This thesis is about students’ approaches to learning (SAL) in computer science education. Since the initial development of SAL instruments and inventories in the 70’s, they have been used as a means to understand students’ approaches to learning better, as well as to measure and predict academic achievement (such as retention, grades and credits taken) and other correlating factors. It is an instrument to measure a student’s study strategies – not how “good” a student is. A Swedish short version of Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) was used to gather information on whether we, through context and content, encouraged sustainable study behaviour among our students. ASSIST was used in two distinct situations: 1) Evaluation and evolvement of an online programming course design, and 2) Engineering education in media technology and computer science in a campus environment where approaches to learning has been evaluated and studied over time during the five year long programmes. Repeated measurements have been analysed against factors predicting academic achievement, and have been evaluated on a cohort level (not individual) in order to clarify patterns rather than individual characteristics. Significant for both projects was that a surface approach to learning correlated negatively with retention. Students who adopted a combination of deep and strategic approach to learning performed better in terms of grades, ECTS credits completed and perceived value of the education. As part of developmental tools it can be beneficial to use ASSIST at a group level in order to see what kind of approach a course design or a programme supports among the students. / <p>QC 20161028</p>

O conhecimento experimentado nas últimas décadas é tão expressivo que nem o professor e tampouco o aluno são capazes de adquiri-lo ou gerenciá-lo nos moldes tradicionais. No ensino superior, um dos problemas a ser resolvido reside na atitude passiva com que os alunos recebem o conhecimento de seus professores. Na sala de aula, a interface professor-aluno é mantida por um planejamento de ensino que privilegia a simples transmissão de conhecimentos. A utilização de algumas tecnologias, onde se destaca o computador, vem permitindo que o processo de ensino-aprendizagem sofra sensíveis transformações. O computador, deixando o estigma de calculadora sofisticada, começa a ser empregado na construção do conhecimento. Procurando discutir essa questão, este trabalho analisa, em termos de recursos, exigências e limitações, como o computador pode contribuir para melhorar o processo de ensino-aprendizagem na educação em engenharia. Conhecimentos resultantes dessa análise foram reunidos na criação de um ambiente de aprendizagem na Web, desenvolvido através do software WebCT e tendo como domínio de aplicação a disciplina SEM-387 "Planejamento e Controle da Produção I", do curso de Engenharia de Produção da EESC-USP. Melhorar o processo de ensino-aprendizagem não é um atributo inerente ao computador, mas uma conseqüência que está vinculada ao modo como ele é utilizado. / The knowledge experienced in the last decades is so expressive that neither the teacher nor the student is capable of acquiring it or managing it in the traditional way. Concerning college education, one of the problems to be solved is the passive attitude the students show when receiving the knowledge from their teachers. In the classroom, the interface teacher-student is maintained by a teaching planning that privileges the simple transmission of knowledge. The use of some technologies, among which the computer stands out, allows that the teaching-learning process suffers noticeable transformations. The computer, getting off the stigma of sophisticated calculator, begins to be used in the construction of the knowledge. Trying to discuss this subject, this work analyzes, in terms of resources, demands and limitations, how computers can contribute to improve the teaching-learning process in engineering education. The resulting knowledge of this analysis was gathered in the creation of a learning environment in the Web, developed through the software WebCT and having as application domain the discipline SEM-387 "Planning and Control of the Production I", which is a discipline of the course of Production Engineering of EESC-USP. Improving the teaching-learning process is not an inherent attribute of the computer, but a consequence that is linked to the way it is used.

O conhecimento experimentado nas últimas décadas é tão expressivo que nem o professor e tampouco o aluno são capazes de adquiri-lo ou gerenciá-lo nos moldes tradicionais. No ensino superior, um dos problemas a ser resolvido reside na atitude passiva com que os alunos recebem o conhecimento de seus professores. Na sala de aula, a interface professor-aluno é mantida por um planejamento de ensino que privilegia a simples transmissão de conhecimentos. A utilização de algumas tecnologias, onde se destaca o computador, vem permitindo que o processo de ensino-aprendizagem sofra sensíveis transformações. O computador, deixando o estigma de calculadora sofisticada, começa a ser empregado na construção do conhecimento. Procurando discutir essa questão, este trabalho analisa, em termos de recursos, exigências e limitações, como o computador pode contribuir para melhorar o processo de ensino-aprendizagem na educação em engenharia. Conhecimentos resultantes dessa análise foram reunidos na criação de um ambiente de aprendizagem na Web, desenvolvido através do software WebCT e tendo como domínio de aplicação a disciplina SEM-387 "Planejamento e Controle da Produção I", do curso de Engenharia de Produção da EESC-USP. Melhorar o processo de ensino-aprendizagem não é um atributo inerente ao computador, mas uma conseqüência que está vinculada ao modo como ele é utilizado. / The knowledge experienced in the last decades is so expressive that neither the teacher nor the student is capable of acquiring it or managing it in the traditional way. Concerning college education, one of the problems to be solved is the passive attitude the students show when receiving the knowledge from their teachers. In the classroom, the interface teacher-student is maintained by a teaching planning that privileges the simple transmission of knowledge. The use of some technologies, among which the computer stands out, allows that the teaching-learning process suffers noticeable transformations. The computer, getting off the stigma of sophisticated calculator, begins to be used in the construction of the knowledge. Trying to discuss this subject, this work analyzes, in terms of resources, demands and limitations, how computers can contribute to improve the teaching-learning process in engineering education. The resulting knowledge of this analysis was gathered in the creation of a learning environment in the Web, developed through the software WebCT and having as application domain the discipline SEM-387 "Planning and Control of the Production I", which is a discipline of the course of Production Engineering of EESC-USP. Improving the teaching-learning process is not an inherent attribute of the computer, but a consequence that is linked to the way it is used.

Recent research on girls in science education in Australian primary schools indicates a participation rate lower than that of boys. This inequality could lead subsequently to reduced opportunities for girls entering the workforce in their adult years. Many studies have attempted to reveal why this situation has arisen and a variety of strategies for increasing girls' participation has been suggested. A relatively new strategy that does not appear frequently in the research literature is the use of educational computer game software. An important question arises: does the game software used in primary school science education reflect design attributes favoured by boys and, if so, do these attributes actively discourage girls' participation by making them feel uncomfortable or stressed? My case study was designed to identify design features of computer games that girls prefer so that these features can be included in educational computer game software designed for science education, as well as the other Key Learning Areas. Through interviews, surveys and observations my interpretive study obtained the opinions and views of over 200 children in two suburban Australian primary schools in which I work as a teacher-librarian. In this role I purchase educational computer games and organize special classes for students to play them. From my analysis of the data I make recommendations that reflect girls' preferred design attributes for educational computer games. I also generate a checklist of criteria from my interpretations that may result in the purchase of software that could not only enhance girls' participation and success in primary school science, the curriculum area of greatest personal interest to me, but also in other Key Learning Areas of primary education.\

This thesis is a part of a project, “Interactive Learning in Distance Education”, funded by The Swedish Research Council. The overall purpose was, from adult distance learners’ perspective, to describe, analyse and understand factors influencing studies and interactive learning in asynchronous computer-mediated learning environments. Da¬ta were collected in 2003; from 62 students (56 women and six men) attending an undergraduate and a supplementary distance cour¬se within the teacher training program. The study was based on questionnaires, diaries, portfolios, interviews and transcriptions of students’ postings to the computer conferences FirstClass and Web¬Board, respectively. The courses included campus meetings and individual studies accompanied by study guides containing reading instructions, timetables and individual as well as group-related assign¬ments. Asynchronous text-based, computer-mediated commu¬nication (CMC) was used for dialogue among the participants. The results indicate that difficulties to combine studies with commitments in the students’ everyday lives and lack of familiarity with higher education and computer mediated distance education constituted learning obstacles. Almost everyone emphasised the importance of communicaion with peer students for feeling satisfied in the study and learning situation. They appreciated the asynchronous text-based CMC because it increased the flexibility of the studies. The students´ online behaviour and statements also indicate feelings of social presence and solidarity with peer learners, despite using a medium with relatively low capacity to convey social cues. Female and male students described similar difficulties of combining family, work and study. Women sho¬wed lower self-esteem in terms of computer skills and coping with their studies. They highlighted the social importance of the studygroup to a higher extent than the men did. The ideal course design in terms of structure, dialogue and autonomy altered depending on students´ perceptions of benefits. They wanted flexibility and autonomy to be able to combine the studies with commitments in their everyday life, at the same time they appreciated elements of structure and governance in situations when these involved saving of time. The communication in the computer conferences was extensive but the analysis of the learners’ contributions provides little evidence of effective collaborative learning activities. Several reasons to this were discussed, e.g. students´ lack of time and knowledge to form functioning learning communities, as well as insufficient course design to promote and support collaborative distance learning. It was concluded that there is a gap between teachers' ambitions to create an interactive learning environment on the one hand, and students´ skills, attitudes to collaboration and need to share their time between studies and other commitments on the other. Also, teachers´ ambitions to develop distance education aiming at collaboration and interactive learning are often hampered by their limited skills and time frames to design and implement such courses. / Interactive Learning in Distance Education

La enseñanza en el área de simulación de eventos discretos requiere integrar una variedad de conceptos teóricos y ponerlos en práctica a través de la creación y ejecución de modelos abstractos de simulación, con el objetivo de recopilar información que pueda traspolarse hacia los sistemas reales. Para construir modelos, ejecutarlos y analizar los resultados de cada ejecución se utilizan herramientas de software cada vez más sofisticadas que permiten expresar los elementos de los modelos en términos de entidades abstractas y relaciones, y que recopilan gran cantidad de datos y estadísticas sobre cada una de estas entidades del modelo. GPSS es una de estas herramientas, y se compone de un lenguaje de programación por bloques y un motor de simulación que traduce estos bloques en distintas entidades del modelo. A pesar de que su primera versión data de 1961, GPSS es aún muy utilizado por profesionales y empresas, y es una de las herramientas más utilizadas para la enseñanza de simulación de eventos discretos por instituciones académicas de todo el mundo.  El avance de la capacidad de cómputo de las computadoras ha permitido incorporar una mayor cantidad de herramientas y funciones a las distintas implementaciones de GPSS. Mientras que esto representa una ventaja para sus usuarios, requiere también un cada vez mayor esfuerzo por parte de los docentes para enseñar a sus estudiantes a aprovechar todo su potencial. Muchos docentes e investigadores han buscado optimizar la enseñanza de simulación de eventos discretos desde múltiples ángulos: la organización del curso y la metodología de enseñanza, la creación de elementos de aprendizaje que ayuden a aplicar los distintos elementos teóricos, la generación de herramientas para construir modelos GPSS, y la construcción de herramientas para comprender el motor de simulación por dentro. En esta tesis se introduce una herramienta de software que permite construir modelos GPSS de manera interactiva, cuyo diseño fue pensado para integrar los elementos teóricos del curso con los objetos y entidades de GPSS. Esta herramienta también permite ejecutar estos modelos y analizar con alto nivel de detalle su evolución a través del tiempo de simulación, lo que permite a los estudiantes comprender cómo funciona el motor de simulación y cómo interactúan las distintas entidades entre sí. Se incluye también una propuesta de enseñanza basada en una fuerte participación de los estudiantes, que, por medio de esta nueva herramienta, les permite incorporar los conceptos más fácilmente. Esta propuesta de enseñanza fue puesta a prueba con alumnos del área de sistemas, quienes tomaron un curso que contiene los mismos elementos teóricos y prácticos de un curso tradicional, pero con una organización diferente. Entre los resultados logrados se destacan una reducción del tiempo requerido para aprender los conceptos de GPSS cercana al 50%, una mayor capacidad por parte de los alumnos para asimilar conceptos y derivar nuevos conceptos por sí solos, a partir de conceptos adquiridos previamente.

This study investigates the impact of computer games on students&rsquo / motivation. A computer game was created for this study by using Tomb Raider 4 Level Editor. The game covers photosynthesis, vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins and fat subjects of 5th grade science and technology course. Data was collected from 71 5th grade students of three primary schools. Students have played the game until the end of lesson than they were asked to complete The Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS). The study reveals that gender, weekly computer use and weekly game playing do not affect the impact of educational computer games on students&rsquo / motivation.

El objetivo de la presente tesis de especialización es describir la experiencia de desarrollo de una metodología didáctica para el trabajo con foros en un entorno virtual. Esta experiencia fue realizada en el marco del curso "Tecnología para la educación matemática" de la UNSa, con el tema: "Las tecnologías posibles a implementar en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje" para el subtema "Triángulo isósceles. Definición, propiedades y aplicaciones". Su aporte es el desarrollo de una metodología probada en este campo: análisis de la experiencia, evaluación y propuesta de mejora. Su estructura consta de dos partes interdependientes. En la primera parte se consideran los marcos teóricos referentes a los foros en comunidades virtuales. Se incluye la descripción de diferentes tipos de foros considerados apropiados para la enseñanza de la matemática y una posible manera de planificarlos. Se ejemplifica con foros realizados en cursos de capacitación y de postgrado realizados en diferentes plataformas virtuales. Todos abarcan problemáticas diferentes en los que la Matemática ocupa un lugar, desde la propia ciencia o desde la educación en esta área. En la segunda parte se relata la experiencia llevada a cabo en la Universidad Nacional de Salta con alumnos de segundo año del Profesorado de Matemática, en la asignatura Tecnología para la Educación Matemática. También se analiza el foro académico realizado, teniendo en cuenta los marcos teóricos de la primera parte. Se adjuntan dos anexos en los que se encuentran foros realizados dentro de la materia Tecnología para la Educación Matemática.

En este trabajo, se realiza una investigación vinculada al análisis de herramientas de autor para la generación de contenido de Realidad Aumentada (RA), con especial énfasis en aquellas orientadas al escenario educativo. Se consideran características tales como la funcionalidad que proveen, la amigabilidad de la interface, la licencia de uso, la plataforma sobre la cual se puede ejecutar, entre otras. El foco de este análisis es obtener un panorama general de las herramientas de autor para RA disponibles en el mercado, en relación con sus posibilidades de generar contenido de RA para el ámbito educativo. Además se incluyen en el trabajo, conceptos y definiciones necesarias para contextualizar al lector. Así, se aborda una introducción a la Realidad Aumentada y sus características, la definición de herramientas de autor adoptada, y criterios de evaluación que se consideran usualmente para analizar éstas, en relación al ámbito educativo. Se considera que la recopilación y análisis planteados aquí, resultarán un aporte para los docentes que deseen incluir actividades educativas mediadas por tecnología de RA.

This study investigates the perceptions of prospective computer teachers, who have been studying at the Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT) departments of four different universities, toward the use of computer games with educational features in education. It also examines the future plans of the participants regarding the use of computer games with educational features in their courses or in learning environments that they will design and it explores the participants&rsquo / computer game playing characteristics as well. The subjects of this study were 116 students from the Computer Education and Instructional Technology departments of four universities: Ankara, Gazi, Hacettepe and the Middle East Technical University. The data were collected through a questionnaire and interviews. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis methods. This study reveals that the prospective computer teachers who participated in this study have positive perceptions toward the use of computer games with educational features in education. Moreover, most of the participants plan to use such games in their future professions according to their responses. However, it is revealed that participants also have doubts about some issues regarding the use of such games in education, although this is a rare case.