Academic literature on the topic 'Instructional design|Secondary education'

Mastering content vocabulary is critical to the success of students with high-incidence disabilities in the general education curriculum. General education classrooms often do not offer the opportunities necessary for these students to master important vocabulary. Teachers often look to technology to help. Several studies have indicated that content acquisition podcasts (CAPs) may have an impact on the vocabulary learning of secondary students with high-incidence disabilities. In this study, 37 in-service teachers enrolled in a master’s program in special education were taught to create CAPs for vocabulary terms in a course focused on methods for secondary-level instruction. Teacher-created podcasts were assessed on the presence of Mayer’s instructional design principles as well as evidence-based practices for vocabulary instruction. Although teachers were able to include many instructional design principles related to technology in their CAPs, their use of instructional principles and evidence-based practices was inconsistent. Implications are discussed.

Through the use of a four-part experimental design, this study examined the effects of a collaborative instructional model in inclusive secondary classes in which students with mild disabilities and low-achieving students were enrolled. Measures included the instructional actions of teachers, teacher satisfaction with the instructional model, student engagement, student use of four strategic skills, and student performance on content tests. After receiving training in the model, teachers' mediation of student learning and their involvement in instructional roles increased over baseline levels. Teachers were satisfied with the model as well. Mixed results on the student measures suggest that prevailing assumptions about the effectiveness of collaborative instruction in inclusive secondary classes need to be reexamined. Study findings have implications for educational policy, teacher training, and classroom practice.

This study evaluated the principals’ instructional supervision practices as key to Kiswahili academic performance in public day secondary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya. Secondary school principals’ instructional practices are paramount in enhancing academic performance among secondary school students. Quality and relevant instruction ensures excellent academic Kiswahili achievement of students. Through instructional supervision offered by the principals, teachers are stimulated, supported and motivated to instruct the students well. For instructional supervision to fully benefit schools, both the principals and the teachers need to play a meaningful and effective role. The improvement of school through instructional supervision has been a concern for education stakeholders in Kenya during colonial and after colonial periods. As a result, Education Commissions which were formed to evaluate the education system in Kenya addressed the status of Kiswahili. The education Commissions included Phelps Commission of 1924 which recommended the use of vernacular and Kiswahili for teaching practical subjects, and Presidential Working Party for the Establishment of Second University of 1981 which called for teaching of Kiswahili as a compulsory and examinable subject in both primary and secondary schools. The current study targeted 26 public day secondary schools, 26 principals, 26 heads of department of Kiswahili and 2664 students. Both probability and nonprobability sampling techniques were used in the study. The objectives of the study included: What instructional materials are used by Kiswahili teachers to ascertain performance in Kiswahili; what measures are put in place by secondary school principal to realize performance in Kiswahili; what are the strategies directed towards enhancing Kiswahili teachers’ skills in public day secondary schools in Nairobi County. Descriptive research design was adopted for the study. Data analysis techniques included stratified random sampling, proportional allocation, simple random sampling design and purposive sampling designs. Instruments for data collection included two sets of questionnaires and interview guide. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to calculate frequencies and percentages. The key findings of the study were that lack of the instructional materials may have contributed to poor performance in Kiswahili; school principals executed their duties properly as concerns Kiswahili teachers’ lesson attendance and that lack of concern of principals in what students learn in school may have led to poor performance in Kiswahili.

This study was examined secondary school teachers’ instructional practices by using First Principle of Instruction model as guiding principle. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. The total populations of the study were 52. From these 40 Biology teachers, 4 directors, 4 supervisors and 4 department heads were selected through comprehensive sampling technique. Data were obtained through questionnaire, interview, classroom observation and document analysis. Various statistical tools such as mean, frequency and percentage were applied to analyze the data. The finding indicated that secondary school Biology teachers design their lessons by using First Principle of Instruction Model and they practiced it partially. And biology teacher’s instructional practices are aligned partially with First Principle of Instructional Model. Some factors that affect the design and implementation of the lessons based on the First Principle of Instruction model were identified: teachers’ related problems, students related problems, time constraints, policy issues, and resources. Based on the finding, it is recommended that woreda education office and general secondary schools should have to prepare short- and long-term training, seminars and workshop for teachers. Secondary school directors and supervisors should help teachers to have personal, professional knowledge and pedagogical skill. They should also support them by creating good educational environment.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate teacher-initiated whole-group oral reading practices in two ninth-grade reading intervention classrooms and how teachers understood the purposes of those practices. Design/methodology/approach In this qualitative cross-case analysis, a literacy-as-social-practice perspective is used to collaboratively analyze ethnographic data (fieldnotes, audio recordings, interviews, artifacts) across two classrooms. Findings Oral reading was a routine instructional reading event in both classrooms. However, the literacy practices that characterized oral reading and teachers’ purposes for using oral reading varied depending on teachers’ pedagogical philosophies, instructional goals and contextual constraints. During oral reading, students’ opportunities to engage in independent meaning making with texts were either absent or secondary to other purposes or goals. Practical implications Findings emphasize the significance of understanding both how and why oral reading happens in secondary classrooms. Specifically, they point to the importance of collaborating with teachers to (a) examine their own ideas about the power of oral reading and the institutional factors that shape their existing oral reading practices; (b) investigate the intended and actual outcomes of oral reading for their students and (c) develop other instructional approaches to support students to individually and collaboratively make meaning from texts. Originality/value This study falls at the intersection of three under-researched areas of study: the nature of everyday instruction in secondary literacy intervention settings, the persistence of oral reading in secondary school and teachers’ purposes for using oral reading in their instruction. Consequently, it contributes new knowledge that can support educators in creating more equitable instructional environments.

Currently, there is a huge demand for secondary school education worldwide especially in the developing countries such as Vietnam. School leadership is occupying a central position in educational reform. In order to meet this for the secondary school education, the Vietnamese government tries to develop effective school leadership in its education policy agenda. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of factors on instructional leadership of principals in lower secondary education. The study was completed with 97 secondary public schools teachers and principals in the North of Vietnam. A quantitative research design was used to conduct this study. The data was analyzed through factors such as internal and external from the role of principal in instructional leadership. Research findings underline that instructional leadership is had directly by external such as “The degree of autonomy of the school for instructional activities”, “Awareness of the managers and teachers about leading teaching activities” and “education innovation” more internal such as “System of guiding documents of management levels on teaching activities”; “Conditions of facilities and finance for school teaching activities” and “Principal’s training level” Principals should recognize the change of the context and enhance the improvement of teachers’ shared responsibility and partnership in school decision making. Therefore, the Vietnamese government should make sure to have many positive issues that may have effective instructional leadership capacity in order to improve the culture of teaching and learning in Vietnames secondary schools.

The purposes of this research were 1) to develop GPAS 5Steps Teaching Model for enhancing learning skills in Thailand 4.0 era, 2) to evaluate the effectiveness ofconducted model in aspects of 2.1) instructors: 2.1.1) knowledge and understanding about ofinstruction, 2.1.2) instructional design ability, 2.1.3) instructional ability, 2.1.4) instructional innovation, and 2.1.5) instructors’ opinion towards the model, 2.2) students: 2.2.1) higher order thinking, 2.2.2) innovative skills, 2.2.3) innovative construction skills, 2.2.4) morality and ethics, and 2.2.5) opinion towards instruction, and 3) to disseminate using theconducted model, to childhood, secondary and elementary education. The subjects consisted of school administrators, instructors, and students of Satit Vajiralongkorn Rajabhat University School in the academic year 2018. The instruments used included 1) GPAS 5Steps Teaching Model, 2) test, 3) instructors and learners’ ability evaluation, 4) observation form, and 5) opinion evaluation. The statistical analysis utilized mean, percentage, standard deviation, and content analysis. The results were as follows: 1) GPAS 5Steps Teaching Model included principle, objectives, instructions, assessment and evaluation, and success factors. 2) The effectiveness of the conducted model was indicated by:2.1) instructors 2.1.1) instructors’ knowledge at the highest level, 2.1.2) design ability was at a high level, 2.1.3) teaching abilities were at the highest levels, 2.1.4) innovative abilities were at the highest levels, 2.1.5) instructors’ opinions toward the conducted model benefited both instructors and students, 2.2) students 2.2.1) students’ higher order thinking were at a high level, 2.2.2) innovative skills were at high level, 2.2.3) innovative construction skills were at a high level, 2.2.4) morality and ethics were at high levels, and 2.2.5) opinion toward instructions were at a high level. 3) In conclusion, the disseminatedresults provided benefit to instructors as pedagogues and the overall student learning experience.

For many years, two international schools in Southeast Asia have had, as part of their high school curricular program, annual extended cross-cultural service-learning Outdoor Education (OE) trips in which the entire student bodies participated. The purpose of this study was to identify the educational and character development benefits to students experiencing the OE programs. The study sought to identify and describe from the students’ perspectives how the OE programs contributed to the students’ growth in social-emotional and character development (SECD), 21^st-century skills, and their schools’ global learning outcomes (GLOs). Additionally, the study sought to determine which components of the OE programs the students perceived as contributing to their growth. In this ethnographic intrinsic case study, the methodology for gathering data employed reflexive photography and photo elicitation interviews that resulted in photos submitted by students documenting their OE experiences, photo journals they kept during the trips, and transcripts of the interviews conducted soon after their trips. The student data were categorized and hand coded to identify 33 themes arranged in an explanatory schema. From the student data, 15 design-and-activity components were identified that facilitated 14 resultant design and activity outcomes. Additionally, four distinctive themes highlighted the importance of providing students with opportunities to experience collaboration, service, spiritual input, reflection, close communal living, reciprocity, and natural beauty. The components and outcomes were compared to the five aspects and selected character traits of SECD, selected 21^st-century skills, and each of the school’s GLOs. The results of this study showed that students perceived that growth in SECD, 21^st-century skills, and their schools’ GLOs was attributable to the 15 identified components. These components worked together to create challenging conditions and tasks that students experienced, performed, and learned during the OE program. A science course analogy can be applied to OE. In this analogy, students get the lecture portion of the course at home, school, and church, while the laboratory portion is experienced through OE. During OE, students have opportunities to apply and practice the knowledge and skills they have been learning in the lectures.

Over the past several decades there has been a continuous stream of government mandates aimed to improve equity, access, accountability, transparency, student performance, and/or expand the responsibilities of public schools. These externally mandated school reforms have largely excluded the voice of teachers and administrators both in problem definition and in the modifications needed to address them. Further, reform literature is predominantly focused on improving or addressing urban school challenges, so little is known about the challenges and needs of suburban schools. The gaps in the literature related to teacher voice and suburban contexts in high school reform form the basis of this inquiry. Therefore, this study examines suburban teacher perceptions of four specific, popular reform ideas being introduced in high schools across the United States.

This exploratory mixed methods study gathered data from 165 suburban public high school teachers working in 20 different high schools in Massachusetts using an anonymous survey instrument. Three findings emerged from the study: 1) successful suburban teachers welcome consensus high school reform ideas that they believe to be favorable for student learning, growth, and development though they note significant challenges in regard to time; 2) suburban teachers experience anxiety when reforms alter structures or methods that they rely on to ensure all students meet high school outcomes for graduation and college entrance requirements; and 3) suburban teachers’ perceptions of consensus high school reform ideas are shaped by the ways in which the reforms impact academic disciplines. This study found that suburban public school teachers view the four reform ideas presented in this study as likely having a positive impact on teaching and learning in their school; however, they noted several implementation challenges that would need to be considered to ensure the efficacy of those reforms.

Because many general education teachers feel unprepared to provide students with disabilities with appropriate instruction, changes to teacher education programs are needed (Burdette, 2007; Smith et al., 2010). Teacher education programs need to integrate content regarding instructional methods for teaching and accommodating students with disabilities in secondary, general education classrooms (Burdette, 2007; Smith et al., 2010). The results of the research should provide insight (1) to determine if integrating instruction on UDL into preservice SGE students' instructional methods courses will increase students' knowledge of UDL and (2) to determine if integrating instruction on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) will affect how secondary social studies (SS) students design lesson plans, particularly, content delivery and student assessment, in regards to the three principles of UDL. The research design was a quantitative, quasi-experimental design. The participants in the research study were students enrolled in four content specific SGE instructional methods courses: Social Studies (SS), Language Arts (LA), Mathematics (M) and Science (S). Research question one s data were analyzed both within content area, Wilcxon test for matched pairs, and between content areas, Mann-Whitney U test for independent samples. The results from research question one indicated a significant difference (p < .05). between pre and post UDL Knowledge test scores within the SGE SS participants. Within the other three SGE content areas, M, LA, and S, subjects UDL Knowledge pre to posttest scores did not significantly change. When each content area s difference score for the UDL knowledge pre and posttest were calculated and compared between content areas, only the SS and S pairing demonstrated a statistically significant difference score (p < .05). Data from research question two indicated no statistically significant difference (p > .05) between pre and post intervention UDL lesson plan rubric scores. The study provides impetus for future research regarding effective delivery of UDL content in teacher preparation programs. The study also provides suggestions for future researchers who may be interested in designing a similar research study. Finally, the study provides teacher education leadership with questions regarding how the three principles of UDL planning, instruction, and assessment align with the current teacher and student educational evaluation practice of standardized assessments.
Ph.D.
Department of Child, Family and Community Sciences
Education
Education EdD

In the last 20 years online virtual high school has become a viable alternative to traditional high school. The dropout rate for online programs rivals that of brick and mortar high schools. Among the reasons students drop out of online virtual high school programs is the experience of isolation from teachers and peers. Moore (1972, 2013) described this sense of isolation as transactional distance and created a theory of how this phenomenon can be countered to promote academic success. Transactional Distance Theory stated that the sense of isolation could be reduced by carefully balancing interaction between student and teacher, student and student, student and course content, course structure and student autonomy. The research question was whether or not a group of experts would reach consensus on which instructional design strategies could reduce transactional distance and increase student engagement for virtual high school students. An exhaustive literature review found that very little is written about this topic. However, the literature does provide information about transactional distance theory, instructional design strategies, the characteristics of high school students, and the role administrators and policy makers can play in supporting these instructional design strategies. A three round Delphi study was conducted with a nationwide panel of instructional design experts with online virtual high school experience via an Internet based research software. The results of the research study indicated that there are a number of instructional design strategies that could be used to for this purpose. This research study led to the creation guidelines that could be used with a variety of instructional design models. Ultimately these guidelines could become an instructional design model.

This study explores the factors that shape students’ experience with instructional choices in classroom-based settings, and the role of instructional choice design in positively influencing student engagement and the development of self-regulation skills among high school students who attend an urban high school in the Mid-Atlantic Region, referred to as Aspiration High School. A range of cultural, structural and human resource factors are found to have a limiting effect on students’ experience with quality instructional choices in school, and as a result, limits their opportunities to practice and develop the self-regulation skills necessary for navigating choices at levels of complexity that mirror the world beyond school (Winne & Perry, 2000; Winne & Hadwin, 1998; Winne, 2001). Teachers and students of Aspiration High School were surveyed to gather insights on their experiences of and perceptions on choice in learning. Two teachers engaged in a series of collaborative lesson design cycles that involved choice-based lesson design, implementation with observation, lesson debriefs, and student work analysis, as well as pre and post student interviews and focus groups. This study identified five elements of high-quality choice designs, and argues for quality choice design as an important mechanism for cultivating learner engagement (Katz & Assor, 2007), developing interventions to support self-regulatory skill development among learners, and nurturing pedagogical shifts among teachers toward more learner-centered designs and practices.

High school students in the United States for the past century have typically taken science courses in a sequence of biology followed by chemistry and concluding with physics. An alternative sequence, typically referred to as “physics first” inverts the traditional sequence by having students begin with physics and end with biology. Proponents of physics first cite advances in biological sciences that have dramatically changed the nature of high school biology and the potential benefit to student learning in math that would accompany taking an algebra-based physics course in the early years of high school to support changing the sequence. Using a quasi-experimental, quantitative research design, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of science course sequencing on student achievement in math and science at a school district that offered both course sequences. The Texas state end-of-course exams in biology, chemistry, physics, algebra I and geometry were used as the instruments measuring student achievement in math and science at the end of each academic year. Various statistical models were used to analyze these achievement data. The conclusion was, for students in this study, the sequence in which students took biology, chemistry, and physics had little or no impact on performance on the end-of-course assessments in each of these courses. Additionally there was only a minimal effect found with respect to math performance, leading to the conclusion that neither the traditional or “physics first” science course sequence presented an advantage for student achievement in math or science.

There is extensive research in elementary education on effective practices that support academic success for students with mild to moderate disabilities in general education; however there is a dearth of research on high school inclusion practices. A survey examined the current inclusionary practices at a Central Coast High School. California State Standardized Assessment scores of 11^th grade English Language Art and Math classes were also analyzed by groups. Overall, findings indicated that inclusionary practices were implemented to different degrees, but none were fully in place i.e., practices building relationships was rated the highest and instructional practices was rated lowest. In addition, findings indicated that students with disabilities exceeded the state SBAC scores in the area of English but not math. Longitudinal research is needed to further identify secondary practices that impact Math scores for students with disabilities along with continued examination of inclusive high school practices.

Public education practitioners are currently experiencing difficult and trying times in Illinois. Schools are asked to meet high standards established by political forces and to accomplish these tasks with less money. Schools located in affluent school districts are capable of meeting these standards while schools from poorer districts are falling behind. This study was conceived to find out why Blair High School, which has more than 50% of its student body living in poverty, is capable of meeting high standards.

The results of this study yielded four main themes: 1) Students attributed their success to teachers that cared about them. 2) Students were motivated by a desire to have a better future than their parents. 3) Focusing on student learning rather than state test scores contribute to the success of the school. 4) The school environment contributes to student success.

The implications for schools located in high poverty school districts are clear. Students living in poverty need caring relationships with their teachers as well as positive human interaction. In addition, students living in poverty may be the most motivated students in the building by their desire to have a better future and not live in poverty any more. Therefore, schools should provide people, places and programs that deliver an education that helps them succeed. This can be accomplished by implementing strategies found in Invitational Theory. Also, schools would be wise to implement tutoring and mentoring programs in order to provide strong foundational skills for students living in poverty, as this develops confidence in the student and confidence leads to success.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1994.
Title from title page screen, viewed March 21, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Dent M. Rhodes (chair), Barbara L. Nourie, Kenneth F. Jerich, Jerry D. Foster. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 171-187) and abstract. Also available in print.

The monograph deals with the theoretical and practical issues of pedagogical design of the technology of teaching a foreign language in the system of secondary vocational education. Presents an analysis of key concepts "instructional design" and "technology of education" that is meaningful and reveals the basic principles of the system, activity-based and student-centered approaches to the design of learning technologies to address new opportunities and the status of the str system in the modern socio-economic conditions. The author has developed a method of selection of the content of learning English language, based on the modular structure of the course, taking into account international experience in building the content of language education for professional purposes, the requirements of the educational-methodical complex of teaching business English and core competencies stipulated by the Council of Europe, as well as the requirements of the labour market and the needs of employers standardisert, intensificarea language training specialist of middle management by reflection of the status and trends of professional activities in various fields. For use in the system of professional development of teachers of secondary vocational education, additional education and the system of corporate training.

Twenty-one grades 6-12 students were interviewed to learn about their experiences participating in a fully synchronous virtual learning environment at a public charter school in California, USA. Students take seven 50-minute classes four days a week and seven 30-minute classes the fifth weekday using the Zoom platform and Google Classroom. One-third of participants were students with disabilities, one-third English language learners, and one-third possessed neither designation. This study identifies several themes regarding the benefits and drawbacks of an entirely synchronous learning experience for secondary students. The participants make recommendations for their general education, special education, and English language development teachers, including strategies to engage secondary students more effectively, assessment suggestions, curriculum design ideas, advice about organizing Google Classrooms in ways that are supportive of student needs, and exhortations about what teachers should not do when planning and implementing synchronous online learning.

The dynamic growth of distance education (DE) in the higher education poses a challenge for both leadership and instructional design strategies in post-secondary institutions. Curricular efficacy and sustainability are dependent upon institutions of higher education adapting to changes by implementing strategies that will work to address the increasing necessity for engaging curriculum for students in the DE environment. Strategic leadership (SL) skills, combined with instructional design (ID) strategy, may provide a pathway towards academic accomplishment for both students and instructors in the higher education sector. Instructional designers with strategic leadership skills may assist institutions in developing and implementing DE courses. The question is, how can instructional designers accommodate the needs of a diverse group of students in the growing technology-rich educational environment, and does strategic leadership play a role? If so, how can instructional designers act strategically to design and develop DE courses that encourage active learning and continued interest in educational attainment? The focus of this chapter is on how instructional designers can take on strategic leadership roles to enhance distance education curriculum and instruction for overall student engagement. For the purposes of this chapter, distance education is defined as learning that occurs over the internet. Discussion includes how integrating strategic leadership into the instructional design process in distance education courses may result in increased student and institutional effectiveness.

This chapter proposes an instructional game design framework based on the 4C/ID-model and cognitive load theory, its associated theoretical foundation. The proposed systematic design framework serves as the processing link to connect games’ powerful characteristics in enhancing learning experience with desired learning outcomes. In this chapter we focus on the cognitive aspect of learning outcome: the development of transferable schema. This chapter introduces design guidelines to attain specific game characteristic by prioritizing the design components in 4C/ID-model. Each game characteristic consists of three levels of design emphasis: preliminary, secondary, and tertiary. The ultimate goal of this chapter is to initiate a series of dialogue between cognitive learning outcome, systematic instructional design, and instructional game design thereby seeking to improve the overall game design and instructional efficiency.

This chapter looks at the possible uses of visual forms of Instructional Design (ID) languages as possible ‘change agents’ for design practice in the public post-secondary education sector. A lot of work is being done in the technical realm of the standardisation and interoperability for Educational Modelling Languages (EMLs), but this is largely restricted to existing ID specialists that use ‘dialects’ of ID languages and schemes. This is important work but it does not address the vast majority of educators working in the post-secondary public educational sector whose design work is highly individualised and deeply embedded in rich institutional contexts. The challenge for visual ID languages and EMLs in general is how they can move beyond their current specialist niche applications to be useful to mainstream educators. In this chapter we argue that this development needs to happen along 2 related dimensions: (i) changes in the organisation of the educational workplace and related training – what might be termed ‘push factors’; and, (ii) the use of tools such as visual ID languages to support that change process at individual and group levels – what might be termed ‘pull’ factors. We shall be concentrating on this second dimension. Specifically, in this chapter we shall be looking at ideas for how we might apply visual ID languages as a support mechanism in helping educators externalise and share their design models and ideas in order to develop them into semi-formal abstractions that might be developed to feed into the use of EMLs. To ground these ideas, we shall be looking at the experiences of those who have tried these types of approaches in practice. Finally we discuss the effect this type of perspective might have on the future development of visual ID languages and related tools.

The advent of technology has changed the landscape in post-secondary academic institutions and technology-enhanced university courses are becoming the norm. While Distance Education was previously restricted to traditional correspondence having limited options for student interaction with the instructor and no interaction with other learners, technology’s progression changed the context drastically. One of the emerging delivery modes is blended learning which combines the advantages of technology enhanced face-to-face instruction and electronic supported learning. The chapter offers a general overview of the influence of technological development on the post-secondary Distance Education sector and presents the advantages of the blended learning approach. Insights are offered from a UAE e-learning University case study while discussing implications for university professors and faculty members pertinent to instructional design and course delivery.

This chapter explores how instructional faculty can implement practical universal design for learning (UDL) strategies to reduce the amount of accommodation requests by students in post-secondary education. The authors will discuss the most common barriers post-secondary students report experiencing at MacEwan University and the accommodations typically recommended to help remove these barriers. Examples and descriptions of successful implementation of UDL practices to address these barriers are included. The chapter also highlights how the forced move to online learning, due to the COVID-19 health crisis, taught faculty members about the importance and benefits of UDL in undergraduate studies.

The integration of technology in K-12 education is highlighted in the ISTE Standards, Common Core State Standards Initiative, and Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Preservice teacher education must reevaluate how technology integration is approached, examining preservice teacher attitudes and competencies toward instructional design and technology use. Recent studies indicate that, while preservice teachers demonstrate a high level of understanding of technology tools, they do not integrate those tools naturally into classroom settings for lesson delivery, assessment and classroom management. In a world of rapidly changing technology tools, preservice teacher education must develop an instructional and philosophical approach that identifies challenges and opportunities for technology integration in teaching and learning. This chapter provides an overview of research that explores the integration of educational technology in preservice teacher education. It provides emerging recommendations for design and redesign of those programs.

The integration of technology in K-12 education is highlighted in the ISTE Standards, Common Core State Standards Initiative, and Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Preservice teacher education must reevaluate how technology integration is approached, examining preservice teacher attitudes and competencies toward instructional design and technology use. Recent studies indicate that, while preservice teachers demonstrate a high level of understanding of technology tools, they do not integrate those tools naturally into classroom settings for lesson delivery, assessment and classroom management. In a world of rapidly changing technology tools, preservice teacher education must develop an instructional and philosophical approach that identifies challenges and opportunities for technology integration in teaching and learning. This chapter provides an overview of research that explores the integration of educational technology in preservice teacher education. It provides emerging recommendations for design and redesign of those programs.

Aim/Purpose: To update a 2010 study that recommended “rules of thumb” for more effective use of PowerPoint in the post-secondary business classroom. The current study expanded the focus to include the business classroom in India as well as the US and examined possible shifts in student perception of the utility of PowerPoint among Generations Y and Z. Background: The study examined students’ perception of the learning utility of PowerPoint in post-secondary business classrooms in the US and India and the relationship of the use of PowerPoint to course ratings. Methodology: Surveys were distributed in post-secondary business classrooms in India and the US in 2018 and early 2019, resulting in 92 completions from India and 127 from the US. Separately 50 student course evaluations from the same US college were compared to the use of slides as well as to their conformance to the “rules of thumb” for effectiveness established earlier and other measures of quality. Contribution: These results show how PowerPoint is viewed by post-secondary business students in India and the US and its perceived utility as a learning tool for Generations Y and Z. Findings: Most post-secondary business students (80%) found PowerPoint an effective learning tool, but only 21% of the business classes examined used it. US students were more positive than Indian ones, who were more likely to say PowerPoint is overused. There was no difference in student course evaluations between those that had slides and those that did not. However, most of the slide decks examined did not follow the “rules of thumb,” exhibiting a much greater number of words per slide. Generations Y and Z gave high ratings to slides that incorporated audiovisuals, mixed media, and special effects and said they learned more when they were the ones who created the slides. However, most students did not rate themselves as competent in creation of PowerPoint slides. Recommendations for Practitioners: (1) Faculty should consider students’ positive reception of PowerPoint, their preference for adaptive, interactive learning that builds on strong multimedia elements while creating instructional materials. (2) Faculty should receive prescriptive design instruction for incorporating PowerPoint best practices to cut back on their self-reported high time spent on slide creation and student-reported low technical competency in faculty instruction. (3) Publishers should concentrate on slide design and innovativeness along with content coverage to serve faculty needs. (4) Business curricula should take into account generational as well as cultural differences in learning preferences. (5) To address the students’ conflation of personal social media prowess with superior technology or communication skills in the professional context, Business curricula should incorporate learning outcomes related to professional use of technology tools such as PowerPoint. Recommendations for Researchers: There is still utility in old-fashioned paper questionnaires to assess what impacts student learning. There is also merit in comparing student course evaluations with various in-classroom treatments. Impact on Society: PowerPoint may be underused in the post-secondary business classroom, but this paper raises questions about the value of unedited use of the very dense slides provided by publishers as effective learning tools in the post-secondary business classroom. Future Research: Future research can be focused on the use of PowerPoint slides in the business classroom in other countries and cultures, as only the US and India were examined. Further examination needs to be made of the relationship between extensive and unedited use of publisher-provided slides and the reporting of the staggering statistics that most students are not now buying textbooks. Finally, this study did not touch on gender or socio-economic differences in the student demographics, which might open further avenues for investigation.

Robotic ultrasonic welding monitored in realtime with a force sensor and infrared thermal imaging camera is developed as an instructional project and laboratory component for undergraduate engineering education. The broad aim is to integrate robotics, plastic component manufacture, and thermal imaging with a unified theme. A secondary aim is to adapt ultrasonic welding for rapid prototyping as a tool for student design projects. Plastic parts for microsystems, such as lab-on-a-chip devices, made by laser cutting or 3d printing, are ultrasonically welded and tensile-stress tested and leaked checked.

Constructivist learning environments are a core instructional factor affecting students’ critical thinking (Mathews & Lowe, 2011). However, few classroom environment research have specifically investigated relationships between students’ perceptions of their learning environment and their critical thinking ability (e.g., Fraser, 2012), especially in the context of Chinese learners. Therefore this study would fill this research gap by investigating the relationships between constructivist learning environments and critical thinking ability among Hong Kong secondary school students. The study used a cross-sectional survey design to collect data from a convenience sample of 967 students studying Liberal Studies or Integrated Humanities in Secondary Three (Grade 9) in Hong Kong. The respondents completed a self-administered questionnaire which included the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES), Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level X, and demographic information on age and gender. The findings showed that students perceived their learning environment to be moderately constructivist in nature, and scored a moderate level of critical thinking ability. Both age and school banding differences were identified in which younger and students in schools with higher banding tended to perceive a higher degree of constructivist characteristics in their learning environment and they obtained higher critical thinking ability scores. Multiple regression analyses indicated that five of the seven independent variables were predictors of critical thinking ability. Shared Control was the strongest predictor and negatively associated with critical thinking ability. Personal Relevance, Critical Voice, and Uncertainty were positively while age was negatively related to critical thinking ability. The hypothesized model of seven demographic and CLES variables accounted for 10% of variance of critical thinking ability, suggesting a medium effect size. Findings of the study are discussed with reference to developing students’ critical thinking ability in classrooms.

With the rapid development of engineering and new demands of contemporary employers, post-secondary institutions have to adapt, improve and enhance engineering curricula to ensure that recent graduates possess appropriate levels of technical and professional skills and multilateral abilities for a successful start in industry. As industrial technologies, tools, and processes evolve, so must teaching methodologies and approaches, which significantly changes the structure of engineering courses. To ensure that students not only master technical knowledge but also develop their professional, interpersonal, cognitive and computer skills, engineering curricula have begun to shift from a classic instruction format to a blended learning format. Blended learning, the strategy of combining regular face-to-face instruction with online learning and/or other out-of-class-activities, is increasingly used in post-secondary education and disciplines and can take different forms depending on the course needs and desired learning outcomes. This paper reviews the recent implementation of blended learning in the form of gamification of a second-year introductory engineering design course using a commercial online learning platform. The reasoning, methodology, process and the results of student surveys before and after the online game are discussed along with suggested improvements.

The design of modern aircraft engines increasingly involves highly sophisticated methodologies to match the current development pace. International company relations affect the collaboration between design offices all around the world. An important part of academic mission of modern engineering education is to produce graduates with skills compatible with industrial needs. Education may readjust accordingly to meet the higher requirements. However, a realistic scenario of the design process of an aircraft engine cannot possibly be transferred one-to-one into the student education process. A unique attempt to overcome this discrepancy was the International Gas Turbine Project. Within this project, undergraduate students have designed the cooling system of the HPT blades for a 30,000 lb thrust two-spool turbofan aeroengine. This project was collaboration between the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of TU Berlin, the Turbomachinery Group of EC Lyon and the Turbomachinery Laboratory of ETH Zurich. It also involved mentoring industry professionals from Rolls-Royce Deutschland, MTU, SNECMA and Alstom Power. Similar to modern aeroengine company structures, the design tasks included multi-component, multi-disciplinary and international interfaces of different educational systems. The student teams considered various aerothermodynamic and mechanical integrity aspects of the design. Particular attention was paid to design of the compressor, the secondary air system and the HP turbine including blade cooling. The three Universities integrated the project differently into their education curriculum and approached the tasks with different levels of software involvement. In this paper, the technical details of the design process, and the different approaches adopted are presented. Besides the application of turbomachinery-related knowledge, the impact of student interactions on the technical aspects of the project is discussed. The interfaces, including information management and the involvement of industrial partners are also addressed. Team spirit developed between the students from an initial competitive behavior to a final feeling of sitting in the same boat. It was observed that increased effort was required from academic staff in comparison to the conventional academic instruction. Nevertheless, students greatly benefited from the social interaction and an early training-on-the-job tuned to current industrial needs.

Conceptual and pedagogical barriers in post-secondary education inhibit student preparedness in system thinking skills (STS) critical for success in the workplace. To improve instruction in systems and sustainable engineering skills at the undergraduate level it is instructive to look at STS barriers and opportunities K-12 teacher’s face when they take part in a systems engineering (SE) project. This case study presents our approach to instructing K-12 educators about systems engineering through the design of a wind farm. Demographics of the 35 participants in this NSF-sponsored program who are all grades 3–8 classroom teachers include that they are 66% elementary level teachers, mostly female (80%), with an average of 10 years’ experience. Assessment of the project included a pre- and post-assessment of engineering and SE concepts, student reflections, customer feedback and an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) driven rubric. Results include that K-12 teachers exhibit strong interpersonal skills but were challenged by technical skills more common to the university level. Vertical collaborations between K-12 and post-secondary is a suggested approach to address barriers at both levels.

Global and national education agendas are concerned with improving quality and equality of learning outcomes. This paper provides an analysis of the case of Vietnam, which is regarded as having high learning outcomes and less inequality in learning. But national data and international test outcomes may mask the hidden inequalities that exist between minoritized groups and majority (Kinh) students. Drawing on data from qualitative videos and interviews of secondary teachers across 10 provinces, we examine the role of teachers’ beliefs, curricular design and actions in the classroom (Gale et al., 2017). We show that teachers hold different beliefs and engage in curricular design – or the use of hegemonic curriculum and instructional practices that produce different learning outcomes for minoritized students compared to Kinh students. It suggests that policies need to focus on the social-cultural aspects of teaching in addition to the material and technical aspects.