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The Integration of Digital Education Within an Ozobot Pilot Project: Austrian Teacher Perspectives and Practices
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This study explores the integration of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in Austrian elementary and secondary schools, emphasizing teachers’ experiences and challenges in delivering STEM content. Through a survey combining questionnaires and interviews, the study highlights significant disparities in STEM equipment and resources among schools, limited STEM-specific teacher training, and varying degrees of STEM curriculum integration. Additionally, while some schools offer student-focused initiatives to foster interest in STEM, others face constraints due to lack of resources and support. In response, a unique pilot project in Steyr (Upper Austria) was developed to address these gaps by providing the educational robots Ozobots, alongside extensive teacher training. Supported by the local government, a major industry partner, and a university, this collaborative effort aims to build teacher competency, promote digital literacy, and encourage interdisciplinary STEM learning in schools. Initial results of the project indicate improved teacher confidence in delivering STEM content and increased student engagement through hands-on learning with Ozobots. This project serves as a model for Austrian education policy, aiming to position Steyr as a leader in Digital Education and offering a scalable framework for addressing STEM and digital education needs across the region.
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For a considerable period, there was only a single year of compulsory Computer Science (CS) education in Austria that was required as part of a student's academic career. The mandatory curriculum "Digital Education" (Digitale Grundbildung) was launched in September 2018 for all students in lower secondary education, formally integrating 21st-century skills into upper grades. The school's management could choose to offer "Digital Education" as a stand-alone course or to include it in other classes. The 2022/2023 academic year saw the addition of an altered curriculum, where the subject was added to the normal timetable. Nonetheless, schools continue to deal with the problem of who is teaching what and how due to a staffing shortfall and a lack of instructional materials. This paper reports on experiences with the 2022 curriculum by evaluating a survey that examines the implementation of the mandatory curriculum "Digital Education" in Austrian secondary schools and the challenges that teachers face in navigating this new landscape. Aiming to do so, the qualitative data were interpreted, summarized, and discussed , whereas the quantitative data were analyzed in former papers. Despite the obstacles that emerged, teachers recognized the importance of digital literacy skills for their students and expressed a desire for more support in implementing the curriculum. The findings of this study have implications for policymakers, school administrators, and teacher training programs as they work to ensure the successful integration of "Digital Education" in secondary schools.
Die im Schuljahr 2018/2019 erfolgende flächendeckende Einführung der ver bindlichen Übung Digitale Grundbildung in Österreich wurde im Schuljahr 2017/2018 mit einem Pilotversuch vorbereitet. In 15 der beteiligten Schulen wurden Lehrende und Lernende zu ihren Erfahrungen befragt und Unter richtsstunden beobachtet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass vor allem die Verstän digung in den Kollegien und bereits vorliegende Erfahrungen Erfolgsfaktoren sind. Probleme mit der Geräteausstattung konnten kaum beobachtet werden. Als problematisch erwiesen sich in den beobachteten Schulen fehlende Materialien und Kompetenzen für die Vermittlung von Medienkompetenz und digitalen Kompetenzen (Fachdidaktik Informatik). Das gilt sowohl für die Integration in die Fächer als auch für gewidmete Stunden. Damit wird als Aufgabe für die Medienpädagogik und die Fachdidaktik Informatik interpretiert. To prepare the nationwide introduction of the subjekt "Digitale Grundbildung" (Digital and Media Literacy) in the school year 2018/2019, a pilot test has been conducted in the school year 2017/2018. Teachers and students in 15 of the participating schools have been interviewed. Lessons were ob served. Results show that an agreement among the teaching staff and existing experiences were success factors. Problems with the availability of equip ment were hardly observed. Major challenges were the missing content and the lack of competencies for teaching media and digital literacy. That applies to crosssubject integration as well as to dedicated call hours. This is interpreted as a challenge for media education and computer sciences.
Purpose
This research paper aims to provide information about certified learning apps for biological education and gave an ordered list of all learning apps currently used by Austrian biology teachers in the classroom, which should serve as an overview for all biology teachers. In addition, the (currently little known) certification process of learning apps (seal of quality for educational applications) is described.
Design/methodology/approach
Online questionnaire for all biology teachers throughout Austria, on the one hand to find out the apps, and on the other hand to research how Austrian teachers find suitable apps. The data were evaluated using descriptive statistics.
Findings
A total of84 different learning apps are currently used by biology teachers in Austria. There are two certified lernapps in Austria, both are used. The most common app in biology lessons is “Anton”. The teachers find the information about apps throughout their own research or through colleagues. There are regional and school-specific differences in regards of usage and knowledge about seal of quality. It needs its own teacher training (TT) via suitable learning apps, because problems (data protection, advertising) are sometimes not taken into account during use.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of this paper are that some of the teachers indicated the apps from other subjects (mathematics) to use this learning app, although this is not possible for biology lessons. Data protection was stated to the best of the authors’ knowledge by the authors, if the authors were not sure it says “unsure”. The participants are mainly women, but this corresponds to the gender ratio, which is typical of the Austrian teaching profession.
Practical implications
The overview of the apps, compiled by this Austria-wide research, can be taken over into the biology lessons of all teachers. In addition, on the basis of this study, a TT at the University of Education 2023 in Linz was created. In addition, the (currently little known) certification process of learning apps is described.
Social implications
The TT and the overview of the learning apps used serve as guidelines for teachers as to which apps they can use in biology lessons without hesitation. Above all, the aspect of the follow-up of digital media/apps will be emphasized. Data backup, inappropriate advertising must be processed in class or completely omitted. Biology teachers need the right training (TT) and appropriate materials and tools (apps) to reduce problems (cybercrimes).
Originality/value
Currently, there is no prepared list of suitable (certified and uncertified) learning apps for biology lessons. There are isolated recommendations and individual apps, but the selection criteria and backgrounds of the authors are not clear. This list shows which apps (how often) are used by which teachers. In addition, the (currently little known) certification process of learning apps is described.
The concept of life-long learning has become progressively important over the last few decades. As part of this development the European Digital Competence Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu), a scientifically sound framework, responds to the need that every European citizen should gain necessary competences
for enhancing and using digital technologies in a critical, innovative, and creative way. As long ago as 1985, Austria introduced the subject “Computer Science” in grade 9. Quite a long time there was solely this one year of mandatory IT-education during school career. When Austria implemented the mandatory curriculum “Digital Education” (Digitale Grundbildung) in September 2018 for all students in lower secondary education, 21st century skills finally found their formal way into additional grades. School administration could determine if they offer “Digital Education” as a stand-alone subject or if they implement the curriculum in an integrative way in several other subjects. Finally, in the school year 2022/23, “Digital Education” will be installed as compulsory subject in
regular Austrian timetables. This paper reports on the journey of digital education in the Austrian school system – from the beginning with solely computer science topics to a stand-alone subject covering digital competences, media competences, as well as civic education.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) has become an increasingly important policy imperative globally. This paper reviews the growth of STEM Education as a key focus for curriculum change, the forms STEM Education takes in different countries, and the drivers that shape the concern for STEM Education internationally. A key feature of concern for STEM in schools is the prospect of a vastly changing world of work that current students will enter into, the need to consider the STEM competencies that will prepare students for productive futures. The paper outlines a framework of STEM knowledge and skills that flow from these concerns. Increasingly, STEM is becoming aligned with advocacy of interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning. The paper describes the different ways in which this is conceived of and pursued, and considers the implications for framing learning in the disciplinary subjects of mathematics and science in particular, arguing the need for a productive alignment of disciplinary knowledge with interdisciplinary contexts.
High quality early childhood education and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning have gained recognition as key levers in the progress toward high quality education for all students. STEM activities can be an effective platform for providing rich learning experiences that are accessible to dual language learners and students from all backgrounds. To do this well, teachers need professional development on how to integrate STEM into preschool curricula, and how to design experiences that support the dual language learners in the classroom. To address this need, a professional development model was designed to empower preschool educators to provide rich, high-quality STEM learning experiences, with particular emphasis on working in schools serving children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This model was created based on best practices in adult learning and teacher professional development, on developmentally appropriate STEM concepts and teaching interactions, and in collaboration with educators to design professional supports that were responsive to their needs. We worked in under-resourced communities in a North East state in the United States to design a model that is culturally appropriate, and that is flexible enough to be implemented within any curricula and with a variety of materials. In this article, we outline the main components and the iterative design process we undertook to ensure that the professional supports are relevant and effective for teachers and children. Finally, the article presents feedback from educators who participated in the design and implementation of the model, as well as discussion of how our process can inform other teacher educators and those interested in promoting early STEM in diverse preschool settings.
The success of new pedagogies depends on teachers’ beliefs about what they entail, and the promises and challenges they hold. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to understand the beliefs of early childhood teachers who attended a professional development conference on STEAM teaching, an emerging approach that combine STEM disciplines and the arts through problem-based learning to engage students and push deep thinking. Data from a post-conference survey (N = 41) and follow-up interviews (N = 4) showed teachers varied in their beliefs about STEAM and the supports they needed to implement it successfully. Implications for teacher education are discussed.
Recent attention has been brought to light in the United States regarding low numbers of students pursing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines and degree programs (National Science Board, 2010). There is a great need in America for talented scientists and engineers. Numerous programs abound for high school and middle school students in regard to STEM initiatives; however, fewer opportunities exist for elementary students and their teachers. Research has shown that early exposure to STEM initiatives and activities positively impacts elementary students' perceptions and dispositions (Bagiati, Yoon, Evangelou, & Ngambeki, 2010; Bybee, & Fuchs, 2006). By capturing students' interest in STEM content at an earlier age, a proactive approach can ensure that students are on track through middle and high school to complete the needed coursework for adequate preparation to enter STEM degree programs at institutions of higher learning. As a result, programs focusing on STEM initiatives and content are a growing priority in American schools with aims to provide early exposure for elementary students.
This essay considers the question of why we should teach science to K-2. After initial consideration of two traditional reasons for studying science, six assertions supporting the idea that even small children should be exposed to science are given. These are, in order: (1) Children naturally enjoy observing and thinking about nature. (2) Exposing students to science develops positive attitudes towards science. (3) Early exposure to scientific phenomena leads to better understanding of the scientific concepts studied later in a formal way. (4) The use of scientifically informed language at an early age influences the eventual development of scientific concepts. (5) Children can understand scientific concepts and reason scientifically. (6) Science is an efficient means for developing scientific thinking. Concrete illustrations of some of the ideas discussed in this essay, particularly, how language and prior knowledge may influence the development of scientific concepts, are then provided. The essay concludes by emphasizing that there is a window of opportunity that educators should exploit by presenting science as part of the curriculum in both kindergarten and the first years of primary school.
This paper examines the impact of programming robots on sequencing ability during a 1-week intensive robotics workshop at an early childhood STEM magnet school in the Harlem area of New York City. Children participated in computer programming activities using a developmentally appropriate tangible programming language CHERP, specifically designed to program a robot’s behaviors. The study assessed 27 participants’ sequencing skills before and after the programming and robotics curricular intervention using a picture-story sequencing task and compared those skills to a control group. Pre-test and post-test scores were compared using a paired sample t test. The group of children who participated in the 1-week robotics and programming workshop experienced significant increases in post-test compared to pre-test sequencing scores.
The United States is facing a crisis in terms of meeting demands for a highly skilled technical workforce. Workforce preparation must begin in primary and secondary educational settings. Teachers are perfectly positioned to increase student awareness of and interest in careers in engineering and technology; unfortunately, they are often not well informed about jobs in these fields. In this article, the authors describe their project which brought together faculty from the College of Engineering and Technology and the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to develop a teacher professional development program aimed at middle and high school math and science teachers. The goal was to introduce teachers to the work of engineers and to support them in using this information and related resources in the development and implementation of lesson plans, providing a viable way to infuse engineering into the K-12 curriculum. A secondary goal was to provide teachers with the information and resources needed to help stimulate students' awareness of and interest in engineering and technology career fields. (Contains 3 figures.)
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