Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

A Novel 3d+Mea Approach To Authentic Engineering Education For Teacher Professional Development: Design Principles And Outcomes, Melissa Dyehouse, Adam L. Santone, Zahid Kisa, Ronald L. Carr, Rabieh Razzouk

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

This paper describes the design principles and implementation of a novel approach for a K–12 teacher professional development (PD) program. The approach integrates training focused on development of model eliciting activities (MEAs) within authentic engineering design tasks, collaborative 3D model design and fabrication, and inspirational site visits with access to active engineers to enhance understanding of current issues faced by NASA aerospace researchers. Throughout the training, participants collaborated with program staff including engineering, 3D graphics, education, and MEA specialists to develop research-related MEAs with accompanying 3Dprinted manipulatives. The purpose of this article is to provide a framework for engineering education …

The Nature Of Teaching: Connecting K-5 Teachers And Students With Nature, Rebecca Busse

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

No abstract provided.

Library Sprouts: Cultivating Innovative Partnerships For Early Learning, Mary Jane Eisenhauer

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

No abstract provided.

Search And Review Of The Literature On Engineering Design Challenges In Secondary School Settings, Matthew Lammi, Cameron Denson, Paul Asunda

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Engineering design activities offer the promise of enhanced learning and teaching in pre-college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) settings. The wide variation and lack of coherence in research and practice concerning pre-college engineering design challenges necessitates an investigation of the literature. The overarching research question guiding this search and review of literature was, ‘‘How are engineering design challenges conceptualized in pre-college environments?’’ A search and review coupled with iterative thematic analysis was employed to understand and conceptualize the current body of literature on pre-college engineering design challenges. It is anticipated that this review will provide a general picture of …

Why Teach With Pbl? Motivational Factors Underlying Middle And High School Teachers’ Use Of Problem-Based Learning, Huei-Chen Lee, Margaret R. Blanchard

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This quantitative study examined factors underlying middle and high school teachers’ choices about whether to use problem-based learning (PBL). Survey items measured respondents’ perceived competence, autonomy, and relatedness, and the value and costs they placed on implementing PBL. Teachers who have taught with PBL (n = 126) had significantly more formal PBL professional development, higher levels of perceived competence and value for this pedagogy, perceived more support from peers, and perceived lower costs than did the non–PBL use teachers (n = 30). Findings highlight the importance of formal PBL professional development in increasing teachers’ intention to implement PBL …

Developing Clinical Reasoning Skills In Teacher Candidates Using A Problem-Based Learning Approach, Terry L. Goodin, Nancy G. Caukin, Heather K. Dillard

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

In 2013, the Educational Leadership Department at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) implemented a redesign of the teacher preparation program to transition from a traditional on-campus model to one delivered both on-campus and in off-campus school sites while using a problem-based learning method. This new program closely follows the medical school model of residency experiences coupled with problem-based learning events. This article describes the problembased learning process used in this program, comparing it with the early versions of medical school problem-based learning that encouraged the development of “clinical reasoning” skills. Similarities and differences are highlighted, along with key components of …

Taking Professional Development From 2d To 3d: Design-Based Learning, 2d Modeling, And 3d Fabrication For Authentic Standards-Aligned Lesson Plans, Darran R. Cairns, Reagan Curtis, Konstantinos A. Sierros, Johnna J. Bolyard

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

There is currently significant interest in 3D fabrication in middle school classrooms. At its best 3D printing can be utilized in authentic design projects that integrate math, science, and technology, which facilitate deep learning by students. In essence, students are able to tinker in a virtual world using 3D design software and then tinker in the real world using printed parts. We describe a professional development activity we designed to enable middle school teachers who had taken part in a three-year Math Science Partnership program to authentically integrate 3D printing into design-based lessons. We include some examples of successful design-based …

Exploring Problem-Based Learning For Middle School Design And Engineering Education In Digital Fabrication Laboratories, Monica M. Chan, Paulo Blikstein

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This is a research study of design and engineering classes that use a problem-based learning (PBL) approach in digital fabrication makerspaces in two middle schools. In these studies, teachers employ a PBL approach and provide an ill-structured problem scenario to facilitate design and engineering lessons in the FabLab (fabrication laboratory). Students in each school tackled different challenges that they defined for themselves in groups. This study provides examples of student-student interactions separated into key themes—defining specifications with teammates, personal exploration, and communication about discoveries. This study also provides examples of teacher-student interactions, and themes include demonstrations with tangible objects, discussing …

Children’S Negotiations Of Visualization Skills During A Design-Based Learning Experience Using Nondigital And Digital Techniques, Shaunna Smith

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

In the context of a 10-day summer camp makerspace experience that employed design-based learning (DBL) strategies, the purpose of this descriptive case study was to better understand the ways in which children use visualization skills to negotiate design as they move back and forth between the world of nondigital design techniques (i.e., drawing, 3-D drawing with hot glue, sculpture, discussion, writing) and digital technologies (i.e., 3-D scanning, 3-D modeling, 3-D printing). Participants included 20 children aged 6–12. This research was guided by Vossoughi, Hooper, and Escudé’s (2016) call for explicit attention to pedagogical practices during the integration of “making” activities. …

Tinkering With Logo In An Elementary Mathematics Methods Course, Keri Duncan Valentine

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

With an increased push to integrate coding and computational literacy in K–12 learning environments, teacher educators will need to consider ways they might support preservice teachers (PSTs). This paper details a tinkering approach used to engage PSTs in thinking computationally as they worked with geometric concepts they will be expected to teach in K–5. Experiences programming in Logo to construct authentic artifacts in the form of two-dimensional geometric graphics not only supported PSTs’ understanding of core geometric and spatial concepts, but also helped them to make connections between mathematics and computational literacy. Artifacts and discourse are discussed as they relate …

Ascertaining The Impact Of P–12 Engineering Education Initiatives: Student Impact Through Teacher Impact, Marissa H. Forbes, Jacquelyn F. Sullivan, Denise W. Carlson

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

The widespread need to address both science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and STEM workforce development is persistent. Underscored by the Next Generation Science Standards, demand is high for P–12 engineering-centered curricula. TeachEngineering is a free, standards-aligned NSF-funded digital library of more than 1,500 hands-on, design-rich K–12 engineering lessons and activities. Beyond anonymous site-user counts, the impact of the TeachEngineering collection and outreach initiatives on the education of children and their teachers was previously unknown. Thus, the project team wrestled with the question of how to meaningfully ascertain classroom impacts of the digital engineering education library and—more broadly—how to …

Teamwork Makes The Dream Work: Purdue's Impact Course Transformation Faculty Learning Community, Karen Neubauer, Wanju Huang, Rachel Fundator, Hua Cai, Nicole Hands, Mark Zimpfer, Xiumin Diao, Jason B. Reed

IMPACT Presentations

Describes the collaborative faculty learning community established within a specific IMPACT team from the Spring 2017 Cohort. Describes the IMPACT course redesign program and experiences of the individual faculty fellows working within the team to redesign their courses.

The Iterative Development And Use Of An Online Problem-Based Learning Module For Preservice And Inservice Teachers, Peter Rillero, Laurie Camposeco

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Teachers’ problem-based learning knowledge, abilities, and attitudes are important factors in successful K–12 PBL implementations. This article describes the development and use of a free, online module entitled Design a Problem-Based Learning Experience. The module production, aligned with theories of andragogy, was a partnership between the recipients of a grant using PBL to enhance English language learner education and the Sanford Inspire Program. A multistage evaluation design was used in the iterative process of module creation. Starting with an initial white paper, the module’s conceptualization, development, pilot testing, and refinement are described, along with the current use statistics. The URL …

Problem-Based Teacher-Mentor Education: Fostering Literacy Acquisition In Multicultural Classrooms, Pamela Hartman, Corinne Renguette, Mary Theresa Seig

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

We designed a professional development (PD) teacher-mentor program that used problem-based learning (PBL) to accomplish two goals. First, teachers explored how PBL could be used effectively in their classrooms to change the way they think about teaching to include literacy development in content areas. Second, PBL was the basis for PD training to help them improve their own knowledge of PBL, become mentors to other teachers, and implement PBL in their schools across content areas.

Educators in the United States are challenged to teach linguistically and culturally diverse (LCD) students with differing literacy levels. The demographics of U.S. classrooms require …

The Power Of Co-Teaching: Academic English Learning With Interactive Support, Kyongson Park

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

This presentation is a report on an ELL teacher’s mainstream class observations, co-teaching experiences with a local language arts teacher, and surveying with students for a semester. As Short and Echevarria (2016) state, “academic language is a second language for all students” (p. 2) and every student is an academic English learner. This study examines how teachers find the gap between theory and practice by taking on multiple roles in classrooms and providing diverse support (Gottlieb, 2015). This leads to enhanced academic language learning which could meet the academic standards. The implemented project focused on creating an autobiographical book with …

An Expert Instructor’S Use Of Social Congruence, Cognitive Congruence, And Expertise In An Online Case-Based Instructional Design Course, Sunnie Lee Watson, Adrie A. Koehler, Peggy Ertmer, Woori Kim, Rudy Rico

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Promoting and sustaining effective discussion—that which contributes to learning—is a skill that eludes many instructors (Darling-Hammond, 2008; Ge, Yamashiro, & Lee, 2000). This study explored the role and strategies of an expert instructor in an online advanced instructional design (ID) course that utilized a case-based learning (CBL) approach. Discussion posts, as well as interview data, were analyzed and coded to explore how the instructor utilized three strategies noted as being critical to students’ learning during problem-centered discussions: social congruence, cognitive congruence, and content expertise (Schmidt & Moust, 1995; Yew & Yong, 2014). Results showed that facilitation choices were made with …

Problem-Based Learning Pedagogies In Teacher Education: The Case Of Botswana, Thenjiwe Major, Thalia M. Mulvihill Dr.

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

The development of primary school teachers is an important aspect of a country’s economic, social, and political well-being. The use of particular pedagogies in teacher education may greatly influence how teachers perform in their classrooms after completing their training programs. This micro-ethnography investigated the extent to which teacher educators in Botswana’s College of Education used problem-based learning (PBL) approaches in the development of preservice primary teachers. While the findings of this micro-ethnography showed that particular teacher educators rarely used problem-based learning approaches, the accompanying insights helped to bring a deeper understanding of what is needed for Botswana’s teacher education program …

Housing Diversity In Children’S Literature, Carla Earhart

Charleston Library Conference

Previous studies have examined diversity in children’s literature: Gender diversity, racial diversity, religious diversity, and diversity in family composition. This project examines an often overlooked diversity issue in children’s literature: Housing diversity. In the stories they read and the accompanying images, children need to see a variety of housing environments and need to see the settings and the people portrayed in a positive manner.

Renting an apartment is an increasingly popular housing option for many families. However, many children’s books glamorize living in a traditional house. Using a rubric designed by the course instructor, students in a university immersive learning …

Everyone Is An Academic English Learner: Interactive Support In Mainstream Classrooms, Kyongson Park

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

This article is a report on an English language learner (ELL) teacher’s mainstream class observations, coteaching experiences with a local language arts teacher, and surveying with students for a semester. As Short and Echevarria (2016, p. 2) state, “academic language is a second language for all students,” and every student is an academic English learner. This study examines how teachers bridge the gap between theory and practice by taking on multiple roles in classrooms and providing diverse support (Gottlieb, 2015). The implemented project focused on creating an autobiographical book with students themselves as centerpieces. The main purpose was to provide …

Course Transformation: Measuring Improvements In Student Learning, Daniel Guberman, Erica Layow, Emily Bonem

IMPACT Presentations

Presentation on the outcomes and assessment measures for Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation (IMPACT) program on student academic performance at the International Society of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSoTL) Conference. Proves a agriculture economics example for the course transformation decisions.

Anticipating Change: An Exploratory Analysis Of Teachers’ Conceptions Of Engineering In An Era Of Science Education Reform, Tesha Sengupta-Irving, Janet Mercado

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

While integrating engineering into science education is not new in the United States, technology and engineering have not been well emphasized in the preparation and professional development of science teachers. Recent science education reforms integrate science and engineering throughout K–12 education, making it imperative to explore the conceptions teachers hold of engineering as a discipline, and as an approach to teaching. This analysis draws on focus group interviews with practicing secondary teachers (n = 12) conducted during a professional development seminar. The goals of the seminar were to present engineering as a heterogeneity of practices and inquiries organized to …

Setting The Standard For Project Based Learning: A Proven Approach To Rigorous Classroom Instruction, Michael Dias, Laurie Brantley-Dias

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

No abstract provided.

Engaged Learning: Impact Of Pbl And Pjbl With Elementary And Middle Grade Students, Sharon Dole, Lisa Bloom, Kristy K. Doss

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This study used structured online interviews with teachers to examine the impact that inquiry-based teaching methods had on their students. The research question was the following: What are the effects on student learning and motivation as a result of teachers using problem-based and project-based learning? Interviews were conducted with 36 teachers, followed up by telephone interviews with four teachers. Participants had taken a hybrid course consisting of four weeks online followed by a one-week intensive field experience facilitating problem-based and project-based learning with children in grades 1–9. Student-related themes that resulted from the data analysis are grouped under the main …

Perspectives On Failure In The Classroom By Elementary Teachers New To Teaching Engineering, Pamela S. Lottero-Perdue, Elizabeth A. Parry

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

This mixed methods study examines perspectives on failure in the classroom by elementary teachers new to teaching engineering. The study participants included 254 teachers in third, fourth, and fifth grade who responded to survey questions about failure, as well as a subset of 38 of those teachers who participated in interviews about failure. The study first examines the literature about failure in the contexts of engineering and education. Failure is positioned as largely normative and expected in engineering, whereas in education, learning and failure have a more tenuous relationship. Identity, failure avoidance, failure as part of the learning process, growth …

Undergraduate Engineers And Teachers: Can Students Be Both?, Malinda S. Zarske, Maia L. Vadeen, Janet Y. Tsai, Jacquelyn F. Sullivan, Denise W. Carlson

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Today’s college-aged students are graduating into a world that relies on multidisciplinary talents to succeed. Engineering college majors are more likely to find jobs after college that are outside of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, including jobs in healthcare, management, and social services. A survey of engineering undergraduate students at the University of Colorado Boulder in November 2012 indicated a desire by students to simultaneously pursue secondary teacher licensure alongside their engineering degrees: 25 percent ‘‘agreed’’ or ‘‘strongly agreed’’ that they ‘‘would be interested in earning grades 7–12 science or math teaching licenses while [they] earn [their] engineering …

Elementary Teachers’ Reflections On Design Failures And Use Of Fail Words After Teaching Engineering For Two Years, Pamela S. Lottero-Perdue, Elizabeth A. Parry

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

This mixed-methods study examines how teachers who have taught one or two units of the Engineering is Elementary (EiE) curriculum for two years reported on: students’ responses to design failure; the ways in which they, the teachers, supported these students and used fail words (e.g. fail, failure); and the teachers’ broad perspectives and messages to students about failure. In addition, the study explores how strategies, perspectives, messages, and fail word use may change after two years of engineering instruction. This study builds on previous work about elementary teachers’: perspectives on failure prior to teaching engineering, and responses to and perspectives …

Developing Teacher Competencies For Problem-Based Learning Pedagogy And For Supporting Learning In Language-Minority Students, Peter Rillero, Mari Koerner, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, Joi Merritt, Wendy J. Farr

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Teachers need to be able to design and implement problem-based learning (PBL) experiences to help students master the content and the processes in new mathematics and science education standards. Due to the changed population of learners within schools, it is also critically important that teachers in the elementary grades have the abilities to work effectively with English language learners (ELL). This article discusses the implementation of a major initiative by our teachers college to achieve both of these goals through Problem-Based Enhanced Language Learning (PBELL), which combines PBL, enhanced opportunities for language, and ELL methods. The implementation began with a …

Understanding And Motivating Generation Z Students, Daniel Guberman, Eria Layow

IMPACT Presentations

Presented at Lilly conference "Designing Effective Teaching" in Bethesda, MD. Assesses characteristics associated with Gen Z students and connects them with concepts from Cognitive theory.

Problem-Based Learning In K–8 Mathematics And Science Education: A Literature Review, Joi Merritt, Mi Yeon Lee, Peter Rillero, Barbara M. Kinach

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This systematic literature review was conducted to explore the effectiveness of problem-based and project-based learning (PBL) implemented with students in early elementary to grade 8 (ages 3–14) in mathematics and science classrooms. Nine studies met the following inclusion criteria: (a) focus on PBL, (b) experimental study, (c) kindergarten to grade 8 level, and (d) focus on mathematics or science content. For these studies, we examined: the definitions of PBL used, the components of PBL explicitly identified as salient to student learning, and the effectiveness of PBL. This review found that although there is no consistent definition of PBL, PBL is …

Impacts Of Professional Development In Integrated Stem Education On Teacher Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectancy, And Stem Career Awareness, John Geoffrey Knowles

Purdue Polytechnic Doctoral Dissertations

This research analyzed the effects of teacher professional development and lesson implementation in integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) on: 1.) Teacher self-efficacy and their confidence to teach specific STEM subjects; 2.) Teaching outcome expectancy beliefs concerning the impact of actions by teachers on student learning; and 3.) Teacher awareness of STEM careers. High school science and technology education teachers participating in the Teachers and Researchers Advancing Integrated Lessons in STEM (TRAILS) project experimental group attended a ten-day summer professional development institute designed to educate teachers in using an integrated STEM education model to implement integrated STEM lessons. The …