Search Results (38)

This study presents the outcomes of the Erasmus+ European project Higher Education Classroom of the Future (HECOF), with a particular focus on chemical engineering education. In the digital era, the integration and advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education, especially in engineering, are increasingly important. The main goal of the HECOF project is to establish a system of new higher education teaching practices and national reforms in education. This system has been developed and tested through an innovative personalized and adaptive method of teaching that exploited digital data from students’ learning activity in immersive environments, with the aid of computational analysis techniques from data science. The unit operations—extraction process course—a fundamental component of the chemical engineering curriculum, was selected as the case study for the development of the HECOF learning system. A group of undergraduate students evaluated the system’s usability and educational efficiency. The findings showed that the HECOF system contributed positively to students’ learning—although the extent of improvement varied among individuals—and was associated with a high level of satisfaction, suggesting that HECOF was effective in delivering a positive and engaging learning experience. Full article

The implementation of new curricula presents significant challenges for teachers and necessitates the adaptation of their professional competencies. This study examines how the digital skills of Swiss teachers differ during and after the implementation of the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) modular curriculum. To achieve this, two independent samples totaling 617 teachers were surveyed at different stages of the reform. The analysis employed a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to identify differences in the four facets of MIL competence between the samples. The results indicate that MIL competencies did not improve uniformly. While no significant differences were found in the facets of ‘ICT knowledge and application’ and ‘media education knowledge and application’, significant differences were observed in the facets of ‘specialized didactics MIL’ and ‘interdisciplinary pedagogical and didactic knowledge’. The latter facet showed higher values after the reform, likely due to increased exposure to further training measures. These findings illustrate that teachers’ competencies can develop differently throughout a reform process, highlighting the importance of targeted professional development programs. The study provides valuable empirical findings for educational research and offers practical implications for the design of future reform processes. Full article

Curriculum reform in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, emphasises the need for change, arguing that current educational arrangements must better meet children’s future needs. A key recommendation advocates for greater flexibility in teaching and learning to support personalisation, addressing the wide variation in children’s learning needs. This qualitative study critically examines four Stage 1 narrative writing units, focusing on whether personalised writing practices—such as opportunities for scaffolding and feedback, choice in writing topics, and flexibility in pacing—are embedded in these centralised curriculum materials. Drawing on Bernstein’s theoretical concept of framing, we analyse the extent to which these practices are integrated into the units. Our analysis reveals a predominance of strong framing, characterised by tightly controlled writing organisation, limited topic choices, and rigid pacing. These constraints offer few opportunities for personalisation. This study highlights critical gaps in the Stage 1 narrative writing units, suggesting that without critical adaptation by teachers, these units risk perpetuating ineffective writing instruction and hindering children’s writing development. This study calls for further research into the impact of centralised curriculum materials on teachers’ writing instruction and the development of children’s writing knowledge and skills, with a particular focus on how personalisation can be integrated within these units to improve writing outcomes for all children. Full article

High-quality health education in schools plays a critical role in the formation of young people by developing the attitudes, beliefs, and skills needed to adopt and maintain healthy behaviours throughout their lives. Curriculum reform processes ensure that health education is adequately preparing adolescents for the world today and in the future. However, there is little consideration given to the teachers implementing these curriculum reforms, and their ability to integrate changes as they shape their learning and teaching. In this paper, we discuss the worldviews and beliefs of the teachers delivering health education in Western Australia. We present findings from a doctoral grounded theory study within secondary schools to explain the process teachers use as they approach curriculum, particularly after a reform. We investigate how teachers struggle to decide how to present themselves and the new curriculum content in class. Our findings evidence that teachers have determined gender and sexuality content to be controversial, uncomfortable, difficult to teach but also a favourite to teach. Teachers have expressed uncertainty as to what to say in class and have called for further guidance to teach these important life lessons. Curriculums need to constantly change to keep pace with a changing world, so how do we do this in a way that supports teachers and ultimately produces the best education for young people? Full article

Ever since bachelor’s competencies were introduced as a reference standard in Japan, many Japanese higher education institutions have been exploring and practicing liberal arts education for the 21st century. This study posits that incorporating new elements into university education has been a significant trend in liberal arts education for the 21st century. Building on the results of a comprehensive survey, primarily involving universities and industry, this study provides an in-depth analysis of how 21st-century liberal arts education is evaluated and expected by companies and others. A questionnaire survey was administered to universities regarding their provision of 21st-century liberal arts education and the status of reforms toward this education, and to companies and other members of society regarding their expectations and evaluation of 21st-century liberal arts education provided by universities, as well as the content they evaluate as learning outcomes for university students and the qualities and skills they consider when employing them. The findings from the survey of universities and companies indicate that the average scores for curriculum reform and establishment of new courses at universities and host companies are relatively low, as indicated by the relatively low average scores for keywords that companies place importance on. Undeniably, universities’ efforts toward reform and the reality of such efforts should be conveyed to the public. Through dialogue with the industrial sector, we can understand the necessity of sharing and realizing openness to developing human resources through collaboration and innovation. Full article

In view of professional learning and practical training in traditional electronic information education of application-oriented universities, this paper constructs electronic information–innovation practice teaching reform (EI-IPTR).In this scheme, by an integrating artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled curriculum with a multi-mode integrated platform and open-style module, big data-based comprehensive education resources are optimally configured. We jointly perform the multi-mode construction of innovative practice teaching, professional education stage design, and teaching management improvement, respectively. Subsequently, new practice teaching mechanisms with information technology and its implementation and management methods are established to achieve better teaching effects. It first strengthens learning and intra-group competition to promote students’ innovation in competitions. Then, the AI technique, i.e., attention mechanism-aided long short-term memory (LSTM), is used to model individual students’ abilities. Thus, it accurately evaluates them for teachers to efficiently manage their teaching process in accordance with their aptitude. The teaching reform practice verifies that the AI-enabled big data optimization of teaching reform has a better effect by the above multi-mode innovation. It exhibits an obvious improvement in the quantity and quality of students’ professional knowledge, personal ability, teamwork, and innovative practice. It is also in accordance with the independent completion of practical course teaching in the analysis of big education data. In addition, it realizes high-quality practical teaching by combining multi-mode, multi-level, and open discipline foundations together with efficient, professional skills. Full article

Today, the Vocational Education and Training (VET) curriculum in Greece is state-regulated, combining school-based and work-based learning, and it is offered at upper-secondary and post-secondary levels. There is a need to prepare a new agenda for VET in Greece that follows the rapid technological developments of today. Our paper aims to enrich, redefine, and expand the current curricula and educational practices while proposing a complete plan for the overall reformation of VET’s learning conditions from the point of view of teaching and learning analytics. Through the evaluation of the existing changing institutional framework, the updated bibliographic references, and the experiential data of the educational reality, we can understand the expected needs of technological educators and decide how to address the priorities that must be determined. We focus on the preparation of the trainers and the overall redefinition of the role of education in preparing graduates. This paper’s main conclusions offer interpretations for the cognitive orientation of the existing curricula, as well as direction for the thinking and teaching skills of teachers, to build confidence in the prospects of technical education in Greece. Full article

Assessment for learning (AFL) has been associated with curriculum and teaching reform for the past three decades. However, studies on undergraduate students’ perceptions of their mathematics teachers’ AFL practices are still very limited in the Chinese higher education context. This quantitative study investigated three independent variables—teacher formal feedback and support, interactive dialog and peer collaboration, and learning-oriented assessment—that influence undergraduate students’ ability to take responsibility for their learning through the mediation of the factor of active engagement with subject matter in first-year mathematics courses. One hundred and sixty-eight students from a Chinese “double-first-class” university were recruited to provide valid questionnaire data using the convenience sampling method. Partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data. The results showed that interactive dialog and peer collaboration, as well as learning-oriented assessment, have a direct effect on students’ active engagement with the subject matter and an indirect effect on undergraduate students taking responsibility for their learning in first-year mathematics courses. In addition, learning-oriented assessment was the biggest factor influencing undergraduate students’ ability to take responsibility for their learning in first-year mathematics courses. This study contributes by developing a conceptual model and providing new insights into Chinese higher education sectors on factors that can improve undergraduate students’ ability to take responsibility for their learning. Full article

This paper highlights curriculum and policy reforms and innovations in a Higher Education (HE) institution in response to undergraduate student perspectives about the phenomenon of the COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the New Zealand government (2020–2022). The advent of the coronavirus pandemic precipitated unexpected and unprecedented changes in HE learning and in the pedagogy required for undergraduate students. Consequently, HE institutions have had to be agile, resulting in ‘emergency’ adaptations to curriculum practice and policy implementation. This paper discusses triggers for change, reactions to restrictions, strategic measures, and the emergence of a ‘new normal’ from an undergraduate student perspective. Local and global concerns about student participation in undergraduate study (in Sport and Recreation), sport, and physical activity during restricted periods prompted the researchers to investigate the challenges these young people faced. Student voice was collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, collected post lockdown periods. Research findings, elicited from lecturers using a collaborative auto-ethnographical method, along with interpretative analysis (hermeneutic phenomenology) of students’ perspectives about the four pillars of lifestyle, active lives, learning, and livelihood provide insights about the impact of unexpected curriculum and policy change for HE students in New Zealand. This research provides real-time data to inform recommendations on policy and practice in HE institutions, to enhance student wellbeing in times of crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

Educational reforms and educational policy changes have favored the learning of English as a foreign language (EFL) in public education. Empirical research has examined how EFL specialist teachers in urban public schools perceive these changes or the extent to which they adopt a new curriculum. Nonetheless, the new EFL policies have also had an impact on rural schools where generalist teachers are forced to teach English along with other areas of the curriculum. In this context, little research has explored teachers’ perceptions and appropriation of ongoing curricular changes. The present study explored this issue among generalist rural secondary school teachers in the southeast of Mexico. To this end, an explanatory sequential mixed method was adopted with a sample of 216 generalist teachers. During the quantitative phase, the participants completed two Likert scale questionnaires. Then, a semi-structured interview was conducted with a sub-sample of participants who obtained high (n = 7) or low (n = 7) results in the perceptions and appropriation questionnaires. The statistical analyses showed a weak but positive correlation between perceptions and appropriation. The qualitative data provide some insights that explain the weakness of the correlation. Full article

After the concept of the Energy Internet was proposed in the last century, it has become a topic of great interest in recent years with the development of related technologies and the growing environmental problems. At the same time, the new technology brought by it also poses new challenges for the electrical engineering specialty, which is inseparable from power plants, power grids and other power facilities. How to reform the electrical engineering specialty to better meet the challenges it brings has become a problem that cannot be ignored. This paper comprehensively analyzes the current development status of the Energy Internet, key technologies involved in the concept of the Energy Internet, and problems in current talent training. This paper proposes to carry out curriculum reform through two main lines and to further optimize the curriculum structure, thus forming a more reasonable training program. Full article

Under the background of new engineering, the integration of theory and practice in the blended-teaching environment has become the mainstream teaching mode amid science and engineering curriculum reform. Data analysis technology is used to study process evaluation based on the integration of theory and practice in the blended-teaching environment, and a reference for the innovation of process evaluation is provided. This paper makes four key contributions to the blended-teaching environment. The K-means algorithm is used to cluster students into five groups (“serious learners”, “active learners”, “self-directed learners”, “cooperative learners”, and “students with learning difficulties”), according to the results of the students’ process evaluation in the course, integrating theory and practice. The Apriori algorithm and C5.0 model are used to find the key indicators which affected students’ learning performance. They are: classroom performance, assignment submission, classroom testing, problem solving, and online learning. These indicators are used to predict the final learning outcome of students. The Bayesian network model is used to find that there is a strong correlation between learning participation and assignment submission, unit assessment and classroom testing, and classroom performance and work presentation. Data analysis technology is creatively used to strengthen process evaluation. Teaching and learning are promoted by evaluation, so that the true meaning of process evaluation can be revealed. This lays a theoretical and practical foundation for process evaluation, to impact the predominant situation of outcome evaluation and promote the sustainable development of education evaluation. Full article

To meet the demand of talents in the rapid and sustainable development of the steel manufacturing industry and the needs of the local development of green and intelligent steel technology, this paper presented a reformed training program of intelligent manufacturing of universities for the steel industry. The training program explored the reform plan of talent training objectives, curriculum system, teaching mode, practical links, and operation mechanism of intelligent manufacturing engineering, and built a system with the goal of cultivating innovative ability covering green and intelligent concepts. A new mode of talent cultivation that covers the green and intelligent manufacturing concept and awareness, engineering knowledge, and innovation ability is built, to cultivate high-quality engineering talents who can adapt to the demand of green and intelligent development of steel and other industries. The innovative talent cultivation mode could reconstruct the steel intelligent manufacturing engineering education system and produce a demonstrative effect and good social benefits on the construction of intelligent manufacturing engineering specialty in the industry-featured colleges and universities. Full article

One of the core objectives of the Washington Agreement, the most influential international agreement on the mutual recognition of degrees in engineering education, is to ensure the continuous improvement of professional teaching. Education for sustainable development is a vital direction of teaching reform and development of higher engineering education. Taking a Raman spectroscopy course as an example, this paper discusses VR-based course design and the strengths and limitations of a VR-based course. The idea of computational thinking and immersive learning is realized by introducing VR technology. Based on the research status in the field of Raman spectroscopy, the contents of 10 Raman spectroscopy courses are redesigned. Through a questionnaire survey, peer review, and interview, the rationality of the course design is evaluated, and based on this, a feedback mechanism is established to ensure the continuous improvement of the course. Eventually, the advantages and disadvantages of the new curriculum are evaluated, and the development direction and limitations of the corresponding teaching model are put forward. According to the research, although 85% of the students said that it is difficult to accept the VR-based course at short notice, 90% and more of the students recognize this new teaching model. They believe that the VR-based course changes their traditional learning habits and helps cultivate self-learning ability. The research results can be utilized as a crucial reference for engineering education reform and provide a reliable model for the sustainable development of education. Full article

Digital technology affordance has been recognized as a social and learning tool, and the requirements for digitalizing the kindergarten curriculum have been present for decades. Digitalization in a child’s early years can present conflict with parents, as the societal and economic demands of digitalized society for a child’s digital technology use are in dissonance with guidelines and recommendations of health organizations that caution against preschool children’s technology use. Kindergarten curricular reform in Slovenia was conducted in the 1990s. In this period, the use of digital learning technology and digital play for the development of children learning predispositions and early literacy was already recognized. At the time of curriculum design, it integrated some elements of digital learning technology. Now, 30 years after the design of the new curriculum, we are facing the post-digital era. Learning technology in the early years is a matter of partnership with parents; accordingly, this descriptive survey study includes a non-randomized sample of 306 parents. We are considering how child’s play is structured in the primary environment and how parents perceive digital technology in the current post-digital age of seamless, digitally saturated social practices. Parents are aware of the risks of technology and of its benefits for learning. The findings show correlations between a child’s digital screen technology use and parents’ attitudes and perceptions of digital play. Parents that offer digital screen technology to a child have less agreeable attitudes regarding its possible risks to a child. Full article