The Effectiveness of Flipped Classroom on the Academic Achievement of University Undergraduates

<p>The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Flipped Classroom in developing the achievement of university undergraduates. The quasi-experimental approach was used and three achievement posttests were carried out. Participants were (32) students who were in advance distributed to two groups, control and experimental. Analysis of Students' achievement grades revealed that the effectiveness of Flipped Classroom use, as a learning method needs time to take place in students' academic achievement and understanding of the learning materials because of the nature of the Flipped Classroom that flipped the whole learning process. Thus, students needed time to be familiar with this new learning method for them. Results showed that there was no significant difference between participants' achievement mean scores in the first posttest at the end of the fifth week due to the use of the Flipped Classroom or the ordinary methods. However, there was a significant difference between students' achievement mean scores in the second posttest in favor of the experimental group students who learnt the course content through the use of Flipped Classroom. In addition, there was a significant difference in student participants' mean scores in the third posttest in favor of the experimental group students, too. In light of these findings, it was concluded that the instructor and his students should be patient for some time for the effectiveness of using the Flipped Classroom learning method to be noticed. Moreover, considerable time should be spent on familiarizing students with this new learning method. </p>

“Here Comes a Thought”: Steven Universe as Social Emotional Curriculum

The emphasis on social emotional learning as a focus in schools has led to the development of new materials for curriculum in classrooms for teaching social emotional content and competencies. This paper conceptualizes the use of narrative television and animation, specifically, the cartoons Steven Universe and Steven Universe Future as powerful pedagogical tools for engaging social emotional learning in classrooms. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the efficacy of these cartoons as tools for classroom use given their emphasis on inclusivity, diversity, and their popularity with young people today. Utilizing the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Competencies as a framework, the paper highlights selected episodes of the shows, and demonstrates ways the shows can be used to teach these competencies. As teachers continue to encounter ever-diversifying student populations, the use of media such as Steven Universe can help support inclusive classroom environments that engage the emotional lives and experiences of young people today.

Perceptions of isiZulu-speaking pre-service teachers’ classroom English proficiency

Despite less than 10% of South Africans claiming English as their home language, it has become the de facto language of instruction. Yet we cannot assume that teachers have sufficient command of this language when using it for instructional purposes. As a sub-study, in this article we report on the oral proficiency of isiZulu-speaking pre-service teachers who use English when expounding content in rural schools. The conceptual framework draws primarily on research relating to instructional communication and Classroom English. For this mixed methods case study, using questionnaire data from 52 pre-service teachers and 18 tutors, we sought to establish the perceptions that respondents had of students’ oral proficiency while teaching in situ. Responses were statistically analysed using computing software. Unedited audio recordings of lessons presented in rural KwaZulu-Natal schools during pre-service teachers’ work-integrated learning stint provided oral data from which to gauge proficiency using a self-designed rubric. Findings correspond with those of previous studies, pointing to pre-service teachers’ oral proficiency being less than ideal for effectively facilitating learning. However, what is considered adequate proficiency and what is ideal is yet to be agreed upon. We recommend that interventions which address the development of oral proficiency required for classroom use be considered. Our pilot rubric may serve as a useful data-gathering tool in future research.

Supporting Student System Modelling Practice Through Curriculum and Technology Design

Developing and using models to make sense of phenomena or to design solutions to problems is a key science and engineering practice. Classroom use of technology-based tools can promote the development of students’ modelling practice, systems thinking, and causal reasoning by providing opportunities to develop and use models to explore phenomena. In previous work, we presented four aspects of system modelling that emerged during our development and initial testing of an online system modelling tool. In this study, we provide an in-depth examination and detailed evidence of 10th grade students engaging in those four aspects during a classroom enactment of a system modelling unit. We look at the choices students made when constructing their models, whether they described evidence and reasoning for those choices, and whether they described the behavior of their models in connection with model usefulness in explaining and making predictions about the phenomena of interest. We conclude with a set of recommendations for designing curricular materials that leverage digital tools to facilitate the iterative constructing, using, evaluating, and revising of models.

Remodelling the role of facilitating conditions for Google Classroom acceptance: A revision of UTAUT2

Online learning environments have become a contemporary component of global tertiary education due to their affordances. These environments are hinged on internet-based learning management systems and one such tool is Google Classroom. However, empirical studies have indicated that gaps exist in determining how Google Classroom influences students’ behavioural intention to use it for online learning. Accordingly, this study defines a model based on the unified theory of acceptance and technology 2 (UTAUT2) to examine the relationship between facilitating conditions and other variables towards intention formation for Google Classroom usage. Based on a mixed method using the explanatory sequential design, survey data from 163 students were initially analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling followed by a qualitative approach based on open-ended questions for thematic analysis. Results from the partial least squares structural equation modelling approach validated the hypothesised model confirming the significant predictive relationship of facilitating conditions with effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, habit and social influence but had an insignificant relationship with behavioural intention. Furthermore, hedonic motivation and habit were the main predictors of behavioural intention by masking the role of facilitating conditions. Subsequently, the qualitative outcome indicated that habit and perceived control of using Google applications influence hedonic motivation. Finally, recommendations were made to universities towards policy formation and practice of virtual learning using Google Classroom. Implications for practice or policy: Higher education institutions should create an environment for students to be motivated and enjoy Google Classroom use. Universities should provide Internet, technical and pedagogical support for students’ Google Classroom use. Universities should explain to students the affordances of using Google Classroom. Universities should encourage students to acquire access gadgets (smartphones or tablets) for Google Classroom use.

Assistive Technology in Education

This article offers a socio-technical framing of assistive technology design for in-classroom use to enable a better understanding of how to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for learners with disabilities. By addressing social inequities in public education and recognizing user-centered design faults and inadequacies in the current implementation of assistive technology in the educational environment, this paper focuses on understanding the experiences of learners with disabilities. This article discusses challenges faced when adopting such technology and the effects of the current well-intentioned but flawed implementation of assistive technology. The authors highlight the limitations and shortcomings of the current approaches portrayed in previous research and educational practices. The article concludes with a call for a socio-technical approach to the adoption of assistive technology to augment the learning experience for a more inclusive atmosphere, and encourages a deeper appreciation for the interrelatedness between people, educational organizations, and technology.

Mobile Phones in Classrooms and in Professor-Student Communication: Ukrainian, Omani, and U.S. American College Students’ Perceptions and Practices

<p>The unprecedented expansion of wireless technologies and the global pandemic of 2020-2021, which forced many educational establishments out of traditional face-to-face and into online instructional environments, have created an urgency for achieving a better understanding of the various education-related uses of mobile phones, and students’ attitudes toward them, worldwide. We conducted a questionnaire-based study to explore college undergraduate students’ perceptions and uses of mobile phones, with a focus on instructor-student communication and classroom use, across three diverse cultural contexts: Ukraine, Oman, and the United States. Based on our findings, we suggest that conceptualizing mobile phones as cultural tools and situating their use within cultural discourses illuminates how – and explains why – mobile phones are not “the same” tools for all students. The findings offer insights into students’ (developing) perspectives on uses of mobile phones, and provide grounds from which to formulate productive, and culturally appropriate, means of using them for educational purposes.</p><p> </p>