The online future of Science and Engineering education: The essential elements of laboratory-based learning for remote-access implementation. Laboratory classes are a critical part of science and engineering degree programs, but there has been little research into what actually takes place within them. Remote laboratories, in which students control equipment via the internet, are one potential solution for accommodating rising numbers of students, but the interfaces must be developed to effectiv ....The online future of Science and Engineering education: The essential elements of laboratory-based learning for remote-access implementation. Laboratory classes are a critical part of science and engineering degree programs, but there has been little research into what actually takes place within them. Remote laboratories, in which students control equipment via the internet, are one potential solution for accommodating rising numbers of students, but the interfaces must be developed to effectively support student learning. This project will investigate how students interact with equipment, each other, and with laboratory demonstrators in order to determine the crucial components of effective laboratory learning experiences. It will identify and characterise the interactions of students in laboratory classes, and develop mechanisms to support these interactions remotely.Read moreRead less
The Quality of Learning as Students Create Digital Explanations of Science. University science learners will become our future scientists and science teachers and thus need to develop content expertise and communications skills during their studies. This interdisciplinary project will examine the quality of learning as university science students create digital explanations of science concepts. Learning with digital technologies is increasingly common across many science contexts and this projec ....The Quality of Learning as Students Create Digital Explanations of Science. University science learners will become our future scientists and science teachers and thus need to develop content expertise and communications skills during their studies. This interdisciplinary project will examine the quality of learning as university science students create digital explanations of science concepts. Learning with digital technologies is increasingly common across many science contexts and this project aims to develop evidence about the quality and durability of the science learning as well as theoretical insights about multimodal literacy development in the process of creating digital explanations. Research into the quality of learning resulting from innovative strategies to learn science through digital technologies is significant for the future of Australia’s knowledge economy and creating a digital explanation shows promise for enhancing both engagement and quality of learning among university science students.Read moreRead less
Conceptualising digital play: The role of tablet technologies in the development of imaginative play of young children. Interacting with digital technologies is no longer restricted to the desktop. Portable devices have become more affordable and accessible resulting in their increased use by young children. How to optimise the influence of interactions with the devices in ways that they enrich rather than hinder child development becomes critical. The aim of this study is to investigate the int ....Conceptualising digital play: The role of tablet technologies in the development of imaginative play of young children. Interacting with digital technologies is no longer restricted to the desktop. Portable devices have become more affordable and accessible resulting in their increased use by young children. How to optimise the influence of interactions with the devices in ways that they enrich rather than hinder child development becomes critical. The aim of this study is to investigate the inter-relationship between the technologies and imaginative play - the renowned developmental force in the early years. By utilising theoretically based criteria, and considering the perspectives of children and their families, this study will develop principles for developmentally sound use of tablet technologies in children's digital play.Read moreRead less
Advancing future primary teachers' engagement in science inquiry learning. Australia's challenges in regard to scientific literacy and growth of student enrolments in science need to be addressed at multiple levels, starting with the preparation of future primary teachers. Promoting children's early interest in inquiry-based science is essential, yet a challenge for many teachers. This project examines the complex and dynamic interplay of cognitive, metacognitive and emotional processes in futur ....Advancing future primary teachers' engagement in science inquiry learning. Australia's challenges in regard to scientific literacy and growth of student enrolments in science need to be addressed at multiple levels, starting with the preparation of future primary teachers. Promoting children's early interest in inquiry-based science is essential, yet a challenge for many teachers. This project examines the complex and dynamic interplay of cognitive, metacognitive and emotional processes in future primary teachers' engagement in collaborative inquiry-based science activities. A comprehensive intervention based on these insights aims to determine how scaffolding productive engagement can improve the quality of primary teachers' preparation for inquiry-based science.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101053
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$369,000.00
Summary
Engaging Science Students Emotionally by Fostering Positive Social Bonds. To address the problem of student disaffection with junior school science, this project aims to identify characteristics of interpersonal relationships or social bonds between teachers and students, and students and peers, that influence classroom learning and emotional engagement with science. Increasing engagement in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is important for supporting Australia ....Engaging Science Students Emotionally by Fostering Positive Social Bonds. To address the problem of student disaffection with junior school science, this project aims to identify characteristics of interpersonal relationships or social bonds between teachers and students, and students and peers, that influence classroom learning and emotional engagement with science. Increasing engagement in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is important for supporting Australia’s economic future. Facilitating positive social bonds in science classrooms is likely to improve student engagement. Outcomes from the study are expected to benefit educators, researchers, and policy-makers by identifying ways of fostering positive social bonds and facilitating engagement and learning in science.Read moreRead less
Modelling with data: Advancing STEM in the primary curriculum. Improving the nation's skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) remains a continuing concern, especially given the decline in international test results. The project aims to introduce a new approach to promoting this learning across grades 3-6 through modelling with data. With a focus on inquiry processes involving data variation and uncertainty within STEM-based contexts, the project aims to develop the imp ....Modelling with data: Advancing STEM in the primary curriculum. Improving the nation's skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) remains a continuing concern, especially given the decline in international test results. The project aims to introduce a new approach to promoting this learning across grades 3-6 through modelling with data. With a focus on inquiry processes involving data variation and uncertainty within STEM-based contexts, the project aims to develop the important mathematical and statistical literacies needed for lifting student achievements. In advancing both theory and practice, the project aims to contribute to knowledge of primary students' capabilities for STEM problem solving and ways of enhancing implementation of the Australian Curriculum.Read moreRead less
Exploring quality primary education in different cultures: a cross-national study of teaching and learning in primary science classrooms. This project uses video studies of primary science classrooms in Australia, Taiwan, and Germany to explore teaching and learning practices, situated in diverse cultures, which provide opportunities for quality reasoning and learning in science. The findings will inform primary science teacher education to improve student achievement.
Developmental engineering education in the primary school. Primary school students will learn about engineers and how engineering shapes our society. Students will develop important design processes in solving authentic, engineering-based problems. Their learning in the increasingly important science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) area will be enhanced, providing a foundation for addressing the increasing skills shortage in engineering.
Modelling with design: learning innovation across primary science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This project aims to introduce a new approach to advancing mathematics learning and problem solving across grades four to six. This project expects to generate new knowledge by building on primary school students’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competencies across several years. The project will establish critical foundations for advancing core mathematics ....Modelling with design: learning innovation across primary science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This project aims to introduce a new approach to advancing mathematics learning and problem solving across grades four to six. This project expects to generate new knowledge by building on primary school students’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competencies across several years. The project will establish critical foundations for advancing core mathematics content and multidisciplinary problem-solving knowledge. Expected outcomes include evidencebased findings and resources to inform ways to stimulate, sustain, and improve achievement across the STEM disciplines.Read moreRead less
Emotional learning in socioscientific issues for enhancement of scientific literacy. This project will aim to address international concerns about waning student interest and participation in science by engaging middle school students imaginatively in socioscientific issues. Expected outcomes will enhance students' scientific literacy, and the production of positive emotional energy and the classroom emotional climate.