Experiences Building Graphics Literacy Skills: Interviews With Teachers and Students

Introduction Participants’ perspectives are valuable in evaluating the effectiveness of an intervention. Methods Interviews were conducted with teachers of students with visual impairments and students who completed an intervention designed to build graphics literacy skills. Results Six themes were identified with corresponding subthemes. The intervention was reported to build students’ graphics literacy skills. Discussion Some students were able to generalize the strategies they learned to academic classes. Higher-level thinking skills challenged some students. Implications for practitioners A systematic approach beginning early can increase students’ graphics literacy skills. Teachers should provide ongoing opportunities for thinking and regulation of learning.

AN ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH NATIONAL EXAM AND ENGLISH TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION USING BLOOM’S REVISED TAXONOMY

The This study was conducted in the purpose of revealing the cognitive domains of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy in 2015/2016 English National Exam for senior high school level and also finding out English teachers’ perception on the result of 2015/2016 English National Exam questions for senior high school level. Furthermore, this study is classified as a descriptive study, for it analyzed questions used in National Exam and this did not deal with numerical data. The research investigated the cognitive domain used in the National Exam’s questions based on the revised form of Bloom Taxonomy. In addition, quantitative method, in this research, was used to support the qualitative one. This is to know the percentage of using cognitive domains in the questions. This also aims at deciding the most frequent or dominant level applied in the questions in accordance with Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. Three versions of 2015/2016 English National Exam for senior high school level were chosen from three different programs in senior high school, natural science program, social science program and language program. From each program, the researcher took one version. Then, the questions were grouped based on Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy using checklist as instrument. In obtaining qualitative data, the researcher conducted a semi-structured interview and three schools were chosen in Tondano. There were six teachers to be interviewed. The finding shows that the cognitive domains of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy used in question items of 2015/2016 English National Exam for senior high school level are remembering, understanding, applying and analyzing levels. Specifically, remembering and understanding levels are the most frequent levels used. There are no evaluating and creating levels found in the exam questions. It was found that question items in 2015/2016 English National Exam for senior high school level are constructed to assess students’ lower level thinking skills. There is no aim at assessing students’ higher level thinking skills in the level of evaluating and creating. The presence of lower level thinking is not balanced with the presence of higher level thinking questions. Teachers have diverse perspectives on question items in 2015/2016 English National Exam for senior high school level related to Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. The construction of the test should be the responsibility of the local government including schools considering that the real understanding and achievement of students are really known by the teachers who have been teaching and accompanying them throughout the school hours. The speaking skill test items should also be contained in the test.

Online monthly discussion module of simulation-based teaching: Effect on knowledge

Online discussion forums engage learners in higher-level thinking, allowing them to explore topics in much greater depth. One such formal online professional discussion platform is the two-year Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) Fellowship offered by the Christian Medical College Ludhiana (CMCL) - FAIMER Regional Institute (CMCL-FRI). In this study, we report the results of a survey conducted among FAIMER fellows after attending online discussions on Simulation-based teaching (SBT) to evaluate their change in knowledge levels on the topic. This was a retrospective analysis of pre-moderation and post-moderation questionnaire responses. The questions/statements were designed to cover the entire range of topics planned to be discussed during the moderation month.: While the median score between the pre-moderation and post-moderation month questionnaires remained the same, the average score showed an increase from 9.5 to 10.37. The number of fellows who scored the maximum possible score of 12 showed a significant increase from 2.94% to 23.33% between the pre-session to the post-moderation month questionnaires (p-value=0.015). The percentage of respondents who answered the questions correctly in the post-moderation month questionnaire showed an increase over the pre-moderation month questionnaire in 10 out of 12 questions, with the increase being highly significant in 2 out of these 10 questions. Attending online ML web discussions leads to an increase in knowledge levels among participants and is an effective way to introduce medical educationists to essential concepts in medical education.

Key Information Processes for Thinking Critically in Data-Rich Environments

The objective of the present paper is to propose a refined conception of critical thinking in data-rich environments. The rationale for refining critical thinking stems from the need to identify specific information processes that direct the suspension of prior beliefs and activate broader interpretations of data. Established definitions of critical thinking, many of them originating in philosophy, do not include such processes. A refinement of critical thinking in the digital age is developed by integrating two of the most relevant areas of research for this purpose: First, the tripartite model of critical thinking is used to outline proactive and reactive information processes in data-rich environments. Second, a new assessment framework is used to illustrate how educational interventions and assessments can be used to incorporate processes outlined in the tripartite model, thus providing a defensible conceptual foundation for inferences about higher-level thinking in data-rich environments. Third, recommendations are provided for how a performance-based teaching and assessment module of critical thinking can be designed.

Exploration of Video Game Construction and Student Learning

Video game construction in school environments is an emerging field of study. The National Media Consortium (NMC) suggests that playing and designing video games will become an important use of technology for kindergarten to grade twelve environments in the next two to three years. Researchers are beginning to suggest that constructing video games has the potential to transform the learner (Kafai, Ching & Marshall, 1997; Kafai & Ching, 2001; Peppler & Kafai, 2007; Salen, 2007; Squire, 2006), through higher-level thinking (Salen, 2007), analytic and conceptual thinking (Clark & Sheridan, 2010), reflection and evaluation (Dickey, 2006) and a context to learn about and with technology (Kafai, Ching & Marshall, 1997). This literature review will further illuminate the research surrounding video game construction and some of the potential roadblocks that might exist for educators looking to integrate these technologies into the school environment.

Personalized Learning and Online Instruction

This development of digital inclusion with personalized learning has had an impact on how courses are designed and delivered. To that end, a behavioral approach that combines digital with personalized learning is CAPSI (computer-aided personalized system of instruction). In CAPSI, students decide when and where to study course material and where and when to take a test on their learning. The changes occurring in higher education also need to incorporate the development of critical thinking skills. CAPSI is highly adaptable to developing critical or higher-level thinking based on Bloom's taxonomy; CAPSI's emphasis on written answers, providing feedback, and writing appeals leads to higher order thinking. To assess student satisfaction, questionnaires given at the end of a course show that many students find CAPSI to be beneficial to their learning. Also, due to its flexible design, CAPSI is highly modifiable and can be used in all courses in a variety of locations and with students at different educational levels.

A Method to Introduce Building Performance Simulation to Beginners

Competence in performing Building Performance Simulations (BPS) is a fundamental asset for an energy specialist. However, teaching BPS to new students can be challenging, often due to the overwhelming capabilities of the software. The consequences for students are frustration and lack of confidence using the software, dividing group work based on previous expertise and, most importantly, the inability to predict and critically analyse results due to the superficial understanding of simulations. This paper presents and evaluates a simple method named ‘control method’ which is intended to introduce BPS in classes where students have a limited experience working with BPS, significantly different educational backgrounds, and where the time to teach BPS in class is limited. The method is built around the Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes taxonomy. It aims to provide the students with a basic understanding of the input-output relationship between parameters, prompting the use of BPS independently during their individual study time. The application of the method is evaluated with two survey-based studies. The findings suggest that the method prompts higher level thinking in BPS and collaborative learning in groups. Further investigation is needed to verify if students’ ability to predict results is also increased.