Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-06-06T12:26:44Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Greiton Toledo de Azevedo - 2017.pdf: 9210718 bytes, checksum: 06fc74404cdd4449bbb59c52527fd71a (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-06-06T12:27:00Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Greiton Toledo de Azevedo - 2017.pdf: 9210718 bytes, checksum: 06fc74404cdd4449bbb59c52527fd71a (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-06T12:27:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Greiton Toledo de Azevedo - 2017.pdf: 9210718 bytes, checksum: 06fc74404cdd4449bbb59c52527fd71a (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-10 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás - FAPEG / This work has as main objective to understand the process of the construction of mathematical knowledge from the preparation and development of digital games (games) by students of Elementary School, in their intrinsic relation with the didactic pedagogical practices of Basic Education. The possibility of this construction of knowledge is defended without leaving aside the challenges that are limited in the temporality of the events of the school scene. For this purpose, a mathematics project was developed within a public school, located in a city in the metropolitan region of Goiânia, which is a fertile field of research, entitled Mattics, in the school counterpart, with the proposal to produce digital games, while mobilizing the construction of mathematical knowledge of the 16 participants of the research. The actions developed, based on the qualitative assumption, were based on the use of the Scratch programming language, which was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, articulated with exploratory-investigative activities of mathematics. From the interrelationship of the empirical materials produced in the project, a path was coursed that sought theoretical support both in aspects of the production of digital games and in the construction of mathematical knowledge by the students in a constructionist environment. According to the data collected and analyzed, we found out that the results achieved, in this research, give us indications to understand the process of building knowledge from the production of games as a dynamic movement, which conjugates ideas / mathematical meanings and which is not necessarily part of formal concepts throughout the process of a non-linear production. The construction is based on the active participation of the student in the environment. A production that is not absent from external factors and influences how the students think/ argue when producing their game when interacting with their local environment. / Este trabalho tem como principal objetivo compreender o processo da construção de conhecimento matemático a partir da elaboração e desenvolvimento de jogos digitais (games) por estudantes do Ensino Fundamental, em sua intrínseca relação com as práticas didático- pedagógicas da Educação Básica. Defende-se com isso a possibilidade dessa construção de conhecimento sem deixar de lado os desafios que se circunscrevem na temporalidade dos acontecimentos do cenário escolar. Para isso, foi desenvolvido no âmbito de uma escola pública, localizada em uma cidade da região metropolitana de Goiânia, um projeto de matemática, que se constitui como campo fértil de investigação, intitulado Mattics, no contraturno escolar, com a proposta de se produzir jogos digitais, ao mesmo tempo que mobilizasse a construção de conhecimento matemático dos 16 participantes da pesquisa. As ações desenvolvidas, tendo como pano de fundo o pressuposto qualitativo, estiveram alicerçadas no uso da linguagem de programação Scratch, que foi desenvolvida no Massachusetts Institute of Technology, articulada com atividades exploratório-investigativas de matemática. A partir do intercruzamento dos materiais empíricos produzidos no projeto, percorreu-se um caminho que procurou sustentação teórica tanto em aspectos da produção de jogos digitais, quanto da construção de conhecimento matemático pelos estudantes em um ambiente construcionista de aprendizagem. De acordo com os dados coletados e analisados, percebemos que os resultados alcançados, nesta pesquisa, nos dão indícios para entender o processo de construção de conhecimento a partir da produção de jogos como um movimento dinâmico, que conjuga ideias/significados de matemática e que não parte necessariamente de conceitos formais ao longo do processo de uma produção não linear. A construção se fundamenta pela produção quando há participação ativa do estudante no ambiente. Uma produção que não se ausenta de fatores externos e influencia a forma como aluno passa a pensar/discutir/argumentar ao produzir o seu jogo quando interage com o seu meio local.

Digital educational technology is capable of contributing supplementary strategies that can be used to address various educational challenges faced by higher education. Foremost among these challenges is the widespread lack of academic preparedness of students who enter South African higher education institutions. The legacy of Apartheid, teachers' poor domain knowledge and command of the language of instruction, together with a lack of commitment to the cognitive development of learners are some of the reasons why students have not developed the cognitive skills required to engage in meaningful learning. Meaningful learning requires a high level of conceptual engagement and development. To assist in the learning process, educators must focus on student learning rather than on the instructor and the technology used in the instruction. A powerful means of supporting meaningful learning is through a process of model building. Computer technology can effectively be used to facilitate the building of conceptual models. By encouraging students to use computer technology to build models that represent their personal understanding, the students are performing the role of designer and the technology is used as a cognitive tool. Using digital technology as a cognitive tool allows students to engage in critical thinking and higher-order learning. An expert system shell is one way in which technology can be used as a cognitive tool. When students build expert systems they are required to demonstrate the reasoning of an expert and to exhibit an understanding of causal relationships and procedural knowledge. There is very little evidence of research concerning the application of expert systems as a cognitive tool in education. The primary aim of this study is to formulate design principles in the form of conjectures and principles related to a learning environment that uses technology as a cognitive tool in the form of an expert system shell to promote higher-order thinking skills. The second aim of this study is to explore the experiences of students who are exposed to a learning environment based on the conjectures and principles formulated during the design phase of the research. The conjectures and principles formulated during this study are expressed in terms of the characteristics, procedures and arguments associated with a learning environment that uses technology in the form of an expert system shell to facilitate higher-order thinking. These conjectures and principles were separated into seven interrelated clusters that can be summarised as follows: <ul><li> initial exposure;</li><li> guided discovery learning;</li><li> designing the expert system on paper;</li><li> creating domain awareness;</li><li> linking conceptual understanding to a representation of that understanding;</li><li> hands-on development; and</li><li> problem engagement.</il></ul> These conjectures and principles could guide similar endeavours undertaken by lecturers or instructional designers. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

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This study explores the impact of Augmented Reality (AR) on the retention and comprehension of complex biological systems and processes in middle school education. Leveraging a quasi-experimental design, the research compared the learning outcomes of students using AR with those taught through traditional methods. The study's theoretical framework is grounded in multimodality theory, highlighting the integration of multiple senses and representation forms to enhance learning, as well as cognitive and constructivist learning theories, which emphasize the organization and application of knowledge. A total of 35 students participated, with the AR group engaging with interactive, three-dimensional models of human anatomy, while the control group received traditional teaching. The results indicate that AR can improve students’ ability to understand and engage with complex biological content, supporting higher cognitive processes such as analysis andcreation. However, the study also notes the limitations due to its small sample size and the diversity of the participant group, suggesting the results are preliminary. Future research should expand on these findings with a larger, more diverse sample to explore long-term effects and variances across different learning styles. This study underscores the potential of AR to transform biology education by making learning more interactive and accessible. / Denna studie utforskar effekten av förstärkt verklighet (AR) på bevarandet och förståelsen av komplexa biologiska system och processer i grundskolans utbildning. Med hjälp av en kvasiexperimentell design jämförde studien inlärningsresultaten hos studenter som använde AR med dem som undervisades genom traditionella metoder. Studiens teoretiska ramverk är grundat i teorin om multimodalitet, vilket betonar integrationen av flera sinnen och representationsformer för att förbättra inlärningen, samt kognitiva och konstruktivistiska lärandeteorier, som lägger vikt vid organisation och tillämpning av kunskap. Totalt deltog 35 studenter, där AR-gruppen interagerade med interaktiva, tredimensionella modeller av människokroppens anatomi, medan kontrollgruppen fick traditionell undervisning. Resultaten tyder på att AR kan förbättra elevernas förmåga att förstå och engagera sig i komplex biologiskt innehåll, vilket stödjer högre kognitiva processer såsom analys och skapande. Studien noterar dock begränsningar på grund av dess lilla urvalsstorlek och deltagargruppens mångfald, vilket tyder på att resultaten är preliminära. Framtida forskning bör bygga vidare på dessa resultat med ett större och mer mångsidigt urval för att utforska långsiktiga effekter och variationer över olika inlärningsstilar. Denna studie understryker potentialen hos AR att omvandla biologiundervisningen genom att göra lärandet mer interaktivt och tillgängligt.

The government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia proclaimed a new curriculum for reconstructing the education system. The programme aimed at changing the predominantly-used teacher-centred instructional strategies to student-centred, active learning methods. This motivated the main research question of this study namely What are Ethiopian students’ learning styles and attitudes towards active learning approaches? The specific research questions that were investigated were: • What are the learning styles of students in Grade 10 public and private schools and at second year university level, and do these students prefer certain learning styles? • What are the attitudes of students at Grade 10 public and private schools, and at second year university level in respect of active learning approaches? • Do significant relationships exist between the students’ learning styles and their attitudes towards active learning as regards the four dimensions of the Index of Learning Styles (ILS), namely active-reflective, sensing-intuitive, visual-reflective and sequential-global? • Are there significant differences in the students’ learning styles and their attitudes towards active learning in respect of gender, different education levels and types of schools? In order to answer these questions, the study made use of an exploratory, descriptive design. By means of questionnaires data were collected from a purposefully and a conveniently selected sample of 920 students from Grade 10 government and private schools and second year university students in Hawassa, Ethiopia. The sample comprised of 506 males and 414 females, 400 students from Government schools and 249 from private schools, and 271 from the university. The data were analysed by means of descriptive statistics (means and correlations) and inferential statistics (analysis of variance). The results indicated that the majority of the students’ learning styles were balanced between the two dimensions of the ILS scales. As secondary preference, they tended towards moderate categories, and a small section of the students preferred the strong categories of the scales. Secondly, the study determined that the sampled students in general, demonstrated a positive attitude towards active learning. Thirdly, by means of the study a significant relationship was ascertained between the students’ attitudes towards active learning and the active-reflective dimension of the ILS. Fourthly, significant differences were indicated in the students’ learning styles and attitudes towards active learning in respect of their gender, their education level and the types of schools. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia proclaimed a new curriculum for reconstructing the education system. The programme aimed at changing the predominantly-used teacher-centred instructional strategies to student-centred, active learning methods. This motivated the main research question of this study namely What are Ethiopian students’ learning styles and attitudes towards active learning approaches? The specific research questions that were investigated were: • What are the learning styles of students in Grade 10 public and private schools and at second year university level, and do these students prefer certain learning styles? • What are the attitudes of students at Grade 10 public and private schools, and at second year university level in respect of active learning approaches? • Do significant relationships exist between the students’ learning styles and their attitudes towards active learning as regards the four dimensions of the Index of Learning Styles (ILS), namely active-reflective, sensing-intuitive, visual-reflective and sequential-global? • Are there significant differences in the students’ learning styles and their attitudes towards active learning in respect of gender, different education levels and types of schools? In order to answer these questions, the study made use of an exploratory, descriptive design. By means of questionnaires data were collected from a purposefully and a conveniently selected sample of 920 students from Grade 10 government and private schools and second year university students in Hawassa, Ethiopia. The sample comprised of 506 males and 414 females, 400 students from Government schools and 249 from private schools, and 271 from the university. The data were analysed by means of descriptive statistics (means and correlations) and inferential statistics (analysis of variance). The results indicated that the majority of the students’ learning styles were balanced between the two dimensions of the ILS scales. As secondary preference, they tended towards moderate categories, and a small section of the students preferred the strong categories of the scales. Secondly, the study determined that the sampled students in general, demonstrated a positive attitude towards active learning. Thirdly, by means of the study a significant relationship was ascertained between the students’ attitudes towards active learning and the active-reflective dimension of the ILS. Fourthly, significant differences were indicated in the students’ learning styles and attitudes towards active learning in respect of their gender, their education level and the types of schools. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This mixed methods dissertation study explored how secondary school educators in specific K-12 competition programs recruited and deployed STEM professional volunteers. The study explored which practices were viewed as most important, and how practices related to constructivist pedagogy, all from the viewpoint of educators. The non-positivist approach sought new knowledge without pursuing generalized results. Review of the literature uncovered extensive anecdotal information about current practices, and suggested that large investments are made in engaging volunteers. One National Science Foundation-sponsored study was identified, and its recommendations for a sustained research agenda were advanced. Three study phases were performed, one to explore practices and operationalize definitions, a second to rate practice's importance and their relation to pedagogy, and a third to seek explanations. Educators preferred recruiting local, meaning recruiting parents and former students, versus from industry or other employers. Most educators preferred volunteers with mentoring skills, and placing them in direct contact with students, versus deploying volunteers to help with behind-the-scenes tasks supporting the educator. Relationships were identified between the highest-rated practices and constructivism in programs. In STEM professional volunteers, educators see affordances, in the same way a classroom tool opens affordances. A model is proposed which shows educators considering practicality, pedagogy, knowledge and skills, and rapport when accessing the affordances opened by STEM professional volunteers. Benefits are maximized when programs align with strong industry clusters in the community.

The challenges faced by mathematics education reflect the more immense difficulties of the schooling system as a whole. This thesis investigates such challenges in the light of an ethical learning foundation and aims for a transformation through the use of technologies as learning tools.  Interaction design methods are used to craft constructivist learning kits that aim to move mathematics students from passive receivers of knowledge to active learners. The proposed tools modify new technologies by adapting them to teachers’ and learners’ needs to be best suited for mathematics classroom adoption. Additionally, social, political, and economic issues that may hinder the adoption of constructivist learning are presented and critically discussed.  Finally, this thesis paves the way for future designers who aim to design mathematics educational kits by providing a design framework based on the learning theory and the design process presented in this thesis.

This dissertation deals with the developing and development of EFL learners' communicative competence in writing in a blended learning course. The dissertation addresses issues related to the conceptualization of developing communicative competence and measuring learners' progress as well as using ICT in foreign language teaching. The underlying research question was whether learners' communicative competence changed after using a series of online discussion tasks, and if so, in what manner. The empirical research was conducted as a case study in which 18 learners in an EFL course at the CEFR A2 level participated in three discussion tasks conducted online, using asynchronous discussion forum. The discussions were built on social constructivist learning theories. Methods of data collection and analysis included pre- and post-tests, learner corpus compiled from the texts written by the students in two online discussions and its analysis, and a questionnaire survey. The results showed that learners' overall level of communicative competence in writing improved. Specifically, the syntactic complexity of learners' language produced at the beginning and at the end of the course increased and learners' perceived fluency in writing improved. These findings support the claim that learners' active participation in...

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