ABSTRACT This paper is about the development of 3D simulators for supplementary instruction in pr... more ABSTRACT This paper is about the development of 3D simulators for supplementary instruction in professional training with complex learning tasks and material, human and economic constraints. We present a theoretical framework describing and explaining how a simulator can support the fundamental interaction dynamics in learning settings (interaction with reality, with others and with the learner himself. We describe the development of an actual 3D simulator (for installing the engine in an F-16 fighter aircraft) and present its next phases. We discuss how our theoretical framework fits and explains the development phases of a 3D simulator to meet the intended learning outcomes and how it can help in the development of simulators with similar purposes.
The goal of the SimProgramming approach is to help students overcome their learning difficulties ... more The goal of the SimProgramming approach is to help students overcome their learning difficulties in the transition from entry-level to advanced computer programming, developing an appropriate set of learning strategies. We implemented it at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal), in two courses (PM3 and PM4) of the bachelor programmes in Informatics Engineering and ICT. We conducted semi-structured interviews with students (n=38) at the end of the courses, to identify the students’ strategies for self-regulation of learning in the assignment. We found that students changed some of their strategies from one course edition to the following one and that changes are related to the SimProgramming approach. We believe that changes to the educational approach were appropriate to support the assignment goals. We recommend applying the SimProgramming approach in other educational contexts, to improve educational practices by including techniques to help students in their learning.
Keywords: Computer science, Self-regulation of learning, Teaching and learning.
The SimProgramming teaching approach has the goal to help students overcome their learning diffic... more The SimProgramming teaching approach has the goal to help students overcome their learning difficulties in the transition from entry-level to advanced computer programming and prepare them for real-world labour environments, adopting learning strategies. It immerses learners in a businesslike learning environment, where students develop a problem-based learning activity with a specific set of tasks, one of which is filling weekly individual forms. We conducted thematic analysis of 401 weekly forms, to identify the stu-dents' strategies for self-regulation of learning during assignment. The students are adopting different strategies in each phase of the approach. The early phases are devoted to organization and planning, later phases focus on applying theoretical knowledge and hands-on programming. Based on the results, we recommend the development of educational practices to help students conduct self-reflection of their performance during tasks.
Computer programming courses in higher education tend to have high rates of academic failure and ... more Computer programming courses in higher education tend to have high rates of academic failure and students struggle, particularly so in the transition from entry-level programming to advanced programming. Some of the reasons given in the literature relate to the type of teaching approach and the strategies used by students and their attitudes towards computer programming. The literature also mentions that educational approaches are not always appropriate to the needs of students and to the development of skills required in the job market.
We developed a teaching approach to try to address some of these issues and support students learning computer programming in the transition from entry-level to advanced computer programming: the SimProgramming approach. This approach was introduced at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal), within the scope of the course “Programming Methodologies III”, part of the second curricular year of the programmes of studies in Informatics Engineering and in Information & Communication Technologies.
We present in detail the origins of the SimProgramming approach, starting from the first trials that introduced, in two iterations, learning activities based on problem-based learning, and up to the third iteration where the current SimProgramming approach was implemented. We describe the reasoning, design and implementation of these three iterations, to show how the approach evolved.
The SimProgramming approach is based in four conceptual foundations: business-like learning environment, self-regulated learning, co-regulated learning and formative assessment. For each of these conceptual foundations, we explain the teaching strategies adopted. In SimProgramming, the learning activity process develops in four phases, and students have specific tasks in each phase.
We analyse interview data regarding student perceptions about the SimProgramming approach, and registration grids data on team work dynamics and final assessment of the assignment, noting the impact of SimProgramming in student grades. The application of SimProgramming revealed promising evidences in the overall results of student learning in the activities proposed in this approach. The average grades improved, and did the number of students regularly submitting their tasks on schedule. The perceptions of students regarding the SimProgramming approach are very positive: they recommend using it in the following years, and provided some suggestions to improve the approach.
We conclude with reflections and recommendations for subsequent development of the SimProgramming approach in its application to the teaching of computer programming and potential for using it in other educational contexts.
keywords: computer programming; development of teaching approach; teaching strategies.
Nesta comunicação pretende-se identificar e descrever as ações da mediação do professor,
durante ... more Nesta comunicação pretende-se identificar e descrever as ações da mediação do professor, durante o uso de simulações computacionais em aulas de ciências físicas (ensino secundário), que têm influência na promoção de trabalho epistémico dos alunos. As simulações computacionais são importantes ferramentas ao dispor dos professores, cuja influência positiva no desenvolvimento de competências dos alunos tem sido amplamente abordada na literatura. Descreve-se as caraterísticas da mediação do professor que ajuda os alunos a desenvolver competências de utilização do conhecimento científico em contexto real, e a fazer a ponte entre o mundo observável e a teoria.
Este estudo incide sobre a aprendizagem de Física no Ensino Superior e tem a sua génese na consta... more Este estudo incide sobre a aprendizagem de Física no Ensino Superior e tem a sua génese na constatação das dificuldades existentes na aprendizagem de Física nas Universidades Públicas Portuguesas, em particular no elevado insucesso escolar. Esta problemática envolve um ...
In a society mainly driven by Science and Technology it is becoming consensual the idea that scie... more In a society mainly driven by Science and Technology it is becoming consensual the idea that scientific education should include three components: Education in Science, Education about Science and Education through Science. Some authors suggest that, in education, everyday objects should be used to illustrate scientific issues (e.g. Andrée, 2005). Thus the goal of this study is two-fold: first, to develop a teaching and learning strategy, in the framework of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), concerning the renewable energy issue, while showing the importance of using everyday situations in the improvement of students' motivation in Physics learning. Energy is the core concept in this study. Energy conservation includes the concepts applied to sustainable balance between environment and the energy availability and use. Dias et al. (2004) stress that education is one of the best ways to transform the human behavior for the rational use of energy, which represents a long-term investment. In this work students become aware and recognize the importance and value of energy in everyday life, they identify energy transfer and transformation processes, confirm energy availability, relating these topics to present human needs and climate change issues. A didactic model of a solar thermal panel has thus been built, using cheap, common materials, by 15-16 year-old Physics students, from a Portuguese secondary school. Students had to plan the experiments, in small groups, to identify and estimate physical magnitudes and to explore how to maximize the solar thermal panel efficiency. The experimental activities took place in the school's playground, in a place where there were no obstacles to capturing solar radiation. Finally, students had to deal with experimental data acquisition and analysis, they had to prepare a report, as well as to answer a survey, to evaluate their learning success. Results show that students appreciated the proposed themes and activities, while having significant learning,namely in terms of conceptual evolution on concepts such as thermodynamic systems and energy transfer. We believe that these kinds of proposals contribute to improve students' literacy and knowledge in Science, to strengthen the student-teacher relationship, while contributing to raising conscious citizens. References Andrée, M. (2005). Ways of Using ‘Everyday Life' in the Science Classroom. Research and the Quality of Science Education 107-116. Dias, R. A., Mattos, C. R., & Balestieri, J. A. P. (2004). Energy education: breaking up the rational energy use barriers. Energy Policy, 32(11), 1339-1347.
ABSTRACT This paper is about the development of 3D simulators for supplementary instruction in pr... more ABSTRACT This paper is about the development of 3D simulators for supplementary instruction in professional training with complex learning tasks and material, human and economic constraints. We present a theoretical framework describing and explaining how a simulator can support the fundamental interaction dynamics in learning settings (interaction with reality, with others and with the learner himself. We describe the development of an actual 3D simulator (for installing the engine in an F-16 fighter aircraft) and present its next phases. We discuss how our theoretical framework fits and explains the development phases of a 3D simulator to meet the intended learning outcomes and how it can help in the development of simulators with similar purposes.
The goal of the SimProgramming approach is to help students overcome their learning difficulties ... more The goal of the SimProgramming approach is to help students overcome their learning difficulties in the transition from entry-level to advanced computer programming, developing an appropriate set of learning strategies. We implemented it at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal), in two courses (PM3 and PM4) of the bachelor programmes in Informatics Engineering and ICT. We conducted semi-structured interviews with students (n=38) at the end of the courses, to identify the students’ strategies for self-regulation of learning in the assignment. We found that students changed some of their strategies from one course edition to the following one and that changes are related to the SimProgramming approach. We believe that changes to the educational approach were appropriate to support the assignment goals. We recommend applying the SimProgramming approach in other educational contexts, to improve educational practices by including techniques to help students in their learning.
Keywords: Computer science, Self-regulation of learning, Teaching and learning.
The SimProgramming teaching approach has the goal to help students overcome their learning diffic... more The SimProgramming teaching approach has the goal to help students overcome their learning difficulties in the transition from entry-level to advanced computer programming and prepare them for real-world labour environments, adopting learning strategies. It immerses learners in a businesslike learning environment, where students develop a problem-based learning activity with a specific set of tasks, one of which is filling weekly individual forms. We conducted thematic analysis of 401 weekly forms, to identify the stu-dents' strategies for self-regulation of learning during assignment. The students are adopting different strategies in each phase of the approach. The early phases are devoted to organization and planning, later phases focus on applying theoretical knowledge and hands-on programming. Based on the results, we recommend the development of educational practices to help students conduct self-reflection of their performance during tasks.
Computer programming courses in higher education tend to have high rates of academic failure and ... more Computer programming courses in higher education tend to have high rates of academic failure and students struggle, particularly so in the transition from entry-level programming to advanced programming. Some of the reasons given in the literature relate to the type of teaching approach and the strategies used by students and their attitudes towards computer programming. The literature also mentions that educational approaches are not always appropriate to the needs of students and to the development of skills required in the job market.
We developed a teaching approach to try to address some of these issues and support students learning computer programming in the transition from entry-level to advanced computer programming: the SimProgramming approach. This approach was introduced at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal), within the scope of the course “Programming Methodologies III”, part of the second curricular year of the programmes of studies in Informatics Engineering and in Information & Communication Technologies.
We present in detail the origins of the SimProgramming approach, starting from the first trials that introduced, in two iterations, learning activities based on problem-based learning, and up to the third iteration where the current SimProgramming approach was implemented. We describe the reasoning, design and implementation of these three iterations, to show how the approach evolved.
The SimProgramming approach is based in four conceptual foundations: business-like learning environment, self-regulated learning, co-regulated learning and formative assessment. For each of these conceptual foundations, we explain the teaching strategies adopted. In SimProgramming, the learning activity process develops in four phases, and students have specific tasks in each phase.
We analyse interview data regarding student perceptions about the SimProgramming approach, and registration grids data on team work dynamics and final assessment of the assignment, noting the impact of SimProgramming in student grades. The application of SimProgramming revealed promising evidences in the overall results of student learning in the activities proposed in this approach. The average grades improved, and did the number of students regularly submitting their tasks on schedule. The perceptions of students regarding the SimProgramming approach are very positive: they recommend using it in the following years, and provided some suggestions to improve the approach.
We conclude with reflections and recommendations for subsequent development of the SimProgramming approach in its application to the teaching of computer programming and potential for using it in other educational contexts.
keywords: computer programming; development of teaching approach; teaching strategies.
Nesta comunicação pretende-se identificar e descrever as ações da mediação do professor,
durante ... more Nesta comunicação pretende-se identificar e descrever as ações da mediação do professor, durante o uso de simulações computacionais em aulas de ciências físicas (ensino secundário), que têm influência na promoção de trabalho epistémico dos alunos. As simulações computacionais são importantes ferramentas ao dispor dos professores, cuja influência positiva no desenvolvimento de competências dos alunos tem sido amplamente abordada na literatura. Descreve-se as caraterísticas da mediação do professor que ajuda os alunos a desenvolver competências de utilização do conhecimento científico em contexto real, e a fazer a ponte entre o mundo observável e a teoria.
Este estudo incide sobre a aprendizagem de Física no Ensino Superior e tem a sua génese na consta... more Este estudo incide sobre a aprendizagem de Física no Ensino Superior e tem a sua génese na constatação das dificuldades existentes na aprendizagem de Física nas Universidades Públicas Portuguesas, em particular no elevado insucesso escolar. Esta problemática envolve um ...
In a society mainly driven by Science and Technology it is becoming consensual the idea that scie... more In a society mainly driven by Science and Technology it is becoming consensual the idea that scientific education should include three components: Education in Science, Education about Science and Education through Science. Some authors suggest that, in education, everyday objects should be used to illustrate scientific issues (e.g. Andrée, 2005). Thus the goal of this study is two-fold: first, to develop a teaching and learning strategy, in the framework of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), concerning the renewable energy issue, while showing the importance of using everyday situations in the improvement of students' motivation in Physics learning. Energy is the core concept in this study. Energy conservation includes the concepts applied to sustainable balance between environment and the energy availability and use. Dias et al. (2004) stress that education is one of the best ways to transform the human behavior for the rational use of energy, which represents a long-term investment. In this work students become aware and recognize the importance and value of energy in everyday life, they identify energy transfer and transformation processes, confirm energy availability, relating these topics to present human needs and climate change issues. A didactic model of a solar thermal panel has thus been built, using cheap, common materials, by 15-16 year-old Physics students, from a Portuguese secondary school. Students had to plan the experiments, in small groups, to identify and estimate physical magnitudes and to explore how to maximize the solar thermal panel efficiency. The experimental activities took place in the school's playground, in a place where there were no obstacles to capturing solar radiation. Finally, students had to deal with experimental data acquisition and analysis, they had to prepare a report, as well as to answer a survey, to evaluate their learning success. Results show that students appreciated the proposed themes and activities, while having significant learning,namely in terms of conceptual evolution on concepts such as thermodynamic systems and energy transfer. We believe that these kinds of proposals contribute to improve students' literacy and knowledge in Science, to strengthen the student-teacher relationship, while contributing to raising conscious citizens. References Andrée, M. (2005). Ways of Using ‘Everyday Life' in the Science Classroom. Research and the Quality of Science Education 107-116. Dias, R. A., Mattos, C. R., & Balestieri, J. A. P. (2004). Energy education: breaking up the rational energy use barriers. Energy Policy, 32(11), 1339-1347.
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Papers by Jose Cravino
Keywords:
Computer science, Self-regulation of learning, Teaching and learning.
We developed a teaching approach to try to address some of these issues and support students learning computer programming in the transition from entry-level to advanced computer programming: the SimProgramming approach. This approach was introduced at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal), within the scope of the course “Programming Methodologies III”, part of the second curricular year of the programmes of studies in Informatics Engineering and in Information & Communication Technologies.
We present in detail the origins of the SimProgramming approach, starting from the first trials that introduced, in two iterations, learning activities based on problem-based learning, and up to the third iteration where the current SimProgramming approach was implemented. We describe the reasoning, design and implementation of these three iterations, to show how the approach evolved.
The SimProgramming approach is based in four conceptual foundations: business-like learning environment, self-regulated learning, co-regulated learning and formative assessment. For each of these conceptual foundations, we explain the teaching strategies adopted. In SimProgramming, the learning activity process develops in four phases, and students have specific tasks in each phase.
We analyse interview data regarding student perceptions about the SimProgramming approach, and registration grids data on team work dynamics and final assessment of the assignment, noting the impact of SimProgramming in student grades.
The application of SimProgramming revealed promising evidences in the overall results of student learning in the activities proposed in this approach. The average grades improved, and did the number of students regularly submitting their tasks on schedule. The perceptions of students regarding the SimProgramming approach are very positive: they recommend using it in the following years, and provided some suggestions to improve the approach.
We conclude with reflections and recommendations for subsequent development of the SimProgramming approach in its application to the teaching of computer programming and potential for using it in other educational contexts.
keywords: computer programming; development of teaching approach; teaching strategies.
durante o uso de simulações computacionais em aulas de ciências físicas (ensino
secundário), que têm influência na promoção de trabalho epistémico dos alunos.
As simulações computacionais são importantes ferramentas ao dispor dos professores,
cuja influência positiva no desenvolvimento de competências dos alunos tem sido
amplamente abordada na literatura. Descreve-se as caraterísticas da mediação do
professor que ajuda os alunos a desenvolver competências de utilização do conhecimento
científico em contexto real, e a fazer a ponte entre o mundo observável e a teoria.
Keywords:
Computer science, Self-regulation of learning, Teaching and learning.
We developed a teaching approach to try to address some of these issues and support students learning computer programming in the transition from entry-level to advanced computer programming: the SimProgramming approach. This approach was introduced at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal), within the scope of the course “Programming Methodologies III”, part of the second curricular year of the programmes of studies in Informatics Engineering and in Information & Communication Technologies.
We present in detail the origins of the SimProgramming approach, starting from the first trials that introduced, in two iterations, learning activities based on problem-based learning, and up to the third iteration where the current SimProgramming approach was implemented. We describe the reasoning, design and implementation of these three iterations, to show how the approach evolved.
The SimProgramming approach is based in four conceptual foundations: business-like learning environment, self-regulated learning, co-regulated learning and formative assessment. For each of these conceptual foundations, we explain the teaching strategies adopted. In SimProgramming, the learning activity process develops in four phases, and students have specific tasks in each phase.
We analyse interview data regarding student perceptions about the SimProgramming approach, and registration grids data on team work dynamics and final assessment of the assignment, noting the impact of SimProgramming in student grades.
The application of SimProgramming revealed promising evidences in the overall results of student learning in the activities proposed in this approach. The average grades improved, and did the number of students regularly submitting their tasks on schedule. The perceptions of students regarding the SimProgramming approach are very positive: they recommend using it in the following years, and provided some suggestions to improve the approach.
We conclude with reflections and recommendations for subsequent development of the SimProgramming approach in its application to the teaching of computer programming and potential for using it in other educational contexts.
keywords: computer programming; development of teaching approach; teaching strategies.
durante o uso de simulações computacionais em aulas de ciências físicas (ensino
secundário), que têm influência na promoção de trabalho epistémico dos alunos.
As simulações computacionais são importantes ferramentas ao dispor dos professores,
cuja influência positiva no desenvolvimento de competências dos alunos tem sido
amplamente abordada na literatura. Descreve-se as caraterísticas da mediação do
professor que ajuda os alunos a desenvolver competências de utilização do conhecimento
científico em contexto real, e a fazer a ponte entre o mundo observável e a teoria.