Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Sustainable International Engagement Using A Partner Co-Hosted Teaching Model, Brian Gillespie, Paul Doyle, Zy Jiang, Derryl Humble

Conference Papers

Internationalisation is a significant activity of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) worldwide and is typically embedded within the aims, ambitions, vision, and strategy of the institution. It incorporates the policies and procedures required to facilitate participation within a global academic environment, and is often considered to be a transformative process that impacts practices in teaching and learning, research, and administration. With formal protocols to establish partnerships, such as memoranda of understanding and articulation agreements, the business of formally creating international partnerships is well defined. However, the motivations, corresponding metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) of successful partnerships are not as well …

Homo Ludens Moralis: Designing And Developing A Board Game To Teach Ethics For Ict Education, Damian Gordon, Dympna O'Sullivan, Ioannis Stavrakakis, Andrea Curley

Conference papers

The ICT ethical landscape is changing at an astonishing rate, as technologies become more complex, and people choose to interact with them in new and distinct ways, the resultant interactions are more novel and less easy to categorise using traditional ethical frameworks. It is vitally important that the developers of these technologies do not live in an ethical vacuum; that they think about the uses and abuses of their creations, and take some measures to prevent others being harmed by their work.

To equip these developers to rise to this challenge and to create a positive future for the use …

Incorporating Digital Ethics Throughout The Software Development Process, Michael Collins, Damian Gordon, Anna Becevel, William O'Mahony

Conference papers

The media is reporting scandals associated with computer companies with increasing regularity; whether it is the misuse of user data, breach of privacy concerns, the use of biased artificial intelligence, or the problems of automated vehicles. Because of these complex issues, there is a growing need to equip computer science students with a deep appreciation of ethics, and to ensure that in the future they will develop computer systems that are ethically-based. One particularly useful strand of their education to incorporate ethics into is when teaching them about the formal approaches to developing computer systems.

There are a number of …

A Collaborative Online Micro: Bit K-12 Teacher Pd Workshop, Roisin Faherty, Karen Nolan, Keith Quille

Conference Papers

This poster describes the use of online technology to deliver K12 teacher professional development (PD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland. Traditionally these sessions are delivered in person, with a focus on hand-on activities, but the sudden changes faced by the closures in Ireland required an alternative approach for delivering these sessions. The PD session presented in this poster was a more technically challenging micro:bit workshop, which was delivered online using the micro:bit classroom. This is typically used as an in-class, one to many instructor tool, and trialing this as a PD collaborative tool, was a novel approach. This poster …

Designing A National Blended Learning Program For “Out‑Of‑Field” Mathematics Teacher Professional Development, Merrilyn Goos, John O’Donoghue, Máire Ní Ríordáin, Fiona Faulkner, Tony Hall, Niamh O'Meara

Articles

“Out-of-field” teaching refers to the practice of assigning secondary school teachers to teach subjects that do not match their training or education. This practice is an issue of concern in many countries around the world, and seems particularly prevalent in the teaching of mathematics. The aim of this paper is to analyse the design principles underpinning the development and delivery of a blended learning program of professional development for out-of-field teachers of secondary school mathematics in Ireland. Three theoretical frameworks inform our analysis of the blended learning design. The first identifies critical dimensions of blended learning environments as a boundary …

Integration Of Technology In The Chemistry Classroom And Laboratory, Barry J. Ryan

Books/Book Chapters/ Proceedings

The role of technology in the chemistry classroom and laboratory continues to evolve, with mainstream applications such as pre-lecture/laboratory resources being supplemented by technological innovations such as immersive reality. Although the range is vast, care must be taken to select appropriate and pedagogically aligned technologies to enable learning.

In this chapter a model for the appropriate selection and application of technology enabled learning in chemistry is developed and explored in the context of two case-studies. This model, LEAPTech, is based on ten years of personal experience, informed by evidence and underpinned by the scholarly literature. This model will serve as …

A Guide To A Successful Industry-Academia Collaboration, Hublinked Consortium

Reports

This report, developed by the HubLinked Consortium, aims at determining what works best when higher education institutions work with industry on software innovation. The range of potential mechanisms for U-I linkages is extensive and they differ in effectiveness. Many of them are examined in the following pages under different sections. This report tries to identify the most efficient ways for HEIs and companies to engage in different types of collaborations as well as identify different needs, obstacles, enablers, preferences and perceptions that CS faculties and industry hold. This research enables a better understanding of the dynamics of U-I linkages in …

An International Comparison Of K-12 Computer Science Education Intended And Enacted Curricula, Katrina Falkner, Sue Sentance, Rebecca Vivian, Sarah Barksdale, Leonard Busuttil, Elizabeth Cole, Christine Liebe, Francesco Maiorana, Monica M. Mcgill, Keith Quille

Conference Papers

This paper presents an international study of K-12 Computer Science implementation across Australia, England, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Scotland and the United States. We present findings from a pilot study, comparing CS curriculum requirements (intended curriculum) captured through country reports, with what surveyed teachers (n=244) identify as enacting in their classroom (the enacted curriculum). We address the extent that teachers are implementing the intended curriculum as enacted curriculum, exploring specifically country differences in terms of programming languages and CS topics implemented. Our findings highlight the similarities and differences of intended and enacted CS curriculum within and across countries and the value …

An International Benchmark Study Of K-12 Computer Science Education In Schools, Katrina Falkner, Sue Sentance, Rebecca Vivian, Sarah Barksdale, Leonard Busuttil, Elizabeth Cole, Christine Liebe, Francesco Maiorana, Monica M. Mcgill, Keith Quille

Conference Papers

There has been a growing interest and increase in work shared about national K-12 Computer Science Education (CSED) curriculum and implementation efforts around the world. Much of this work focuses on curriculum analysis, country reports, experience reports and case studies. The K-12 CSED community would benefit from an international strategic effort to compare, contrast and monitor K-12 CSED over time, across multiple countries and regions, to understand pedagogy, practice, resources and experiences from the perspective of teachers working in classrooms. Furthermore, there is a need for validated and robust instruments that can support comparable investigations into the current state of …

Presentations & Infographics, Quality Blended Learning Consortium

Open Educational Resources

This tutorial introduces the users to the fundamental concepts on how to create presentations and infographics, as well as provides guidance on the tools to be used, best practices, and mistakes to avoid. The tutorial includes quizzes for self-assessment.

Interactive And Accessible Pdfs, Quality Blended Learning Consortium

Open Educational Resources

This tutorial introduces the users to the fundamental concepts on how to create interactive and accessible PDFs, as well as provides guidance on the tools to be used, best practices, and mistakes to avoid. The tutorial includes quizzes for self-assessment.

An Evaluation Of The Reliability, Validity And Sensitivity Of Three Human Mental Workload Measures Under Different Instructional Conditions In Third-Level Education, Luca Longo, Giuliano Orru

Conference papers

Although Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) has been researched for many years, it has been criticised for its theoretical clarity and its methodological approach. A crucial issue is the measurement of three types of cognitive load conceived in the theory, and the assessment of overall human cognitive load during learning tasks. This research study is motivated by these issues and it aims to investigate the reliability, validity and sensitivity of three existing self-reporting mental workload instruments, mainly used in Ergonomics, when applied to Education and in particular to the field of Teaching and Learning. A primary research study has been designed …

Investigating Secondary Students Beliefs About Mathematical Problem-Solving, Mark Prendergast, Cormac Breen, Aibhin Bray, Fiona Faulkner, Brian Carroll, Dominic Quinn

Articles

Many studies over the past thirty years have highlighted the important role of students’ beliefs for successful problem solving in mathematics. Given the recent emphasis afforded to problem solving on the reformed Irish secondary school mathematics curriculum, the main aim of this study was to identify Irish students’ (n = 975) beliefs about the field. A quantitative measure of these beliefs was attained through the use of the Indiana Mathematical Belief Scale, an existing thirty item (five scale) self-report questionnaire. A statistical analysis of the data revealed that students who were further through their secondary education had a stronger belief …

Programming: Predicting Student Success Early In Cs1. A Re-Validation And Replication Study, Keith Quille, Susan Bergin

Articles

This paper describes a large, multi-institutional revalidation study conducted in the academic year 2015-16. Six hundred and ninetytwo students participated in this study, from 11 institutions (ten institutions in Ireland and one in Denmark). The primary goal was to validate and further develop an existing computational prediction model called Predict Student Success (PreSS). In doing so, this study addressed a call from the 2015 ITiCSE working group (the second "Grand Challenge"), to "systematically analyse and verify previous studies using data from multiple contexts to tease out tacit factors that contribute to previously observed outcomes". PreSS was developed and validated in …

Three Decades Of Universal Design - Defining Moments, Margaret Kinsella

Articles

This paper contributes to the growing research on incorporating Universal Design in the Higher Education landscape by presenting a Practitioner's Perspective on Universal Design as delivered in the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown (ITB) in the first year of a creative digital media degree as part of the first year experience. This first year experience is a transition time for many students and has many complexities; while being an exciting and fulfilling time, the transition can also be challenging and isolating. Through Universal Design, the aim is to enable students to 'Get connected' and 'Stay connected'. Universal Design for Learning is …

Mathematical Competencies Of Third Level Students: A Review, Colm Mcguinness

The ITB Journal

Many lecturers of mathematics and related disciplines in Ireland and internationally believe there has been a gradual decline in mathematical competencies of students presenting for first year at third level educational establishments. Some of the evidence to support this view is reviewed, along with the types of solutions being applied in Ireland and the UK. Attention is drawn to the explicit and implicit decline in standards potentially associated with some of the solutions, particularly for short courses involving mathematics.

Data Analytics In Performance Of Kick-Out Distribution And Effectiveness In Senior Championship Football In Ireland, Roisin Donnelly, Darragh Daly

Articles

n recent years, data analytics has been a growing phenomenon in many fields, including sport, and there has been an increased focus on how technology will impact the work of coaching andperformance professionals. This paper provides a reflection of the use of data analytics within the Gaelic Athletic Association’s (GAA) football coaching practice in Ireland, and evaluates for coaches how to enhance kick- out distribution and effectiveness. Specifically, the study aimed to dissect and analyse kick- out strategies to assess from a coaching perspective, the impact on distribution andeffectiveness. The research is a …

A Conceptual Framework For A Software Development Process Based On Computational Thinking, Catherine Higgins, Ciaran O'Leary, Orla Hanratty, Fredrick Mtenzi

Articles

A software development process is a mechanism for problem solving to help software developers plan, design and structure the development of software to solve a problem. Without a process to guide the structured evolution of a solution, it is extremely likely that at least some aspect of the resulting software will be omitted or incorrectly implemented. Even though the importance of utilising a software process for solving problems is accepted in the business and academic communities, it is a topic that is addressed very lightly (if at all) in most freshman undergraduate computing courses with most courses focussing on programming …

Mind The Gap: An Initial Analysis Of The Transition Of A Second Level Curriculum Reform To Higher Education, Michael Carr, Fiona Faulkner, Cormac Breen, Mark Prendergast

Articles

This article details an initial analysis of the transition of a second level curriculum reform to higher education in Ireland. The reform entitled ‘Project Maths’ involved changes to what second level students learn in mathematics, how they learn it, and how they are assessed. Changes were rolled out nationally on a phased basis in September 2010. Students who were taught and assessed through the new curriculum first entered third level education in September 2012. It is important that third level mathematics lecturers are aware of the changes to the curriculum since certain topics such as vectors and matrices are no …

Towards Reusable Personas For Everyday Design, Ciaran O'Leary, Fredrick Mtenzi, Claire Mcavinia

Conference papers

Personas are artificial character based representations of user goals, attitudes, motivations and abilities which enable designers to focus their design efforts on key, targeted users. The success of personas in design is due to their capacity to enable designers to empathize with users and understand user goals. Persona development is rooted in the rigorous collection and analysis of data specifically related to the design project being undertaken. New design projects thus require the development of new personas. Since redevelopment is not always achievable attention has turned towards reuse of personas and the underlying data. This paper reports on ongoing research …

Mathematics Learning Support Across A Multi-Campus Institution: A Prototype Of Virtual Support, Cormac Breen, Ciaran O'Sullivan, Damian Cox

Articles

In this paper, a study on Mathematics Learning Support (MLS) that was undertaken across three institutes intending to form the Technological University for Dublin is outlined. This study consisted of a survey that was circulated to both staff and students in each of the three institutes. The survey had two objectives. Firstly it sought to identify the students’ needs for MLS in each of the three institutes. Secondly, it sought to ascertain the preferred method of provision of MLS, on a scale ranging from exclusively online, to exclusively in person. Following on the results of this survey it was decided …

Investigating The Efficacy Of Algorithmic Student Modelling In Predicting Students At Risk Of Failing In The Early Stages Of Tertiary Education: Case Study Of Experience Based On First Year Students At An Institute Of Technology In Ireland., Geraldine Gray

Doctoral

The application of data analytics to educational settings is an emerging and growing research area. Much of the published works to-date are based on ever-increasing volumes of log data that are systematically gathered in virtual learning environments as part of module delivery. This thesis took a unique approach to modelling academic performance; it is a first study to model indicators of students at risk of failing in first year of tertiary education, based on data gathered prior to commencement of first year, facilitating early engagement with at-risk students.

The study was conducted over three years, in 2010 through 2012, and …

Exploring Technology Enhanced Instruction And Assessment In The Advanced Physics Laboratory, Aidan Meade, Aaron Mac Raighne, Elizabeth Gregan, Izabela Naydenova, Francis Pedreschi

Teaching Fellowships

The development of a strategic, thoughtful and reflective approach to the undertaking of experimental work is key to the development of physicists and physical scientists. This project undertook to remodel senior physics laboratories to adapt to changing skillsets required in the workplace and to instil the graduate attributes necessary for flexible employment in physics and related disciplines. The objective of this project was to foster an enquiry-based model that has been shown both to help engage the students with their subject and develop habits of experimental approach appropriate to physical scientists. The project used e-assessment methods and electronic documentation of …

Maximizing The Impact Of Digital Supports In Mathematics Learning Support In Higher Education – An Overview Of The 9th Annual Imlsn Workshop, Cormac Breen, Anthony Cronin

Articles

In this article we give a short description of the 9th Annual Workshop of the Irish Mathematics Learning Support Network (IMLSN). The workshop theme was ‘Maximizing the impact of digital supports in Mathematics Learning Support in Higher Education’. We briefly describe the Irish Mathematics Learning Support Network (IMLSN) and outline the factors that motivated this workshop theme. We will also discuss the presentations, some of the issues that were raised during the workshop and we close with some brief conclusions on this very successful event.

Professional Formation Of Engineers: Enhancing The First Year Student Experience, Eileen Goold

Conference Papers

This paper reports on a study investigating engineering students’ perceptions of engineering practice and whether engineering students’ cognitive engagement benefits from bridging the gap between the technical issues in their education and the practical realities of modern engineering practice.

Investigating The Engagement Of Mature Students With Mathematics Learning Support, Cormac Breen, Michael Carr, Mark Prendergast

Articles

The Maths Learning Support Centre (MLSC) in the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) provides free mathematical support to all DIT students. This support is primarily delivered through a drop-in service, where students can receive one-to-one tuition, without an appointment, in any area of mathematics. In the first semester of the 2013/14 academic year, a significant proportion of students that availed of this drop-in service were mature students enrolled in Engineering programmes. This is of particular interest as mature students constitute a relatively small proportion of the total student body, motivating a deeper study of the reasons for the high levels …

Trackengage: Tracking Student Engagment In Learning Resources And Its Correlation To Their Performance, Catherine Barry-Ryan

Teaching Fellowships

An important factor in the academic performance of Laboratory based science students is attendance on the basis that practical experience and engagement in teaching activities are necessary to develop skills and competencies. Student attendance also has wider implications for science schools as they are increasingly challenged in providing laboratory based practical teaching in the face of increasing student numbers. The relationship between attendance and academic performance has been studied previously, but mainly limited to classroom-based lectures rather than laboratory activities and self-directed learning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between student attendance at laboratory practical sessions …

Online Resource Platform For Mathematics Education, Marisa Llorens, Edmund Nevin, Eileen Mageean

Conference papers

Engineering education is facing many challenges: a decline in core mathematical skills; lowering entry requirements; and the diversity of the student cohort. One approach to confronting these challenges is to make subject content appropriate to the communication styles of today’s student. To achieve this, a pedagogical shift from the traditional hierarchical approach to learning to one that embraces the use of technology as a tool to enhance the student learning experience is required. By including the student as co-creator of course content, a greater sense of engagement is achieved and a change to one where students become agents of their …

Work In Progress: Online Resource Platform For Mathematics Education, Marisa Llorens, Edmund Nevin, Eileen Mageean

Conference papers

Mathematics is intrinsic to engineering and as such plays an integral role in the education of engineers. New challenges are being faced in higher education particularly in the areas of student motivation, engagement and attainment. As a result mathematics is often the focus of engineering education research. Traditional methods of delivery such as lectures and tutorials need to evolve to counter these challenges with new pedagogical approaches explored including the use of new technologies. Today’s students are immersed in an increasingly technological world and are willing to adapt to new technological advances. This paper describes a study being undertaken in …

Required Features Of A Virtual Classroom Tool For Use In Higher Education, Arnold Hensman

Articles

The integration of virtual-classroom systems into the arsenal of e-learning tools represents a major evolution in the landscape of modern distance education. For many courses, standard virtual learning environments (VLEs) provide only a foundation upon which to base a distance learning programme. However, synchronous live online-teaching software such as Microsoft Office Communicator and Adobe Connect allow educators to simulate a real-time classroom environment over the internet like never before. Since these tools are being used more and more within higher education, questions must be asked about how effective they ultimately can be in meeting student learning requirements. More importantly, what …