Browsing by Author "Shanahan, Marie Claire"

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    Reframing Coding as “Mathematization” in the K–12 Classroom: Views from Teacher Professional Learning
    (Alberta Teachers’ Association, 2018-04) Sengupta, Pratim; Brown, Barbara; Rushton, Kenzie; Shanahan, Marie Claire
    There is now a growing body of literature that argues for the use of computational programming and modelling in K–12 science classrooms. However, one of the common pedagogical challenges of using computational modelling in the classroom is the overhead of learning programming, which interrupts curricular flow because it requires specialized technical knowledge. In this article, our goal will be to illustrate a pathway for integrating computational modelling and programming in the science classroom for teachers with little or no background in programming. Drawing upon our findings from an ongoing series of design-based professional learning sessions with 56 teachers in K–12 public and charter schools in Alberta organized by the Galileo Educational Network, we will argue that (a) when teachers, with little or no background in programming, view programming as a way to “mathematize” the world, they can visualize and implement seamless integration of programming and modelling with their science curricula; and (b) the use of multiple and complementary forms of programming and modelling (e.g., physical, virtual and embodied) can facilitate such integration.
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    The State of Patient Education in the Emergency Department of a Western Canadian Urban Hospital: A Case Study
    (2019-01-16) Niayesh, Mehran; Kawalilak, Colleen; Shanahan, Marie Claire; Kawalilak, Colleen; Danyluk, Patricia J.; Field, James C.; Winchester, Ian; Rohatinsky, Noelle K.
    In this qualitative, instrumental case study, I sought to determine the state of patient education regarding present illness and care plan of patients, while they stayed in the emergency department for treatment and care in a Western Canadian urban hospital. I explored the state of patient education in an emergency department from the perspective of social constructivism. In this research, several sets of data were collected to increase the variety of data and participants. I gathered data from healthcare professionals (physicians and nurses) of the emergency department via questionnaires and also from patients by semi-structured interviews. Also I added my own observations as researcher to the data and used for analysis and discussion. Further, looking through a constructivism lens, I identified the factors that were experienced as challenges to the education processes and I suggested ways in which they might be ameliorated. Likewise, I determined the concerns of physicians, nurses, and patients regarding the process of patient education such as language barrier, time constraints, and lack of educational materials and equipment in the emergency department. In addition, this research sought suggestions from the healthcare professionals and patients to improve the process of patient education. After careful analysis of the findings of this research, I presented recommendations for healthcare professionals, for patients, for managers of the emergency department, and for further research in the area of patient education in the emergency department.
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    Transdisciplinarity in STEM Education: A Critical Review
    (2020-04-12) Takeuchi, Miwa A.; Sengupta, Pratim; Shanahan, Marie Claire; Adams, Jennifer Dawn; Hachem, Maryam
    Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education garnered significant attention in recent years and has emerged as a key field of research globally. The goal of this article is to offer a critical review of how STEM education and its transdisciplinarity were defined and/or positioned in empirical studies published during the early formulation of the field. In particular, we sought to identify how these studies conceptualize learners and learning and portray the underlying assumptions in light of the macrosystemic discourses that often serve as ideological forces in shaping research and practice of STEM education. We examined 154 peer-reviewed articles published between January 2007 and March 2018 and analysed them along several emergent dimensions: their geo-spatial focus, focal disciplinary areas, methodological and theoretical assumptions, and major findings. Grounded in a critical transdisciplinary perspective, we used critical discourse analysis to identify how macrosystemic and institutionalized forces — overtly and implicitly — shape what counts as STEM education research, including its goals and conceptualizations of learners and learning. Our analysis highlights the need for aesthetic expansion and diversification of STEM education research by challenging the disciplinary hegemonies and calls for reorienting the focus away from human capital discourse.