Language: English

Published: Tübingen, Germany: Narr Francke Attempto, 2023

Edition: 1st ed.

ISBN: 978-3-8233-8460-1 3-8233-8460-0

Series: AAA - Arbeiten aus Anglistik und Amerikanistik

Abstract/Notes: The Montessori method is well-known for its child-centered and hands-on learning approach for early literacy development. This study is the first to apply the Montessori method in robot-assisted language learning (RALL). We developed an alphabet learning system that consists of a Moveable alphabet, a tablet, and a social robot. We conducted a between-subjects experiment with 89 Kazakh children aged 6–11 that learned the Kazakh Latin alphabet either with a Montessori-human (MH) or a Montessori-robot (MR) teacher. We examined the effects of the learning method on children’s learning gains and emotional outcomes across these two conditions. Our results suggest that in the Montessori learning environment the MH teacher was significantly more effective in providing early literacy support than the MR teacher. The emotional states were mixed between grades, but the children in the MR condition felt happier than those in the MH condition in Grades 1 (ages 6–7) and 4 (ages 10–11). This exploratory study suggests testing the method’s effectiveness in long-term child-robot interactions, with varied learning tasks over time.

Language: English

Published: Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2022

Pages: 114-123

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-24670-8_11

ISBN: 978-3-031-24670-8

Language: English

ISSN: 0519-0959

Abstract/Notes: The transition of the Kazakh alphabet from Cyrillic to Latin, set to be fully implemented by 2031, poses unwanted challenges to early and continuous literacy development and acquisition of the new script. This creates a need to design innovative learning solutions to boost children's motivation in acquiring the new Kazakh Latin alphabet. The Montessori method has proven itself effective for young children to engage in self-directed and developmentally appropriate literacy acquisition. These core ideas have been carefully adopted to establish design principles for the robotic system that is adhering to the principles of the Montessori pedagogy. This paper proposes a robotic system named Moveable -l-pbi and details its interaction design life cycle from understanding users and establishing requirements to designing, and implementing robot behaviours and validating them with the Montessori practitioner. This process was iterative that involved several cycles of piloting the system with children of targeted age groups and redesigning the learning activities. With the aim to evaluate the proposed system and to find the most cognitively rewarding way of learning the alphabet, we conducted a mixed-subject design experiment with 60 Kazakh children aged 8-10 years old from a local public school where we compare the proposed Moveable -l-pbi robotic system with a baseline Montessori human teacher. The results demonstrate the potential of the robot as a Montessori teacher in providing foundational letter acquisition over multiple sessions. Implications for improving the interaction design and activities are discussed based on the findings.

Language: English

Published: New York, New York: Association for Computing Machinery, Mar 2023

Pages: 691–695

DOI: 10.1145/3568294.3580175

ISBN: 978-1-4503-9970-8

Abstract/Notes: moveable alphabet, pink tower, golden beads, world puzzle map

Language: English

ISSN: 1178-6213, 2744-662X

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how Montessori middle school educators described the use of project-based and student-centered learning to teach social development to their adolescent female students in the southeast region of the United States. The theoretical framework providing a lens for this examination of project-based and student-centered learning and how teachers described how such learning exercised on their students’ social development was Vygotsky’s social learning and development theory. Two research questions were posed for this study. RQ1 asked: How do Montessori middle school educators describe the use of project-based learning to teach social development to their adolescent female students? RQ2 asked: How do Montessori middle school educators describe the use of student-centered learning to teach social development to their adolescent female students? The sample (N = 30) completed 30 questionnaires, 10 individual semi-structured interviews via Zoom, and a 3-member focus group via Zoom. The sampling strategy was purposeful sampling. All participants originated from the southeast region of the United States and represented one school. An open-ended questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group were the sources of data. Thematic analysis with an inductive coding approach was performed to identify, analyze, and report patterns emerging from the data. Four key themes emerged: (a) promoting the construction of knowledge; (b) student voice and choice; (c) student ownership and agency; (d) construction of learning. The results highlighted the important role that Montessori middle school educators play when teaching adolescents girls.

Language: English

Published: Phoenix, Arizona, 2021

Abstract/Notes: The objective of this study was to evaluate how the design of the built environment can assist schoolteachers in their use of constructivist techniques as students transition from learning by play to didactic learning in early elementary learning spaces. With the increased expectations and standards for early elementary school, how can the built environment support both teachers and constructivist learning approaches such as experiential and active learning strategies to increase interactive and playful learning?Children's transition to structured schooling is associated with new experiences and challenges for students and parents. Students experience new environments, people, and modes of learning (Fabian & Dunlop, 2007). In addition to this impactful life transition as children enter primary school, increased state-mandated standards have resulted in more didactic teaching approaches in kindergarten causing an abrupt transition to sedentary learning from play focused learning in prekindergarten ("The New First Grade: Too Much Too Soon," 2006; Miller & Almon, 2009). However, Friedrich Froebel's intent for kindergarten was far different than what we see today, with kindergartens looking far different when compared to the original and prekindergarten in the United States more accurately resembling Froebel's vision (Fabian & Dunlop, 2007). Early childhood theorists, Piaget and Vygotsky, deemed learning by play essential for young children, proving critical for social and emotional skills (Wenner, 2009; Barros, Silver, & Stein, 2009; Coolahan, Fantuzzo, Mendez, & McDermott, 2000; Raver & Ziegler, 1997; Fantuzzo & McWayne, 2002; Coolahan, Fantuzzo, Mendez, & McDermott, 2000; Yogman, 2018). There is evidence to show children in early elementary school, learn best by doing; (Taylor & Boyer, 2019; Yogman, 2018) so, the physical classroom environment and supportive learning spaces should support this type of active and playful learning by providing spaces that allow teachers to engage their students in these types of learning experiences. Priorities have shifted due to increased expectations as many teachers find themselves in a dilemma balancing didactic teaching for learning standards versus developmentally appropriate practices. Design considerations of the physical classroom impact how a teacher engages students in subject matter (Byers, Imms, & Hartnell-Young, 2014; Thomas, 2010; Monahan, 2002). Design of the built environment can also assist teachers' utilization of active learning strategies through intentional space planning and design programming. This study hopes to understand how learning spaces can support active learning, equipping teachers with the spaces, layout, and technology needed to accommodate active learning practices to meet required objectives. By evaluating constructivist active learning strategies through a qualitative study, the researcher aims to use design as a tool to lessen the abrupt change from playful learning to sedentary learning commonly occurring as students transition into primary school. Findings from a teacher focus group provided the researcher with emergent themes aligning with constructivist pedagogy for Florida's early elementary learning standards. Focus group discussion provided the researcher with the design considerations and programming criteria to form a comprehensive design solution to ease the transition into didactic learning through a variety of learning environments and design considerations supportive of active learning strategies.

Language: English

Published: Tallahassee, Florida, 2022

Language: English

Published: Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia, 2022

Abstract/Notes: Although most Americans steadfastly maintain that getting a good education guarantees a better society and opens the door to more rewarding careers, it is debated regularly whatthe best set of educational priorities and practices that constitute good schoolingshould be. Sociopolitical considerations of power and control have often driven the agendas of educational reform movements in the United States, and these agendas have typically clustered around adult priorities and ideas of how knowledge should be “transmitted” to children (Cuban, 2003, 2004; Kliebard, 1995, 2002; Perkinson, 1968, 1980, 1984; Tyack & Cuban, 1995). It is asserted in this dissertation that approaches to educational reform should instead be derived from an informed understanding of naturalistic human learning so that curricular structures and pedagogical practices start from children and work backwards in support of their intrinsic curiosity and search for regularities in the world around them...

Language: English

Published: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 2012

Language: English

Published: Beverly, Massachusetts, 2012