Paper Presentation 1
room KA 106
Algorithms without a computer
Dagiene, Valentina, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania Jasutė, Eglė, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
The success of helping students to discover their passion for computer science can depend on the way it is taught, as can happen with any other subject. This means that having well-prepared teachers with a good understanding of the purpose of the curriculum is key to its success. In reality, recently most countries are adopting curricula that cover issues of computer science (CS or informatics) in connection to computational thinking such as the performance of algorithms, data representation and data structures, software engineering, networks, security, and more.
Various ideas on deepening knowledge and strengthen skills have been developed. Computer Science without computer (CS Unplugged: www.csunplugged.com) has incorporated ten “big ideas” in CS that were collated by seeking input from a range of CS education researchers and professionals from around the world (Bell et al., 2018). The central big idea identified was that “digital systems are designed by humans to serve human needs”; other ideas covered informatic theory topics. Many of the activities are mathematically based, e.g. exploring binary numbers, mapping and graphs, patterns and sorting problems, and cryptography.
This workshop addresses all teachers and education scientists who are interested how school students can deepening knowledge in mathematics and computational thinking.
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Paper Presentation 2
room KA 106
Biology Teachers’ Professional Development through Scientist-Teacher-Student Partnership (STSP) Approach
Mohd Fadzil, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Mohd Saat, Rohaida, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Teachers are one of the most important sources for the latest scientific information. However, many feel that teachers lack of sufficient knowledge and skills to play this role and this is particularly true in STEM-related subjects, as STEM is related to information, engineering and manufacturing. This study explores scientist-teacher-student partnership (STSP) as a professional development program with the aimed to enhance biology teachers understanding and conceptualization of the cutting-edge of STEM knowledge. This study employed qualitative research methodology and involved 8 science teachers from 4 secondary schools and 6 scientists from a university situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Data were collected through observation during activities, and interviews. Collected data were analysed using constant comparative data analysis techniques. Overall, the findings suggested that the tripartite collaboration brings educational benefits to all groups. From the teachers’ perspective, four (4) main themes emerged namely; the partnership (i) enhanced the teachers’ understanding of cutting-edge STEM knowledge, (ii) elevated their confidence and enthusiasm for STEM, (iii) bridging communication between the participating schools and the university, and (iv) increased understanding of current career choices in STEM-related fields. This study has promoted greater articulation of STSP as a mechanism for professional development in STEM education.
