This research explores how design-based learning can be used as a pedagogical strategy in K-12 classrooms to foster students' 21st century skills in such areas as communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. The research aims to identify what students and teachers who participated in a design-based learning environment perceived to be the benefits and challenges of the project. The findings are used to suggest strategies that can be used to capitalize on the benefits and mitigate the challenges of the strategy. This research employs a multiple case study methodology to investigate the unique perspectives of three audiences who participated in the study: (1) an eighth grade English teacher, (2) an eighth grade social studies teacher, and (3) fifty eighth grade students. It gives a detailed description of the results of post-implementation interviews during which participants reported on what they perceived to be the benefits and challenges of the project. The results of the interviews are utilized as the primary data source for the findings. The study reveals that a majority of the participants perceived that students benefitted from the environment. They gained skills in communication and collaboration, developed the ability to empathize by exploring multiple perspectives, gained real-world experience that prepared them for their future by solving problems they identified in their immediate world, and gained knowledge and skills from a variety of disciplines. The teachers also benefitted from the environment in that they gained a new respect for their students' skills and abilities, explored and re-defined their own pedagogical philosophies, and improved their own design thinking skills. While participants reported multiple benefits to the learning environment, they also acknowledged several challenges. Time was a challenge for everyone involved. Teachers perceived keeping students motivated when they faced ambiguity and assessing students to be a challenge. They also noted that administrative support for design-based learning is a challenge that must be overcome in order for wide-scale adoption to be realized. While students also identified many challenges to the environment, they consistently acknowledged that the challenging aspects - communication, collaboration, exploring multiple perspectives, managing real-world constraints, and critical thinking - were ultimately beneficial. The findings translate to an overarching message that design-based learning is hard, but it's worth it. / Ph. D.

In response to STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) educational reform, pedagogical approaches such as technological/engineering design-based learning (T/E DBL) have received increased emphasis as a means to enrich student learning and develop their higher-order cognitive competencies. Despite students exposure to the T and E of STEM as a means to make connections and improve learning (NAE and NRC, 2009), there still exists minimal evidence such experiences have a positive impact on their cognition and achievement (Honey, Pearson, and Schweingruber, 2014). Additionally, although research has well illustrated the design cognition of professional designers, and even students at the collegiate level, few investigations of high school students' cognitive activity during designing has been undertaken (Crismond and Adams, 2012; Hynes, 2012; Lammi and Becker, 2013). Furthermore, as researchers have begun to address this gap, broad coding schemes have been employed, describing students' cognitive efforts in terms of comprehensive categories such as formulation, analysis, and synthesis. However, as previous research has demonstrated nuances among existing categories (Purcell, Gero, Edwards, and McNeill, 1996), what has yet to be done is describe K-12 students' cognitive behaviors in terms of these underlying mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to characterize students' cognitive processes during engineering design at a more distinct level, which can increase understanding and begin to address the minimal attempts to 'connect research findings on how people design with what teachers need to understand and do to help K-16 students improve their design capability and learn through design activities" (Crismond and Adams, 2012, p. 738). The methodology of this study was informed by procedures of cognitive science and verbal protocol analysis. The primary form of data analyzed was audio and video recordings of the design task. The recorded data, in transcript form, was coded using the Purcell, Gero, Edwards, and McNeill (1996) framework. These coded data were then analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings from this study revealed that significant differences existed between high school seniors who took pre-engineering courses, and those who did not when engaged in Consulting Information about the Problem (Cp) and in considering System issues, which examined the problem from the point of view of the user. Additionally, Proposing a Solution (Ps), Postponing a Design Action (Pd), and Looking Back (Lb) approached a value of statistical significance in differences between the groups of participants. Findings also characterized how students exert the most and least amount of their cognitive effort in relation to the Problem Domain: Degree of Abstraction and Strategy Classification coding schemes. / Ph. D.

Integrated STEM education and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) have been often theorized as compatible. However, there has been little research done to understand how UDL is used in real-world integrated STEM classrooms. Our study aimed to understand how current practicing educators in integrated STEM classrooms combine these teaching methodologies. This was done through a combination of interviews and document analysis of lesson plans, and supplementary information. To evaluate what elements of UDL were used in the documents, researchers developed a UDL codebook based off of the 31 checkpoints in the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) UDL guidelines. The goal of the study was to understand how the adoption of UDL could spread across all integrated STEM educators. Therefore, our study viewed the use of UDL in an integrated STEM classroom as an 'innovation' and analyzed our results through Diffusion of Innovation theory. Specifically looking to providing understanding to the 'innovation' through Rogers 5 Attributes of innovations. The study found that all except two UDL checkpoints were proved to be compatible within integrated STEM classrooms, and were categories developed to explain how the participant achieved these checkpoints. The findings also show that not all UDL checkpoints occur at the same frequency. Through Diffusion of Innovation theory, our study showed that Integrated STEM educators believe that UDL is automatically adopted by educators using Integrated STEM teaching methodologies. They expressed problems associated with implementing some UDL checkpoints, and providing overall themes of complexity when implement UDL in an Integrated STEM classroom. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / Integrated STEM education and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) are two teaching methodologies that have been often theorized to be compatible. However, there has been little research done to understand how UDL is used in real-world integrated STEM classrooms. The study aimed to understand how current practicing educators in integrated STEM classrooms combine these teaching methodologies. This was done through a combination of interviews and document analysis of lesson plans, and supplementary information. To evaluate what elements of UDL were used in the documents, researchers developed a UDL codebook based off of the 31 checkpoints in the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) UDL guidelines. The goal of the study was to understand how the adoption of UDL could spread across all integrated STEM educators. Therefore, our study viewed the use of UDL in an integrated STEM classroom as an ‘innovation' and analyzed our results through Diffusion of Innovation theory, which conceptualizes an innovation spread through a population. The study found that all except two UDL checkpoints were proved to be compatible within integrated STEM classrooms, and were categories developed to explain how the participant achieved these checkpoints. The findings also show that not all UDL checkpoints occur at the same frequency. Through Diffusion of Innovation theory, our study showed that Integrated STEM educators believe that UDL is automatically adopted by educators using Integrated STEM teaching methodologies, but when discussing the implementation of specific UDL checkpoints themes about the complexity of the innovation emerged.

Yes / This research investigates the perceived clarity and usefulness of infographic versus traditional text-based assessment guidelines among undergraduate nursing students with and without specific learning difficulties (SpLDs). Through quantitative analysis, the study reveals that undergraduate nursing students with SpLDs significantly prefer infographics over text-based guidelines, both in terms of clarity and usefulness (p < .001). Interestingly, there were no statistically significant differences in the perceptions of students without SpLDs. These findings suggest that the use of infographics as a tool for presenting assessment guidelines could contribute to more inclusive educational practices. The research further highlights the potential of infographics to not only make complex information more accessible but also to cater to diverse learning needs. As higher education institutions strive to be more inclusive, adapting assessment guidelines to suit the varied learning styles and cognitive needs of all students, particularly those with SpLDs, becomes increasingly important. This paper provides initial evidence to support the adoption of infographic-based assessment guidelines as a step towards achieving this goal.

Digitala spel i dagens samhälle blir allt vanligare och har de senaste åren börjat användas inom utbildning och undervisning runt om i världen. Att använda spel och teknologi inom en utbildning har både positiv och negativ påverkan på eleverna så väl som skolan. Teknikens positiva delar leder till en ökad motivation och engagemang bland eleverna men kan samtidigt leda till mer negativa delar, till exempel social isolering, dyra kostnader eller en distraktion som kan leda till att det påverkar andra kurser inom utbildningen negativt. Denna rapport syftar till att vara ett stöd vid val av utbildningsverktyg som ska användas i syfte för Game Design Based Learning (GDBL). Detta stöd består av en utvärderingsmodell som kan användas av exempelvis lärare som vill tillämpa GDBL i sin utbildning. Arbetet har utförts med stöd av forskningsstrategin design och skapande, där utvecklingen och framtagandet av en artefakt har skett. Utvärderingsmodellen har utformats med hjälp av den aktuella forskningsstrategin. Datainsamlingen för arbetet har skett genom sökning efter utbildningsverktyg, bland annat, på sökmotorn Google Search tillsammans med relevanta termer för arbetet, till exempel drag &amp; drop. Vid tillämpning av GDBL samt valet av utbildningsverktyg gäller det att ta hänsyn till både de möjligheter som GDBL ger men även de negativa risker som finns. Utvärderingsmodellen har också testats på fem olika utbildningsverktyg för att validera utvärderingsmodellen. Dessa fem utbildningsverktyg är Scratch, Kodu Game Lab, Kahoot, Quizizz och Twine. Slutligen kom vi fram till att två av utbildningsverktygen passar bäst i ett utbildningssyfte. Dessa var Kahoot och Quizizz som är simpla frågesportsspel, det vill säga att dessa inte kräver utbildning eller programmering för att användas inom en undervisning. Detta baserades på ett påhittat scenario vilket var att hitta ett utbildningsverktyg för ett program som inriktar sig på grafisk design. / Digital games in today's society are becoming more common and have in the past few years been used in education and teaching around the world. Using games and technology in an education has both positive and negative impact on the students as well as the school. The positive aspects of technology lead to increased motivation and commitment among the students, but at the same time can lead to more negative factors, such as social isolation, expensive costs or a distraction that may adversely affect other courses in education. This report aims to be a support in selecting educational tools to be used for Game Design Based Learning (GDBL). This support consists of an evaluation model that can be used, for example, by teachers who wish to apply GDBL in their education. The work has been carried out with the support of the research strategy design and creation, where the development and the production of an artefact has taken place. The evaluation model has been designed using the current research strategy. The data collection for the work has been done by searching for training tools, including the search engine Google Search, along with relevant terms for the work, such as drag &amp; drop. When applying GDBL and the choice of training tools, it takes into account both the opportunities offered by GDBL, but also the negative risks that exist. The evaluation model has also been tested on five different training tools to validate the evaluation model. These five training tools are Scratch, Kodu Game Lab, Kahoot, Quizizz and Twine. Finally, we found that two of the training tools are the most suitable for educational purposes. These were Kahoot and Quizizz, which are simple quiz games, that is, they do not require education or programming to be used in a classroom. This was based on an established scenario, which was to find a training tool for a program that focuses on graphic design.

Denna masteruppsats syftar till att bidra med kunskap om lärares lärande och undersöka deras användning av kulturella redskap i en aktionsstudie. I studien undersöks processen i ett arbetslag där universell design för lärande (UDL) presenteras och diskuteras som en möjlig stödstruktur för undervisningen i form av en aktionsstudie. Målet med den är att bidra med kunskapsbildning om hur undervisning kan planeras och utformas med hjälp av den systematik UDL bidrar till.  För att kunna besvara studiens frågeställningar genomfördes en aktionsstudie med tre lärare på en F–6 skola. Studien är genomförd med en kvalitativ metod där loggboksanteckningar från aktionsstudiens sessioner utgör en del av empirin, åtföljd av enskilda, reflekterande intervjuer. Deltagarna undervisade två klasser i ett tre–lärarskap på ett mellanstadium och diskuterade och reflekterade över texter och filmer om universell design för lärande (UDL) under sex sessioner.   Resultaten från aktionsstudien visar hur språket och kommunikationen förändrades under sessionerna, vilka möjligheter och hinder för implementeringen av UDL som identifierades och inställningen till forskningsbaserade arbetssätt utkristalliserades. Hur deltagarna använde sig av kulturella redskap i sitt eget lärande likväl som i sin undervisning framkommer också som ett resultat av denna studie. / This master thesis aims to contribute with knowledge about teachers´ learning and investigate their use of linguistic tools in an action research study. In this, where UDL is presented and discussed as a possible scaffolding structure, the process in a team of teachers at a middle school is investigated. The aim of the action research study is to create knowledge about how the systematic work with UDL can contribute to the planning and forming process of teaching.   In order to answer the research questions in the study, an action research study was conducted with three teachers at a middle school. The study is conducted with a qualitative method, in which field notes from the sessions in the action research study is one part followed by separate, reflective interviews with the participating teachers. The participating teachers were teaching in two classes in a grade at a middle school and have during six sessions discussed and reflected on texts and films about Universal Design for Learning (UDL).   The results from this action research study showed how the use of language and communication changed during the sessions, which possibilities and obstacles could be identified in implementing UDL and how the attitude towards research based approaches could be seen. How the participants used sociocultural tools in their own learning as well as in their teaching can also be seen as a result of this study.

The significance of teaching the basics of engineering education in middle- and high-schools is generally acknowledged by policy makers, teachers and researchers in the U.S.A. as well as a number of developed and developing countries. Nevertheless, engineering topics are rarely covered by precollege curriculums. A key contributing factor is that engineering hinges on the usage of technology to expose learners to fundamental concepts otherwise difficult to demonstrate. For example, learning the concepts of systems' design, optimization, and trade-offs can be a challenging task when teachers and students limited access to tools to practice their engineering knowledge. Thus, a deficiency of operational learning technologies for diverse precollege environments affects the availability of engineering learning experiences. The aim of this dissertation is to unveil the relationships between influential factors for the advancement of precollege engineering education. We proposed a framework for the development of curriculum and technology derived from analyzing design issues from the perspective of multiple entities encompassing a broad of stage holders including students, teachers and technology developers. Several influential factors are considered including human-computer interaction issues, the problem of a digitally divided population and the lack of engineering curriculum that reconciles precollege engineering education with state and national educational standards. The findings of this dissertation are based on quantitative and qualitative re- search performed during a four year span working with five local schools in the Tucson Unified School District.

Studiens syfte är att analysera hur pedagoger, elever och skolledare vid en gymnasieskola uppfattar fenomenen inkludering och tillgänglig undervisning genom att undersöka deras syn på möjligheter och utmaningar med att som elev inskriven i gymnasiesärskolan delta i undervisning på nationella program på gymnasieskolan. Vi har genomfört sju semistrukturerade intervjuer med målet att finna variationer i uppfattningarna kring inkludering och tillgänglig undervisning hos de olika aktörerna. Tidigare forskning har visat att begreppet inkludering används på olika sätt vilket resulterar i att skolors arbete med inkluderingsprocesser tar sig olika uttryck beroende på vilken definition man utgår ifrån. Studier visar även att heterogena grupper kan ha en positiv effekt för både elever i behov av särskilt stöd och för elever utan samma behov samt att särskiljande lösningar ofta har en stigmatiserande effekt. Trots detta anser många lärare och rektorer att just heterogeniteten i klassrummen är en av de största utmaningarna. Tillgänglighet handlar om hur väl en verksamhet fungerar för personer med en funktionsnedsättning. En tillgänglig lärmiljö handlar om att ge alla elever förutsättningar att vara delaktiga och inkluderade i utbildning. En väl genomtänkt undervisning som är varierad, utmanande och i förväg anpassad efter alla elevers behov kommer att leda till att minska antalet elever i svårigheter. Ett sätt att göra detta är att använda sig av Universal design for learning, en uppsättning principer som utgår ifrån att alla elever lär på olika sätt och att läraren därför behöver använda sig av olika metoder för att möta alla elevers behov. Resultatet av vår studie visar att informanterna uppfattar att ett gemensamt förhållningssätt är viktigt för att kunna möta alla individer. Skolan ses som ett litet samhälle där alla ska ges möjlighet att möta mångfald och olikheter. För att inkludering och tillgänglighet ska kunna uppnås uppfattar informanterna att det krävs en vilja att inkludera alla elever samt att det är viktigt att olika professioner på skolan samarbetar. En annan viktig förutsättning för en lyckad inkludering är ett relationellt perspektiv samt en vilja att anpassa undervisningen efter de elever man som lärare har framför sig.

I det här arbetet har begreppet kreativitet utifrån den konstnärliga området undersökts ur ett pedagogiskt perspektiv. Det empiriska materialet som består av svar från två enkätundersökningar och bilder från deltagare i en fokusgrupp har analyserats hur en bild med “rätt” resurser bidrar till en mångfald av idéer och skapar en kreativ bild. Detta för att belysa hur vi kan öva upp vår egen kreativa förmåga inom den konstnärliga området med hjälp av visuellt material, i det här fallet “Handbok för kreativitet”. I undersökningen framkom det att en kreativ bild är en bild som består av en bildkonstruktion och teckensammansättning som ger en mångfald av tolkningar och associationer och är öppen för transformering. Detta bidrog till vidare förståelse för hur ett kreativt synsätt i skolan är viktigt för att nå en mer jämlik skola mellan det verbala och textuella och praktiskt utförande. Undersökningens gestaltande del utgörs av egna visuellt framtagna bilder som är tolkade utifrån de bilder som ansågs som gynnsamma för kreativitet och skapande i en av enkätundersökningarna. Hela gestaltningen är i form av en bok, “Handbok för kreativitet” på 58 sidor och består, nästan enbart, av visuellt material.

Thesis advisor: David Scanlon / There is limited research on the relationship between socially just teaching practices and student achievement. While successful teaching is often defined through test scores, good teaching encompasses the moral elements of teaching (Fenstermacher & Richardson, 2005). This study, building on the work of Mitescu, Cochran-Smith, Pedulla, Cannady, and Jong (2011), is a secondary analysis examining the relationship between socially just teaching practices and student achievement. A subsample of 4th and 5th grade English/language arts (ELA) teachers (n=107) and students (n=2587) was taken from the Measures of Effective Teaching Longitudinal Database (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2013). Classroom videos were coded using the Teaching for Social Justice Observation Scale (TSJOS) of the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol-Plus (RTOP+) (Mitescu et al.) to measure socially just teaching practices. Unadjusted linear regression analyses indicated a positive significant correlation between teachers’ mean TSJOS score and the class averages on standardized state ELA exams and the class average on an assessment of higher-order thinking skills. This relationship was also found when the same analysis was conducted on 4th grade classrooms as well as 5th grade classrooms. A hierarchical multiple linear regression found a positive significant relationship between TSJOS scores and student achievement after accounting for location, teacher, and student predictor variables. The relationship between socially just teaching practices and student achievement for subgroups of students is discussed. The study analyzed the significance and magnitude of the relationship between socially just teaching practices after two widely used classroom observation protocols, the Framework for Teaching (FfT) and the Protocol for Language Arts Observation Scale (PLATO), were entered into the model. Teacher mean TSJOS scores were found to explain a significant and unique proportion of the variation in state assessment scores after accounting for average FfT ELA observation scores and teacher average PLATO observation scores, separately. This study adds to the literature on the connection between socially just teaching practices and student achievement, in that it provides compelling evidence that socially just teaching practices are not only related to the good, or moral, side of teaching, but also have a positive and significant relationship with increased student achievement for all students. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.