Over the last two decades, institutions for higher education such as universities and colleges have rapidly expanded and as a result have experienced profound changes in processes of research and organization. However, the rapid expansion and change has fuelled concerns about issues such as educators' technology professional development. Despite the educational value of emerging technologies in schools, the introduction has not yet enjoyed much success. Effective use of information and communication technologies requires a substantial change in pedagogical practice. Traditional training and learning approaches cannot cope with the rising demand on educators to make use of innovative technologies in their teaching. As a result, educational institutions as well as the public are more and more aware of the need for adequate technology professional development. The focus of this paper is to look at action research as a qualitative research methodology for studying technology professional development in HE in order to improve teaching and learning with ICTs at the tertiary level. The data discussed in this paper have been drawn from a cross institutional setting at Fontys University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands. The data were collected and analysed according to a qualitative approach.
DOCUMENT
Dit Trendrapport Open Educational Resources 2013 beschrijft de trends op het gebied van open educational resources (OER) en open onderwijs in binnen- en buitenland, geschreven vanuit de context van het Nederlandse hoger onderwijs. Dat gebeurt aan de hand van vijftien artikelen van Nederlandse experts op het gebied van open en online onderwijs. Ook bevat het vijftien korte intermezzo’s met spraakmakende voorbeelden.
DOCUMENT
Integrated curricula seem promising for the increase of attention on science and technology in primary education. A clear picture of the advantages and disadvantages of integration efforts could help curriculum innovation. This review has focussed on integrated curricula in primary education from 1994 to 2011. The integrated curricula were categorized according to a taxonomy of integration types synthesized from the literature. The characteristics that we deemed important were related to learning outcomes and success/fail factors. A focus group was formed to facilitate the process of analysis and to test tentative conclusions. We concluded that the levels in our taxonomy were linked to (a) student knowledge and skills, the enthusiasm generated among students and teachers, and the teacher commitment that was generated; and (b) the teacher commitment needed, the duration of the innovation effort, the volume and comprehensiveness of required teacher professional development, the necessary teacher support, and the effort needed to overcome tensions with standard curricula. Almost all projects were effective in increasing the time spent on science at school. Our model resolves Czerniac’s definition problem of integrating curricula in a productive manner, and it forms a practical basis for decision-making by making clear what is needed and what output can be expected when plans are being formulated to implement integrated education.
DOCUMENT
Out-of-school science educational activities, such as school visits to a science center, aim at stimulating pupils’ science talent. Science talent is a developmental potential that takes the form of talented behaviors such as curiosity and conceptual understanding. This dissertation investigates whether and how out-of-school science activities contribute to the elicitation, emergence, and development of pupils’ science talent. The context of this thesis is the Northern Netherlands Science Network, an alliance of primary schools, out-of-school science facilities, the university of Groningen, and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences (www.wknn.nl). Interviews with the schools on their starting position showed that adequate communication between schools and out-of-school facilities is necessary to coordinate the participants’ educational goals. Secondly, the elicitation and expression of science talent was studied in the micro-interactions between pupils and their educator (classroom teacher or facility instructor). To do so, a multivariate coding scheme was developed to measure Pedagogical Content Knowledge expressed in real-time interaction (EPCK). The interaction shows a variable pattern over time. Sometimes episodes of high-level EPCK — so-called talent moments — emerge, in which talented pupil behavior in the form of pupils’ conceptual understanding, and talent elicitation by the educator in the form of open teaching focused on conceptual understanding, determine one another. These talent moments only occur in activities that were prepared in the classroom and with educators who were trained to evoke conceptual understanding. Under these conditions, out of school science activities can contribute to the elicitation and development of science talent in primary school pupils.AB - Out-of-school science educational activities, such as school visits to a science center, aim at stimulating pupils’ science talent. Science talent is a developmental potential that takes the form of talented behaviors such as curiosity and conceptual understanding. This dissertation investigates whether and how out-of-school science activities contribute to the elicitation, emergence, and development of pupils’ science talent. The context of this thesis is the Northern Netherlands Science Network, an alliance of primary schools, out-of-school science facilities, the university of Groningen, and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences (www.wknn.nl). Interviews with the schools on their starting position showed that adequate communication between schools and out-of-school facilities is necessary to coordinate the participants’ educational goals. Secondly, the elicitation and expression of science talent was studied in the micro-interactions between pupils and their educator (classroom teacher or facility instructor). To do so, a multivariate coding scheme was developed to measure Pedagogical Content Knowledge expressed in real-time interaction (EPCK). The interaction shows a variable pattern over time. Sometimes episodes of high-level EPCK — so-called talent moments — emerge, in which talented pupil behavior in the form of pupils’ conceptual understanding, and talent elicitation by the educator in the form of open teaching focused on conceptual understanding, determine one another. These talent moments only occur in activities that were prepared in the classroom and with educators who were trained to evoke conceptual understanding. Under these conditions, out of school science activities can contribute to the elicitation and development of science talent in primary school pupils.
LINK
In this study, a data feedback program to improve teachers’ science and technology (S&T) teaching skills was designed and tested. The aim was to understand whether and how the four design principles underlying this program stimulated the intended teacher support. We examined how teachers in different phases of their career applied and experienced the employed design principles’ key aspects. Eight in-service teachers and eight pre-service teachers attended the data feedback program and kept a logbook in the meantime. Group interviews were held afterwards. Findings show that applying the four employed design principles’ key aspects did support and stimulate in- and pre-service teachers in carrying out data feedback for improving their S&T teaching. However, some key aspects were not applied and/or experienced as intended by all attending teachers. The findings provide possible implications for the development and implementation of professional development programs to support in - and pre-service teachers’ S&T teaching using data feedback.
DOCUMENT
The importance of teaching engineering students innovation development is commonly clearly understood. It is essential to achieve products which are attractive and profitable in the market. To achieve this, an institute of engineering education has to provide students with needed knowledge, skills and attitudes including both technical and business orientation. This is important especially for SME’s. Traditionally, education of engineering provides students with basic understanding how to solve common technical problems. However companies need wider view to achieve new products. Universities of applied Sciences in Oulu and Eindhoven want to research what is the today’s educational situation for this aim, to find criteria to improve the content of the educational system, and to improve the educational system. Important stakeholders are teachers and students within the institute but also key-persons in companies. The research is realized by questionnaires and interviews from which a current situation can be found. The research will also include the opinion of management who give possibilities to change the curriculum. By this research more insight will be presented about how to re-design a current curriculum. The research will act as basis for this discussion in SEFI-conference about formulating a curriculum that includes elements for wide-ranging knowledge and skills to achieve innovations especially in SME’s.
DOCUMENT
The importance of teaching engineering students innovation development is commonly clearly understood. It is essential to achieve products which are attractive and profitable in the market. To achieve this, an institute of engineering education has to provide students with needed knowledge, skills and attitudes including both technical and business orientation. This is important especially for SME’s. Traditionally, education of engineering provides students with basic understanding how to solve common technical problems. However companies need wider view to achieve new products. Universities of applied Sciences in Oulu and Eindhoven want to research what is the today’s educational situation for this aim, to find criteria to improve the content of the educational system, and to improve the educational system. Important stakeholders are teachers and students within the institute but also key-persons in companies. The research is realized by questionnaires and interviews from which a current situation can be found. The research will also include the opinion of management who give possibilities to change the curriculum. By this research more insight will be presented about how to re-design a current curriculum. The research will act as basis for this discussion in SEFI-conference about formulating a curriculum that includes elements for wide-ranging knowledge and skills to achieve innovations especially in SME’s.
DOCUMENT
The evolving landscape of science communication highlights a shift from traditional dissemination to participatory engagement. This study explores Dutch citizens’ perspectives on science communication, focusing on science capital, public engagement, and communication goals. Using a mixed-methods approach, it combines survey data (n = 376) with focus group (n = 66) insights. Findings show increasing public interest in participating in science, though barriers like knowledge gaps persist. Trust-building, engaging adolescents, and integrating science into society were identified as key goals. These insights support the development of the Netherlands’ National Centre of Expertise on Science and Society and provide guidance for inclusive, effective science communication practices.
LINK
Beschrijving van toegevoegde waarde van een meer geïntegreerde benadering van openheid bij open science en open education.
DOCUMENT
Using socio-scientific issues as a learning context is an effective approach to achieve an important goal in science education, which is to enhance scientific literacy. It involves strengthening skills such as argumentation while also improving an understanding of the Nature of Science and imparting content knowledge. The present study evaluates the impact of a web-based educational instrument consisting of a unique combination of features designed to promote students’ development of skills and knowledge as well as to address the challenges faced by teachers in teaching socio-scientific issues. Participants included 423 students in secondary education. Students in the experimental condition received a three-lesson intervention with the educational instrument, and students in the control condition followed their regular science lessons. Findings indicated that the instrument proves effective in fostering learning outcomes while teachers benefit from the shift of managing classroom discussion to individual guidance of students. Applying the educational instrument in the classroom demonstrates promise in improving student engagement and their comprehension of socio-scientific issues.
DOCUMENT
