Title: Designing playful intelligent tutoring software to support engaging and effective algebra learning. In
In designing learning technology, it is critical that the technology supports
both learning and engagement of students. However, achieving both aspects
in a single technology design is challenging. We report on the design and evaluation
of Gwynnette, intelligent tutoring software for early algebra. Gwynnette
was deliberately designed to enhance students’ algebra learning and engagement,
integrating several playful interaction and gamification features such as dragand-
drop interactions, an alien character, and sound effects. A virtual classroom
experiment with 60 students showed that the system significantly enhanced both
engagement and conceptual learning in early algebra, compared to the older version
of the same software. Log data analyses gave insights into how the design
might have affected the outcomes. This study demonstrates that a deliberate design
of learning technology can help students learn and engage well in an unpopular
subject such as algebra, a challenging dual goal in designing learning technologies. more »« less
Educating for a New Future: Making Sense of Technology-Enhanced Learning Adoption 17th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2022, Toulouse, France, September 12–16, 2022, Proceedings
Nagashima, T.; Britti, J.; Wang, X.; Zheng, B.; Turri, V.; Tseng, S.; Aleven, V.(
, Proceedings of ECTEL 2022: the 17th European Conference on Technology-Enhanced Learning)
Hilliger, I; Muñoz-Merino, P. J.; De Laet, T.; Ortega-Arranz, A.; Farrell, T.
(Ed.)
In designing learning technology, it is critical that the technology supports both learning and engagement of students. However, achieving both aspects in a single technology design is challenging. We report on the design and evaluation of Gwynnette, intelligent tutoring software for early algebra. Gwynnette was deliberately designed to enhance students’ algebra learning and engagement, integrating several playful interaction and gamification features such as drag-and-drop interactions, an alien character, and sound effects. A virtual classroom experiment with 60 students showed that the system significantly enhanced both engagement and conceptual learning in early algebra, compared to the older version of the same software. Log data analyses gave insights into how the design might have affected the out-comes. This study demonstrates that a deliberate design of learning technology can help students learn and engage well in an unpopular subject such as algebra, a challenging dual goal in designing learning technologies.
Computer-aided design (CAD) programs are essential to engineering as they allow for better designs through low-cost iterations. While CAD programs are typically taught to undergraduate students as a job skill, such software can also help students learn engineering concepts. A current limitation of CAD programs (even those that are specifically designed for educational purposes) is that they are not capable of providing automated real-time help to students. To encourage CAD programs to build in assistance to students, we used data generated from students using a free, open-source CAD software called Aladdin to demonstrate how student data combined with machine learning techniques can predict how well a particular student will perform in a design task. We challenged students to design a house that consumed zero net energy as part of an introductory engineering technology undergraduate course. Using data from 128 students, along with the scikit-learn Python machine learning library, we tested our models using both total counts of design actions and sequences of design actions as inputs. We found that our models using early design sequence actions are particularly valuable for prediction. Our logistic regression model achieved a >60% chance of predicting if a student would succeed in designing a zero net energy house. Our results suggest that it would be feasible for Aladdin to provide useful feedback to students when they are approximately halfway through their design. Further improvements to these models could lead to earlier predictions and thus provide students feedback sooner to enhance their learning.
Undergraduate research experiences are a promising way to broaden participation in computer architecture research and have been shown to improve student learning, engagement, and retention. These outcomes can be more profound and lasting if students experience research early. However, there are many barriers to early research in computer architecture some of which include the gap between pedagogy and research, the lower emphasis on hardware design compared to software in first-year courses, and the lack of online resources. We propose lowering these barriers through a methodical approach by involving undergraduates in early research and by creating freely available and innovative educational tools for designing hardware.
We present the experience of a team of undergraduate students with research over one academic year using a Python hardware description language, PyRTL. PyRTL was developed to enable early entry into digital design. Its overarching goals are simplicity, usabil- ity, clarity, and extensibility, a stark contrast to traditional languages like Verilog and VHDL that have a steep learning curve. Instead of introducing traditional languages early in the undergraduate curriculum, PyRTL takes the opposite approach, which is to build on what students already know well: a popular programming language (Python), software design patterns, and software engineering principles. The students conducted their research in the context of the Early Research Scholars Program (ERSP), a program designed to expand access to research among women and underrepresented minority students in their second year through a well-designed support structure.
Major challenges in engineering education include retention of undergraduate engineering students (UESs) and continued engagement after the first year when concepts increase in difficulty. Additionally, employers, as well as ABET, look for students to demonstrate non-technical skills, including the ability to work successfully in groups, the ability to communicate both within and outside their discipline, and the ability to find information that will help them solve problems and contribute to lifelong learning. Teacher education is also facing challenges given the recent incorporation of engineering practices and core ideas into the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and state level standards of learning. To help teachers meet these standards in their classrooms, education courses for preservice teachers (PSTs) must provide resources and opportunities to increase science and engineering knowledge, and the associated pedagogies. To address these challenges, Ed+gineering, an NSF-funded multidisciplinary collaborative service learning project, was implemented into two sets of paired-classes in engineering and education: a 100 level mechanical engineering class (n = 42) and a foundations class in education (n = 17), and a fluid mechanics class in mechanical engineering technology (n = 23) and a science methods class (n = 15). The paired classes collaborated in multidisciplinary teams of 5-8 undergraduate students to plan and teach engineering lessons to local elementary school students. Teams completed a series of previously tested, scaffolded activities to guide their collaboration. Designing and delivering lessons engaged university students in collaborative processes that promoted social learning, including researching and planning, peer mentoring, teaching and receiving feedback, and reflecting and revising their engineering lesson.
The research questions examined in this pilot, mixed-methods research study include: (1) How did PSTs’ Ed+gineering experiences influence their engineering and science knowledge?; (2) How did PSTs’ and UESs’ Ed+gineering experiences influence their pedagogical understanding?; and (3) What were PSTs’ and UESs’ overall perceptions of their Ed+gineering experiences? Both quantitative (e.g., Engineering Design Process assessment, Science Content Knowledge assessment) and qualitative (student reflections) data were used to assess knowledge gains and project perceptions following the semester-long intervention. Findings suggest that the PSTs were more aware and comfortable with the engineering field following lesson development and delivery, and often better able to explain particular science/engineering concepts. Both PSTs and UESs, but especially the latter, came to realize the importance of planning and preparing lessons to be taught to an audience. UESs reported greater appreciation for the work of educators. PSTs and UESs expressed how they learned to work in groups with multidisciplinary members—this is a valuable lesson for their respective professional careers. Yearly, the Ed+gineering research team will also request and review student retention reports in their respective programs to assess project impact.
The practice of writing science blogs benefits both the scientist and society alike by providing professional development opportunities and delivering information in a format that is accessible to large and diverse audiences. By designing a project that introduced upper‐level undergraduate students to science blog writing with a focus on plant biology, we piqued students' interest in science writing and the content of a popular plant science blog website. If adopted more widely, this work could broaden the scope of science education and promote the development of effective science communication skills for the next generation of scientists.
Summary
Successful scientists must communicate their research to broad audiences, including distilling key scientific concepts for the general public. Students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields benefit from developing public communication skills early in their careers, but opportunities are limited in traditional biology curricula.
We created the “Plant Science Blogging Project” for a Plant Biology undergraduate course at the University of Pittsburgh in Fall 2018 and 2019. Students wrote blog posts merging personal connections with plants with plant biology concepts for the popular science blogsPlant Love StoriesandEvoBites. By weaving biology into their narratives, students learned how to share botanical knowledge with the general public.
The project had positive impacts on student learning and public engagement. In post‐assignment surveys, the majority of students reported that they enjoyed the assignment, felt it improved their understanding of plant biology, and piqued their interest in reading and writing science blogs in the future. Approximately one‐third of the student‐authored blogs were published, including two that rose to the top 10 most‐read posts on Plant Love Stories. Some dominant themes in student blogs, including medicine and culture, differed from common story themes published on the web, indicating the potential for students to diversify science blog content.
Overall, the Plant Science Blogging Project allows undergraduate students to engage with plant biology topics in a new way, sharpen their scientific communication skills in accordance with today's world of mass information sharing, and contribute to the spread of scientific knowledge for public benefit.
Nagashima, T., Britti, J., Wang, X., Zheng, B., Turri, V., Tseng, S., and Aleven, V. Designing playful intelligent tutoring software to support engaging and effective algebra learning. In. Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10424292. Educating for a New Future: Making Sense of Technology-Enhanced Learning Adoption 17th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2022, Toulouse, France, September 12–16, 2022, Proceedings .
Nagashima, T., Britti, J., Wang, X., Zheng, B., Turri, V., Tseng, S., & Aleven, V. Designing playful intelligent tutoring software to support engaging and effective algebra learning. In. Educating for a New Future: Making Sense of Technology-Enhanced Learning Adoption 17th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2022, Toulouse, France, September 12–16, 2022, Proceedings, (). Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10424292.
Nagashima, T., Britti, J., Wang, X., Zheng, B., Turri, V., Tseng, S., and Aleven, V.
"Designing playful intelligent tutoring software to support engaging and effective algebra learning. In". Educating for a New Future: Making Sense of Technology-Enhanced Learning Adoption 17th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2022, Toulouse, France, September 12–16, 2022, Proceedings (). Country unknown/Code not available. https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10424292.
@article{osti_10424292,
place = {Country unknown/Code not available},
title = {Designing playful intelligent tutoring software to support engaging and effective algebra learning. In},
url = {https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10424292},
abstractNote = {In designing learning technology, it is critical that the technology supports both learning and engagement of students. However, achieving both aspects in a single technology design is challenging. We report on the design and evaluation of Gwynnette, intelligent tutoring software for early algebra. Gwynnette was deliberately designed to enhance students’ algebra learning and engagement, integrating several playful interaction and gamification features such as dragand- drop interactions, an alien character, and sound effects. A virtual classroom experiment with 60 students showed that the system significantly enhanced both engagement and conceptual learning in early algebra, compared to the older version of the same software. Log data analyses gave insights into how the design might have affected the outcomes. This study demonstrates that a deliberate design of learning technology can help students learn and engage well in an unpopular subject such as algebra, a challenging dual goal in designing learning technologies.},
journal = {Educating for a New Future: Making Sense of Technology-Enhanced Learning Adoption 17th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2022, Toulouse, France, September 12–16, 2022, Proceedings},
author = {Nagashima, T. and Britti, J. and Wang, X. and Zheng, B. and Turri, V. and Tseng, S. and Aleven, V.},
editor = {Hilliger, I. and Muñoz-Merino, P. J. and De Laet, T. and Ortega-Arranz, A. and Farrell, T.}
}
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