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1. Physics through Algebra for Preservice Elementary Teachers: A Comparison of Asynchronous and Hybrid/Face-to-Face Learning

   Kurz, T.L.; Meltzer, D.E.; Nation, M. (November 2022, Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning Online 2022)

   At a large Hispanic-Serving Institution in the southwestern United States, physics was integrated into an algebra content course for preservice teachers. Due to the pandemic, content was asynchronously taught during the fall 2020 semester. During the fall 2021 semester, content was taught in both hybrid and face-to-face format. This research question was: Regarding preservice teachers’ leaning and academic experiences, what were the differences between perceptions of preservice teachers’ learning on the subject of physics-based algebra in an asynchronous format compared to a hybrid or face-to-face format? Data were gathered from both preservice teachers and their instructors. Data from preservice teachers showed that the in-person and hybrid instruction cohort saw a significant change in Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy from pre- to post-test when testing at the .05 level, whereas this was not the case for the online instruction cohort. There was no statistical difference in the post Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy and post Mathematics Teaching Outcome Expectancy scores between the face-to-face and hybrid preservice teachers and the asynchronous preservice teachers. Their instructors felt that experiences were more fruitful in a face to face format. 

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2. FIRST Principles to Design for Online, Synchronous High School CS Teacher Training and Curriculum Co-Design

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3428029.3428059  

   Grover, Shuchi; Cateté, Veronica; Barnes, Tiffany; Hill, Marnie; Ledeczi, Akos; Broll, Brian (January 2020, Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research)

   null (Ed.)

   The Covid-19 pandemic has offered new challenges and opportunities for teaching and research. It has forced constraints on in-person gathering of researchers, teachers, and students, and conversely, has also opened doors to creative instructional design. This paper describes a novel approach to designing an online, synchronous teacher professional development (PD) and curriculum co-design experience. It shares our work in bringing together high school teachers and researchers in four US states. The teachers participated in a 3-week summer PD on ideas of Distributed Computing and how to teach this advanced topic to high school students using NetsBlox, an extension of the Snap! block-based programming environment. The goal of the PD was to prepare teachers to engage in collaborative co-design of a 9-week curricular module for use in classrooms and schools. Between their own training and the co-design process, teachers co-taught a group of high school students enrolled in a remote summer internship at a university in North Carolina to pilot the learned units and leverage ideas from their teaching experience for subsequent curricular co-design. Formative and summative feedback from teachers suggest that this PD model was successful in meeting desired outcomes. Our generalizable FIRST principles—Flexibility, Innovativeness, Responsiveness (and Respect), Supports, and Teamwork (collaboration)—that helped make this unique PD successful, can help guide future CS teacher PD designs. 

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3. Supporting Teamwork in Blended and In-Person Delivery Modes in Large Class Size Through Cooperative Learning and Real-Time Collaboration Platforms

   https://doi.org/10.1177/14697874251367425  

   Magana, Alejandra J; Cristancho_Rodríguez, Jorge; Wei, Siqing; Yoon, Seohyun; Thomas, Paul (September 2025, Active Learning in Higher Education)

   Primary barriers to the adoption of team-based learning in higher education pertain to classroom management difficulties regarding the large class size, no access to physical infrastructure, and the lack of implementation of student-centered pedagogical approaches. To overcome these challenges, this study proposes the use of collaborative technological environments in conjunction with teamwork pedagogy. The study investigates this approach by comparing two implementations of a large-size undergraduate course: (a) thein-personmode when an active learning classroom was assigned to the course, and (b) theblendedmode when a portion of traditional face-to-face instruction was replaced with web-based online learning to facilitate teamwork interactions. The study used the Team Learning Model to characterize students’ beliefs about their collaborative and social processes as they worked in teams as part of a semester-long project. The results indicated that students exhibited positive attitudes toward teamwork regardless of the delivery mode, with only affective connectedness showing significant differences between the two semesters for the initial survey rounds. However, this difference was no longer present in the later survey rounds, suggesting that the blended learning environment was successful in addressing social interaction and had a similar effect on students’ team-based learning when teaching in-person. Implications relate to the demonstration of the design of a collaborative technological learning environment and the integration of team-based pedagogies to facilitate socialization processes in large class size settings. 

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4. A Comparative Analysis of Online and Face-to-Face Professional Development Models for CS Education

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3017680.3017784  

   Webb, David C.; Nickerson, Hilarie; Bush, Jeffrey B. (January 2017, 10.1145/3017680.3017784)

   This paper compares student outcomes from 75 K-12 teachers who participated in either online, blended, or face-to-face professional development design to support teacher implementation of a programming curriculum during the regular school day. The results are based on survey responses collected over two years from 4,832 students. With only one exception, the results showed no negative student outcomes when comparing student survey results from teachers who participated in online professional development compared to students of teachers who participated in face-to-face professional development. Students who had teachers who participated in face-to-face professional development, however, expressed stronger interest in designing their own games at home. These results suggest that online professional development that is designed to support K-12 teacher classroom implementation of CS education curricula is a viable model with respect to student outcomes. Recommendations for the design of online curricula for CS education are discussed. 

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5. Plant 3D Modeling: Growing Plant Awareness with High School Students

   Langewisch, Tiffany; Arango-Caro, Sandra; Ying, Kaitlyn; Callis-Duehl, Kristine (June 2024, Plants people planet)

   • Understanding plants and how they affect the world is crucial. However, plant awareness disparity, the inability to notice plants, is common and results in lack of interest and positive attitudes toward plants and knowledge on their importance. Innovative and engaging plant science curricula is limited while needed to promote plant awareness. We created a 3D plant modeling module and examined its impact on plant awareness among high school students. • This module integrates science, art, design, and technology through a project-based STEAM approach where teachers acted as facilitators and students worked collaboratively. Students investigated the biology and importance of plants, created 3D plant models, experienced the application of 3D modeling in augmented and virtual reality platforms, and disseminated their results. Before and after the module, students completed the Plant Awareness Disparity Index and answered reflection questions about its components—attention, attitude, relative interest, and knowledge. • Quantitative analysis revealed that after completing the module, more students had positive statements about attention, attitude, and knowledge about plants and showed higher relative interest toward plants than animals. Student reflections showed that plants were the most notable feature outdoors, and students had mainly positive feelings toward plants. However, many students wrote that animals were more interesting than plants. Most students acknowledged the importance of plants for humans and the environment. • Our results indicated that our 3D plant modeling module positively influenced student plant awareness. This module can be implemented in any educational learning environment for high school students, including in-person and virtually. 

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