ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Designing Informatics Curriculum for K-12 Education: From Concepts to Implementations
Author: Dagiene, Valentina
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Science Education,Curriculum Development,Elementary Secondary Education,Constructivism (Learning),Critical Thinking

Computing as a discipline has common roots with mathematics and written languages, and computing as a way of thinking and handling has been integral to human culture since ever. This is not only a reasonable argument for convincing society to consider informatics as one of the very fundamental pillars of education, but it also puts the potential contributions of teaching informatics in schools into the correct perspective in the context of science and humanities. Many European countries are switching from teaching information technologies to informatics education during the current second decade of this century. Informatics curriculum is becoming a central part of school education. We explain and design a way of developing informatics curriculum that offer the critical competences new generations need to survive and thrive in todays' knowledge society and will allow them to contribute to the future development of society. These competences also strongly support the development of their intellectual potential and creativity. Our design of informatics curriculum takes into account the interaction with other scientific disciplines as well with the subject didactics, pedagogy and psychology. The starting point is merging constructionism and critical thinking. Constructionism with its &quot;learning by doing&quot; and &quot;learning by getting things to work&quot; enables designing a teaching process in which students acquire knowledge by creating products, analysing the properties and the functionality of their own products, and finally derive motivation to improve these products. Critical thinking asks us not to teach products of science and technology and their application, but to teach the creative process of their development. To implement this approach, we use the historical method allowing the students to learn by productive failures in the process of searching for a solution. To organize the process of learning and make the different steps available to the appropriate age groups we take into account the cognitive dimensions of the revised taxonomy of Bloom. To illustrate how the combination of all these concepts works we present a detailed curriculum for algorithm design, programming, robotics, and communication in networks.
Getting SMART about Social Skills Interventions for Students with ASD in Inclusive Classrooms
Author: Kasari, Connie
Date: 2021-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Autism,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Interpersonal Competence,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Recess Breaks,Classroom Environment,Environmental Influences,Parent Role,Peer Influence,Elementary School Students,Students with Disabilities,Student Needs,Parent Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Public Schools

Children with autism demonstrate considerable heterogeneity in their social skills and, therefore, their school intervention needs. No single intervention is expected to address the needs of all children with autism. In addition, not all evidence-based school interventions can be provided to all children with autism at all times. Thus, there is a need to understand how best to combine, sequence, and individualize social skills interventions to meet the heterogeneous needs of these children. &quot;Adaptive interventions&quot; (AIs) are prespecified sequences of decision rules used to guide schools in how best to combine, sequence, and individualize social skills interventions. However, there are currently no empirically derived AIs shown to improve social skills in schoolchildren with autism; moreover, there is a dearth of literature on the acceptability and feasibility of schoolwide, multilevel AIs that combine both environmental-level and individual-level interventions. The purpose of this study is to understand the acceptability and feasibility of four AIs in a SMART (sequential multiple-assignment randomized trial) implemented by educators and parents. The AIs include environmental (Remaking Recess, classroom supports) and individual interventions (parent assisted, peer mediated). Thirty-three elementary-age students with autism (male = 76%, Hispanic = 73%) were educated in 21 classrooms across seven schools by 25 teachers and 24 teaching assistants. Treatment expectations, acceptability, feasibility, and implementation data were collected over 18 weeks. Results indicated respondents were agreeable to treatment changes, but perceived feasibility was average and implementation was moderate. A number of lessons learned and proposed changes for scaling up are discussed.
The Special Education Teacher Pipeline: Teacher Preparation, Workforce Entry, and Retention
Author: Theobald, Roddy J.
Date: 2021-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Special Education Teachers,Student Teaching,Student Placement,Academic Degrees,Teacher Certification,Outcomes of Education,Employment Level,Teacher Education Programs,Graduates,Teacher Persistence,Beginning Teachers,Specialization,Cooperating Teachers,Predictor Variables,Public School Teachers

We used data on the student teaching placements, degrees, teaching credentials, and workforce outcomes of more than 1,300 graduates of special education teacher education programs in Washington to provide a descriptive portrait of specific measures of special education teacher preparation and their relationships with workforce entry and early-career retention. Although rates of workforce entry and retention for these special education candidates were high, we documented considerably lower rates of entry into and retention in special education teaching positions for candidates who hold a dual endorsement in special education and another subject. These patterns have potential implications for the state's new dual-endorsement requirement and for dual-licensure programs more broadly. Student teaching with a cooperating teacher who is endorsed in special education was also associated with a higher likelihood of becoming a special education teacher, even when controlling for whether the placement was in a special or general education setting.
Early Lessons Learned in Designing an Adaptive Shared Reading Intervention for Preschoolers with Autism
Author: Fleury, Veronica P.
Date: 2021-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Autism,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Students with Disabilities,Reading Strategies,Preschool Children,Program Effectiveness,Program Implementation,Preschool Education,Preschool Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Intervention,Fidelity,Vocabulary Development,Student Participation,Reading Instruction,Student Needs,Response to Intervention,Positive Behavior Supports,Emergent Literacy,Learner Engagement

Project START (Students and Teachers Actively Reading Together) is an adaptive shared reading intervention designed to address the varied learning needs of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This report summarizes procedures and results of the developmental year of the project, which focused primarily on evaluating implementation fidelity and social validity of the intervention. The final sample consisted of four classrooms with 10 students with ASD (M[subscript age]= 4.32 years) and their teachers (N = 4). Classrooms were randomized to either a 4- or an 8-week first-stage small-group dialogic reading condition. Children who were early responders continued with the initial intervention; those who were slower to respond were randomized to one of two intensified reading conditions. Results indicate that teachers perceived the intervention as feasible and child outcomes as acceptable. Implementation fidelity was low during initial weeks (33%-50%), improving to 67% to 83% by the last weeks of the study. Neither children's engagement nor vocabulary growth differed between treatment levels or conditions. We discuss lessons learned from the study's developmental year and changes that will be made in subsequent years to improve implementation and feasibility.
The Promotion of Self-Directed Learning in Pre-School: Reflection on Teachers&apos; Professional Practice
Author: Grava, Jana
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Independent Study,Preschool Teachers,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Teacher Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Teacher Surveys,Faculty Development,Phenomenology,Learning Processes,Attitude Change,Metacognition,Teaching Methods,Educational Quality

A learning environment that offers the opportunity for the child to explore the world, express him/herself and use everyday life as a learning experience forms the basis for a child's self-directed learning. This research's objective is to discover the determining factors of the child's self-directed learning, revealing the challenges faced by the teachers in organizing self-directed learning process. This is a phenomenological research study, designed as a mixed sequential qualitative and quantitative study, which implies a qualitative processing of the initial data. 150 teachers from different regions and cities of Latvia completed the survey. The interviews were conducted with seven participants. In this study, 50 self-assessments of pre-school teachers were analysed focusing on the quality of their professional activity. We discovered a shift in teachers' understanding of their professional pedagogical activity, its content and implementation methods related to metacognitive abilities, in order to effectively plan, organize and evaluate their pedagogical strategies.
The Reality of Using Moodle in a Distance Education Program
Author: Al Soub, Tarik Faris
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Distance Education,COVID-19,Pandemics,College Faculty,Affordances,Barriers,Gender Differences,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries

Using e-learning system (moodle) in distance education in time of the COVID-19 has become a reality, and the study was concerned with revealing the degree of faculty members benefit from the Moodle system, as well as the nature of the challenges they faced, in addition to their vision to develop the use of Moodle system in teaching. The study used the descriptive analysis method, and the results showed that faculty members have benefited from the Moodle system for a high degree, although they indicated that there are significant challenges. The faculty members suggested continuing training on using the Moodle system and updating the version of the system available at the university. Results also showed that there are statistically significant differences in the estimates of the study sample of the reality of employment in favor of female faculty members as well as faculty members with low teaching experience, in the youth group. Accordingly, the study recommends training the teaching staff to use educational platforms and face the challenges facing distance education through these platforms. [Note: The volume number (15) shown in the header on the PDF is incorrect. The correct volume number is 16.]
The Role of Social Studies Teachers in Enhancing Consumption Education in Jordan during COVID-19 Pandemic
Author: Al Edwan, Zaid Suleiman
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Social Studies,Teacher Role,Secondary School Teachers,COVID-19,Pandemics,Gender Differences,Educational Attainment,Teaching Experience,Consumer Education

The researchers used the descriptive survey method. The study instrument consisted of the questionnaire which included (20) items, and the study sample individuals consisted of (72) male and female teachers. Results of the study showed that the role of social studies in developing consumption education in secondary schools during Corona pandemic (COVID-19) came at high degree. the researchers have detected presence of differences between means of the teachers, answers on all fields of the questionnaire according to sex variable in favor of the females, presence of differences between means of the teachers' answers on all fields of the questionnaire by the academic qualification variable in favor of the graduate studies, and the absence of differences between means of the teachers' answers to all fields of the questionnaire according to years of experience variable. The researcher's conclusions recommended conducting training courses, and including consumption education in the curricula.
Our Global Learning Community in the Clouds: Adaptive Ecological Elements and Practices
Author: Kramlich, Deborah J.
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Communities of Practice,Ecology,Inclusion,Models,Group Dynamics,Group Structure,Trust (Psychology),Safety,Sense of Community,Cultural Awareness,Values,Leadership,Participative Decision Making,Cooperation

Research around learning community models often shows a structured and defined model to follow with the underlying assumption being if the steps are followed, the results will come. The model we offer in this paper is rather counter-cultural as it was not a specific process or practice we followed; rather, we found ourselves in a highly engaging, safe, kind, and productive learning community unlike most we have encountered in academia. We asked ourselves, &quot;Why?&quot; and engaged in reflection, questions, and research to define our unique community. Six themes emerged that form our ecological learning community; these themes are in motion, intertwined, and co-dependent on one another. Our model is not linear, instead, it is fluid and organic, moving from firm boundaries to more porous edges or shapes that respond to the needs of the group and communities around us to create an inclusive environment. The six themes are: 1) organic trust, safety, and belonging, 2) shared collective vision; 3) cultural humility; 4) inclusion--a commitment to diversity of perspectives; 5) shared leadership; and 6) practices in alignment with values. We offer suggestions for practices for learning communities that similarly aim to be responsive and adaptive.
Student Experiences within a Data Science Learning Community: A Communities of Practice Perspective
Author: Jaiswal, Aparajita
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Statistics Education,Student Experience,Communities of Practice,College Freshmen,Student Attitudes,Cooperative Learning,Mentors,Skill Development,Living Learning Centers,Data Analysis

The discipline of data science is gaining attention due to a significant increase in the amount of data generated on a real-time basis. Despite the efforts from the institutions and national agencies, it has been witnessed that there have been substantial challenges in retaining and attracting students in the discipline of data science. Learning communities have been identified as effective mechanisms to improve student retention. However, fewer studies focus on student experiences within the context of a Data Science Learning Community. This study intends to investigate the student experiences within a Data Science Learning Community known as the The Data Mine (TDM) through the lens of Communities of Practice (CoP) and explore the contribution of the three tenets of CoP: &quot;domain,&quot; &quot;community,&quot; and &quot;practice&quot; in shaping student experiences. The study used a mixed-method case study design to understand the experiences of first-year students within TDM and identify the benefits and challenges associated with participating in the living-learning community. The findings of the study revealed that students considered participating in the learning community a valuable experience as it helped them collaborate with like-minded peers and mentors, also helped them develop data science skills.
Transition to Amazon AWS from a Traditional Cluster-Based Information Technology Classroom
Author: Gondi, Vamsi
Date: 2021-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Science Education,Computer Software,Computer Simulation,Information Technology,Computer Assisted Instruction,COVID-19,Pandemics,Information Storage,College Students,Computer Uses in Education,Outcomes of Education,Student Projects,Active Learning,Taxonomy

In the age of COVID-19, traditional teaching techniques are under scrutiny. Most concepts and labs in the area of information technology are intended to be taught face-to-face in labs using clusters and networking infrastructure. Simulation software's such as uCertify, Pearson online, etc.., are good alternative, but are not always a viable solution. Simulation software is used primarily to understand, remember, and apply the concepts rather than analyze evaluate and create the content. Due to unforeseen conditions during March 2020, educational institutions were required to shut down. In the middle of the semester, instructors had to determine how to complete the labs and final projects which are crucial to accomplishing the intended learning outcomes of their courses. A chosen alternative was to use Amazon AWS as a cloud platform to host the labs and projects. It was initially a challenge as students had not had the opportunity to learn how to work with AWS in advance. Training sessions were provided to help them understand how to deploy and connect virtual servers in AWS to build a virtual private cloud. Prior to the pandemic, students developed and deployed their labs and projects on a departmental cluster which was on-premise at the university. With AWS, it was challenging to design an architecture to host 19 services offered as a part of the project requirements for an organization network. This paper presents the scope of this project; the intended outcomes of the project, how students were able to implement the project requirements in the AWS environment; the intended learning outcomes; and the results of student surveys to assess the learning outcome of using AWS and traditional cluster.
The (Missing) Human Part: Listening for Students&apos; Perceptions of the Value of Peer Mentors
Author: Jankens, Adrienne
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Student Attitudes,Peer Teaching,Mentors,Writing (Composition),Expectation,Peer Relationship,Electronic Learning,Online Courses,Computer Mediated Communication,Grades (Scholastic),COVID-19,Pandemics

In this paper, we describe an IRB-approved (exempt) study designed to help us understand the impact that engaging with a peer mentor has on student learning in the online, intermediate composition classroom. Our study aimed to both identify the quantity of student interactions with peer mentors in online intermediate composition courses and to understand specifically how these interactions impacted students' learning. The study focused on this question: &quot;How do students describe the impact of peer mentors on their learning in the writing course?&quot; Using a combination of qualitative methods (student survey, student interview, peer mentor reflection, and local institutional data on students' use of campus resources), we developed four analytical themes focused on modes of engagement, expectations for online interaction, expectations for grades versus reported engagement with peer mentors, and students' use of campus resources. Through this analysis, we argue that structuring contact points with peer mentors is not enough to engage students with this invaluable learning resource; without attention to the social quality of those contacts, we will not see increased engagement between students and peer mentors in our learning community, nor will we see students' valuing of peer mentoring as improved.
Re-Engineering General Education and the Impact on Undergraduate Technology Students
Author: Wolthuis, Stuart L.
Date: 2021-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: General Education,Educational Change,Undergraduate Students,Computer Science Education,Information Systems,Information Technology,Majors (Students),Specialization,Benchmarking,Humanities,Mathematics,Sciences,Personal Autonomy

This research shares insights into the results of a three-year process of re-engineering general education at Brigham Young University--Hawaii (BYU--Hawaii), a private university, and the impact this change has conveyed to our students, curriculum, and faculty. The authors first describe the background of traditional general education, then describe the impetus for change. This is followed by a detailed explanation of the new general education program and the resulting impact on students, specifically those perusing degrees in computer science, information systems, and information technology.
Student Group Satisfaction Perceptions Using Agile in a Project-Based Course
Author: Hulshult, Andrea R.
Date: 2021-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Satisfaction,Group Activities,Group Dynamics,Cooperative Learning,Student Projects,Active Learning,College Students,Teamwork,Computer Software,Introductory Courses,Computer Science Education,Technology Uses in Education,Productivity

This study aims to examine the effectiveness and value of using Agile work practices to enhance group satisfaction in project-based courses. This study explores student perceptions of using Agile in a group, project-based course to support how Agile can be utilized in higher education to positively enhance group collaboration and teamwork. Surveys completed by students indicate that students found value in using the Agile mindset and Agile practices in a project-based course. Students ranked MoSCoW prioritization method and storyboards the highest of all the Agile practices.
Distributed Project Teams and Software Development: An Introduction to the Use of Git and GitHub for ASP.NET MVC Development
Author: Luce, Thom
Date: 2021-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Science Education,Educational Change,COVID-19,Pandemics,Capstone Experiences,Computer Software,Coding,College Students,Student Projects

This paper describes changes, precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, to a capstone MIS class using Microsoft ASP.NET MVC for team development with live-clients. The advent of the pandemic required that the entire development effort of the class immediately transition from a largely in-class development effort with local SQL Server and Web Server Instances to one requiring all development be done in a virtual desktop interface (VDI). The VDI was the only way for students to get to both the SQL Server instance and the web server where they published their applications. Code availability, version control and joint development issues were resolved with Git and the Visual Studio interface to GitHub. This paper summarizes the development issues faced by the student teams, how they were resolved and provides a brief introduction to the use of GitHub from within the current version of Visual Studio. The paper is descriptive, and the subjective nature of the live-client project deliverables made any significant statistical analysis impossible.