title: Mathematics education students’ experiences during lockdown: Managing collaboration in eLearning

authors: Calder, Nigel Stuart

abstract: The current world crisis of COVID-19 has enforced international lockdowns in educational institutions, necessitating that these institutions quickly transition to online learning. In mathematics education studies, where collaborative problem-solving is considered a necessary pedagogical approach, lecturers have had challenges incorporating collaborative problem-solving in an authentic manner. There are now also complex living and learning contexts in which the students have to undertake their learning processes. This paper examines students’ experiences of the rapid transition to online learning and their perceptions of the advantages and barriers that ensued. A small comparative case study was used to explore the complexity of the situation, within rich, authentic settings. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used. The participants found that personal circumstances related to having children and partners at home while they studied, and aspects such as not interacting directly with other students to clarify and mediate their thinking, led to major initial frustrations with collaborating. While some of these continued throughout lockdown they did adjust and recognize that the advantages, such as a mix of formal and informal digital pedagogical media, gave them greater flexibility and led to deeper reflective thinking. We contend that some elements related to the adaptions made should become permanent features of face-to-face learning.

text: Mathematics education students’ experiences during lockdown: Managing collaboration in eLearning The current world crisis of COVID-19 has enforced international lockdowns in educational institutions, necessitating that these institutions quickly transition to online learning. In mathematics education studies, where collaborative problem-solving is considered a necessary pedagogical approach, lecturers have had challenges incorporating collaborative problem-solving in an authentic manner. There are now also complex living and learning contexts in which the students have to undertake their learning processes. This paper examines students’ experiences of the rapid transition to online learning and their perceptions of the advantages and barriers that ensued. A small comparative case study was used to explore the complexity of the situation, within rich, authentic settings. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used. The participants found that personal circumstances related to having children and partners at home while they studied, and aspects such as not interacting directly with other students to clarify and mediate their thinking, led to major initial frustrations with collaborating. While some of these continued throughout lockdown they did adjust and recognize that the advantages, such as a mix of formal and informal digital pedagogical media, gave them greater flexibility and led to deeper reflective thinking. We contend that some elements related to the adaptions made should become permanent features of face-to-face learning.

year: 2021

title: Active learning of soft rules for system modelling

authors: Frank, Eibe

subjects: computer science

abstract: Using rule learning algorithms to model systems has gained considerable interest in the past. The underlying idea of active learning is to learning algorithm influence the selection of training examples. The presented method estimates the utility of new experiments based on the knowledge represented by the existing rulebase. An extended rule format allows to deal with uncertainty. Experiments with different artificial system functions show that the presented method improves the model quality respectively decreases the number of experiments needed to reach a specific level of performance.

text: Active learning of soft rules for system modelling Using rule learning algorithms to model systems has gained considerable interest in the past. The underlying idea of active learning is to learning algorithm influence the selection of training examples. The presented method estimates the utility of new experiments based on the knowledge represented by the existing rulebase. An extended rule format allows to deal with uncertainty. Experiments with different artificial system functions show that the presented method improves the model quality respectively decreases the number of experiments needed to reach a specific level of performance.

year: 1996

title: Examining the Professional Learning and Development of Principals and Teachers in Maori Medium.

authors: McClunie, Adrienne Heeni

subjects: Professional Development

abstract: The Resource Teacher Māori service (RTM) has been working to lift the performance of principals and teachers of Māori medium schools for over 25 years as Māori medium education has attempted to achieve the twofold aim of revitalizing the Māori language and increasing the success of Māori students in Aotearoa/New Zealand. While there have been many positive gains over that time, issues still remain in fulfilling these aims. Therefore, an important question that needs to be answered is to what extent have RTM been successful in supporting schools to realize the key aims of Māori medium education, and what issues still remain in the service they provide? 
The central aim of this research project was to examine how Resource Teachers Māori (RTM) facilitated professional development (PD) in schools, what issues they faced, and how they negotiated them. The study was a multiple case study design of three RTM, principals and teachers and used conversational interviews as the method of data gathering.
The research found that the RTM service was viewed positively by schools and had a positive influence on teacher skills and student learning outcomes. Of particular importance was the Māori language and cultural guidance the RTM provided teachers. They were also highly committed to the Kaupapa Māori philosophy and to Māori language revitalization. However, their potential was not always realized. Factors that affected the performance of RTM included having a large number of schools to service and a wide range of teacher needs.  The support the RTM received at the national and local levels was also insufficient. An implication of these findings is that the RTM service should receive greater support and guidance, but there should also be a greater degree of accountability that the service the RTM are providing is meeting school needs.

text: Examining the Professional Learning and Development of Principals and Teachers in Maori Medium. The Resource Teacher Māori service (RTM) has been working to lift the performance of principals and teachers of Māori medium schools for over 25 years as Māori medium education has attempted to achieve the twofold aim of revitalizing the Māori language and increasing the success of Māori students in Aotearoa/New Zealand. While there have been many positive gains over that time, issues still remain in fulfilling these aims. Therefore, an important question that needs to be answered is to what extent have RTM been successful in supporting schools to realize the key aims of Māori medium education, and what issues still remain in the service they provide? 
The central aim of this research project was to examine how Resource Teachers Māori (RTM) facilitated professional development (PD) in schools, what issues they faced, and how they negotiated them. The study was a multiple case study design of three RTM, principals and teachers and used conversational interviews as the method of data gathering.
The research found that the RTM service was viewed positively by schools and had a positive influence on teacher skills and student learning outcomes. Of particular importance was the Māori language and cultural guidance the RTM provided teachers. They were also highly committed to the Kaupapa Māori philosophy and to Māori language revitalization. However, their potential was not always realized. Factors that affected the performance of RTM included having a large number of schools to service and a wide range of teacher needs.  The support the RTM received at the national and local levels was also insufficient. An implication of these findings is that the RTM service should receive greater support and guidance, but there should also be a greater degree of accountability that the service the RTM are providing is meeting school needs.

year: 2013