Problems of Education in the 21st Century

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Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 46, PEC, 2012

7-14

Authors: Boris Aberšek, Janez Bregant

From the experience of recent years it seems clear that the existing educational system, as a whole, is perceived as an ailing system that fails to meet the needs of a major portion of the society it serves. Every aspect of the educational process must be studied and reconsidered in the light of new and different societal expectations. In the last decades we started with one school reform after the other, but it looks now that these changes had no positive impact whatsoever. Even worse, the school system was damaged afterwards. In this paper we will explore some possibilities how to improve it without facing these consequences. The main idea is, as a result of our latest research, that mathematical methods for describing and simulating could be very useful for predicting and simulating school systems without using a long term and complex empirical experimentation. The paper introduces the correlation between the dynamical mathematical calculus and the educational school system and elaborates to some extent the basic idea of using the former to predict the latter.

22-27

Authors: Martin Bílek, Pavel Cyrus, Ivana Šimonová

The paper describes starting point of so called ”Educational Informatics“ as one of the Educational Cybernetics approaches, and example of research results of theory called as „human thinking economy“ application in the field of science and technical education is provided. Educational informatics is based on so-called educational theory of signs (educational semiotics) developed by M. Lansky which provides great support to the process setting the basis of branch didactics in learner’s cognitive capacity. This approach contents the psycho-structural model of processing information explaining the route of information which is to be processed. It starts with registering it by sense organs (sensory perception), followed by aware perception (apperception) and operating it, i.e. the entire processing the information including storing it in the memory. Within this process various functions are activated, both when the memory stores (associates) the information and effectors (performing organs) are activated. This psycho-structural model synthesizes both behavioural approach (stimulus - "black box" - reaction) and the humanistic psychology approach based on the introspective analysis. A similar model was provided for the chemistry didactics by Johnstone, too. This psycho-structural model also distinguishes certain cornerstones (i.e. model of operations) of human perception and learning, i.e. stimuli – perception filter – working space within the memory (operational memory) – long-term memory which influences the accommodator (adaptor, i.e. the apparatus for directing attention or reduction the apperception). It differs from cybernetic pedagogy as it does not apply the “hard“ quantitative approach to expressing the content of single parts of the psycho-structural model (in bits) but divides the learning content into several mastered parts (operations) called “pieces“ which the learner must run in the operational memory. This method is called “chunking“, i.e. composing, stratifying, layering information in the memory) and was applying in our research their selected results are presented in the second part of the paper. The research project results were based on analyse of teacher’s predictive evaluation of items in didactic test. Results of a comparative study of reception of pictures in the test items by so called experts (having a certain level of knowledge of the presented subject matter, i.e. teachers) and so called non-specialists (who have minimum knowledge in the area learned, i.e. learners) are added. In concerned research were analyzed the prognosis of chemistry teaching students (experts) in learners succeeding in the didactic test items with or without picture parts. Results show that future teachers overestimate the role of picture materials on positive responses of learners in didactics test.

36-42

Authors: Kosta Dolenc, Boris Aberšek

A human being perceives the world spatially, he detects and properly processes distances, size of objects, their shapes and all that is linked to our perceptions of the world. Humans' sensors provide the information about the world around and brain translates this information into thoughts, into ideas. The whole process is completely natural. In the past, due to technological limitations, the human attempted to generalize these ideas and convert them into a form so that he could "record" it on a flat medium, like on paper for example, and because of that he consequently had to develop the ability to "read” these records. The term spatial perception was introduced and after that it was established that not everyone has it. To possess spatial perception an abstract way of thinking and higher cognitive abilities are needed. This paper presents an integration of design, three dimensional (3D) modeling and visualization program SketchUp in Design and technology curriculum into Slovenian primary schools. Emphasis is given to the analysis of the past and current condition and situation and on the incorporation of the program into the primary school curriculum. With the strategy assigned in such a way, the abilities that are connected with technological activities are strengthened, spatial intelligence is developed and assimilated. With such an approach two of the key European competences: 1. Mathematical competence and 2. Basic competences in science and technology and digital literacy, are acquired and reinforced.

52-61

Authors: Milena Kerndl, Metka Kordigel Aberšek

In recent years metacognition has emerged as a major focus of research interest in cognitive psychology. There has been a growing recognition that metacognition or self awareness including awareness of ourselves as learners helps us to learn more effectively. Also metacognition on self awareness of readers helps the reader to reconstruct a deeper understanding of a text, he is reading. Different kind of texts needs different reading strategies and consequently different ways of metacognitive thinking, which have to be developed in the frame of school curriculum. Literature curriculum should in this context develop reader’s reception metacognition. The article draws upon research currently being undertaken in Slovene schools on teachers’ competence to develop the readers’ reception metacognition of children as readers in schools. It presents the results of the study, where the lack of knowledge about reader’s reception metacognition and the lack of knowledge about the strategies for developing reader’s reception metacognition were established. The article also presents the results of teachers training course for developing reader’s reception metacognition on teacher’s competence for developing reader’s reception metacognition.

66-73

Authors: Metka Kordigel Aberšek

Neuroscience has proved a malleable nature of our brain. The way of thinking is changing lifelong and not only in early childhood. New media as television, video games, and the Internet change students’ cognitive skills. New visual-spatial skills, such as iconic representation and spatial visualization are developed. But parallel to these changes new weaknesses occur. Those are in higher-order cognitive processes, as abstract vocabulary, mindfulness, reflection, inductive problem solving, critical thinking, and imagination (Greefield, 2009). Those are the reasons why reading curriculum in contemporary educational system should focus on two groups of aims: deep online reading and linear literature reading. By deep reading is meant the sophisticated processes that propel comprehension and that include inferential and deductive reasoning, analogical skills, critical analysis, reflection, and insight. By linear literature reading is meant primarily reading of fiction, which develops the imagination, inductive analysis, critical and abstract thinking

85-92

Authors: Marjan Krašna, Tomaž Bratina, Branko Kaučič

A decade of experience with e-learning material production gives significant trends overview. From the perspective of ICT evolution this means very long time. E-learning is always closely coupled to ICT but with the distinction - it always lags behind the advancement in ICT. Among many unknown issues one thing is certain – e-learning permanently changes. From the past experiences prediction of immediate future e-learning is possible but the prediction for longer time is less accurate. In the article chronological e-learning achievements and their connections are presented in order to give an overview of trends in e-learning in Slovenia. But despite of the detailed past knowledge fundamental prediction error of e-learning future developments was made. Today's hot topics are not better e-learning materials, not even broad application of interactive boards but e-testing. Possible immediate future of e-learning is therefore application of intelligent e-testing systems. Intelligent computer assisted testing (CAT) is not the new topic in e-learning. It is object of many researches but it is not suitable for teachers. It is way too complicated for teachers to apply it successfully in their work. E-learning development process for intelligent computer assisted test production that suits teachers' competences is prepared and explained in the article.

101-108

Authors: Dragica Pešaković

Subjects such as design and technology are in Slovenian primary schools based on students' creativity and discovery and consequently by preparing students to participate in the technical field. As we know, the creative ability is a spontaneity of expression and other creative skills, which can be motivated or hindered by the teachers. Through testing we can get to the image of the actual state of the creative abilities of students. Therefore, a special instrumentation and methodology were developed, which could achieve that the test conditions were equal for all participants. The purpose of this study was to examine the state-level of technical creative skills of students with the help of a modelled test of creativity. In the verbal part we valued the originality, flexibility and fluency. In non-verbal part we valued originality, flexibility and elaboration. Each element of technical creativity was evaluated through a detailed criterion and benchmark points. The results, which will be presented in the article confirms that students who express a higher level of creativity are more effective in learning. The survey shows that the creativity of students depends on a number of factors, including sex - girls are more creative than boys, and from age - older people are more creative. Students expressed a low level of overall creativity. We can speak about creativity expressed specifically in this test, which can serve for comparison purposes only, not to describe the overall situation. There can be many reasons, but this can already be the subject of other research and another following study.

116-122

Authors: Brigita Polanec, Srečko Glodež, Boris Aberšek

The present work gives methods on how available information can be presented to as many people as possible in a way that will allow them to assimilate that knowledge. The most appropriate forms of education for the concrete target group are included in informal education. Informal education is divided into informal general education and informal education for the profession or for the professional work. The fact, regarding the method of giving information, has to be considered that people differ from each other, and in accordance with this, it makes a difference as to how they perceive certain information. Regarding this, the forms and methods of education have to be adapted to different types of people. Elements such as people's levels of concentration, motivation, non-linear receipt of information, stability of information and obtaining of knowledge are looked at more closely. The rapid development of science and new technology brings with it many opportunities for those who are learning on the one hand, and for those who are working on programs for education on the other hand. Information technology has also led to the development of various educational methods; one of them is the method of e-learning. This paper will discuss the mechanism of informal education called microtraining. The concept of micro training provides information in short bursts (about 15 to 20 minutes long), concisely and in an interesting way. Knowledge has become the main product of micro training in specific fields.

131-137

Authors: Andrej Šafhalter, Srečko Glodež, Karin Bakračevič Vukman

The research was carried out in 2011 among 22 pupils from 14 – 15years old. The purpose of the pilot study was to determine the influence of 3D modeling on the spatial visualization of pupils, as well as the gender difference in the spatial visualization of the tested pupils and the progress of this visualization in individual genders. In addition, it tried to determine whether the sensory style of the pupils, visual, auditory or kinesthetic, influences spatial perception and the development of spatial visualization. Pupils were divided into two groups, the test group and the control group. Pupils in the test group attended a 3D modeling extra-curricular activity for twelve teaching hours in the second evaluation period of the 2010/2011 school year. Spatial visualization was determined with a modified spatial visualization test, namely before the extra-curricular activity and afterwards. The modified test consisted of different spatial visualization tests: PSVT: R, MCT, MRT, DAT: SR, and tests of rotation within a plane. For 3D modeling exercises pupils used the open-source software Google SketchUp. None of the tested pupils have encountered the mentioned software before. After a second testing, the test group showed greater progress in solving spatial visualization tasks in comparison with the control group, while gender differences were minimal. The results of the spatial visualization test were also compared with the sensory style of pupils, which was filled out by all the pupils included in the study. In the 2011/2012 school year a broader study is underway, involving almost two hundred pupils of various elementary schools in Slovenia.

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Authors: Editorial Board

End page, Vol. 46, PEC, 2012