STEM Strategies
Cloud Computing: A Progressive Paradigm in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Puleng Motseki
This paper explores the educational potential of cloud computing, and how it can be used in enhancing interactions between students and lecturers to better improve the teaching and learning process to advance the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in higher education. Espousal of the ideals of SoTL is considered a crucial approach for transforming the higher education context that is currently in a state of evolution because of advances in information and communications technology and the changing needs of students. This is a qualitative study in which a purposive sample of fifteen postgraduate students in the Department of Mathematics Education participated in. Data was collected through interviews. Thematic analysis was used to report the findings. Three themes emerged from the data analysis are: personal workspace, online collaboration, and convenient tool to engage in the scholarship of teaching and learning. The paper reports that cloud computing as an online platform can enable lecturers and students to practice the ideals of SoTL. Using the cloud approach in teaching and learning, everyone can work on the same document at the same time to make corrections and improve it dynamically in a collaborative manner. Cloud computing as an online tool has a significant place in higher education since the correct use of online tools can improve engagement among students and lecturers in a cost-effective manner. Although, there are security concerns, but they do not overshadow the benefits.
Making Sense of Students' Sensemaking in Karyotype: A Technology Enhanced Learning Environment for Teaching-Learning of Clinical Diagnosis of Genetic Disorders
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sunita Ananda Raste
Sensemaking is seen as a perspective on science education. However, due to insufficient opportunities and a lack of supportive environments, undergraduate science students struggle to make sense of the world and lack the abilities necessary to make macro-micro connections. Implicit sensemaking is one of the essential talents for undergraduates studying biology. Nevertheless, sensemaking ability needs to be explicitly taught in addition to the fundamental ideas. As a result, we must employ a strategy that helps students develop sensemaking skills concurrently with these fundamental biosciences competencies. Learners have great sensemaking chances with case-based interactive learning exercises in real-life problem contexts. We present the results of our study with undergraduate bioscience students (N=11). We conducted a one-day workshop where students engaged with Karyotype, a technology-enhanced learning environment (TELE) designed to facilitate sensemaking in the context of clinical diagnosis of genetic disorders. Survey responses, semi-structured interviews, student artifacts, and the log data of their interaction with Karyotype were collected. We used these data sources to analyze and understand students' sensemaking process during their interaction with Karyotype. Our results from quantitative analysis suggest different strategies and patterns of students' interaction that support or hinder their sensemaking during clinical diagnosis. Qualitative analysis of student interviews also provides insights about the cognitive-affective nature of the sensemaking process and the role of Karyotype TELE in facilitating the same.
Exploring the Impact of Coding Across the Curriculum Professional Development: Efficacy, Career Paths, and Engagement in Rural Education
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Keri Franklin
This paper presents a mixed-methods evaluation of the CODERS professional development program, funded by the US Department of Education's Education, Innovation, and Research initiative. The program aimed to enhance digital literacy in rural schools through interdisciplinary approaches. The professional development (PD) sessions were designed to cultivate coding literacy across disciplines, leveraging expertise from various fields. Using evidence-based pedagogies such as Model-Practice-Reflect and writing strategies, the PD modules facilitated educators in integrating coding into their teaching. The study addresses research questions concerning the influence of CODERS PD on teachers' content knowledge, efficacy, and instructional practices, as well as its impact on rural students' engagement in coding, career interests, and efficacy. Data collection involved surveys, interviews, and statewide tests administered to both teachers and students. Preliminary findings suggest a positive impact of the CODERS program on both teachers and students. Teachers exhibited increased efficacy in teaching coding and writing. Students demonstrated enhanced achievement in science standardized tests and improved confidence in coding and STEM-related fields. The study underscores the importance of integrating coding literacy across the curriculum, particularly in rural settings where access to such opportunities may be limited. By equipping rural educators with coding skills and fostering student engagement in coding activities, the CODERS program has the potential to bridge the digital divide and expand career opportunities for underrepresented groups in 21st-century industries. This research highlights the potential of coding literacy to empower students and educators, shaping their perceptions of literacy, learning, and future career pathways.
