The effect of cross-curricular integration on pupils’ knowledge gained through experiential learning

This study examined the effects of the cross-curricular model of integrating mathematics and science with experiential learning on the knowledge of 3rd grade primary school pupils in Slovenia. The purpose of this research was to design and implement school lessons rooted in integrating maths with science and concrete experience, and handling real objects. In the experimental group (N=149), maths and science lessons implemented a cross-curricular model which integrated experiential learning. In the control group (N=155), maths and science were taught as separate subjects without experiential learning. The data was collected with pre- and post-tests to establish pupils’ knowledge. Differences between groups were analysed through Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test and showed that pupils from the experimental group performed better at the 2nd and 3rd TIMSS cognitive domain. Findings indicate that the cross-curricular learning model has a positive effect on pupil’s achievement in science and mathematics. Keywords: Cross-curricular integration, mathematics, science, experiential learning, TIMSS, cognitive domains

Virtual Education in Chile: An Example of a New Space for Learning

The Virtual Education was born in 2002 from a joint project between the Center for Improvement, Experimentation and Pedagogical Research CPEIP and the Center for Education and Technology Links.CPEIP has developed a line of distance teacher training through the Internet running several courses since 2002, and Links during the last 15 years has dedicated its efforts to provide the access of teachers and students to educational opportunities associated with new technologies of Information and communication. Both institutions decided to combine their efforts and develop a joint project that integrates the CPEIP distance teacher training line, up to now aimed at curriculum updating, different strategies to support the appropriation of ICTs and their curricular integration.

Enhancing the Employability of Students Undertaking English Language and Linguistics Programs in Vietnam

This study addresses the development of employability skills among English-major graduates to facilitate their transition from university to the workplace. Contemporary research has pinpointed that universities fail to sufficiently prepare their students in terms of professional knowledge and work-related skills. There is also a mismatch between the focus of academic programs and the demands and requirements from potential employers regarding graduates’ performance. Drawing on the document analysis and simple descriptive statistics of the undergraduate English language/linguistics program descriptions of six distinct universities located across Vietnam, this study aims to explore the extent to which English-major students are empowered with employability skills and provide recommendations for promoting these skills. Findings show that there is a substantial shift in reconsidering the imbalance between theoretical and practical components in the program design. The programs also exhibit certain degrees of preparation for students’ employability through the curricular integration of generic skills such as critical thinking, public speaking, presentation skills, communication skills and research skills. This study reiterates the significance of promoting work-related skills and strengthening university-industry partnerships in designing academic programs and providing English-major students with hands-on experience.

Assessing Knowledge of Pharmacokinetics in an Integrated Medical Curriculum

Pharmacokinetics is the branch of pharmacology that describes how the body processes drugs. As most physicians will prescribe drugs during their career, knowledge of pharmacokinetics is indispensable for medical students. Students, however, experience pharmacokinetics as difficult, probably due to its abstract and mathematical nature. In many medical curricula, pharmacokinetic topics are taught and examined as a part of integrated medical courses. As pharmacokinetics is a relatively small subject, unit examinations contain only few questions on the topic. The combination of a difficult subject and a few questions has raised concerns that students could perform poorly in pharmacokinetics and still pass the examinations and, hence, end up with insufficient knowledge of pharmacokinetics. In this study, we investigate this issue by contrasting students’ performance on pharmacokinetics questions with their performance on the rest of the examinations (all non-pharmacokinetics questions lumped together). The results expressed as pass-fail scores showed that students failed more often on the pharmacokinetics part of the test than on the other questions, in two consecutive academic years. Despite the suboptimal knowledge in pharmacokinetics, students can still acquire their bachelor’s degree. These results show that poor knowledge in pharmacokinetics could be a side effect of curricular integration. Attention should therefore be paid to provide insight into one’s own performance in individual disciplines. This would avoid knowledge deficiency and incompetence in the future.

Virtual education in chile, an example of a new space for learning

La Educación Virtual nació en 2002 de un proyecto conjunto entre el Centro de Perfeccionamiento, Experimentación e Investigación Pedagógica CPEIP y el Centro de Educación y Tecnología Enlaces. El CPEIP ha desarrollado una línea de formación docente a distancia a través de Internet impartiendo varios cursos desde 2002, y Enlaces durante los últimos 15 años ha dedicado sus esfuerzos a facilitar el acceso de profesores y alumnos a las oportunidades educativas asociadas a las nuevas tecnologías de la Información y la comunicación. Ambas instituciones decidieron aunar esfuerzos y desarrollar un proyecto conjunto que integre la línea de formación docente a distancia del CPEIP, hasta ahora orientada a la actualización curricular, diferentes estrategias de apoyo a la apropiación de las TIC y su integración curricular. The Virtual Education was born in 2002 from a joint project between the Center for Improvement, Experimentation and Pedagogical Research CPEIP and the Center for Education and Technology Links. CPEIP has developed a line of distance teacher training through the Internet running several courses since 2002, and Links during the last 15 years has dedicated its efforts to provide the access of teachers and students to educational opportunities associated with new technologies of Information and communication. Both institutions decided to combine their efforts and develop a joint project that integrates the CPEIP distance teacher training line, up to now aimed at curriculum updating, different strategies to support the appropriation of ICTs and their curricular integration.

Virtual Education in Chile, An Example of A New Space For Learning

The Virtual Education was born in 2002 from a joint project between the Center for Improvement, Experimentation and Pedagogical Research CPEIP and the Center for Education and Technology Links. CPEIP has developed a line of distance teacher training through the Internet running several courses since 2002, and Links during the last 15 years has dedicated its efforts to provide the access of teachers and students to educational opportunities associated with new technologies of Information and communication. Both institutions decided to combine their efforts and develop a joint project that integrates the CPEIP distance teacher training line, up to now aimed at curriculum updating, different strategies to support the appropriation of ICTs and their curricular integration.

The Challenges of Initial Teacher Training

The initial training of teachers assumes great responsibility in the methodo-logical renewal of teachers. This study aims to know the thinking of higher education students, future teachers, regarding their knowledge and attitudes towards the curricular integration of Information and Communication Tech-nologies (ICT), as well as to identify inhibiting and propelling factors of the use of digital technology by future teachers. This study is part of the IFITIC Project, which aims to rethink educational practice with ICT in the initial training of future teachers in order to promote methodological renewal in Pre-school Education and the 1st and 2nd Cycles of Basic Education. We used the methodological design survey and for data collection we applied a ques-tionnaire survey, with closed questions, to students of Basic Education and Vocational Master's degree from two public higher education institutions in the North of Portugal. The results point to the existence of inhibiting factors such as lack of resources in training centers, and propellants to ICT integra-tion such as the availability of personal resources that can compensate for the lack of resources in school centers and ICT training by training schools. They also reveal a positive and open attitude on the part of students towards the educational use of ICT.