Loading...
12 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 12
- Student receptiveness to Kahoot! in higher educationPublication . Pires, A.; Pais, S.; Chagas, L.The use of technology in higher education has been increasing in the past few years and new online tools have emerged for very different purposes. Kahoot! is an example of a platform that can be used for reviewing content and motivating students for learning. Our research is based on data from a quantitative survey conducted in the previous school year and the participants were 86 undergraduate students from a Portuguese higher education institution. The preliminary results of the survey showed that students are very receptive to this tool and highly recommend it, as it promotes motivation. Other studies have shown that higher education students are usually receptive to web tools and consider technology can positively impact learning. To better understand students’ responses to the platform, in this study we aim at analysing the results according to area of study and investigating new correlations between variables, specifically (i) gender vs receptiveness to Kahoot!, (ii) gender vs recommendation of its use and (iii) technology readiness vs receptiveness to Kahoot!.
- Enhancing students’ motivation with Kahoot!: a case study in English and mathematicsPublication . Pais, S.; Pires, A.; Chagas, L.In the last few decades, technology has advanced in multiple fields, including Education. Some of its benefits include improving student performance and motivation, fostering active learning and tracking student progress. As a "new learning generation" is around, profound changes to the role and function of both teachers and students are particularly vital, so active, cooperative and participative methodologies of learning must be privileged. Given that most higher education students are technology savvy and very receptive to the integration of Web 2.0 tools in class, the teachers involved in this study began using Kahoot! in their classes as an alternative teaching methodology. The participants in the study are undergraduate students from a Portuguese higher education institution and encompassed the curricular units of Statistical Analysis and English. The aim of the study is to investigate students’ perceptions of how Kahoot! can be used as a tool for testing new vocabulary, reviewing class content or designing warm-up activities. A quantitative survey is being conducted to gather information about students’ insights on the use of Kahoot!. Similar studies have shown that students are generally receptive to the use of this tool and find it useful to increase their motivation.
- Kahoot! and socrative in higher education: a comparative studyPublication . Chagas, L.; Pires, A.; Pais, S.Technology brings new challenges and opportunities to higher education institutions, as it can promote learner-centered activities. Mobile devices such as smartphones are very popular among students and can easily engage them and promote motivation and active learning. In this study, we investigate Tourism undergraduate students’ perceptions on the use of mobile technology in the classroom, specifically two quiz makers in a comparative perspective: Kahoot! and Socrative. The purpose of this two-stage study is to identify and meet students’ preferences, so as to design activities that can truly promote learning. The participants are Mathematics and English students from a Portuguese higher education institution. At the first stage, in a preliminary survey, 33 students have identified their quiz preferences and most of them (87,88%) selected Socrative as their favourite quiz maker. At the second stage, students were also inquired about their general perceptions and preferred features, such as collaborative mode, competition mode, self-paced mode or immediate feedback. Similar studies have shown that these tools can promote engagement, motivation, concentration and learning. Therefore, we hope to contribute to a better understanding of how technology can improve the learning process.
- The use of diversified active learning methodologies in mathematics classes: A case study with pre-service teachersPublication . Hall, A.; Pais, S.Mathematics is one of the school subjects where demotivation, dislike and failure are frequent concerns. It is necessary to engage students in the classroom and look for resources that make classes attractive and engaging, thus leading to meaningful learning experiences in mathematics. Active learning methodologies provide alternative options to traditional lecturing, actively engaging students in the learning process. The use of a single methodology may not be the best option to address this problem. A diversified approach that incorporates various methodologies and their combinations appears to be a preferable solution, as diversity not only leads to a more dynamic teaching style but also attends to the variety of preferences and needs of the students. In this work, we present a case study where we implemented and combined a range of active learning strategies to enhance student engagement and success in mathematics. Across one semester of undergraduate coursework, we emphasized collaborative group work and discussion groups, integrated peer teaching, flipped classroom, and role-play methodologies, used game-based learning through Kahoot! and Quizizz, and regularly incorporated mathematical magic tricks. The participants in the study are pre-service teachers from a Portuguese higher education institution enrolled in a first year mathematics course. In order to understand how these methodologies were perceived by the students, a survey was conducted. Our findings suggest that this multi-faceted approach effectively increased student interest and improved learning outcomes in mathematics.
- Taking school outdoors: Mathematical trails as a teaching resourcePublication . Ambrósio, H.; Hall, A.; Pais, S.Everybody should have opportunities to experience mathematical learning, solve challenges, and become more knowledgeable. Indeed, governmental recommendations present in the introduction of the mathematics Portuguese curriculum state that “No human being should be deprived of the opportunity to learn and benefit from the unique scientific and cultural heritage that mathematics represents” [1, p. 2]. We have designed a mathematical trail, in the village of Vieira de Leiria, in which geometric /mathematical elements stand out. Our aim is, first of all, to promote the interest in the study of mathematics, through observation of the surrounding environment, in particular of outdoor elements with decorative art. We also intend to establish mathematical links that make mathematics a useful, important subject, with connections to the world around us. The trail has an educational component and explores specific topics of the mathematics curriculum of the 5th and 6th years: isometries and symmetry. This activity, in the form of a rally-paper with a sequence of challenges and problems along the trail, encourages students to explore the concepts in a different, more playful and interactive way. Furthermore, it involves students in the discovery, preservation and enhancement of Portuguese heritage. In order to assess the perceptions of the students regarding the pedagogical approach used in the experience, a questionnaire was applied. This paper describes this teaching experience and the main results of the applied questionnaire. We conclude that this teaching experience had a very positive impact on the students, contributing to a better understanding of the covered curriculum, the importance of mathematics and its relation to everyday life, as well as feeling more motivated to study mathematics.
- Gamification in education: The case study of the use of IdeaChef as a learning strategy in the hospitality master's degreePublication . Sousa, A.E.; Pais, S.; Viana, A.S.Nowadays we live in an ever-changing society. The educational context is no exception and requires a renewal of paradigms. Profound changes to the role and function of the professor and the students are particularly vital. Active, cooperative and participative learning methodologies must be privileged, breaking with magisterial education and the mere transmission of knowledge. The increasingly recurrent adoption of gamification strategies in teaching-learning processes is intended to ensure that students learn and deepen knowledge in an active and collaborative manner. Several studies highlight the positive impact of the adoption of gamification strategies in teaching/learning, both in student motivation and in the development of soft skills (teamwork, creativity, decision-making, leadership, communication and critical thinking). Game-based learning thus promotes students' interest and involves them in this process. In this sense, the board game ideaChef was used in the lessons of the E-Business subject, with the Master's students of Hotel Management.This game is a method and tool (board game that uses cooking metaphors), which allows teams to create solutions ("recipes") for a certain challenge, need or problem. Based on the proposal presented, related to the course contents, the students, with the support of cards and dice from the game, are invited to define ideas for solutions for the challenge, through interaction and team spirit, feedback and permanent debate. At the end of the game, students present their solution to the challenge, as if it were a cooking recipe (final ideas and conclusions obtained). Learning the contents of the subject through the game allows students to apply theory to practical cases, promoting their integration and preparation for real-life situations. After using the game in class, a semi-structured interview was applied to the students in order to assess the impact of the game on their learning. This evaluation was also carried out through the final report (solution found to the challenge) delivered by the students. The preliminary results of the study indicate that students considered that the novelty of the game and the possibility of solving practical cases by playing, contributes to a better understanding of theory and therefore has a positive impact on learning.
- Employability and Higher Education: The case study of ESTM master's degreePublication . Viana, A.; Pais, S.; Sousa, A.; Schön, M.The labor market in this globalized world, based on new technologies, is constantly changing. In an increasingly demanding and dynamic world of human resources competences, young people have to focus on their training in order to enter in the labor market better prepared and thus contribute to the success of the entity that receives them and for their own professional and personal fulfillment. The choice of their academic journey is crucial to ensure the achievement of these competences and make that decision is not easy, with a system of higher education such as the Portuguese, where there are so many graduation courses and two systems of teaching, University and Polytechnic. In fact, with the changes introduced in higher education by the so-called Bologna Process, most undergraduate’s courses saw the number of years reduced from five to three years, while others opted for integrated master's degrees. In the case of the School of Tourism and Maritime Technology, the option was to offer three-year degree courses and two-year master's degrees. This study intends to understand where are the students who have bet on their training at the master's level and finish their master's degree at the School of Tourism and Maritime Technology (ESTM) of the Polytechnic of Leiria, if they are working in the area and if the employers recognize these qualifications.
- Pedagogy in digital age after the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study with undergraduate life science studentsPublication . Pais, S.; Bernardino, S.; Pires, A.Technologies are part of the daily lives of young people, especially those who were born in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the so-called "Generation Z", and it is imperative to reflect on what their needs are, how they learn, the role of technologies and the type of pedagogies to adopt. After the generalized lockdown imposed by the Covid19 pandemic, millions of students and teachers faced new challenges as they progressively come back to their face-to-face school activities. Despite all the constraints caused by the pandemic, this is an opportunity to move towards an innovative and transformative educational model for the future, which must avoid sending us back to the negative aspects of past educational practices. During the lockdown, with emergency remote teaching (ERT) being put into practice, the teachers involved in this study were faced with the need to adapt activities and didactic materials to be used remotely. This included the promotion of asynchronous tasks/activities, which could be developed autonomously by students. Technologies have multiple benefits in the field of Education, such as improving student performance and motivation. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are tools that may be used to innovate the way Biochemistry is taught and they may facilitate students' learning. Being aware of these benefits, one of the authors of this work decided to adapt and introduce part of the activities and teaching materials prepared for the ERT, in the face-to-face teaching of her lecture classes after lockdown, more specifically with the use of videos for content development and using an active learning methodology, in which students use their mobile phone or personal laptop to do research and perform mini-assessment tests. To understand how these changes were perceived by the students, a quantitative survey was conducted. The participants in the study are undergraduate students from a Portuguese higher education institution enrolled in the curricular units of Metabolic Biochemistry and Biochemistry I, from the 2nd year, 1st semester of Marine Biology and Biotechnology and Biotechnology degrees, respectively. The didactic approach adopted by the teacher and the activities developed made the learning process more interesting and promoted a more positive attitude towards Biochemistry.
- Escape rooms as an innovative language learning tool in higher education tourism degreesPublication . Pires, A.; Pais, S.; Sousa, A. E.We live in an ever-changing society. The educational context is no exception and requires a renewal of paradigms. Profound changes to the role and function of the professor and the students are particularly vital. Active, cooperative and participative learning methodologies must be privileged, breaking with magisterial education and the mere transmission of knowledge. The escape room is a game experience that challenges participants to leave a room where they are locked in. In order to reach the key to the exit door, players need to overcome a varied set of challenges. Following the increasingly recurrent adoption of gamification strategies in the teaching and learning processes, the educational escape room stems from this game experience and has students solving challenges in a team in real-time. In educational escape rooms, players/students discover clues and solve mysteries, fulfilling different tasks in a room to learn in an active way. Some of its benefits include improving student performance and motivation and fostering active learning. This paper presents a case study on educational escape rooms used in the German class with a group of first-year tourism students from a Portuguese higher education institution. Besides providing a motivating and challenging learning strategy, the aim of the escape room was to revise the content taught in classes. The study aims to evaluate how escape rooms can contribute to increasing students' motivation. A quantitative survey was conducted to gather information about students’ insights on the use of escape rooms.
- Mathematical magic in the classroomPublication . Hall, A.; Pais, S.Mathematics, considered one of the basic areas of various formations, has been the subject of concern for many authors and researchers due to its enormous academic and educational failure [1]. Its importance in day-to-day life and the formation of individuals is irrefutable [2]. One of the problems identified in the failure of mathematics teaching is the lack of motivation that students feel towards the discipline. According to [3], motivation is an essential factor in any learning since the quality of learning is not only related to the capacity to learn, but also to the level of motivation that we have to carry out this same learning. Considering that it is imperative to make the teaching and learning process of mathematics more stimulating, taking into account modern society and student’s interests [4], the authors have developed a qualitative case study to evaluate how "mathematical magic" can contribute to increase students’ motivation for learning mathematics. In order to develop this experience, the techniques of inquiry, direct observation and analysis of documents were applied and the following instruments were used: questionnaires and respective analysis grids; production of a battery of tasks of a diversified nature; field notes and interviews. Although this project is still ongoing and therefore not yet completed, a previous analysis of the collected data allows us to conclude that the use of mathematical magic tricks in the classroom, with the purpose of motivating the students to learn mathematics, was revealed effective. Students were curious about the new tricks and were positively surprised at the relative simplicity of their explanation, as if saying to themselves, "How can such mathematical concepts bring so much surprise?" The students showed that the topics gained more meaning after performing the tricks because they witnessed real applications of the concepts, with an extremely attractive purpose. They often stated that they were going to play the tricks on their friends / family outside the classroom context, which meant that they were mastering the concepts involved.