Wmg Wim Jochems

Teachers implementing context-based teaching materials: a framework for case-analysis in chemistry

We present a framework for analysing the interplay between context-based teaching material and teachers, and for evaluating the adequacy of the resulting implementation of context-based pedagogy in chemistry classroom practice. The development of the framework is described, including an account of its theoretical foundations. The framework needs to be sensitive to the problems specific to the implementation of new context-based science education and the professional development of teachers. An effective procedure is described for the collection and analysis of the data with subsequent focus on the designers’ intentions with the context-based teaching materials, the teachers’ perceptions of the materials and the resulting classroom practice. The framework’s use and value are shown in an empirical study. The framework proved to produce reliable and valid insight into the relations between teaching material and the teachers, and in the classroom implementation. Additionally, results on classroom implementation are presented to illustrate the kind of understanding can be expected when this framework is applied in more extensive multi-case studies.

The use of keywords for delivering immediate performance feedback on teacher competence development

Literature shows that feedback that is specific, immediate and goal-oriented is effective on (pre-service) teachers’ performance. Synchronous coaching gives this kind of feedback. Due to immediateness of feedback, pre-service teachers can suffer from cognitive load. We propose a set of standardised keywords through which this performance feedback can be delivered – each keyword acts as a summary for the feedback message. The construction and the selection of the keywords is aimed at the reduction of message ambiguity, while at the same time a low level of cognitive load on the pre-service teacher must be maintained. An in vivo pilot-study with 40 respondents (pre-service teachers and their coaches) supported our hypothesis that usage of such sets of standardised keywords will mitigate the levels of ambiguity and cognitive load. These findings and other considerations for additional research using immediate performance are addressed.

Effective self-regulated science learning through multimedia-enriched skeleton concept maps

Background: This study combines work on concept mapping with scripted collaborative learning. Purpose: The objective was to examine the effects of self-regulated science learning through scripting students’ argumentative interactions during collaborative ‘multimedia-enriched skeleton concept mapping’ on meaningful science learning and retention. Programme description: Each concept in the enriched skeleton concept map (ESCoM) contained annotated multimedia-rich content (pictures, text, animations or video clips) that elaborated the concept, and an embedded collaboration script to guide students’ interactions. Sample: The study was performed in a Biomolecules course on the Bachelor of Applied Science program in the Netherlands. All first-year students (N=93, 31 women, 62 men, aged 17–33 years) took part in this study. Design and methods: The design used a control group who received the regular course and an experimental group working together in dyads on an ESCoM under the guidance of collaboration scripts. In order to investigate meaningful understanding and retention, a retention test was administered a month after the final exam. Results: Analysis of covariance demonstrated a significant experimental effect on the Biomolecules exam scores between the experimental group and the control, and the difference between the groups on the retention test also reached statistical significance. Conclusions: Scripted collaborative multimedia ESCoM mapping resulted in meaningful understanding and retention of the conceptual structure of the domain, the concepts, and their relations. Not only was scripted collaborative multimedia ESCoM mapping more effective than the traditional teaching approach, it was also more efficient in requiring far less teacher guidance.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Teaching Material.

The scope of this article is to understand to what extent Computer Science teachers can find support for their Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in teaching material. We report the results of a study in which PCK is used as framework to develop a research instrument to examine three high school computer science textbooks, with special focus on programming. PCK is analyzed in this study in its two components: pedagogical knowledge (PK) and content knowledge (CK). The results of the textbooks have been compared with the results of a previous study, in which experienced teachers from various countries were involved in semi-structured interviews to portray the PCK of programming for secondary school. Our expectations to find textbooks relatively strong on the CK, but weak on the PK aspect, is confirmed by the results.

Measuring Social Aspects of Distributed Learning Groups

Computer-supported group-based learning requires that interaction has to be structured within the group; otherwise it will not happen. Also, it is important to pay attention to social aspects of a distributed learning group (i.e. group dynamics); otherwise a good working team will not emerge. This article proposes a process-oriented framework that considers five critical elements for enhancing interaction in the cognitive dimension. Enhancing social interaction for achieving a sound social space requires a sociable computer-supported collaborative learning environment (CSCL) in which social presence of the group members exists. Such sound social space is considered by many, if not most, educational researchers to be a necessary prerequisite for epistemic interaction. In order to allow designers and teachers to develop sociable CSCL environments, this article proposes three scales to measure social aspects. Although the validation of these scales is somewhat limited, the scales are a first step for making certain characteristics of distributed interaction visible. To provide a more firm base for the scales, this article also calls for more research on this issue.

Measuring Context-Based Learning Environments in Dutch Science Classrooms

A common trend in high school science education is to adopt a context-based pedagogical approach (Pilot & Bulte, 2006). This approach has been chosen since it is expected to assist in creating more interest among students to pursue a scientific higher educational career (Gilbert, 2006). In this chapter we address the characteristics of a context-based learning environment in science (CBLES) from both the student and the teacher’s perspective and how we can measure these characteristics in the classroom.

Comparing student and expert-based tagging of recorded lectures

In this paper we analyse the way students tag recorded lectures. We compare their tagging strategy and the tags that they create with tagging done by an expert. We look at the quality of the tags students add, and we introduce a method of measuring how similar the tags are, using vector space modelling and cosine similarity. We show that the quality of tagging by students is high enough to be useful. We also show that there is no generic vocabulary gap between the expert and the students. Our study shows no statistically significant correlation between the tag similarity and the indicated interest in the course, the perceived importance of the course, the number of lectures attended, the indicated difficulty of the course, the number of recorded lectures viewed, the indicated ease of finding the needed parts of a recorded lecture, or the number of tags used by the student.