Teachers around the world have started teaching programming at the K-9 level, some due to the formal introduction of programming in the national curriculum, others without such pressure and on their ...own initiative. In this study, we attempted to understand which skills – both CT-related and general – are developed among pupils in the process of working with programming in schools. To do so, we interviewed 19 Swedish teachers who had been teaching programming for a couple of years on their own initiative. The teachers were selected based on their experience in teaching programming. Our thematic analysis of these interviews shed light on what skills teachers perceive pupils develop when programming. This led us to identify three themes related to CT skills and five themes related to general skills. The CT skills identified corresponded well with and were thus thematically structured according to the dimensions of CT proposed in the framework of Brennan and Resnick, namely computational concepts, computational practices and computational perspectives. In addition to the CT skills, our thematic analysis also resulted in the identification of general skills related to digital competency and 21st century skills, namely cognitive skills and attitudes, language skills, collaborative skills and attitudes and creative problem-solving skills and attitudes.
To promote understanding of and interest in working with data among diverse student populations, we developed and studied a high school mathematics curriculum module that examines income inequality ...in the United States. Designed as a multi-week set of applied data investigations, the module supports student analyses of income inequality using U.S. Census Bureau microdata and the online data analysis tool the Common Online Data Analysis Platform (CODAP). Pre- and post-module data show that use of this module was associated with statistically significant growth in students' understanding of fundamental data concepts and individual interests in statistics and data analysis, with small to moderate effect sizes. Student survey responses and interview data from students and teachers suggest that the topic of income inequality, features within CODAP, the use of person-level data, and opportunities to engage in multivariable thinking helped to support critical data literacy and its foundations among participating students. We describe our definitions of data literacy and critical data literacy and discuss curriculum strategies to develop them.
The paper aims to show how competence as an educational concept for the 21st century is struggling with theoretical problems for which the concept of Bildung in the European tradition can offer ...alternatives, and to discuss the possibility of developing a sustainable educational concept from the perspectives of competence and Bildung. The method of the study is conceptual analysis of 'competence' and Bildung. The paper concludes that (1) competence must be abandoned as an educational concept, as its problems cannot be solved due to the lack of a theory of educational content. With competence, the content aspect of education is obscured and hidden from public debate, and human autonomy is threatened. (2) Bildung can be revised as an educational concept by reinventing educational content as subject to interpretation and open debate by autonomous individuals on all levels from the transnational to the classroom. (3) A revised 'mimetic' concept of Bildung can prepare students for the knowledge society, as imagining is a type of higher order thinking essential for innovation and creativity. Instructional content in school is meaningful to students if they are able to imagine the representational object 'as if' it is both subject matter and real to them.
Currently, due to the globalization phenomenon and technological evolution, we are facing a new challenging set of paradigms encompassing social, industrial, financial and cultural issues. Hence, it ...is a difficult task to anticipate the new demands of the market concerning the most appreciated skills in the forthcoming workforce. This paper intends to report the sets of skills that comprise the desirable profile of the quality professional in the 21 st century. To meet this purpose, a worldwide online survey was held online throughout the first quarter of 2018, assessing (adopting a 5-point Likert scale) the importance of 27 skills identified in relevant literature. A total of 319 valid answers, originated from 61 different countries, were collected and summarized through descriptive statistics. The results suggest that seven sets of skills (appreciated skills to forthcoming quality professionals) comprise the profile of the quality professional in the 21 st century. Thus, professionals aiming the quality leader role may now tailor their skills based on the information provided in this paper. In addition, companies can use these results to specify the dimensions that their human resources should develop.
The revolution caused by the advancement of technology, globalization and internet-enabled manufacturing is rapidly changing the manufacturing industry and requires engineers with different and more ...diverse knowledge than provided by traditionally-based curricula. In order to fill the emerging gap in engineering education we, educators, have to start thinking about preparing students for the future. This paper describes our efforts to address the 21 st century workforce challenges and opportunities. We present a novel multidisciplinary education approach through a case study example from a recently implemented course. This course was part of a larger institution-wide industry-university partnership to address the education gap in industrial and manufacturing engineering programs, beginning with the Connected Enterprise Concepts (CECs). The program started with developing a multi-faceted partnership with local companies and leaders in the manufacturing industry, and cross-disciplinary collaboration between Faculty members from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). We present the framework within which this course, the first of its kind, was initiated, designed and implemented. We will also provide the initial results of students' survey and propose a way to address the challenges.
We describe the planning, delivery, and assessment of laboratory classes offered as part of two first-year mathematics courses for engineering students. The laboratory classes, which use practical ...examples inspired by second-, third- and fourth-year engineering courses, were designed to illustrate the relevance of mathematics to engineering. Once these classes were introduced the percentage of engaged students increased by up to a third, leading to similar improvements in pass rates and median marks.
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