Design thinking techniques, including empathetic interviews, provide a promising new methodology for enhancing the quality of childcare services. This human-centred approach seeks to address complex problems with a deliberate, thoughtful solution-seeking process [Brown, T. (2008, June). "Design thinking. Harvard Business Review."…

A pedagogical agent is an anthropomorphic virtual character used in an online learning environment to serve instructional purposes. The design of pedagogical agents changes over time depending on the desired objectives for them. This article is a systematic review of the research from 2007 to 2017 related to the design factors of pedagogical…

This research study explores the relationship between the socio-cognitive concept of mindfulness and university educators' learning design conceptualisations. The multi-method research strategy utilises a concept-mapping exercise to reveal learning designer mental models for comparison with Langer Mindfulness Scale scores and critical event…

This paper addresses the question of the relative importance of work-integrated learning placement quality, structure (whether part-time or full-time), and duration (in weeks), for producing employability outcomes. Additionally, we explore whether the quality of those placements is more, less, or equally important than the structure and duration.…

In this paper, we reflect on the implementation of a gamified application for helping students learn important facts about their study program. We focus on two design features, of which different configurations were tested in a field experiment among Dutch university students (N = 101). The first feature is feedback, which is expected to increase…

An interactive MATLAB simulation app and design project are described for introducing chemical engineering concepts to engineering freshmen. A MATLAB simulation for pharmaceutical drug dosing is packaged with a graphical user interface in an app that is student friendly. Minimal engineering or coding knowledge is necessary to operate and…

Collaborative design is recognised as being shaped by complex social, cognitive, material, and technical processes. In the case of design decision-making, however, the social dimension has yet to be fully understood as the product of the whole team dynamic rather than as simply the sum of the individual (cognitive) contributions. This paper…

Choosing appropriate instructional methodologies when designing a course is challenging. The variety of options available magnify this difficulty. For good reasons, educators may be reluctant to implement new instructional methodologies, even when they are interested in doing so. We propose a potential solution based on the findings of a recent…

Wooden planks are a tool for developing youth skills through science, technology, engineering, and math exploration. These are small planks that can be stacked to create complex structures as youths explore math and physical relationships in an applied context. Building with wooden planks also cultivates planning, reasoning, and team skills as…

Recent studies have identified that engaging middle school students (grades 6-8) in STEM activities increases their chances of choosing STEM-related disciplines when entering college; however, very few university-sponsored opportunities are available for these students. This paper describes an outreach day for middle school students consisting of…

The 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act defined dance as an art form, designated the arts as core academic subjects, and called for highly qualified instructors in every classroom. These developments provided new opportunities for dance faculty in higher education preparing their students for life after college.…

This review identifies 20 studies pertaining to teacher professional development for STEM education. Using a mixture of content analysis with reference to the TPACK framework, and open and axial coding, a descriptive model was constructed. The model describes the connection of the various categories of variables associated with teacher…

Inclusive classrooms with complex, diverse students have many challenges, including that of effective physical design. One included element that should be considered is a relaxation station, designed to teach and promote everyday self-regulation skills within a calmer and more private space. A relaxation station is an essential component in every…

The interpretation and reuse of previous design solutions, or precedents, is central to design. This paper describes qualitative research conducted over three years at two institutions, aimed at investigating the role of design knowledge re-use in project-based mechanical design courses. Research data were collected through participant…

Feedback is an important part of design education. To better understand how feedback is provided to students on their engineering design work, we characterised and compared first-year engineering students', undergraduate teaching assistants', and educators' written feedback on sample student design work. We created a coding scheme including two…