. An investment in instructional excellence is not only the right thing to do educationally. The more students succeed in their coursework, stay in school, and graduate, the stronger the fiscal health of our institutions.
Why is effective instruction especially important for higher education today?
We all realize that in the knowledge economy, a solid postsecondary education is more important than ever. But far too many students who enter our doors fail to obtain their degrees. Those who never complete will likely find themselves at a distinct economic disadvantage for the rest of their lives.
Despite growing research that shows students learn more from improved instruction, teaching is largely overlooked in the conversation about college retention and completion. Many faculty members receive too little support for their classroom responsibilities as a result, to the detriment of students.
In a kind of magical thinking and despite much evidence to the contrary, we tend to fall back on the notion that being an expert in a discipline makes you a good teacher of it. Many part-time professors, who now make up a majority share of the nation’s faculty workforce, still rely heavily on traditional lecturebased teaching practices that contradict the latest findings on how people learn. It’s not only the parttimers of whom this is true, but an overwhelming majority of these adjuncts receive no resources for professional development.
What are the implications for governance?
One reason teaching has been frustratingly absent from discussions about student success is a leadership gap. As board members, a first step is to foster a collaborative dialogue with senior administrators, faculty, and other key members of the campus community about the central role teaching can play in meeting students’ and the institution’s goals.
Certainly, the board member’s role is not to be meddling in the classroom. What is appropriate is that they regularly engage with presidents and provosts around the role of teaching in student success strategies. Boards should also make clear their support for prioritizing effective instruction and allotting the dollars necessary to do that.
What are some scalable solutions to help institutions prioritize effective instruction?
There are reasons to be optimistic, thanks to leadership from some of the nation’s top higher education organizations. AGB and Lumina Foundation are spearheading an 18-month research project designed to help boards better align institutional missions with student success. In their first report, “Governing Board Oversight of College Completion,” released earlier this year, their statement of principles recognized the important role that faculty play in this equation.
This year, ACE made effective teaching a top priority and is urging members to dramatically expand high-impact teaching practices. ACE has also endorsed a new national training and credentialing program called the Course in Effective Teaching Practices, developed by the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE, found at acue.org). I am a founding member on ACUE’s board of advisers, and it has been exhilarating to see the collective enthusiasm for a resource that is scalable, high-quality, and research-based.
If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us. | <urn:uuid:af0c147a-bd6c-4f72-b4c7-55e9e879d86e> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.higheredtoday.org/2016/09/30/what-should-boards-know-about-teaching/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476532.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20240304200958-20240304230958-00596.warc.gz | en | 0.960635 | 878 | 2.640625 | 3 | 1,202 |
Local authorities (councils) play a central role in governing Wales as they provide the local leadership and services necessary for their communities.
Continued austerity, sustained budget cuts and an out of date finance system are all placing council services under huge financial pressure. Wales’ councils deliver over 700 local services, including:
- Education for example providing schools, transport to get children to school and providing opportunities for adult learning
- Housing such as finding accommodation for people in need and maintaining social housing
- Social Services for example caring for and protecting children, older people and disabled people
- Highways and Transport including maintaining roads and managing traffic flow
- Waste Management including collecting rubbish and recycling
- Leisure and Cultural Services for example providing libraries, leisure services and arts venues
- Consumer Protection such as enforcing trading standards and licencing taxis
- Environmental Health and Services for example making sure that the food provided in pubs and restaurants is safe to eat, and controlling pollution locally
- Planning including managing local development and making sure buildings are safe
- Economic Development for example attracting new businesses and encouraging tourism
- Emergency Planning for things like floods or terrorist attacks
As well as delivering local services, councils are by far the biggest employer in their area and contribute significantly to the local economy.
Councils have to provide certain statutory services. These are set out in legislation and cover services like social care, environmental health inspection and planning. They can provide other services such as leisure and art centres at their discretion.
Councils provide some services directly, work in partnership with other organisations to provide others and can commission organisations in the private and voluntary sectors to provide services on their behalf.
Councils are not motivated by profit although they do provide some trading services such as catering, and services for which there are private sector alternatives such as leisure centres.
Councils also have wider statutory duties, such as those to advance equality of opportunity and eliminate discrimination. They are also legally required to make sure that every decision they make takes account of the needs of future generations as well as the existing population.
Local councils work with a range of local and national partners and bodies in delivering local services, providing democratic representation and providing strategic leadership.
Many of these partners will be local third sector or community groups, but a range will be public sector bodies or other levels of government.
Councils also work with public service partners such as:
- Fire and Rescue Authorities
- Police and Crime Commissioners
- National Park Authorities
- National Resources Wales (NRW)
Councils work closely with neighbouring councils in designing, commissioning or delivering joint services. In this way they make sure that services are delivered in the most cost effective and efficient ways possible.
Councils also convene statutory partnerships for their area, known as Public Service Boards. These Boards include representatives from other public sector bodies and from the third and community sector. They undertake wellbeing assessments and produce a wellbeing plan during each municipal term.
Councils also work with the Wales Audit Office (WAO), Estyn and the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) – these organisations audit, inspect and/or regulate local authorities and their services, and report on the standards of service, how they are governed and how they spend public money. | <urn:uuid:084968d1-3322-4129-85d2-7adb136d7e6d> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://wlga.wales/local-government-in-wales | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473871.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222225655-20240223015655-00696.warc.gz | en | 0.960374 | 663 | 3.046875 | 3 | 1,203 |
Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The integration of serious game design, mixed reality, and simulation-based training has reached a critical point in evolution. Online learning designers who seek to create immersion and simulation to enable learning require a theoretical foundation that can integrate these related fields. Existing models for training that focus on learning objectives and competencies were not developed with advances in behavioral neuroscience, systems theory, and video game engagement elements in mind. Online design of learning experiences can be integrated with new technologies using an autopoetic hyperreality framework derived from work on problem-based learning and mixed reality. In this paper, we will explore the foundations for new models of design based on a fusion of user-experience literature and video game design to enable ways to increase the effectiveness of training through simulation.
KEY WORDS: open gameworlds, gamification, serious games, simulation, immersive technology, online learning
Training in the contemporary world is a career-long expedition into knowledge advancement. The era of attending college and then learning all further skills has been surpassed by a steady flow of learning that enables the continuous acquisition of skills. The concepts we have accepted in the learning movement that arose in the 1980s and 1990s (i.e., terminal competencies and learning objectives) were based on static job descriptions. There were identifiable targets of learning such as tasks (referred to as tacit instruction and procedures) that led to procedural training and theoretical elements, which we called didactic outcomes. Things seemed stable, in an era which spoke of Kirkpatrick levels of learning, where Level 1 outcomes involved how students felt about learning, Level 2 was about how they performed during the training, Level 3 was about completing the outcomes, and Level 4 was about how they used their education to work in the real world (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
However, this was before Google Scholar and other credible search engines became available, and prior to the era of online discussion and streaming content delivery. It arose with the preconception that terminal competencies were stable and reliable beacons that could guide us in the design of learning. Out of this dialogue arose instructional design, which now featured media-rich content and the start of socially connected online learning. This model, where we establish a learning path for every student, as well as for thousands of students, which took most of them to the goal post, became eclipsed by realities on the ground. As technology improved at rates much faster than any educator in the 1980s could have imagined, we found that learning was changing; it started to focus on the integration of new technology knowledge. It became important for corporate trainers to certify employees for increasing levels of complex sub-tasks to assure quality compliance in the workplace.
At the same time that technology demanded workers consistently upgrade their skill set, the research literature on teaching and learning exploded. A coherent body of knowledge about how to teach using neurophysiological data arose and was exemplified at its outset by scholars such as William Clancey on situated cognition (Robbins & Aydede, 2008). In particular, this concept began to permeate health care education, where ideas such as problem-based learning, objective structured clinical examinations, and simulation took hold. Slowly, we moved away from the idea of assessing knowledge disconnected from practice and entered what I will call the simulation era. New engagement platforms such as Kahoots now entered higher education, with the use of clickers and other objects in lectures where they are mandatory for ongoing feedback (Dellos, 2015).
By the time we arrived at the year 2000, new genres of board and video games were emerging from Germany and the United States, respectively. The video game industry advanced through improvements in rendering visual environments and the board game industry was revived by a series of highly successful strategy games such as the Settlers of Catan. This shift in the entertainment industry resulted in a change in how we engaged for recreation; we could now role play in games and become part of the story rather than witnesses of it. Board games brought people together to enjoy strategy matches, which was a reaction to this rapid rise in the video game genre. Strangely enough, these two new forms of entertainment were built upon certain premises of multiple engagement loops and using narrative and aesthetics to invite players into an escape. It is not surprising that educators (such as myself) and psychology designers (such as Gabe Zichermann) would arise from the ranks and locate ways to introduce these highly motivational elements into learning and behavior change (Çiftci, 2018).
Clearly, the nature of entertainment shifted, now surpassing passive movie watching with games at a remarkable rate. Video game sales exploded over time, and those connected with lifestyle and behavior change moved the fastest. The highest selling video game of all time is Nintendo Wii Sports, with over 81 million copies sold, surpassing Mario Brothers and other current high-budget titles such as Assassin's Creed. It was inevitable that the entertainment industry and the learning field would eventually meet, as we sought ways to leverage student engagement (Ke, 2008). It seemed inevitable that we would eventually absorb high intrinsic motivation elements in teaching and learning; however, this progression ground to a halt when it met the intransigent nature of higher education, where passive learning shows its weaknesses (Freeman et al., 2014). Trained in the ways of the PowerPoint slide and simple presentation elements such as video and online curation, the old generation of learning professionals stumbled to integrate these elements. Given that many of the leaders in this space did not grow up on video games, it was no surprise that they would reject such ideas since they could not even make sense of them: enter the millennials who, on average, had over 10,000 hours of playing time on video games and now sensed a distinct disconnect with traditional learning (Deci & Ryan, 2000).
Transformative immersive design is the newest model of learning experience, derived from its three terms. Transformation is about behavioral change, not restricted to learning but also extending into empathetic and virtual experiences (Fjaellingsdal & Klockner, 2017) Immersive design is the ability to create things in virtual space, whether it is text-based simulation or authentic virtual reality experiences. The new curriculum designers are no longer curators of text and images, but creators of “just-in-time” learning across both colleges and industry. It is no longer enough to curate content or distribute it, but engagement and achievement need to be nested within it. Immersive technologies, including extended reality (XR), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), permit us to directly experience content, which no longer needs to be abstracted in the form of didactic explanation. You can see what it is to be the object of prejudice, to sit in the front seat of a police cruiser during a high-speed chase, or to witness surgery without cutting open a body.
Hyperreality is a term developed by Jean Baudrillard, which describes simulacra (Luke, 1991). A simulation is a high-fidelity imitation of what we see in the world. Simulated patients that medical schools train or hire, for example, are replicas of the real world, as realistic as possible. Simulacra, by contrast, have lost any reference to the thing they represent. The distinction is important; there is a central role of simulacra in shaping our world. Early authors said Disneyland was a simulacrum: an idea embodied in images and how it influences our behavior. We long to go to Disneyland, which does not refer to the place per se, but to an abstraction of what Disneyland represents. Photorealism in art, where we draw a picture of a photograph, is a form of simulacra. Conceive of simulacra as objects in a virtual field, a space. Think of hyperreality as living in a virtual space, one based entirely on fantastical objects.
Mixed reality (a blend of XR, AR, and VR) enables simulacra and can insert them into this virtual space. These mixed reality simulacra I will refer to as virtual learning environments (VLEs), which are a derivative of serious game researcher David Kaufman's gameworlds (Kaufman & Sauvé, 2010). A VLE is simply a fantasy world designed for learning, which is a subset of the idea of gameworlds, as alternate realities. Second Life, a popular immersive free download, is a gameworld. Within that gameworld, many things happen: people meet, have virtual sex, attend virtual lectures at Harvard, etc.; it is an umbrella. A VLE would be a dedicated form of gameworld. A hyperreal gameworld would be one in which the senses become disengaged from the real world. It is an abstract set, from which reality is derived. In simple terms, a VLE is a form of hyperreality designed to put the learner into an alternate world that the instructional designer populates with virtual objects. Virtual objects are elements of the VLE with which the player interacts.
A strong VLE builds life paths into virtual objects. A patient is created in the minds of the medical educator, who has a fictional life. Thus, that patient is a virtual object. Part of this fictional life is that the virtual object (patient) might have heart disease, and if untreated it will worsen and the patient will die. The notion of life pathing within VLEs is a critical design element for learning. A passive object will not respond to the learner's interventions; a student playing the part of a doctor merely observes. This is called branching simulation, where you view a video and then make choices that determine which new video segment will unfold. This is not a VLE. VLEs are active learning spaces, where every action the learner takes leads to a consequence in the gameworld. Thus, you are literally playing doctor in a VLE; in branching simulations you are simply witnessing the outcomes of decisions. Virtual objects should be complex, and depending on how you interact with them many different outcomes should occur. In contrast, branching simulations—as text-based simulations—are simply scripted encounters. VLEs are non-scripted and permit a wide range of player actions. Note how we can now use the terms learner and player interchangeably. In our continued discussion, we will use them as such. Within a VLE, we have players. We use that term because they are actors within the simulation, not just decision makers. They are transformed by the environment.
Environmental transformation refers to the idea that in a VLE, players can earn money, unlock new quests, change their appearance, and interact as avatars with other players. This is not true of simulations as we know them in training. This is an alternate world with its own rules. Patients can be cured in minutes, not weeks, as we locate treatments through learning. Players can increase in ability over time, gaining skill points and upgrading their in-game items. In video games these might be better weapons or armor as seen in World of Warcraft or Diablo. World of Warcraft is an example of a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) and has a base of close to 10 million players around the world. In all MMORPGs there are many virtual objects that must be earned by the players' actions in the game. These earned virtual objects then might even have their own life path. A sword might increase in power as a player progresses. The concept of upgrading your clothing with “azerite” in the latest World of Warcraft edition is an example of such life pathing. The shoulder, chest, and head items you wear increase in power as you complete game objectives. Your ability to take on tougher in-game challenges is linked to the life path of the virtual object.
Hyperreal learning states, then, are those where we immerse learners/players into a world where they can take on challenges, achieve objectives, and engage with life-pathed virtual objects that are all connected to learning; the more you learn, the more your power increases in the game. As such, hyperreal learning is about creating alternate realities where a player can immediately see the direct impact of learning through the acquisition of virtual objects and engaging with these objects as the core of the pedagogic experience. This implies, in turn, that players are not going to fit into a traditional learning design, where we identify objectives and move them into experiences such as reading or laboratories, or even active learning paradigms. This is a total re-thinking of education, as something that is player-driven within an artificial world, where each success or failure impacts how the player interacts with that world. As such, it requires a reassessment of how we design learning to fit into this space.
In a VLE, players have the freedom to explore and achieve in their own way. How do we ensure that players will learn what we need them to? How do we ensure that doctors trained in VLEs will perform the job we need them to do (i.e., diagnosis, treatment, critical thinking, soft skills, and counseling)? This is managed by recognizing that learning in such worlds is self-generated. Teams of learners working together can help each other learn by engaging in quests. How do we limit those experiences such that they can focus on what we need them to do? Let us accept that the simulation research literature assures us that for many things (but not all) simulations are equivalent to reality. Flight simulators used in training would be one example. Thus, we are not arguing that all things can be contained in a VLE, but that a blend of reality and hyperreality is our goal. Can we insert the real world into the VLE?
Traditionally, we try to insert simulations into the real world; they are excursions out of the world of the senses into a suspension of belief—a serious fantasy. Now, we are going to reverse all of this and say that the student will primarily exist in the VLE, not the external world, but that we will import elements of the real world into it. Thus, I am in a fantasy game where I am healing the sick, and my quests in the game are to not only treat virtual patients but also real patients. As I successfully treat real patients, my progress in the gameworld is increased. This is not far from what we do anyhow; this is Kantian philosophy. In the philosopher Immanuel Kant's philosophy of knowing (Kant, 1999), the world exists in our own mind anyhow, so medical education is simply creating a copy of the real world in our consciousness. As Kant said, we represent the world; we do not directly experience it. We do not see ultraviolet or infrared, we see data produced by instruments. Similarly, to understand this correctly, we create a fantasy reality for players in VLEs that imports external experience into its storyline, such as seeing patients. The story drives the learning, whether it is through interaction with virtual objects such as simulated hospitals or real patients in real hospitals. As Kant would say, we import what our senses tell us and create a world based on that. Hyperreality is just Kant, updated.
Autopoiesis means self-creating, and this is how the learner/player functions in VLEs. The learning cannot be scripted, i.e., presented in steps toward a defined objective because the player interacts with the world and changes the objectives consistently. The idea of learning objectives, which is central to instructional design, is far too limiting a construct to use in the complexity of hyperreal learning worlds. Instead, we build the world within domains of instruction. A domain is a grouping of ideas or facts, such as the anatomy and physiology of the heart, which is connected to facts about healthy diet, medications for heart disease, vascular pathology, and even psychology in the form of the role of stress on heart ailments. Thus, this associational map is a domain—a cluster of epistemologically related concepts (Figure 1). The students move through this domain in a VLE, at their own pace, with their own professional objectives guiding them. The question remains, how do we insert learning objectives and competency statements into this world to guide learning? This is where we need to import another concept from physics: that of attractor regions, which we can also refer to as centers of gravity (Motter & Campbell, 2013).
FIG. 1: Representation of an epistemological map of simulation
It can be noted from the scatter plot presented in Figure 1 that one can position different concepts in relation to each other to form domains. Let us continue with the medical science analogy. In Figure 1, the dots that are clustered close together are conceptually related; they could consist of the heart, vascular anatomy, cardiac disease, and cardiac pharmacology. The more distant points on the plot are things connected to the heart, but not as closely, such as psychology of illness, sociology of illness, diet and heart disease, or fitness in heart health. Thus, a domain of knowledge would be formed between the upper scatter points. An additional domain of knowledge could be imposed on the clustering we see at the bottom of the diagram.
As another example, if one views a network map, which depicts how often authors' publications are cited, it shows that certain authors have high citation rates. These are also analogous to domains of learning and show how concepts are related; in this case, in the form of publications.
Imagine a trampoline. Now put a single bowling ball on the right side of that surface. Its weight will depress the trampoline in that area. Now toss a marble onto that trampoline surface and you will see that it rolls in the direction you sent it, until it gets close to the depressed region the ball has created. It will then circle around that depression on the surface and eventually fall into the hole. That is how an attractor region works. It funnels objects into a space. The next step is to now see each domain of learning as a bowling ball. Imagine two bowling balls on that same trampoline surface. One ball weighs 10 lb and one ball weighs 100 lb. The 100-lb ball creates a huge surface depression; the 10-lb ball creates a smaller perturbation on the surface. Thus, a marble will fall into the deeper hole with greater velocity than in the smaller hole because there is more distance to roll and gravity creates acceleration. However, a marble will still roll into either hole; it depends on where it starts rolling on the surface. Thus, we can use the terms gravity and attractor region interchangeably in this discussion. Both will cause an object to behave in certain ways.
Lorenz attractors are a good model to use to envision autopoietic knowledge network domains (Motter & Campbell, 2013). The classic Lorenz attractor, which describes physics in chaotic systems, is depicted in Figure 2, where it can be noted that there are two distinct regions within the space. Each of these regions would correspond to a given domain of knowledge.
FIG. 2: Representation of a Lorentz attractor region
Another way to visualize domain relationships comes from digital marketing, where the term “pull” is used to denote attractor functions (Figure 3). In Figure 3, we see how various marketing regions interact, using point, path, and strange attractors. Strange attractors, in particular, describe complex systems. In marketing, we see companies, such as Apple, launching products where a variety of social elements affect a decision to purchase those products. These elements include more than just the lead idea, such as a new phone, and more than just the pathway, such as a marketing campaign. They also include a blend of other factors, such as market conditions, competitive advances, technological developments, and the sourcing of materials (Ducheneaut & Moore, 2005).
FIG. 3: Representation of an attractor map for the psychology of marketing
An attractor map for psychology can be developed, where stimuli we encounter create attractor fields. As depicted, typical stimuli have a weak attraction function when compared to atypical stimuli. The warmth we feel while sitting around a fire is eclipsed by the jabbing pain of smoke getting in our eyes as we sit. Atypical stimuli have a greater attractor power compared to those things we are used to. Similarly, we need to see domains of knowledge as nested groups of facts that embody specific attractor functions.
The next step is to see that learning would consist, in a VLE, of establishing a series of domains of knowledge and competencies. This means that learning design is building the world and then inserting attractor regions to increase the gravity in those topic areas. I can design 100 short case studies that we can insert into the VLE, which when completed ensure that the learner acquires skills. If you can spend enough time in simulations about heart disease then you will acquire the knowledge related to those simulations. This is problem-based learning (PBL), which was pioneered by the McMaster Medical School in 1967 and has since been implemented at Harvard, New Mexico, Mastricht, and other universities that are renowned for innovation (Barrows & Tamblyn, 1980). In PBL, students teach each other the subject material based on case studies. All that we have done in building a VLE is to link these PBL case study experiences into a coherent storyline. We have inserted this storyline into a digital medium and connected academic achievement to player progress in the storyline. Essentially, all education in this model consists of immersing students into the fantasy world from the first day of the class until their final graduation event. Every experience in learning is part of an ongoing storyline, which all occur in simulacra space, i.e., a hyperreal environment (Galarneau, 2005).
This is more than simple emergence, it shows how self-organization, what the Nobel-prize winning physicist Ilya Prigogine called “dissipative structures” is a profound element in learning (Gilstrap, 2007). A dissipative structure is one that creates self-organization. Self-organizational theory has developed into its own field of merit, which, for example, is used in creating networks of cell phones. Thus, one element germane to autopoietic learning is that of self-organization, which is not based on hierarchy but on interaction. Organic processes are said by Prigogine and his disciples to be self-generating and are an example of the organization of chaotic systems. Emergence refers to unplanned, unanticipated events during game play and other activities. Self-organization is the description of how emergence unfolds.
An example of autopoietic learning occurred in the gamified role-playing course Healer's Quest as a total university course conversion to a game. As we introduced case studies on cancer, some groups learned the relevant biology and then focused on the social and environmental links to cancer. Another group decided to explore alternative medicine to see if there was any evidential basis for these medications in cancer treatment. Another group looked at the psychological elements of cancer, i.e., the role of stress and depression during cancer diagnosis. I could not have planned this, and if I had, that might have shut the doors to other learning the groups designated as critical. That is self-organization. We simply do not know where a student will go with the knowledge they access as they encounter social, psychological, and historical data and then interact with other learners in a learning domain.
This might sound trivial until we consider the risks of failing to build autopoietic learning. Autopoietic learning is based on the fact that learners will move toward centers of gravity—attractor regions within a learning domain—defined by their need to know. This need to know drives exploration of the domain area, which is personalized for the learner. It is the highest level of personalization we can afford in education. A patient recounted a story to me in which she went to the clinic for a colonoscopy and they offered to give her an intravenous iron drip because they noted she was anemic in her blood workup. The next day her arm swelled up and she told the nurse at the clinic about it. The nurse said it was normal and to just take two Advil. The swelling continued and then she was admitted for an infection. The infection had spread to her heart, causing endocarditis. The endocarditis damaged both heart valves and now she had to go for open heart surgery to replace them. All of this from a routine visit to a screening center. Clearly, this incident is an example of how we must train health care workers to expect the unexpected, not to act according to a scripted algorithm. It demonstrates how our idealized simulations in training often have no connection to reality. In an idealized simulation, this patient was fine after the iron infusion. In real life, she faced major surgery in a way no designer could have imagined.
Autopoietec learning can reach much further than this. The fourth and sixth major causes of death in the United States are from medication reactions or adverse side effects. This number is appalling and it points to the need to create conditions for learning mindfulness in health care workers. Again, the way that we teach health sciences is often scripted: a patient has ailment X, which we treat using protocol Y. This reduces the patient to a statistical entity, one which has a given probability of being treated. However, patients are not numbers; each one brings a unique blend of risk factors, genetic endowments, and social determinants to the doctor. Personalization of medicine can only happen if we first personalize students' education. Autopoietic simulations can take doctors in training through a number of simulated scenarios as they develop ways to create their own form of mindfulness. We know that reducing patients or learning to simple flow charts for care fails to recognize the distinctive elements of each case. By limiting the learner we eventually limit the doctor who has learned.
Connecting domains is also helpful in analyzing organizational relationships, once the theme of network relationships is developed. Creativity and critical thinking lead to new ways of doing things. We cannot train any profession to do things that we see now; we must anticipate what they will eventually do. However, since none of us has that crystal ball to make that determination, we release the learner to discover it and build upon it. Scripted, sequential learning is a key feature of learning management software such as Desire to Learn, Moodle, and Blackboard, which are the top selling systems in the world. How can we begin to approach this form of learning using our current technology and convert some of these systems to autopoietic environments?
One of the key considerations in any form of professional training or medical/social/organizational uses of gameworlds is how we measure progress and fitness for practice. Classic evaluation systems such as examinations or laboratory reports do not suffice; they do not have the granularity that hyperreality systems do. Ongoing evaluation is possible and necessary in gameworlds, in which we no longer have to schedule benchmarking in the form of exit exams. While external verification exists, as in licensing exams, those can be treated independently of the learning experience in gameworlds. Let us focus on how we adjust our thinking about the measurement of learning.
First, gameworld evaluation is based on learners completing quest lines and missions, not completing modules. Thus, the very nature of the design by the attractor region insists that we measure how many domain regions the students have encountered and how much they can complete simulations in a given time. Let us examine a prototypical attractor region in a gameworld (Table 1). Note that in Table 1, the attractor region is the general domain we wish the learner to master. Students should leave this experience knowing the anatomy of the heart and how it works. Each case study will lead the student into a problem that will drive learning about these things in order to solve it. This is not that new. McMaster Medical School has been using problem-based learning for many years. In Table 1, the gameworld is revealed in the value column on the right. Here, we can weigh each domain experience with a point value, indicating which case studies pay more dividends to the player for time spent. As the player advances through these case studies, their point value increases to a maximum score. Thus, each case is a partial score toward a maximum that would indicate evidence of mastering a given domain.
TABLE 1: Scoring values in simulation gaming
|30-year-old man with swollen ankles
|67-year-old man with chest pains and racing heart rate
|22-year-old woman with abnormal valve sounds after an infection
|6-year-old female child with fatigue and lightheadedness
|34-year-old male with a tumor in the right lung displacing the heart
|Pericarditis in a 15-year-old female
|55-year-old female with tachycardia
|2-year-old male child with a heart valve defect
Note that we do not use learning objectives in this design model. It is reasonable to ask how we define the learning, since there is a huge difference between the anatomical knowledge required by surgeons compared to support workers in a long term care home. We embed the learning in our simulacra, i.e., our cases of hypothetical patients. As the students solve each case they encounter the knowledge embedded in that decision. Each student will learn different things; some will remember the vessels of the heart, some will remember the vessels of the heart as a three-dimensional relationship. It is not necessary for all students to know all of the anatomy of the heart. We only need to be exposed to core ideas in training as applied to problem solving. At one point at McMaster Medical School the instructors had students learn about either the leg or the arm; both of which have a similar anatomical design. Later, if the students were to become surgeons, this could be sorted out when they had to access that detail level. In other words, we need not strictly define what is to be learned, if simulacra are driving the entire learning. The design key is to select the right representative simulations based on consultation with practitioners; this will ensure that learners encounter the right facts along the path.
Notice that unlike full simulations, simulacra are short 1–2 sentence cases. The idea is to keep the case short such that the learner is not led toward a specific scripted outcome. Let us look at the first simulacrum in Table 1: a 30-year-old man with swollen ankles. In the first phase of this inquiry a student or a team will identify causes of swollen ankles—from a sprain, to heart failure, to a host of other concerns. Then, the student will identify those things they need to know to make some distinctions. At this time, the hyperreality game engine will provide a way to interact with that simulacrum. The student will now be given a limited number of action points, i.e., things that can be done to locate more information on that patient. These are listed in a device menu, such as that shown in Figure 4.
FIG. 4: Screenshot taken from the learning game, SOS, designed by the author
This screenshot shown in Figure 4 was taken from our game, SOS, which was designed to learn how to manage the frail elderly. The small star on the upper right screen shows the value 2, indicating there are only two choices that learners can make to select a test for the patient. This is mid-game; the learners may have started with up to six action points in this game system. In Figure 4, you can see that in the right-hand column that there is a cost of one action point per test. To order a neurological exam, you would spend one point. At that point, you will only have one point remaining. This kind of process, where the learner wishes to do many things but can only do a limited number, not only imitates the real world, where resources are scarce as is time, but it also makes the learner focus. This type of focus has been shown to deactivate default mode processing in the brain and stimulate the ventral striatum, the reward-learning center of the brain. Thus, making the student choose between equally attractive options is the way we now take domain-based cases and force the learner to interact. At a back-end analytic screen, which only the faculty member sees, we can determine what kinds of selections students are making, how long they take to do it, and how many cases they can solve per unit time. The small “time remaining” note on the bottom of the screen in Figure 4 indicates that the student has, in this case, 40 minutes and 16 seconds left to complete this round of the game. By measuring how many cases are solved correctly per unit time we can measure an inferred mastery of content.
Figure 5 shows an analytic screen for another serious game version of this system. This being a personal coaching application, the faculty member can now see, for each area of case studies, how far the learner has progressed. Material and user analytics are provided, as shown in the left-hand column under the general analytics heading. These are high granularity data. We know from minute to minute, how players are progressing and we can determine where they are weak. We can then develop just-in-time updates to push out through the gameworld system to correct those weaknesses. In one period of testing, we determined that students were struggling with the idea of dehydration in the elderly, as evidence by the analytic fail rate on the case simulation. Therefore, the faculty developed a short burst module on how to identify dehydration more accurately, which then allowed them to track success in cases for that domain after the burst. In this case, the burst can be didactic (where reading is encouraged) or it could be developing some new cases that more carefully steer learners into the subdomain of fluid status and dehydration.
FIG. 5: Backend screenshot showing analytics from a simulation gaming platform creating a virtual internship
We know, minute to minute, how learners are faring in hyperreality space, which is a direct representation of how they will function in the real world. How learners engage with a simulacrum is very much how they will act in real life, and the literature on simulation is profoundly supportive of this contention. Exams are a thing of the past; it is daily, high granularity data collection that has surpassed them. This data collection need not end at the conclusion of training. It is best that learners continue in the gameworld throughout their careers, to collect data on how training is put to use after completion. These are Kirkpatrick Level 4 data; the hardest type to obtain in conventional training. We can now track learners for decades after training and identify gaps in practice, and then supplement the gameworld with new attractor regions. We can continuously monitor the effects of training. There is no end to training in a gameworld. Functional closures and pauses will occur, and there is a time when medical school is over. However, that does not preclude longitudinal tracking of performance in order to burst train professionals for the duration of their careers, or at least until they feel that they no longer need this system to inform them of gaps in their own knowledge.
PBL, as we discussed previously, forms the basis of autopoietic learning. In practice, this consists of connecting groups of learners in real time or digital space and having them solve problems by working as a team to research solutions. The evidence from this field shows that this process reinforces learning and recall through situated cognition. We remember things when they are part of a narrative more than if they are isolated facts. A typical PBL cycle is depicted in Figure 6.
FIG. 6: Typical steps in problem-based learning [reprinted from Gukeisen (2013) under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/]
Using LMS software such as Moodle, we can create discussion forums and then curate simulacra, whether they are images, text, or mixed reality experiences. The learners can then move across domains, selecting given simulacra case studies and working either as a team or individually to gain the information they need to solve the case. In PBL, solving the case is secondary; however, in hyperreality-based design it is central. The key is to research the solution and apply it, and then mark achievement as this continues.
What the designer needs to do here is to create sets of domains and then populate those with case studies or other forms of simulacra. The learner's role is to explore these domains by solving cases. Each case solution awards a number of points alongside evidence of research, such as completing templates to explain the reasoning behind a decision. This permits us to track reasoning processes; something we do not do in traditional learning. As designers, we want to know why a student made a decision to act in a case study; we wish to see the logic underlying those choices. Achievement benchmarking, in the form of awarding point values to specific domain solves, lets us determine solve rates. Each case has its own score; in the SOS app we developed it as depicted in Figure 7. The student has solved a case and now has earned cryptocurrency, which denotes an achievement. Students can select cases of easy or hard difficulty, research the background, attempt to solve them, and then see their own progress. In our data collection we determined that the more that students played the game, the greater was the solve rate; there was a linear relationship between the amount of attempts and the overall score.
FIG. 7: Sample of simulation game scoring for the learning app SOS
Learning management systems (LMSs) can work but lack the narrative structure of domain-based gameworlds. This is where the integration of media in a “storified” design software suite is essential. We have had to build our own software, in which the cost ranged from $10 thousand to $100 thousand. However, once built, this narrative software with a game engine (in which the coding tracks achievements, awards, and learning progress) can be used for any content in the future. It is a one-time investment, which is far more flexible then a dedicated, single-subject simulator.
For designers without the capacity to create code due to budget restraints or institutional commitment to learning management software, we can use adaptive release to unlock new domains of knowledge as a form of reward for progress. Adaptive release is a rule set that all LMS have, in which we cannot view hidden parts of the course until we complete prior elements. One cannot do module B until we write a quiz on the content of module A. This adaptive release function permits us to curate the LMS with case studies that can only be viewed after the student achieves some success in previous cases. It is important to realize that this is a limitation of the design; it is not a truly open world. However, it does permit learners to enter autopoietic hyperreality in a rudimentary way.
One such model we designed for insurance industry training and also for geriatric-care education was based on using discussion forums alone. Each week, three new cases were put up on the discussion forums on a WordPress page. Each case paid a certain amount of in-game “gold.” The learners had to complete at least one case each week with a template debrief and explanation of their reasoning. They could progress to the next week, where three new cases were archived, only if they did one case. However, if they wished to maximize their earnings, they could complete all three cases and obtain a completion bonus. Each week the cases were harder. This is called titrated challenge, which means we gradually increase the challenge level over time as learners gain more experience. In the simulacra space, there was a narrative that was connected to the learning. In the case of the insurance course, the learners were building a virtual insurance company. As they earned virtual money by solving cases, they could then use that money to purchase virtual objects in the game, such as a Lear jet. Players could go shopping for various objects using the money they had earned. A Lear jet, when purchased, unlocked a series of insurance case studies related to travel insurance, which paid much more than the basic case studies.
Professor Deb Fels at Ryerson University converted her entire course in multimedia to a game system in which students build a company delivering multimedia services. Students could purchase upgrades in the game to advanced, or use their cryptocurrency for real world gains. One option was to buy more time to complete essays, delay assignment deadlines, purchase extensions on papers, and so forth. Professor Fels shared with me the fact that over her 20+ years of teaching that course, this was the first time she received 5-star ratings from her students on the course evaluation. Her enrollment doubled over the first 2 years of converting her course to an open world game.
In our work at Baycrest Health Sciences, The Grid and Hygiea open world games both featured similar designs for nurses and personal support workers in long-term care. The Grid game was something I was asked to design for an online virtual internship for a ministry-of-education approved program. In The Grid, I used a modular dungeon design with a background narrative set on a ship called the Aristotle, but this design was later changed by the team to a modern health care facility in hyperreal space. The design of virtual workplaces and health care is usually based on modularity as developed by pioneers such as Richard Bartle.
In each room of the dungeon map (Figure 8), we located different types of virtual patients, which we refer to as virtual objects. As we populated the rooms with different non-player characters, such as patients with alcoholism, depression, physical disease, and other disorders it took on a living quality; we had created, without graphics, a virtual hyperreal space. In one ward we had cases related to psychosocial issues, in another ward we housed cases related to medical problems, and so forth. The students would then move through this virtual space in any direction they wished and encounter the simulacra. As they did so, they accumulated in-game currency, which could be added to a “loading program,” where readings and videos were curated. Completing a learning task in that space of the dungeon resulted in more gold and experience points being earned. Players could then obtain a set of goggles in my original design, which unmasked data related to each case. For example, the information on what drugs a patient was taking was concealed; however, if you purchased the pharmacology lens upgrade, you could now have that information revealed to you. Those upgraded lens items stayed with you from that point on, but were very expensive. This promoted other players buying different lens sets, such as information on mental status or emotional well-being related to that case. Now players could team up sharing their upgrades to gain increasing information about the case in order to manage the virtual patient. This concept of building a hyperreality space, and then populating it with virtual objects, is derived chiefly from dungeon games and is a strong foundation for creating autopoietic learning environments. In the final game, these were called “consults” and represented a real world briefing by an expert who revealed more data from the case.
FIG. 8: Dungeon map with virtual patients
As the complexity of the game increases, the cost for development increases as well. Simple games that permit learners to work with basic virtual objects can be built in an LMS. Games with multiple compulsion loops, which we will discuss subsequently, require coding and graphics. Much can be done with card games, LMS, and WordPress blogs. In fact, I would venture to say that serious game designers work with these extensively before they allocate funding for code building.
Over the past few years a shift in how we view the learner has occurred. The field of user experience has grown at a rapid pace, resulting in a movement toward emotional design. Emotional design is based on the theory that we primarily engage with the world through emotions rather than through cognition. Cognition in learning refers to the act of internalizing the world through memory and rehearsal of practice. Traditionally, education has focused almost exclusively on the content we are “pushing through,” using receptivity as the metaphor underlying instruction. Students are passive in such learning; they “receive” knowledge. Although things are not as simple as this, there have been advances in active learning, for example, it still underlies this idea that the content of what we are teaching should drive the learning experience. Unfortunately, this is not how human beings act. There is accumulating evidence that every decision we make and every act of learning is driven by emotional needs (Csikszentmihalyi & Nakamura, 2014).
This goes far beyond the Maslow (1987) needs-based theory, which was based mostly on our needs. Needs have an emotional flavor, but are still primarily utilitarian. Needs are about survival and survival is about learning how to feed, form social units, and locate solutions to environmental problems. Maslow wrote extensively about self-actualization and his work is quoted in adult learning in this regard with some reservation. Malcom Knowle's “androgogy” (Knowles, 1983) certainly incorporates this thinking in comparison to pedagogy, which refers to teaching children. However, the transition from needs-based learning to user-centered learning design is a result of technological developments since the 1960s. A gap has developed, whereby educators who still use terms like androgogy and adult learning have not expanded their thinking to incorporate user-centered design. The proof is in what we see: stroll through any college and you will see room after room of lecturers speaking with students making notes. A brief break to do laboratory work or practicums is no change in approach; these are still instructor-led experiences.
User-centered design is about thinking about learning from the students' perspective. What things do they need to make the experience worthwhile? We wish to be time efficient and effective in training. Time efficiency is paramount. We cannot stretch a medical education to 15 years, since it already takes 3–4 years of undergraduate preparation, followed by 4 years of medical school and a 2–4 year residency to train a specialist. Thus, user-driven experience in learning must be time efficient, even if multi-year programs are needed. User-defined—as opposed to user-driven—experience has a roll in this now, in that it is the limitations of the human nervous system that stretch this out in the first place. If we could train doctors in 3 months, we would. However, the brain demands repetition, memorizing vast fields of knowledge, and learning how to make and evaluate decisions. This is the time-limiting factor for learning: the remarkably slow pace at which humans learn anything. We are not efficient learners; we are the products of evolution that rely upon a few key behaviors to survive. In the ancient world, over the past 10,000 years, learning has been primarily about acquiring a few key skills such as agriculture or hunting. Since the time of the enlightenment in the seventeenth century, learning has expanded due to the growth of science as a discipline and core human activity. Thus, matching time efficiency to simulation success is a core element.
With the growth of science and technology, the demand for learning is not as much needs based as it is content based. There is simply so much content in our lives, let alone professions, that it is impossible to keep track of it and relate it to our needs. How do I connect my knowledge of different facets of life, including developments in my own field, to a central theme? The constant influx of new ideas and technologies defies any consistent narrative. Each technology in itself generates a new set of needs. One now needs to know how to use email, social media, one's automobile global positioning system, how to maintain the right body weight, prevent the “preventable illnesses,” and/or do a fact-checking search on the Internet. It is no longer content driven, in that there is so much content that we now find marketing teams seeking to control cognitive space. Our attention is limited; we do not have the capacity to absorb any of the detail related to technology, only the surface features. We know a new iPhone exists and may do one thing well, but another phone might suit us more. Purchase decision shows us how we evaluate new technologies and what features we scan for to make the item relevant for us or for our target market. This leads to a superficial data-parsing mode of thinking, where we can only take in a limited amount of data since our cognitive load is so great. Superficial data parsing becomes a habitual way of viewing information; it is assigned a valence (emotional value) and this valence then drives our decisions. If phone A does what phone B does, but also does X, then our valence increases. Content parsing occurs in hyperreal space; it is based on symbols more than content. Symbols are quick to identify and reduce our cognitive load by making information easier to categorize.
However, we must connect valences to our emotional state, and this is where emotional grid diagrams arise in the behavioral neuroscience literature. Behavioral neuroscience is an emerging field that has its own doctors and scholars, which is based on understanding how our brain processes information and how we use that information in the real world. The findings from this field, which include analysis of the role of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, or the hormones such as cortisol and oxytocin, suggest that we make all of these surface decisions on the basis of an emotional scatter plot that links to valence, as shown in Figure 9. The customer or learner—or anyone—navigates this grid in everyday life. In Figure 9, on the horizontal plane, we see the valence of either unpleasant or pleasant experience as felt by the person. On the vertical plane, we see the intensity of the emotional experience plotted. For example, someone who is serene in life would tend to cluster on the right-hand side of the grid, and someone who is unhappy would cluster on the left-hand side. We can manipulate emotion on this grid by presenting emotional experiences, such as winning a lottery, or even increasing the chance of winning a lottery. This is the basic map of human emotion. Think of emotion as the sea, and feelings as waves on that sea. We can affect emotions in user design and then create feelings that trigger those states. This is the basis of what we refer to as emotional design. Emotional design can trigger learning in populations where traditional teaching does not provide appropriate cues, narratives, or processes, such as in women's competencies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (Cheryan et al., 2011).
FIG. 9: An emotional scatter plot (B. Cugelman, AlterSpark)
Given what we know about the power of user design in emotional experiences, how can we take this information and apply it to learning in hyperreality? We have established the fact that emotional valence is a key determinant of engagement, to the point that we take considerable risks on social media to modify it. We also know that mentalizing functions are ways of creating social connection and inter-professional collaborations and even ways of modeling professional behaviors. We also can conclude that the emotional design of learning may be more important than the building of content. Content without emotional design lacks cognitive space and narrative structure. What steps can we take to build gameworlds with the specific goal in mind to nurture social connection, engage learners in narrative, let them interact with each other to challenge ideas, and reward learning with pleasant emotional states? I will ask you to think about learning design from this point forward as painting an emotional canvas.
Given that we can now envision curriculum design as something occurring in a hyperreal space, it has taken on field properties. Think of your learning experience as a dimensional space that learners will navigate, rather than as a sequence of facts, as the field represented by Figure 10 suggests. In Figure 10, each of the mountains in the field (the raised sections) represents the depth of a given domain of knowledge we would like students to explore. The small bulge shown in the panel on the left-hand side might be a superficial view of the sociology of heart disease, indicating, for example, how hypertension is higher in some populations. The next two cones we see in the panels in the middle and on the right-hand side are fields where related concepts demand more participation in learning with borrowed concepts from sociology (shown in blue), but also concepts (shown in white and light blue) that might represent anatomy and other sciences. Remember that this content is nested in simulations; all of these states in the total field of learning are collections of simulacra.
FIG. 10: Representation of a field model of epistemological domains
Using our rules of digital engagement, we now must construct an emotional design for this field that generates not only motivation but also retention of ideas and skills acquisition. In order to create what we might call playful design—that is, a build based on learners enjoying the experience—we create an emotional symphony. The key elements of this symphony are going to be based on Richard Bartle's player types, which are based on the types of people who enjoy dungeon exploration games. His now famous taxonomy includes four major groups: achievers, competitors, explorers, and socializers (ACES) (Bartle, 1996). There are other player typologies proposed, such as the hexad system suggested by Andrzej Marczewski (2015), but those refer to player experiences rather than a model for design that I have found useful here. There are many more player type descriptions in Marczewski's work that are worth considering in building emotional design.
The Bartle player typology permits us to attach learning experiences to an emotional design document, such as that depicted by Zenn (2017). The ACES model for emotional design in hyperreality space refers to the four activities of achieving, competing, exploring, and socially connecting. Our design for open world learning then creates opportunities to participate in learning using any combination of these core emotional activities.
Achievement design infers that we build many sub-goals and player-compulsion loops into a gameworld to denote achievement and to broadcast those achievement progress analytics in our game engine. Competitive design means that we also provide opportunities for learners to compete with each other or with fictional entities, which we will call “game bosses” after the tradition of video game development. Exploration elements will have players moving through the learning domains to satisfy curiosity and increase engagement as well as permit non-sequential or situational learning to occur. Finally, social elements will connect learners to each other or to broader communities to satisfy the need for recognition, support, and/or companionship. The specific types of activity profiles that one can explore in design are derived from the previously suggested elements. For example, using exploration we can enable players to review new data, collect virtual objects, unmask hidden elements of content, or discover new connections between fields. Collaborative learning might prompt us to build discussion threads, commentaries, user-generated content portals, or most valuable player mentorships. The specific activities are not important at this point; it is the idea that we build learning based on the ACES foundation, which then curates the learning experience within emotional events.
Building gameworlds using the ACES model is a matter of designing multiple compulsion loops that address all four player types. Compulsion loops are things you do in a game that make you want to keep playing. Going to a slot machine is one example we are familiar with: we deposit coins, our reward centers get activated, we lose, we try again, and we win a bit. The losing makes winning exciting, since it is the prevalent activity. Winning is financially rewarding but it is only so because the default state is loss. This is a simple compulsion loop. In a video game, killing a monster and looting the body for gold and items is a popular compulsion loop. In Super Mario, collecting power ups and making it through difficult passages is a loop. In Wii fitness games getting a score for doing a physical challenge is a loop. Good game design for open worlds demands multiple compulsion loops, what the industry might refer to as a conglomerate of player satisfaction. Similarly, we need to integrate learning goals with the ACES model for a user-activity profile, and then create multiple compulsion loops within the gameworld. The framework looks very different from traditional learning design. It has been used for learning with seniors in a modified form, where the elements of the ACES model form a design principle for universal access (Duplaa et al., 2017).
This paper has introduced a new way of envisioning education, as a personalized excursion into an alternate reality made possible by advances in online technology. As educators seek new ways of understanding teaching and learning in an era where engagement, soft skills, and skill rehearsal are prioritized over content distribution, coding design teams must adapt. The failure to adapt will result in an under-utilization of technology and costly errors in trying to make antiquated models fit. With a focus on entertainment as a form of learning and its integration with simulation, trainers will be equipped to generate user experiences that transcend traditional boundaries between technology and training.
Open gameworlds provide a micro-internship for training, but they have uses that extend beyond that of job skill rehearsal. Compliance training and other mandatory employee certification can take place using this model. Compliance training, in particular, faces strong resistance in that it often consists of short bursts of data followed by review quizzes; gameful design approaches can help mitigate this resistance (Landers & Armstrong, 2017). Narrative and exploration have been used to build game experiences that rely upon this foundation, rather than on “fact dumping” and “test out” models to improve engagement for wider organizational traction (Klabbers, 2006).
This view of learning is derived from a deeper philosophical concept (Sharma, 2018). The idea of biocentrism developed by Robert Lanza has gained considerable gravity on its own in the physics community (Lanza & Berman, 2010). Lanza's view is that life creates the universe. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, the famous astrophysicist argues that the entire universe may be a simulation (Moskowitz, 2016). In a true simulation, knowledge of this would be concealed. He implies that we created nature, not that nature created us. Biology is the basis of cosmology for Lanza. This conceptualization is very helpful in enabling us to address learning as something that occurs in a hyperreal space. In Lanza's cosmology, we create nature because it is what we are at our core. Nature does not create consciousness, our world is consciousness.
There is a strong correspondence between biocentrism and aboriginal learning in Canadian First Nation's peoples such as the Ojibway. In many aboriginal ways of learning, all things must be connected to nature in the form of a relationship. For example, if learning about metals, one would focus on where metals come from, how they are created in nature, how we extract them, and how we use them. This connects all learning to a storyline about creation in natural worlds. Nature functions as autopoietic hyperreal states do, by driving all learning using attractor regions.
Physicist David Bohm describes the “implicate order” as an underlying connectedness that occurs in physics, where consciousness is a component of this space, not simply a Kantian interpretation of the senses. In his discussions with Jiddhu Krishnamurti, the Hindu Vedic philosopher, they arrived at a convergence (Krishnamurti & Bohm, 1999). Consciousness has field properties and the connections between real world events are not purely Newtonian, there is an underlying order to the universe that connects often distant physical objects. This resonates with John Stewart Bell's theorem (Lindley, 1996), which suggests that physical connection between objects is not a necessary causal link. He uses the term quantum entanglement to describe how physically separate objects such as electrons can influence each other. Many experiments have confirmed Bell's theorem, and these might apply to more than only subatomic worlds. The implications of such discussion are profound; it means that if we shift the rotation of a single electron in an electron pair (all electrons exist in pairs, one with up-spin and the other with down-spin), its partner will reverse its rotation. He uses terms like “super-determinism” to describe this relationship. Although viewed as innovative or extravagant by physicists, it does point to a view coherent with that of biocentrism or DeGrasse Tyson's simulation world. That is, what we do is determined not by our own free will but by a force that not only dictates how objects interact but predetermines the very act of thinking about this.
How do these views help us understand autopoietic hyperreality? If we now see students as agents within a given VLE, then what we know about biocentrism can help us design learning. For example, by creating a gameworld that is connected to nature, aboriginal students can anchor their learning in their own tradition of thought. David Bohm's idea of the implicate order suggests that groups of learners interact in non-rational ways; they enable each other's growth in a way that we cannot easily build into learning design if it is scripted. Marvelous accidents in training, where synergies between learners lead to unplanned development, need to be fostered. You never know, going into a team, what interactions and creativity will be unleashed. Autopoietic learning means that we have a general plan for learning, but that new things can grow that we did not anticipate. I can provide a couple of examples to illustrate this.
One student I had when I was teaching biology to nursing students came from Palestine, where he had served in the Jordanian army as a medic. He took my regular, lecture-based course and fared poorly, with a grade of C in the first term. Then, by happenstance, he appeared in my gamified biology course that featured problem-based, small group simulation gamification, which I will describe subsequently. This time, the entire group turned to him for advice in every simulation because he had been out there treating wounds for years, unlike the other students in his team. Thus, the autopoietic event here was that his capacities were unleashed through the game system, and as a result his grade went up to a B in the next term. I could not plan that a former medic would show leadership in a learning game in basic biology. I did not even know who my students were as I designed the game; however, the self-organizing element of autopoiesis led to this student unfolding as a learner and to the group's enhancement of learning through his experience.
Another example of autopoietic learning occurred in the same gamified role-playing course as we introduced case studies on cancer. Some groups learned the relevant biology then focused on the social and environmental links to cancer. Another group decided to explore alternative medicine to see if there was any evidential basis for these medicines in cancer treatment. Another group looked at the psychological elements of cancer and the role of stress and depression during cancer diagnosis (deep stuff). I could not have planned this, and if I had, that might have shut the doors to other learning the groups designated as critical. That is self-organization. We simply do not know where a student will go with the knowledge they access as they encounter social, psychological, and historical data and then interact with other learners in a learning domain.
Semiotic resonance (SR) consists of two words: semiotics, which is the study of signs and symbols; and resonance, which refers to the act of some part of the game resonating—or triggering identification—with the player. Semiotic resonance designs are based on the deliberate creation of symbols for the real world, such as an avatar that represents the player, to induce a state of immersion in the game progress. Semiotic resonance takes this one step deeper than rehearsal or captivity builds: the goal is to provide symbolic landscapes that trigger our innate desire to create mythology and engage in storytelling. However, it goes deeper than this. This is where we must again turn to psychology and philosophy, both that of aesthetics and metaphysics, to make any sense of the design process. Semiotic resonance is a “thinking person's design,” which is based on understanding common mythologies, such as the nature of conflict in storytelling, the narrative of human life over history, and the things that really make us human. Semiotic resonance goes far beyond simple storytelling; its aim is to trigger deep psychological experiences, such as redemption, loss, love, happiness, longing, rage, hopelessness, surrender, and wisdom.
We developed this idea as I worked with addiction medicine, where the metaphors for treatment are rather medical and difficult to connect to greater ideas. At first, it was fairly simple: patients were to view their illness, addiction, as a kind of prison. They were to view their treatment as a key to escape. Thus, the basic principle in the game design was based on imprisonment and escape. These ideas are present in the great literature through the ages, from the work of Homer on down: that of emancipation. Slavery has been with humanity for over 5,000 years, from the many African countries to South America and to seventeenth century Europe. There is no culture that has not taken slaves, all with their own rationalizations. Thus, slavery is so core to the human experience that the concept resonates with players. That is, they see a reflection of their own lives in it: slavery to a job, to alcohol, to success, to debt, etc.; they are all metaphors that have come from this ancient practice. If I were a student of Carl Jung I would call them archetypes.
These are the Joseph Campbell (1968) mythologies, they are core to human life and have been passed down in art, literature, and perhaps even in our genome. Their origin is not our concern; it is the prevalence of these mythologies in human life that are the focus. To build VR gameworlds that have no connection to age old stories, metaphors and narratives such as emancipation from bondage ignore the common core of human nature. Great movies such as Star Wars resonated with fans not just because of the plot line, but because of the underlying mythologies expressed. Yoda connected us to the mythology of the martial arts master, the idea of the learned ancient who has great powers. The battle between the Empire and the Rebellion symbolized our historical struggles, in which good and evil were at war (think of the American decision to enter the Second World War). The love between the Princess and Luke Skywalker, depicting a tragedy where love could be felt but not consummated, and the vastness of space depicting awe and wonder at the universe, were all resonant structures in my view. They appeal to us because we use the same myths, albeit in different themes, to make sense of our lives. Science is discovery, medicine is bringing order into chaos, and commerce is creating something where once there was nothing. These mythological structures drive our lives, and gameworlds that fail to tap into them are missing much of the value that hyperreality holds.
In order to design using semiotic resonance, we need to position all of the learning experiences within a deeper narrative that is clearly defined using mythological themes. These can be derived from any culture, and approximating that mythology can unlock powerful SR. For example, we could use a theme of imprisonment for addiction, but if it was designed for First Nations' learners, this theme could incorporate imagery and legends based on Cree or Algonquin native culture. In the design of our addiction games, I researched the ancient Roman mines, where slaves were imprisoned for life. These metaphors were powerful when used to induce resonance in players. Every in-game action they took was designed to liberate them from slavery.
Ancient Greek mythology is a good place to start if you do not have a story writing background, which few trainers do. Heroism, characterized by bravery, strength, and morality is a powerful theme. Generosity, faith, love, and sacrifice are all equally compelling SR elements. The theme of love can be quite expansive, as in the story of Psyche and Eros. The goddess of love, Aphrodite, was jealous of Psyche, the most beautiful mortal. Thus, she sent her son Eros (named Cupid in Roman lore) to seduce Psyche and destroy her. However, Eros fell in love with Psyche and this angered Aphrodite. Eventually, Psyche is sent on three major quests to win Eros's love, which she completes and they live happily ever after. The idea of a quest to find love and win the beloved is so core to the human experience that to fail to consider it in building a gameworld is regrettable.
A mythography is a collection of myths that might encompass all of Homer's work or capture the early battles of Krishna as he speaks to Arjun in the Vedas, asking whether it is ever right to kill. Religious symbols and mythological elements tend to mix; the idea of universal love (Agape) versus passionate love (Eros) is so deep in our language that it is easy to coax it out in the gameworld. Universal themes of salvation, regret, longing, and deeper truth are all strong SR elements. In short, SR design is not purely based on job skills or fantasy engagement; it is based on evoking powerful emotions that are central to the human experience.
There are many views of what myths do for us; the position I take here is called the “functionalist” approach. This means that some anthropologists suggest that myths play a role in society. Subjective truth as a model for behavior encapsulates this discussion as espoused by Eliade and others. Myths bind us together in common understanding; across time, these change and reflect technology or regional variations but are unifying within a given cultural group. Creation myths explain our origins, such that we can share knowledge within groups. I am using a functionalist mythological design philosophy and suggesting that in order for gameworlds to be effective, this must be deliberately established. Not only that, but it must guide the development of themes and narratives. Themes and narratives are simple window dressing in rehearsal games, are absent in captivity games, but are core to SR games.
Autopoietic designs, at their best, resonate with these psychological processes, but we need not be as philosophical about it. However, it is useful to understand that everything we do in life is created, that we synthesize happiness, despair, and hope; these are neurological events at the very least. Gameworlds can function to create nested emotional experiences that trigger higher motivation to learn. Instrumentalist views of learning, where we treat the mind like a tabula rasa, need to give way to a more informed discussion that encompasses emotional neuropsychology, mythological structures, and professional mastery, and is truly holistic. Gameworlds, at their heart, should trigger a strong identification of what someone hopes to become and then provide a gateway to realizing those identified goals. Gameworlds are developed in coherence with the principles of positive psychology with a view toward a long journey toward mastery of the two worlds: the one of the self and the one of what we wish to be.
The author thanks R. Cugelman for producing Figures 1–3, 8, and 10. The author also thanks AlterSpark Corporation (Toronto, Canada) for permission to publish these figures and Figure 9. The screenshots in Figures 4, 5, and 7 are published with the kind permission of Baycrest Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Canada).
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Zenn, J. (2017). Understanding your audience – Bartle player taxonomy. GameAnalytics. Retrieved August 8, 2020, from https://gameanalytics.com/blog/understanding-your-audience-bartle-player-taxonomy.html. | <urn:uuid:ef7dd412-ee09-41dd-a93d-e14f0b0974b7> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://onlineinnovationsjournal.com/streams/adaptive-and-personalized-learning-online/191dd1663f30cb8e.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474670.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20240227021813-20240227051813-00696.warc.gz | en | 0.954136 | 16,534 | 2.734375 | 3 | 1,204 |
10 Ways to Help Your Child Learn English
As a parent, you may not realise how much you can do to support your children in learning English.
That’s the case even if they’re in their teens. When they’re younger, it can seem easier to introduce languages to them, whether that’s just through talking to them, or through introducing a new toy that ‘speaks’ only in the target language. But there’s a great deal you can do to help and support older children in learning languages that goes beyond practising verb endings with them or helping them with their homework.
In this article, we’ve taken a look at how you can help your teenage child learn English in fun, low-stress ways. We’ve focused on tips that don’t make it feel like you’re pressuring them to succeed, which is particularly counterproductive when learning a language, where confidence and a lack of self-consciousness can make a big difference to progress. While we’ve focused primarily on older children, there are tips here that you may find useful for younger children as well – or even for adult learning.
1. Get them English versions of their favourite books
If reading in English is something your child sees as a chore, an easy way to make it more fun for them is to get them their favourite books in English. A remarkable number of popular favourites have been translated, and it may well be that their favourite book was actually written in English originally. For example, of the current top ten bestsellers in young adult fiction on German Amazon, four were translated from English – including, of course, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Reading their favourites in English doesn’t just mean that they’re going to be more interested in the story; it also makes the act of reading in a foreign language much easier. It means that if there’s some vocabulary that they don’t understand, they won’t need to keep running for the dictionary – they’ll be more easily able to work it out from context. Reading a book in a foreign language can be frustrating, especially if a misunderstanding leads you to lose the thread of the plot, but when it’s a book that you already know well, it becomes a lot more painless. It’s even better if they then get hooked on reading a series that was originally in English – reading in a foreign language might seem like a reasonable exchange for getting to read the book before it appears in translation.
2. Learn a language alongside them
If you’re reading this article, chances are your own English is already pretty good, and trying to improve it alongside your child might end up being disheartening rather than encouraging. But it can be helpful to learn a different language, so that’s you’re learning at the same rate – or your child ends up out-pacing you, which can be gratifying for them. You can compare the vocabulary and structure of the different languages that you’re learning, set each other challenges and generally turn the process of language-learning into a fun and slightly competitive activity, rather than a chore.
There’s nothing that will pile on the pressure like saying that you’re learning another language in order to support your child, though, so keep that to yourself. This tip is best followed if learning another language is something that you were planning on doing anyway, with learning alongside your child being the thing that spurs you into action. Other European languages such as German, French, Dutch and Spanish are likely to be particularly complementary choices, and easier for an English speaker to pick up.
3. Do easy tasks in English and use English for straightforward things
Requiring your child to talk to you in English at set times – such as mealtimes – is a popular tip, but that can feel stressful for them, both in terms of the pressure to do well and the frustration if they struggle to express themselves fully. At earlier learning stages, they might not have enough vocabulary to respond properly, so you end up following a textbook conversation rather than communicating meaningfully. That’s the opposite of making learning a language fun.
What you can do that’s much lower pressure is use English for really straightforward things. For instance, basic instructions that don’t require a response, or only need a yes or no answer, can be communicated in English. That’s things like “I’m going shopping, would you like to come with me?” or “your grandma is coming round later” – statements that use introductory vocabulary and therefore can easily be understood. That way, they’re still listening to English being spoken and therefore learning, but it’s not going to be hard work for them. Think about it like practising driving: you wouldn’t take them on the motorway and insist they manage, but you might let them practise by driving you down quiet roads to the shops.
Once they’ve gained a little more vocabulary, you can try out doing straightforward tasks in English as well, such as cooking or playing sports. These tasks involve a relatively limited range of vocabulary that you could get into the habit of saying in English, and your child could respond to you in English or in their native language as suits them best.
4. Don’t discourage them from learning other languages
If English is their top priority – and it’s arguably the most useful foreign language to learn for a significant portion of the world’s population – you might think of other foreign languages as a distraction, and encourage your child to focus on their English. But that’s a bad plan, because learning other languages as well can actually be beneficial for your child’s English. It’s true regardless of how old they are.
Yes, students learning multiple languages at the same time will sometimes confuse vocabulary, or – if they’re from the same language group – end up speaking an odd melange of the two from time to time. But having three or more languages will also help them compare how the languages are structured; for instance, there’s nothing like knowing English, German and Latin for a really thorough understanding of how cases work. And if their native language is also an Indo-European one, then learning an unrelated language like Mandarin Chinese will make English seem a lot easier by comparison.
5. Set technology, such as games consoles, to English
Admittedly, following this tip is a good way to ensure that your child’s English-language vocabulary leans more towards ‘level up’ and ‘game over’ than the kind of thing that might be useful in their future career, but any practice is good practice, and switching technology into English is a low-pressure way to surround your child with the language. It may well be that some items of technology default to English anyway, so you won’t have to put much effort into changing them.
If your child isn’t a big gamer, other ideas include social media accounts like Facebook or even their own mobile phone, if they’re confident enough that they’ll still be able to understand anything. The biggest commitment would be switching over something like a laptop, but unless they’re already familiar with specialist terms in English, that can be more of a challenge.
6. Don’t worry too much about their mistakes
The best way to make your child never want to speak English again is to tell them every mistake that they make. As we’ve already noted, self-consciousness is fatal to learning languages, and constantly watching themselves for minor mistakes is a great way to make them feel deeply self-conscious. After all, while the ultimate goal might be flawless, fluent English, there aren’t many native speakers whose English is completely with mistakes; it’s better to prioritise your child being able to communicate confidently and fluently, rather than being able to say a much smaller range of things with no errors.
So what should you do if there’s a big mistake that they keep making? One approach – which you should agree with them in advance – is to pick up on one mistake every week. This helps them improve without giving the impression that they’re making so many mistakes they should just give up.
7. Focus on vocabulary, not grammar
If you’re going to try to play a role in teaching them English alongside what they learn at school, it’s best to focus on teaching them vocabulary rather than grammar. For one, this is because grammar is much more easily and effectively taught in a classroom, rather than you trying to explain what modal verbs are while you’re doing the washing up. For another, it’s because their schoolteacher is probably teaching them grammar according to a curriculum that has been carefully laid out; you don’t want to confuse them.
But the main reason is that learning grammar helps you communicate better, but learning vocabulary helps you communicate more. If you’d like to buy four salted caramel truffles, knowing how to construct a perfect sentence based on “I would like” is not going to help you if you don’t know the word for “truffle”. Being able to say “four caramel truffle”, even if you mess up the plural, will result in chocolate coming your way. And being able to communicate more is the key to making learning a foreign language more useful and more fun.
8. Don’t be afraid to mix English with their first language
If you’re trying to get a baby to grow up bilingual, it’s a good idea to avoid mixing two languages; it’s even a good idea to ensure that one person only speaks one language to them, while another speaks the other. But by the time we’re teenagers, we’re not so easily confused. Yes, blending two new languages is a very bad idea that can only lead to confusion, but they’re not going to struggle to differentiate their own native language and English at this stage.
This matters because sometimes, blending languages together can be a lot of fun and can make learning them easier. Speaking ‘franglais’ is a popular occupation for British schoolchildren, but even though les sentences comme cette one may sound ridicule, that’s a low-effort way to practise vocabulary and still convey your meaning if there are some things you don’t know how to say in the target language.
9. Watch English-language TV and films with them
Watching films and TV in English is a great way to learn while also enjoying yourself, and that applies especially to teenagers. If their English isn’t yet good enough to follow the plot, you could watch things in English, but with subtitles in your native language. Once that’s too easy, switch the subtitles into English as well – which gives your child the opportunity to figure out what’s being said twice over. And once that’s too easy, lose the subtitles altogether. Buying films and TV shows on TV should make all of this quite straightforward, especially if they’ve been dubbed from English in the first place.
Remember that enjoying themselves while surrounded with English is the priority; if they’re having to struggle to understand what’s going on, it defeats the point. As with books, choosing their favourite films and shows can help, though it can also be disconcerting to hear a favourite actor suddenly speaking in an entirely different voice.
10. Send them to a summer school
Don’t be deceived by the term ‘summer school’; this can also be a relaxed and enjoyable way to learn English. The English-language element could be in the form of structured classes, or, if their language skills are advanced enough, they might choose to study a different course altogether, taught in English by a teacher sympathetic to the needs of students who have English as a second language.
Either way, if the summer school is based in an English-speaking country, the time spent outside of classes with new-found friends will require your child to speak English in order to get along; and that’s a powerful motivation. Being self-conscious about making mistakes soon falls by the wayside in favour of having a good time – so by the time your child gets home, they’ll be using English with confidence, perhaps even to stay in touch with brand-new friends from the other side of the globe. | <urn:uuid:49bebe98-b13b-47b8-9d04-809d31cc00de> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/10-ways-help-child-learn-english/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474737.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20240228143955-20240228173955-00796.warc.gz | en | 0.961095 | 2,639 | 3.109375 | 3 | 1,205 |
English as a Second Language (ESL) educators play a crucial role in helping learners develop proficiency in the English language. One key element that significantly contributes to successful language acquisition is the design and implementation of well-structured ESL lesson plans. In this article, we will explore the essential components of effective ESL lesson plans, offering insights and strategies for educators to enhance the learning experience for their students.
- Understanding the Learners:
The first step in creating impactful ESL lesson plans is to understand the diverse needs, backgrounds, and proficiency levels of the learners. Assessing the students’ prior knowledge and linguistic abilities helps educators tailor lessons to address specific language challenges and ESL lesson plans build on existing skills.
- Setting Clear Objectives:
Establishing clear and measurable learning objectives is crucial for guiding both educators and students through the lesson. Objectives should be realistic, achievable, and aligned with broader language learning goals. Clearly defined objectives provide focus and help measure the success of the lesson.
- Incorporating Varied Activities:
Effective ESL lesson plans integrate a variety of activities to engage different learning styles. These activities may include group discussions, role-playing, language games, and multimedia resources. Providing a mix of activities keeps lessons dynamic, captures students’ interest, and caters to various learning preferences.
- Sequencing and Timing:
A well-organized lesson plan follows a logical sequence and considers the appropriate timing for each activity. This includes allocating sufficient time for introduction, practice, and review. A balanced pacing ensures that students grasp new concepts without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. | <urn:uuid:7cefe961-f3a4-4fa0-bf24-140afa2f807f> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://wingsmypost.com/effective-esl-lesson-plans-integrate-a-variety-of-activities/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474649.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20240225234904-20240226024904-00896.warc.gz | en | 0.897735 | 324 | 4.34375 | 4 | 1,206 |
What is OpenRUB?
OpenRUB is the platform for freely accessible and open teaching and learning materials (Open Content and Open Educational Resources) for all faculties of the Ruhr-University Bochum.
The published teaching and learning materials have been developed within the framework of courses and are presented in various formats:
- Moodle courses: information, self-study and OpenCourseWare (OCW) courses & preliminary courses
- course concepts: also presented in Moodle or on external websites
- individual materials: i.a. slides, exercise sheets, past exams, scripts, pictures, videos, or data (open data).
- videos from courses: YouTube channels, lecture recordings, tutorial videos
- websites: Teaching/learning and information materials
The learning objectives are listed in the descriptions of the individual learning offers. Some materials are licensed under Creative Commons and can therefore be reused and adapted. These materials are displayed separately. The licenses are enclosed in the learning offering.
If questions remain unanswered: We provide technical, didactic and legal advice to teachers on Open Educational Resources and Open Content! Just contact us! We are continually developing OpenRUB, which is why we are happy to incorporate your ideas and suggestions.
If you would like to publish content on OpenRUB, please write to [email protected]. We offer a comprehensive service for publishing content.
What are Open Educational Resources (OER)?
The abbreviation OER stands for Open Educational Resources. OER are open teaching and learning materials that are made available online, free of charge and legally to any user. As the creator, you can mae OER available online without oder with minor restrictions and thus decide for yourself which rights of use you grant and which rights you reserve. This provision of OER ist made ossible by free licences, usually Creative Commons (CC) licenses. The varios CC licenses grant users legal and free use. In the case of CC-licensed materials, the authors do not lose any copyright claim, but rather, through the licensing, directly indicate to the users what may be done with the materials and under what conditions. The original authors are always named.
If you want to learn more about how to use OER and about licensing, you can visit the online self-learning course Introduction Open Educational Resources.
What is OpenCourseWare (OCW)?
At Ruhr-University, OpenCourseWare is a special course format in Moodle. The OCW course format is based on MIT's OpenCourseWare concept.
It has a uniform structure with the following contents:
- event descriptions,
- requirements of the course (seminar or lecture),
- texts or references,
- lecture recordings, if applicable,
- exercises and exams, if applicable.
OCW courses thus represent courses, through which the event concept and the discussed contents are emphasized.
Teachers can be inspired by these concepts.
Students can use OCW courses to get a first impression of the course and, if applicable, to obtain materials or literature suggestions for their own scientific work.
We provide a template for an OCW course and assist in its development.
Click here to see the OCW format demo course.
What are the goals and who is the target group for OpenRUB?
Openness is a fundamental requirement for comparability and quality assurance of scientific work. Every day, universities use a variety of digital media and content in teaching, study and research. To make this as easy and risk-free as possible, it makes sense to use and create open content.
OpenRUB is intended to give all people the opportunity to access online educational materials of the RUB in order to further their education. As a repository of the Ruhr-University Bochum, teaching and learning opportunities are presented by members of the RUB.
OER are also a component of RUB's Open Science Policy. This is linked to the fact that RUB supports university members in the use, production, and provision of OER through consulting and training services offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning (ZfW).
Under which licenses are materials published on OpenRUB?
Teachers can choose between the following two ways to publish their teaching/learning materials on OpenRUB.
- 1) All rights reserved: All rights of use to the contents remain with the authors.
The contents are freely accessible, i.e. they can be viewed on OpenRUB and linked from other websites.
- 2) Some rights reserved: Certain rights of use are granted for the content.
The rights of use may include the rights of reproduction, redistribution and modification. Such contents are usually licensed by Creative Commons (CC) and are marked as such. This means, among other things, that other users are allowed to upload and modify this content on their own websites free of charge. The name of the author must always be mentioned. The advantage of Creative Commons licenses is that users can see directly what they are allowed to use the materials for.
Variant 2) "Some rights reserved" allows simple and, above all, more extensive subsequent use than variant 1) "All rights reserved". The contents can be completely adopted and modified with variant 2). If possible, we recommend to consider variant 2) when publishing on OpenRUB. After all, we are striving to increase the production and distribution of open teaching and learning materials.
In this context, we provide consultation on OER and CC licensing.
What are Creative Commons?
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that offers authors prefabricated license agreements for the usage of creative materials by others. The licenses serve the purpose that the materials can be shared and used legally and free of charge. The various license agreements directly indicate how and with what restrictions the materials may be used.
- The platform OpenRUB was developed by the eScouts team OER at the Center for Science Didactics, Department of eLearning (RUBeL), Ruhr-University Bochum.
- Saif Al-Dilaimi (IT)
- Kathrin Braungardt
- Ann Kristin Beckmann
- Jennifer Majorowski
- Niklas Brauer
Co-Founders of OpenRUB
- Kathrin Braungardt
- Matthias Kostrzewa
- Christine Ruthenfranz | <urn:uuid:82d9162d-8a4a-4791-8da0-f2e0791504e3> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://open.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/index.php/en/inhalt/about-openrub | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474412.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20240223121413-20240223151413-00096.warc.gz | en | 0.905389 | 1,323 | 2.546875 | 3 | 1,207 |
- This event has passed.
February 20, 2020 @ 00:00
EDEN 2020 Annual Conference, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania
Human and artificial intelligence for the society of the future
Inspiring digital education for the next STE(A)M student generation
In the end, all innovation is social innovation and technologies become real when they change social practices.Ilkka Tuomi, EDEN Bruges Conference keynote 2019
“Education is back where it belongs – at the top of the European policy agenda” stated the European Commission. We intend that Europe will be considered a strong and allied partner to future generations, and that the EU education system must make our societies future proof.
Education is often envisioned in terms of innovation, excellence and competitiveness. But learning is also about reaching personal perfection, using a holistic approach that supports personal and professional development, learner needs and self-realization across different learning environments.
That education can be a social elevator and a vehicle to ensuring a sustainable society is acknowledged. Education delivers the social contract. Skills become obsolete when social, cultural and material contexts change. Creativity contributes to diversity and innovation, thus Europe’s cultural and creative sector is recognized as a substantial resource and driver for innovation and growth.
Digital education has proven to change learning and working practices in the society of today. The reality of lifelong learning towards sustainable life remains as urgent as ever. Intelligence, human and artificial, is in focus, and understanding students and their learning and application of new technologies in education inspires further development.
To prepare our students for this complex, challenging and exciting future we can use digital tools and methods to enhance and enable problem-based approaches to the creative process, student inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking, experiential learning, and collaboration, providing students with opportunities and skills to make connections between concepts and build productive networks.
Skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) represent an important part of basic literacy in today’s knowledge economy. With the inclusion of a critical component – the human being, STE(A)M Education integrates the arts – humanities, languages, dance, drama, music, visual arts, design and digital media.
Education offers incredible potential for the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, with several significant opportunities — and challenges — that the introduction of artificial intelligence could bring, especially to higher education. Increasingly, higher education institutions, as well as adult and professional learning are being transformed by intelligent systems that are helping humans learn better and achieve their learning objectives. The breadth of areas in which AI is already inserted in education includes intelligent tutors or chatbots, personalized learning, smart teaching, learning analytics, reducing student drop-off, education administration, data privacy and ethics. A balanced relation between Artificial and Human intelligence can create trusted, flexible, personalized and inclusive digital learning eco-systems.
The EDEN 2020 Conference will focus on contemporary educational concepts, leading practice, approaches and tools which help to enhance the innovative power of cutting-edge digital solutions, and integrating the synergetic effects of arts, the human and social dimension.
PhD Symposium Timisoara 2020
The EDEN 2020 PhD Symposium Timisoara will be organized on 21 June 2020.
The Symposium, held in previous years in Barcelona (2018), Bruges (2019) and Dublin (2019), has been designed to foster the exchange of experiences and knowledge among doctoral students doing research in the area of technology enhanced online, digital, open and distance learning, providing a valuable forum for the advancement of doctoral research. The Symposium is led by a panel of international experts.
More information about EDEN PhD Symposium is here.
Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2021
The Conference will significantly benefit from the recognized cultural and digital environment that the city of Timisoara offers, as it celebrates creativity and innovation as the 2021 European Capital of Culture.
Politehnica100 – 100 years of higher education in Banat
Politehnica University of Timisoara celebrates in 2020 its first century of academic excellence. Established in November 1920, shortly after Romania’s Unification, through the Decree signed by King Ferdinand, it is the first higher education institution in West Romania, in Banat region. As Timisoara became a university city, it started growing and its attractiveness for all kinds of investments increased, but still keeping the young and innovative spirit and promoting its image of avant-garde in Romanian and European science.
Open University UK 50
During the conference, we would like to pay tribute to the flagship open university of Europe, EDEN’s founding member and birthplace, the Open University UK. The OU celebrates its 50th Anniversary and has been playing in partnership with EDEN leading role in developing the impact of the European open and distance learning conferences since 1992.
Micro-credentialing in European Higher Education
Aligned to the themes of the conference, the final symposium of the Erasmus+ MicroHE initiative will focus on Micro-credentialing. In order to make micro-credentials a pillar of university service, the project has been working on the impact of modularisation, including the first European survey on micro-credentials in HE, proposing a meta-data standard and launching an online clearinghouse to facilitate recognition, transfer and portability of micro-credentials in Europe.
To highlight the digital culture aspect of the conference a special section will be dedicated to digital education for the creative industries, as part of the Erasmus+ DigiCulture project for improving the digital competences and social inclusion of adults in creative industries. The ‘Digital Skills for Creative Industries and Culture Courses’, as a blended learning and online courses (MOOCs) and the achievement of Open Badges for Digital Competences indicates the important role the digital education has for the creative industries.
Conference Proceedings and Book of Abstracts:
We are pleased to announce that the Electronic Conference Proceedings (ISSN 2707-2819) and the Short Paper Book (Human and Artificial Intelligence for the Society of the Future – Inspiring Digital Education for the Next STE(A)M Student Generation, ISBN 978-615-5511-28-8) are available online. | <urn:uuid:e2be2b12-ff2d-4dea-8be5-7863fffc3a14> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://eden-europe.eu/event/timisoara-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474653.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20240226062606-20240226092606-00096.warc.gz | en | 0.919463 | 1,291 | 2.75 | 3 | 1,208 |
Extended reality, also known as XR, is an industry term that encompasses a wide range of immersive reality design solutions. It includes augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and 360 video. While AR and VR are the most widely recognized immersive technologies, XR is often used to describe the broader spectrum of these innovative experiences.
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that enhances the real world by overlaying digital data onto it. With a smartphone, tablet, or pair of smart glasses, AR allows users to interact with virtual elements in real-time while still being aware of their physical surroundings.
Virtual reality (VR) creates a completely immersive digital environment that transports users into a simulated world. Users wear headsets or goggles that block out their view of the real world and replace it with a computer-generated one.
Mixed reality (MR) combines elements of both AR and VR, integrating virtual objects into the real world, allowing users to interact with them as if they were physically present. MR enables users to see and manipulate virtual entities within their actual surroundings in an interactive and engaging manner.
Each of these technologies has its own unique capabilities and applications. AR enhances our perception of reality by adding digital information to our physical environment, VR provides fully immersive experiences in virtual environments, while MR merges these technologies to create interactive experiences that blend the virtual and real worlds together.
XR applications may seem like something best suited for entertainment purposes. Perhaps the most familiar of augmented reality applications has been Pokemon Go (Pikmin Bloom was a good follow-up game in a similar vein). The newly released Microsoft Mesh world is an immersive virtual reality world, albeit one that is accessible on the desktop via a Teams viewer, that appears to be more frivolous than practical at this time.
But there are practical, realistic learning applications for these technologies.
The most readily available may be on your smartphone, which may have an Augmented Reality translation app that can take an image of text and translate it into a different language.
What’s neat is that companies like Microsoft and Meta are making Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality L&D applications nearly as attainable as a translation app.
That’s what we’ll be showcasing this Leap Day at CraneMorley. You’ll get a chance to experience multiple use cases in which either Mixed Reality or Virtual Reality addressed a training need in a unique and innovative way that enhanced the learners’ ability to achieve learning objectives. You’ll find that these applications can be well suited for a variety of industries, from automotive to manufacturing, from healthcare to utilities.
Want to see this for yourself? Don't miss your chance to experience virtual and mixed reality learning applications!
Experience eXtended Reality (XR) Applications in Learning and Development ~ Training & Technology SIG
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MIT-Haiti Workshops on Technology-Enhanced and Open Education
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 15-17, 2015
Organizers: Haiti’s Ministry of National Education and Professional Training (MENFP) and MIT-Haiti Initiative
Coordinators: Michel DeGraff and Vijay Kumar (MIT) and Paul Mentor (MENFP/MIT-Haiti Bureau)
The MIT-Haiti Initiative and Haiti’s Ministry of National Education and Professional Training (MENFP) are hosting the fifth Technology-Enhanced and Open Education workshop, on January 15-17, 2015 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This workshop is part of a 5-year project to introduce Haitian faculty (university and high-school professors) to the benefits of using active learning pedagogy, technology and Kreyòl in their classrooms.
The goal of this three-day Workshop is to explore the current views of learning and those pedagogies related to “active learning”. Actively engaging students with the material has been shown to increase students’ motivation and improve their learning outcomes. This introductory workshop will provide participants with a good pedagogical basis for creating lesson objectives that utilize active learning resources and Kreyol. This workshop will have three discipline tracks: mathematics, physics and biology. In addition, there will be a separate track for education administrators.
Specifically, by the end of the workshop, the participants will be able to:
- Describe best practices for teaching and for student learning
- Create student learning objectives for an active learning exercise
- Plan an active learning exercise
- Describe the formative assessment strategies you will use to measure your active learning exercise
- Conduct a selected portion of your active learning exercise
- Develop discipline-related communities of practice to support use of active learning in Kreyol in the classroom
- Articulate sources of administrative support for use of active learning in Kreyol in the curriculum
Day 1: An introduction to active learning pedagogy and panel discussions with Haitian colleagues around educational change and the support of active learning in Kreyol in the classroom.
Day 2: Participants will work in discipline-based groups (mathematics, physics and biology) to develop their learning objective and active learning exercise. There will be a separate track for educational administrators.
Day 3: Participants will present their active learning exercises to their groups. A closing session will discuss the importance of community building and planning.
|Haynes Miller and Jeremy Orloff
|Lourdes Aleman and Ruthly François
|Michel DeGraff and Vijay Kumar
This workshop will have 3 discipline tracks: mathematics, physics and biology. Workshop participants must already have a University Degree in a related field. This is a key requirement since the workshops are design for the introduction and exploration of educational pedagogy, and not content. So it’s important that participants be already fluent with the corresponding disciplines.
Registration is closed:
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Key Resource: Working with large classes
Top 20 ideas for teaching large classes
- Plan ahead and prepare thoroughly; problems can be magnified in large classes, but they can also be dealt with effectively.
- Maximise classroom space by removing unnecessary furniture, and use space outside the classroom for learning and activities. Ask your pupils for suggestions on arranging the classroom in a comfortable way.
- Do everything possible to get to know your pupils. A positive relationship with your pupils means they will be more willing to actively participate in class.
- Give opportunities for pupils to individually introduce themselves to the class.
- Move around the class when talking – this engages pupils, and it can reduce the physical and social distance between you and your pupils.
- Be natural and personal in class and outside of it – be yourself!
- Tell your pupils you will be available before and after class to answer any questions they might have.
- Keep track of frequently asked questions or common mistakes. Use these to develop lessons and help pupils avoid making mistakes.
- Be aware of the class. If you notice or even feel that there is something wrong, ask a pupil what is going on. Invite small groups of pupils to visit you to discuss important class issues. When necessary, involve pupils and use positive discipline to deal with misbehaviour.
- Check the content of your lessons and the knowledge and skills of your pupils, to identify those pupils that need your special attention.
- Recognise the attention span of pupils is limited: 15 minutes of lecture followed by an activity and then additional lecture if needed is ideal. Determine what information can be delivered in forms other than lecture and develop these methods. For instance, group work, role play, pupil presentations, reading outside class, and in-class writing can be excellent ways to vary classroom routine and stimulate learning.
- Develop a formal lesson plan to organise your teaching; this is a way to monitor whether or not your pupils are understanding what is taught; and a chance for you to think about what to do next and how to improve your teaching. In your plan, identify what topic is to be taught, the learning objectives, teaching methods, classroom arrangement, main activities, resources and assessment methods.
- Explain to your pupils exactly how and why you are teaching in a certain way. For example, ‘This is why I give quizzes at the end of class (to check on your understanding.’
- Develop a visual display of the day’s topics and learning objectives (such as a list on the chalkboard). This will make following the flow of the class much easier for you and your pupils. Plan for a clear beginning, middle and end to the class.
- Use ‘prompts’ to develop pupils’ question and answer skills, and count to ten after you ask a question to give time for the pupil(s) to answer.
- Give assignments that really assess whether or not your pupils are learning what you are teaching. Can they explain the process they used to solve a problem, and can they apply what they are learning to everyday life? Give clear and thorough instructions for all assignments.
- Develop a portfolio system or other ways to keep track of pupil performance – both successes and areas needing improvement – and to identify those pupils who require extra attention.
- Develop exams that really tell you if your pupils have learned and can apply what you have taught them, not just what they remember.
- Give prompt feedback on assignments and exams. Involve your pupils in the grading process to give faster feedback.
- Reflect on your teaching. Discuss with your colleagues and pupils how your class can be improved. Visit the classes of colleagues who are also teaching many pupils, and exchange ideas and materials. Above all, view the challenge of teaching a large class as an opportunity, not a problem
Select the next Key Resource you are interested in by clicking on the resource titles on the left-hand side of this screen. | <urn:uuid:e1662cbc-a461-4c0f-ae10-894766c896a2> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=153794 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473738.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222093910-20240222123910-00297.warc.gz | en | 0.939214 | 812 | 3.609375 | 4 | 1,211 |
Written by architect and art teacher Klaus Meier-Pauken, an expert in urban sketching.
Teaches the reader to create quick, animated drawings that are full of life and expression. Whether the reader is looking to discover their own sketching style, or to build on existing knowledge, the practical exercises will get them thinking, and the extensive collection of the authors work will inspire them.
Divided into seven lessons: tools, colour, composition, bringing a sketch to life, urban life, landscapes and human subjects - each contains learning objectives and tips to hone technique. Decide how strong or detailed to make linework; when to use pencil or ink; how much colour to use, and where; how to successfully compose an image and use perspective to bring it to life; how to use contrast; how to incorporate detail.
In a time when most people have a camera to hand at all times, the question of why we sketch is ever more relevant. A sketch cannot capture a scene with perfect accuracy instead, it is about something more. We sketch to capture an impression, record a feeling, create a personal interpretation; sketching is an act of personal expression | <urn:uuid:0c75460e-3f41-4cc9-8299-144e38405bde> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://artacademydirect.com/products/quicklivelyurbansketching | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474808.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20240229103115-20240229133115-00297.warc.gz | en | 0.918925 | 236 | 3.328125 | 3 | 1,212 |
With last week’s decision to close schools leaving teachers across the country reeling, we’ve compiled some ‘top tips’ to help facilitate the transition to remote learning.
Firstly, instructions are everything
Setting clear instructions and success criteria will be crucial to avoid a tsunami of emails asking the same thing and in providing zero excuses for pupils looking to avoid work. Model answers will also help students work independently and provide parents with clarity on what children should produce. Considering that parents may be juggling the education of several children, in addition to their own workload and existing responsibilities, it might be worth adding a “minutes you should spend” to all assigned work. This will help parents to organise their children’s days.
Technology is going to be your new best friend through this period. There are some amazing online learning platforms to embrace which provide quality content and add variety to learners’ experience. There is also some not-so-great learning material. Be sure to investigate resources thoroughly, considering how they meet learning objectives and how tasks could be differentiated. Always watch any Youtube video ALL the way through before assigning to students. Unlike in class, you won’t be there to pause it should anything confusing, irrelevant or age inappropriate pop up.
Make deadlines for work as generous as possible. It is likely that the majority of pupils will be negotiating computer time with both siblings and parents. In addition, as Britain’s internet networks strain to facilitate connections to the millions now working from home, it’s probable that areas may lose connectivity for periods of time. For this reason, it may be prudent to set a week’s worth of work (especially for older learners) on Monday, giving pupils flexibility as to when the work gets done. Keep parents informed of deadlines through email or platforms like SIMS.
One of the silver linings of this obligatory period of remote learning is that many pupils will start to acquire the requisite autonomy, organisation and IT skills to thrive in both FE and the work place. Support them in this acquisition. Introduce pupils to simple –but often overlooked- study skills such as making lists, the basics of research and Microsoft Office tips. It is often assumed that generation Z are born fluent in the language of technology but this is not always the case. Youtube is awash with short tutorials on IT topics. As you’ll be receiving a lot of emails, take time to teach students how to write one properly.
Teachers will find themselves robbed of their usual tools for assessing learning. Techniques taken for granted such as questioning, reading over shoulders and information gleaned from facial expressions and body language are gone. As a consequence, for many subjects, more marking will be inevitable. However, being selective in what you will mark and clear with pupils about the standard expected will help reduce your mark-load. Have a document ready with common feedback points which you can copy and paste to save time. While challenging, use this period as a potential opportunity to learn all you can about your pupils’ progress through increased marking.
Despite the extra marking, all in all, teachers might find themselves with more time –and certainly more energy- at the end of the working day. Use this time productively: is there an appraisal target or area of Teaching and Learning that you’ve been meaning to read up on but never find the time? Is there a scheme of work that could be worked on? Could the time be used to work on differentiating existing resources for SEN pupils?
It is worth remembering that when pupils do finally return to school, old habits and positive behaviour patterns will have been disrupted and dislodged. Freeing up time now so you can focus energy on helping students settle back into school life will help ensure a smoother transition when the time comes.
As anyone with a standard 9-5 will testify, emails will eat up your whole day if you let them. Assign a set period to check and respond to pupil and parent emails. It is possible that teachers may bear some brunt of the anxiety and stress parents are experiencing. Avoid becoming embroiled in back and forth emails which are rarely productive and can quickly escalate into hostility – the last things everyone needs at this difficult time. Just because you’re working remotely, don’t feel like you’re on your own. Pass concerns onto senior leadership as you normally would.
Be patient and forgiving
These are unprecedented circumstances and it is going to take us all time to learn how to teach remotely. Parents and students are also going to undergo major stress as they adapt to new routines. Learn from mistakes. Share successes. Embrace the positives. This experience might just open our eyes to the power of technology and its ability to transform teaching and learning in ways which could have huge benefits and implications for both teachers and pupils for years to come. | <urn:uuid:b860ccf9-0347-4832-a3bb-b94adb7eba15> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://educationblog.oup.com/secondary/remote-learning-tips | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474808.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20240229103115-20240229133115-00297.warc.gz | en | 0.95852 | 988 | 2.890625 | 3 | 1,213 |
We’ve all been in that class. The trainer quickly gives instructions, and the “What are we supposed to do?” whispers begin among the tables. More time is spent trying to figure out what to do rather than engaging in the learning activity itself.
One of the most powerful skills I’ve learned in my training career is how to set up an activity. This may seem like a relatively easy task, but if not done well, it can leave learners confused and frustrated, which in turn leaves them feeling less than inspired to participate.
I learned long ago how to avoid the pitfalls that can happen when participants don’t understand both the what and how of an activity, thanks to a challenging life experience for which I’m very grateful.
My youngest son was diagnosed with severe dyslexia when he was in first grade. I quickly learned there are multiple kinds of dyslexia, each with its own unique characteristics. My son’s particular variety had to do with sequencing. If you can’t put things in order, reading is nearly impossible, as are other sequential functions like telling time or identifying days of the week.
This inability to sequence also had implications when I gave him instructions. For example, I could not say, “Get your socks and shoes on, get your jacket, and get in the car.” That was way too many steps in a sequence! And so because he could not figure out where to begin, he simply did nothing.
As I began my career in an adult learning environment, I experienced some of the same challenges in sequencing I’d experienced with my son. High-impact activities help learners connect the dots, but those big ah-ha moments can be lost when learners aren’t sure what they are supposed to be doing during an activity… so they do nothing.
Until my son was about 13, I learned that I could only give him one instruction at a time. This was exceptional practice for being an effective trainer!
If an in-person class activity requires people to work in groups of two, my experience has been simply telling participants to get in groups of two may prompt them to look at the instructor like they have suddenly begun speaking an unknown language and simply freeze.
The reason for this varies—it could be anxiety about choosing a partner, feeling left out, or simply being an introvert. If we want participants to perform a task (choosing a partner) we not only need to tell them what to do but also how we want them to do it.
As I learned with my son, activities are more fun, have higher impact, and land much more effectively when participants are given one instruction at a time.
So what does this look like in practice?
Let’s use the example of the “Share Your Good Intent” exercise from Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue’s Start With Heart module. Here’s how those instructions might sound:
Everyone stand up.
Now, go stand next to someone you do not know well.
Decide very quickly who will be Person A and who will be Person B.
Person A, raise your hand.
You will prepare a statement of good intent for Situation #1 and will share it with your partner.
Person B, raise your hand.
When Person A is finished, you will prepare a statement of good intent for Situation #2 and will share it with your partner.
Are there any questions?
By telling your participants not only what you want them to do but also giving them a clear instruction on how you want them to accomplish that task, you create direction and structure in your training that not only eliminates confusion but also gives you credibility as an exceptional facilitator.
My son has long since moved beyond the need for one instruction at a time, but that lesson continues to resonate with me. I count the value of that skill among my most successful facilitation best practices. | <urn:uuid:87be8881-e4ea-45e3-8638-2ba59a248cc8> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://cruciallearning.com/blog/step-by-step-instructions-help-learners-succeed%EF%BF%BC/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475701.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20240301193300-20240301223300-00297.warc.gz | en | 0.966146 | 816 | 2.90625 | 3 | 1,214 |
Are you looking for fun and educational activities to enhance your child’s learning experience? Look no further than free preschool printables! These resources are a fantastic way to help your child develop critical skills such as literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving. With a variety of printables available, from coloring pages to puzzles and mazes, your child will have plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. Plus, these activities are perfect for keeping your little ones engaged and entertained during the day. Whether you’re a busy parent or a teacher looking for new resources, free preschool printables are an excellent addition to any child’s learning experience. So why wait? Start exploring these exciting and enriching resources today and watch as your child’s love for learning grows!
Benefits of using preschool printables for learning
Preschool printables offer a variety of benefits for children. For starters, they promote learning and development. Children learn best through play, and printables provide a fun and engaging way for children to learn new concepts and skills. They are also an excellent way to keep children entertained and engaged during the day. When children are engaged in activities that they enjoy, they are more likely to stay focused and motivated.
Furthermore, preschool printables are a cost-effective way to promote learning. Many printables are available for free online, and they can be printed out as many times as needed. This means that parents and caregivers can provide their children with a variety of learning opportunities without breaking the bank.
Finally, preschool printables are a great way to promote bonding between parents and children. When parents and children work on activities together, they build stronger relationships and create lasting memories.
Types of preschool printables available
Preschool printables come in many different forms, including coloring pages, puzzles, matching games, and mazes. These printables are designed to help children develop a variety of skills, from fine motor skills to problem-solving and critical thinking. Here are some of the most common types of preschool printables:
Coloring pages are a classic preschool printable. They are a great way to help children develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Coloring also promotes creativity and self-expression, which are essential for a child’s development.
Puzzles are another popular preschool printable. They come in a variety of difficulty levels, making them suitable for children of all ages. Puzzles are an excellent way to help children develop their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Matching games are a fun and engaging way to help children develop their memory and concentration skills. These games typically involve matching objects or images that are similar or identical.
Mazes are a challenging and exciting way to help children develop their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Children must navigate through the maze to reach the end, which helps them develop their spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination.
How to choose the right preschool printables for your child
Choosing the right preschool printables can be a daunting task, especially with so many options available. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when selecting printables for your child.
Firstly, consider your child’s interests and abilities. Choose printables that align with your child’s interests and are appropriate for their age and skill level. For example, if your child loves animals, look for animal-themed printables.
Secondly, consider the learning objectives you want to achieve. If you want to help your child develop their fine motor skills, choose printables that require coloring or tracing. If you want to help your child develop their problem-solving skills, choose printables that involve puzzles or mazes.
Finally, consider the amount of time and resources you have available. Some printables require more preparation than others, so choose ones that fit within your schedule and resources.
Ways to incorporate preschool printables into your child’s learning routine
Preschool printables can be incorporated into your child’s learning routine in many ways. Here are a few ideas:
Set aside a few minutes each morning for your child to complete a printable activity. This will help them start the day off on the right foot and promote a positive attitude toward learning.
If your child still naps or has quiet time during the day, provide them with a printable activity to complete during this time. This will help keep them engaged and entertained while also promoting learning.
Take some printables outside and complete them in the fresh air and sunshine. This is a great way to break up the day and get some exercise while still promoting learning.
Set aside some time each week for the whole family to complete a printable activity together. This will promote bonding and create lasting memories.
Tips for teaching with preschool printables
Teaching with preschool printables can be a rewarding experience for both you and your child. Here are a few tips to make the most of your teaching experience:
Keep it Fun
Preschool printables should be fun and engaging. Avoid making them feel like work or a chore. Instead, focus on making them enjoyable and exciting.
While preschool printables are designed to be completed independently, providing guidance can help your child learn more effectively. Encourage your child to ask questions and offer help when needed.
Use Positive Reinforcement
Praise your child for their hard work and effort. Positive reinforcement can help your child feel more confident and motivated to learn.
Keep it Age-Appropriate
Choose printables that are appropriate for your child’s age and skill level. This will help them feel more confident and successful.
Where to find free preschool printables online
There are many websites that offer free preschool printables. Here are a few of our favorites:
Education.com offers a wide range of free preschool printables, including coloring pages, puzzles, and matching games.
Teachnology offers a variety of free preschool printables, including worksheets, coloring pages, and lesson plans.
Kidzone offers a wide selection of free preschool printables, including coloring pages, mazes, and dot-to-dot activities.
Creating your own preschool printables
If you can’t find the perfect printable for your child, consider creating your own. You don’t need to be a graphic designer to create effective preschool printables. There are many online tools and resources available that can help you create high-quality printables with ease.
Fun and interactive preschool printable activities
Here are a few fun and interactive preschool printable activities to try with your child:
Create a scavenger hunt printable that encourages your child to find and match different objects or images.
Create a memory game printable that requires your child to match pairs of objects or images.
Create a word search printable that helps your child develop their literacy skills.
Preschool printables are a valuable educational resource
Preschool printables are a fantastic way to help your child develop critical skills such as literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving. They are also an excellent way to keep your child engaged and entertained during the day. With a variety of printables available, from coloring pages to puzzles and mazes, your child will have plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. By incorporating these printables into your child’s learning routine, you can help them develop a love for learning that will last a lifetime. So why wait? Start exploring these exciting and enriching resources today and watch as your child’s love for learning grows! | <urn:uuid:8b900ec0-055d-4f30-a710-fc34b46c02cd> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://montessorilessons.com/articles/how-free-preschool-printables-can-enhance-your-childs-learning-experience/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475701.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20240301193300-20240301223300-00297.warc.gz | en | 0.935936 | 1,553 | 3.015625 | 3 | 1,215 |
2020 brought global upheaval and among the most affected industries was the education sector. With the pandemic, there was a need to come up with new ways of learning. That is because most schools all over the globe had to shut down to keep students safe. On the flip side, this created a necessity for revolutionary ways to ensure that students could still access learning.
This necessity gave rise to several significant advancements. That is primarily in the form of digital solutions in the education sector. Good examples are the migration from physical to online learning, the use of learning apps, and hybrid learning. Moving forward, these and other trends are likely to continue helping students keep up with their academics. The need for digital solutions will remain constant as they will continue being the center of education this year.
Here are some learning trends that you should look forward to in 2021.
1. Augmented and Virtual Reality
VR and AR technology is coming into the classroom. For an immersive VR experience, you may need a pair of VR headsets. With this technology, it will be possible to view projected images and see a virtual or real-world. This technology also allows lecturers to use gesture controls when teaching. Therefore, you can share projects and graphs with your fellow students. You can even comfortably stream lessons from your institution.
On the other hand, you can access AR through your tablet or smartphone. This technology enables the projection of images, video, and sound via the device’s camera. The photos are then displayed on your screen. Unlike VR, AR technology layers these images on top of what is visible through the camera.
You can benefit from the incorporation of these technologies into your learning. For instance, your institution may use these technologies for virtual careers. With this, you can learn about a range of career opportunities that are out there. In turn, you get a firsthand experience of what it is like to be in a particular field of profession.
VR and AR technology can also improve your learning experience via high-tech training. High-tech training will help you pursue a career in areas such as medicine and architecture. You will be able to access real-life training, for instance, by enabling you to see 3D drawings of structures and the entire body anatomy.
This is another learning trend that is likely to feature in 2021. The information age has brought about declining attention spans as well as increasing screen fatigue. Your brain is bombarded with notifications and alerts that distract you daily. All these lead to a physical inability to concentrate because of an increase in cortisol. The answer to this predicament is nanolearning.
This digital learning solution aims to provide you with smaller amounts of information over shorter periods. As a student, you are more likely to process and recall bite-sized information.
Nanolearning will thus offer you chunked content. This results in increased attention-span, productivity, as well as the ability to learn. This technology is useful as it identifies your needs, helping you set your learning objectives. It also helps choose the ideal learning modalities, be it apps or videos.
3. Online Learning
Online schooling was the most popular trend in 2020, and it looks like this will be the case this year as well. With the closing down of schools due to the pandemic, many students and institutions have experimented with online learning.
Students can search for write my research paper services online for assistance, and at the same time, attend lectures. The online learning platforms make it possible to submit assignments, have a virtual classroom, and engage with the lecturer via text.
With the current developments in education technology, it is now possible to teach large groups at a go. Online learning has also gained popularity for being cost-effective and flexible. With the concept of physical location scraped, you can now access learning more regardless of your geographical location.
4. Experiential Learning
Your engagement level as a student is likely to have been on a decline in recent times. It is easier for you to be distracted by your phone or lose concentration, especially in online learning. For this reason, the experiential learning approach has become popular among schools worldwide. Experiential learning immerses students in real-life situations. Thus, you get to enjoy firsthand experiences when you need to practice some decision-making, learning, among many others.
There are several experiential learning experiences to benefit you as a student. The first is collaborative exercises, which provides you and your classmates with debates or problems. You are then supposed to come up with solutions and ideas in teams. Another one is field-work, where your lecturer may ask you to collect data for a specific project. In this case, you can carry out surveys online and then present them in class.
As you may have noticed, the learning trends are inclined to technology. Technology will play a significant role in improving the learning experience. Look out for the trends above and see ways to leverage them to take learning to the next level. | <urn:uuid:fe2a116f-5227-440a-89b4-df9ad03db699> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://thinkcomputers.org/learning-trends-to-look-forward-to-in-2021/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475701.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20240301193300-20240301223300-00297.warc.gz | en | 0.958952 | 1,013 | 2.75 | 3 | 1,216 |
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is home to over 260,000 Jews, making it the fifth largest Jewish population in the world, and the second largest in Europe after France. Diverse in terms of religious and cultural affiliation, as well as in socioeconomic terms, the British Jewish community contributes greatly to Britain’s national sense of self and features prominently in all aspects of public life, with a presence in high offices of the state, the civil service, the judiciary, and the armed forces. The main body of representation for the British Jewish community is the Board of Deputies of British Jews – the UK affiliate of the World Jewish Congress.
BOD President, Jonathan Arkush
BOD President, Jonathan Arkush
Board of Deputies of British Jews (BOD)
1 Torriano Mews
London NW5 2RZ
Telephone: 44(0) 207 543 5400
Fax: 44(0) 207 543 0010
President: Jonathan Arkush, also WJC Vice President
CEO: Gillian Merron
The history of Jews in the UK dates back centuries to 1070, during the time of William the Conqueror. The Edict of Expulsion, issued in 1290 by King Edward I, led to the demise of England’s Jewish community until the era of Oliver Cromwell in the 1660s.
Historians date Jewish Emancipation to either 1829 or 1858 when Jews were allowed to sit in Parliament. Benjamin Disraeli, a Jewish-born member of parliament during that period, served as Prime Minister twice, in 1868 and later from 1874-1880, and is considered the first Jewish Prime Minister, despite having been converted into the Anglican Church by his parents at a young age. Throughout his life, he took pride in his Jewish heritage.
The relative lack of anti-Semitic violence in Britain during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw the country gain a reputation for religious tolerance with the result of an influx of Jewish immigration. Herbert Samuel became the first nominally-practicing Jew to serve in the cabinet and as Home Secretary – in 1916 and again from 1931 to 1932. The late 1930s and 1940s saw many Jews flee to Britain to escape the Nazis.
Today, the UK Jewish Community is very active in British society. Michael Howard – The Lord Howard of Lympne – served as Home Secretary from 1993 to 1997, and David Miliband served as Foreign Secretary from 2007 to 2010. In 2009, The Right Honorable John Bercow, a member of the Conservative Party, was appointed Speaker of the House of Commons and was notably the first incumbent Speaker to pay an official visit to Israel.
During the years before the outbreak of World War II, the government of the UK did little beyond occasional rhetoric in response to the Nazi government’s social, economic, and, after the November 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom, physical persecution of Jews within the Third Reich. Indeed, the Chamberlain Government’s policy of appeasement is widely viewed as providing the Nazi authorities with a reassurance that they could purse their anti-Semitic policies with impunity. In addition, the UK Government’s draconian restrictions on Jewish immigration to Palestine prevented many German and Austrian Jews from finding refuge there.
In 1938-1939, up to the outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939, the UK Government did allow nearly 10,000 Jewish children from Germany, Austria, and Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to come to the UK in a rescue effort known as the Kindertransport, which allowed these children to escape deportation to concentration and death camps.
Throughout the years of World War II, the British Section of the World Jewish Congress, under the leadership of the Marchioness of Reading, Labour Member of Parliament Sidney Silverman, Dr. Noah Barou, Alex Easterman, among others, together with the Board of Deputies, were at the forefront of largely unsuccessful efforts to prod the UK Government to undertake initiatives on behalf of European Jewry.
On April 15, 1945, British troops liberated the Nazi concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen in Germany, and in September-November, 1945, the SS officers and personnel that ran this camp were put on trial before a British military tribunal.
According to the 2011 census, the Jewish community in the United Kingdom numbered 269,568 people out of 56,075,912 overall. More specifically, the details for the countries that make up the United Kingdom are as follows: England and Wales – 163,346, Scotland – 5,887, and Northern Ireland – 335. This is in comparison to Christians constituting 59.3% of the population and Muslims, the second largest religious group in the UK, making up 4.8% of it. Jews constitute 0.48% of the population respectively.
The majority of Jews are concentrated in some of the UK’s major cities, namely London, Manchester, Leeds, and Glasgow. Smaller communities also exist throughout the country.
The community is represented by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, a democratically elected, cross-communal Jewish representative body, with close to 300 synagogues and Jewish organizations represented. Its presidency is the highest elected office of lay leadership in the Jewish community and the organization’s work – which includes representing the community’s positions and concerns to government and parliament, the media, other groups in society, and London’s diplomatic community, is carried out by a professional team of staff based in London. Consequently, it is regarded by the government as the legitimate voice of the Jewish people in the UK.
JW3 – the Jewish Community Centre London
On a local level, there are numerous other Jewish communal representative organizations in the UK, such as, the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC), the main representative body of the Jewish communities of Scotland. Student interests are represented by the Union of Jewish Students of the United Kingdom and Ireland (UJS), a cross-communal organization. In addition, the Community Security Trust (CST), works to protect British Jews and UK Jewish institutions from anti-Semitism and related threats.
The community’s vibrancy and diversity is reflected in other ways as well, including the Limmud conference, a UK-based yearly gathering of international Jewish thinkers, speakers, musicians, artists, and theologians that has become a model for worldwide applications. JW3 – London’s impressive Jewish community center – stands as a fixture for Jewish life and culture in both London and the UK in general. World Jewish Relief (WJR), an agency focused on humanitarian aid for impoverished Jews – and whose patron is Prince Charles – is a notable contribution to aid efforts by the community.
In the religious field, twenty six percent of UK Jews define themselves as “traditional,” twenty four percent as “cultural or secular,” eighteen percent as “progressive,” 12 percent as “Orthodox” and four percent as “ultra-Orthodox,” or “Haredi.” Just over half of Jews in the UK are affiliated to synagogues which belong to one of the main streams of Judaism. The United Synagogue (Modern Orthodox), the Movement for Reform Judaism, Liberal Judaism, Sephardi S&P, Masorti Judaism, and the Federation of Synagogues are the main synagogue movements.
There are several rabbinical institutions serving the various streams. The Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom effectively represents most Orthodox Jewish communities and is named by the United Synagogue. The current Chief Rabbi is Ephraim Mirvis, while the Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism is Laura Janner-Klausner.
Kosher food is available in London, and other large cities, through a myriad of stores, restaurants, butcheries, etc. Smaller communities may have less options than the more major cities, but kosher food can be found in most parts of the country and there are several online delivery options.
According to research conducted by the International Journal of Jewish Education Research in 2010, around 60% of Jewish pupils in the UK attend Jewish day schools, with the majority doing so in London. As a result, the number of Jewish day schools has greatly expanded over the past couple decades, with more being planned. Moreover, this increase has resulted in a decline in Jewish pupils’ participation in supplementary education, as more Jewish students are opting for a completely-Jewish framed education, as opposed to the weekly sessions that secondary schools – mainly synagogue-run – can offer. Funding for these institutions – Jewish day schools in particular – occurs on both a state and community level, with state-aid accounting for a good portion of these schools’ budget, and community efforts – namely the Jewish Educational Development Trust – also playing a large role in the monetary elements of these institutions.
In terms of Jewish religious tertiary education, Jews’ College is the traditional Orthodox community’s rabbinical studies center while Leo Baeck College trains progressive rabbis. A number of yeshivot are operated by the Orthodox communities. There are also a number of adult learning centers, including the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) and the Lyons Learning Project.
Youth organizations are prevalent throughout UK Jewish communities in promoting Jewish values and contributing to the wider community. Ezra London, founded in 1919, is the oldest Jewish youth movement in the UK and offers recreational and educational activities within a Jewish structure. The Federation of Zionist Youth (FZY), founded in 1935, focuses on developing a strong Jewish and Zionist identity through a framework of camps, seminars, and various events. The United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA) works to support projects in Israel and foster a connection to Israel within the Jewish youth in the UK. BBYO UK & Ireland is part of the wider BBYO organization that spans multiple continents and aims to emphasize Jewish values and empower Jewish youths through leadership initiatives, camps, trips, and other activities. Bnei Akiva UK focuses on instilling the importance of the Torah and Israel, especially in relation to Aliyahs, through various Jewish-structured events and activities. The Union of Jewish Students is a cross-communal, peer-led organization that defends the interests of Jewish students studying in the UK and Ireland. Betar UK, part of the worldwide Betar movement, offers a recreational atmosphere that emphasizes Jewish values and the importance of Zionism. Hashomer Hatzair UK focuses on promoting coexistence among different cultures and religion through youth and community engagements.
The Jewish media in the UK reflects the diversity of the community, with The Jewish Chronicle, the oldest Jewish periodical in the world (founded 1841), The Jewish News, and The Jewish Telegraph dominating the center-ground, while Hamodia and The Jewish Tribune cater to more Orthodox audiences. Jewish Renaissance and the Jewish Quarterly offer up cultural fare, while a number of local radio stations broadcast weekly programs of Jewish interest.
There are numerous notable Jewish sites throughout the United Kingdom, including JW3 (the Jewish Community Centre London), the Jewish Museum of London, the Manchester Jewish Museum, and synagogues of all streams. Additionally, the British Library and British Museum in London contain major collections of Jewish artifacts and manuscripts.
Britain maintains full diplomatic relations with Israel. These strong diplomatic ties are manifest in the rapidly increasing volume of trade between the two countries during the last couple of years.
2 Palace Green
London, W8 4QB
Telephone: 020 7957 9500
Fax: 0207 957 9555 | <urn:uuid:b3350e06-0c79-4c37-8392-551ebec2df66> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://rabbiscer.org/he/our-communities/united-kingdom/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474671.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20240227053544-20240227083544-00397.warc.gz | en | 0.944156 | 2,375 | 3.09375 | 3 | 1,217 |
Oil Sands Hearing Simulation - Becoming an Intervener
This activity simulates the process of applying for intervener status in an oilsands development project. Working in groups, students take on the role of a stakeholder and complete an Intervener Statement.
Get Involved in the Oil Sands
Applying for Intervener Status in an Oil Sands Project Application
1. OIL SANDS 101
You need some general background knowledge about the oil sands. Take virtual field trip of the Oil Sands. Visit the Alberta Oil Sands website (links below).
2. HEARING PROCESS
Review the steps of the Hearing Process.
3. OIL SANDS PROJECT SCENARIO
Read the scenario for the Chickadee OilSands Development Project (attachment below).
Pick your role as a possible intervener (links to interveners below).
Answer the following questions.
1. Who are you?
2. Who do you represent?
3. What is your relationship to the OS project? Where do you live, work or play?
4. How will you be directly and adversely affected by the project? Provide facts and use solid reasoning.
5. What do you think could be done to solve your concerns?
6. Complete the Intervener Statement questions.
a. A summary of your concerns (how the proposed project could impact you, your organization, or your members and/or adversely affect you, your residence, or lands in which you have an interest):
b. A summary of the history and/or background information that may provide insight to the AER about your concerns:
c. Identify the actions you propose the AER should take in response to your concerns:
The Oilsands Hearing assignments address learning objectives consistent / curriculum expectations of Alberta Science 30, Unit D: Energy and the Environment where students will:
- describe the environmental impact of developing and using various energy sources; i.e., conventional oil, oil sands, solar power, wind power, biomass, hydroelectricity, coalburning power, nuclear power, geothermal (Knowledge Outcome 30–D1.5k)
- describe how the Aboriginal perspective of an interconnected environment demonstrates the need to balance resource extraction with environmental impact (Knowledge Outcome 30–D1.6k)
- work collaboratively in addressing problems and apply the skills and conventions of science in communicating information and ideas and in assessing results (Skills Outcome 30–D1.4s
Continue to Oilsands Hearing Simulation Role Play »
Stephen MacKinnon Resource: 3688.6 days ago | <urn:uuid:e0164456-9e1f-44c1-950b-0bd4b57e17b4> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://collab.tiged.org/oilsands/assignments/1049939 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474744.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20240228175828-20240228205828-00397.warc.gz | en | 0.863003 | 538 | 2.828125 | 3 | 1,218 |
Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT Quick Writing Prompts for 6th Grade
Unlock the power of ChatGPT quick writing prompts for 6th grade students. Learn how to craft effective prompts and implement them in the classroom for enhanced learning.
Welcome to an in-depth guide that will revolutionize the way you think about writing prompts, especially for 6th-grade students. Leveraging the capabilities of ChatGPT, we aim to provide you with quick, effective, and engaging writing prompts that will not only enhance learning but also make the educational journey enjoyable.
Why ChatGPT is a Game-Changer in Education
ChatGPT is an advanced language model that has been making waves in various sectors, including education. Its ability to generate content based on specific prompts makes it an invaluable tool for educators. Imagine having a virtual assistant that can create lesson plans, quizzes, and even interactive writing prompts for your students. That’s what ChatGPT brings to the table.
The Art of Crafting ChatGPT Prompts for 6th Graders
Creating prompts for ChatGPT is both an art and a science. The key elements to consider include the topic, tone, and specific learning objectives. Here are some actionable tips:
- Be Specific: The more specific your prompt, the better the output. For example, instead of asking for “a story,” ask for “a mystery story set in a haunted house.”
- Set the Tone: Indicate the tone you want, such as “humorous” or “serious,” to align the generated content with your teaching style.
- Include Learning Objectives: Make sure to include what you aim for the students to learn from the writing exercise.
Quick Writing Prompts Generated by ChatGPT
Here’s a curated list of quick writing prompts specifically designed for 6th-grade students:
- Describe Your Dream Vacation: Use vivid language to describe your ideal holiday destination.
- The Mystery of the Missing Cookies: Write a detective story solving the mystery.
- A Letter to Your Future Self: What advice would you give to your future self?
- The Day Earth Stood Still: Imagine a day when everything stopped moving.
- My Superhero Identity: Create a story around your secret superhero persona.
How to Implement These Prompts in the Classroom
- Interactive Sessions: Use these prompts in interactive writing sessions to engage students.
- Peer Reviews: Encourage students to share their writings and provide constructive feedback.
- Grading Rubrics: Develop a grading system based on creativity, language use, and adherence to the prompt.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the best prompts to use for ChatGPT?
- The best prompts are specific, aligned with learning objectives, and engaging for the students.
How do you write prompts for ChatGPT examples?
- Start with a clear topic, set the tone, and include any specific instructions or learning objectives.
What is the prompt for teachers to ask ChatGPT?
- Teachers can ask for lesson plans, quizzes, or specific writing prompts tailored to their students’ grade level.
We’ve journeyed through the landscape of ChatGPT and its applications in 6th-grade education, specifically focusing on quick writing prompts. The potential is immense, and the benefits are substantial. As educators, embracing such advanced tools can significantly enhance the learning experience for our students.
Topic Keywords: ChatGPT, 6th Grade, Writing Prompts, Education, Quick Writing Prompts, Classroom Implementation, FAQ
ChatGPT Quick Writing Prompts for 6th Grade
- Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT Quick Writing Prompts for 6th Grade
- Why ChatGPT is a Game-Changer in Education
- The Art of Crafting ChatGPT Prompts for 6th Graders
- Quick Writing Prompts Generated by ChatGPT
- How to Implement These Prompts in the Classroom
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Key Takeaways
- ChatGPT Quick Writing Prompts for 6th Grade | <urn:uuid:01e49511-acc8-4429-b25a-e5500e179c6b> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://disastermasterpiece.com/chatgpt-quick-writing-prompts-for-6th-grade/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474744.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20240228175828-20240228205828-00397.warc.gz | en | 0.902862 | 862 | 3.21875 | 3 | 1,219 |
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Free teaching resources for high school American history
This post on high school American history is sponsored by the ARDA.
Teaching high school gets expensive quickly between textbooks, science supplies, and activities. It helps to look for free teaching resources to supplement or even to create, say, an entire history course for our high school students.
Here are ten high school American history resources, you can use to create an amazing, free, personalized history course for your high school teenager.
The ARDA: Association of Religion Data Archives
The ARDA stands for Association of Religion Data Archives. On their site, you’ll find a multitude of options to augment your American history course. These include a section on Investigate Your World which is designed to teach research skills. There are quick stats from many major surveys in the country, historical timelines, instructional data sets, an ARDA YouTube channel, and more!
High School American History
USHistory.org offers a high school American History textbook. This textbook is easy to read and includes a few excerpts from primary documents such as Jamestown. On the right-hand side of the page are links for further research. These links are perfect as a starting point for rabbit trails.
American history in my house includes American Government. It’s simply easier to study the American government as we cover its development through history. This textbook, also by USHistory.org, is useful to cover the finer details of government than the history textbooks offer.
The American Yawp
The American Yawp is a free online, collaborative textbook that’s actually aimed at the collegiate level. Each chapter is longer than the American History textbook by USHistory.org. It also includes recommended reading at the end.
Crash Course US History
Crash Course US History is a series of Youtube video lectures where John Green teaches the history of the United States in 47 episodes. If you’re looking for a non-textbook option or to supplement with videos, these episodes are definitely worth checking out.
Using Primary Documents
The Library of Congress includes a page about using primary documents. This page is aimed at teachers and gives great advice for using primary documents in history lessons.
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress also includes a page of primary source documents to use in the classroom or homeschool for that matter. The list is alphabetical by theme rather than document. If you’re looking for a document that’s not listed on this page, use the search. The Library of Congress is a treasure trove of information.
Project Gutenburg offers older books that are no longer copyrighted. There are many biographies of famous men, and documents such as the Constitution or Declaration of Independence. The site is huge, so it helps if you know who or what you’re looking to read.
HISTORY Classroom has all sorts of resources such as educational guides, learning tools, and links to historical content for kids. There are tons of resources for you to check out.
Watch Know Learn
Watch, Know, Learn is a free educational video site. It’s organized to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for videos on the Colonial era, the Revolution, or 9-11, they have these and more.
Religion Data Archive
The ARDA is a free resource through funding from the Lilly Endowment and the John Templeton Foundation. After starting as a data archive used by researchers, they expanded their reach to make quality data on religion easily accessible to anyone. This makes it an amazing free teaching resource for homeschoolers.
The ARDA’s Teaching Tools Page includes resources such as the interactive Historical Timeline:
Students can explore various important events and people throughout the centuries of American religious history. The timeline is fully interactive, so students can view by different categories (people, events) or change the view type. Within each entry, there are pictures, explanatory text, and additional source links allowing students to continue their investigation. We also offer historical timelines of important Catholic and Baptist events and people. We will continue adding new timelines in the future.
Our religion dictionary contains hundreds of entries and is fully cross-referenced. Students investigating world religions, for example, could search for Islam and then follow the links to other entries in the dictionary explaining the five pillars of Islam, or the two main branches.
And even ARDA Lesson Plans:
The ARDA Lesson Plans integrate content from the ARDA and other sources into teachable units. Each lesson has specific learning objectives, relevant readings from which to choose, learning activities to utilize, and assessment tools to gauge student learning on the topic. Lesson plans contain links to the ARDA learning resources to make it easy for homeschool teachers to use the ARDA.
You’ll find all of these free teaching resources and more at the ARDA’s Teaching Tools Page. Head on over, bookmark, and browse the site. I was impressed by the wealth of information at my fingertips. | <urn:uuid:a7cc3668-42c3-4ada-9ebd-672332c53629> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://classicallyhomeschooling.com/free-teaching-resources/?q=%2Ffree-teaching-resources%2F | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475422.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20240301161412-20240301191412-00397.warc.gz | en | 0.925822 | 1,054 | 3.28125 | 3 | 1,220 |
Authors: Nurulaida Rezli; Seuk Yen Phoong
Addresses: Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia ' Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia
Abstract: This study aims to design a teaching aid, namely Integer Operating Board, and then test the usability of this teaching aid in learning the topic of Integer for secondary school students. The teaching aid was built by using the Design and Development Research (DDR) approach based on the ADDIE model. A total of 93 pre-service Mathematics teachers are selected as the sample respondents. Descriptive statistics is used to measure the demographic respondents and mean score is used to evaluate the level of acceptance on the usability of teaching aid built. The findings indicate that there is a positive effect on the acceptance and perception of the pre-service teachers on the development of teaching aid. This can be concluded that the use of teaching aid can improve the quality of learning, attract students' interest and able to deliver the content of that topic easily.
Keywords: teaching aid; mathematics; design and development research; ADDIE model; pre-service teacher.
International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 2022 Vol.14 No.4, pp.445 - 457
Received: 18 Jan 2021
Accepted: 06 Nov 2021
Published online: 30 Sep 2022 * | <urn:uuid:6e360bcb-a758-4fc6-8208-d4397ba9e3e8> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticle.php?artid=125864 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475422.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20240301161412-20240301191412-00397.warc.gz | en | 0.899933 | 310 | 2.53125 | 3 | 1,221 |
Combining branching scenarios with other training approaches lets you use them when they matter most, while using other methods effectively.
When learners make mistakes in a branching scenario, do you restart the scenario from the beginning, or just go back partway?
Resources on Building branching scenarios, understanding performance problems, improving accessibility, creating videos, and moving from classroom to blended learning
When you convert training from classroom to online or blended learning, use a backward design process to focus on the objectives and important skills.
SMEs are passionate about their topics, and they often want to include irrelevant information. Why should you focus on what’s important, and how can you convince your SMEs?
Scenario based training headquarters: Cathy Moore Cathy Moore’s collected resources on scenario-based learning tags:scenarios e-learning
Don’t fall for these adult learning myths “How to be a learning mythbuster” from Cathy
BranchTrack Free tool for creating branching scenarios. Cathy Moore wrote and built a sample course
Ruth Clark posted at ASTD an article titled “Why Games Don’t Teach.” It’s a deliberately | <urn:uuid:4ff148ca-6796-4606-9607-a87219d85a52> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.christytuckerlearning.com/tag/cathy-moore/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473824.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222161802-20240222191802-00497.warc.gz | en | 0.882582 | 240 | 3.078125 | 3 | 1,222 |
The MOOC is divided into 5 modules of 8 hours each. In each module, approximately 6.5 hours are devoted to in-depth theoretical study of specific topics, while 1.5 hours are dedicated to pilot activities with the learners/teachers (practical activities to be carried out in the classroom, exercises, creation of learning content, etc.). Each session ends with a quiz (to be completed in about 30 minutes) to assess the knowledge acquired by the learners.
The time devoted to each activity in the MOOC is flexible and will vary according to the type of content identified by the experts and the hours of the pilot.
The content and main learning objectives for each module are as follows:
I MODULE: The role of health literate schools in promoting health literacy and digital health literacy: Mapping Concepts.
This module has an introductory function to the whole MOOC; the main learning objective is to equip teachers with the necessary skills to map concepts and explain key definitions of health literacy, health promotion and wellbeing in schools. This is done so from the perspective of a health literate school, which represents a settings approach to promoting health literacy in the schools addressing the school structures, determinants, and the wider school environment. Sharing key knowledge and information about the theoretical framework underpinning the ‘health literate school’, namely the eight quality standards and their associated indicators (six indicators per standard) will help teachers (and other school staff) to identify useful health literacy and digital health literacy learning and teaching resources to address key challenges and priorities in promoting health literacy among students. Module 1 includes providing teachers with an in-depth knowledge of key documents (e.g., reports, guidelines, publications, online resources, etc.) related to health literacy and digital health literacy, with a particular focus on their relevance to the DigitalHealth@school methodological framework.
II MODULE: Teaching and learning skills for managing health information.
This module covers the competence area 1 ‘Managing health information’ and 3 ‘teaching and learning’ of the Digital Health@School Framework. Competence Area 1 ‘Managing health information’ is covered extensively, while Competence Area 3 ‘Teaching and learning’ is a cross-cutting section for all MOOC modules and will be fully explored in the pilot. Therefore, the activities for “Teaching and Learning” included in Module 1 will mainly focus on providing a theoretical framework for these topics.
The aim of the module is to provide teachers with the skills and strategies needed to navigate, search, select and evaluate digital health information, content and data, and to emphasise the importance of these skills in promoting digital health literacy. It also aims to make teachers aware of their crucial role in supporting students to better express their health needs and to understand and evaluate health information gathered online. With regard to “teaching and learning” competences, the module aims to promote the use of innovative pedagogical methods for health education that encourage students’ autonomous learning and self-evaluation.
III MODULE: Communication and collaboration.
This module is linked to Competence Area 2 of the Digital Health@School Framework and focuses on developing teachers’ effective communication skills in using digital tools to convey clear information and messages about health issues to students. It aims to guide teachers on how to structure classroom interventions to help students recognise inappropriate behaviour in online environments (netiquette). Finally, it aims to support teachers in learning useful content to promote health awareness and organise collaborative campaigns and activities among students using innovative digital devices, tools and strategies.
IV MODULE: Safety.
This module is linked to Competence Area 4 of the Digital Health@School Framework and aims to equip teachers with the necessary knowledge to teach students behavioural norms when creating digital content by providing basic information on privacy policies. It supports them in organising lessons on the risks of sharing private information, how to protect data in relation to health information and services, and how to navigate safely in the online environment. It also aims to support teachers in designing awareness-raising activities on the responsible use of digital technologies for the dissemination of health information and services.
V MODULE: Digital resources.
This module is linked to Competence Area 5 of the Digital Health@School Framework and aims to support teachers in developing students’ digital literacy by encouraging their use of different digital tools and providing clear information on channels, media and collaborative strategies to promote digital wellbeing. It also aims to increase teachers’ knowledge of digital health resources and to share this knowledge collaboratively and effectively with students to promote a responsible use of these resources. Finally, it aims to raise teachers’ awareness of the need to keep up to date with digital issues and to encourage the development of skills that can help students improve their understanding of their own health through digital tools. | <urn:uuid:208424f3-c7cd-49f6-9f4d-278b0f4e53f1> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.blissproject.eu/outputs/mooc/course-design/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473824.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222193722-20240222223722-00597.warc.gz | en | 0.920719 | 976 | 2.90625 | 3 | 1,223 |
Make the Connection 1-2 allows you to facilitate a group program for parents and babies age one to two
Helps parents support their child’s development during the second year. MTC 1-2 combines hands-on activities, parent reflection and discussion as well as personalized video feedback.
Parenting Resources have been developed to support parents in their efforts to promote secure attachment, communication and learning.
Parents attend Make the Connection 1-2 with their toddler for 9 sessions. The group usually includes 8 to 10 families. Sessions are typically co-led by two trained MTC Group Facilitators.
MTC uses an experiential, adult learning approach which takes into account diverse learning styles and modalities. It leaves room for parents to individualize the program messages and information depending on their personal and cultural experiences. The learning process is further enhanced by the supportive ways in which group facilitators relate to parents – by connecting, communicating and facilitating in ways that parallel a nurturing parent-toddler relationship.
A typical session is approximately 90 minutes in length, divided as follows:
30 minutes of guided parent –toddler activities including song circle and interactive “play stations”
30 minutes of parent reflection and discussion – (toddlers who can separate stay with childcare staff)
30 minutes of half of the parents being videotaped with their toddler while the group gets together for refreshments
MTC 1-2 is built on the theory that development occurs within the context of relationships. Thus, an infant raised within a loving and responsive parent-infant relationship will develop a healthy sense of self, confident use of language and a love of learning.
When this positive relationship is established during the first three years, a foundation is laid for a child to do well socially, emotionally and academically. Regardless of gender, class or ethnicity, there is a wealth of research to support the fact that children do better in school and have fewer behavioural problems with this healthy start.
The core messages of MTC 1-2 were derived from themes that occur repeatedly in the early development and parenting literature as being essential for attachment, relationships, healthy emotional growth and brain development.
Make the Connection with Love - focuses on what helps a toddler feel secure, loved and listened to. Parents are guided to use their own experiences of relationships to help them understand what their toddler needs from them. As such, this theme draws from information on attachment.
Make the Connection with Language - focuses on the ideal language input and conversational practice that toddlers need to keep their language development on track. Guiding messages for parents were narrowed down from an abundance of research on the parent’s role in language acquisition.
Make the Connection with Learning - focuses on how to help a toddler explore, pretend and connect with other children. In these sessions, parents come to discover that their role is not to ‘teach’ their toddler, but rather to provide the ‘scaffolding’ that supports their child’s discovery, problem-solving and imagination.
Videotaping is an essential medium for learning in Make the Connection. In reviewing parent-toddler tapes, which is built into two of the nine sessions, the group facilitator helps parents recognize positive aspects of interaction with their child, become more aware of their child’s signals and provide positive feedback to support parents. | <urn:uuid:7e28c085-2d07-4404-8702-a0e95c507f9e> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://espritssainsenfantssains.org/PublicTEST/Babies/Make_The_Connection_1-2.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474523.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20240224044749-20240224074749-00597.warc.gz | en | 0.962997 | 687 | 2.75 | 3 | 1,224 |
This is an introductory course to the terms used in medicine. Knowledge of these terms, and how to decipher unfamiliar medical terms, will be beneficial in your communications with medical professionals and your studies of medical issues. The topics cover each of the body systems, having illustrative graphics and a short description of each system with the terms used to describe that system. Word Exercises in each topic will assist you to apply your theory to practice. The coursework should take approximately 4 hours to work through, taking notes and doing the Word Exercises, and finally completing the online Assessment Quiz.
- Access Time:
- 1 month (starting from time of purchase)
Enrolling in more than 1 course? Time is cumulative ie buy 2 courses, have 2 months access to both courses
- This course will meet the IBLCE Exam prerequisite for a course of study in this subject.
There are no professional development educational points available for this course.
- Learning style:
- This is a self-guided course.
There are no prerequisites for this course.
- Introduction to the formation and deciphering of medical terminology.
- Medical terminology as it relates to:
- the digestive system
- the respiratory system
- the cardiovascular system
- the lymphatic system
- the urinary system
- the nervous system
- the eye, ear and skin
- the nose and mouth
- the muscular system
- the skeletal system
- the reproductive system
- the endocrine system
- Terminology used to describe anatomical position
All required materials and resources are provided online.
A Medical Dictionary would support your studies and be invaluable in your work.
IH05 Medical Terminology was developed by Denise Fisher, MMP, BN, IBCLC. Denise has extensive experience in education of nursing and lactation consultant students.
This course is designed to introduce medical terms to students who have little prior knowledge of the language of medicine.
On completion of this course the student will be able to:
- name and identify components of medical terms
- associate medical terms with their anatomical position
- understand an indicative range of medical words relating to each of the body systems
Achievement of the learning objectives is assessed by automatically graded, online, multiple-choice questions. A passing grade is 85%.
On successfully completing this course you will be able to download, save and print your Certificate of Completion.
You may submit this Certificate of Completion to IBLCE if you require validation of completion of a course in Medical Terminology for your application for the IBLCE Examination.
- The course is available as a one month subscription commencing on the day of notification to you of your username and password.
- The subscription time is cumulative - for example, if you purchase 2 courses - you receive 2 months access to both courses.
- The subscription time may be extended by purchasing extensions, which must be purchased before the subscription expiry date.
- The average time taken to complete this course and the assessment is 4 hours.
- On successful completion your Certificate will be available to you in pdf format from the course website and emailed to you.
- Replacement certificates can be obtained for a fee, however we maintain an official transcript that is available free for all customers to download at any time.
Fees and Payments
- Enrollments are accepted online, or upon receipt of a faxed or mailed enrollment form (available on request).
- Payments online are available using either PayPal or WorldPay gateways.
- The cost is US$42.00
- Additional fees, that are out of our control, may be charged by your bank to convert this to your local currency.
- Please see our Payments FAQ for more information. | <urn:uuid:3685dc8c-b75f-4f8c-bc36-7f2b7d3ce115> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.health-e-learning.com/courses/background-health/ih05?tmpl=component | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474523.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20240224044749-20240224074749-00597.warc.gz | en | 0.907012 | 768 | 3.125 | 3 | 1,225 |
Research Article - (2022) Volume 10, Issue 2
Received: 18-Jun-2022, Manuscript No. AERR-22-66957; Editor assigned: 21-Jun-2022, Pre QC No. AERR-22-66957 (PQ); Reviewed: 05-Jul-2022, QC No. AERR-22-66957; Revised: 12-Jul-2022, Manuscript No. AERR-22-66957 (R); Published: 22-Apr-2022, DOI: 10.51268/2736-1853.22.10.063
Despite several measures that have been employed by different stakeholders to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics subject in Tanzania, the student’s pass rate in form four national examinations has been less than 25% for more than ten (10) consecutive years now. This persistent massive failure in mathematics can be highly associated with teaching strategies that are used by teachers when delivering their lessons, student’s attitudes toward the subject and the general school/learning environments that surround the students. This paper analyses the effective strategies that can be employed by teachers and other stakeholders to make mathematics lessons more meaningful and help students develop strong positive attitudes toward the subject, hence unlocking their potential in mathematics. These strategies were first compiled from a scoping review of previous scholarly works and then shared with mathematics teachers and students in selected secondary schools in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania to assess the practicability and relevance of the proposed strategies in daily teaching and learning processes. Data from Teachers were collected through online survey and for students we used focus group discussions and questionnaires. The suggested strategies were applied by Mwenge Catholic University students who participated in the volunteering programme of teaching mathematics subject in the selected schools during the Teaching Support Programme. Generally teacher’s and student’s feedback and the lessons learned from the Teaching Support Programme confirm the effectiveness of the proposed strategies. So if they are properly used, can help to unlock the students’ potentials in mathematics and improve their performance.
Scoping review, effective teaching strategies, mathematics potentials, teaching support program.
Tanzania has been experiencing a persistent massive failure in mathematics for more than ten years, as evidenced by the student’s pass rates on national examinations. Despite several interventions that have been made thus far, the pass rate in form four national mathematics examinations is still discouraging. The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) reports from 2008 to 2020 indicate a persistent mass failure in Mathematics such that more than 75% of all students who sat for the National Form Four Mathematics examinations in the past 10 years failed the subject. The NECTA reports also indicate that student’s performance in mathematics differs so much from the performance of the same students in other subjects, such as Kiswahili and chemistry, where the pass rates were 91% and 77%, respectively, just to mention few (NECTA, 2021).
In addition, the 2020 Candidate’s Item Response Analysis Report on the Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (CSEE) shows that only five (5) out of fourteen (14) mathematics topics, namely, Statistics (50.3%), Sequence and Series (39.9%), Accounts, Ratio, Profit and Loss (39.6%) and Rates and Variations (31.5%), had average performance, while the rest had poor or very poor performance. A similar situation was noted in CSEE 2019, where only three topics, namely, statistics (53.4%), circles (53.4%) and rates and variations (33.9%), had average performance. Generally, none of the topics had good performance in either year (NECTA, 2021). Such poor and persistent massive failure in mathematics raises many concerns regarding the quality of mathematics education in the country and threatens the attainment of the industrialization policy.
Since mathematics cut across all other science subjects and a pass in mathematics is among the key criteria for joining most of the science combinations and programmes in higher learning institutions, this massive failure will automatically limit many students from becoming scientists or joining science-related careers. Progress toward the attainment of the Tanzania industrialization policy will also be derailed without enough and competent workforce from science fields. Indeed, science and technology are the major components of any strategy geared toward achieving the industrialization process. As pointed out by previous scholars, the dismal performance in mathematics can be primarily attributed to poor teaching strategies and the general anxiety, phobia or negative attitude toward the subject. (Ramirez et al., 2018; Rameli et al., 2016; Zakariya et al., 2015). Although several studies have been conducted to analyse the causes of poor performance in mathematics and their possible solution, the problem still seems to increase as the percentage of students who fail the subjects remains the same. (Lorenzen, 2017; Spooner et al., 2019).
This study aims to inquire from previous studies, mathematics teachers and students themselves about the possible strategies that can actually work properly in helping students excel in mathematics. This study also designed and implemented an intervention strategy (Mathematics Teaching Support Programme) that helped to test the effectiveness of some strategies in school settings. Conclusively, this paper maps several studies related to mathematics teaching strategies to identify knowledge gaps, clarify concepts and confirm the relevance of the teaching strategies that are currently used by mathematics teachers in delivering their lessons.
A scoping review was conducted to examine the existing knowledge regarding the teaching strategies for mathematics subject from various perspectives. A total of 30 previous studies were surveyed to identify the best mathematics teaching strategies as well as their effectiveness. The reviewed articles and reports were published between 2017 and 2021 and can be accessed through Google Scholar and NECTA websites. From this review, we identified twelve (12) teaching strategies that were confirmed by previous scholars to be effective in teaching and learning mathematics subjects. As mentioned in section introduction, these strategies were tested in classroom or school settings to assess their effectiveness, and the findings are summarized in section results and discussion.
Since the problem of poor performance in mathematics cuts across different countries and levels of education, many studies have been performed to address it. The meta-analysis of those studies shows that the major factors for students’ poor performance in mathematics are the students’ and teachers’ negative attitude toward the subject, large teacher’s workload, inadequate teacher’s competence in both content and pedagogy, poor classroom practices, inadequate teaching and learning resources, inadequate knowledge of the linkage between mathematics and real life experiences and poor recruitment and preparation of mathematics teachers for a teaching job. Attitude refers to a way someone thinks and feels about something (Zeidmane et al., 2017; Northwest, 2017). Previous scholars have pointed out that developing a negative attitude toward mathematics is a process and does not occur abruptly! (Mata et al., 2012; Zeidmane et al., 2017). When children start schooling, they are usually free from any fear, and they generally have a positive attitude toward learning with self-motivation about schooling.
However, depending on the school orientation and their first schooling experience in their first days of schooling, children may start losing motivation to study and slowly develop a negative attitude toward learning and school. In mathematics, students start to develop fear, anxiety and negative attitudes when they experience consecutive failures in class work and assessment or when they fail to relate what they learn in class with their life experiences. As reported, negative community attitudes and beliefs about math also have a negative impact on students’ performance, as they often affect how mathematics is taught in schools (Webel et al., 2019; Mazana et al., 2019).
There are several reasons for massive failures in mathematics in Tanzania. However, the authors of this study believe that effective teaching strategies can help to ease the situation by addressing most of the challenges and improve student’s performance. Therefore, this scoping review is intended to gather information from various scholars on effective strategies for teaching mathematics as reported by different experts from different classroom settings.
Scoping review of the proposed strategies: The National Examination Council of Tanzania (ECT) has a tendency to prepare candidate’s item response analysis reports to give feedback to students, teachers, policy makers and all other education stakeholders about the candidate’s performance in each subject. This report is in preparation every year and for all subjects and is written based on what was observed during the marking of student’s examination scripts. This report gives a detailed explanation of how student’s attempted each question that was asked, clarification of what was expected from student’s, samples of both the best answer and the poorest answer or solution that was given by student’s and recommendations for improving students’ performance.
For example, the 2021 report for mathematics subject pointed out that the major factors that contributed to average and weak performance were the candidates’ failure to apply correct formula, rules, theorems, properties and procedures; formulate expressions, inequalities and equations from word problems; perform correct mathematical operations; and draw diagrams and graphs as well as interpret figures correctly (NECTA, 2021). This report recommends several teaching techniques for improving students’ performance in mathematics, such as the use of teaching aids and real objects, which will help students link the concepts covered in class with the real world. Unfortunately, the majority of teachers do not invest enough time to go through these reports and implement the given recommendations. To avoid similar mistakes in the future, mathematics teachers are required to design and deliver their lessons in a manner that will promote a meaningful understanding of the concepts and enable students to gain such skills.
A meta-analysis examined the effect of cooperative learning techniques on students’ mathematics achievement in Turkey by referring to 47 articles (Turgut et al., 2018). Basically, a cooperative learning strategy allows students to have face-to-face communication while working together as a team in performing a given task to achieve a certain learning target. In this approach, learning results from each group member’s contribution with just little teacher support and interventions.
However, for this approach to work properly, the teacher is supposed to help students develop their interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence to have productive groups. The findings from this study indicated that cooperative learning techniques increase mathematics achievement, and this effect is the same at the elementary, middle school, high school and undergraduate levels.
Co-operative learning can also be achieved through peer tutoring, which includes a range of approaches that enable learners to work together either in pairs or in small groups to provide each other with explicit teaching support. A study confirmed that peer tutoring in mathematics has similar academic benefits for both primary and secondary education (Mazana et al., 2019). Peer tutoring can take the form of cross-age tutoring, peer-assisted learning, reciprocal peer tutoring or a gallery walk. In cross-age tutoring, a teacher can assign an older learner (e.g, higher class levels) to take the tutoring role and be paired with a younger tutee or tutees (lower class levels) and guide them on how to address some mathematical problems.
Alternatively, a teacher can plan for peerassisted learning, which is a structured approach for mathematics in which students who are good at math can be assigned sessions of 25–35 minutes two or three times a week to help their peers understand some mathematical concepts. Likewise, a teacher may plan for reciprocal peer tutoring in which learners alternate between the role of tutor and tutee. This is also a very good approach since it makes every student busy and committed to preparing what he/she will present to peers. Presentations of peer tutoring tasks can be in the form of gallery walks, activity circus or learning stations. Generally, peer teaching or peer tutoring can be of great help to both students and teachers, especially in schools that have no or few mathematics teachers.
Another study compared the role of problemsolving strategy and the use of scientific approaches in developing students’ higherorder thinking skills, such as communication, creativity, problem solving, and mathematical reasoning skills (Tambunan, 2019). Teaching through the problem-solving approach in mathematics means that students are assisted in learning through problems, questions or challenging tasks that are often in word format and have no clear rules or formulas for arriving at the solution. On the other hand, scientific approaches in mathematics focus on helping students observe, question, experiment, associate, and communicate mathematical ideas. The findings from this study indicated that problem-solving strategies are more effective than scientific approaches in developing students’ abilities in mathematical communication, creativity and reasoning.
In addition, performed a meta-analysis to examine the effects of game‐based learning on students' mathematics achievement (Tokac et al., 2019). These researchers analysed data from 860 studies that focused on the effects of computer games on student mathematics achievement. These studies were found in various databases, such as ERIC, Psyc INFO, Wilson, Google Scholar, JSTOR, and ISI Web of Science, and they were in the form of empirical studies, peer‐reviewed journals, book chapters, theses and dissertations, and conference papers. Overall, the findings indicated that video games are a slightly effective instructional strategy for teaching mathematics across lower levels.
The use of games benefits visual, audio and kinaesthetic learners who learn best by seeing and performing various tasks during the lesson. Other studies investigated the impact of metacognitive strategies and self-regulating processes in learner’s achievement on solving math word problems (Mazana et al., 2019). It specifically analysed the impact of the linguistic factor and the number of steps and arithmetic operations that learners need to apply during the process of solving math word problems. Their study used a sample of 233 students from two urban schools in Kosovo. Almost half of these students were exposed to metacognitive instructions, while the other half were included in control classes in which they performed tasks without having been given any specific guidance, based exclusively on traditional methods and respective textbooks. All the learners were tested in math word problems twice, before the intervention and after it. The study found a statistically significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test results among the two groups of students. They concluded that metacognitive strategies and self-regulating processes that learners use to control their actions, to reason, and to reflect are some of the main resources that influence their success in solving a math word problem.
Additionally, mentioned the issue of student’s limited knowledge on effective learning and examination strategies or techniques as a factor for persistent failure in mathematics (Mazana et al., 2019). Their study found that most students lack learning and examination strategies such as speed and accuracy, which limits their ability to understand mathematical concepts taught in class and to handle mathematics exams. This implies that in most mathematics lessons, students just adopt surface learning approaches that are not capable of imparting to them meaningful understanding of the concepts and that they might fail due to a particular study habit. Their study suggests that both teachers and students should work together to design and develop the best study techniques that will enhance a deep understanding of mathematics lessons. Mathematics teachers must help their students gain a deep conceptual understanding. To confirm that students have truly mastered a concept, they should be able to show all the detailed steps in a process, explain why those steps occur, and connect the process to related concepts. A deep mastery of concepts will also help students develop the math skills that are necessary for progression and innovation in STEM-related fields.
A need to establish special interventions that reduce math anxiety and/or reduce the negative impact of math anxiety on achievement was also proposed by Ramirez, Shaw and Maloney (2018). These researchers presented a review of past studies that investigated the association between math anxiety and math achievement, factors that can cause math anxiety, characteristics of students that can increase their susceptibility to math anxiety, and efforts that educators can take to remedy math anxiety. Their study indicated that math anxiety can result from poor math skills, genetic predispositions or socio environmental factors such as negative mathrelated class experiences, home experiences around math and how they interpret their previous math experiences and outcomes of their efforts in solving math problems. The paper addresses several mechanisms that teachers may use to help students develop selfconcepts and build a strong positive attitude toward the subject.
Moreover, studies show that teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about mathematics, such as the usefulness of mathematics, the way mathematics should be taught and learned, the difficulty or ease of mathematics, and gender ability in mathematics achievement, affect their own attitude toward the subject, which in turn has a significant impact on student’s performance. Generally, the literature has confirmed that student’s and teacher’s attitudes toward school and learning are important predictors of student’s academic achievement (Alegre et al., 2020). A study pointed out that teacher’s behaviours may increase the student's math anxiety if they put too much pressure on the student (Marpa, 2021). This kind of pressure seems to be the common challenge faced by the students in their daily learning process, and it originates from their teachers and family members who place very high expectations for students to excel in mathematics. Competitive pressure from peers and friends also tends to increase students’ anxiety in learning mathematics.
While we all encourage students to work hard in their studies, the study found that too much emphasis on attaining excellent results in examination creates a potential worry, fear and anxiety that ends in emotional or psychological disorders. Their study calls for all parties to establish good mechanisms for controlling and minimizing the high-performance pressure. Unfortunately, some of the mathematics teachers relate with their students in a too strict manner, which results in a significant fear of asking for clarification when they do not understand or volunteer to answer a question. This results in total hatred of both the teacher and the subject. To avoid this problem, mathematics teachers are supposed to use a variety of techniques that will make their students feel at ease throughout the lesson.
Among such techniques are the use of interactive/student centered approaches of teaching, use of differentiated tasks, giving personalized constructive and timely feedback, motivating or awarding the high achievers and the most improved students, encouraging the low achievers as well as focusing more on students’ ability to solve problems rather than getting good grades (Xia, 2020). In addition, mathematics teachers should plan their lessons in a way that will help students make connections between the concepts taught in class with real life application.
Another study conducted emphasized the need for teachers to help students learn both a progression of foundational skills (e.g., early numeracy) and how to apply these skills within the content of their assigned grade levels (Spooner et al., 2019). These researchers pointed out those students need instructions that focus on foundational mathematics skills, such as number sense, while applying these skills to higher levels. The issue of imparting numeracy skills to children was also emphasized, who described numeracy as a critical awareness that builds bridges between mathematics and the real-world, with all its diversity (Tout, 2020). This researcher suggested that for students to gain numeracy skills, teachers should use a problem-solving, investigative, open-ended approach when teaching and use real texts and real situations to make connections between mathematics and the real world.
In addition, we found another strategy for teaching mathematics that insists on designing mathematics lessons in a way that will help students make connections between mathematics concepts covered in class with real life experiences. This recommendation was proposed, whose study found the level of mathematical connection ability of most students to be very low (Siregar et al., 2017). Their study therefore calls for mathematics teachers to design and apply deeper teaching strategies that will enable students to establish a meaningful connection between classroom mathematics and life experiences. These scholars also recommended further research to examine what causes the lack of mathematical connection ability of junior high school students in Indonesia. This recommendation can also work in other countries, including Tanzania.
The use of technology in teaching and learning mathematics has been mentioned by several scholars as a possible means of improving students’ achievements. Among such scholars, pointed out that curiosity and motivation can also be supported by the use of digital tools as instruments of action learning (Abramovich et al., 2019). Another study found that the use of the mobile application in teaching mathematics to Grade 8 students somehow helped to enhance students’ achievement and learning (Etcuban et al., 2018). This study therefore recommended that the administrator enforce and include the use of the mobile application in carrying out learning to its maximum, and teachers should equip their learners with the latest technological skills so that they may compete globally. As explained, integration of ICT in mathematics is not merely using computers for typing and printing questions, searching and delivering lessons via PowerPoint but rather using ICT in teaching various topics in mathematics and encouraging students to use technology in mathematics learning (Marpa, 2021).
The use of effective assessment strategies is also key to improving students’ math grades. Mathematics teachers should have a high ability to assess their students before, during and after classroom teaching, which is an important predictor of mathematics achievement (Alfaro et al., 2020). Assessment in mathematics should focus more on authentic assessment rather than just rote learning, as in multipleitem tests or passive test taking. Authentic assessment focuses on making students demonstrate the various skills and concepts they have learned in class and explain when it would be appropriate to use those facts in mathematics computations or in solving a reallife problem.
This study focused on three methodological approaches. The first was a scoping review of previously published studies that helped to identify the effective mathematics teaching and learning strategies used in a variety of classroom practices and in different settings and levels. Unlike systematic reviews and meta-analyses, the goal of scoping reviews is just to describe the literature and other sources of information while including findings from a range of different study designs and method.
The results from a scoping review often focus on the range of content identified, and quantitative assessment is often limited to a tally of the number of sources reporting a particular issue or recommendation (Sucharew et al., 2019). The second methodological approach was a sample survey that enabled the researchers to inquire about the perceptions of teachers and students on the practicability of the reviewed strategies in Tanzanian classrooms or contexts. Both teachers’ and students’ responses are summarized in sections secondary school teachers’ perceptions of effective strategies for teaching and learning mathematics and Secondary school students’ feedback on effective strategies for teaching and learning mathematics.
The third approach was a case study, whereby three secondary schools were involved in a Mathematics Teaching Support Programme in which the proposed strategies were applied in classroom settings. The researchers recruited twelve (12) Mwenge Catholic university students who were pursuing degree programmes in mathematics, either from Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Statistics or from Bachelor of Education (Science), and requested that they participate in the teaching support programme through a volunteering basis. Before sending them to the field, we trained them on how to use the proposed strategies in the classroom settings, and they attached them to Form one and form three students in the selected schools where they taught them for a period of two months. The selected schools had only one mathematics teacher who was servicing all students in the respective schools, from one to form four. The schools were also located in a neighborhood of Mwenge Catholic University, which enabled the volunteers to use just a small amount of transport cost to and from schools. Lessons learned from this programme are summarized in section evidence from maths teaching support programs.
Generally, this paper addresses three research questions:
1. What does the literature say about effective strategies for teaching and learning mathematics?
2. How do teachers’ and students’ perceptions match the documented/reviewed teaching and learning strategies, especially in the Tanzanian context?
3. What are the challenges associated with the implementation of the suggested strategies in teaching and learning mathematics?
4. What are the possible interventions for addressing the massive failure problem in mathematics subject? Analytically.
Results from scoping review: Suggested strategies for teaching and learning mathematics
A total of 30 articles were reviewed to gather effective strategies for unlocking students’ potentials in mathematics, as summarized in section challenges associated with the implementation of the suggested strategies in teaching and learning mathematics. These strategies included the use of games and visual aids and the use of technologies such as computers, problem-solving techniques and collaborative learning. Previous scholars have also insisted that teachers and guardians should avoid putting too much pressure on excellent performance because this pressure leads to anxiety and phobia, which also limits students’ learning. Instead, teachers were advised to help their students acquire study skills and examination techniques that would enable them to gain a deep understanding of the concepts and be able to make connections between the concepts covered in class and real life experiences. Generally, these strategies can help teachers plan and present their lessons more effectively while helping their students build positive attitudes toward mathematics subjects.
Results from survey: Teachers’ and students’ feedback
Secondary school teachers’ perceptions of effective strategies for teaching and learning mathematics: The reviewed strategies were shared with some secondary school mathematics teachers in Kilimanjaro to confirm their relevance and practicability in our Tanzanian classroom settings. A total of 18 mathematics teachers participated in the online survey, which gathered teachers’ feedback. We found a weak correlation between teacher’s perceptions of the applicability of some teaching strategies and what we found from the scoping review. While the literature associates student’s poor performance with classroom practices that are often controlled or guided by teachers, the majority of teachers (12, 67%) believe that poor performance in mathematics is caused by student’s negative attitudes toward the subject. Therefore, their major teacher’s recommendation in addressing the issue of poor performance was to provide motivational speeches to students as much as possible, especially before the beginning of each mathematics lesson. The second recommendation from teachers was to train both students and teachers about the role or application of mathematics in real-life situations so that they could value it more.
The teachers also call for students to be more committed in practising how to solve mathematics and to be more focused on studies. Finally, these teachers presented a concern of low teaching morale, which is caused by their large workloads and burnout that is not reflected in the students’ performance. They requested that the government prepare and employ more mathematics teachers in schools so that they could help ease the current situation. These teachers also requested improved teaching and learning conditions, such as an increase in books, computers and projectors, which will make their lessons more learner centered.
Secondary school student’s feedback on effective strategies for teaching and learning mathematics: We visited six (6) secondary schools in the Kilimanjaro region to give them motivational talks on the relevance of mathematics in their real life and advise them on the effective strategies that they can use to excel in mathematics. During these visits, we also administered a questionnaire to a sample of 248 aimed at obtaining their honest opinions as to why many students failed mathematics and possible ways of addressing the problem. While the majority of mathematics teachers believed that the major reason for the persistent failure in mathematics is the negative attitude of students toward the subject, the students’ feedback shows that the majority 196 (79%) of students feel that the harsh treatment from their teachers is the major reason for such massive failure since it demoralizes many students and leads to hatred of not only the subject but also the teachers. This finding compares with what was presented, who found that some mathematics teachers become too grumpy and angry when students fail to work on a given question, and this teacher’s anger creates more fear to students to ask for clarification or further interact with their teacher (Ayuwanti et al., 2021). This results in more failure in the consequent classroom tasks and exams.
Additionally, many students (182, 73%) raised a concern about the teaching methodologies that are used by mathematics teachers in class and admitted that many students they do not understand at all the concepts that are presented by their math teachers. We also noticed that many students (182, 73%) did not understand what they were taught in class. This lack of understanding of the concepts is also reflected in the item analysis reports, which are prepared by the National Examination Council (NECTA) after marking of national examinations. These reports show that most of the students do not understand the questions that are asked, and as a result, they give responses that are quite different from the examiner expectations (NECTA, 2021).
The issue of focusing on students’ conceptual understanding was also stressed, who considered an effective teacher as the who uses various methods according to the learning culture and student level to ensure that students achieve the conceptual understanding and the learning objectives (Amirullah et asl., 2018). Other major concerns that were mentioned by students included the scarcity of mathematics teachers, lack of career guidance for students, inadequate language skills, especially in interpreting word problems in math, and a negative attitude toward the subject and math teachers. As reported, it is a school’s obligation to see that their student’s value and feel confident in their ability to do math because ultimately a child’s life and all decisions they will make and career choices may be highly influenced by their disposition toward mathematics (Furner, 2017).
While the majority of mathematics teachers believed that the major reason for the persistent failure in mathematics is the negative attitude of students toward the subject, the majority of students’ responses show that the harsh treatment from their teachers is the major reason since it demoralizes many students and leads to hatred of not only the subject but also the teachers. This finding was obtained from a survey of 248 secondary school students in the Kilimanjaro region who were asked to give their honest opinions as to why many students failed mathematics. A summary of their responses is presented in Table 1.
|Student's perceptions on causes of massive failure in Mathematics
|Students have no life focus and career guidance
|Student' s have negative attitude towards math
|Mathematics teachers are too harsh to student's
|Student's don’t understand their maths teachers
|Majority of Student's are not committed to studies
|Inadequate number of maths teachers in schools
|Language barrier-student's cannot translate the Math questions
|Student's involvement in love affairs
|Discouragement from teachers and peers
|Mathematics concepts are too difficult for ss to grasp
As indicated in Table 1, 196 (79%) of the students who participated in the study mentioned the harsh behavior of mathematics teachers as the major reason for the failures. We also noticed that many students (182, 73%) confessed that they do not understand what they are taught in class. This lack of deep and meaningful understanding of the concepts covered in class is one of the reasons why students’ memory retention is poor. We therefore recommend to the teachers to take into consideration all issues raised by students and design their lessons in a manner that students will be learning more meaningful rather than having just rote learning. Shallow understanding of the concepts is also reflected in the item analysis reports, which are prepared by the National Examination Council (NECTA) after marking of national examinations. These reports show that most of the students do not understand the questions that are asked, and as a result, they give responses that are quite different from the examiner’s expectation NECTA, 2021.
Evidence from maths teaching support programs
In response to the existing gaps in mathematics teaching for schools around MWECAU, the department of Mathematics and Statistics decided to establish a Mathematics Club in which one of its activities is to offer teaching support in schools around the university on a volunteering basis. Approximately 40 students who are currently enrolled in mathematics-related programmes at MWECAU agreed to volunteer and were assigned schools to work on. We visited the schools to learn their specific needs and plan for activities that suit each school. However, the first visit to each school had a component of students’ training on how to build positive attitudes toward maths and the application of mathematics in real-life situations. Since the selected schools also had a shortage of teachers, the volunteers were tasked with assisting the full-time teachers, especially in the form and form of three classes.
Together with the objective of assisting teaching in nearby schools, the Maths Teaching Support Programme gave us room to practice effective strategies that were gathered from scoping review exercises for the aim of assessing their relevance in Tanzanian school settings. These volunteers were trained on the proposed strategies and asked to apply them in their day-to-day teachings for a period of three months. Among other issues, these volunteers were instead to include the aspect of real-life application of every topic or subtopic that they teach and allow their students to ask as many questions as possible. The volunteers were also encouraged to use positive rewards rather than negative punishments to students who score low grades on tests or exams. In each school, the volunteers established mathematics where the students met and discussed several mathematics challenges and played mathematical games that promoted students’ interest in mathematics.
To assess the effectiveness of the proposed teaching strategies, we administered mathematics exams (for form one and form three) before and after the Maths Teaching Support programme. The analysis of students’ results before and after the programme showed a significant difference in their academic performance, as many students scored higher grades after the teaching support programme. In addition, statistical analysis of students’ feedback on the teaching strategies that were used by volunteers, the students’ performance before and after the MTSP programme and Mathematics teachers’ feedback confirmed that students’ achievement in Mathematics can be improved by helping students understand the value of Mathematics in their future careers, training students on how to build a positive attitude toward Math, building teachers’ capacity in teaching Mathematics and improving the teaching and learning conditions at the school level (Buckley, 2013).
Challenges associated with the implementation of the suggested strategies in teaching and learning mathematics
Through the survey, we were able to gather teachers’ opinions on what they think might hinder them in using the proposed strategies in their daily teaching. All the teachers who participated in this survey indicated their willingness to apply these strategies, but they raised a number of concerns that might limit them. Among their major concern were the large teaching workloads, which made them too busy to prepare interactive and engaging lessons. For example, two out the three schools that were involved in the Maths Teaching Support Programme had only one mathematics teacher who was supposed to handle all mathematics lessons from form one to form four. Another challenge was the availability of teaching and learning resources. Example one of the teacher said it hard for him to use videos or make demonstrations by using computers in a school where there is no even a single computer or a projector.
Teachers also raised a concern about the negative attitude of their students toward mathematics, which affects their readiness to learn. Close to this, teachers also mentioned a tendency of some students to select only a few subjects (mostly 2 to 4), which they can concentrate and attain the minimum qualification for the award of form four certificate. They also add that when this happens, the most likely subject to be dropped is mathematics since the majority of the students find it too difficult to them and they do not understand exactly why they should learn some of the mathematics concepts. Inadequate knowledge of both content and pedagogical skills to handle some of the mathematics topics was mentioned as one of the challenges for implementing the suggested strategies.
Teachers indicated some gaps in their understanding of some topics and added that if a teacher is not competent enough in a particular topic, it will also be hard for him/her to prepare a lesson that will help students gain a meaningful understanding of the concepts. They also said that when they were in teacher training colleges and universities, they did have an opportunity to go through all the topics that are in the current mathematics syllabus for secondary schools due to time shortages and the nature of teacher training programmes. Hence, if a teacher trainee had a poor background at the secondary school level, the chances are few that this knowledge gap will be filled well at the college or university level.
Generally, teachers’ opinions show that the proposed strategies are very effective in unlocking students’ potentials in mathematics, but there is a need to strengthen teachers’ capacity to implement them. They also suggest that students should also be trained and helped to build positive attitudes toward the subject as well as guided on how they can use mathematics concepts and ideas in solving reallife problems.
Possible interventions for addressing the massive failure problem in mathematics subjects
From the study, we gathered the following ideas for effective interventions that can help to address the massive failure challenge in mathematics:
• To conduct school- and cluster-based training for mathematics teachers on both content and pedagogical skills.
• To conduct school- and cluster-based training for students on the real-life applications of mathematics concepts and possible career opportunities for mathematics majors.
• To employ an adequate number of mathematics teachers in all schools so that they may have manageable workloads and be able to prepare meaningful teaching and assessment activities
• To establish volunteering programmes in universities and colleges (i.e., Mathematics Teaching Support Programmes), mathematics teacher’s trainees and other mathematics majors will be involved in supporting math teaching in schools where there are not enough full-time mathematics teachers.
• To ensure the availability of adequate teaching and learning resources in schools.
The central intent of this article was to provide insight into effective strategies for unlocking students’ potentials in mathematics by drawing evidence from scoping review and from the actual math teaching support programme conducted in selected secondary schools in the Kilimanjaro region. Feedback from mathematics teachers who are currently working as full-time employees in secondary schools helped to assess the relevance of the proposed strategies. Generally, the majority of teachers agreed that these strategies are effective and, if well implemented, may help to improve students’ performance. However, these teachers raised concerns about some implementation barriers, such as the availability of teaching and learning resources, especially when they want to integrate ICT into teaching mathematics. The large workload, inadequate content and pedagogical skills and poor student attitudes were other concerns from teachers who were in the field. However, most of them appreciated the use of the gallery walk technique, as it will help them to assist more students through peer teaching. The study concluded by giving some suggestions for possible interventions that may help to improve the students’ performance. Future work may involve an experimental study to test the effectiveness of each proposed strategy in various classroom settings in Tanzania.
No funding was received for conducting this study. However, the authors received technical research support in the form of training from Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH). Additionally, Mwenge Catholic University (MWECAU) allowed the authors to use her infrastructures and office facilities. MWECAU also granted permission to the volunteering students and the corresponding author to participate in the service learning under Mathematics Teaching Support Programme for secondary schools in Kilimanjaro. However, opinions and conclusions drawn as a result of study finding are of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the COSTECH or MWECAU.
Conflict of interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.
Informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study.
Ethical approval was not required for the scoping review. However, all study participants consented voluntarily to participate in the study and were fully informed about the study goals.
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Online learning is an immersive program that often provides access to learning opportunities for teachers and students.
Online learning platforms are no longer new in educational establishments, since they have proven to be both highly successful, and a fast and efficient way to learn over the internet.
Below are 7 tips for getting the most out of online learning platforms, if you love learning via the internet.
1.Track your Progress
Remember to save all of your class notes and other materials elsewhere in case of technical issues with the platform or the internet. You will never lose your works that are ongoing once you keep track of them.
2.Maximize the Resources Available
When you receive the teacher’s initial note, make sure to check out the syllabus. Keep all the storable resources in the same folder on your device and back them up. Also, you should have ready access to online libraries and services to assist you with assignments during the term.
3.Always Review your Material
The review of concepts that the individual has seen in the class can aid their retention. Sharing this feedback with peers in a simulated classroom often helps deepen the learning and provides extra inspiration.
The more stressed or irritated you are, the worse your results would be. Do not let personal tasks get in the way of completing the academic tasks. A stroll can help you regain your equilibrium and enable you to go back to work with full concentration.
5.Know your Goals
Stay focused on the goals you have set in completing your online course. Consider the learning objectives and pay attention to the criteria your instructor has given and monitor your progress to ensure you remain on track.
6.Familiarize yourself with the Technologies to be Used
Some people believe that persons that are either too old or too young will struggle with modern tools and apps as they first learn to use them. You are recommended to experiment with online learning environments and learning resources to become comfortable with them before starting to apply them in a research setting. If a course calls for a new program or a new technology, try to use it beforehand to get the hang of it.
7.Share Opinions in Social Media Forums
While you are learning on your own, you don’t have to be confined to a computer. Improving your online learning through networking with other students or course creators on platforms like social media or discussion forums would boost your comfort levels greatly. Always use the forums to brainstorm, contribute suggestions, recommend ways to improve eLearning courses, participate in class discussions, and seek help if you ever need it.
You can now learn at your own pace with all the convenience you can have; all thanks to platforms that aid online learning. The tips we have provided above will help you enjoy learning on online platforms better if you are willing to utilize them correctly. | <urn:uuid:0ba7bc51-8b4b-47a6-a01a-c715bc1fdf15> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.e-six-sigma.net/7-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-online-learning-platforms.html/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474617.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20240225135334-20240225165334-00597.warc.gz | en | 0.939465 | 568 | 2.78125 | 3 | 1,227 |
In the spring of 2021, students in the course 'Geographies of Inequalities' became acquainted with how fostering green technology in one place can produce inequality elsewhere through both policy activities and legislation. The main learning objectives were to be able to critically evaluate sustainability dimensions and to understand the spillover effects of different policies. This year the specific context was global mining. The entire course was conducted virtually due to the COVID pandemic.
In addition to lectures and readings related to the topic, as well as writing personal learning diaries, students - coming from several master’s programmes - explored the local and global opportunities and challenges of green technology in groups. The aim was to produce a common course outcome that approaches the topic from multiple perspectives. This resulted in a blog, titled 'Dirty Side of Green Technology'. All content in the blog site has been provided by students. The course ended with an online seminar where the results of the groups’ research journeys were presented to high-level professionals from several countries. Course content was provided by Associate Professor Pia Bäcklund from the Department of Geosciences and Geography of the University of Helsinki in cooperation with Deputy Director Vivi Niemenmaa / National Audit Office of Finland (NAOF).
In student words: “I hope we managed to arouse some new thoughts or ideas in you with this blog. The great thing in science is that it’s not always about the answers – but setting out the questions. Our aim here was to address some of the challenges, which have to be taken into consideration while creating carbon neutral policies. As the previous paragraphs address, there are several environmental and social risks around the mining business. According to our findings, the cross-sectioning question is anyhow strongly related to geography – which part of the world should take care of these problems? As a part of the global north, we argue Finland should be responsible for the minerals we use, and the course seems to be on the right way. ”
'Inequality Studies' in the academic year 2021-2022
Inequality Studies will continue in the next academic year. The first courses have been confirmed and 'Introduction to Inequalities' (SOSK-209), for example, will take place in the first teaching period starting in September. You can find a list of all the courses in the study module here. The schedule will be updated shortly. | <urn:uuid:d746d7e5-f686-4fc5-a9b8-2f8b95c523d5> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.helsinki.fi/en/ineq-helsinki-inequality-initiative/news-and-events/insights-from-the-first-year-of-inequality-studies-even-necessary-sustainability-policies-can-produce-inequalities-in-many-ways | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474617.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20240225135334-20240225165334-00597.warc.gz | en | 0.9618 | 494 | 2.578125 | 3 | 1,228 |
We live in a time when technology and processes are constantly evolving, and the workplace is no exception. The key to remaining at the top is to constantly develop and improve your abilities. Following current trends not only keeps you relevant in your current job but also opens doors to progress and career development. However, we must first know the importance of continuous learning for career success and how it becomes essential to the career success of an individual.
Career success can mean different things to different people, but generally, it refers to achieving one’s career goals and aspirations. It can include factors such as job satisfaction, financial stability, professional growth, recognition, and achieving a work-life balance. Therefore, to achieve career success, it is essential to set clear goals and create a plan to attain them. This may involve gaining relevant skills and experience, networking, building a strong personal brand, and continuously learning and adapting to changing circumstances.
Career Success: What Does It Really Offer?
Many factors, such as your job title, work-life balance, and happiness level, influence how you define success in your career. Thus, career success is a subjective concept that means different things to different people. It involves making progress in your chosen career path, continuously learning and growing, and achieving a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction from your work. Moreover, it takes time and self-reflection to develop your personal vision for professional success, but it will allow you to steer your professional path in a satisfying direction.
It can manifest in various ways, including:
- Professional growth
This involves progressing up the career ladder, gaining more responsibilities, and achieving higher positions.
- Financial stability
Achieving a comfortable standard of living and meeting your financial goals involves earning a salary that can provide for both.
- Job satisfaction
This involves finding work that aligns with your values, interests, and skills and provides a sense of fulfillment and enjoyment.
Receiving recognition and appreciation from colleagues, superiors, and clients for your work is an important aspect of career success.
- Work-life balance
This involves achieving a balance between work and personal life, leading to a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.
Remember, career success is a journey, and it requires dedication, hard work, and perseverance. It is important to set clear goals, create a plan to achieve them, and continuously learn and adapt to changing circumstances to achieve career success.
How to Define Continuous Learning?
Continuous learning is the ongoing process of acquiring new knowledge, skills, and competencies throughout one’s life and career. It involves a commitment to personal and professional growth and development and a willingness to embrace new challenges and opportunities for learning. It can take many forms, including formal education, on-the-job training, self-directed learning, and informal learning through personal interests and hobbies. The key is that it is a deliberate and intentional effort to acquire new knowledge and skills over time rather than a one-time event or activity.
What is the Importance of Continuous Learning for Career Success?
Continuous learning is essential for career success because it enables individuals to keep up with the rapidly changing demands of the workplace. Here are some of the key reasons why continuous learning is important for career success:
Continuous learning helps individuals adapt to new technologies, methods, and processes, allowing them to remain competitive and relevant in the job market.
- Personal growth
It allows individuals to develop new skills and knowledge, leading to personal growth and a sense of achievement.
- Increases job performance
Continuous learning can improve job performance by enhancing productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness. Learning new skills and knowledge can improve your job performance by making you more efficient, effective, and productive.
- Career Advancement
It can open new career opportunities and help individuals advance in their careers. It ensures that your skills and knowledge remain relevant and up-to-date in a rapidly changing job market.
- Keeping up with industry trends
Lastly, it also helps individuals stay informed about industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies.
Tips for Continuous Learning for Career Success
Here are some tips for continuous learning for career success:
- Set learning goals
Identify the areas in which you want to improve and set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for yourself.
- Create a learning plan
Develop a learning plan that outlines the skills, knowledge, and competencies you want to acquire and how you plan to acquire them. This can help you stay organized and focused on your learning objectives.
- Attend conferences and seminars
Attend conferences, seminars, and workshops related to your industry or field. This can help you stay up-to-date on the latest trends, technologies, and best practices.
- Take online courses
Online courses are a convenient and flexible way to learn new skills and acquire knowledge. Many online courses are available for free or at a low cost.
- Read books and industry publications
Reading books and industry publications can help you deepen your knowledge and stay updated with industry trends and best practices.
- Learn from mentors and colleagues
Seek out mentors and colleagues who have expertise in areas you want to develop and learn from them. Ask for feedback and guidance on how you can improve.
- Practice self-reflection
Take time to reflect on your learning progress and assess your strengths and weaknesses. Use this information to adjust your learning plan and identify areas where you need to focus more attention.
What Will Happen If We Don’t Prioritize Learning?
If we don’t prioritize learning, we risk becoming stagnant and falling behind in our careers. Here are some potential consequences of not prioritizing learning:
- Becoming irrelevant
If we don’t stay up-to-date with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in our field, we risk becoming irrelevant and less competitive in the job market.
- Falling behind
If we don’t continuously improve our skills and knowledge, we risk falling behind our colleagues and competitors, who are constantly learning and growing.
- Missing out on career opportunities
Without continuous learning, we may not be prepared to take advantage of new career opportunities or promotions within our current organization.
- Decreased job performance
If we don’t continuously improve our skills and knowledge, we may struggle to keep up with job demands and perform at a high level.
- Limited personal growth
Without continuous learning, we may miss out on opportunities for personal growth and development.
In conclusion, continuous learning is a crucial component of career success. In today’s rapidly changing job market, it is essential to stay up-to-date with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in your field. By prioritizing continuous learning, you can improve your job performance, position yourself for career advancement, and increase your earning potential.
Aim Career Success With Infinity Web Solutions!
If you want to achieve long-term career success, make continuous learning a priority with Infinity Web Solutions. Set learning goals, attend training and workshops, take online courses, read industry publications, participate in professional associations, and find a mentor. The more you invest in your own learning and development, the greater your chances of achieving your career goals and staying ahead of the competition.
Don’t wait; start prioritizing continuous learning today and take control of your career success with us! | <urn:uuid:bf182795-b27c-4a28-ad9e-9c3e8b16413e> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://infinity-web-solutions.com/the-importance-of-continuous-learning-for-career-success/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474669.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240226225941-20240227015941-00597.warc.gz | en | 0.941413 | 1,516 | 2.71875 | 3 | 1,229 |
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Final Project – Geography 101
Geography Word Search Worksheet (Answers)
Worksheet Answer Key
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1.1 Geography Basics
- Understand the focus of geography and the two main branches of the discipline.
- Learn about the tools geographers use to study the earth’s surface.
- Summarize the grid system of latitude and longitude and how it relates to seasons and time zones.
- Distinguish between the different types of regional distinctions recognized in geography.
- Understand the spatial nature of geography and how each place or region is examined, analyzed, and compared with other places or regions.
- Determine the basic geographic realms and their locations.
What Is Geography?
Geography is the spatial study of the earth’s surface (from the Greek geo , which means “Earth,” and graphein , which means “to write”). Geographers study the earth’s physical characteristics, its inhabitants and cultures, phenomena such as climate, and the earth’s place within the universe. Geography examines the spatial relationships between all physical and cultural phenomena in the world. Geographers also look at how the earth, its climate, and its landscapes are changing due to cultural intervention.
The first known use of the word geography was by Eratosthenes of Cyrene (modern-day Libya in North Africa), an early Greek scholar who lived between 276 and 194 BCE. He devised one of the first systems of longitude and latitude and calculated the earth’s circumference. Additionally, he created one of the first maps of the world based on the available knowledge of the time. Around the same time, many ancient cultures in China, southern Asia, Polynesia, and the Arabian Peninsula also developed maps and navigation systems used in geography and cartography.
The discipline of geography can be broken down into two main areas of focus: physical geography and human geography . These two main areas are similar in that they both use a spatial perspective, and they both include the study of place and the comparison of one place with another.
Physical geography is the spatial study of natural phenomena that make up the environment, such as rivers, mountains, landforms, weather, climate, soils, plants, and any other physical aspects of the earth’s surface. Physical geography focuses on geography as a form of earth science. It tends to emphasize the main physical parts of the earth—the lithosphere (surface layer), the atmosphere (air), the hydrosphere (water), and the biosphere (living organisms)—and the relationships between these parts.
The major forms of study within physical geography include the following:
- Geomorphology (the study of the earth’s surface features)
- Glaciology (the study of glaciers)
- Coastal geography (the study of the coastal regions)
- Climatology (the study of climates and climate change)
- Biogeography (the study of the geographic patterns of species distribution)
Some physical geographers study the earth’s place in the solar system. Others are environmental geographers, part of an emerging field that studies the spatial aspects and cultural perceptions of the natural environment. Environmental geography requires an understanding of both physical and human geography, as well as an understanding of how humans conceptualize their environment and the physical landscape.
Physical landscape is the term used to describe the natural terrain at any one place on the planet. The natural forces of erosion, weather, tectonic plate action, and water have formed the earth’s physical features. Many US state and national parks attempt to preserve unique physical landscapes for the public to enjoy, such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon.
Human geography is the study of human activity and its relationship to the earth’s surface. Human geographers examine the spatial distribution of human populations, religions, languages, ethnicities, political systems, economics, urban dynamics, and other components of human activity. They study patterns of interaction between human cultures and various environments and focus on the causes and consequences of human settlement and distribution over the landscape. While the economic and cultural aspects of humanity are primary focuses of human geography, these aspects cannot be understood without describing the landscape on which economic and cultural activities take place.
The cultural landscape is the term used to describe those parts of the earth’s surface that have been altered or created by humans. For example, the urban cultural landscape of a city may include buildings, streets, signs, parking lots, or vehicles, while the rural cultural landscape may include fields, orchards, fences, barns, or farmsteads. Cultural forces unique to a given place—such as religion, language, ethnicity, customs, or heritage—influence the cultural landscape of that place at a given time. The colors, sizes, and shapes of the cultural landscape usually symbolize some level of significance regarding societal norms. Spatial dynamics assist in identifying and evaluating cultural differences between places.
Traditionally, the field of cartography , or map making, has been a vital discipline for geographers. While cartography continues to be an extremely important part of geography, geographers also look at spatial (space) and temporal (time) relationships between many types of data, including physical landscape types, economies, and human activity. Geography also examines the relationships between and the processes of humans and their physical and cultural environments. Because maps are powerful graphic tools that allow us to illustrate relationships and processes at work in the world, cartography and geographic information systems have become important in modern sciences. Maps are the most common method of illustrating different spatial qualities, and geographers create and use maps to communicate spatial data about the earth’s surface.
Geospatial techniques are tools used by geographers to illustrate, manage, and manipulate spatial data. Cartography is the art and science of making maps, which illustrate data in a spatial form and are invaluable in understanding what is going on at a given place at a given time.
Making maps and verifying a location have become more exact with the development of the global positioning system (GPS) . A GPS unit can receive signals from orbiting satellites and calculate an exact location in latitude and longitude, which is helpful for determining where one is located on the earth or for verifying a point on a map. GPS units are standard equipment for many transportation systems and have found their way into products such as cell phones, handheld computers, fish finders, and other mobile equipment. GPS technology is widely implemented in the transport of people, goods, and services around the world.
Remote sensing technology acquires data about the earth’s surface through aerial photographs taken from airplanes or images created from satellites orbiting the earth. Remotely sensed images allow geographers to identify, understand, or explain a particular landscape or determine the land use of a place. These images can serve as important components in the cartographic (map-making) process. These technologies provide the means to examine and analyze changes on the earth’s surface caused by natural or human forces. Google Earth is an excellent example of a computer tool that illustrates remotely sensed images of locations on the earth.
Figure 1.1 Low Elevation Air Photo of Cultural Landscape in Morehead, Kentucky
Photo by R. Berglee – CC BY-NC-SA.
Geographic information science (GIS) , often referred to as geographic information systems, uses a computer program to assimilate and manage many layers of map data, which then provide specific information about a given place. GIS data are usually in digital form and arranged in layers. The GIS computer program can sort or analyze layers of data to illustrate a specific feature or activity. GIS programs are used in a wide range of applications, from determining the habitat range of a particular species of bird to mapping the hometowns of university students.
Figure 1.2 Illustration of Layers in a GIS Process
GIS specialists often create and analyze geographical information for government agencies or private businesses. They use computer programs to take raw data to develop the information these organizations need for making vital decisions. For example, in business applications, GIS can be used to determine a favorable location for a retail store based on the analysis of spatial data layers such as population distribution, highway or street arrangements, and the locations of similar stores or competitive establishments. GIS can integrate a number of maps into one to help analysts understand a place in relation to their own specific needs.
GIS also focuses on storing information about the earth (both cultural and natural) in computer databases that can be retrieved and displayed in the form of specialized maps for specific purposes or analyses. GIS specialists require knowledge about computer and database systems. Over the last two decades, GIS has revolutionized the field of cartography: nearly all cartography is now done with the assistance of GIS software. Additionally, analysis of various cultural and natural phenomena through the use of GIS software and specialized maps is an important part of urban planning and other social and physical sciences. GIS can also refer to techniques used to represent, analyze, and predict spatial relationships between different phenomena.
Geography is a much broader field than many people realize. Most people think of area studies as the whole of geography. In reality, geography is the study of the earth, including how human activity has changed it. Geography involves studies that are much broader than simply understanding the shape of the earth’s landforms. Physical geography involves all the planet’s physical systems. Human geography incorporates studies of human culture, spatial relationships, interactions between humans and the environment, and many other areas of research that involve the different subspecialties of geography. Students interested in a career in geography would be well served to learn geospatial techniques and gain skills and experience in GIS and remote sensing, as they are the areas within geography where employment opportunities have grown the most over the past few decades.
The Earth and Graticule Location
When identifying a region or location on the earth, the first step is to understand its relative and absolute locations. Relative location is the location on the earth’s surface with reference to other places, taking into consideration features such as transportation access or terrain. Relative location helps one compare the advantages of one location with those of another. Absolute location , on the other hand, refers to an exact point on the earth’s surface without regard to how that point is related to any other place. Absolute location is vital to the cartographic process and to human activities that require an agreed-upon method of identifying a place or point.
Just as you were taught in geometry that there are 360 degrees in a circle or a sphere, the earth also has 360 degrees, and they are measured using a grid pattern called the graticule . Lines of latitude and longitude allow any absolute location on the earth to have an identifiable address of degrees north or south and east or west, which allows geographers to accurately locate, measure, and study spatial activity.
Geographers and cartographers organize locations on the earth using a series of imaginary lines that encircle the globe. The two primary lines are the equator and the prime meridian. From these lines, the systems of longitude and latitude are formed, allowing you to locate yourself anywhere on the planet. The line is the longest when you travel along in an east-west direction. At the equator, the sun is directly overhead at noon on the two equinoxes, which occur in March and September.
Figure 1.3 Basic Lines of Longitude and Latitude
Parallels or Lines of Latitude
Figure 1.4 Noted Lines of Latitude
The equator is the largest circle of latitude on Earth. The equator divides the earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and is called 0 degrees latitude. The other lines of latitude are numbered from 0 to 90 degrees going toward each of the poles. The lines north of the equator toward the North Pole are north latitude, and each of the numbers is followed by the letter “N.” The lines south of the equator toward the South Pole are south latitude, and each of the numbers is followed by the letter “S.” The equator (0 latitude) is the only line of latitude without any letter following the number. Notice that all lines of latitude are parallel to the equator (they are often called parallels) and that the North Pole equals 90 degrees N and the South Pole equals 90 degrees S. Noted parallels include both the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, which are 23.5 degrees from the equator. At 66.5 degrees from the equator are the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle near the North and South Pole, respectively.
Meridians or Lines of Longitude
The prime meridian sits at 0 degrees longitude and divides the earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. The prime meridian is defined as an imaginary line that runs through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, a suburb of London. The Eastern Hemisphere includes the continents of Europe, Asia, and Australia, while the Western Hemisphere includes North and South America. All meridians (lines of longitude) east of the prime meridian (0 and 180) are numbered from 1 to 180 degrees east (E); the lines west of the prime meridian (0 and 180) are numbered from 1 to 180 degrees west (W). The 0 and 180 lines do not have a letter attached to them. The meridian at 180 degrees is called the International Date Line . The International Date Line (180 degrees longitude) is opposite the prime meridian and indicates the start of each day (Monday, Tuesday, etc.). Each day officially starts at 12:01 a.m., at the International Date Line. Do not confuse the International Date Line with the prime meridian (0 longitude). The actual International Date Line does not follow the 180-degree meridian exactly. A number of alterations have been made to the International Date Line to accommodate political agreements to include an island or country on one side of the line or another.
Climate and Latitude
The earth is tilted on its axis 23.5 degrees. As it rotates around the sun, the tilt of the earth’s axis provides different climatic seasons because of the variations in the angle of direct sunlight on the planet. Places receiving more direct sunlight experience a warmer climate. Elsewhere, the increased angle of incoming solar radiation near the earth’s poles results in more reflected sunlight and thus a cooler climate. The Northern Hemisphere experiences winter when sunlight is reflected off the earth’s surface and less of the sun’s energy is absorbed because of a sharper angle from the sun.
The Tropic of Cancer is the parallel at 23.5 degrees north of the equator, which is the most northerly place on Earth, receiving direct sunlight during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. Remember that the earth is tilted 23.5 degrees, which accounts for seasonal variations in climate. The Tropic of Capricorn is the parallel at 23.5 degrees south of the equator and is the most southerly location on Earth, receiving direct sunlight during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer.
The tropics (Cancer and Capricorn) are the two imaginary lines directly above which the sun shines on the two solstices , which occur on or near June 20 or 21 (summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere) and December 21 or 22 (winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere). The sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer at noon on June 20 or 21, marking the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn at noon on December 21 or 22, marking the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Solstices are the extreme ends of the seasons, when the line of direct sunlight is either the farthest north or the farthest south that it ever goes. The region between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn is known as the tropics. This area does not experience dramatic seasonal changes because the amount of direct sunlight received does not vary widely. The higher latitudes (north of the Tropic of Cancer and south of the Tropic of Capricorn) experience significant seasonal variation in climate.
Figure 1.5 Road Sign South of Dakhla, Western Sahara (Claimed by Morocco), Marking the Tropic of Cancer
This sign was placed in this desert location by the Budapest-Bamako rally participants. The non-English portion is in Hungarian because of the European participants in the race.
Wikimedia Commons – public domain.
The Arctic Circle is a line of latitude at 66.5 degrees north. It is the farthest point north that receives sunlight during its winter season (90 N − 23.5 = 66.5 N). During winter, the North Pole is away from the sun and does not receive much sunlight. At times, it is dark for most of the twenty-four-hour day. During the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, the North Pole faces more toward the sun and may receive sunlight for longer portions of the twenty-four-hour day. The Antarctic Circle is the corresponding line of latitude at 66.5 degrees south. It is the farthest location south that receives sunlight during the winter season in the Southern Hemisphere (90 S − 23.5 = 66.5 S). When it is winter in the north, it is summer in the south.
The Arctic and Antarctic Circles mark the extremities (southern and northern, respectively) of the polar day (twenty-four-hour sunlit day) and the polar night (twenty-four-hour sunless night). North of the Arctic Circle, the sun is above the horizon for twenty-four continuous hours at least once per year and below the horizon for twenty-four continuous hours at least once per year. This is true also near the Antarctic Circle, but it occurs south of the Antarctic Circle, toward the South Pole. Equinoxes , when the line of direct sunlight hits the equator and days and nights are of equal length, occur in the spring and fall on or around March 20 or 21 and September 22 or 23.
Figure 1.6 Graphic of the Four Seasons
Universal Time (UT), Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or Zulu Time (Z): all four terms can be defined as local time at 0 degrees longitude, which is the prime meridian (location of Greenwich, England). This is the same time under which many military operations, international radio broadcasts, and air traffic control systems operate worldwide. UTC is set in zero- to twenty-four-hour time periods, as opposed to two twelve-hour time periods (a.m. and p.m.). The designations of a.m. and p.m. are relative to the central meridian: a.m. refers to ante meridiem , or “before noon,” and p.m. refers to post meridiem , or “after noon.” UT, UTC, GMT, and Z all refer to the same twenty-four-hour time system that assists in unifying a common time in regard to global operations. For example, all air flights use the twenty-four-hour time system so the pilots can coordinate flights across time zones and around the world.
The earth rotates on its axis once every twenty-four hours at the rate of 15 degrees per hour (15 × 24 = 360). Time zones are established roughly every 15 degrees longitude so that local times correspond to similar hours of day and night. With this system, the sun is generally overhead at noon in every time zone that follows the 15-degree-wide system. The continental United States has four main time zones (see Table 1.1 “Four Main Time Zones in the Continental United States and Their Central Meridians” and Figure 1.7 “Major Time Zones of the World” ).
Table 1.1 Four Main Time Zones in the Continental United States and Their Central Meridians
Figure 1.7 Major Time Zones of the World
The twenty-four times zones are based on the prime meridian in regard to Universal Coordinated Time (UTC), Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or Zulu Time (Z), which all operate on the twenty-four-hour time clock. Local time zones are either plus or minus determined by the distance from the prime meridian.
Figure 1.8 Diagram Illustrating the Width of a Time Zone
In this diagram, 75 W is the central meridian for the eastern standard time zone in the United States.
The eastern standard time zone is five hours earlier than the time at the prime meridian (UTC) because it is about 75 degrees west of 0 degrees (5 × 15 = 75). For example, if it is noon in London, then it is 7 a.m. in New York. If it is 1 p.m. in New York, it is 10 a.m. in San Francisco, which is three times zones to the west. Since there are twenty-four hours in a day, there are twenty-four time zones on Earth. Each time zone is 15 degrees wide.
A problem with the 15-degree time zones is that the zones do not necessarily follow state, regional, or local boundaries. The result is that time zones are seldom exactly 15 degrees wide and usually have varied boundary lines. In the United States, the boundaries between the different time zones are inconsistent with the lines of longitude; in some cases, time zones zigzag to follow state lines or to keep cities within a single time zone. Other countries address the problem differently. China, for example, is as large in land area as the United States yet operates on only one time zone for the entire country.
Regions in Geography
A region is a basic unit of study in geography—a unit of space characterized by a feature such as a common government, language, political situation, or landform. A region can be a formal country governed by political boundaries, such as France or Canada; a region can be defined by a landform, such as the drainage basin of all the water that flows into the Mississippi River; and a region can even be defined by the area served by a shopping mall. Cultural regions can be defined by similarities in human activities, traditions, or cultural attributes. Geographers use the regional unit to map features of particular interest, and data can be compared between regions to help understand trends, identify patterns, or assist in explaining a particular phenomenon.
Regions are traditionally defined by internal characteristics that provide a sense of place. Their boundaries vary with the type of region, whether it is formal, functional, or vernacular; each type has its own meaning and defined purpose. A formal region has a governmental, administrative, or political boundary and can have political as well as geographic boundaries that are not open to dispute or debate. Formal boundaries can separate states, provinces, or countries from one another. Physical regions can be included within formal boundaries, such as the Rocky Mountains or New England. An official boundary, such as the boundary of a national park, can be considered a formal boundary. School districts, cities, and county governments have formal boundaries.
Natural physical geographic features have a huge influence on where political boundaries of formal regions are set. If you look at a world map, you will recognize that many political boundaries are natural features, such as rivers, mountain ranges, and large lakes. For example, between the United States and Mexico, the Rio Grande makes up a portion of the border. Likewise, between Canada and the United States, a major part of the eastern border is along the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes. Alpine mountain ranges in Europe create borders, such as the boundary between Switzerland and Italy.
While geographic features can serve as convenient formal borders, political disputes will often flare up in adjacent areas, particularly if valuable natural or cultural resources are found within the geographic features. Oil drilling near the coast of a sovereign country, for example, can cause a dispute between countries about which one has dominion over the oil resources. The exploitation of offshore fisheries can also be disputed. A Neolithic mummy of a man who died in 3300 BCE caused tension between Italy and Switzerland: the body was originally taken to Innsbruck, Switzerland, but when it was determined that the body was found about 90 meters (180 feet) inside the border of Italy, Italian officials laid claim to the body.
Functional regions have boundaries related to a practical function within a given area. When the function of an area ends, the functional region ends and its boundaries cease to exist. For example, a functional region can be defined by a newspaper service or delivery area. If the newspaper goes bankrupt, the functional region no longer exists. Church parishes, shopping malls, and business service areas are other examples of functional regions. They function to serve a region and may have established boundaries for limits of the area to which they will provide service. An example of a common service area—that is, a functional region—is the region to which a local pizza shop will deliver.
Vernacular regions have loosely defined boundaries based on people’s perceptions or thoughts. Vernacular regions can be fluid—that is, different people may have different opinions about the limits of the regions. Vernacular regions include concepts such as the region called the “Middle East.” Many people have a rough idea of the Middle East’s location but do not know precisely which countries make up the Middle East. Also, in the United States, the terms Midwest or South have many variations. Each individual might have a different idea about the location of the boundaries of the South or the Midwest. Whether the state of Kentucky belongs in the Midwest or in the South might be a matter of individual perception. Similarly, various regions of the United States have been referred to as the Rust Belt, Sun Belt, or Bible Belt without a clear definition of their boundaries. The limit of a vernacular area is more a matter of perception than of any formally agreed-upon criteria. Nevertheless, most people would recognize the general area being discussed when using one of the vernacular terms in a conversation.
Using a State as a Comparison Guide
In comparing one formal political region with another, it is often helpful to use a familiar country, state, province, or political unit as a reference or guide. Wherever you are located, you can research the statistical data for a formal region familiar to you to provide a common reference. The US state of Kentucky is one example that can be used to compare formal political regions. Kentucky ranks close to the middle range of the fifty US states in terms of its population of 4.3 million people. Kentucky is also within the median range of the fifty states in overall physical area. The state’s 40,409-square-mile physical area ranks it thirty-seventh in size in the United States. Kentucky is not as large in physical area as the western states but is larger in physical area than many of the eastern states. Kentucky includes part of the rural peripheral region of Appalachia, but the state also has cosmopolitan core urban centers such as Lexington and Louisville. Kentucky also borders the metropolitan city of Cincinnati. The rural peripheral regions of the state are home to agriculture and mining. The urban core areas are home to industry and service centers. Other US states could also be used as examples. Identifying a state’s geographical attributes provides readers both in and outside the United States with a comparison indicator for geographic purposes.
The state of Kentucky can be used as a comparison guide for understanding other formal political regions around the world.
World Regional Geography
World regional geography studies various world regions as they compare with the rest of the world. Factors for comparison include both the physical and the cultural landscape. The main questions are, Who lives there? What are their lives like? What do they do for a living? Physical factors of significance can include location, climate type, and terrain. Human factors include cultural traditions, ethnicity, language, religion, economics, and politics.
World regional geography focuses on regions of various sizes across the earth’s landscape and aspires to understand the unique character of regions in terms of their natural and cultural attributes. Spatial studies can play an important role in regional geography. The scientific approach can focus on the distribution of cultural and natural phenomena within regions as delimited by various natural and cultural factors. The focus is on the spatial relationships within any field of study, such as regional economics, resource management, regional planning, and landscape ecology.
Again, this textbook takes a regional approach with a focus on themes that illustrate the globalization process, which in turn helps us better understand our global community. The regions studied in world regional geography can be combined into larger portions called realms . Realms are large areas of the planet, usually with multiple regions, that share the same general geographic location. Regions are cohesive areas within each realm. The following eleven realms are outlined in this text:
- Europe (Eastern Europe and Western Europe)
- The Russian Realm (Russian republic of the former Soviet Union)
- North America (United States and Canada)
- Middle America (Caribbean, Mexico, Central America)
- South America
- North Africa, the Middle East and central Asia
- Subsaharan Africa (Africa south of the Sahara Desert)
- Southern Asia (India and its neighbors)
- Eastern Asia (China, Mongolia, Japan, and the Koreas)
- Southeast Asia (mainland region and the islands region)
- Australia and the Pacific (including New Zealand)
Figure 1.10 Major World Realms
- Geography is the spatial study of the earth’s surface. The discipline of geography bridges the social sciences with the physical sciences. The two main branches of geography include physical geography and human geography. GIS, GPS, and remote sensing are tools that geographers use to study the spatial nature of physical and human landscapes.
- A grid system called the graticule divides the earth by lines of latitude and longitude that allow for the identification of absolute location on the earth’s surface through geometric coordinates measured in degrees. There are twenty-four time zones that are set at 15-degree intervals each and organize time intervals around the world.
- The tilt of the earth’s axis at 23.5 degrees helps create the earth’s seasonal transitions by either absorbing or reflecting the sun’s energy. The line of direct sunlight always hits the earth between 23.5 degrees north (Tropic of Cancer) and 23.5 degrees south (Tropic of Capricorn), depending on the time of year.
- A region is the basic unit of study in geography. Three main types of boundaries define a region: formal, functional, and vernacular. World regional geography is the study of a particular group of world regions or realms as each compares with the rest of the world.
Discussion and Study Questions
- How does the discipline of geography provide a bridge between the social sciences and the physical sciences?
- How does the cultural landscape assist in indicating the differences between a wealthy neighborhood and a poverty-stricken neighborhood?
- How can remote sensing technology assist in determining what people do for a living?
- What is the significance of the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn?
- What occupations depend on knowledge of the seasons for their success?
- If it is 4 p.m. in San Francisco, what time is it in London, England?
- How would GIS, GPS, or remote sensing technology be used to evaluate the destruction caused by a tornado in Oklahoma?
- How is the cultural landscape influenced by the physical landscape?
- Can you list a formal region, a functional region, and a vernacular region that would include where you live?
- What methods, topics, or procedures would be helpful to include in the study of world geography?
Identify the following key places on a map:
- Arctic Circle
- Antarctic Circle
- International Date Line
- Prime meridian
- Tropic of Cancer
- Tropic of Capricorn
- Use Google Earth to locate your current school or residence.
- Draw a map of your home state or province and include lines of latitude and longitude.
- Compile the statistical data on your home state, province, or territory to use in comparing formal political regions.
World Regional Geography Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
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Geography Worksheets, Lesson Plans, Printables
Foster global awareness in your class with U.S. and world geography printables, lessons, and references. Teach students about oceans and landforms with science activities and mapping resources. There are plenty of crossword puzzles and quizzes to test your students' knowledge of the earth's surface. Map and geography skills may be used in many subject areas including language arts, math, and history. These social studies resources can enhance any curriculum for kindergarten through twelfth grade.
- Most Popular
- Most Recent
Printables for Grades K-5
Build your students map reading and identification skills with these various activities that cover maps of the entire world. These visual representations of parts of the world will help your students discover without having to leave the classroom! These resources are geared toward grades K-5.
- U.S. Map with State Capitals
- Find the Continents and Oceans
- United States Map (Outline)
- Outline Map of Asia
- World Map (Black and White)
- Africa Mapping Activity
- Map of Southeast United States
- More Popular Geography Printables
Printables for Grades 6-8
Go deeper with your study with these printable maps of different parts of the world. Whether you are completing a comprehensive study of the United States or another country, or you just want to focus on a particular subsection, these worksheets will help students in the moment during your lessons as well as a resource to study for their quizzes as well.
- Geography Quiz: State Capitals
- Map of Midwest United States
- Map of Northeast United States
Printables for Grades 9-12
Use these resources for a general study of different countries or modify them to target a specific historical period or political movement that you want to focus on with your students. These maps can be a useful resource or study guide as students move toward learning more higher order concepts and retaining more historical information throughout the upper grades.
- Map of North America
- Political Map of Europe
- Geography Quiz: True or False
Use these comprehensive lesson plans to fully develop an individual, geographical concepts, or historical periods of time that you want to focus on with your students. Within each lesson, you will be guided on how to complete the lesson with students as well as provided different questions, discussions, or activities to help students deeply understand the topic under study.
- PowerPoint Postcards Presentation
- Latitude and Longitude
- Chart Columbus's Voyages
- Australia Poster
- Pilgrim Unit (7 lessons)
- What Are the Modern Olympic Games?
- Map Making, Floor Plans & Map Reading
- More Popular Geography Lesson Plans
Printable Geography Quizzes
Tired of making your own geography quizzes? Who says you have to? Review the different quizzes in this section to use as the perfect complement to your lessons and activities. You can use these quizzes as is or can modify them to better meet your teaching style or the needs of your classroom.
- Quiz: Southeast United States
- Quiz: Southwest U.S. State Capitals
- Quiz: The United States: West Region
- Quiz: Western U.S. State Capitals
- More Printable Geography Quizzes
Maps and Globes Resources
Use these printable map outlines or review the Practicing Map Skills activity to help your students learn about the different geographic features of various places around the world. These maps can be used again and again and are great resources to help student keep track of the constantly changing world.
- Practicing Map Skills
- Map of U.S. Regions
- Map Library
- More Popular Maps and Globes Resources
Geography Games & Puzzles
Need an interactive game to help reinforce your students' understanding of a geographical unit? This section is the one for you. Whether you want to teach students initial map skills by creating your own map of your classroom, or help them remember the different features that can be used when viewing a map, these printable games will make learning fun for your students.
- Find the State
- A Geography Wordsearch
- Magnificent Maps: Neighborhood Map
- Globe Wordsearch
- Name That Country
- Magnificent Maps: Classroom Map
- Magnificent Maps: Community Map
- More Geography Games & Puzzles
Technology Resources for Geography
Build your students inquiry, research, and discussion skills with these geographical technology resources. In this section, students will be responsible for investigating the world's wonders and reporting on their findings.
- Wonders of the World Questions
- Wonders of the World
- Researching Our National Parks
- Fantasy Vacation
- How Far Is It?
- More Technology Resources for Geography
U.S. Geography Resources
Use these printable maps to teach a comprehensive study of the geographical makeup of the United States. Students can keep these maps as study tools when looking back on a full year's study of the U.S. or just as a quick reference during a topic or concept.
- Map of Western United States
- Map of Southwest United States
- United States Maps Gallery
- Map Library of the United States
- More Popular U.S. Geography Resources
World Geography Resources
Use these printable maps to teach a comprehensive study of the geographical makeup of the the world. Students can keep these maps as study tools when looking back on a full year's study of the world. or just as a quick reference during a topic or concept.
- World Geography Glossary
- Longest Street in the World
- World Maps Gallery
- Sailing Around the World
- Mountains of the World Quiz
- More Popular World Geography Resources
Political Geography Resources
Help your students keep track of all the political affiliations during different historical periods with these resources. In this section, you can use printable maps, interactive books and slideshows, or just reinforce their understanding of geographical topic with various quizzes.
- Map Library of the World
- Maps & Activities Printables Slideshow
- Maps & Activities Printable Book (Grades 4-12)
- Continents of the World
- Capitals of the World Quiz
- Major Cities and Rivers in Russia
- Mason and Dixon's Line
- More Political Geography Resources
Looking to build your geographical resource library? This section can provide you a wealth of resources ranging from lesson plans, various charts and maps, or just some fun information or facts on the different parts of the world.
- Origin of U.S. State Names
- Oceans and Seas
- Just Where Was Columbus?
- Languages by Country
- Columbus's Voyages
- Fifty Fun Facts About the Fifty U.S. States
- State Capitals and Largest Cities for Each State
- More Popular Geography References
Geography Skill Builders
Uses these Skill Builder guides to help students learn research skills and discover fun facts about geography. Each guide divides into different activities according to your individual classrooms grade level so it can be a resource that you use for any classroom. It also is completed weekly so this be a great compliment to your daily lessons, review sessions, or even as homework activities for your students.
- Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 1
- Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 2
- Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 3
- Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 4
- Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 9
- Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 20
- Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 28
- More Geography Skill Builders
Geography Resources for History Class
Use these resources to help students learn about the geography from different historical periods or important events. In this section, you have access to different lesson plans, printable maps, interactive activities, and classroom guides for discussions. These resources can be kept as is or can be modified to be better for your individual teaching style or classroom needs.
- Mapping the War: World War II
- German Nazi Takeover: 1933-1944
- Countries Quiz
- Triangular Trade in the Atlantic Ocean
- More Popular Geography Resources for History Class
Earth Science & Geography Connected
Planning a cross-curricular study with your fellow teachers? Or just trying to help students understand how geography is formed? This section will provide you for a little bit of both! In this section, you have access to different comprehension resources that outline the causes and effects of natural disasters and how that has developed the geography from the past to today.
- Ocean Pollution
- What's the Solution to Ocean Pollution?
- Chart of the Water Cycle
- Time Zones Around the World
- Weather Words
- Plate Tectonics Test
- More Popular Geography Activities for Earth Science Class
Math & Geography Connected
Planning a cross-curricular study with the other teachers in various content areas? Or just trying to help students understand map reading and geography skills? This section will help you prepare for any objective or goal you have for your students. Use the different printable maps, lesson plans, or graphic organizers to build students comprehension and map-reading skills by focusing on topics such as time zones and latitude and longitude.
- Coordinate Grids (Gr. 3)
- Time Zones in the U.S.
- Making Choices: Decision Making (Gr. 6)
- Reading a Map
- Colorful World Map
- Map of the United States
- More Popular Geography Activities for Math Class
Language Arts & Geography Connected
Build your students reading comprehension and map reading skills with these different activities. In this section, students connect their understanding of different geographic features with their own previous knowledge and experiences. Each resource is a perfect complement to any part of your lesson, as a resource for students to use to remember key concepts, or as supplemental work to assess student understanding.
- Read the Map
- Geography Reading Warm-Up: Rainforests
- State Scavenger Hunt
- The Oceans of the World
- Matching Animal Habitats
- Mount Everest Timeline
- More Popular Language Arts Activities for Geography
Art Activities for Geography
Use these activities to add an artistic spin to learning geography. Students can create their own geographical tools, create cultural artifacts of individuals from a different country, or design different geographic maps of countries around the world. These activities can be used as is or modified to better suit the needs of students in your classroom.
- Compass Rose
- Maps and Globes Book
- Kente Cloth
- Dora the Explorer Map (English)
- A Bedroom Map
- More Art Activities for Geography
Earth Day Activities
Build your students understanding of this important day with different resources that highlights the importance of taking care of our Earth. In this section, students can review the different economic resources that are pivotal to human survival, the different ways we take care of resources, and much more!
- Geographical Highs, Lows, and Boundaries of the U.S.
- Science, Technology, and Society: Clean Machine
- National Park System of the United States
- Rivers of the United States
- Glaciers: Ice That Flows
- Economic Resources
- National Scenic Trails
- More Earth Day Teacher Resources
Wildlife Week Resources
Use these literature/teacher guides to review with students the different types of wildlife that live in various places around the world. These guides can compliment any content area and will help your students improve their reading comprehension and geography skills. Use them as is or adapt them to best fit your classroom.
- On the Far Side of the Mountain
- Kingfisher Knowledge Guide: Dangerous Creatures Teacher's Guide
- Columbus Day Activities
Use these lessons or activities in this section to help students learn about Christopher Columbus's voyage and exploration of America. These activities can be kept as is or modified to fit your individual teaching style or the needs of your students.
- More Columbus Day Teacher Resources
Native American Resources
Help students understand that studying geography means studying the individuals that live in those different regions as well. By reviewing the lives and culture of Native Americans, students can connect their geographical skills to deeper higher order thinking ones
- Native American Life on the Great Plains
- Native American Tribes of the Great Plains
- More American Indians & Native Americans - Teacher Resources
Voyages & Travels Resources
Use these different resources with your students to discuss the concepts of voyages and traveling. In this section are different visual maps, lesson plans, reading comprehension activities, and much more! These activities can be used in their current form or modified to better serve the needs of your classroom.
- First Hot-Air Balloon Flight
- Planning for the Voyage - Pilgrim Study Unit (Lesson 1 of 7)
- Historical Fiction Reading Warm-Up: The Christmas Gift
- Seeing the World Sub Kit (Grades 7-8)
- Peary, Henson, and the North Pole
- More Popular Voyages & Travel Resources
Need some inspiration for teaching your students about the Earth's oceans? Well look no further! Whether it's full comprehensive lesson plans, printable map activities, game worksheets, or resource guides for geographical features, this is the section for you. These activities are great as they are or can be adapted to the characteristics of your classroom.
- Earth's Oceans
- An Ocean Adventure Sub Kit (Grades 3-4)
- What Are Ocean Currents?
- Modeling Climates
- Length of the U.S. Coastline by State
- Word Search: The World's Oceans
- Crossing the Atlantic by Rowboat
- More Oceans Teacher Resources
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HSC 2022 Geography Assignment Answer (11th Week)
HSC 2022 Geography Assignment Answer : Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education is published the Inter 1st Year Geography Assignment Answer 2022 in a pdf file of 1st and 2nd paper on dshe.gov.bd.
HSC Geography Assignment Question, Work, Solutions for the 11th Week are now available at dshe.gov.bd or here.
The 11th Week HSC Geography Assignment and Answer is published on 7th February 2022. Let’s see the HSC Assignment 2022 Geography Answer in a pdf file from dshe.gov.bd in here.
Lets dive it in:
- 1st Paper Assignment
- 2nd Paper Assignment
HSC 2022 Geography Assignment Answer
National Curriculum and Textbook Board released the short syllabus for Geography, a subject in the Humanities Group, earlier in the year (back in January 2021). By Following that syllabus, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education will publish the assignments for this subject. According to the notice, students are required to submit a total of Eight assignments for each subject (4 is for the 1st Paper, and Four is for the 2nd Paper). Therefore, the distribution of marks in the HSC Exam 2022 is as follows: DSHE will give 50 marks for completing Assignment Solutions and 50 marks for completing the MCQ Test in the HSC Exam 2022. Students must write the Assignment solutions as soon as possible after the assignment question is given to them because it now carries marks of HSC Exam 2022.
According to the Assignment Grid published by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), They will assign the HSC Geography assignments to the students of the Humanities Group for the HSC Exam 2022 in the following weeks:
This assignment for the HSC Geography is available on the DSHE’s official website, and it was published on 7th February 2022, for the first weeks from a total of the fifteen weeks.
HSC Geography 1st Paper Assignment Answer 2022
The HSC Exam 2022 First Paper Assignment question for Geography Subjects is now available on the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education’s official website, dshe.gov.bd. As the result of the COVID-19 Corona Virus, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has reduced the length of the Geography 1st Paper syllabus for the exam year of HSC 2022, which will be administered in November 2022. To make it more manageable for students and to cope with the limited time available for HSC Exam 2022 in the Geography 1st Paper Subject to complete the Syllabus, they have reduced the number of chapters in the Syllabus from 10 to 4. As a result, only these Four chapters will be included in the Weekly Assignment Question. So, These Four Chapters are: Second (পৃথিবীর গঠন), Fifth (জলবায়ুর উপাদান ও নিয়ামক), Eighth(সমুদ্রস্রোত ও জোয়ারভাটা), Tenth (ব্যবহারিক মানচিত্র ও স্কেল). DSHE will assign the HSC Geography 1st Paper Assignment in the following weeks:
11th Week HSC Geography Assignment Answer 2022
The DSHE is published the HSC Geography Assignment Answer for the 11th Week From the second chapter.
DSHE is published the Inter 1st Year 11th Week HSC Geography Assignment Answer on dshe.gov.bd. Let’s see the assignment work and answer with solutions from below.
Class: HSC 1st Year Exam Year: HSC 2022 Group: Humanities Subject: Geography and Environment Paper: 1st Paper Assignment work: বাংলাদেশের ভূ-প্রাকৃতিক শ্রেণী বিভাজন কর।
Assignment Answer: Will Publish Soon.
HSC Geography Assignment 2022 5th Week Answer
The DSHE is published the HSC Geography Assignment Answer for the 5th Week From the second chapter.
DSHE is published the Inter 1st Year 5th Week HSC Geography Assignment Answer on dshe.gov.bd. Let’s see the assignment work and answer with solutions from below.
Class: HSC 1st Year Exam Year: HSC 2021 Group: Humanities Subject: Geography Paper: 1st Paper Assignment work: বাংলাদেশের ভূপ্রকৃতির শ্রেণী বিভাজন করো।
HSC Geography 1st Paper Assignment 2nd Week Answer
The DSHE is published 2nd Week Assignment Question of Geography 1st Paper from the Second Chapter (পৃথিবীর গঠন) of the Textbook provided by the NCTB. Students can now check the assignment question, learning objectives, instructions on how to write the assignment answer, and rubrics or assessment criteria, all of which have been made available on the internet. Do you require additional information? Then, take a look at the article. DSHE is published the Inter 1st Year 2nd Week HSC Geography Assignment Answer on dshe.gov.bd. Let’s see the assignment work and answer with solutions from below.
Class: HSC 1st Year Exam Year: HSC 2021 Group: Humanities Subject: Geography Paper: 1st Paper Assignment work: পৃথিবীর গঠন ও পর্বতের শ্রেণীবিভাগ দেখাও।
Instruction to students for writing the assignment answer:
- ভূত্বক পৃথিবীর অভ্যন্তরীণ গঠন চিত্রসহ বর্ণনা করো
- পৃথিবীর বিভিন্ন প্রকার পর্বত তার অবস্থান গঠন কাঠামো চিত্রসহ বর্ণনা করো
HSC Geography 2nd Paper Assignment Answer 2022
The assignment question for the Geography second paper for the HSC Exam 2021 has been made available on the secondary and Higher Secondary Official website dshe.gov.bd. Because many students are already aware of the COVID-19 Corona Virus outbreak, the NCTB has condensed the second paper syllabus to accommodate it. The Geography 2nd Paper syllabus has been reduced from its previous ten chapters to only Four, significantly reducing the previous ten. These chapters are numbered as follows: Second (জনসংখ্যা), Fourth (কৃষি), Fifth (শক্তি ও খনিজ সম্পদ), Tenth (মানচিত্র অভিক্ষেপ). The assignment question based on these chapters will be published by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education. During the following week, they will make the geography second paper assignment available online. They will publish the Geography 2nd Paper Assignment Question in the following weeks:
6th Week HSC Geography Assignment Answer 2021
The Directorate has published the 6th Week Assignment. They will publish the 6th Week HSC Geography Assignment Question for writing the solution on dshe.gov.bd
Class: Inter 1st Year Exam Year: HSC 2021 Group: Humanities Subject: Geography Paper: 2nd Paper
3rd Week HSC Geography Assignment Solutions
How to create the HSC 2022 Geography Assignment to get Outstanding Remarks
Candidates of HSC Exam 2021 must complete ten assignments for geography subjects worth 50 Marks. This 50 Mark will include in the HSC Result 2021.
Consequently, it is now critical for the students to participate in the Assignment by collecting the assignment question and writing the assignment solutions before submitting them to the colleges they are enrolled in. Therefore, students must pay close attention to the following information to achieve the highest marks.
The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education makes the rubrics or mark distribution guidelines for each Assignment available once a week for reference purposes.
Students who want to achieve the highest possible marks on the HSC Geography Assignment 2021 should put this information into the solutions when writing their Assignment.
Nonetheless, there are three important considerations for students to bear in mind at the time of writing assignment:
- Consistency and
For More Information, Visit: DSHE . In addition, students may want to find the Other Humanities Group Subjects Assignment Answer. It is categorized subject-wise, which is listed below:
Source: DSHE and NCTB
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Generative AI is transforming mankind’s creativity. It is shifting the drudgery from human shoulders so that they are free to focus on visions and ideas and purposes. The future of work is poised for a paradigm shift. How do schools create a place for their students in this age of breathtaking technological leaps?
The coming of generative AI is being spoken of in the same breath that photography and celluloid film were, during their initial days. Just as the camera replaced artistic interpretations of reality, generative AI will make natural talent redundant. It is possible with generative AI to write, create products, and sing using algorithms that work from existing data. It is like magic! Imagine machines that are tireless, work 24/7 and leave us free to direct them towards the more superior tasks of strategy and creativity.
How did generative AI come about? Decades were invested in mathematical work and research before ChatGPT by Open ai brought AI into public consciousness in 2022. ChatGPT or Chat Generative Pre-training Transformer and other generative AI models are transforming not just each one of the currently recognized professions, but they are changing our assumptions of what constitutes work. With repetitive work being facilitated by AI models, what is left for humans to do is to dream, be curious, strive for emotional intelligence and supervise the execution of our visions through the machines we created.
Generative AI is a sub-category that comes under the umbrella term of AI or artificial intelligence. It is different from the rest in that it is specifically designed to generate new content. It is primarily used for image generation, video synthesis, language creation, and music composition. There is a new term for a person who uses AI to create: Creative Technologist! And there is a range of paid services and tools to help with the creative process. At this time, some of the popular programs are Midjourney, Lensa, AI Notebooks. But it is important to remember that generative AI is changing every day.
This brings us to the question – What can AI generative models offer to schools? To start with, consider enhanced creativity and better learning experience for the students. New ideas, art works, essays, and fresh perspectives on all the subjects. These tools can benefit students who speak English as a second language. Take writing an essay for instance. AI tools can help the student from brainstorming ideas to editing drafts to reflecting on every sentence. They can also assist students who have different and complex learning styles. AI generative tools can assist students with special needs or learning disabilities. There is the increasing demand for customized learning material and personalized guidance. AI-powered chatbots or computer programs that mimic human conversation are already simulating conversations in different languages, enabling translations and diverse exposures. Creating educational content, proofreading, upskilling, data-based decision making and more effective strategizing are some of the potential tasks that AI generative models can take up for schools.
Although there is no fixed age, the introduction of AI generative tools to students will depend on their age, development level, and educational objectives. Understanding and engaging with these tools requires an appropriate cognitive level in addition to a basic level of digital literacy. Schools will also need to ensure that the tools they introduce align with their curriculum goals and learning objectives. CBSE has taken the lead and introduced AI in the curriculum as an elective subject for classes 8th to 10th. It has also issued guidelines on AI integration. AI generative tools apply more to creative writing classes, art and computer science courses. And, like every other subject, the introduction will be staggered, moving from the simple to more advanced AI generative tools. The two other important aspects involved here would be collaboration between educators, administrators, and other relevant stakeholders as well as awareness of the ethical considerations concerning data privacy, bias, and responsible use. AI generative tools cannot replace human instruction since it will be left to the teachers to guide the students’ learning and provide context.
Generative AI can also relieve educators of the time-consuming and tedious task of grading and assessment. By automating the process, it would be possible to give accurate real-time feedback in an objective and consistent manner. Given that AI algorithms are capable of identifying common errors and misconceptions among students, they could learn from their mistakes with the help of targeted feedback. The usual dependence on tests and quizzes could become more holistic, involving a range of outputs such as essays, projects, and presentations.
At this time in mankind’s history, there is a lot of fear induced hype that machines will take over completely. Perhaps it would be prudent to take a step back and see that we may be entering a golden age of creativity and production. There will be a shift in the job market undoubtedly. It has always been that way. With every new technology, some jobs disappear while others are born. AI generated tools may give us more time to focus on superior skills such as empathy, leadership, and problem solving. What if this is the time for developers, generative AI artists, and creative producers? Each of us today could turn into our own creative studio with the potential to achieve our vision and manifestation.
We can make a choice to overcome all fear, judgement, and prejudice around AI. The bare fact is that AI is merely a tool in our service that we created. The tools do not pose a challenge, the real danger is of human laziness. If humans start relying on the machines to produce assets without striving for creativity, the outcomes will be mediocre.
So, let’s keep the sparkle of human flair alive and not miss a single beat. We live and breathe on cutting edge obsolescence today! Humanity is poised to transcend from a society of consumers to creators. The winners will be those that strengthen their unique personal emotional skills that no computer can ever mimic. It is time to start investing in expanding personal consciousness, awareness, and emotional skills.
We are the power behind AI.
The author is a global speaker on generational diversity. Author of four generational books, her TEDx talk is titled “The Unaffordable Cost of Generation Gap”. A certified virtual presenter, she represents the Professional Speakers Association of India on the Global Speakers Federation Board. She has a LinkedIn certification in “What is Generative AI” and can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/neerja-singh/. | <urn:uuid:71350363-3123-416b-91d2-b9a1e4095411> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.teacherplus.org/generative-ai-the-mind-in-the-machine/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476374.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20240303111005-20240303141005-00597.warc.gz | en | 0.951662 | 1,317 | 3.375 | 3 | 1,231 |
It’s no secret -- implementing technology in your classroom is a great way to increase student engagement.
Make no mistake, that is one of the greatest gifts of being human, right up there with breathing. This type of individuality is innate in each and every one of us; as such, we all inevitably have our own curiosities, quirks and needs, wants and desires. These apply across a wide array of areas in our lives, but one area where uniqueness plays a key role is how we learn, and what environment suits our learning the best.
This is true for both adults and kids -- some of us learn best when blocked off from all distraction, whereas others learn better when working with others and some of us learn better visually as opposed to experientially.
The point is, as distinctly unique individuals, your students each learn in personalized ways -- a topic we covered in our blog “5 Simple Personalized Learning Strategies For Your Classroom” -- and may need to interact with your learning environment in different ways in order to get the most out of their learning.
A good place to start when bringing a more personalized learning approach to your classroom is with classroom redesign. By involving your students in the process of creating a redesigned classroom you’re sure to maximize their engagement and ensure they get the most out of your teaching.
So, let’s get started, shall we?
1.) Reimagine Classroom Seating
Give Students The Flexibility To Sit, Stand, Work Alone, Work Together, Etc…
Flexible seating has become a movement in education -- even though the idea itself has been around for quite some time, it’s starting to gain a lot more traction recently. The reasoning? It works to maximize student engagement, plain and simple.
Traditional seating simply does not work for a good amount of students, whereas flexible seating gives every student the opportunity to work in whatever setting works best for them.
So, how do you bring flexible seating to your classroom? Start with the flexible part of it -- you need to have the versatility to offer your students many different options. Can they work standing up? Can they work on the floor? Can they work with one another? Can they work by themselves if they want to? These are some of the big questions that drive flexible seating.
Consider designating different parts of your classroom for various learning objectives. For example, one area could be used for collaborative work, while another would be closed off for those students who would rather work by themselves. Provide an area for students to work while standing, and an area for them to sprawl out on the floor if they so desire. The point is, give them flexible options.
Next, take into account the seating part of it. For standing areas, you obviously wouldn’t need seating, but for the floor, you may consider bean bag chairs -- or pillows -- so that students can roll to the floor if they want to. Collaborative spaces may need a table, and individual spaces need some seclusion. You can use existing furniture to create these spaces as well. For example, you could flip a table on its edge and create a fort where a student can work alone.
Bottom line -- sometimes students don’t work best in the spaces where they think they will, so monitoring the seating arrangements will be key. However, it’s also important that each kid gets to try all the options after you implement flexible seating, so they can learn where they are most productive. Involving them in the process to begin with also ensure that students have a voice in how some of the flexible seating is arranged.
2.) Reimagine Classroom Wall Space
Use Your Walls As Space For Kids To Ideate, Create And Collaborate
What do your kids currently see on the walls of your classroom? Do you keep the same layout on your walls year in and year out? Do you use them for decoration more than you use them to showcase student learning? Can students interact with the walls in your classroom?
Classroom walls can be some of the most powerful and impactful learning tools in your space. Using them properly can be difficult though.
When the mind wanders or is curious, often times we start looking around us and pondering. Many times we look at the walls that surround us in search of answers. Imagine if you could leverage that curiosity or wandering to your advantage.
By reimagining how you use your classroom walls, you can.
What if while your students were working on a project they could just take to the wall and put some sticky note ideation on it, hashing out their ponderings and engaging their creativity?What if there were whiteboards, plexiglass and writable surfaces all around them that they could use whenever they saw fit?
Empower and encourage your students to use the walls as a springboard for their ideation and a catalyst to their creativity and imagination. When the walls of your classroom become a canvas your students can use in their learning, you’re expanding the boundaries of their learning surface to be limitless, and thus encouraging a limitless imagination -- out-of-the-box thinking is more possible when the boundaries of the box don’t exist.
Flexible seating is one step in creating a versatile classroom, leveraging wall space is another. Designate different sections of your classroom walls for various learning objectives and challenge the obsolete bulletin board, letting your kids own the walls and move onto them with their own ideas.
3.) Reimagine The Heart Of Your Classroom
Gather And Connect As An Entire Class
We’ve all heard it -- challenge your role as the sage on the stage, and at the front of the classroom, and become the guide on the side instead. It’s an awesome concept, and it works when implemented correctly, but how do we implement it?
Flexible seating is a good way to start because it allows you to create places to learn everywhere in your classroom, instead of making rows of desks that point to a focal point.
With flexible seating, you’re eliminating any particular focal point and thereby designing a classroom where the heart of the classroom is the entirety of the room.
However, flexible seating is just one step in the process, we must also be willing to relinquish control over the room, and become a part of the knowledge discovery, instead of leading it.
Reimagining the heart of your classroom begins with learning areas that are diverse, and that span different areas of your room. However, you must also become a part of the room, instead of owning the center, or front, of it. That includes your desk as well. Consider moving your desk to a strategic area of the room -- in the back, or even out of the room completely -- in order to leverage this heart of the room strategy even further.
Essentially, a podium is not the heart of your classroom. The heart is the collaboration that takes place between you and your students and the collaboration that takes place among them.
4.) Reimagine How You Use Your Classroom Supplies
Create A Supply Headquarters That’s Accessible At Any Time
Whether it’s smelly markers, crayons, pens, pencils, tablets, laptops, construction paper or Chromebooks, creating a headquarters for all your supplies that’s accessible at any time is another way to maximize student engagement.
For one, it organizes the resources students can use to supplement their learning into one area.
The accessibility also encourages students to use them when they need them, and for whatever purpose they deem necessary, instead of being directed by you when to use a certain resource for a specific project.
Creating this space encourages students to think of how they use resources for projects differently. Instead of being directed to use resources, they are able to think critically about how a certain resource will benefit what they are working on, and become self-sufficient with how they supplement their learning. It leaves the power in your kids’ hands to decide how a certain learning objective should be completed, and teaches them to be eclectic with how they choose to interact with their learning.
In other words, you’re challenging your students to own their learning, and decide on their own what resource they need for a project. You’re also allowing students to choose resources that work specifically for their style of learning, and create completed projects that are unique to them.
5.) Involve Your Kiddos In The Process
Ideate, Create And Implement Your Redesigned Classroom Together
What’s the best way to maximize student engagement with classroom setup ideas? Involve your students in the process of redesigning your classroom.
Bring it up with them first and tell them you’re planning on making the classroom a bit different, and that you’d like their thoughts on the process. Obviously this will be a little different depending on what level of education you’re teaching at, but it’s possible at every level.
The point is, you don’t want your students to walk in one day and see an entirely different classroom setup without first being aware of your intention to make changes.
Ask your students what they enjoy learning about at home, and where at home they usually do that learning. Discuss with them what they think is missing from the walls of your classroom, or what else they’d like to see on the walls. Ask them each what they enjoy as hobbies on the side -- this is a good starting point for considering how certain students will use flexible seating and a supplies headquarters.
Mostly, just encourage creativity and outside-of-the-box thinking and most importantly, make them aware that you’re redesigning the classroom for them, and that their input is key to the situation.
Redesigning your classroom can be difficult and time consuming, but it’s not impossible. The five strategies above are a great place to start, but your own ideation on the subject will be invaluable as well.
At its core, classroom redesign is about one thing -- the fact that students are all unique, and need to be stimulated in different ways in order to get the most out of knowledge acquisition.
We all seek access to knowledge in different ways, but the seeking mostly stems from the curiosity to discover.
A versatile learning environment is the best way to diversify your students’ access to that discovery, while also empowering their curiosity and imagination. | <urn:uuid:f7f47dee-3e4e-49c3-b992-cee57d4460b6> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.mindspark.org/post/6-ways-to-maximize-engagement-with-edtech | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473871.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222225655-20240223015655-00697.warc.gz | en | 0.952412 | 2,163 | 2.515625 | 3 | 1,232 |
- Custom Puzzles: A Smart Choice for Child Education and Development
Custom Puzzles: A Smart Choice for Child Education and Development
Custom puzzles are an excellent tool for promoting child education and development. They offer a unique learning experience that engages children in a fun and interactive way. Whether it's solving puzzles, playing educational games, or exploring personalized puzzle designs, custom puzzles provide a smart choice for enhancing cognitive skills and fostering creativity. In this article, we will explore the benefits of custom puzzles in early childhood education and how they can be customized to meet different learning styles.
When it comes to educational toys for children, custom puzzles stand out as a versatile and effective option. These personalized puzzles cater to the specific needs and interests of each child, making the learning experience more engaging and impactful. Let's delve into the advantages of incorporating custom puzzles into your child's educational journey
The Benefits of Custom Puzzles in Early Childhood Education
Custom puzzles play a crucial role in early childhood education by promoting cognitive development. Through play and problem-solving, children can sharpen their critical thinking, spatial reasoning, and fine motor skills.
Enhancing Cognitive Skills Through Play
Custom puzzles offer an interactive and engaging way for children to develop and enhance their cognitive skills. By solving puzzles, children can improve their problem-solving abilities, pattern recognition, and logical reasoning. These cognitive skills are vital for academic success and intellectual growth.
Research has shown that children who engage in puzzle play have improved memory and concentration. They learn to focus and pay attention to details, which are essential skills for learning and understanding new concepts.
Furthermore, puzzles provide opportunities for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills. As they manipulate puzzle pieces and fit them together, children enhance their ability to visualize how objects relate to one another in space.
Personalized Educational Games for Varied Learning Styles
In addition to enhancing cognitive skills, custom puzzles offer personalized educational games that cater to different learning styles. Every child has a unique way of learning, and customized puzzles can accommodate these individual differences.
For visual learners, puzzles with vibrant images and visual cues can facilitate comprehension and retention of information. On the other hand, auditory learners can benefit from puzzles that incorporate sound or audio instructions.
Kinesthetic learners, who learn best through hands-on experiences, can engage with puzzles that involve physical manipulation of pieces or require them to move around. These personalized educational games provide tailored learning experiences that align with each child's preferred learning style, making the learning process more effective and enjoyable.
Custom-Made Puzzles for Kids: Engaging Young Minds
Custom-made puzzles for kids present a compelling approach to stimulate young minds through engaging activities. Here's a breakdown of their benefits and features:
- Age-Appropriate Content: These puzzles are tailored with challenges and content suitable for children's developmental stages, ensuring a beneficial learning experience.
- Enhanced Problem-Solving Abilities: Through hands-on learning experiences, custom-made puzzles aim to improve critical thinking, patience, and concentration among children.
- Active Engagement: Unlike passive learning, puzzles demand active participation from children, fostering their ability to think critically and apply problem-solving skills.
- Interactive Learning Environment: With colorful images, fun themes, and interactive elements, these puzzles keep children's attention and encourage exploration and learning.
- Cognitive Skill Development: Solving puzzles aids in the development of logical reasoning, spatial awareness, and hand-eye coordination, essential for both academic and real-life applications.
Custom-made puzzles for kids are a valuable tool in promoting child development. They provide a hands-on, interactive learning experience that engages young minds and fosters essential cognitive skills. Whether it's solving puzzles, exploring fun themes, or conquering challenges, custom-made puzzles offer an engaging way for children to learn and grow.
Merging Fun and Learning: Educational Puzzles and Child Development
Educational puzzles provide more than just entertainment; they play a significant role in shaping a child's problem-solving abilities. By engaging in various puzzle challenges, children develop essential skills such as logical reasoning, pattern recognition, and strategic thinking. These skills are crucial for their cognitive development and will benefit them throughout their lives.
How Puzzles Shape Problem-Solving Abilities
By participating in educational puzzles, children learn to approach problems from different angles and find solutions through trial and error. The process of solving puzzles helps develop their analytical and critical thinking skills, improving their problem-solving abilities. They learn to break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable tasks and develop strategies to solve them systematically.
"Educational puzzles serve as a powerful tool for developing problem-solving skills in children. The challenge they present encourages children to think creatively, evaluate possibilities, and persist until they find a solution. Through solving puzzles, children learn to apply logical reasoning, think critically, and develop resourcefulness. These skills enable them to tackle not only puzzles but also real-life situations that require problem-solving skills."
Custom Puzzle Designs That Promote Creativity and Critical Thinking
Custom puzzle designs add an extra layer of creativity and critical thinking to the learning experience. They provide unique themes, images, and arrangements that stimulate imaginative thinking and encourage innovative solutions. Customizing the puzzles according to the child's interests and preferences enhances their engagement and fosters a love for learning.
Take a look at the customized puzzle design below that promotes creativity and critical thinking:
|Enhances animal recognition and knowledge
|Develops mathematical skills and logical thinking
|Improves storytelling skills and imagination
By allowing children to explore customized puzzle designs, we can engage their creativity and critical thinking, fostering a love of learning while developing valuable skills.
Personalized Puzzles: Making Learning Intimate and Memorable
Personalized puzzles offer a unique way to create customized learning experiences that are both intimate and memorable for children. By incorporating personalized elements such as their names, photos, or favorite themes, these puzzles foster a sense of ownership and emotional connection, making the learning process more engaging and enjoyable.
When children see their own names or images on a puzzle, it captures their attention and sparks curiosity. This personalization in education allows them to connect with the learning material on a deeper level, facilitating better retention of information and a stronger desire to learn. It creates a memorable experience that enhances their overall educational journey.
The individualized nature of personalized puzzles also caters to different learning styles. Each child has their own unique way of processing information and acquiring knowledge. By adapting the puzzles to their specific interests and preferences, personalized puzzles provide an effective tool for individualized learning. This customization ensures that children can engage with the material in a way that resonates with them, resulting in a more meaningful and impactful educational experience.
Furthermore, personalized puzzles offer a variety of memorable educational activities. Whether it's solving puzzles that feature their favorite animals, exploring puzzles with their own photos, or uncovering pieces that reveal their favorite hobbies, these activities create a connection between learning and personal enjoyment. This combination not only enhances their educational achievements but also fosters a positive attitude towards learning.
Personalization in education has proven to be an effective strategy to promote engagement and enhance learning outcomes. Personalized puzzles are a powerful tool that can make learning a truly personalized and unforgettable experience for children.
The Versatility of Custom Puzzle Pieces: Shapes, Sizes, and Themes
When it comes to custom puzzles, the options are endless. One of the key aspects that make custom puzzles so versatile is the ability to customize the puzzle pieces themselves. From different shapes to varying sizes, custom puzzle pieces allow for a truly personalized learning experience.
Customizable Options for Educational Puzzles
With custom puzzle pieces, educators and parents have the freedom to choose shapes that align with the learning objectives or themes of the puzzle. Whether it's square, round, or even unique shapes such as animals or objects, the customization options are limitless. Additionally, the sizes of the puzzle pieces can be tailored to suit the age and dexterity of the children, ensuring optimal engagement and ease of use.
Creating a Diverse Puzzle Inventory for Different Skill Levels
The versatility of custom puzzle pieces also allows for the creation of a diverse puzzle inventory that caters to different skill levels. By offering puzzles with varying difficulty levels, educators and parents can ensure that each child is appropriately challenged and engaged. This not only promotes skill development but also fosters a sense of accomplishment as children progress through different puzzle levels.
Furthermore, the option to customize puzzle themes adds another layer of versatility. From animals and nature to letters and numbers, educators and parents can choose themes that are relevant to the learning objectives and interests of the children. This personalization creates a more enjoyable and immersive learning experience, enhancing the educational value of the puzzles.
With custom puzzle pieces, the possibilities are endless. By harnessing this versatility, educators and parents can create educational puzzles that are tailored to specific learning objectives, skill levels, and themes, providing children with a truly engaging and effective learning tool.
Q. How do custom puzzles promote child education and development?
Custom puzzles offer a unique learning experience that engages children in a fun and interactive way, promoting cognitive development, critical thinking, spatial reasoning, and fine motor skills.
Q. What are personalized educational games and how do they benefit children?
Personalized educational games provide tailored learning experiences that cater to different learning styles, ensuring that every child can effectively engage and absorb information.
Q. How do custom-made puzzles enhance child development?
Custom-made puzzles specifically designed for kids stimulate young minds, enhance problem-solving abilities, patience, and concentration in children through hands-on learning experiences.
Q. How do educational puzzles shape problem-solving abilities?
Navigating through various puzzle challenges develop essential skills such as logical reasoning, pattern recognition, and strategic thinking in children.
Q. How do personalized puzzles make learning more intimate and memorable?
By incorporating personalized elements such as names, photos, or favorite themes, personalized puzzles create a sense of ownership and emotional connection for children, leading to better retention and a stronger desire to learn.
Q. What are the customizable options for educational puzzles?
Custom puzzle pieces offer a wide range of customizable options, including different shapes, sizes, and themes, allowing for the creation of puzzles tailored to specific learning objectives or curriculum requirements.
Q. How can diverse puzzle inventory cater to different skill levels?
By offering a diverse puzzle inventory, educators and parents can cater to different skill levels and ensure that puzzles provide an appropriate level of challenge and engagement for every child.
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Preschool education is not just about art, music, dance, fun, and fantasy, it is to provide comprehensive learning objectives and having a structured way to achieve these objectives.
The 4 major components to achieve these objectives are:
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Maximising the use of Moodle for course and content creation, with these tips on customisation, multimedia, gamification, assessment and more.
In today’s digital age, e-Learning has become an essential aspect of education. With the rapid advancement of technology, e-Learning platforms have emerged as a popular medium for both instructors and learners. Moodle is one such e-Learning platform that has gained popularity worldwide. Moodle is an open-source platform that offers a flexible and user-friendly interface for creating and delivering online courses. In this article, we will explore how to maximise the use of Moodle for course and content creation.
What is Moodle?
Moodle is a free and open-source Learning Management System (LMS) that enables educators to create, manage, and deliver online courses. Moodle is designed to be flexible, customisable, and scalable, making it suitable for small to large organisations. Moodle provides a range of features that can be used to create and manage online courses, such as creating and managing courses, quizzes, assignments, forums, and multimedia content.
Which Moodle resources and activities can you leverage for the different stages of ADDIE?
Moodle resources and activities can be connected to the ADDIE model, which is a commonly used instructional design framework. The ADDIE model consists of five stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.
- In the analysis stage, instructional designers identify the learning needs and objectives of the course. Moodle resources such as surveys, quizzes and polls can be used to gather data and feedback from learners, which can inform the analysis stage.
- In the design stage, instructional designers plan the course structure and content. Moodle activities such as forums, assignments and workshops can be used to facilitate interactive and collaborative learning experiences for learners, and can be incorporated into the course design.
- In the development stage, instructional designers create the course materials and resources. Moodle resources such as files, URLs, and pages can be used to create and organise course content and multimedia.
- In the implementation stage, the course is delivered to learners. Moodle activities such as quizzes, chats and wikis can be used to engage learners in active and self-directed learning.
- In the evaluation stage, the course is assessed to determine its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. Moodle resources such as surveys and feedback forms can be used to gather data on learner satisfaction and course outcomes, which can inform the evaluation stage.
Creating an Online Course using Moodle
Creating an online course using Moodle is a straightforward process that involves the following steps:
Step 1: Creating a Course
To create a course in Moodle, follow these steps:
- Log in to your Moodle account and navigate to the dashboard.
- Click on “Create a course” “Add a course” and enter the course name and summary.
- Choose the course format and set the course start and end dates.
- Add resources and activities to the course.
Step 2: Adding Resources
Moodle provides various resource types that can be added to a course, such as:
Text pages are the most basic resource type in Moodle. They enable instructors to add text, images, and multimedia content to a course.
Files can be uploaded to Moodle and linked to from within the course. This is useful for sharing documents, presentations, and other types of files.
Instructors can link to external websites or other resources using the URL resource type.
Step 3: Adding Activities
Moodle provides various activity types that can be added to a course, such as:
Quizzes can be created in Moodle to test learners’ knowledge and understanding of course content. Quizzes can be set up to provide immediate feedback to learners.
Assignments can be set up in Moodle to allow learners to submit their work online. This makes it easy for instructors to grade assignments and provide feedback to learners.
Forums enable learners to engage in discussions with other learners and instructors. This is a useful tool for fostering collaboration and communication among learners.
Tips for Maximising the Use of Moodle for Course and Content Creation
Here are some tips for maximising the use of Moodle for course and content creation:
1. Customise Your Course Layout
Moodle offers a range of course formats that can be customised to suit your needs. Consider using a format that is intuitive and easy to navigate for learners.
2. Use Multimedia Content
Incorporating multimedia content, such as images, videos, and audio, can make your course more engaging and interactive. Moodle provides various tools for adding multimedia content to your courses.
3. Use Gamification
Gamification can be a useful tool for increasing learner engagement and motivation. Moodle provides various plugins that enable instructors to add game elements to their courses, such as badges and leaderboards.
4. Monitor Learner Progress
Moodle provides various tools for monitoring learner progress, such as gradebooks and analytics. Use these tools to track learner progress and identify areas where learners may be struggling.
5. Foster Communication and Collaboration
Encourage learners to engage in discussions with other learners and instructors by using forums, messaging, and chat tools. This can help create a sense of community and collaboration among learners.
6. Provide Clear Instructions
When creating course content, make sure to provide clear and concise instructions for learners. This can help learners understand what is expected of them and reduce confusion and frustration.
7. Use Assessments Effectively
Assessments, such as quizzes and assignments, can be used to test learners’ knowledge and understanding of course content. Use assessments effectively by providing immediate feedback and using them as a tool for ongoing learning and improvement.
8. Continuously Evaluate and Improve
Regularly evaluate your courses and content to identify areas for improvement. Use feedback from learners and analytics data to make data-driven decisions about course design and content.
Conclusion and Resources
|Resources and Tools
|Exploring different themes for Moodle courses
|Integrating video and audio resources
|Moodle Multimedia Plugins
|Implementing various gamification plugins
|Moodle Gamification Plugins
|Advanced quiz and assignment settings
|Moodle Quiz Settings, Moodle Assignment Settings
|Leveraging chat tools for real-time communication
|Moodle Chat, Moodle Messaging
|Incorporating group work and peer review
|Moodle Group Settings, Moodle Workshop
|Using analytics for data-driven decisions
|Moodle Learning Analytics, Moodle Reports
|Ensuring accessibility for all learners
|Moodle Accessibility, Moodle Accessibility Plugins
Moodle is a powerful e-Learning platform that offers a range of tools for course and content creation. By following the tips outlined in this article, you can maximise the use of Moodle to create engaging and effective online courses.
- Is Moodle free to use? Yes, Moodle is a free and open-source platform.
- Can I customise the look and feel of my Moodle courses? Yes, Moodle offers a range of customisation options for course layout and design.
- Can I create assessments in Moodle? Yes, Moodle provides various assessment tools, such as quizzes and assignments.
- Is Moodle suitable for small organisations? Yes, Moodle is designed to be flexible and scalable, making it suitable for organisations of all sizes.
- Can I track learner progress in Moodle? Yes, Moodle provides various tools for monitoring learner progress, such as gradebooks and analytics. | <urn:uuid:8f432447-ece5-4c21-8ef2-f8103141fe13> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://pukunui.com/maximising-the-use-of-moodle-for-course-and-content-creation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474544.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20240224180245-20240224210245-00797.warc.gz | en | 0.890159 | 1,589 | 3.015625 | 3 | 1,235 |
The Chart question type enables students to review, create, or manipulate different kinds of charts in response to a question prompt.
Enter your question into the Question Setup field.
Use the Rich Text Editor, which displays when you click into the field, to apply formatting such as bold and italics, or to insert images or tables. Hover your mouse over the individual icons to display the tooltip explaining the function of each button.
From the Question Setup field you can specify additional chart parameters:
- Title–Add a name for the chart.
- Max Y Axis–Set the highest value for the Y axis.
- X-Axis and Y-Axis Title–Add labels for the axes.
In the X-Axis Setup area, you can set values for the points on the X axis of the graph:
- Label–Add a label for each chart bars.
- Value–Select the initial value at which to set the point when students access the question.
- Interactive–Select if you want to enable students to change the value of the point (that is, to drag the point along the Y axis).
Click +Points to add more points to the chart. Click X beside a point to remove it.
Correct Answer Setup and Scoring Options
Set the correct answer in Correct Answer Setup. The chart you created in Question Setup displays in the Correct tab. Drag each point to its correct value.
Add a Correct Response Threshold to set a distance from the correct answer which a student can set the point and still receive credit. For example, if the correct value for one chart point is 50, and you set the threshold to 5, a student can set the point anywhere from 45-55 and receive credit for a correct answer.
Click Ignore Order if students may ignore the order of the points in the chart.
Additional Setup Options
Select more chart attributes in the Additional Setup Options area.
Choose from one of five alternatives in the Chart Type menu:
- Bar Chart
- Line Chart
- Histogram Chart
- Histogram with Line Point enabled
- Dot Plot Chart
- Line Plot Chart
Select the interval at which students can set the point in the Snap to Points box. For example, add 5 to enable students to set the points at intervals of 5 units.
If your chart is a histogram you can:
- Display or remove X and Y gridlines on the chart in the Gridlines menu.
- Check the Multicolor Bars box to have each of the bars in the histogram chart display in a different color. Unchecking this box displays all boxes in the chart in one uniform color.
Set additional options for students interacting with chart points:
- Add New Points–Enable students to add new points to the chart by clicking the Add Data button which displays in the question.
- Edit Point Label–Enable students to edit the data point labels.
- Delete Point–Enable students to delete a data point.
- Reorder Points–Enable students to reorder the data points. This setting is not available for line charts.
Enter Author Notes to explain why certain choices are incorrect, or why you chose to allocate a certain percentage of possible points to alternate answers. If you have edit access to a question, this field will display. This information will not display to students.
Align Learning Objectives
Click Learning Objectives to open the Learning Objectives browser window.
Click Browse/Search to find and add specific objectives.
Click Manage for objectives already aligned to the question.
Click Confirm to save the learning objectives.
Preview and Edit Question
Click Preview Question to access the question from the student display.
To exit the preview screen and return to the question editor, click Edit Question.
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An engaging activity encourages students to explore math in everyday spaces like parks and school campuses.
Math has declined in popularity in American schools. According to one survey, more than one-third of Americans would rather clean their toilet than do math, and 56 percent of middle schoolers would rather eat broccoli than do math. What if students could see that math is relevant to their lived experiences? If math were more accessible and relevant, students could develop confidence in themselves as creative math explorers.
Using local spaces like neighborhoods and parks for inquiry and observation can help students see the world through a STEM lens. talkSTEM, a nonprofit organization, developed a methodology for tours to engage students in STEM in everyday, real-world situations.
CREATING ENGAGING ACTIVITIES
Everyday environments are replete with fascinating questions, many of which can be addressed using nothing more than a mind willing to wonder and a pencil. STEM walks center on noticing, questioning, and curating questions—skill sets that children enjoy practicing in varied spaces such as playgrounds, classrooms, hallways, gyms, gardens, soccer fields, and other off-campus locations.
A STEM walk consists of a minimum of three stops in the real world. There is no maximum number, and typically the stops are independent of each other so that there is no required sequence. A stop can be centered on an element in the natural or built environment, artwork, or everyday objects. It is best to use elements that are fairly permanent so that the walk design can be used for long periods of time. The creation of a STEM walk can be a short activity taking a single class, or it can be a longer-term project. Students create content at each stop through these easy steps.
NOTICING THE ENVIRONMENT
Students work in pairs or teams to notice everything they can about a structure or location, no matter how familiar or unfamiliar. At one school, fourth-grade students noticed that the windows at opposite ends of a hallway that connected an older building to a new building at their school were of different sizes. They wondered why the windows were different.
Teachers can lead the way that students notice the environment by providing specific concepts, themes, or skills that they’d like students to address in their STEM walk designs. Asking students to notice particular elements can help students focus their exploration.
Students brainstorm questions that come to mind based on their observations. It is important to model and discuss brainstorming so that they are free to ask questions without worrying about how they are connected to math, science, or STEM. One class used a very simple structure, the playground, to formulate interesting questions such as “How do our bodies help generate movement on a swing?” and “How is the climbing structure, a geodome, made up of a number of different shapes?”
Another class of third and fourth graders discussed the best strategies to estimate the number of tiles that made up a walkway that is frequently used at their school. Brainstorming strategies encourages independent learning and builds confidence around STEM fields.
CURATING THE STOP
After students generate questions, they should think about how they want others to engage at their stop. Students analyze how they engage with their question and reflect on what connections they make at the stop. They think about what a tour participant would need to know. If they see connections to other examples of a phenomenon or other places, objects, or artworks, they can be encouraged to include an image or an object as a prop. Everyday objects like leaves and other found objects and materials can be included if relevant. Students should identify what learning objective participants would meet at their stop. For example, at a stop about the types of angles on their school campus, participants would estimate angles in tree branches, in doors, and in windows using protractors or angle-estimating tools. The activity helps participants practice angle estimation skills. Then participants can draw larger conclusions about the questions, such as the fact that built environments tend to have many more right angles than the natural environment.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
After students have noticed the environment, formed questions, and curated stops, the entire group then assesses the walk as a whole.
Are the stops different enough from each other in terms of math concept and nature of activity required to address the question? How will walk participants move from one stop to another? Would they like to film their content? If so, signage with QR codes would allow for easy sharing. They can also design a map of the stops.
Encourage students to consider filming parts of their walk. Knowing a project will be shared motivates students to think about the content in beyond-the-textbook ways. talkSTEM’s YouTube channel contains more than 170 short videos, which include walkSTEM videos created by school groups.
Students can create walks for younger students. A high school’s Women in STEM club designed a tour of their campus as a service learning project for lower school teachers. They explored their campus and designed questions about shapes and estimation at the playground. They also interviewed the elementary school math teacher to get ideas about specific concepts that were important to highlight.
STEM walks leverage the comfort and familiarity of a student’s campus to encourage problem-solving skills, build confidence, and promote growth mindset. Cultivating STEM mindsets through exploration of students’ everyday surroundings helps students engage in their environment and deepen their learning.
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What Is Variation Theory? A Guide For Teachers
This blog will look at the concept of Variation Theory and attempt to demystify the confusing language surrounding it. It is hoped that this will make Variation Theory an accessible and exciting tool that you can begin to use in your math lessons, or give you an understanding of what is happening if you recognize the principles, despite never having heard of Variation Theory before!
- What is Variation Theory in elementary math?
- Origins of Variation Theory
- What are the types of Variation Theory?
- Examples and non-examples of Variation Theory
- Standard and non-standard in Variation Theory
- Procedural variation: what’s the same, what’s different and what do you notice?
- Procedural variation steps
- Problem solving in procedural variation
- Variation Theory worked examples
What is Variation Theory in elementary math?
Variation Theory is a general theory of learning that is used predominantly in mathematics teaching and pedagogy. It emphasizes a concept’s essential features by focusing on what is kept the same and what changes, which offers the opportunity to make meaningful connections.
Origins of Variation Theory
The study of Variation Theory arises mainly from work across two groups of researchers who arrived at similar, but not exactly the same conclusions.
One was Swedish researcher Marton, F. and colleagues who worked on the concept of phenomenography, which developed into Variation Theory; the other was Gu Ling Yuan and his team in Shanghai who called it Bianchi (teaching with variation).
As one would expect, the emergence of two similar theories has caused confusion in some areas of the sector and educational research. In the context of the US, the distinction between them is rarely made and so aspects of Bianchi are used under Variation Theory.
They both agree that ‘the central idea of teaching with variation is to highlight the essential features of the concepts through varying the non-essential features’. (Gu, Huang & Marton, 2004). This blog will mainly draw on the learning study of Gu and his team.
The application of Variation Theory is much wider than just the domain of mathematics teaching, but rather is a theory that underpins how students learn anything. The principle that underpins the theory is that new learning occurs when learners understand how a critical aspect of a new concept changes (varies) against something that does not change (invariance).
By adjusting their perception of what has remained the same and what has changed, students are more likely to learn the object of learning and understand the underlying mathematical structures being studied.
In other words, it is when an educator carefully constructs questions, considers the order in which they appear, and brings the thinking process between questions to the forefront for the learners, so that meaningful connections to the mathematical structures can be made from the task.
It is unlikely that a worksheet on its own will bring about the required cognitive process in students needed to benefit from the advantages that Variation Theory offers students in their conceptualization of mathematical structures.
Do not be deceived into purchasing paid resources that promise to bring about Variation Theory with just a worksheet, unless you can specifically identify how the pattern of variation enacts the principles of the object of learning, and you feel confident that you can bring out these mathematical structures to the students through your questioning in a very deliberate way.
Indeed, as you will see through some examples, attempts at Variation Theory through only a worksheet approach and no dialogue risks student learning less than not trying to use Variation Theory.
What are the types of Variation Theory?
There are two types of Variation Theory; conceptual variation and procedural variation.
What is procedural variation in math?
Procedural variation is a process for the formation of mathematical ideas stage by stage, in which students’ experience in solving problems is manifested by the richness of varying problems and the variety of transferring strategies.
It is derived from three parts:
- Varying the problem
- Multiple methods for solving a problem
- Multiple applications of a methodology to similar problems
As with conceptual variation, the key to success is to teach students to look for connections within the mathematical structures from an early age.
What is conceptual variation in math?
Conceptual variation is a process that looks at providing students with multiple perspectives and experiences within a given concept or object of learning. It refers to the strategies a teacher may employ to bring to the forefront critical aspects of the desired learning outcome, and increase their understanding by demonstrating it from different perspectives.
Marton and his team of researchers concluded that students notice difference between different objects of learning before they notice sameness.
When employing conceptual variation pedagogy in classroom discourse, it is best to provide examples that are totally different before looking at examples that are similar. For example, if you wanted to demonstrate to students what a triangle was, it would be best to present a triangle along with other shapes that are not triangles to help students distinguish what it is that makes a triangle.
Is this an elephant?
A common non-mathematical approach to explain this is to look at the animal kingdom.
How is it that we are acutely aware of what an elephant is? We are able to distinguish it quite easily from the countless other members of the animal kingdom. If pressed to answer how we know the picture above is an elephant, the first two features that people describe to explain their certainty are the trunk and tusks.
To which my reply is this: is this therefore NOT an elephant? In order to be aware of certain aspects of a phenomenon, we must experience variation.
Clearly, it is an elephant. But this is a tuskless elephant, and tusks are one of the distinguishing features of an elephant that many people claim. Perhaps we could go on to explain that the size of an elephant is a distinguishable feature, or the gray color. An elephant must be gray, have a trunk, be big, and can have tusks, but this is not a requirement.
My reply is: if that is the case, is this an elephant?
Patently it is. Yet, this is hardly a big animal and so would not meet the conditions placed upon it to characterize it as an elephant from above. Therefore, an elephant can be large or small, have tusks or not have tusks, be gray and have a trunk. The necessary conditions of what constitutes an elephant become ever clearer.
We also know, instinctively, that this picture is not an elephant despite it being small, gray and not having tusks. We know it cannot be because of the ears, the shape of the head and the lack of trunk. And here, through our visual perception, the idea of Variation Theory comes to life.
By seeing what it is to be something in as many different forms as possible and in forms that are related, be it closely or otherwise, we are able to see that concept from multiple perspectives and experiences to truly know it. At its most basic level, this is conceptual variation.
Examples and non-examples of Variation Theory
As mentioned above, we tend to recognize sameness before we recognize difference. It is from this principle that we can consider introducing critical aspects of mathematical structures through examples and non-examples that we share with students.
In this instance, to remain true to Marton’s findings, the examples that demonstrate the critical object of learning that we want students to learn will be invariant, but the background in which we teach will vary. Subsequently, when we show non-examples they act, as one might imagine, to define what the critical aspect is not.
For example, if teaching the meaning of the equal sign, you could have examples of different equations using all four operations where the answer was correct and examples using all four operations where the answers were incorrect and so the equivalence sign could not be used.
Standard and non-standard in Variation Theory
Once students have developed a sense of what the critical aspect is and is not, it is important to then demonstrate this aspect in both standard and non-standard forms.
I remember the first time that students I was teaching came across an equation on where the equal sign came before any digits and other symbols ‘__ = 8 + 9’. There were looks of bewilderment as if they had been tasked with the impossible. The fault of this confusion was entirely my own as every question I had ever asked focused on the standard form when writing equation ‘8 + 9 =__’.
This meant that students had not fully grasped the concept of the symbol and its critical feature; that it is there to represent equivalence, not just as a symbol that is used to write down an answer afterwards.
In my teaching sequence for teaching equivalence and the equals sign, after looking at examples and non-examples, I should have then looked at standard and non-standard forms like those below:
__ = 8 + 9
10 + 7 = 8 + 9
This graphic might be useful in highlighting how these components fit together.
Procedural variation: what’s the same, what’s different and what do you notice?
We can use procedural variation to highlight patterns within a set of questions that bring about a critical learning point or object of learning. Say we wanted to draw students’ attention to one of the field axioms of multiplication – distributivity – so that they can employ it at will when dealing with any multiplication. We may present this in the following way:
The incorrect way to go about this would be to treat this as a worksheet, in which you deliver an input and tell the students to go ahead and complete it. There would be no method to that madness, and the opportunities for bringing out new and previous learned relationships between the numbers would likely fall by the wayside for all students, or would only be found by those who are high attaining in mathematics.
Rather, a more controlled approach should be taken. You should ask students to complete the first two questions and then ask them, ‘what is the same, what is different and what do you notice?’ This will provide the opportunity to pick up on what the design of these minimally different questions is attempting to draw out.
Procedural variation steps
Firstly, you would want students to notice the relationship between the multiplicand from the given statement (12) and the combination of the multiplicands from the first two equations (11 + 1 and 10 + 2). Students will be drawn to the fact that they all total the same and that the product is also going to be 96.
From here, students can see if that holds true for the next two questions. The danger of letting students complete all 4 questions first without discussing it could result in students seeing that the product is the same, but not understanding the relationship between the multiplicands.
Notice that the 5th question in the sequence does not maintain the same pattern exactly. The multiplicands total 12, but the multiplier is now half of the original. This is to stop students aimlessly writing 96 down without giving any thought.
Crucially though, the statement at the beginning can still be used to solve this as the answer will be half of 96. This relationship between the multipliers can also be brought out. Question 6 allows the commutative property of multiplication to come through, as well as the associative property, and the final question reinforces division as the inverse of multiplication.
At all points of getting students to answer these questions in a controlled environment, the questions, ‘what is the same, what is different and what do you notice?’ are the ones used most, so that students can attend to those differences and similarities. Indeed, completing the above exercise could take up the vast majority of the lesson and students would get more from completing it than a whole worksheet.
Problem solving in procedural variation
At the heart of procedural variation are three forms of problem solving:
- Varying a problem – extending the original problem by varying the conditions, changing the results and generalization;
- The use of multiple methods of solving a problem by varying the different processes of solving a problem and associating different methods of solving a problem;
- Multiple applications of a method by applying the same method to a group of similar problems.
1. Procedural variation: varying the problem
This form of variation aims to consolidate a concept by varying certain conditions to bring information, often information that is in conflict with students’ current understanding of the concept, to light. Look at the example below:
The variation within these problems should be self-evident. The amount of apple juice remains a constant, with only the amount that each jar holds getting varied question by question. Students are often comfortable with division as sharing into equal groups (especially at elementary school), where students may generalize that dividing results in making something smaller.
It is this misconception that the example above attempts to exploit through the last three questions. Indeed, we see that dividing by a whole number and decimal produces a quotient greater than the dividend.
2. Procedural variation: varying the method
This type of variation is one that many teachers do, but may not be aware of. Simply teaching and demonstrating different methods in solving a problem is the first step in this type of variation, but its success lies in being able to draw out what students notice about the similarities and differences between each representation. Here are a few worked examples to vary the method for solving 12 × 5.
3. Procedural variation: multiple application of a method to similar problems
This final example looks at bringing about variation, not through changing the method, but with the application of a method or representation against a group of varied yet similar problems.
Variation Theory examples for elementary school
In elementary school, this may look like the following:
1) James has 8 flowers and Julie has 5 flowers. How many flowers are there altogether?
2) James has 5 flowers and Julie has 8 flowers. How many flowers are there altogether?
3) There are 13 flowers, some are red and some are blue. 8 are red. How many are blue?
4) There are 13 flowers, some are red and some are blue. 8 are blue. How many are red?
Here the problems are varied, yet placed within a similar context, and the numbers used are the same, yet what each question is asking students to do differs slightly.
For example, for question one, students may use Cuisenaire rods to visualize the problem. They would lay down the yellow rod and the brown rod to make a train and then the orange and the green above (or below) to help solve the total.
Question two enables students to experiment with the commutative property of addition. Notice how all the rods used are the same, but the order in which the bottom train has been constructed has changed. The underlying structure remains unchanged.
Question three tells us that there are thirteen flowers altogether and 8 of them are red. The next step would be to see how many more are needed to take 8 up to 13. Students may initially use white rods before exchanging it for a yellow rod of equal value. Again, the underlying structure of the problem remains unchanged.
The final question is merely the inverse of question 3. We know the total amount of flowers and that a certain subset of them equals 5. Therefore, to find the missing amount, we need to count up from 5 until we get to 13. Again, students may need to use 8 white rods first, but they will see that this can be exchanged for a brown rod.
By the end of this exercise, students will be able to see that the 4 questions have similar underlying structures despite the variation within the problems.
Variation Theory worked examples
As mentioned above, just providing students with questions that contain aspects of Variation Theory will not bring along the benefits of the approach. Therefore, if you do not understand the variation taking place, it would probably be best not to use those examples.
For each of these, we need lots of examples of what the type of variation you’re referring to looks like ‘in practice’. In other words, with reference to regular sorts of questions and learning objectives from your school’s curriculum, so teachers can read it and see how they could try implementing it in their own lesson.
If you can pull from different topics in your curriculum that would be great, but it’s really just a case of showing the wide variety of ways people can think about including this practice in their teaching.
Number examples: number and place value
The examples below vary the representations to give access to the same idea. This approach can be easily transferred across all grade levels to look at place value objectives. Using this in an elementary class would involve looking at each representation and guiding the students through the process of asking ‘what is the same, what is different, and what do you notice?’
Introducing students to these questions early on will hopefully result in them becoming internalized automatically and so students will come to naturally ask themselves these questions.
The use of color is particularly useful here as it supports connections between the place value counters, cards and base 10, but the presence of the Cuisenaire rod and the Numicon (whose colors do not conform to this) stops the association of ‘tens’ being green etc.
A crucial element to draw out of students is the unitization of 2 in some representations or where the 2 has been conserved as 2 ones. The number grid provides an opportunity to link these representations within the abstract number system.
Number examples: addition and subtraction
563 – 100 = ___ – 200
387 – 100 = ___ – 200
983 – 100 = ___ – 200
___ – 100 = 874 – 200
This question focuses on subtracting by multiples of 100 and students’ understanding of the equal sign. It is the subtrahend that remains invariant while the minuend varies. This is done so that generalizations can be brought about in regard to the subtraction of multiples of 100. The minuends themselves play no major role in bringing about the effects of Variation Theory.
Here, we would want students to understand that ‘equals’ does not mean ‘answer’, but rather that two mathematical statements are balanced and produce a product that is the same as each other.
We can also bring about the relationship between the two minuends, one of which is unknown, when compared to the effect of subtracting the first one by one hundred. Namely, that the tens and ones do not change and that as the subtrahend has increased by 100 from 100 to 200. In order for the proportionality to remain constant between each statement, the minuend must also increase by 100.
It would be in the interest of students to quickly subtract a multiple of 100 from a 4-digit number where the difference is a 3-digit number in subsequent lessons so then they can see the impact this can have on the generalizations they are producing.
Number examples: multiplication and division
What is the same/different and what do you notice?
__ × 5 =__
5 × __ =__
__ =__ × __
__ + __ + __ + __ + __ = __
__ × 7 =__
7 × __ = __
__ =__ × __
__ + __ + __ + __ + __ + __ + __ = __
Write what you notice below.
This task links multiplication to the array/area model of multiplication, the understanding of the equal sign, the commutative property of multiplication and multiplication as repeated addition.
Students will recognize that the answer is 35 and that in the first model they can see 7 groups of 5 when looking vertically across from left to right. When looking at it horizontally from top to bottom, 5 groups of 7 can be seen.
They can use these facts to write a multiplication equation where the product is written first to bring about their understanding of the equal sign, and relate the multiplication of each vertical column to repeated addition of the number of columns in total.
The opposite is the case with the second representation where there are 5 groups of 7 on the horizontal and 7 groups of 5. Such activities will aid in students’ understanding of the difference in visual representation when the same numbers are used as multiplicand and multiplier across two different equations.
Number examples: fractions, ratio and proportion
This series of questions is designed to link all the above areas of fraction as well as ratio. This is important as the connections between percentages and ratio can be missed and so more time than needed is used to teach the concept of ratio.
Here the methods used vary but the question is exactly the same, albeit in the context of the concept that it is drawing out.
As such, the answer will be exactly the same for each question (24), but the methods and mathematical thinking behind each approach will draw out the connection between the question, as well as the different representations that have been used, such as the numerator and denominator of a fraction. Notice how all of the above are either concrete or pictorial.
The following task comes from @J0shMartin and his contribution to Craig Barton’s Variation Theory website. Although this is predominantly a high school-based website, there are some examples that are relevant to elementary school. The following task requires students to notice patterns when converting between measurements (something students should have some understanding of doing BEFORE they embark on this task).
The answers are provided below:
- 3 m
- 0.3 m
- 0.3 m
- 0.03 m
- 4500 mm
- 450 cm
- 45 cm
- 5 cm
- 50 mm
- 15000 m
- 1500 m
- 100 m
- 50 m
As this is a context that many teachers are familiar with, here it would be best for you to try and consider how the questions have been carefully crafted to bring about variation, and how you might go about using this sequence within your own lesson.
Consider the questions you would ask, the number of questions you would get the students to answer before stopping them to discuss the task so far, and how you would explain the patterns to the students.
Geometry examples: properties of shapes
Property of shape is a particularly useful curriculum area to deploy Variation Theory and can be used from kindergarten onwards to great effect. Below is a sequence of slides used in a lesson on describing rectangles with some kindergarten students.
The rotation, color and the type of shape have all varied so that students can generalize about the properties of rectangles (many believed that the ones on slide 17 and 19 were not), so they can really see the distinguishing features of the shape and not get caught on elements that are not important.
This is the conceptual variation as outlined at the start of this blog in action. It uses examples and non-examples, standard and non-standard examples to draw out what it means for a shape to be a rectangle.
A learning method which shows various examples of the same concept, making it easier to decipher what are constant properties within that concept, and what differs between examples.
Variation theory is certainly used when teaching elementary math and is especially useful when teaching visual concepts such as properties of shapes.
For example, students shown a triangle in different rotations can see that what makes them all triangles is their three sides. It is also a great way to instill mathematical methods, such as those used in algebra, by giving the same types of questions with different variables.
Variation theory can help develop students’ analytical and problem solving skills. Students can train their minds to look for particular properties as well as pull out anomalies. It is a great way to get students to really digest and think about the information they receive.
Showing examples which are different AND the same is extremely important. A great method to stick to is showing a standard example, a non-standard example and a non-example.
The two main types of variation theory are procedural variation and conceptual variation. As the names suggest, procedural variation changes the procedure in which things are carried out, whereas in conceptual variation the presentation of information is what changes.
Enjoyed this? Why not try our ‘How I Wish I’d Taught Math’ series, inspired by Craig Barton’s bestselling book:
- Cognitive Load Theory
- Direct Instruction And Rosenshine Principles of Instruction
- Goal Free Problems And Focused Thinking
- Most Effective Teaching Strategies
Do you have students who need extra support in math?
Give your students more opportunities to consolidate learning and practice skills through personalized math tutoring with their own dedicated online math tutor.
Each student receives differentiated instruction designed to close their individual learning gaps, and scaffolded learning ensures every student learns at the right pace. Lessons are aligned with your state’s standards and assessments, plus you’ll receive regular reports every step of the way.
Personalized one-on-one math tutoring programs are available for:
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Why not learn more about how it works?
The content in this article was originally written by primary school lead teacher Neil Almond and has since been revised and adapted for US schools by elementary math teacher Christi Kulesza | <urn:uuid:540a442d-262f-46c8-b9b8-10c13f7dba19> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://thirdspacelearning.com/us/blog/variation-theory/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474690.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20240228012542-20240228042542-00797.warc.gz | en | 0.954381 | 5,298 | 3.8125 | 4 | 1,238 |
Engage student to learn. Easy to track performance.
Personalized learning is the trend
Personalized learning is the most effective way of learning. We know that everyone is different in terms of ability and learning style. You know your students, and you want to give them suitable materials to learn. In the past, you created lots of paper exercises for them. With the aid of RainbowOne, your paper exercises can become rich media that are much more attractive and engaging. They also help you analyze performance of students and your teaching so that you can give more personalized materials to them.
E-Learning in your style
When the material is yours, you can use your own pedagogy that you know it works for your student. You don’t have to blindly follow the teaching instructions in the textbook. You can use your materials in lesson or as assignment, or as a flipped classroom materials that let you know understandings of students before going to lesson.
Simple yet powerful e-book authoring tool
The authoring tool works like PowerPoint by adding components like text, photos, sound and video to your slides. What makes RainbowOne differentiate from other platform is that you can add interactive components and adjust them to match your design and pedagogy. For example, you can add a camera tool that ask student to take specific photos. You can add a drag drop exercise that ask student to classify objects.
We have many beautiful e-book templates for you to start from. There are many different learning components that serve different teaching and learning methods. You are not limited to use just multiple choice or fill in the blanks. Your e-book is now attractive and full of your creativity. The most important is that it is tailor-made for your students!
Media Library and Text-to-Speech (TTS)
Photos and clipart are essential to your e-book, so we provide you more than ten thousand of them. You are eligible to use them in RainbowOne. Voice also plays an important role. It’s an e-book not a paper book! Use our sound player component, add an mp3 of your own or use the TTS function. Simply entering the text and choose the language. The system will speak the sentence for you!
Now you have your e-book. It’s time to try it at your lesson. We have been observing over a hundred schools using our platform. We found that other than those functions related to learning, teacher needs classroom tools at lesson. The most frequently used tools are sync pages between teachers and students, “black-out” student screen to draw attention, timer, review student answers and give comments, voting, competition and group discussion. There are many classroom tools, so let’s try by yourself.
Save time by auto-correction
Questions with standard answers are auto-corrected by the system. It gives you more time to review open end questions. You can change the score to both open end questions and questions with standard answers, and give comment to students. Students receives your comment immediately.
When your students submit answer, the system generate charts immediately. You can instantly know the performance of your student at every question. If you find something that students don’t understand, don’t hesitate, enhance or adjust your teaching immediately as the memory of students are limited. They may forget your teaching right after lesson.
Everyone loves rewards
How to motivate students to learn and submit their answers? Giving them positive reinforcement. You can reward students by giving them “stars” when they perform well. They love stars! Students can also use their stars to exchange offline items in the redeem shop in the system. You can prepare real gifts for them to redeem.
E-Assignment and Flipped classroom
After lesson, share your e-book to students and they can read it and play it at home. If you set the sharing as assignment or test, you can set certain rules such as deadline and allowed submission times. You can also review usage data such as number of pages read and percentage of answer completion. Review student understandings and performance before lesson by reading the instant data and charts of your e-book.
Self-created analysis , pinpoint the true difficulties and solutions
Another feature RainbowOne is that you can create your own charts. You can select your parameters including people, period and learning content. Our system can generate appropriate charts for you. You can find insights within them. You can also add learning objectives to your e-book and even to every question. Then you can analyze by learning objectives across multiple e-books. You can also analyze by comparing data from different subjects to see their correlations.
AI is coming!
We are developing AI to find insights from learning data automatically. There are 2 benefits. First, the AI suggest hidden insights that you cannot observe at regular lessons or from assignment. An example insight (just an imagined example) may be “the ability of calculating fraction in mathematics has high correlation with the ability of speaking in English”. Second, the AI suggest what are the best materials or teaching style for a particular student base on his background and the efficiency of the e-book from your school. All these technology helps us to pursue one goal - personalized and effective learning. | <urn:uuid:aee84aa8-060a-4c49-8f0d-81996e48ec0d> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.rainbowone.net/school | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474690.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20240228012542-20240228042542-00797.warc.gz | en | 0.949975 | 1,084 | 2.515625 | 3 | 1,239 |
Teachers used to frequently tell their students not to rely on calculators to accomplish their arithmetic while they were in elementary school. They wouldn’t carry a calculator along with them, after all. Nowadays, it is impossible to find a more inaccurate statement than that. With a calculator at their fingertips, a lot of students now carry a whole computer in their pockets. The past several decades have seen an exponential growth in artificial intelligence (AI), and in order to keep up with the times, both educators and students need to adopt the newest advancements in AI and educational technology.
Students and teachers use contemporary technologies in all learning situations to make their experiences as informative, effective, and efficient as possible. Collaborative digital spaces and hybrid learning have become crucial elements of education in recent years for K–12 and higher education institutions alike. In light of this advancement, educational technology has developed and grown to incorporate cutting-edge AI systems both within and outside of the classroom.
Since students’ requirements are ever-evolving, educators must also be flexible in their approach to teaching and acquire new skills in using various platforms and technology to support their daily teaching. By utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and the many advantages of digital learning, educators and learners alike can receive a more comprehensive and cutting-edge education.
The below five subjects show how artificial intelligence (AI) is a crucial tool for different kinds of learners in both K–12 and higher education.
Students and faculty can now remain in touch with cutting-edge developments in education technology, whether they are participating in collaborative learning in the classroom or learning remotely online. Artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, such as SMS bots, ChatGPT, and predictive technology, can help students with a variety of tasks, including navigating the learning platforms used by their school, gathering material for assignments, and getting prompt answers to questions. AI can also assist professors and teachers in facilitating student discussions and directing the course of small-group collaborative projects.
Teachers might benefit from using AI to automate tedious daily duties like marking quizzes and examinations and finding little errors in essays. They will have more time and freedom to concentrate on giving detailed feedback, developing thorough lesson plans, and spending one-on-one time with each student as a result. AI tools can also provide students with immediate feedback on their work, empowering them to be more self-reliant in spotting errors and recognizing well-executed projects.
Students find it comfortable and engaging to use augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) as learning tools to get important experiences in the classroom because these technologies are becoming more common in everyday life. Immersion technologies can mimic real-world situations, such as technical experiments and medical simulations, so that students can get hands-on experience in a low-risk environment. Additionally, it can help pupils bridge the gap between their physical environment and abstract ideas, such as magnifying and studying a minuscule object or closely observing the planets. In addition to offering students a wealth of new and captivating ways to view and comprehend concepts, augmented reality and virtual reality also open up a second, interactive, and collaborative learning channel for students who might not be as receptive to more conventional learning resources like study guides and textbooks.
Data is continuously gathered during a student’s education in order to better understand and anticipate their evolving needs and the best ways for them to study. AI technologies enable instructors and lecturers to assess patterns in the performance of a single student or the class as a whole by swiftly and automatically analysing and reporting on this data. Equipped with this understanding, teachers can customize their lesson plans and be more proactive in meeting the requirements of their pupils, which will ultimately lead to a rise in everyone’s academic progress.
There are several variables that can affect a student’s learning style. For instance, although some students learn best through memorization and flashcards, others could learn best through more interactive and visual experiences. By analysing AI-collected data, educators can become better informed and equipped to work with a variety of student types. Educators can create customized learning paths for individual students by utilizing the insights obtained from AI algorithms. These personalized learning paths can include elements such as modifying the types of content, accommodating students’ comfort levels, adapting to their learning pace, and assessing the students’ understanding of the learning objectives. Additionally, teachers may target teaching and cut down on the time it takes to design activities that best support each student by using AI technology to help them plan, schedule, and generate proposed lesson ideas more efficiently.
Teachers will continue to prioritize upholding academic integrity and validity in all assignments as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent in the classroom. While the goal of older AI systems was to assist students in succeeding academically, the goal of more recent AI systems is to enable educators to maximize the use of AI for students and promote ethical, positive interactions with AI. Encouraging teachers to trust one another to use AI to create the most successful learning environment possible may help every kid advance academically, socially, and personally. | <urn:uuid:9df528f3-7459-482b-bca5-177ed3b4c125> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://ontechnology.my.id/5-essential-applications-of-ai-technology-in-education.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476396.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20240303142747-20240303172747-00797.warc.gz | en | 0.95868 | 1,031 | 3.890625 | 4 | 1,240 |
Storyboarding Assists Working Memory
eLearning storyboards are a cognitive aid. They not only communicate your vision, but they help you think things through. Working memory is too limited to plan an entire eLearning experience, so you end up diving into the development. Storyboards assist working memory in so many ways.
- They make it easier to structure and sequence a learning experience.
- They spur creativity by allowing you to quickly try out various ideas.
- They enable you to plan every step of an interactive activity.
- They help you lay out a user interface and screen design.
Counter-arguments to Storyboarding Complaints
Storyboarding for eLearning may be tedious. But making many revisions to a finished product is also tedious and makes you feel like you’re going backward. Storyboarding indeed takes time and effort. But, modifying a running lesson in an authoring tool also takes much time and effort. The point is that you can find many reasons to complain about storyboarding if you want to. Perhaps you’ve been able to make it work so far.
But, if you want to create well-designed and thoughtfully planned eLearning that builds complex skills, then relying on the storyboard process is your best bet.
Ten Ways to Make Storyboarding a Better Process
If you find writing eLearning storyboards to be a challenge, here are ten ways to make the process more effective.
- Content Outline: Storyboard off of a content outline sequenced in the order you want for each lesson. The outline helps ensure the lesson organization makes sense for effective learning.
- Instructional Strategies: Work off of a design document specifying the instructional strategies you’ll be using. Then, you won’t need to ideate on the fly, which often involves many rewrites.
- Collection of Documents: Include separate documents in your storyboard if you need to write an involved video, test, or similar document. Refer to these by filename in your storyboard. Listen or download Kevin Thorn’s talk about a storyboard as a collection of documents in There’s More Than One Way to Storyboard.
- Slide IDs: Use multiples of ten for your slide identification numbers. It makes it easier to insert slides when you get feedback without continually renumbering everything.
- Performance Objectives for Reviewers: Add learning objectives for reviewers to read at the start of each lesson if needed. It may help reviewers understand why you’re including specific content that might otherwise seem confusing. Listing performance objectives for the learner is not always the best approach. You can usually find a more creative way to describe a lesson.
- Meaningful Interactions: Interactivity does not mean clicking to present information. Interactivity refers to an action based on a performance objective, involves cognitive effort, allows participants to build skills, and provides meaningful feedback. Use interactivity to help people develop skills that you’ve already defined.
- Real-world Practice: Simulate real-world challenges aligned with the performance objectives with realistic scenarios. Use the problems and words of your learners that you’ve gathered through audience research and interviews.
- Number of Reviewers: At the start, determine who will need to review a storyboard and who will give final approval. It makes the review process more efficient and avoids the number of reviewers increasing over time. Although you want to provide accurate and meaningful content, you also want to limit the number of opinions.
- Draft Versions: Assume your first storyboard will be a draft document and label it as such. You will get feedback from stakeholders and subject matter experts and need to make revisions. Agree ahead of time on the number of drafts that seem reasonable, considering budget and deadlines. Then, stick to that number. Number the draft versions to avoid confusion. I add a vX to the filename where “X” is a number.
- Final Approval: Get signatures of approval on final versions of a storyboard. Just add a line for signatures and a date at the end of the document.
If you cringe at the thought of writing a storyboard, I taught a short course on this topic and you can purchase the recordings, templates, and resources. Learn more about the course at Storyboard Like a Pro. | <urn:uuid:8e3a6ef2-6428-4923-9ae8-8a2befb30791> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/storyboarding-process/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474361.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20240223053503-20240223083503-00897.warc.gz | en | 0.909833 | 885 | 3.25 | 3 | 1,241 |
In today’s business landscape, it’s more important than ever for businesses to stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive. One way this can be achieved is through fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth. This benefits the company and promotes positive employee wellbeing, which is crucial for overall success and growth.
What do we mean by continuous learning, and why is it important?
Continuous learning is a workplace culture that encourages employees to prioritise ongoing learning and improvement. Continuous learning can be achieved in various ways, such as through formal training courses, informal learning, employee mentorship or shadowing, training programmes, one-on-one and group coaching, and casual interactions.
With constant change being the new normal, businesses must be aware of new developments, technologies, and best practices. By implementing a culture of continuous learning, employees are more enabled to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, ensuring your organisation remains agile and competitive. Investing in your employee’s growth through education demonstrates that you value your workforce, which leads to increased job satisfaction, engagement, and retention.
Impact of continuous learning for employee well-being
When your workplace culture is one where employees are empowered to learn and develop in their career journey, the benefits to their well-being are tenfold. Examples of this include:
- Reduced stress: Offering opportunities for continual learning helps employees feel more in control of their career path and reduces stress that can often be associated with job insecurity.
- Increased job satisfaction: When you invest in your employee’s growth, this shows. Employees who feel this are more likely to experience job satisfaction, which fosters a positive work environment.
- Enhanced self-esteem: As employees acquire new skills and develop their abilities, their self-esteem and confidence improve, leading to increased motivation and productivity.
- Improved mental health: When employees regularly engage in continuous learning, this can often help combat boredom and potential job stagnation. As a result, this promotes a positive mindset and aids in preventing burnout.
- Expanded professional networks: By participating in training and development programmes, employees can build relationships with others in their field, expanding their professional networks and opening doors to new opportunities. Employees of larger organization can network with different departments, which can provide support, advice, or just a sounding board in a safe, confidential environment.
So how can organisations create a culture of continuous learning?
If you’re looking to implement a successful culture of continuous learning within your organisation, consider introducing the following strategies:
- Develop clear learning objectives: Establish clear learning objectives for employees, ensuring they understand the goals and expectations surrounding their professional development. This should enhance both job security and satisfaction.
- Provide various learning opportunities: Learning opportunities can come in many different forms, so be sure to offer a mix to fit your employees’ needs. This could include workshops, seminars, online courses, and mentorship programmes to cater to different learning styles and preferences.
- Recognise and reward progress: Encourage employees to share their learning achievements and reward their efforts with public recognition, incentives, or promotions.
- Promote collaboration: Encourage employees to share their knowledge and expertise with their colleagues; this helps to promote a culture of collaboration and knowledge-sharing, which is essential for a thriving workforce.
- Support work-life balance: Reassure employees to balance their professional and personal lives. This can be demonstrated by providing flexible work arrangements, promoting a healthy work-life balance, and ensuring they have time to pursue learning opportunities in addition to their daily work responsibilities.
Incorporating feedback and continuous improvement
Once you’ve implemented a culture of continuous learning, you need to ensure your organisation’s continuous learning strategies are effective. One essential way of doing this is to gather employee feedback and adjust if needed.
To do this effectively, consider the following:
- Conduct surveys: Regularly survey your employees to gain an understanding of their satisfaction in relation to learning and development opportunities. This is also a great way to gather suggestions for improvement.
- Implement a feedback loop: Create a system for employees to provide feedback on learning experiences. This lets your organisation make data-driven decisions for future development programmes and training strategies.
- Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs): Ensure you track relevant KPIs to measure the impact of continuous learning initiatives on employee wellbeing, engagement, and performance.
- Be open to change: Continuously evaluate and refine your organisation’s approach to learning and development and be open to amendment when needed. Embracing new strategies and technologies that can improve the overall experience for employees is crucial for sustainable continuous learning.
Building a continuous learning and growth culture is critical to your organisation’s success and employee well-being. By investing in employee development, organisations can create a more engaged, satisfied, and productive workforce while remaining agile and competitive in the ever-changing business environment.
Dr. Padmesh Gupta
Dr Padmesh Gupta transformed Oxford Business College, increasing its turnover from £300,000 to over £1 million by introducing higher education programs. He is a finalist in the Scale-Up Entrepreneur of the Year category at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2023 and has also been recognised for promoting Hindi literature and Indian culture abroad through research presentations. | <urn:uuid:2e0bc777-a957-42f7-aa1b-84c4a86b6dbc> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://workplacewellbeing.pro/analysis/dr-padmesh-gupta-the-importance-of-continuous-learning-for-employee-wellness/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474541.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20240224144416-20240224174416-00897.warc.gz | en | 0.944919 | 1,084 | 2.578125 | 3 | 1,242 |
Keep Program, University of Wisconsin
This activity takes two 50 minute class periodsLearn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»
Notes From Our Reviewers
The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness.
Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about
how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy |
- This is an activity to embed within a larger lesson or module.
- Review the contents to decide how to embed it and how to develop questions that will foster deeper thinking about energy transformations.
- This lesson plan is very well thought out and walks teachers through the activity.
About the Content
- Through simple demonstrations, students are introduced to the presence of potential and kinetic energy in their lives and test their knowledge through a tic-tac-toe game.
- Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.
About the Pedagogy
- The learning objectives, materials, background materials are clear, as are the procedures for the lesson.
- The lesson itself is a pdf, but there are links to further explorations, and it includes assessment questions.
- This activity is appropriate for middle school students learning about kinetic and potential energy, and given the active nature of it, this activity should appeal to different learning styles.
- The fun tic-tac-toe game recommended for after the activity should serve as a formative assessment teachers can use to monitor student learning.
- The subject areas that it covers include English, Arts, Math, and Science. | <urn:uuid:6a10877e-6849-4880-87cb-006b5474c6ca> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://cleanet.org/resources/58453.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474948.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20240301030138-20240301060138-00897.warc.gz | en | 0.918344 | 330 | 3.9375 | 4 | 1,243 |
My philosophy for this course
I chose the topic of contemporary Earth sciences controversies because I wanted to focus on issues that wouldn't necessarily be covered in a textbook since they are ongoing and unresolved debates. I tried to put together a mix of types of controversies . . . for example, the New Madrid seismic risk controversy pits scientists against each other but also pits scientists against policymakers. On the other hand, mass extinction controversies do not involve any public policy. I also wanted you to participate in the process of science by carrying out analyses as well as reading research papers. I used publicly available datasets because I hoped that if you found any of the analyses interesting, you could easily co-opt them for your own use. The "teaching and learning" discussions were intended to get you to think about how you might use some of this material if you wanted to turn around and teach it, and also to think about necessary science skills independent of science content.
My guess is that you can take bits and pieces of this course and transform them into a lesson for your own use. Now is the time to prove it!
Activity: Capstone Project
In this activity, you will design a lesson for an audience of your choosing based on one of the topics we covered in this course.
- Figure out approximately what you want to teach and email me a brief description of your plan and your audience. For example, you could just say, "I'm going to design a lesson where high school students investigate GPS measurements of local faults" or something like that.
- Write up your lesson plan. Your lesson plan should include the following:
- A brief overview of what will be taught and why
- A set of learning objectives (What will your students know or be able to do at the end of your lesson?) For this, I would like you to think about both the content (facts, concepts, etc.) as well as the skills (critical thinking, data analysis, etc.) that you hope students get from your lesson.
- A description of your plan (What will the students do?) This plan needs to have enough detail so another person could follow it and carry it out exactly as you intend.
- List of necessary materials
- A list of deliverables (What will the students turn in? How will you know if they learned what you wanted them to learn?) I want to see sample answers or a key so I know what kind of responses/ results you expect from your students.
- An evaluation rubric (so that another teacher could assess the students in the manner that you intended)
Save an electronic version of your activity in the following format:
For example, Cardinals manager and former catcher Mike Matheny would name his capstone project L6_capstone_msm1_Matheny.doc
Submitting your work
Upload your capstone project file to the Capstone project assignment in Canvas by the due date on the first page of this lesson.
Note on Grading:
I am interested in the scientific accuracy of the topic you choose to teach and how well your lesson incorporates scientific thinking skills.
I am not going to base my grade on whether you have constructed a lesson plan in some special way (as long as all the components listed above are there). My assumption is that for those of you who are teachers, you don't need me to tell you how to write a lesson plan because you already know. For those of you who are not teachers, I am not the one who is going to instruct you on correct lesson plan-making. However, I am a scientist, so if facts are not right, or could use clarification, I can assist with that.
- An "A" capstone project is complete, clear, and organized. It contains all the components listed above. The science is accurate and the activity is well-posed. I can follow your instructions and get the results you expected me to get. The questions you made up are well-designed and would elicit the appropriate amount of thinking and interpretation on the part of the intended audience. Your project shows independent thinking.
- A "B" capstone project is like that of an "A" project, except that its directions may not be clear enough that I can follow them without having to guess a little bit about your exact intentions. A "B" write-up is complete and contains all the components listed above.
- A "C" capstone project may have clarity problems, leading me to have to guess how to follow your instructions. A "C" write-up may also be incomplete with some of the assignment components missing. The science may not be accurate.
- A "D" capstone project has such badly written directions that I can't even begin to guess how to follow your instructions. A "D" write-up may be significantly incomplete and it may contain gross factual errors. | <urn:uuid:c2614dc3-f854-464d-8b13-2fc3bcc8c8bd> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Geology/Controversies_in_the_Earth_Sciences_(Richardson)/06%3A_Capstone_Project/6.02%3A_Capstone_Project_Assignment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476399.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20240303210414-20240304000414-00897.warc.gz | en | 0.961125 | 994 | 3.171875 | 3 | 1,244 |
In the session, Francisco Pinto and Patrick Jermann will introduce a new type of search engine that allows students, researchers, and administrators to get quick access to information related to EPFL’s academic and research activities. This tool runs on top of an AI-powered engine that leverages machine learning, natural language processing, and graph theory to provide features such as: concept search inside video lectures, course recommendations based on learning objectives, and suggestions for research collaborations. In the first part of the session, you will be familiarised with the backstage work administrated for designing the search engine, while in the second part you will be able to explore the tool and discuss its features.
Interested in participating? Let us know by signing up: https://epfl.doodle.com/poll/bwyavu4vy6yb9gyg
The lunch&LEARN series was created by the Center LEARN to stimulate the exchange between learning science researchers and everyone at EPFL interested in teaching. Our sessions seek to either translate learning research into teaching practice or provide evidence and insights from teaching practice. Video recordings and slides from previous sessions can be found on https://www.epfl.ch/education/educational-initiatives/home/lunchlearn/.
During this covid-19 impactedd period, we turned it into a remote coffee&LEARN. | <urn:uuid:a9dd5f06-1778-461e-9990-8455fc682403> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://learn.epfl.ch/fr/events_learn/coffeelearn-epfl-graph-search-patrick-jermann-francisco-pinto/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476399.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20240303210414-20240304000414-00897.warc.gz | en | 0.912378 | 285 | 2.6875 | 3 | 1,245 |
Instructional strategies and practice for teaching learners with LD.
Application of teaching methods in a special education classroom setting.
Characteristics of students who have learning disabilities which are manifested in instructional settings. Specific characteristics that are factors in developing comprehensive, longitudinal individualized programs as well as guidelines regarding LD referral, assessment and placement procedures will be presented.
The various etiologies of conditions affecting students with mild/moderate disabilities. Cognitive characteristics of learners with mild/moderate disabilities and the impact on language development, academic performance, social skills, and emotional behavior will be included.
Specific methods designed to facilitate the development of reading skills of students with learning disabilities. A practicum experience is required.
Linguistic and reading needs in the special education classroom setting.
Sequencing, implementing, and evaluating individual learning objectives in a professional setting. Students will select, adapt, and use instructional strategies and materials according to characteristics of the learner.
Specific methods designed to facilitate the development of oral and written language skills among students with learning disabilities.
Learning disability specific methods designed to facilitate the development of mathematics concepts and skills. A practicum experience is required.
The philosophical, historical, and legal foundations of special education that connect with current issues and trends in special education.
A supervised clinical experience, consisting of 14 weeks with 50 percent in a special education resource classroom and the remaining 50 percent in an inclusive regular classroom. The experience includes an exploration of ethical issues, research through analysis and evaluation of teaching, and oral presentation of research results. Pass/Fail credit.
The techniques and practices of diagnostic assessment, including ethical concerns and legal provisions/guidelines. Emphasis is on identifying typical, delayed, and disordered communication and reasoning patterns of individuals with exceptional learning needs.
Functional assessments, behavior intervention plans and positive social, emotional, and behavioral support strategies. | <urn:uuid:40f20908-de10-4f57-a008-6c5c373a37d3> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://academic-catalog.uscupstate.edu/undergraduate-course-offerings/edld/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707948223038.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20240305060427-20240305090427-00897.warc.gz | en | 0.930756 | 374 | 3.65625 | 4 | 1,246 |
Didactics - University Teaching Qualification
Testing and assessment (UTQ module)
Improve the quality of your tests by using (your own) test materials.
- Target group
- Niloufar Daneshkhah (PhD Candidate / Guest)
Please note that the this course is fully booked; you will be placed on a waiting list.
'From our students’ point of view, assessment always defines the actual curriculum' (Ramsden, 1992). 'It defines what students regard as important, how they spend their time and how they come to see themselves as students and then as graduates... If you want to change student learning then change the methods of assessment' (Brown, G et al, 1997).
Knowing this, assessment can be seen in a different light. It does not only evaluate the results of student learning, it is the prime guide for student learning. Designing and delivering quality assessment that is aligned with the learning objectives is therefore very important. So, how can this be done? How can you evaluate the quality of your assessment? How do you choose the appropriate assessment formats? How do you construct clear and coherent assessment questions and assignments? How can you make sure these are marked fairly and reliably? How can you design your assessment in such a way that it supports student learning?
From assessment design to test analysis, from assessment formats to rubrics, from formative to summative assessment, all your questions will be answered in this course. During the course you will also work on improving the assessment from a course that you teach.
This training is aligned with the UTQ objectives and supports you in working towards your university teaching qualification. This course is specifically aimed at FGGA lecturers.
This training consists of two half-day group sessions. The following topics will be covered, amongst others:
- Assessment for Learning
You will examine ways in which your assessment can have a positive impact on student learning and collect strategies to apply to your own courses.
- Designing and structuring assessment
You will get tips to increase the reliability and transparency of your assessment and we will address the most common test question design errors. Using existing guidelines, you will be invited to rewrite your own assessment questions/assignment.
- Assessing and giving feedback
A clear model answer is essential to combat rater bias. The format of your answer model depends on the format of your test. In this course you will be introduced to the various forms of rater bias, examine the model answer of your own assessment and construct a simple rubric.
- Explain how assessment can be used as a tool for learning within your own course;
- Construct an assessment matrix to evaluate and ensure the validity of your assessment;
- Evaluate the choices for formative and summative assessment formats in relation to your learning objectives;
- Construct clear and coherent test questions;
- Describe how to construct transparent answer models and rubrics that can be used to assess in a reliable way;
- Explain the meaning of the most frequently used variables in psychometric test analysis.
5 hours assignments and 8 hours sessions.
For Leiden University/LUMC staff and teachers from Erasmus University Rotterdam and TU Delft the lower amount (€250) applies, for other participants it is the higher amount (€350). | <urn:uuid:ed9f4b03-aa0c-4c54-95d5-f7a0670742f1> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.staff.universiteitleiden.nl/courses/governance-and-global-affairs/utq/testing-and-assessment-utq-module?cf=humanities | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474412.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20240223121413-20240223151413-00097.warc.gz | en | 0.921671 | 681 | 2.515625 | 3 | 1,247 |
I’ve already talked about InfoGAN a couple of times (here, here, and here). InfoGAN is a specific neural network architecture that claims to extract interpretable and semantically meaningful dimensions from unlabeled data sets – exactly what we need in order to automatically extract a conceptual space from data.
InfoGAN is however not the only architecture that makes this claim. Today, I will talk about the β-variational autoencoder (β-VAE) which uses a different approach for reaching the same goal.
For the sake of simplicity, I will only talk about images in this text as both InfoGAN and β-VAE are usually applied to image data.
The right part of Figure 1 shows again the structure of the InfoGAN architecture. There are two networks involved: The generator uses a latent code plus some random noise in order to generate realistic images. The discriminator network tries to distinguish between real and generated images and has the additional task to reconstruct the latent code. If training is successful, then the individual dimensions within the latent code correspond to interpretable features of the data set.
The architecture of the β-VAE is shown in Figure 2. As one can see, the overall setup consists also here of two networks (highlighted with colors): The encoder takes an image (here denoted by x) and transforms it into a latent representation, whereas the decoder takes this latent representation and tries to reconstruct the original image. One can thus say that the encoder in β-VAE corresponds to the discriminator in InfoGAN and that the decoder in β-VAE corresponds to the generator in InfoGAN.
As you may have noticed, there is not a single latent code between the encoder and the decoder, but something more complicated. One of the properties that distinguishes β-VAE from regular autoencoders is the fact that both networks do not output a single number, but a probability distribution over numbers. More specifically, they use a normal distribution which can be described by its mean μ and its standard deviation σ. Figure 3 illustrates how such a normal distribution looks like.
So the networks output the mean μ and the standard deviation σ of a normal distribution over possible values. As we however need to use a single number as an input to the decoder network, we have to sample a single value z from this distribution. This is illustrated by the “sample” arrows in Figure 2.
How is the β-VAE architecture trained? There are two objectives:
On the one hand, one wants to minimize the reconstruction error: For any given image x that we first put through the encoder and afterwards through the decoder, we want the resulting reconstruction to be as similar as possible to the original x. In the β-VAE architecture, this is formulated as maximizing the probability of x under the probability distribution returned by the decoder.
On the other hand, we want to make sure that the individual entries of our latent representation z are interpretable. This is however hard to measure directly. If we assume that interpretable dimensions are independent from each other (one can e.g., manipulate the width of an object without changing anything about its height or its color), then we can however measure this independence and use it as a substitute for interpretability. This is exactly what is done in β-VAE: We try to minimize the difference between the distribution generated for z and an isotropic multivariate normal distribution (i.e., a normal distribution without any interactions between the individual dimensions). By doing so, we cause the individual entires of z to have a low correlation among each other, and hopefully this makes them more interpretable.
What I’ve explained to you so far is just the standard variational autoencoder (VAE) as described in . Now where does the β come in?
In standard VAE, the two learning objectives are combined by simply adding them up. This means that both objectives are equally important. In β-VAE, however, a factor β is introduced that influences the relative weight of the second objective: A higher value of β puts more emphasis on the statistical independence than on the reconstruction. As it has been observed in experiments, this stronger focus on statistical independence helps a lot in making the latent code more interpretable. However, as focusing on statistical independence automatically means to care less about good reconstructions, we have to pay for the increased interpretablity with reduced reconstruction quality.
I’ll leave my discussion about β-VAE at this level of abstraction. If you want to dive in deeper and look at the underlying math, I can recommend which lays out the mathematical derivation of the VAE training objective in a nice step-by-step manner.
Why am I writing about β-VAE? Well, since it has also shown to be quite useful for extracting interpretable dimensions, I will use it as a competitor to InfoGAN with respect to my rectangle domain. Stay tuned for updates!
Chen, Xi, et al. “InfoGAN: Interpretable Representation Learning by Information Maximizing Generative Adversarial Nets.” Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, 2016
Higgins, Irina et al. “β-VAE: Learning Basic Visual Concepts with a Constrained Variational Framework.” 5th International Conference on Learning Representations, 2017
Kingma, D. P. & Welling, M. “Auto-Encoding Variational Bayes.” arXiv preprint arXiv:1312.6114, 2013
Doersch, C. “Tutorial on Variational Autoencoders.” arXiv preprint arXiv:1606.05908, 2016 | <urn:uuid:dd2c7315-484e-4ad1-8494-41f881684497> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | http://lucas-bechberger.de/2018/12/07/what-is-a-%CE%B2-variational-autoencoder/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474676.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20240227153053-20240227183053-00097.warc.gz | en | 0.922503 | 1,193 | 2.5625 | 3 | 1,248 |
Many people believe that teaching is the only career for anyone with a degree in education. However, that's not the case because the skills learned in education programs are applicable in numerous fields. Teachers, principals, and college professors are not the only professionals that are required to have education degrees.
If you want to enter the education field or qualify for higher education leadership, there are several careers besides teaching for you to look into. You could become a career counselor, educational consultant, school psychologist and so much more. Let's discuss some non-traditional careers in education and their educational requirements.
1. Adult Education Teacher
An adult education teacher is someone who teaches basic job skills and helps those who did not complete their high school diploma. They may also assist adults who want to learn another language or take a bridge course to prepare for a higher education course.
If you currently work as a teacher, or you're looking for extra work, an adult education teaching job might be right for you. Adult educators mostly teach adults part-time on weekends or during night classes. They can also choose to offer different class types such as workshops and certification courses.
Adult education instructors are required to have at least a bachelor's degree and relevant teaching experience. If you plan to work in schools or colleges owned by the government, you may have to present your teaching certificate as well. Some states in the U.S. may also require you to apply for an adult education permit.
2. Standardized Test Developer
Standardized test developers create the tests taken at school to assess learning outcomes and track student performance. They are responsible for designing documents that measure students' retained knowledge at the end of their course or school program.
If you'd like to ensure that students are really hitting their learning outcomes, then you should become a standardized test developer. The goal is to help parents, teachers and administrators understand where students are succeeding and where they need some improvement.
Standardized test developers often work on exams like the High School Placement Test, General Education Development Test, Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, and many more. The education requirements for this interesting career may include a master's or a doctor of education degree.
3. Homeschool Consultant
A homeschool consultant helps parents determine their children's preferred learning styles and recommends the best curriculum for them. They are consultants or coaches who assist homeschooling parents and make sure they provide the best education possible for their kids.
This non-traditional career in education allows you to impact the lives of homeschoolers even though you won't be doing any teaching. A homeschool consultant should know the college/university admission criteria for homeschooled children. And ensure they meet their state's requirements.
Homeschool consultants are required to have at least a bachelor's degree and a teaching certificate. They are also expected to have completed a program in college admissions or career planning. They can work on a freelance basis or with an educational consulting company.
4. Education Researcher
An education researcher is a professional who conducts studies on particular aspects of education. They provide useful insight into current issues within the field of education. They often collect and analyze data and then use their conclusions to design assessments or curricula.
If you want to shape what is taught in schools, a career in education policy and research may be the perfect fit for you. An education researcher is expected to be involved in the formulation of curriculum content and learning processes, as well as influencing education policy.
Education researchers may work at research organizations or colleges where they will conduct experiments and develop research to understand learning processes. To meet the education requirements for this career, you should enroll in an online doctor of education degree program.
5. Curriculum Design
A curriculum designer is a professional who develops and evaluates curricula and training materials. They are involved in the creation of the overall course blueprint, the course content, and the learning objectives as well as assessment strategies, exercises, and interactive activities.
Teachers who want to move out of the classroom can move into a job as a curriculum designer. However, they need to be experts in their subject area. Curriculum designers usually work with teachers and administrators within their district to create the best curriculum for students.
Most curriculum designers who work in schools have at least a master's degree in education and a teaching or education administrator license. They can also decide to choose a school-based career path or work with companies to design instructional programs for their employees.
6. Corporate Trainer
A corporate trainer is a teacher who provides education and training to employees in a corporate setting. They often work with leadership to develop course work, deliver training sessions, lead orientation programs and help to upskill employees in a particular industry.
Teachers who want to work in a non-academic sector should consider a career as a corporate trainer. Many companies hire these professionals to ensure their employees have the necessary skills and knowledge for completing job tasks.
Corporate trainers need at least a bachelor's degree, and they also have to identify the ideal industry for them. They may be more equipped and have sufficient knowledge to provide training in certain fields than others. | <urn:uuid:a463ad36-8c16-4a1f-99e9-5674c4e5a64e> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://rushradar.com/careers-in-education/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707948235171.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20240305124045-20240305154045-00097.warc.gz | en | 0.971976 | 1,049 | 2.96875 | 3 | 1,249 |
The result of constant interactions between people is society. The basis of the society is the communication and everyday interactions between individuals. These daily interactions, which we refer to as socialization, are a long-term process in which people learn about social norms. Through these interactions, societal rules are created that determine what actions are considered acceptable or unacceptable. These societal rules created by interactions between others are the strongest reason I can think of to explain social life.
Socialization occurs as a result of pressure from society. It is through this process that people acquire the values, beliefs, and norms which form their culture. Primary socialization occurs in early social institutions such as the family or school. These norms are instilled into children at an early age to help them become integrated into the society. Socialization can have the greatest influence on society’s control of a person in early childhood. The learned behaviors of key authority figures, such as teachers and parents, can have a lasting impact on a person’s identity. They begin to learn about the people in power and how they should behave to avoid any negative consequences.
Early socialization helps people develop their own unique identity and personality based upon the norms of learned behavior. Secondary socialization is a way to reinforce these behaviours. It helps people learn about specific roles, attitudes and norms that are associated with adult learning. The secondary socialization builds on the knowledge they have already acquired from their previous socialization. It also helps them to form an identity that is based around these learned behaviors. As people develop identities over the course of their lives, their socialization influences them in every way.
Socialization requires that people actively participate in social interactions. They must also constantly observe the reactions of others to their actions and make adjustments based upon those reactions. The subtlest cues like facial expressions can have a big impact on behaviour. Instant feedback from others is an excellent indicator of what they find acceptable and unacceptable. These small clues are essential when building relationships and creating peer groups of people who share similar interests, characteristics and preferences. Group members influence the behaviour and interests of individuals in these peer groups. This emulates social control methods that were explained earlier.
But when explaining the concept of social control, we must also consider other viewpoints that influence how people behave and are influenced by their social power. Medical control, which is the result of medicalization in society as a whole, is one of the key factors of social control. Michel Foucault argues that medicalization, as a form social control, is used to stigmatize certain populations and label them as requiring the intervention of authorities. Medical social control is the way medicine reinforces social norms through medical means. In terms of their own health, people will listen more to professionals who have had years of education. Doctors have immense power due to the high value of health. It is reinforced by the fact that medical surveillance done in the interest of public safety and health results in police and legal policies. This means that people will alter their behavior and actions when a doctor recommends it and if a policy deems ‘deviant’ behaviour. Due to the fact that medical social controls can reach individuals at a much larger scale, socialization is not able.
Socialization, in my opinion, is the key factor to explain social control. This is because early socialization techniques are used to influence a person from the micro level of subtle cues during everyday interactions up to the large scale of their entire identity. | <urn:uuid:271ecf96-970d-4709-b5b4-c3718334a9b1> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://smartcustomwritings.org/the-importance-of-socialization-and-culture-in/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473347.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20240220211055-20240221001055-00198.warc.gz | en | 0.96696 | 697 | 4.09375 | 4 | 1,250 |
Education today is embracing technology more than ever before. From digital classrooms to online learning platforms, technology has become an integral part of the learning experience. But why exactly does education love all things tech? The answer lies in the countless opportunities it provides for students and educators alike. With technology, lessons become more interactive, engaging, and personalized. It enables students to access a vast array of resources, collaborate with peers, and develop essential skills for the future. So, if you’re wondering how technology is revolutionizing education, look no further! In this article, we’ll explore the incredible ways in which education loves all tech/more/.
Education Loves All Tech/More/
Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, transforming the way we communicate, work, and even learn. In the field of education, the integration of technology has revolutionized the traditional classroom, providing students and teachers with innovative tools and resources to enhance the learning experience. From interactive whiteboards to educational apps, technology has opened up a world of possibilities, making education more engaging, accessible, and inclusive. In this article, we will explore how education embraces all forms of technology, highlighting the benefits, challenges, and future prospects.
The Benefits of Technology in Education
Technology has played a vital role in shaping the modern education landscape. Here are some of the key benefits it brings to the table:
1. Enhanced Engagement: Technology facilitates interactive learning experiences, capturing students’ attention and fostering active participation. Multimedia elements, such as videos, animations, and simulations, make complex concepts easier to understand and retain.
2. Access to Information: The internet has opened up a vast sea of knowledge, making information readily available to students and teachers. Online research, digital libraries, and educational websites provide a wealth of resources that can enhance learning beyond the confines of traditional textbooks.
3. Customized Learning: Technology enables personalized learning experiences, catering to the unique needs and learning styles of individual students. Adaptive learning software can adjust the pace, difficulty level, and content to match each student’s abilities, ensuring optimal learning outcomes.
4. Collaborative Learning: Technology promotes collaboration among students and even extends beyond the walls of the classroom. Virtual learning environments, discussion forums, and video conferencing tools enable students to engage in group projects, share ideas, and connect with peers from different parts of the world.
5. Improved Assessment: Technology offers a wide range of assessment tools that go beyond traditional pen-and-paper tests. Online quizzes, interactive assessments, and automated grading systems allow for immediate feedback, enabling teachers to track students’ progress more effectively.
Challenges in Integrating Technology in Education
While technology brings numerous benefits to education, it also presents its fair share of challenges. Here are some of the common obstacles faced in integrating technology in the education sector:
1. Cost: Implementing technology in schools can be costly, requiring investments in devices, infrastructure, software, and training. Limited budgets may hinder schools’ ability to provide equal access to technology for all students.
2. Technical Issues: Technical glitches, network connectivity problems, and compatibility issues can disrupt smooth implementation of technology in classrooms. Teachers and students need adequate technical support to ensure uninterrupted learning experiences.
3. Teacher Training: Integrating technology effectively requires teachers to acquire new skills and adapt their teaching methods. Providing comprehensive training opportunities for educators is crucial to maximize the potential of technology in the classroom.
4. Internet Safety and Digital Literacy: With the increased reliance on the internet, ensuring internet safety and promoting digital literacy among students becomes imperative. Educating students about online privacy, cybersecurity, and responsible internet usage is essential.
The Role of Different Technologies in Education
1. Interactive Whiteboards: Interactive whiteboards combine the functionality of a traditional whiteboard with digital technology, offering a versatile tool for interactive teaching. Teachers can display multimedia content, annotate and highlight information, and even integrate educational software for engaging classroom sessions.
2. Tablets and Mobile Devices: Tablets and mobile devices have become increasingly popular in educational settings. They provide a portable and interactive platform for students to access educational apps, digital textbooks, and collaborative learning tools.
3. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR): VR and AR technologies offer immersive and experiential learning experiences. Students can explore historical sites, simulate scientific experiments, or visualize complex concepts through interactive virtual environments.
4. Online Learning Platforms: Online learning platforms, such as learning management systems and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), provide flexible learning opportunities beyond traditional classrooms. Students can access course materials, participate in discussions, and complete assignments remotely.
5. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education: AI-powered educational tools leverage machine learning algorithms to personalize learning experiences, provide targeted feedback, and assist in grading. AI chatbots can also support students in solving problems and answering queries.
The Future of Technology in Education
The integration of technology in education is an ongoing process that continues to evolve. Here are some exciting possibilities for the future:
1. Adaptive Learning: As AI technology advances, adaptive learning systems will become more sophisticated, tailoring educational content and activities to individual student needs in real-time.
2. Internet of Things (IoT) in Education: IoT devices can transform traditional classrooms into smart classrooms, connecting various devices, such as interactive whiteboards, student tablets, and smart projectors, for seamless communication and data sharing.
3. Virtual and Augmented Reality: With further advancements, VR and AR could become more accessible and affordable, allowing students to explore virtual worlds, interact with 3D models, and collaborate with peers remotely.
4. Data Analytics: The collection and analysis of educational data can provide valuable insights into student performance, learning trends, and areas that require improvement. Data analytics can support personalized learning, identify learning gaps, and inform instructional strategies.
5. Blockchain in Education: Blockchain technology can enhance the security and verification of educational credentials, making it easier for students to share and validate their achievements globally.
Technology has become an indispensable tool in education, revolutionizing the learning experience for students and teachers alike. It provides opportunities for enhanced engagement, personalized learning, collaboration, and improved assessment. While challenges exist, such as cost and technical issues, the benefits far outweigh them. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more exciting developments, such as adaptive learning, VR, IoT, and data analytics, further transforming education and unlocking its full potential. Embracing technology in education is crucial to preparing students for the digital age and empowering them with the necessary skills for success in the future.
Education Loves All Tech
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some advantages of incorporating technology in education?
Integrating technology in education offers numerous benefits. It enhances student engagement, facilitates personalized learning, improves access to educational resources, promotes collaboration, and helps develop crucial digital skills that are essential in today’s digital world.
How can technology support inclusive education?
Technology plays a vital role in promoting inclusive education. It provides students with diverse learning needs access to customized learning experiences, adaptive assessments, assistive tools, and resources that cater to their individual requirements. Additionally, technology enables educators to differentiate instruction and create inclusive learning environments.
What impact does technology have on student outcomes?
The integration of technology in education has a positive impact on student outcomes. It enhances critical thinking and problem-solving skills, boosts creativity, improves information retention, and increases student achievement. Technology also prepares students for the future workforce, where digital literacy is becoming increasingly crucial.
How can teachers effectively integrate technology into their classrooms?
To effectively integrate technology into classrooms, teachers can start by identifying learning objectives and selecting appropriate technology tools that align with those objectives. They can provide hands-on experiences, encourage collaboration, and offer ongoing support and professional development to ensure effective technology implementation. Moreover, teachers should continuously evaluate and adjust their strategies based on student feedback and outcomes.
Are there any concerns associated with technology use in education?
While technology has numerous benefits, it’s important to address concerns associated with its use. Some common concerns include the potential for increased screen time, the need for digital literacy among educators, data privacy and security, and ensuring equitable access to technology for all students. Educators and policymakers need to address these concerns and implement appropriate measures to mitigate any potential negative impacts.
Education today has embraced technology like never before. From online learning platforms to interactive educational tools, tech has become an essential part of the teaching and learning process. With the increasing availability and affordability of devices and internet access, education has gained new dimensions and possibilities. Technology has allowed students to learn at their own pace, explore beyond the boundaries of traditional textbooks, and engage in educational content that caters to their individual needs. Education loves all tech, and it craves for even more advancements and innovations to further enhance the learning experience. | <urn:uuid:deadf742-9721-4ede-9e61-59481ec788dc> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | http://eduismallia.org/education-loves-all-tech-more/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473735.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222061937-20240222091937-00198.warc.gz | en | 0.925247 | 1,823 | 3.421875 | 3 | 1,251 |
Our English curriculum is designed to grow a love of language in our pupils and immerse them in a range of language-rich texts to develop their vocabulary and reading and writing skills. Our curriculum takes a systematic approach to the teaching of early reading and phonics to ensure that children can read accurately and fluently by the time they leave our school. We follow Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, a systematic and synthetic phonics programme. Please see the phonics and early reading policy for further information. We believe that reading is a gateway to learning and future academic success and our curriculum ensures our pupils can read accurately, with good understanding and become confident writers. We also ensure it develops pupils’ vocabulary and knowledge through promoting a love of reading and supporting our pupils to become life-long readers and benefit from all the advantages reading for pleasure can give.
Speaking and Listening
At Village Infants School we believe that speaking and listening are central to teaching and learning in all areas of the curriculum. Pupils are provided with a supportive environment for speaking and listening via a series of planned opportunities to talk and listen in every year group across a broad curriculum. Adults support pupils to engage in high-quality dialogue and direct teaching so that they can articulate what they know and understand and develop their knowledge across all areas of learning, using the vocabulary they need to support learning. Pupils are encouraged to think with a growth mindset where challenge is celebrated, they are taught how to receive feedback, and speak about their learning, taking responsibility for enhancing their learning and collaborating with others without fear of failure. For pupils who need additional support targeted interventions are provided to build attention and listening skills and develop both receptive understanding and expressive abilities to support communication and language development. In Reception all pupils are assessed on Language Screen to identify gaps in expressive and receptive vocabulary and an intensive 20 week Neli (Nuffield Early Language Intervention) programme is put in place. A speech therapist visits the school regularly to provide additional communication and speech support for identified pupils. All pupils are given the opportunity to work in pairs, small groups, large groups and as a whole class. Drama techniques, re-telling stories, learning songs, poems and rhymes by heart are additional strategies used throughout the school to further support pupils’ oral language development. Random Talk Partners are used in each class to support pupils to practise their skills of listening to, talking with a partner, and giving feedback. These are mixed ability pairings that are changed regularly.
Throughout the school adults will encourage pupils to speak audibly, in full sentences with an increasing command of Standard English. Adults will ‘think out loud’ and model new language for pupils, rephrasing and extending what the children say. Pupils are taught good listening skills through modelling, reinforcing and praising good listening with specific examples. Pupils are taught the routines of back-and-forth talk and encouraged not to put their hands up, but wait for a gap. Teachers will use ‘Talk for Learning’ strategies to extend pupils thinking. They will name a child before they ask a question and pupils will be encouraged not to put their hands up. Teachers will use talk to stimulate and extend pupils thinking and advance their learning and understanding. Pupils will be given thinking time and questions will be open ended to encourage more meaningful dialogue.
eg Can you tell me more about…..?
I wonder why……?
Can you tell me why you think or feel that way?
What else can you say about…..?
Vocabulary development has a high priority across the school from EYFS to Year 2. Adult interaction and purposeful experiences build our children’s language development and vocabulary. Our English curriculum aims to make our pupils ‘word rich’, inspiring in them a love of language and words. In EYFS key vocabulary is identified in planning and then displayed in indoor and outdoor learning environments to ensure all adults are embedding vocabulary in continuous provision and children are encouraged to use and explore language through direct teaching and purposeful play. In Reception all pupils are assessed on Language Screen to identify gaps in expressive and receptive vocabulary and an intensive 20 week Neli (Nuffield Early Language Intervention) programme is put in place. Key vocabulary is identified and taught to children for each curriculum subject and is progressive across the school. Listening to and talking about stories and non-fiction develops children’s vocabulary and quality ‘book talk’ takes place daily. Dedicated rhyme time takes place regularly in each class to further extend pupils language development and vocabulary and each year group has a spine of carefully chosen poems, rhymes and traditional songs. The power of reading approach is used to immerse pupils in a high-quality text, where new vocabulary is encountered, celebrated, and displayed in each class. Every year group identifies a ‘word of the week’ to learn and use at home and at school. Adults model using all new vocabulary in context throughout the day encouraging children to do the same. As vocabulary increases teachers will support children to understand the relationships between words, how to understand nuances in meaning and how to develop their understanding of and ability to use, figurative language.
Developing early reading is a priority at Village Infant School. We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised systematic synthetic phonics programme. Children will be taught to sound out and blend unfamiliar words quickly and accurately. Pupils will be taught the Foundations for Phonics programme in Nursery and phases 2,3 and 4 in Reception. Pupils will be taught Phases 1,2,3 and 4 throughout the Foundation Stage. In Year 1 Phases 3 and 4 will be revisited and Phase 5 will be taught. At each phase additional interventions are put in place to ensure pupils keep up. At the end of Year 1 pupils will take the Year 1 Phonics Screening check. Any pupils who do not meet the threshold for this check will be given additional phonic intervention and will re-take the check the following year in Year 2. Once confident working within phase 5 pupils In Year 2 pupils follow the Little Wandle Bridge to Spelling programme to learn the underpinning concepts of spelling. This programme follows the familiar structure of Little Wandle phonics lessons, supporting the children to make links to their phonics learning. Phonic workshops for parents take place regularly. For more detailed information about our phonic programme please see the early reading and phonics policy. Pupils are also taught early reading skills in group guided reading Lessons two to three times a week, where they will read a book closely matched to their growing phonic knowledge which they can then take home to re-read. Pupils will be given reading targets to work on at home and at school as appropriate and each pupil will have a Reading Diary for home/school communication. In addition to their guided reading book which is closely matched to their phonic knowledge, pupils in KS1 are also given the opportunity to choose independently from a range of decodable books matched to the phonic phase they are currently working within to read independently at home. When pupils become fluent readers they are then given the opportunity to choose from a range of engaging texts for independent reading practise at home.
Good quality literature will form the basis of all reading activities. The power of reading approach is used by teachers in each year group to immerse children in a high-quality text. Each classroom has a welcoming book corner with a selection of fiction and non-fiction books, poetry and magazines for the children to access. In addition to decodable books the children have dedicated time to visit the school library every week to choose a fiction, non-fiction or poetry book to share with their talk partner at school and then take home to enjoy with their family. Each year group visits the local library and we ensure that each child has their own library card and we encourage them to visit the local library with their family. A daily story time takes place in each class led by the teacher with additional adults timetabled to visit regularly. A reading spine is in place in each year group to ensure that all children hear a range of high-quality texts read aloud to them throughout their time at school. Each year group has an author focus every half term. Pupils learn biographical details about the author and enjoy choosing and sharing their books from the classroom displays. Regular parent workshops take place so we can work together to support our children’s reading development and ensure parents understand the importance of listening to their children read at home and also reading to them and the benefits reading for pleasure will bring to their lives. All adults at home and school are encouraged to share their love of reading with the children, their favourite books, authors, and places to read.
Phonological awareness, phonics and spelling are taught regularly and systematically throughout early years and KS1, following the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds SSP. Spelling strategies are explicitly taught in Year 2. Pupils will be taught to use their phonic knowledge to spell new words. They will be encouraged to orally rehearse sentences before writing them and to re-read their writing to check it makes sense. Teachers will use a range of techniques such as model texts, story maps, boxing up and reading as a writer to develop the writing skills of each child. In every unit of work children study a high-quality core text, which forms the basis for fiction and/or non-fiction writing. Pupils will be taught to write in different genres; stories, recounts, explanations, instructions, reports and poetry. We use the TalkforWriting approach which follows three key stages. These are ‘imitation’, where pupils learn to internalise a high-quality text, to identify transferrable ideas and structures, ‘innovation’, where pupils use these ideas and structures to co-construct new versions with their teachers and ‘invention’ when pupils independently apply the skills they have learnt in their writing. Writing will also be taught by shared writing, with the teacher modelling the skills and processes essential to writing eg thinking aloud as they collect ideas, drafting, re-reading and making explicit vocabulary choices. Pupils will be encouraged to draw on and use new vocabulary from their own reading and books they have listened to, in their writing. Pupils are also taught in small Guided Writing Groups. Pupils are encouraged to discuss what they have written with their teacher and think of ways to improve it. Writing targets are given to support progress and feedback given to enable improvement. Interventions are put in place for pupils who need additional support to develop their writing skills. Verbal feedback is most frequently used and takes place in the moment throughout every lesson. Written feedback will also take place when appropriate. Adults highlight successes, identify improvements and give pupils the opportunity to edit and improve their work using a green pen. Pupils can also complete challenges with a pink pen. Pupils are also encouraged to identify and highlight their own successes in relation to the learning objective to encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning. Each class celebrates the progress and improvement of their ‘star writers’ of the week. Please see Feedback Policy for more information.
Pupils will be taught to sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortable and correctly. Pupils are given practise in a correct pencil grip and fine motor exercises to support this as appropriate. Pupils will be taught to form all lower- and upper-case letters with the correct start and exit points. The script we use contains flicks after letters to support pupils to progress to joined up writing when they are ready. When pupils have mastered correct letter formation of individual letters, they are taught to use the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another are best left un-joined. Letter formation is taught during phonic lessons and in discrete handwriting lessons three times a week using the following letter formation and families:
l t i u j y c o a g d q r n m p h b k e f s v w x z
Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation
Pupils are taught grammar within the teaching of reading, writing and speaking alongside discrete lessons and pupils will be encouraged to apply and explore these grammatical concepts in the grammar of their own speech and writing and to note it when used by others. We follow the Little Wandle Bridge to Spelling programme and additional Spelling Programme alongside National Curriculum programmes of study for spelling, grammar and punctuation. Adults will use correct grammar and Standard English and take every opportunity to further develop pupil’s vocabulary and grammar through modelling in a range of contexts.
In the Foundation Stage pupils are encouraged to use and explore language through play. Teachers will use statements with fewer questions and foster children’s enjoyment of spoken language by providing interesting and stimulating play activities. Teachers will encourage the correct use of language by telling repetitive stories. All practitioners will use correct grammar and model Standard English using key vocabulary in a range of contexts. Pupils will be encouraged to talk in sentences and to understand how to create a sentence from an idea. They will be encouraged to explore and understand the difference between letters and words and the spaces between words. This will be done by using cut up sentences and exploring questions such as:
What is a sentence? Why do we have full stops?
In Year 1 Teachers will consolidate the sentence work done in Reception and pupils will be helped to expand on what they say, introducing and reinforcing the use of more complex sentences. Pupils will be encouraged to use a wide range of vocabulary when describing real or imagined events and begin to explore word classes such as adjective, noun, verb and adverb. Pupils will be taught to understand and use sentences with different forms: statement, question, command, exclamation and to punctuate their sentences using a capital letter and a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark. Pupils will enter Phase 5 of the phonic programme and broaden their knowledge of graphemes and phonemes for use in reading and spelling. They will be taught alternative spellings for phonemes and learn to choose the appropriate graphemes to represent phonemes and begin to build word-specific knowledge of the spellings of words. Carefully chosen dictation activities will enable pupils to practise and apply their spelling knowledge and segmenting skills.
In Year 2 pupils will be encouraged to include more information in their speech and writing by using effective vocabulary. They will be taught more complex grammatical constructions and encouraged to use them orally and in writing. They will be encouraged to use present and past tenses correctly and consistently and subordination (using when, if that, or because) and co-ordination (using or and or, but) in speech and writing. Teachers will develop pupils understanding of the function of adjectives, nouns, conjunctions, verbs and adverbs and the use of pro-nouns to avoid repetition. In Year 2 pupils enter phase 6 and become increasingly accurate spellers. Pupils will be taught a variety of strategies for learning to spell new words and asked key questions to encourage them to explore and reflect on spelling patterns:
- What do you notice?
- Are there exceptions?
- Can you think of other examples?
Pupils will follow the Little Wandle Bridge to Spelling programme to learn the underpinning concepts of spelling. This programme follows the familiar structure of Little Wandle phonics lessons, supporting the children to make links to their phonics learning. Pupils then move on to the Little Wandle Spelling Programme which teaches children to consider the structure of words and their relationship to other words. The programme provides full coverage of National Curriculum spelling requirements. Please see below Spelling overview.
All our pupils will make good progress. At the end of Key Stage 1 our English results are consistently above LA and National average in Reading, Writing and Phonics. Children are assessed daily through assessment for learning in lessons, use of key performance indicators, intervention monitoring and termly summative assessments. When they leave Village Infants most pupils read fluently with good understanding. They can write clearly and coherently for a range of purposes and listen carefully in a range of contexts, responding appropriately and asking questions to extend their understanding and knowledge. Pupils will be able to communicate confidently allowing for back and forth in conversations and discussions. Our English curriculum promotes reading for pleasure which increases vocabulary and knowledge across all areas of the curriculum and ensures future success in the wider world. | <urn:uuid:437b41ca-1ed2-468c-8a01-3bc3d7fa2287> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://villageinfants.com/curriculum/curriculum-subjects/english/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473735.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222061937-20240222091937-00198.warc.gz | en | 0.952018 | 3,393 | 3.046875 | 3 | 1,252 |
What's in this article :
1. Technological Advancements in Education
Technology has revolutionized various aspects of our daily lives, and education is no exception. In recent years, there have been significant technological advancements in education that have transformed the way we teach and learn. These advancements have opened up exciting new possibilities and opportunities for both students and educators alike.
One of the most notable technological advancements in education is the rise of online learning platforms and virtual classrooms. With the help of these platforms, students can access educational resources and participate in interactive learning experiences from the comfort of their own homes. This has proven to be particularly valuable in situations where traditional classroom settings are not feasible, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, technology has made it easier for educators to personalize learning experiences for individual students. Through the use of adaptive learning software and intelligent algorithms, teachers can tailor their lessons to meet the unique needs and learning styles of each student. This individualized education approach allows students to learn at their own pace and focus on areas where they may need additional support.
The blending of traditional and digital teaching methods, known as blended learning, is another significant technological advancement in education. Blended learning combines face-to-face instruction with online resources and tools, creating a more flexible and dynamic learning environment. This approach allows students to benefit from both the expertise of their teachers and the interactive, multimedia elements of digital learning materials.
When it comes to measuring skills and knowledge, technology has also played a crucial role in the development of competency-based education. Traditional methods of assessment, such as standardized tests, may not fully capture a student’s true abilities. Competency-based education, on the other hand, focuses on evaluating students based on their mastery of specific skills and knowledge areas. Technology is instrumental in providing real-time feedback and assessment tools that enable educators to monitor students’ progress and provide targeted support.
While the technological advancements in education have brought about numerous benefits, there are also challenges associated with their implementation. One of the main challenges is ensuring equitable access to technology and internet connectivity for all students. The digital divide, which refers to the gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not, can further exacerbate existing educational inequalities.
In conclusion, technological advancements have had a profound impact on the field of education. From online learning platforms to personalized learning experiences, technology has enhanced the way we teach and learn. By embracing these advancements and addressing the associated challenges, we can continue to foster a more inclusive and effective educational system.
2. Personalized Learning: Individualized Education
Personalized learning, also known as individualized education, is a student-centered approach to learning that tailors instruction to meet each student’s unique needs, interests, and abilities. The goal of personalized learning is to provide students with a more personalized and relevant educational experience, while also promoting student agency and ownership of their learning. This approach recognizes that each student learns differently and at their own pace, and strives to create an environment that supports and empowers students to take control of their learning journey.
One of the key benefits of personalized learning is that it allows students to learn at their own pace. In a traditional classroom setting, students are often taught at a predetermined pace that may not suit their individual learning needs. This can lead to students feeling bored or frustrated if the material is too easy or too difficult for them. With personalized learning, students have the freedom to progress through the curriculum at a pace that challenges them and meets their specific learning needs. This individualized approach helps to ensure that students are engaged and motivated to learn.
Another advantage of personalized learning is that it allows for a more student-centered and student-driven learning experience. Instead of being passive recipients of information, students are actively involved in their own learning. They have the opportunity to explore their own interests and passions, and to pursue learning in a way that is meaningful to them. This not only fosters a love for learning, but also helps students develop important skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and self-reflection.
- Improved student outcomes
- Increased student engagement and motivation
- Enhanced individualized support
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Promotion of 21st-century skills
|Improved student outcomes
|Requires investment in technology and resources
|Increased student engagement and motivation
|Can be challenging to implement on a large scale
|Enhanced individualized support
|Requires a shift in teaching practices and mindset
|Flexibility and adaptability
|Requires ongoing professional development for teachers
|Promotion of 21st-century skills
|May not be suitable for all students or subjects
In conclusion, personalized learning offers a promising approach to education that caters to the unique needs and abilities of each student. By providing students with a more personalized and relevant learning experience, personalized learning can improve student outcomes, increase engagement and motivation, and promote the development of 21st-century skills. While there are challenges and considerations to be addressed, the benefits of personalized learning make it a valuable approach to consider in modern education.
3. Blended Learning: Combining Traditional and Digital Methods
Blended Learning: Combining Traditional and Digital Methods
In today’s ever-evolving world, education is adapting to incorporate the use of technology in the classroom. Blended learning, a teaching approach that combines traditional methods with digital tools, is one such method that has gained popularity in recent years. Blended learning offers a unique blend of face-to-face instruction and online interaction, providing students with the best of both worlds. This approach allows educators to leverage the benefits of technology while still maintaining the value of traditional teaching methods.
One of the most significant advantages of blended learning is its ability to cater to the diverse learning needs of students. Traditional teaching methods have often struggled to accommodate students with different learning styles. However, with blended learning, educators can personalize the learning experience by incorporating multimedia, interactive activities, and online resources. This approach provides students with the flexibility to learn at their own pace, ensuring that they grasp concepts effectively. Moreover, blended learning promotes student engagement and motivation by making learning more interactive and enjoyable.
Additionally, the use of digital tools in blended learning allows for easy tracking and assessment of student progress. With online platforms and learning management systems, educators can monitor students’ performance in real-time and provide timely feedback. This data-driven approach enables teachers to identify areas where students may be struggling and offer targeted support. Moreover, the integration of interactive quizzes and assessments can help reinforce learning and measure students’ understanding effectively. By combining traditional and digital assessment methods, educators can obtain a more comprehensive view of students’ skills and knowledge.
In summary, blended learning offers a promising approach to education by combining the best aspects of traditional teaching methods with the advantages of digital tools. By personalizing the learning experience, promoting engagement, and enabling effective assessment, blended learning proves to be an effective method to cater to the diverse needs of learners today. As technology continues to advance, it is essential for educators to embrace blended learning and adapt their teaching methods to prepare students for success in the digital age.
Keywords: blended learning, traditional teaching methods, digital tools, personalization, student engagement, assessment, technology, diverse learning needs, education
|Flexible learning pace
4. Competency-Based Education: Measuring Skills and Knowledge
Competency-Based Education (CBE) is an innovative approach that focuses on measuring skills and knowledge rather than seat time. In the traditional education system, students are required to spend a specific amount of time in a classroom to earn credits. However, CBE shifts the focus to mastery of skills and knowledge, allowing students to progress at their own pace. This method of education is gaining popularity as it provides a more personalized learning experience for students.
One of the key aspects of CBE is the use of competencies to define learning objectives. Competencies are specific skills or knowledge that students are expected to achieve. These competencies are often broken down into smaller, measurable learning outcomes. For example, in a math course, a competency could be solving equations, and the learning outcomes could include solving linear equations, quadratic equations, and so on. By defining competencies, educators can clearly communicate what students are expected to learn and achieve.
CBE offers a flexible learning environment that allows students to progress based on their individual needs and pace. Instead of a fixed timeline, students can advance as soon as they demonstrate mastery of a competency. This means that students who grasp a concept quickly are not held back by their peers, while those who need more time can receive the necessary support and attention. Moreover, the use of personalized feedback and assessments helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses, allowing them to focus on areas that require improvement.
Assessment plays a critical role in CBE as it serves as a measure of students’ skills and knowledge. Traditional exams and quizzes may not be suitable for measuring competencies, as they often focus on memorization rather than application of concepts. Instead, CBE utilizes a variety of assessment methods, such as performance tasks, projects, and portfolios, which provide students with opportunities to showcase their understanding and application of the competencies. These assessments are often rubric-based, providing clear criteria for evaluating student performance.
- Performance Tasks: These tasks require students to demonstrate their skills in real-world scenarios. For example, a performance task in a science class may involve conducting an experiment and analyzing the results.
- Projects: Projects allow students to apply their knowledge and skills to solve complex problems or create a product. This can include designing a website, writing a research paper, or creating a multimedia presentation.
- Portfolios: Portfolios are collections of students’ work that showcase their growth, achievements, and reflection. They can include samples of assignments, projects, and self-assessments.
In addition to providing a more personalized learning experience, CBE also prepares students for the real world. By focusing on skills and knowledge mastery, CBE equips students with the abilities they need to succeed in their future careers. Furthermore, CBE promotes lifelong learning by fostering students’ self-discipline and self-directedness in their education journey. This approach not only prepares students academically but also cultivates essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication.
In conclusion, competency-based education is a forward-thinking approach that prioritizes the measurement of skills and knowledge over seat time. By defining clear competencies, offering a flexible learning environment, and utilizing varied assessments, CBE provides students with a personalized and meaningful education experience. Moreover, CBE prepares students for the real world by equipping them with the necessary skills to thrive in their careers and beyond. As we continue to explore innovative ways to improve education, competency-based education stands out as a promising model for the future.
5. Challenges in Implementing Future Education Methods
Implementing future education methods comes with several challenges that need to be addressed. These challenges can arise due to various factors such as resistance to change, lack of resources, and the need for training and support. It is important to understand and overcome these challenges in order to successfully implement new and innovative methods in education.
One of the main challenges in implementing future education methods is the resistance to change. Many people, including teachers, students, and administrators, may be hesitant to adopt new approaches and technologies in the classroom. This resistance can stem from a fear of the unknown, a lack of understanding of the benefits, or a preference for traditional methods. Overcoming this resistance requires effective communication and clear explanations of how the new methods can improve teaching and learning outcomes.
Lack of resources is another significant challenge in implementing future education methods. These methods often require technological tools, software, and infrastructure that may not be readily available or affordable for all educational institutions. In addition, there may be a lack of funding or support to purchase and maintain these resources. To address this challenge, schools and policymakers need to invest in the necessary infrastructure and provide financial support to ensure that all students and teachers have access to the required resources.
Furthermore, the successful implementation of future education methods requires adequate training and support for teachers and students. Many teachers may not be familiar with the new technologies or methods and may require training to effectively integrate them into their teaching practices. Students also need support in learning how to use these new tools and approaches. Providing ongoing professional development opportunities and resources can help overcome the challenge of training and ensure that teachers and students are prepared to embrace the future of education.
Key Challenges in Implementing Future Education Methods:
- Resistance to change: Overcoming the reluctance to adopt new approaches and technologies in the classroom.
- Lack of resources: Addressing the need for adequate technological tools, software, and infrastructure.
- Training and support: Providing teachers and students with the necessary training and support to effectively integrate new methods into their teaching and learning practices.
In conclusion, implementing future education methods is not without its challenges. However, by addressing the resistance to change, ensuring access to resources, and providing training and support, these challenges can be overcome. It is crucial for educational institutions and policymakers to recognize and tackle these obstacles in order to create a successful and innovative learning environment for the students of tomorrow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: How can technological advancements improve education?
Technological advancements can improve education by providing access to digital resources, online learning platforms, educational apps, and interactive tools. These tools can enhance student engagement, facilitate personalized learning, and provide instant feedback to both students and teachers.
Question 2: What is personalized learning and how does it benefit students?
Personalized learning refers to individualized education tailored to the specific needs, interests, and pace of each student. It benefits students by promoting active learning, allowing them to learn at their own pace, and focusing on their strengths and interests. It also encourages self-directed learning and increases student motivation and engagement.
Question 3: What is blended learning and why is it effective?
Blended learning is the combination of traditional classroom teaching methods with digital resources and technology. It is effective because it allows flexibility in learning, enables personalized instruction, and provides access to a wide range of learning materials and resources. Blended learning also encourages collaboration among students and allows for differentiated instruction.
Question 4: How does competency-based education measure skills and knowledge?
Competency-based education focuses on the mastery of specific skills and knowledge rather than a fixed amount of time spent in the classroom. It measures skills and knowledge through assessments, projects, and demonstrations of mastery. This approach ensures that students are competent in essential skills and allows for individualized learning paths based on their strengths and areas for improvement.
Question 5: What are the challenges in implementing future education methods?
Some challenges in implementing future education methods include resistance to change from teachers and institutions, lack of training and resources for teachers to effectively use technology in the classroom, and the need for infrastructural support like reliable internet connectivity. Additionally, there may be concerns about equity and access to technology for all students, as well as the potential for increased screen time and its impact on student well-being.
Question 6: How can teachers adapt to incorporate technological advancements in education?
Teachers can adapt to incorporate technological advancements in education by seeking professional development opportunities to enhance their digital literacy skills. They can also explore and utilize educational technology tools and platforms that align with their teaching goals and the needs of their students. Collaboration with other educators and sharing best practices can also be beneficial in successfully incorporating technology in the classroom.
Question 7: What are some best practices for implementing personalized and blended learning?
Some best practices for implementing personalized and blended learning include aligning learning goals with technology integration, providing clear guidelines and expectations for students, regularly assessing student progress and providing timely feedback, fostering a supportive and collaborative classroom environment, and continuously reflecting and adapting instructional strategies based on student needs and feedback. | <urn:uuid:3a2a84a2-f30d-44f1-939b-897e6d4b39fd> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://cycledrivenlife.com/the-future-of-education-advancements-and-challenges/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474650.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20240226030734-20240226060734-00198.warc.gz | en | 0.953703 | 3,280 | 3.75 | 4 | 1,253 |
This piece has been written to learn the note C5. It uses the note values of a crotchet and a minim.
The learning objective sets the reasons for learning this piece. It does not cover all reasons, only the most important ones.
To learn the note C5
To use a crotchet
To use a minim
To use the right hand
Good hand position
This is how the piece should sound after seven days practise.
Read the letter names out loud.
Read the music and say out loud the finger numbers you would expect to use.
Using the relevant flash cards from the PDF provided lay out the letter names in order on the table or floor. Print the pages as many times as required to have the correct number of notes.
Using the rhythm cards from the PDF provided lay out the rhythm for each bar and clap or play using a percussion instrument. A tambourine would be a good option for this.
Sit at the piano or keyboard. (Link: Explanation video)
Your knees slightly under the keys
Allow your left arm to hang by your side in a relaxed position
When ready lift and place with the thumb on C5, keeping the natural curve of the hand.
Tap each key required in the correct rhythm.
Play the piece saying the finger numbers out loud.
Play the piece saying the letter names out loud.
Play complete focusing on each note as it sounds. | <urn:uuid:d0468161-f54a-4b14-9a9e-0c0f194a1b37> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.chrisatthepiano.com/post/level-1-junior-fluency-c5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474650.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20240226030734-20240226060734-00198.warc.gz | en | 0.868083 | 296 | 3.765625 | 4 | 1,254 |
Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques
Learn to effectively assess and monitor biodiversity and ecosystems across all biomes.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques aims to provide the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to conduct effective ecological field surveys for a range of key taxa, and to analyse field survey data with confidence.
The course is taught via a mixture of in-person, online and experiential learning. A choice of modules enables students to explore areas of interest and specialism relevant to their professional needs.
Drawing on a rich pool of expertise, teaching is conducted by a highly knowledgeable and diverse team of practitioners and academics engaged directly with ecological issues.
Online open event
Following on from our recent online info session, we held an open event for those considering applying to really get to know the course. This event provided an opportunity to get an in-depth look at the programme, meet the course directors and have questions answered.
To be notified of other upcoming events, subscribe to our emails.
- Who is the course for?
- Charter Status
- Course content and aims
- Assessment methods
- IT requirements
- How to apply and fees and funding
The course (taught part-time, normally over one year) is designed for a wide range of both students and professionals needing to up-skill in: Environmental management; Environmental assessment; Biodiversity monitoring.
Many of our PGCert students are professional ecological consultants, environmental managers and rangers, research and postgraduate students, educators as well as volunteers and those looking to make a career change. The course suits those looking for flexible study combined with expert training.
The techniques covered are universal using international case studies and examples. Past students have joined from the UK, the USA, Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe.
The course can help you to apply for Chartered Status (such as Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Ecologist) and to meet relevant professional competency thresholds. Further information can be found in our Chartered status and essential skills guide.
Face-to-Face Week in Oxford: Introduction to Ecological Survey Techniques
This five day Core Module provides a practical introduction to: Geographical Information Systems (GIS); an overview of approaches to plant and animal identification; an introduction to selected surveying techniques; University facilities and resources; and the Field Project.
It is a mix of classroom and field-based teaching, with two days spent in the field at Wytham Woods, Oxford's 'living laboratory,' with activities including the use of GPS, bird netting and ringing, and surveying bats and vegetation.
The week will build toward a formative (no credit) assessment.
Students take four tutor-led online modules of five weeks in duration and will take no more than 100 hours to complete.
Core Online Modules:
- Data Analysis: Statistics for Ecologists and Field Biologists
Option Modules (select two):
- Invertebrate biodiversity and population monitoring method
Option modules are subject to availability, which includes recruiting sufficient student numbers to run successfully.
Content is roughly equivalent to one week full time study. Modules include research and discussion activities, multimedia tasks, practical exercises, revision activities and an assessment. Class sizes are small with less than 25 students.
Assessments are normally due two weeks after the final class
Module tutors usually engage online for 6 hours per week distributed across each week and will focus on particular topics, questions and activities. There is no set time to log in to accommodate students in different time zones.
The online modules are also available as standalone modules, PGCert students can therefore expect to share their learning with a wide range of other professionals and researchers looking to develop their skills in a particular area.
The Field Project consolidates and further develops the skills gained during taught modules by enabling students to apply them to their own research topic and undertake their own field work
It consists of 1 month preparation time, 1-2 weeks full-time (or equivalent) field work and 1 month project writing for submission in September.
Four one-hour online tutorials will be provided to help students design, develop and implement their projects.
The course aims to equip students with the techniques to survey, measure, quantify, assess and monitor biodiversity and ecosystems in the field. It is essential for conservation practitioners and volunteers worldwide to make evidence-based decisions about a site or species. Equipping environmental conservation practitioners with the capacity to collect and analyse field survey data in order to understand, interpret and, therefore, make informed decisions in environmental conservation is critical to the future of ecosystems and ecosystem services in all biomes.
In particular, the course aims to create a hybrid programme of experiential and online learning in environmental conservation practice for practitioners and volunteers worldwide, that will:
- Focus on the use of survey techniques for measuring, quantifying and monitoring biodiversity; Develop a critical understanding of how to analyse field survey data to answer particular research or management questions;
- Enable conservationists to make informed decisions on, and assess the status of, a species or habitat;
- Enable conservationists to evaluate which field techniques to use for measuring and monitoring the impacts of environmental change on biodiversity;
- Build capacity and communities of practice among environmental conservationists worldwide;
- Prepare students to progress onto a Postgraduate Diploma or Masters programme.
The course is modularly assessed reflecting the learning objectives of the course.
Students are required to submit:
One 2500 word formative (marked with feedback but no credit towards formal course results) assignment
Four 2000 word assignments, up to two of which may be submitted as PowerPoint poster or slide presentation – Option Module dependent (10 CATS points each)
- One 5000 word field project and 1000 word online journal (20 CATS points)
Dr Thomas Hesselberg
Course Co-Director and Departmental Lecturer
His research focuses on behavioural ecology and comparative biomechanics of invertebrates primarily using spiders and their webs as model organisms. In particular, he is interested in how behavioural plasticity has evolved to cope with the constraints imposed by a relatively limited brain capacity and with the biomechanical constraints imposed by morphological and external environmental factors as well as silk material properties. Read Dr Hesselberg's full bio.
Dr Ada Grabowska-Zhang
Course Co-Director and Departmental Lecturer
Ada is a behavioural ecologist with a special interest in social evolution and cryptic kin selection, and used the great tit as her model organism to study social interactions. Her current research focuses on citizen science plant breeding, focusing on overcoming day length sensitivity in Oxalis tuberosa using participatory breeding protocols. Read Dr Grabowska-Zhang's full bio.
Information on Core and Optional Module Tutors can be seen on module pages. Please use links above in the Online Module section.
As the course is delivered mostly online students will need access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification. Certain modules will also require an assessment produced in Microsoft PowerPoint.
Students are required to bring a personal laptop computer
The free open source Geographical Information Systems software 'QGIS' (installation is simple and guidance will be given during the course).
QGIS is used by many environmental scientists and employers, and further details are available at the QGIS website.
Typically conducted via Skype
Students will require suitable hardware and Internet connection to take part
Further IT Requirements
Students are required to download and install R and QED Statistics in the Data Analysis course.
(full instructions on how to download this software is available from the R website).
Access to QED Statistics is provided as part of the course, this software is not compatible with Mac or Linux operating systems.
Alternative software to QED Statistics is currently being researched; where possible, students are encouraged to use R in the Data Analysis course if they are using Mac or Linux systems.
Students wishing to use QED Statistics on Mac or Linux systems are advised by the programme developer Pisces Conservation Ltd to consider Windows emulation software, such as Bootcamp, to run a Windows system on their machine. For further information and a full system specification please visit the Pisces Conservation Ltd website.
Please note that accommodation and catering are not included in the course fees.
The Department offers a full residential and catering facility, with a range of both 3 and 4-star campus accommodation. 'Number 12', the Department's recently refurbished Victorian townhouse on Wellington Square, right next to Rewley House, offers superior en-suite bedrooms.
Early application for the programme is strongly advised. All applications must have been fully completed before the application deadline in order to be considered.
If you would like to discuss the programme please contact:
Tel: +44 (0)1865 286960
Annual fees for entry in 2024-25
Please visit the Graduate Admissions web page for fee information.
Ghana and Nigeria Ecological Survey Techniques Scholarship
Available to applicants who are either a national of Ghana and ordinarily resident in Ghana or a national of Nigeria who is ordinarily resident in Nigeria. View further details about The Ghana and Nigeria Ecological Survey Techniques Scholarship.
Departmental bursaries for undergraduate and postgraduate study
The bursaries are for UK-based students who receive benefits because they are on a low income, and are available for certain undergraduate or postgraduate courses. View further details about the departmental bursaries.
Over 35% of students over the past few years have received significant contributions from a sponsoring employer toward all or part of their fees. Should further information be required from Oxford to support an application for funding from an employer, please contact the Programme Manager via email on [email protected].
The course offers instalment packages to help students manage the payment of their fees. Instalment plans are confirmed and approved by the Programme Manager on an individual basis once an unconditional offer has been accepted. Typically the course expects be able to offer plans of three and seven instalments starting in August, with the final payment received before the following Easter. | <urn:uuid:d06868cc-edcf-4718-b792-361033118b73> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://conted.ox.ac.uk/about/pgcert-in-ecological-survey-techniques | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474853.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20240229202522-20240229232522-00198.warc.gz | en | 0.91343 | 2,068 | 2.59375 | 3 | 1,255 |
Languages at KS3 at Hayes
Languages at KS4
Languages at KS5
MFL students pursue the ability to communicate effectively with other cultures. We explore how to learn a language and we open student minds. We enable students to manipulate the language independently, foster linguistic curiosity and equip them with the confidence and skills to be able to use them in the future.
Our vision in Modern Languages at Hayes is for all students to become enthusiastic and confident communicators in a foreign language, whether they are studying French, German or Spanish. We want Hayes students to be able to manipulate language independently, building on foundations of vocabulary knowledge and applying grammatical concepts effectively.
|Key linguistic concepts
|Pronunciation and accent
|Acquisition & practice of vocabulary
|Understanding and application of grammar
|Extracting key messages
|Reflective thinking & analysis
We believe that the best way of doing this is teaching students in the language itself as much as possible to give an authentic and more natural learning experience. Our lessons are very interactive with a wide range of activities, such as using mini whiteboards, pair and group work, individual presentations, and games with a competitive edge, which develop the four skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing. We use technology both in and outside the classroom to enhance the learning, for example, Quizlet to help students learn vocabulary or the Language Lab, where they independently work through a digital learning plan tailored to support their individual progress.
Beyond linguistic competence, we encourage students to be more open-minded about other cultures, to be curious, reflective and resilient learners and to equip them with the skills to support them in an increasingly global world. We are very proud of the way in which our students can spontaneously express themselves by the end of their GCSEs, and by the end of A-Levels, students are fully-fledged linguists.
|End points for Academic Years
|By the end of year 7, students will be able to answer basic questions about personal information, including simple opinions. They will have some confidence in pronouncing common letter strings and reading out loud. Students will have some knowledge of fundamental grammatical concepts, including identifying nouns, adjectives and verbs. They will be able to identify some language and opinions in listening and reading. They can produce short texts about themselves with some connectives and opinions, and understand the importance of accuracy, including spelling, capital letters and use of accents. Students will understand that there are many ways to learn vocabulary and will be given the opportunity to try and find the method that works for them. They are beginning to develop an awareness of proof-reading and improving their work. Our ambition for our year 7 students is to feel confident and positive about their progress in the first year of language learning, whichever language they study, to understand the attributes of being a good languages learner, and to enjoy the experience.
|By the end of year 8, students will be using two tenses to speak about a range of topics. They will be increasingly confident when pronouncing both familiar and unfamiliar language, using letter strings/phonics. They will be able to express an opinion and give a simple justification. Students will be growing in confidence when applying grammatical concepts such as adjective endings and word order. They will be able to deal with texts and audio extracts in two tenses and extract key information about topics covered. Year 8 students will be able to write in more detail, using a variety of pronouns and justified opinions. They will have begun to develop some GCSE skills, such as translation, writing according to bullet points and a general conversation style speaking assessment. By the end of year 8, students will have a solid foundation in the language(s) they have chosen to study in Year 9, including basic grammatical knowledge and a broadening vocabulary.
|By the end of year 9, students will be using three tenses to speak about a range of topics. They will be able to express and justify opinions with confidence using clear pronunciation. Students will be working towards using and recognising three tenses and applying other grammatical concepts, such as adjective endings and word order. They will be able to extract key information when listening and reading about a range of topics. They can write more extended texts which demonstrate application of grammatical points learned throughout Key Stage 3 and a range of vocabulary. Students will be able to translate single sentences and short paragraphs into the language and into English in preparation for GCSE. They can respond to feedback and self-correct common errors with guidance. By the end of Year 9, students should have a solid foundation of grammar and vocabulary to be successful learners at MFL GCSE, as well as having developed their resilience and independence.
|By the end of year 10, students will have built upon the Key Stage 3 curriculum and will be increasingly confident in giving their opinion and using different tenses to speak about themselves and their experiences. By this point, students will be perfecting their pronunciation and developing an increasingly authentic accent and intonation. Students will be growing in confidence in using and recognising a minimum of three tenses and applying other grammatical concepts, such as adjective endings and word order. They will be beginning to access more complex texts and extract information when listening and reading. Students will have built upon their Key Stage 3 grammatical foundations to write in more detail and with greater accuracy about a range of topics. They will be able to translate on a sentence or short paragraph level with increasing accuracy. Year 10 students will have made tangible grammatical progress and broadened their vocabulary on topics revisited from Key Stage 3, such as family and free time, and will demonstrate a resilient approach towards success at MFL GCSE.
|By the end of year 11, students will feel confident in giving their opinion and speaking about themselves, others and their experiences in a variety of tenses. This could include talking about holidays, their family and their home and local area. By this point, students should be confident in pronouncing a wide range of complex vocabulary, with an overall authentic accent and intonation. Students will be confident in using and recognising a minimum of three tenses and applying other grammatical concepts, such as adjective endings and word order. They will be able to access more complex and extended texts and infer meaning when listening and reading. Students will be able to write on a range of themes, applying prior grammar knowledge accurately and expressing & justifying their opinion. They will be able to translate on a sentence or short paragraph level with good attention to detail from and into the language. Students will understand how to learn languages successfully, including an awareness of metacognitive processes and different methods of learning. Year 11 students will be confident and spontaneous communicators, aware of and able to apply fundamental grammatical knowledge and demonstrate positive attitudes towards language learning.
|By the end of year 12, students will have moved beyond the GCSE curriculum and talking only about themselves, to discussing issues from the countries of the language that they study. They are beginning to express themselves orally with some confidence and fluency and they will be able to discuss topics with greater cultural nuance and accuracy. Their accent and intonation should be increasingly authentic. Students will be working towards mastery of the grammatical concepts required for successful A Level study. Students will be growing in confidence in accessing authentic materials both in listening and reading and will be able to understand the gist and some key details. They will be starting to tackle translation tasks from and into the language studied with greater accuracy and more topic-specific vocabulary. Students will be introduced to studying a piece of literature or film, including building essay-writing skills and their analytical expertise in the language. Students will be starting to conduct independent research to expand their understanding of the subject. Our ambition for year 12 students is to become more grammatically aware, confident communicators beyond the normal realms of GCSE, and broaden their cultural horizons.
|By the end of year 13, students will be able to orally express themselves with confidence and fluency about a variety of topics, ranging from current issues and historical events, to cultural nuances, including topics such as immigration. They are also able to conduct independent research in the language studied and effectively condense and present information about their chosen topic. Their accent and intonation should be near authentic. Students will have a solid grammatical foundation that would set them up for successful university study. Students will be able to access a wide range of authentic materials including literature and film and will be able to understand both in detail and gist. They will be able to successfully translate challenging passages with topic-specific vocabulary and higher-level grammatical structures from and into the language studied. Students will be able to write coherent and analytical essays in response to film and literature in the language studied, focusing on character, theme, style & technique and social context. This culminates in year 13 students being culturally aware, linguistically curious, grammatically competent and excellent communicators.
Click on the image below to visualise the French learner journey
Click on the image below to visualise the German learner journey
Click on the image below to visualise the Spanish learner journey
What will you see in MFL Lessons?
- Students using the target language naturally and spontaneously
- Judicious use of TL from teacher to maximise progress
- Opportunity to produce written language during Hayes 10 (independently)
- Variety – whole/group/pair/individual work
- Practice of the four skills
- Clear learning objective with structured progression
- Assessment for Learning, particularly using mini white boards & random questioning
- Frequent links made to prior curriculum knowledge
- Engagement in learning
- Deep thinking about the ‘why’ of language
- Routines & expectations, and praise
- Opportunities for independent work & self-reflection
- The ability to step away from the lesson plan & address misconceptions
What will you see in MFL books?
- Date/title/LO (translated into English ideally)
- Variety of activities including gap fill / match up / short paragraphs or individual sentences, whether handwritten or on support sheets
- Red pen corrections in response to individual or whole class feedback
- Purple pen from staff including TL symbols, EBIs written numerically, quality grade.
- Green highlighter for the good stuff.
- Vocabulary and grammar notes
- Logical sequencing
- Neat presentation & care invested
What formative assessment will you see in MFL?
- Mistake identification & correction
- Feedback on written work
- Testing your partner/peer-assessed tasks
- Vocabulary tests in vocabulary books
- Verbal feedback both teacher & peer
- Low stakes vocabulary retrieval practice
- Red pen marking of class & homework
What is the department currently reading and why?
- Ofsted report on MFL – languages research review
- Secondary MFL Matters
- News from other countries
- Topical research
- Other literature from the A level syllabus
- Pedagogy research materials & training on curriculum and MFL teaching
Click on the links below to view the French curriculum maps
Click on the links below to view the German curriculum maps | <urn:uuid:e809e97a-db28-4d7d-b461-387a46b4e611> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.hayes.bromley.sch.uk/curriculum/modern-foreign-languages-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474853.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20240229202522-20240229232522-00198.warc.gz | en | 0.942087 | 2,288 | 4.0625 | 4 | 1,256 |
Study.com is an online distance learning portal that provides over 70,000 lessons in fifteen subjects (including algebra, calculus, chemistry, macro- and microeconomics, and physics) aligned with many popular textbooks. Resources include not only videos but study tools, guides, quizzes, and more. You can read more detail on my Study.com review here.
What a lot of educators don’t know is that Study.com offers thousands of lesson plans for teachers — hundreds of them for free — to simplify lesson preparation and save time that is needed for student guidance. These lesson plans were created by teachers for all different grade levels and subject areas. They include:
- learning objectives
- length of time
- curriculum standards alignment
- key vocabulary
- related lessons
Once you select the lesson plan you’re interested in, you’ll see the credentials of the teacher who is providing the lesson as well as where it fits into a bigger course if that’s your interest (Though standalone, lessons often are aligned with a particular textbook). Many lesson plans include a video overview and a quiz to assess understanding of the material (though you can’t grade it without an account).
Lesson plans are sorted by subject including Art, ELA, ESL, Guided Reading, Health and Physical Education, Math, Music, Science, and Social Studies. They can also be searched by particular content.
How to sign up
If you have a Study.com account–free or fee–simply log in and then visit the Free Lesson Plan link. If you don’t have an account, that’s OK. Simply go to the link, select the lesson plan you’d like, and get started. You can view the lesson plan but won’t be able to take quizzes. Well, you can take the quiz but it won’t record results.
Sample Lesson Plans
There are lots of lesson plans on familiar topics such as Money Management, Writing Poetry, Plant Life Cycle, and Causes of WWI, but what really caught my attention are the unusual topics, the ones you’d have trouble finding elsewhere. Topics like:
- Popsicle Stick Bridge–a sixty-ninety-minute lesson about structures, and in particular, bridges. You will also have the opportunity to apply new knowledge by building a bridge.
- The American Dream–a fifty-minute lesson discussing whether the American dream is real or a myth.
- Debate–one-two hours outlining the procedures for debate and demonstrating different styles such as parliamentary and policy debate.
- Egg Drop Experiment–a sixty-ninety-minute lesson to explore Newton’s Law of Inertia and then run the popular Egg Drop Experiment.
- Recycling— a fun sixty-ninety-minute lesson about recycling. You go through essentials like its environmental impact, commonly recycled items, and how to repurpose used items.
- Political Cartoons–an hour discussion analyzing political cartoons and exploring their significance throughout history.
- Mock Trial–one-two-hour lesson outlining the trial process and then applying that knowledge to a mock case.
BTW–if you leave the Free Lesson Plan section, it’s easy to tell free from fee:
How to use these in your classroom
If you’re thinking about these as traditional lesson plans, you probably wonder why I have a section on how to use it in your classroom. To organize the lesson! Duh!
Well, yes but because this is from Study.com (with a commitment to exceptionalism in their teaching), there are lots of ways these can be used you may not be aware of. Here are a five I particularly like:
As independent study
We’ve all had students in our classes with a burning interest in a topic not taught that year. Rather than shut them down, offer them a Study.com lesson plan to feed their interest. For example, you may use the Study.com lesson plan on debate. Some students–or you–may want real-life applications. Push out the Dred Scott Lesson Plan and the associated video on the case summary and decision to Google Classroom and let them (or you) explore on their own.
As you explore a topic, you may find that some students (or yourself) are missing some information included in earlier lessons and critical to the current learning. Provide this detail in a Study.com lesson plan that students can work through on their own or with your help.
What to do with gifted students–those who quickly get the lesson material and become bored as you proceed at the average pace of classmates. Instead of watching them lose interest, provide them with self-paced Study.com lessons that extend their learning on the same topic. For example, when discussing economics in a fifth-grade class, some students might want to dig into particular economic systems. Study.com has free lesson plans on some of those such as Communism and Socialism (both videos).
Let’s face it. There are times when you expect to be in class and you aren’t. Subs don’t have to give students free time or a study period. Have a standby lesson from Study.com that the sub can teach that’s related to topics you’d cover if you had time. A favorite of mine is the sixty-minute lesson on digital citizenship. Every student needs this information but few teachers I know have time for it in their curriculum.
Study.com is platform-neutral. Students and you can watch the videos and access the lessons from a desktop, a tablet, or a smartphone.
Learning should be exhilarating, with materials that inspire students and keep their attention. With Study.com lesson plans, it is. You won’t be disappointed.
–This is a sponsored post but opinions are my own. Know that I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend.
More on Study.com
- Differentiation Simplified with Study.com
- Study.com Makes the College Dream a Reality for Lots of Students
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice reviewer, CAEP reviewer, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today and TeachHUB, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning. | <urn:uuid:29999aec-7b63-4913-9bbb-f354d819976f> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://askatechteacher.com/free-lesson-plans-from-study-com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476464.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20240304165127-20240304195127-00198.warc.gz | en | 0.936014 | 1,403 | 3.140625 | 3 | 1,257 |
Drawing from the framework of backwards design (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005), this page outlines pedagogical tools and resources to help and guide you as you prepare to teach your course.
Backwards design is a process for course development that focuses first on identifying student learning goals and scaffolding assessments and teaching methods around these goals to help students master these activities. Designing “with the end in mind” begins not with instruction and curriculum first, but rather views these activities as a means to helping students learn. This process is guided by three overarching questions:
- What do you want students to be able to do as a result of having taken your course?
- What will you accept as evidence of having achieved those goals?
- How will you guide students through activities that allow them to practice?
The following article describes course design in response to these three questions.
Student Learning Goals
What Do You Want Students To Be Able To Do?
The first step in the course design process involves defining student learning goals – that is, what you would like students to be able to do as a result of your instruction. Wiggins and McTighe (2005) suggest organizing your goals into three broad areas:
- Content goals refers to the “nice to know” facts, information, concepts, resources, or texts, that students should be familiar with, but not necessarily master.
- Skills goals refers to the important knowledge (facts and concepts) and skills (processes and methods) that you determine students should master.
- Enduring knowledge goals refers to the overarching concepts and themes that students should remember well beyond their taking the course, and are retained even after the details of learning in the course are forgotten.
Part of the design process is distinguishing between what knowledge is “nice to know” (content) versus the knowledge that is important (skills) and should last over time (enduring), and designing instruction accordingly.
One helpful framework for defining student learning goals is Bloom’s Taxonomy, which helps instructors classify learning goals and distinguish between more simple and concrete outcomes in comparison to more complex and abstract outcomes. You may consider more simple and concrete goals for earlier in the semester and build to more complex and abstract ideas as students continue to grow in their progression from novice to expert in your content area.
Interested in finding out more about writing lesson objectives? Review What are learning objectives and how can we use them? (Ambrose, Bridges, Lovett, DiPietro, and Norman, 2010).
What Will You Accept As Evidence?
The second step, once you have determined your learning goals, is to design assessments that measure student achievement of these goals. The challenge of instruction involves designing assessments that are closely aligned to the student learning goals you have defined in step 1.
Often, traditional methods of assessment in higher education (essays, tests, or presentations) are effective ways to assess student progress towards mastery of the learning goals. However, it may be the case that less traditional assessment formats, including problem-based, case-base scenarios, video recordings of real-world activities, or other assessments are the most accurate way to assess a student learning goal. For example, the assessments of many practice professions (e.g. social work, teaching, nursing, business, law, etc.) examine the student’s ability to engage in a professional activity, like teaching a lesson, conducting a clinical assessment, drafting mock legislation, or presenting a press release.
For additional assessment resources, review the UDL On Campus site for assessment which frames assessment in the context of Universal Design for Learning.
How Will You Guide Students Through Activities?
Consistent with backwards design, instructional decisions made regarding teaching methods to guide student progression toward learning goals comes after goals and assessments have been developed. Designing your course with the goals first allows you to choose the methods you think will most effectively help students learn.
The debate over the use of traditional lecture and discussion formats in comparison to other methods continues in higher education – you can review the debate in two articles from the Chronicle of Higher Education, In Defense of Lecture and The Lecture Fail Project. Perhaps a guiding question for navigating these debates can focus less on “Am I a lecturer or not?” to “What teaching activities and methods can I employ to maximize the chances that all students learn?”
In What the Best College Teachers Do, Ken Bain (2004) writes, “Great teachers are not simply great speakers or discussion leaders; they are, more fundamentally, special kinds of scholars and thinkers… their focus is on the nature and process of learning rather than on the performance of the instructor” (p. 134). In other words, consider approaching your course design process with a focus not so much on what you do – but rather, what your students are doing to learn in your course.
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Bain, K. (2011). What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Davis, B. G. (2009). Tools for teaching. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. | <urn:uuid:593541fc-2b21-4a7c-90fb-de59f6f40ab4> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://cteresources.bc.edu/res-cat/course-design/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473738.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222093910-20240222123910-00298.warc.gz | en | 0.938458 | 1,140 | 4.28125 | 4 | 1,258 |
Learning outcomes define what students should be able to accomplish at the end of a class, seminar, course, or program. These targets should be testable and provide clear links with assessment tasks.
An effective learning outcome includes action verbs from Bloom’s Taxonomy that show what students should be expected to do at each cognitive level assessed in your assessment. For maximum effect, use verbs with multiple groups in them.
Learning outcomes represent what students should be capable of at the conclusion of a course and are intended to measure students’ capabilities when completed. They should also be specific and measurable – for instance: “By the end of this course, students will know how to use de-escalation techniques to neutralize conflicts effectively.”
Verbs used to convey learning outcomes should generally include action words that say what students should do rather than just understanding concepts or theories, which is usually best done using verbs such as describe, identify, recognize, recall, and list.
Another critical element of learning outcomes is their cognitive level requirement. Therefore, different disciplines often have distinct learning outcomes – for instance, some may be better suited for lower-level undergraduate programs than others.
Create Learning Outcomesuiesc The process of determining learning outcomes is complex and requires careful thought. Therefore, when writing learning outcomes, it is vital to use a structured approach and consult experts. Furthermore, considering their impact on broader curriculum requirements as well as potential usage by employers is also crucial for ensuring relevance outside a specific academic setting – for instance, a learner who is capable of creating successful marketing campaigns using digital media could apply these abilities in their workplace environment.
Learning outcomes outline what students should be able to accomplish at the conclusion of a session, course, or program. Learning outcomes must be clear and specific – use action verbs instead of vague terminology such as “understand,” “appreciate,” and “be familiar with.” Focus instead on what can be expected as results of your program:
An example of a learning outcome would be, “Upon completing this unit, learners will be able to apply grammar conventions to their writing”. This could easily be measured using quizzes or assignments. Another helpful way of creating learning outcomes is using Bloom’s Taxonomy model of learning objectives.
Under this model, there are five levels of mastery: lower-level skills, basic knowledge, applied skills, critical thinking, and creative thinking. Depending on the topic being covered in class, different degrees of proficiency may be required – for instance, completing an English literature class may necessitate basic reading comprehension skills, while another may need advanced literary analysis and criticism skills.
One effective method of measuring learning outcomes is using diagnostic assessments to understand which levels of mastery your students currently occupy so you can tailor their instruction accordingly. This enables you to ensure they’re receiving maximum benefit from your courses while making decisions regarding materials and activities for inclusion into programs.
Application in education refers to what students will be able to accomplish after engaging in a training activity, seminar, course, or program. One such learning outcome might be that upon completing a course students will be able to identify and describe various styles of communication; another product could be that they know how to implement new departmental HR policies.
Instructors seeking to create measurable and meaningful learning outcomes must first consider the overall goal of their course. This should be clearly communicated to students via course titles or descriptions, including information regarding what students will learn cognitively (cognitive outcomes) or how it will be assessed (affective). Furthermore, it’s also essential that instructors think carefully about which skills students will develop as part of participating in learning activities.
Once goals are clear, they can be connected to learning objectives and activities in the course. A list of action verbs may also help the instructor craft learning objectives at each level of Bloom’s taxonomy. This will ensure that students gain the appropriate knowledge and skills in their particular discipline and make it simpler to evaluate learning outcomes when completed. As an example, students might use a standard weather map to predict severe weather, which they then compare against historical records. This evaluation could also be used in the assessment of their work – although certain learning activities might suit this method better than others.
Analysis- The analysis aspect of learning outcomes refers to students’ abilities to assess a situation or problem and make recommendations. For instance, history students could be expected to determine how an event or policy contributed to class conflict that led to the French Revolution or compare various approaches to determine which would work best in their organization or community – these skills can be measured through assignments and exams.
Selection and Phrasing of Learning Outcomes were completed via a consensus-driven process during a series of project group sessions, paying close attention to how selected learning outcomes compare with their counterpart in NKLM (See Supplemental Table 1).
Participants were also instructed to identify suitable action verbs for each of the learning outcomes and levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, consulting a website offering multiple versions of this framework for assistance.
Finally, each learned outcome was written so as to be implemented into the compulsory curriculum at MHH and included as learning outcomes in their local catalog of learning outcomes at MHH. This resulted in 57 learning outcomes, which will now form part of this local catalog of learning outcomes at MHH.
As such, MHH learning outcomes represent a substantial step toward the inclusion of digital competencies into the MHH compulsory curriculum. They need to be further processed and adjusted according to actual didactical conditions at the university; further processing at program or institutional levels is also necessary in order to identify instructional, curricular, and institutional priorities – providing its students with a comprehensive overview of digital competency topics.
Synthesis refers to the skill of compiling information from various sources to create new concepts or support arguments and draw conclusions. It is an integral component of the research process and should not be taken for granted as an essential technique. In contrast to summarizing, synthesis is the act of creating something from individual pieces of information rather than simply restating it. While its definition remains elusive, synthesis is usually defined by its ability to connect ideas and concepts. Academic writing relies heavily on synthesis for research. It can be applied in essays, presentations, and even art-making; university writing often mandates it in the form of research papers or group assignments; it may even feature as part of discussion groups in person or online or one-on-one interactions.
Learning outcomes are statements that outline what students should know, understand, and be capable of doing at the conclusion of a course or program. They typically utilize action-oriented language such as applying, evaluating, analyzing, comparing/contrasting/comparing/contrasting practice solving and using. Learning outcomes help both instructors and students understand what tasks or exams they have been assigned or exams they will need to pass, as well as how these skills will apply in future projects.
Learning outcomes are also an effective tool for institutions, helping them identify gaps in courses and programs as well as clarify instructional, programmatic, and institutional priorities. They can serve as a model for designing curriculum development systems as well as assessment and evaluation protocols. Each learning outcome should ideally be measurable and specific so it can be translated directly into assignment or exam questions – with language that is clear and easily understandable by students. | <urn:uuid:82783737-aa6a-48c4-a96c-88ea0ab21964> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.chuyangtra.com/learning-outcomes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474688.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20240227220707-20240228010707-00298.warc.gz | en | 0.951687 | 1,502 | 4.3125 | 4 | 1,259 |
Did you know that 70% of college students are stressed about their financial status in school? Another study also noted that 21% of students cited 'more affordable course materials' as the most impactful thing their college can do for them, and 81% said they'd prefer more money be spent on learning support than dorms, athletics, and facilities. This is where open educational resources can help.
Open educational resources (OER) are learning or teaching materials of all formats, such as entire textbooks, single lessons/lecture slides, podcasts, etc., licensed and created for free use, sharing, and modification (in many cases). Institutions, teachers, and students benefit from expanded access to education and learning, modifications that better support learning objectives, enhanced content, improved student engagement and interaction, fewer expenses (for all!), and easy edits and improvements on resources.
Stay up-to-date on the latest with these four open education resource predictions for 2023.
Many studies show that the need and interest in online education are growing immensely. Not only was it already on the rise for the last decade, but the pandemic jump-started the trend into faster adoption and demand.
One study, in particular, conducted by McKinsey & Company, reported a 36% increase in distance-only and hybrid students in traditional colleges (from 2012 to 2019). A jump from just 300,000 learners taking online courses in 2011 to an incredible 220 million in 2021 was also observed in the study.
Since 2020, additional research has indicated a significant move to online classes among 98% of universities in the U.S., with 75% of U.S. schools having plans to create and continue having online operations in the years to come.
As a result of previous interest now fueled by alternative educational needs and advanced technology capabilities, experts predict that blended and hybrid learning will continue to make a splash in the industry, especially in 2023.
According to SPARC, there is a significant increase in OER recognition among legislators. This recognition began over the last few years as students continue to voice struggles to afford college expenses. Despite acknowledging that further education is important for career success, students demand more flexible and affordable learning to accommodate their needs better — and lawmakers are listening.
Through regularly updated state-by-state tracking, an increase in open education resource endorsement can easily be observed in SPARC Policy Tracker. For instance, the following states currently have existing OER-related policies or laws in place that endorse, allocate funds, or regulate:
New bills/policies are added or updated by the week, with 2023 expected to see more support and recognition.
Educational technology, also known as EdTech, is shaping the future and transforming how we teach and learn. Not only has it proven its use within uncertain times like the unexpected onset of the pandemic, but it has garnered many more advantages over the past couple of years: increased engagement, easy access to learning resources, increased collaboration, interactive capabilities, and customization opportunities.
These major EdTech trends support that it's not only at the heart of the education system in 2023 but for many years to come:
Interactive learning is six times more effective in helping students learn than its counterpart, with the top ten trends fuelling its growth in 2023 being AR learning, VR learning, the use of AI, mobile-first learning, interactive whiteboards, gamified learning, collaborative learning, social learning, experiential learning, and microlearning.
Moreover, educators are finding that by making learning more interactive, students are getting more collaborative and engaging more with each other over lessons. As a result, the educational environment supports better decision-making, fosters more creativity, and boosts the retention of educational materials.
Scholastic adds that interactive learning is the foundation for sharpening critical thinking skills and encouraging more student engagement during an age where students have grown up in a very hyper-stimulated environment. This is because it elicits more imaginative and logical thinking than simply memorizing information (which is never fully retained for an extended period).
Overall, open education resource predictions indicate continued importance and demand as we enter 2023. OER has already played a significant role in education thus far and is not foreseen to stall anytime soon. To ensure you're leveraging the best possible solution for your staff and students, contact Classavo to learn more about our all-in-one teaching platform.
DIY textbook publishing is a great option for professors looking to spread their influence in a customized fashion | <urn:uuid:11c6e747-b3b4-4c52-a039-340cab6bbeda> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.classavo.com/blog/open-education-predictions | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474688.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20240227220707-20240228010707-00298.warc.gz | en | 0.956637 | 921 | 2.640625 | 3 | 1,260 |
In this video, Denise Ralph will show you how to demonstrate photosynthesis using pondweed. This practical is an essential part of the GCSE Biology curriculum, focusing on understanding the vital process of photosynthesis in plants.
This experiment is ideal for teaching the following key learning objectives:
You will need:
All health and safety measures are the responsibility of the teacher doing the demonstration. A thorough risk assessment should be carried out and guidance procedures followed. It is suggested that you practice before demonstration in front of a class.
Important safety precautions and tips: | <urn:uuid:625de3e0-bd8d-4fae-96ef-b86c4eaaa0b3> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://lablife.co.uk/how-to-set-up-and-demonstrate-light-intensity-and-photosynthesis-for-gcse/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474795.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20240229071243-20240229101243-00298.warc.gz | en | 0.911001 | 111 | 3.84375 | 4 | 1,261 |
In today’s rapidly evolving world, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force, revolutionizing various industries. One of the sectors witnessing a monumental shift due to AI is education. The integration of AI into the education industry is redefining learning methodologies, teaching approaches, and student engagement. Let’s delve into how AI is reshaping education, exploring its benefits and applications, particularly focusing on AI-powered e-learning app development.
The Rise of AI in Education
The surge of AI in education marks a monumental shift, not merely a passing trend. Forecasts predict an exponential rise in the e-learning apps market, anticipated to exceed $80 billion by 2030 (Global Market Insights). This exceptional growth underscores the widespread implementation of AI-driven solutions in educational institutions worldwide.
The rapid adoption of Generative AI, exemplified by innovations like ChatGPT, signifies a transformative force within education. These cutting-edge tools offer a broad spectrum of applications, from tailoring learning experiences to automating administrative tasks and providing data-driven insights. Through AI integration, e-learning apps assure adaptability, efficiency, and personalized approaches, catering to diverse learning styles and individual needs. Hiring AI developers stands as a strategic move for these startups, poised to capitalize on this growing market. Beyond seizing this growth opportunity, it’s about delivering a user base with a uniquely innovative and personalized learning journey.
Let's explore effective ways to integrate AI into educational platforms.
Incorporating AI into Education Sector
- Assessment Creation and Grading with AI : AI’s integration in assessment creation and grading signifies a transformative leap in educational methodologies. By ChatGPT integration into e-learning app development, a paradigm shift emerges, revolutionizing the conventional approaches to crafting assessments. This innovative AI integration empowers educators to curate a diverse array of context-rich questions meticulously aligned with specific learning objectives. These AI-powered e-learning platforms, driven by ChatGPT integrations, facilitate interactive learning experiences that adapt to individual student needs, fostering an engaging educational environment.
Furthermore, the integration of AI streamlines assessment grading, presenting an automated evaluation process that alleviates educators’ workload. ChatGPT’s versatility allows for the generation of distinct scenarios, optimizing assessments for comprehensive evaluations of students’ comprehension and analytical skills.
- Automated Course Content Creation: Incorporating Generative AI within AI-powered e-learning platforms revolutionizes content creation, enabling effortless generation of engaging, relevant materials. This innovative approach streamlines course development, ensuring a diverse array of comprehensive learning resources. The integration of Generative AI Development signifies a significant shift toward personalized, efficient, and enriched educational content within AI-based e-learning applications. These advancements reshape the landscape of AI-powered education, paving the way for dynamic and adaptive learning experiences.
The utilization of Generative AI not only simplifies content creation but also enhances the breadth and depth of educational materials available, fostering a more engaging and effective learning environment. Ultimately, this integration redefines the educational experience within AI-driven e-learning platforms, emphasizing tailored and enriched content creation as a cornerstone of modern education.
- AI-powered Tutors: AI Tutor apps, empowered by advanced AI technology, revolutionize children’s learning experiences within AI-enhanced e-learning platforms. These innovative applications adapt to individual learning styles, offering personalized and interactive sessions. Young learners benefit from comprehensive educational support, engaging in tailored lessons designed for improved comprehension and retention. Through AI-driven e-learning app development, these Tutor apps ensure an effective, enjoyable, and adaptable learning environment, transforming the way young learners engage with educational content.
This transformative technology reshapes educational interaction for children, providing engaging and optimized learning experiences that cater to each student’s unique needs and preferences. The integration of AI-powered Tutor apps underscores a shift towards personalized education, guaranteeing young learners access to dynamic and effective learning journeys within an interactive educational space.
- Predictive Analytics for Student Success: In the realm of e-learning, AI-driven predictive analytics plays a pivotal role in projecting student academic outcomes. By analyzing various data points, AI algorithms forecast potential performance trends, allowing educators to identify at-risk students early. This predictive approach offers a proactive strategy for personalized interventions, providing targeted support where needed. Through the implementation of AI-powered predictive analytics in e-learning app development, educational institutions gain insights to tailor support systems and improve student success rates. This transformative use of AI in education ensures a more responsive and effective learning environment, prioritizing individualized attention for students’ academic growth.
- Adaptive Learning: Adaptive Learning Platforms harness AI to craft personalized learning paths by evaluating student performance data. These AI-powered elearning platforms dynamically adjust educational content according to each learner’s progress and grasp of the material. Utilizing AI-driven analysis, these platforms tailor the learning experience, ensuring content aligns with individual understanding levels. By adapting content based on students’ unique learning journeys, these AI-powered elearning apps optimize educational engagement and effectiveness, fostering an environment where learning adapts to each student’s pace and comprehension.
As a real-life illustration, Enfin pioneered an AI-powered online learning platform designed to empower engineering students to enhance their skills through cutting-edge, skill-focused courses.
- Streamlined Administrative Tasks: AI-powered e-learning apps automate administrative tasks such as grading, scheduling, and data management, liberating educators to focus on teaching and mentoring students. These applications enable teachers to allocate more time and attention to individual student requirements, elevating their productivity within the classroom. By the use of AI to efficiently manage these responsibilities, educators can prioritize personalized guidance, crafting engaging lessons and nurturing a supportive learning atmosphere. This optimized workload empowers educators to deliver superior-quality education while channelling their expertise towards aiding students in achieving academic success.
Ultimately, the integration of AI in education apps transforms the educational landscape, allowing educators to enhance their impact by providing tailored support and fostering an enriched learning experience for students.
- Multilingual Learning Enabled by AI: Embracing AI in education apps revolutionizes language education, transcending linguistic and cultural barriers effortlessly. Unlike traditional methods reliant on clunky dictionaries, AI swiftly translates, granting instant access to diverse learning materials and literary works from multiple languages.
Within AI enabled elearning apps, AI’s speech recognition elevates experiences by refining pronunciation through direct comparisons with native speakers. Furthermore, it analyzes reading skills, providing personalized feedback for individual improvement. The integration of AI not only streamlines translations but also enhances pronunciation and reading proficiency, enriching the holistic language learning journey.
- AI-powered Personalized Career Guidance: AI-driven personalized career guidance apps utilize comprehensive data analysis to evaluate students’ skills, interests, and strengths, offering customized career recommendations. These innovative systems go beyond traditional approaches, suggesting suitable career paths and educational directions based on extensive data scrutiny. By delving into evolving industries and emerging job markets, they empower students with valuable insights, enabling informed decisions about their professional journey. Continuously updated and adaptive, these tools serve as dynamic resources that aid students in exploring opportunities aligned with their unique capabilities and aspirations.
AI-powered elearning and career guidance apps play a pivotal role in facilitating more fulfilling career paths by providing tailored recommendations and guiding students towards career trajectories that resonate with their skills and ambitions. The adaptability and ongoing evolution of these AI-driven tools ensure that students receive relevant and updated guidance, fostering a more informed and confident approach to their career choices.
- Enhancing Accessibility in Education through AI-Based Elearning Apps: Debates on educational inclusivity prompt the question: Is education truly accessible for all? With the integration of AI in digital classrooms, the answer becomes affirmative, especially for students with hearing or visual impairments.
AI-driven text-to-speech functionalities within educational software offer natural language audio comprehension, ensuring inclusive learning experiences. Real-time subtitles further guarantee that every student can follow lectures or visual presentations without missing a single word. Moreover, these AI-based elearning apps personalize the learning process, accommodating the unique pace and capabilities of each specially-abled child. This implementation of AI in education fosters an environment where accessibility and inclusivity become fundamental pillars of learning for all students.
- Data-Driven Insights for Educators: AI analytics provide educators with invaluable data-driven insights into student performance patterns, enabling the identification of trends and the adaptation of teaching strategies. By leveraging these insights, educators can pinpoint areas needing improvement and implement targeted interventions to enhance learning outcomes.
The utilization of AI-powered e-learning apps helps educators to make informed decisions, optimizing their teaching methodologies for greater effectiveness. This data-driven approach facilitates a more personalized and adaptive learning environment, where educators can tailor their interventions and support to meet individual student needs more precisely, fostering improved academic achievement and a more enriched educational experience overall.
The integration of AI in education field marks a significant paradigm shift, ushering in a new era of personalized, efficient, and adaptive learning experiences. As AI continues to permeate various facets of education, particularly within AI-powered e-learning app development, its impact resonates across multiple fronts. From revolutionizing assessment creation and grading processes to automating administrative tasks, AI’s transformative potential enhances educators’ abilities to cater to individual student needs effectively.
The future of education lies in the synergy between AI and e-learning applications, fostering an environment where learning adapts to each student’s pace, comprehension, and aspirations. As AI continues to evolve, its integration into education promises to reshape the educational landscape, providing tailored support, fostering enriched learning experiences, and empowering students on their educational and career journeys.
Enfin Technologies excels in AI-driven e-learning app development, crafting cutting-edge solutions that revolutionize education. Our expertise spans ChatGPT integration, leveraging its power for interactive and personalized learning experiences. Enfin pioneers Generative AI Development, streamlining content creation and ensuring diverse, comprehensive educational resources. With tailored AI development services, Enfin empowers the education sector, delivering innovative e-learning apps and utilising the potential of AI to redefine how individuals engage, learn, and grow in dynamic educational environments.
Partner with us for custom software development!
F. A. Q.
Do you have additional questions?
The blog highlights how AI is transforming education by integrating cutting-edge technologies like ChatGPT into e-learning app development. It explores various applications, from personalized learning experiences to automated administrative tasks, shaping the future of education.
The blog explains how AI, specifically through ChatGPT integration, is reshaping assessment creation and grading processes. It discusses the transformative leap in educational methodologies, showcasing how AI enables educators to curate context-rich questions and streamline assessment grading.
The blog delves into the innovative AI Tutor apps, empowered by advanced AI technology, and their role in revolutionizing children’s learning experiences. It details how these applications adapt to individual learning styles, providing personalized and interactive sessions for improved comprehension and retention.
The blog explains the pivotal role of AI-driven predictive analytics in projecting student academic outcomes. It details how AI algorithms analyze various data points to forecast potential performance trends, allowing educators to identify at-risk students early and create a more responsive learning environment.
The blog explores the inclusive aspects of AI in education, particularly through e-learning apps. It discusses how AI-driven text-to-speech functionalities and real-time subtitles ensure natural language audio comprehension, making education more accessible for students with hearing or visual impairments. | <urn:uuid:1397b266-7ce3-4ca7-b19c-d4894beea024> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://www.enfintechnologies.com/transforming-the-education-industry-with-ai-powered-e-learning-app-development/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475422.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20240301161412-20240301191412-00298.warc.gz | en | 0.900442 | 2,399 | 2.71875 | 3 | 1,262 |
We’ve all been there: trying to study a chapter or topic but finding ourselves unable to memorize anything. This can be pretty frustrating for most students as they end up feeling like they wasted their efforts and time. Thankfully, researchers in the field of education are always on the lookout for new and different ways to help students learn according to their full potential and in the most effective way possible. Microlearning is one approach to learning that has been found to be successful with today’s students. If you’re a teacher, you’ll definitely love reading this article as it will guide you through the best practices of implementing microlearning in the classroom.
Table of Contents
What is microlearning?
From its name, you can easily understand the essence of microlearning or, as some people call it, bite-sized learning. It is based on giving students small bits of information one interval/lesson at a time to allow them to adequately and fully comprehend the lesson.
Hermann Ebbinghaus, a German psychologist, was a pioneer in the study of the connection between learning and memory in the late 19th century. One of his most interesting contributions to psychology was the discovery of the “forgetting curve.” Ebbinghaus noticed that after learning new information, our ability to remember it declines rapidly and then gradually levels off over time.
He concluded that within the first few hours of learning, we tend to forget a huge portion of what we have learned. The curve indicates a sharp decline in memory retention during this initial phase.
Sounds a bit overwhelming, right? Well, there is some good news! Ebbinghaus also discovered that with proper reinforcement and review, the rate of forgetting could be slowed down. This can happen through what he called “spaced repetition”, which involves revisiting the material learned at specific intervals. By spacing out these reviews smartly, we can effectively fight our brains’ forgetting curve and enhance long-term retention of information.
The best framework for implementing microlearning in the classroom
Theo Hug, a professor at the Institute of Educational Studies at the University of Innsbruck, devised a 7-dimension paradigm to help teachers implement microlearning in the classroom.
Time (“A limited effort that leads to short time requirements.”)
Content (“Short units with well-delimited subject matters and relatively simple problems.”)
Curriculum (“Parts of modules or parts of curricular content, brief didactic elements, etc.”)
Format (“Diversity of formats, such as fragments, pills, lab assignments, etc.”)
Process (“Activities that are either independent or integrated into a wider context, iterative processes, etc.”)
Media (“Classroom-based learning or distance learning based on different multimedia content.”)
Learning models (“Repetitive, reflexive, pragmatic, constructivist, concept-based, connectivist, etc.”)
To make this paradigm a bit easier to understand, here’s an explanation of each dimension:
- Time: According to Theo Hug, microlearning is based on a limited effort and a short time. It is basically about delivering learning content in bite-sized chunks that can be consumed within a short timeframe. This dimension is important as it recognizes the significance of time efficiency and aims to maximize learning outcomes within a short period.
- Content: One of the characteristics of microlearning is that it focuses on short units of learning in subject matters. In a typical microlearning classroom, each module covers a specific topic or concept, presenting it in a concise and focused manner. The content in microlearning is designed to be easily understandable for all students.
- Curriculum: Theo Hug believes that microlearning can be integrated into larger curricular structures that can serve as parts of a broader curriculum. It can also include brief informative elements that are supposed to enhance the overall learning experience.
- Format: Microlearning is all about how the format of delivering the content is different that the conventional one. Microlearning can be in the form of different types of formats like quizzes, infographics, pills (short videos or interactive modules), lab assignments, podcasts, etc. The aim of using a variety of formats is to engage students and accommodate their different learning styles.
- Process: Teachers like to implement microlearning through different processes. It is all about what each teacher prefers and what he/she thinks is best for the students. Microlearning activities can be independent modules or they can even be integrated into a wider context. Students can engage in microlearning activities as self-contained learning experiences, or they can be part of a larger learning journey, where multiple microlearning modules are connected to provide a cohesive learning experience.
- Media: What is also great about microlearning is that it can be delivered through different media channels, including traditional classroom learning or distance learning. This is because it uses multimedia content, such as videos, audio recordings, interactive simulations, or online resources, to engage the students and enhance their understanding. The choice of media depends on each teacher’s learning objectives and the available technological resources at his/her disposal.
- Learning models: According to Theo Hug, microlearning should align with several learning models and approaches. These include repetitive learning (reinforcing knowledge through repeated exposure), reflexive learning (reflecting on one’s learning process), pragmatic learning (focused on practical applications), constructivist learning (encouraging active construction of knowledge), concept-based learning (emphasizing the understanding of key concepts), connectivist learning (using networks and connections for learning), and more. These learning models provide frameworks for designing microlearning experiences that cater to different learning styles and preferences.
This might interest you: Blending Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning with an LMS
Microlearning vs traditional learning
You’ve probably wondered about the differences between microlearning vs traditional learning. Let’s take a look at some of the different aspects.
|Short, focused modules or lessons
|Longer classes or lessons
|Depth and scope
|Specific, targeted learning objectives
|Comprehensive coverage of subjects or topics
|Time and pace
|On-demand, self-paced learning
|Pre-determined pace and schedule
|Typically online or digital
|Physical classroom setting
|Anytime, anywhere access
|Classroom-based and time-bound
|Multimedia and interactivity
|Incorporates multimedia elements and aims at interactivity of students
|Primarily relies on direct, one-sided instruction and discussions
|Short videos, quizzes, infographics
|Lectures, textbooks, group discussions
Microlearning examples to try out in class
As a teacher, you have probably used a form of microlearning one way or another during your classes. Here are the different microlearning examples to apply in the classroom.
4 Microlearning activities to boost active learning
If you don’t already know what an infographic is, it is basically a visual representation of information that presents complex ideas, statistics, or concepts in a concise and visually engaging manner. It combines text, images, charts, graphs, icons, and other visual elements to communicate information effectively.
So, can you see how infographics can be a major asset to you when implementing microlearning in the classroom? Infographics can be used for almost all subjects to help students digest complex ideas slowly but surely over the academic semester. You can use Canva or Adobe Spark, which can help you create using pre-existing resources and features.
Of course, videos are an obvious choice in this situation. Today’s students are already bombarded with videos, reels, shorts, and stories every day. You can use this to your advantage! Videos in the classroom can be helpful for many reasons. They can provide a real-world context for your students.
If you are teaching history, for example, it would be an excellent way to link your topic to the real world through videos of footage or speeches, or any historical event, providing students with authentic examples and applications of concepts. Connecting theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios will immensely help your students understand and retain the information quite well.
One great thing about apps is their convenience! Nowadays, teachers cannot really live without them. Teachers can find hundreds of apps to organize their school workload, introduce new classroom strategies or communicate with their students on a regular basis. When it comes to microlearning, there are several apps that teachers can use to integrate it into the curriculum.
Apps often incorporate interactive elements such as quizzes, games, simulations, and multimedia content. These features make learning more engaging, encouraging active participation from students. In fact, apps can effectively deliver microlearning modules, breaking down complex topics into manageable chunks. In the next section, you will find a brief list of app suggestions to get you started right away!
Does the word “flashcards” bring back some horrifying school memories? Don’t worry, flashcards are not meant to be boring or daunting at all. In fact, teachers prefer flashcards when implementing microlearning because it is quite effective. Flashcards promote active recall, which is the process of retrieving information from memory. When students review flashcards, they have to recall and remember the information, reinforcing their learning and improving retention.
Regular retrieval practice with flashcards strengthens memory recall and helps students solidify their understanding of the subject matter. What is also great about flashcards is that they are portable; students can review flashcards during their short breaks, while commuting, or in spare moments throughout the day. They can even be used for various purposes: concepts, definitions, vocabulary, formulas, historical events, and more.
Creating microlearning content – Microlearning platforms you should start using
Kahoot is an online learning platform that offers interactive educational games, quizzes, and surveys. The main feature of Kahoot is the ability to create and play learning games called “Kahoots.” These Kahoots include MCQs with a time limit for each question provided.
Students can use the platform through their smartphones, tablets, or computers. At first, the host sends them a unique PIN number for the students to enter through. What is great about Kahoot is that it encompasses a big selection of subjects like mathematics, science, history, language, and more. Teachers can also create their own personalized Kahoots or select from a library of saved ones shared by the Kahoot community. One of the best things about this platform is its integration of gamification and the spirit of competition. Students can earn points based on the accuracy of their answers and the speed at which they answer.
Kahoot offers other activities like surveys and discussions in addition to the traditional quiz format. When it comes to surveys, they allow teachers to gain feedback. Discussions, on the other hand, provide a space for open-ended questions and conversations. This makes Kahoot an excellent tool for both teachers and students.
Although using Tiktok in the classroom might seem odd and a bit counterintuitive at first, it is actually one of the most effective ways to give your students “bite-sized content”. Usually, videos on Tiktok range from 15 seconds to 3 minutes; that’s why it is perfect for microlearning!
You can give your students short explanations, experiments, or short facts about your subjects. Tiktok also allows you to include animations, text boxes, and creative editing strategies in your videos; this can be great for captivating your students. Perhaps you can even create memorable rhymes, songs, or mnemonics to help students retain information faster. All these tools will definitely help inspire you and motivate your inner creative side! They will also give your students the opportunity to research, summarize, and present information creatively.
If you haven’t heard of it before, this platform is popular among teachers who implement microlearning for their students. You can use it in your next class to do a variety of activities with your students:
– Create a video using your phone or tablet.
– Combine video clips and images in the sequence you want.
– Add a voiceover to guide your students through this presentation.
– Enhance the video by adding text, filters, and GIFs.
– Adjust the video speed to create slow-motion or fast-motion effects.
Read more: Why Schools Need a Student Information System?
What are the microlearning benefits for students and teachers?
In Germany, researchers at Dresden University of Technology have carried out a study to examine information retention using microlearning. The prevalent understanding is that the majority of e-learning resources typically adopt a format where a content segment is followed by a question for evaluation. The objective of the study at Dresden University was to examine whether students respond better to these questions when they observe multiple small content segments, each addressing numerous relevant questions, or when they engage with extensive content featuring fewer evaluation sections.
So, the e-learning material included sixteen chapters of informative content, and the students were allocated into three distinct groups.
– The initial group responded to a question after reading each chapter.
– The second group addressed four questions after reading each cluster of four chapters.
– Finally, the third group received eight questions after completing each half of the original text.
Unsurprisingly, the results proved the effectiveness of microlearning on students’ retention of information!
These were the findings of the study:
- The first group took 28 % less time to answer their assessment questions than the third group, and did 20 % better.
- The first group performed 8 % better on the comprehensive test than the second.
- Students in the third group had to read again more than three times the number of sections than the first group did.
- In the second stage of the study, the first group accomplished 22.2 % better than the third group and 8.4 % better than the second group.
It is no wonder that teachers have been praising microlearning and have been advising other teachers to try it out with their students. Teachers who are currently implementing microlearning in the classroom have reported that this approach to learning has numerous benefits. Here are some of the microlearning benefits for students and teachers:
- It’s easier for teachers to make adjustments and changes to the learning content when it’s bite-sized
- The cost of implementing microlearning is low as teachers will need few resources to implement it.
- Microlearning can be used for almost all subjects and practices.
- Because the learning materials are delivered briefly, students will be more interactive and will feel more engaged during class.
- Students with memory problems will feel more fulfilled with the easy-to-remember learning material.
- This short material makes it easier for teachers to reexplain certain parts that he/she feels are not yet fully mastered by the students.
- The same concept applies to students studying at home; they can easily restudy the parts that they missed or dropped.
Microlearning in Learning Management Systems
If you’ve finally decided to embrace the magic of microlearning to integrate it into the classroom, then you still need one more thing: a powerful LMS. As providers of EdTech solutions, we realize the huge importance of providing interesting learning experiences for students.
Adopting technology in education nowadays has opened the door to an unprecedented world of possibilities for teachers and students alike. The Skolera team is proud to offer a powerful Learning Management System (LMS) that enables teachers to integrate microlearning activities in the classroom.
With Skolera’s LMS, teachers can use microlearning to create a dynamic and flexible learning environment for each student. Through features such as gamification, chat rooms, and virtual classes, our LMS revives the classroom experience, no matter the physical location. Now teachers or decision-makers at schools can enjoy a free demo to test Skolera’s features first-hand! | <urn:uuid:ac189d79-363b-476a-8cb1-956e3064145f> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://blog.skolera.com/microlearning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476180.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20240303011622-20240303041622-00298.warc.gz | en | 0.932796 | 3,307 | 3.6875 | 4 | 1,263 |
Learn about Teacher-Led Instruction in this educational glossary entry.
Teacher-led instruction is a method of teaching where the teacher takes on the role of the primary source of information and direction in the classroom. This approach is commonly used in traditional educational settings and involves the teacher delivering content, leading discussions, and guiding students through the learning process. In teacher-led instruction, the teacher is responsible for planning and organizing lessons, setting learning objectives, and assessing student progress.
One of the key characteristics of teacher-led instruction is the structured nature of the learning environment. The teacher establishes the pace and direction of the lesson, ensuring that students stay on track and cover the necessary material. This structured approach can be beneficial in helping students develop a strong foundation of knowledge and skills in a particular subject area.
Teacher-led instruction typically involves direct instruction, where the teacher presents information to the students in a clear and organized manner. This can include lectures, demonstrations, and guided practice activities. The teacher may also use visual aids, such as slideshows or diagrams, to help reinforce key concepts and ideas.
Another important aspect of teacher-led instruction is the role of the teacher as a facilitator of learning. While the teacher is the primary source of information, they also encourage student participation and engagement in the learning process. This can involve asking questions, leading discussions, and providing opportunities for students to practice and apply their knowledge.
Teacher-led instruction is often contrasted with student-centered approaches to teaching, where students take a more active role in their own learning. While student-centered approaches can be valuable in promoting critical thinking and independence, teacher-led instruction can provide students with a strong foundation of knowledge and skills that they can build upon in their learning.
In conclusion, teacher-led instruction is a valuable teaching approach that can provide students with a strong foundation of knowledge and skills in a structured learning environment. By implementing best practices and being mindful of the challenges associated with teacher-led instruction, educators can create engaging and effective learning experiences for their students. | <urn:uuid:c1187c1d-64df-4a9e-9e8e-b86d7a3162f1> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://learningcorner.co/resources/glossary/teacher-led-instruction | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476442.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20240304101406-20240304131406-00298.warc.gz | en | 0.947083 | 416 | 4.28125 | 4 | 1,264 |
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