Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. School of Technology, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-67).

Thesis (M.A. (Journalism)) - Rhodes University, 2007 / "Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts" - T.p.

Em 1870, na Itália, nasce Maria Montessori. De uma criança e adolescente curiosa, surge uma mulher corajosa e com ideias à frente de seu tempo. Ingressa na Faculdade de medicina, tornando-se a primeira mulher a concluí-la em toda a Itália. Estuda filosofia, psicologia experimental e pedagogia na Faculdade de Filosofia da Universidade de Roma, voltando todos os seus esforços para a Educação. Após escrever livros e ministrar palestras sobre Educação, suas ideias percorrem o planeta e, hoje, são utilizadas em várias escolas, em diferentes países. Percebe-se nessas escolas que, em algum momento da vida do escolar, ocorre uma ruptura das ideias montessorianas, que param de ser usadas, normalmente, nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar a pesquisa que teve como questão norteadora: é possível fazer uma releitura da perspectiva montessoriana de modo a abordar alguns conteúdos que são trabalhados nos anos finais do ensino fundamental na disciplina de matemática? Diante de tal questão, foram elencados os seguintes objetivos: contextualizar a vida e as obras de Maria Montessori, inseridas no contexto social, político e econômico da Itália no século XIX e início do século XX; fazer uma releitura dos princípios montessorianos de modo a potencializar tais processos de ensino e aprendizagem da matemática nos anos finais do ensino fundamental, no contexto contemporâneo; selecionar, aplicar e analisar uma proposta de atividades fazendo uso dos princípios montessorianos em uma turma dos anos finais do ensino fundamental de uma escola de Porto Alegre, abordando os conteúdos de produtos notáveis e funções, utilizando tecnologias. Para contextualizar a vida e as obras de Maria Montessori, foram feitas leituras de suas obras e de obras a seu respeito, além de leituras que traçam um panorama da Itália na época em que viveu. Também foram consultadas obras que se utilizem do tripé: matemática, didática e tecnologia. Com isso, foi adquirido conhecimento para selecionar, aplicar e analisar uma proposta de ensino, seguindo os princípios montessorianos e fazendo uso de tecnologias, que poderá ser utilizada por professores de matemática nos anos finais do ensino fundamental. Com a pesquisa, verificou-se que é possível, no contexto contemporâneo de tempo e espaço escolar, manter vivos os princípios montessorianos, de modo que a ação do professor de matemática crie situações de aprendizagem que respeitem a individualidade e o ritmo de cada aluno e que promovam sua autoeducação, sem que se perca a conexão com o outro e com o mundo, na perspectiva de uma educação para a paz. / In 1870, in Italy, Maria Montessori was born. A curious child became a brave woman with ideas ahead of her time. She joined the Medical School, becoming the first woman to complete it throughout Italy. She studied philosophy, experimental psychology and pedagogy at the Faculty of Philosophy of Rome University, returning all her efforts to Education. After writing books and giving lectures on Education, her ideas roam the planet and are now used in several schools in different countries. It can be seen in these schools that, at some point in the school life, there is a rupture of Montessori’s ideas, when they stop being used, usually in the early years of elementary school. The aim of this work is to present the research that had as its guiding question: is it possible to make a rereading of Montessori’s approach in order to address some contents that are worked in the final years of elementary school in mathematics? Faced with this question, the following objectives were listed: contextualize life and work of Maria Montessori, inserted in the social, political and economic development of Italy in the nineteenth and early twentieth century; make a rereading of Montessori’s principles in order to enhance these processes of teaching and learning of mathematics in the final years of elementary school, in the contemporary context; select, implement and analyze a proposal of activities making use of Montessori’s principles in a class of final years of elementary education at a school in Porto Alegre, addressing the contents of remarkable products and functions, using technology. To contextualize the life and the work of Maria Montessori, were made readings of her works and of works about her, and readings painting a panorama of Italy at the time in which she lived. Were also consulted works that use the tripod: mathematics, teaching and technology. With these, it was acquired knowledge to select, implement and analyze an educational proposal, following the Montessori’s principles and making use of technologies that can be applied by math teachers in the final years of elementary school. Through this research, it was verified that it is possible, in the contemporary context of time and school space, to keep alive the Montessori’s principles, so that the math teacher's action creates learning situations that respect the individuality and the rhythm of each student and promotes his self-education, without losing the connection with each other and with the world, in a perspective of education for peace.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2012-06-25Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:55:24Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 souza_mg_me_sjrp.pdf: 581425 bytes, checksum: b18d63e162945d518e02107298336079 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O contexto teletandem de ensino e aprendizagem de línguas, por meio de ferramentas de comunicação audiovisuais a distância, como o Skype, permite que aprendizes de línguas estabeleçam uma parceria virtual e colaborativa de aprendizagem de línguas, por meio da qual um ajuda o outro a aprender sua língua de proficiência. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo analisar como professores de espanhol vinculados a duas unidades dos Centros de Estudos de Línguas (CEL) em duas cidades do interior do estado de São Paulo, vivenciaram o primeiro contato com o contexto teletandem de aprendizagem de línguas, por meio de um curso de extensão semipresencial. A partir da análise do que os participantes dizem sobre o contexto teletandem, tendo em vista suas experiências como praticantes de teletandem e como possíveis implementadores dessa prática entre seus alunos, foi possível tecer reflexões sobre quais as possíveis implicações das experiências dos participantes para a inserção do contexto teletandem nos CELs e quais as possíveis contribuições desse contexto para a formação continuada de professores. Dentre as atividades requeridas aos participantes no decorrer do curso, foram considerados como procedimentos de coleta de material documentário para esta pesquisa a) os fóruns de discussão, b) os encontros presenciais, c) o perfil de cada participante disponibilizado na ferramenta Perfil, no TelEduc e d) reflexões da pesquisadora, a partir de duas oficinas pedagógicas, uma em cada cidade do curso, por meio das quais a análise dos dados foi apresentada e discutida com os participantes. Os trabalhos que fundamentam teoricamente esta pesquisa foram selecionados e organizados a partir dos quatro eixos temáticos, a seguir: a) teletandem, b) formação continuada de professor para o uso de tecnologia, c)... / As a teaching and learning context, and with the help of technological tools, such as Skype, teletandem allows pairs of foreign language learners to establish virtual collaborative partnerships by helping each other to learn their language of proficiency. The focus of this dissertation in on the analysis of teachers’ first contact and experiences with teletandem. Its theoretical framework focuses on (a) teletandem, (b) teachers’ continuing education for the use of technology, (c) use of technology in the public school system, (d) computer mediated communciation (CMC), and new technologies of information and communication (TICs). Such framework allowed the selection of texts that considered issues of technology in our times, its impact on teachers’ pedagogy and, more specifically, on teachers’ participation within the context of teletandem. The participants were teachers of Spanish working in two public high school language centers in two cities in the interior of São Paulo State, in Brazil. The teachers began by experiencing their first contact with teletandem in a blended continuing education course in which they studied the tandem theory. Contemporaneously, they themselves practiced teletandem (Spanish x Portuguese) with their colleagues - teachers of Portuguese from Uruguay. The research documentary materials were generated from these teachers’ practical experiences with teletandem and from what they said about them during the continuing education course. Data collection proceedings were (a) on-line discussion forums, (b) face to face reflective sessions, (c) teachers’ profiles on the learning platform TELEDUC and (d) the researcher’s reflections on two pedagogical workshops given to the participants in each of the two cities where the course was given, and when the researcher had the opportunity to share... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Em 1870, na Itália, nasce Maria Montessori. De uma criança e adolescente curiosa, surge uma mulher corajosa e com ideias à frente de seu tempo. Ingressa na Faculdade de medicina, tornando-se a primeira mulher a concluí-la em toda a Itália. Estuda filosofia, psicologia experimental e pedagogia na Faculdade de Filosofia da Universidade de Roma, voltando todos os seus esforços para a Educação. Após escrever livros e ministrar palestras sobre Educação, suas ideias percorrem o planeta e, hoje, são utilizadas em várias escolas, em diferentes países. Percebe-se nessas escolas que, em algum momento da vida do escolar, ocorre uma ruptura das ideias montessorianas, que param de ser usadas, normalmente, nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar a pesquisa que teve como questão norteadora: é possível fazer uma releitura da perspectiva montessoriana de modo a abordar alguns conteúdos que são trabalhados nos anos finais do ensino fundamental na disciplina de matemática? Diante de tal questão, foram elencados os seguintes objetivos: contextualizar a vida e as obras de Maria Montessori, inseridas no contexto social, político e econômico da Itália no século XIX e início do século XX; fazer uma releitura dos princípios montessorianos de modo a potencializar tais processos de ensino e aprendizagem da matemática nos anos finais do ensino fundamental, no contexto contemporâneo; selecionar, aplicar e analisar uma proposta de atividades fazendo uso dos princípios montessorianos em uma turma dos anos finais do ensino fundamental de uma escola de Porto Alegre, abordando os conteúdos de produtos notáveis e funções, utilizando tecnologias. Para contextualizar a vida e as obras de Maria Montessori, foram feitas leituras de suas obras e de obras a seu respeito, além de leituras que traçam um panorama da Itália na época em que viveu. Também foram consultadas obras que se utilizem do tripé: matemática, didática e tecnologia. Com isso, foi adquirido conhecimento para selecionar, aplicar e analisar uma proposta de ensino, seguindo os princípios montessorianos e fazendo uso de tecnologias, que poderá ser utilizada por professores de matemática nos anos finais do ensino fundamental. Com a pesquisa, verificou-se que é possível, no contexto contemporâneo de tempo e espaço escolar, manter vivos os princípios montessorianos, de modo que a ação do professor de matemática crie situações de aprendizagem que respeitem a individualidade e o ritmo de cada aluno e que promovam sua autoeducação, sem que se perca a conexão com o outro e com o mundo, na perspectiva de uma educação para a paz. / In 1870, in Italy, Maria Montessori was born. A curious child became a brave woman with ideas ahead of her time. She joined the Medical School, becoming the first woman to complete it throughout Italy. She studied philosophy, experimental psychology and pedagogy at the Faculty of Philosophy of Rome University, returning all her efforts to Education. After writing books and giving lectures on Education, her ideas roam the planet and are now used in several schools in different countries. It can be seen in these schools that, at some point in the school life, there is a rupture of Montessori’s ideas, when they stop being used, usually in the early years of elementary school. The aim of this work is to present the research that had as its guiding question: is it possible to make a rereading of Montessori’s approach in order to address some contents that are worked in the final years of elementary school in mathematics? Faced with this question, the following objectives were listed: contextualize life and work of Maria Montessori, inserted in the social, political and economic development of Italy in the nineteenth and early twentieth century; make a rereading of Montessori’s principles in order to enhance these processes of teaching and learning of mathematics in the final years of elementary school, in the contemporary context; select, implement and analyze a proposal of activities making use of Montessori’s principles in a class of final years of elementary education at a school in Porto Alegre, addressing the contents of remarkable products and functions, using technology. To contextualize the life and the work of Maria Montessori, were made readings of her works and of works about her, and readings painting a panorama of Italy at the time in which she lived. Were also consulted works that use the tripod: mathematics, teaching and technology. With these, it was acquired knowledge to select, implement and analyze an educational proposal, following the Montessori’s principles and making use of technologies that can be applied by math teachers in the final years of elementary school. Through this research, it was verified that it is possible, in the contemporary context of time and school space, to keep alive the Montessori’s principles, so that the math teacher's action creates learning situations that respect the individuality and the rhythm of each student and promotes his self-education, without losing the connection with each other and with the world, in a perspective of education for peace.

E-learning refers to computer-based learning experiences, self-paced or instructor-led, supported and enabled by information technology. Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), as a major form of e-learning systems, are increasingly adopted in universities and educational institutions for supporting various types of learning. Student engagement is critical for successful teaching and learning in VLEs. In existing VLEs, feeling isolated without adequate supervision from teachers may cause negative emotions such as anxiety. Such emotions may in turn significantly weaken students'motivation to engage in learning activities. In addition, the lack of effective interaction in learning activities also results in poor performance and engagement, even dropouts from online courses. In this thesis, we explore a set of approaches and tools to enhance student engagement and interaction in e-learning environments: (1) extract valuable information from the user posts in online course forums to advise the content organization of web pages; (2) instantly monitor and visualize students' interaction statuses in instructor-led learning; (3) identify and highlight the hotspot time slots and contents of the lecture recordings; (4) dynamically provide biofeedback-based visualization via wearable devices to reduce students' anxiety in self-paced learning.;We present a page-segmentation-based wrapper (eCF-wrapper) designed for extracting learner-posted data in online course forums. It consists of a novel page segmentation algorithm and a decision tree classifier. We also develop a web-based interaction-aware VLE (WebIntera-classroom), which employs a ubiquitous interactive interface to enhance the learner-to-content interactions, and a learning analytics tool to instantly visualize learners'interactions in learning activities. Additionally, we propose a high--granularity Learning Analytics Engine (hgLAE) to play a lecture recording, identify hotspots in a lecture recording and raise students'awareness of these hotspots. A questionnaire survey, interview and case study were conducted to investigate the instruction effect of WebIntera-classroom. Besides, we develop a physiologically-state-aware self-paced learning environment (FishBuddy) to alleviate anxiety and promote student engagement in self-paced learning by using wearable technology. The between-groups evaluation result shows that FishBuddy is useful in promoting student engagement (i.e., the consistency of engagement), and the students' self-reports indicate that FishBuddy is helpful for reducing anxiety and experience of isolation during the self-paced learning exercises.;Finally, the thesis is concluded with a discussion on the future work. Keywords: Virtual Learning Environment; Learning Analytics; Interaction; Engagement; Wearable Technology.

The purpose of this correlational research study was to determine if students’ academic success was correlated with: (a) the student change in achievement during an engineering design challenge; and (b) student change in mental motivation toward solving problems and critical thinking during an engineering design challenge. Multiple experimental studies have shown engineering design challenges increase student achievement and attitude toward learning, but conflicting evidence surrounded the impact on higher and lower academically achieving students. A high school classroom was chosen in which elements of engineering design were purposefully taught. Eleventh-grade student participants represented a diverse set of academic backgrounds (measured by grade point average [GPA]). Participants were measured in terms of achievement and mental motivation at three time points. Longitudinal multilevel modeling techniques were employed to identify significant predictors in achievement growth and mental motivation growth during the school year. Student achievement was significantly correlated with science GPA, but not math or communication GPA. Changes in achievement score over time are not significantly correlated with science, math, or communication. Mental motivation was measured by five subscales. Mental focus was correlated with math and science GPA. Mental focus increases over time were negatively correlated with science GPA, which indicated that the initial score differential (between higher and lower science GPA students) was decreased over time. Learning orientation and cognitive integrity were not correlated with GPA. Creative problem solving was correlated with science GPA, but gains over time were not correlated with GPA. Scholarly rigor was correlated with science GPA, but change over time was not correlated with GPA. (284 pages)

No description available.

Two ideas are prevalent in teacher professional development today. Teachers are finding new and innovative ways to incorporate technology into their classroom. The use of video and social media is increasing. One type of pedagogy that has emerged among the blended learning pedagogies is flipped instruction, where students participate in some of the instruction outside of the classroom. Another prevalent idea is the focus on inquiry learning and reform-based mathematics instruction. This pedagogy adheres to the idea that students can use their problem solving skills to understand complex mathematics. This qualitative content analysis outlines how one researcher sought to find a balance between the two ideas. The two ideas conflicted at times, but the researcher ultimately found innovative ways to reconcile those conflicts. The study describes how one fourth-grade class used a website to engage in mathematics conversations in a blended learning environment. This blended learning environment maintained the values of a reform-based mathematics classroom. The researcher found that students engaged in conversation online contained instances where students formed theories, questioned one another's theories, built on the thinking of other students, used precise and formal language, and used evidence to support student thinking. Teachers that implement blended learning or flipped instruction should seek out methods that adhere to an inquiry approach to teaching mathematics. The researcher also found that the development of a student in a particular conceptual understanding may have an impact on the depth of conversation they engage in.

Through the centuries, institutions of higher education, and the people who labor in those institutions, have helped countless millions to learn--to stretch their boundaries, to think creatively, to find joy in discovery, and to create new knowledge that benefits the world in a myriad of ways. Yet while the knowledge produced through our educational process has transformed the world, the process of teaching and learning within these institutions has remained largely unexplored and unchanged over the centuries (Bass, 2009; Duderstadt, Atkins, & Van Houweling, 2002; Woolsey, 2008). In recent years, the advent and rapid development of information technology has provided us with a previously unimaginable opportunity to rethink how teaching and learning take place in higher education. In order to make the most of potential gains in teaching and learning, academic technology initiatives require both technological and pedagogical expertise. However, while the need for effective collaborations between the groups responsible for these two areas, the Offices of Academic Computing and Centers for Teaching at institutions of higher education has been articulated (Albright & Nworie, 2008; Allison & DeBlois, 2008; Woolsey, 2008), the mechanisms for developing and maintaining such collaborations are not clearly understood (Albright & Nworie, 2008; Ives & Steinbrenner, 2005). In an effort to fill this gap in knowledge, this study focuses on generating a portrait of successful collaborative efforts between academic technology professionals and pedagogical specialists. Using multiple case studies as a methodological approach, this study examines the characteristics of collaboration at three universities, including their history; factors that lead to the successful establishment of collaborations; challenges and barriers and how these are approached; and whether there is evidence that collaborations result in better outcomes in the implementation of academic technology. The study is particularly timely given that information technology is playing an increasingly central role in every aspect of higher education. A better understanding of the characteristics of inter-group collaborations around academic technology, including the barriers to creating effective collaborative relationships, will help institutions respond to the challenge of harnessing technology's potential to positively transform the process of teaching and learning in contemporary higher education.