Problems of Education in the 21st Century

3-4

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 61, PEC, 2014

9-17

Authors: Bojan Borstner, Smiljana Gartner

Basic ethical questions, dilemmas and especially decisions do not only affect the life of an individual but can also affect lives of others. In some professional ethics, where decisions about a person’s life or death are made, decisions can even be irreversible. In this contribution three ways of deciding by highlighting critical, and reflective decision-making or systematic thought process as the most effective method in ethics have been pointed out. Therefore, taking ethics as a critically reflective morality highlights the fact that we can talk about ethical exploration, so ethics is a process of thinking, not a set of established answers that need only to be passively accepted. It could be concluded that the study of, and practice in, evaluating arguments and evidence (moral decision making) via critical thinking as well as using other important skills (raising questions according to Blooms taxonomy and doing a lot of case studies) is the best way to achieve the most fundamental goal in teaching an ethical course – becoming a better person. And is therefore something that should be in every curriculum.

28-36

Authors: Majda Fiksl, Boris Aberšek

To achieve successful teaching in the 21st century school, teachers must change their didactical approaches in order to create a stimulating pro-activeness in a pleasant classroom climate for better development of student’s achievement. A classroom climate in the present research means the combination of variables within a classroom that work together to promote learning in a comfortable environment. In the present research, classroom’s climate will be evaluated, and what kind of influence different didactical approaches have on the atmosphere in the classroom. The classroom climate of two 6th grade classes at a lower secondary school will be studied: a class with traditional methods of teaching and a class with innovative methods, as regards searching for ideas, monitoring the students’ progress and giving instructions. Students in both classes filled out a questionnaire with thirteen statements, which included three dimensions of a classroom atmosphere: personal relationship, contribution to the class and research work. The results confirmed a change in the perception of the classroom climate, depending on different innovative didactical approaches. The values of individual dimensions are higher in the class with innovative methods, which was confirmed with a better atmosphere in this class and an increased activeness of the students. When introducing changes in an educational process, it is necessary to establish a positive classroom atmosphere.

46-57

Authors: Piotr Jagodziński, Robert Wolski

One of the cognitive theories is the embodied cognition theory. According to this theory, it is important to use appropriate gestures in the process of assimilating new information and the acquisition of new skills. The further development of information and communication technologies has enabled the development of interfaces that allow the user to control computer programs and electronic devices by using gestures. These Natural User Interfaces (NUI) were used in teaching Chemistry in middle school and secondary school. A virtual chemical laboratory was developed in which students can simulate the performance of laboratory activities, similar to those that are performed in a real lab. The Kinect sensor was used to detect and analyze hand movement. The conducted research established the educational effectiveness of a virtual laboratory, which is an example of a system based on GBS gestures (gesture-based system). The use of the teaching methods and to what extent they increase the student's complete understanding were examined. The results indicate that the use of the gesture-based system in teaching makes it more attractive and increases the quality of teaching Chemistry.

67-76

Authors: Samo Kralj, Boris Aberšek, Irena Kralj

Music can be viewed as a structure formed by notes. Different structures in music have potential to yield enormously rich diversity of different melodies. Music is a typical example where a structure defines a property. Similar concepts could be also exploited in education, in presented case in nano-sciences, which are typical representatives of soft materials the structure of which can be strongly manipulated with local geometry and presence of appropriate nanoparticles. The objects of study, named also LC shells, will be exploited as basic unit elements for future soft colloidal crystals. A different arrangement of colloids within the crystal would result in different physical properties in a similar way as different packing of atoms results in different crystals made of real atoms. In presented research will be demonstrated, how relevant basic mechanisms in thin films of nematic liquid crystals could be explained in a classroom and used as a case study, also for explanation of many other physical properties. This research topic is still in its infancy. At this stage only various defect structures in relatively simple geometries (spherical and elliptical) will be analyzed. There is a need to find simple ways to control sensitively the valence of LC shells and in particular to develop strategies to assemble them in crystal structures of desired symmetry. This would allow tailoring specific optical dispersion relations or other physical property of interest and make new ways to teach different physical properties on the »music« based approach.

88-97

Authors: Raffaele Pisano, Paolo Bussotti

In ancient Greece, the term “mechanics” was used when referring to machines and devices in general and intended to mean the study of simple machines (winch, lever, pulley, wedge, screw and inclined plane) with reference to motive powers and displacements of bodies. Historically, works considering these arguments were referred to as Mechanics (from Aristotle, Heron, Pappus to Galileo). None of the treatises entitled Mechanics avoided theoretical considerations on its object, particularly on the lever law. Moreover, there were treatises which exhausted their role in proving this law; important among them are the book on the balance by Euclid and On the Equilibrium of Planes by Archimedes. The Greek conception of mechanics is revived in the Renaissance, with a synthesis of Archimedean and Aristotelian routes. This is best represented by Mechanicorum liber by Guidobaldo dal Monte who reconsiders Mechanics by Pappus Alexandrinus, maintaining that the original purpose was to reduce simple machines to the lever. During the Renaissance, mechanics was a theoretical science and it was mathematical, although its object had a physical nature and had social utility. Texts in the Latin and Arabic Middle Ages diverted from the Greek and Renaissance texts mainly because they divide mechanics into two parts. In particular, al-Farabi (ca. 870-950) differentiates between mechanics in the science of weights and that in the science of devices. The science of weights refers to the movement and equilibrium of weights suspended from a balance and aims to formulate principles. The science of devices refers to applications of mathematics to practical use and to machine construction. In the Latin world, a process similar to that registered in the Arabic world occurred. Even here a science of movement of weights was constituted, namely Scientia de ponderibus. Besides this there was a branch of learning called mechanics, sometimes considered an activity of craftsmen, other times of engineers (Scientia de ingeniis). In the Latin Middle Ages various treatises on the Scientia de ponderibus circulated. Some were Latin translations from Greek or Arabic, a few were written directly in Latin. Among them, the most important are the treatises attributed to Jordanus De Nemore, Elementa Jordani super demonstratione ponderum (version E), Liber Jordani de ponderibus (cum commento) (version P), Liber Jordani de Nemore de ratione ponderis (version R). They were the object of comments up to the 16th century. The distribution of the original manuscript is not well known; what is certain is that Liber Jordani de Nemore de ratione ponderis (version R), finished in Tartaglia’s (1499-1557) hands, was published posthumously in 1565 by Curtio Troiano as Iordani Opvsculum de Ponderositate. In order to show a mechanical tradition dating back to Archimedes’ science, at least till the 40s of the 17th century, we present Archimede's influence on Torricelli’s mechanics upon the centre of gravity (Opera geometrica).

105-112

Authors: Martin Skutil

ICT is one of the driving elements of the current primary education. They often replace commonly used teaching methods, however, in many cases, they are also rejected as an element of eliminating the human factor in education. Based on a qualitative survey, the paper presents an interactive whiteboard as a teaching element from the perspective of primary education teachers. The main goal of the research is to point out the teachers' inner motives to use modern technologies in education and identify the broader context of a teachers' preparation with regard to the use of IT in school practice. The research is conducted using semi-structured interviews; the method of constant comparison was used for the qualitative data analysis. The most important findings show that teachers perceive information technology, especially as activating and motivating factor in education. Another important feature is the possibility of immediate and quick scan of the results. For most respondents, it is a replacement for traditional teaching resources, while they don´t forget to mention the importance of printed materials.

121-131

Authors: Magdalena Šverc, Igor Pesek, Andrej Flogie

Since the methods of teaching and learning are currently changing, Slovenian society is challenged to respond. Ministries responsible for the development of the educational system encourage informatization of education by launching strategically oriented tenders. This research presents three such projects, which together propose guidelines on how to further develop the Slovenian educational system with an emphasis on the introduction of information and communication technologies into everyday life in Slovenian schools at all levels (teaching, learning, management, etc.). There are three main areas that are covered: (1) technical assistance and support, (2) development and deployment of e-learning materials and e-textbooks and (3) teacher training. Using these approaches it would be possible to achieve an increase in digital competences and a change in our pedagogical paradigm. Results show a better motivation, communication and improved teamwork among students. This is a consequence of changes in the way of thinking and teaching by both teachers and other school participants, especially the headmasters who put the student in the centre of activities. The whole process of school informatization depends on a coherent development of various fields. The focus is on a change of pedagogical paradigm and the consequential teacher and managerial staff training.