Undergraduates lived experience of project-/problem-based learning in Introductory Biology

Recommendations for enhancing scientific literacy, inclusivity, and the ecosystem for innovation call for transitioning from teacher-centered to learner-centered science classrooms, particularly at the introductory undergraduate level. Yet, little is documented about the challenges that undergraduates perceive in such classrooms and on students' ways of navigating them. Via mixed methods, we studied undergraduates' lived experience in one form of learner-centered teaching, hybrid project-/problem-based learning (PBL), in introductory organismal biology at a baccalaureate institution. Prominent in qualitative analyses of student interviews and written reflections were undergraduates' initial expectation of and longing for an emphasis on facts and transmission of them. The prominence diminished from semester's middle to end, as students came to value developing ideas, solving problems collaboratively, and engaging in deep ways of learning. Collaboration and personal resources such as belief in self emerged as supports for these shifts. Quantitative analyses corroborated that PBL students transformed as learners, moving toward informed views on nature of science, advancing in multi-variable causal reasoning, and more frequently adopting deep approaches for learning than did students in lecture-based sections. The qualitative and quantitative findings portray the PBL classroom as an intercultural experience in which culture shock yields over time to acceptance in a way supported by students' internal resources and peer collaboration. The findings have value to those seeking to implement PBL and other complex-learning approaches in a manner responsive to the lived experience of the learner.

Amalgamation of Game-Based Learning With Interactive Instructional Strategies for Active Learner Engagement

In recent years, the teaching-learning process in higher education has undergone unprecedented change. Learners from across the world can enroll in any university using online platforms. This learning freedom is fantastic for all stakeholders, but it raises some serious concerns, such as how to ensure effective learner engagement and make the learning experience meaningful for the learners. While technology has aided learning, it has also become a significant source of distraction for students, as they spend too much time on gadgets solely for entertainment. This necessitates innovative and engaging teaching styles from educators. Designing course content as a game makes learning more engaging as learners get a sense of motivation and accomplishment. However, aligning games with lesson plans, designing assessment criteria, and learning outcomes takes a significant amount of time and effort. Hence, this chapter proposes learner-centered interactive instructional strategies that employ GBL to pique learners' curiosity and recommends popular GBL platforms for creating educational games.

Teaching Culture Online

This chapter explores the ways in which the language educator can be successful teaching culture together with language specifically in an asynchronous online environment. It provides examples of content, activities, and assessments that are meaningful, collaborative, and learner-centered, and that employ mobile technology familiar to the average instructor. In addition, it discusses the new role of the language professor in facilitating an integrated language and culture curriculum in a fully online setting. Through shifting the responsibilities and roles of the instructor, emphasizing social and teacher presence, and employing flexible learner-centered content and activities, previously face-to-face language classes can be successfully transformed to foster cultural competency asynchronously.

Assessment for Learning

Advances in technology have been integrated into many facets of education, creating both opportunities and challenges for learning and assessment. This chapter provides an overview of effective assessment practices, largely targeted to higher education, with the mindset of using assessment for learning, rather than a more traditional view of assessment of learning. A brief theoretical background is presented as well as specific approaches for implementing learner-centered assessment strategies. Using assessment as a motivator and as a way to deepen, not just demonstrate, learning is discussed. Additionally, the chapter presents future considerations for assessment, especially as assessment can be enhanced by technology—“Education 3.0.”

Theories and Practices Behind Educational Robotics for All

The chapter aims at helping educators and classroom teachers who are new to using educational robotics as a learning tool in their classrooms. It discusses the approaches using robotics as a learning tool - a tool perfectly suited for enabling constructionist learning in the classroom and how educational robotics can provide ‘all' students motivation to learn STEM and computing science concepts. Educational robotics as a learning tool requires teachers as well as students to shift from traditional pedagogical approaches to learner-centered active learning approaches. The chapter discusses how the shift can be made in successful ways and provides guidance to pre- and in-service teachers on how to implement educational robotics as a learning tool to reach and attract ‘all' students to promote their learning.

The Characteristics of Instructional Systematic Design English Online Teaching Environment

The English online learning instructional model became contingent upon organised and guided learning practices by competent English lecturers as instructors in the online situation. There are a few concepts applied to the English instructional online pedagogy for Higher Education and Universities. The purposes of the examinations are to classify the relevance of online instructional learning to conform to English learning and present current or unexpected instructional design into the English online environment. The study employed a convergent parallel design method. This method of choice had depth-analysing and performing parallel analyses, which are considered alternative evidence for discussing the components of the online instructional model. The examination consisted of 52 English lecturers from various Higher Education and Universities. The survey questionnaires were addressed to participants, and interview strategies were identified to collect a distinctive angle and dept-involvement on the English online instructional. Findings of the study have revealed that English lecturers considered learner-centered intended course as very important for their teaching concept while emphasising real-world performance as important for the online environment material. Collaborative approach and concentrate on reliably and validly assessed outcomes become the second phase importance in the online instructional model. Interview protocols thematic analysis exposed that English lecturers should support and organise their particular English online instructional online environment. The general characterised adapted to engage in English online instructional online-based. The condition is because of English lecturers empathising with the appropriate material, approach to the learners’ flexibility, and individual accomplishment in every topic.

Teaching Methods and Quality of Business Studies Textbook in Secondary Schools in Kenya

Well-structured business studies textbook provides enjoyable episodes of knowledge creation which promotes achievement learning outcome for sustained academic results. Business textbook represents potentially implemented curriculum as its vehicle through which intended curriculum is availed to learner encouraging achievement of learning objectives. However, adopting methodology that does not facilitate achievement of specific objectives may limit knowledge construction degrading learner’s mean score. The study adopted is exploratory research design. Data collected were both quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative data were analyzed through counts, percentages, means, standard deviations and Chi square tests while Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Cross tabulation results further indicated that teaching methods significantly influence quality of textbook implying that appropriate teaching methods supports achievement of learning. It was also found that presentation, visuals and differentiated instruction influence quality of instruction content encouraging learning. Therefore, it is recommended that teaching method selected should be learner centered to accelerate learning.

Concerns Fronting Engineering Education in Sudan: A Review

For decades Sudan, like most of Sub-Saharan African countries, has been facing profound engineering education issues, namely: poor funding, outdated curricula, ineffective teaching and learning methods, inadequate human capacity, poor research/publishing condition, inappropriate facilities, inadequate educational technology and ICT environment, weak university/industry relationship, lack of academic freedom, and missing of quality control and accreditation measures. The paper discussed these issues, and proposed solutions such as redesign of flexible curriculum, adopting learner-centered approach, and developing hiring structure that focuses on recruiting and retaining qualified educators, with the goal of graduating a high rate of qualified engineers, ready for the 21st century.

Investigation on Gender and Learners-Centered Teaching Strategies Toward Learners' Writing Performance

ABSTRACTThis research investigated the interaction effects between gender and Learner-Centered Teaching Strategies toward learners' writing performance. The study was a quasi-experiment using tests as the research instrument. The participants were 72 learners of the English Department at a state institution consisting of 34 males and 38 females. The class was classified into two parts: experiment groups consisting of self-directed learning class (SDL), discovery learning class (DL), and small group discussion class (SGD); and a control group: lecturing class (L). A two-way ANOVA was used for data analysis. The findings confirmed a significant difference by gender (F=10.629. Sig. 0.002<0.05); and Learner-Centered Teaching Strategies F=20.658. Sig. 0.000<0.050) on the learners' writing performance. It also indicated that females (means score 73.46) were higher than males (means score 64.45). In contrast, no interaction effect simultaneously occurred among gender and the Learner-Centered Teaching Strategies (F 2.70) = 2.301. Sig. 0.086>0.050). Both of them did not contribute simultaneously to writing performance. Lastly, the r squared was 0.574 indicating a high correlation of teaching strategies and gender (57%). The teachers were suggested to apply learner-centered teaching strategies in an L2 writing class at a higher education level.ABSTRAKPenelitian ini menyelidiki pengaruh interaksi antara gender dan strategi pengajaran terpusat pada peserta didik terhadap kinerja menulis peserta didik. Jenis penelitian ini adalah kuasi eksperimen dengan instrument yang digunakan adalah tes. Partisipan berjumlah 72 mahasiswa Jurusan Bahasa Inggris di sebuah universitas negeri yang terdiri dari 34 laki-laki dan 38 perempuan. Kelas diklasifikasikan menjadi dua bagian: kelompok eksperimen yang terdiri dari kelas self-directed learning (SDL), kelas discovery learning (DL), ; kelas diskusi kelompok kecil (SGD); dan kelompok kontrol: kelas kuliah (L). Anova dua jalur digunakan pada analisis data. Temuan mengkonfirmasi perbedaan yang signifikan terjadi untuk jenis kelamin (F = 10,629. Sig. 0,002 <0,05); dan strategi pengajaran terpusat pada peserta didik F=20.658. Sig. 0,000<0,050) terhadap kemampuan menulis siswa. Hal ini juga menunjukkan bahwa perempuan (rata-rata skor 73,46) lebih tinggi daripada laki-laki (rata-rata skor 64,45). Sebaliknya, tidak ada efek interaksi yang terjadi secara simultan antara gender dan strategi pengajaran terpusat pada peserta didik (F 2,70) = 2,301. Tanda tangan. 0,086>0,050). Keduanya tidak berkontribusi secara bersamaan pada kinerja menulis. Terakhir, nilai r kuadrat adalah 0,574 yang menunjukkan korelasi tinggi antara strategi pengajaran dan gender (57%). Para guru disarankan untuk menerapkan strategi pengajaran yang berpusat pada peserta didik di kelas menulis L2 di pendidikan tinggi.