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Eric.ed.gov – A Constructivist Approach to the Design and Delivery of an Online Professional Development Course: A Case of the iEARN Online Course

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study examined the International Education and Resource Network Science Technology and Math (iEARN-STM) online professional development course. The study used the constructivist framework as the conceptual model to examine the way in which the constructivist theory has shaped the design and implementation of the course, as reflected by the interactions of a cohort of participants in the course. The participants were 28 educators enrolled in the course, who were either teacher educators or teachers, working in different educational institutions in different countries throughout the world. The purpose of the study was to understand how the iEARN online professional development course supported teachers’ learning through effective discourse in an online environment and to identify the constructivist learning principles that were behind the success of the course. The… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Getting State Certification in Your Embedded Math Programs.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This document presents materials that were developed for a presentation explaining how the Gordon Cooper Technology Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma, obtained state certification for the geometry and trigonometry program that is embedded in its residential and commercial construction program and enables its students to receive high school geometry or trigonometry credit and thereby meet the Oklahoma PASS (Priority Academic Student Skills) objectives for high school math credit. The document begins with a brief description of the presentation’s objectives and content. The remainder of the document consists of the following presentation handouts: (1) excerpts from Oklahoma legislation regarding high school graduation requirements affecting students attending technology centers; (2) the program approval letter sent to the technology center; (3) a description of the math program approval process; (4) information… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Preparing STEM Teachers: The Key to Global Competitiveness

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Like many sectors in society, the teacher preparation community is working to address challenges the nation faces in relation to global competitiveness. This document highlights institutions around the country that are preparing tomorrow’s teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Well-known shortages of qualified math and science teachers continue to exist in most states and districts across the country. Thus unprepared teachers are assigned to teach math or science “out of field,” although research shows that students learn more from mathematics and science teachers who studied teaching methods in the subject they teach than from those who did not. In addition, the annual turnover rates of both math and science teachers of 16% are the highest of all fields. Schools, colleges, and departments… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Facilitation Strategies for Enhancing the Learning and Engagement of Online Students

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The opening up of online education in the Australian tertiary sector has made higher education accessible for a wide range of students, including those living in rural and regional areas. While student numbers continue to grow as a result of this opportunity, there are increasing concerns regarding low student retention and progression rates for online students in comparison with on-campus students. Reasons for this vary, however, online students report a sense of isolation and disconnection with their studies highlighting the need for educators to utilise effective facilitation to enhance student connections to an online community. In this paper, we investigated facilitation strategies using two case studies. This illustrated how two online instructors used design-based research to evaluate the impact of facilitation strategies on instructor presence, instructor connection,… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Architecture and Impact of an Open, Online, Remixable, and Multimedia-Rich Algebra 1 Course

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Less than half of the students in the United States graduate from high school and are ready to take college-level math courses. Many years and varieties of remedial math programs have failed to dramatically improve outcomes, especially at scale. The question we face is whether technology in general, and open educational resources in particular, might offer some solutions for improving math scores across the nation. Herein, we describe the work of the Monterey Institute for Technology and Education, and specifically the design and early evidence of impact of their multimedia Algebra and Developmental Math resources. We believe that the structure and function of these open educational resources can effectively meet the diverse needs of the nation’s math teachers and learners, perhaps paving the way to more personalized… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Increasing Expertise in Earth Science Education through Master’s Education

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The processes of developing and the results of testing a master’s degree program designed to increase the number and quality of secondary-level earth science teachers are described in this paper. The master’s program is intended to serve practicing secondary-level science and math teachers who lack subject-area endorsement in earth science. There is need for programs such as this because there is a nationwide shortage of qualified earth science teachers. By targeting teachers who are already trained and certified in science or math, the program can focus solely on earth science content and pedagogical content knowledge. The program can be completed in 2 y via online academic-year instruction and on-campus or field-based training during summers. Completion of the master’s program satisfies teachers’ need for ongoing professional development. A… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Online Courses for Math Teachers: Comparing Self-Paced and Facilitated Cohort Approaches

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study investigated whether two different versions of an online professional development course produced different impacts on the intended outcomes of the course. Variations of an online course for middle school algebra teachers were created for two experimental conditions. One was an actively facilitated course with asynchronous peer interactions among participants. The second was a self-paced condition, in which neither active facilitation nor peer interactions were available. Both conditions showed significant impact on teachers’ mathematical understanding, pedagogical beliefs, and instructional practices. Surprisingly, the positive outcomes were comparable for both conditions. Further research is needed to determine whether this finding is limited to self-selected teachers, the specifics of this online course, or other factors that limit generalizability. (Contains 6 tables.) Link til kilde