Academic Frontier-based Approach Based on Constructivism

Nuo Liu

, Shengli Yang

, Bing Feng

and Liangyin Chen

School of Microelectronics and Solid State Electronics,

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China

Zhejiang University of technology, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014, China

School of Foreign Language, University of electronic science and technology of China, Chengdu, China

College of Computer and Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu Sichuan, China

Keywords: Constructivism, Academic-Frontier Approach, Open-ended, Collaborative, Higher Education.

Abstract: For the purpose of combination of the basic and academic frontier knowledge by the application of the

theory of constructivist learning in order to trace the rapid development of microelectronics, Academic

frontier-based approach (AFA) is presented. The learner-centered instructional approach is valuable for

promoting active learning by involving learners in learning academic frontier topics in an open-ended and

collaborative environment. The design and implementation enrich the teaching modes and the content of the

key curriculums in depth. It is effective in achieving positive and higher cognitive goals.

1 INTRODUCTION

Many Universities have a growing concern with the

learners’ failure rates and academic achievement in

engineering courses. Learners and instructors are

often skeptical of the effectiveness of this technique.

Some of the frequent complaints that we hear from

our learners is “how to apply the knowledge in the

textbook”, “the lecture-centered study is inactively

and bored”, and we "have not shown them how to

do." According to Shuell (Shuell, 1986), “If learners

are to learn desired outcomes in a reasonably

effective manner, then the lecturer’s fundamental

task is to get learners to engage in learning activities

that are likely to result in their achieving those

outcomes”. John Dewey, the father of progressive

education supports ‘learning by doing’. Tyler (Tyler,

1949) wrote, ‘Learning takes place through the

active behavior of the learner; it is what he does that

he learns, not what the teacher does.’ Constructivist

theories have being the common theory-in-use in

higher education since the centrality of the learner is

given. For instructors, how to inspire those young

and fresh minds found in academia? How to

develop the learners’ curiosity in the subject they

will face after stepping off campus?

We present Academic Frontier-based Approach

(AFA) in the paper. The work reflects our on-going

research on teaching and learning in higher

education in which we have developed in several of

our engineering courses by learners’ actively

constructing new knowledge for the purpose of

learners’ academic pre-research and motivation.

2 WHAT IS ACADEMIC

FRONTIER APPROACH?

Academic Frontier Approach (AFA) is a pedagogy

that centers learner learning on Academic Frontier-

driven projects facilitated by a instructor in order to

achieve the new learning outcomes of courses

related to the content in textbooks — expansive

learning. Figure 1 gives the outline of AFA. It is a

cognitive constructivist epistemology which

concludes from science references that learners gain

more through relating academic material and papers

to their own interests and academic vision, and that

such experience informs their ability to

conceptualize content (Duffy and Jonassen, 1992).

Constructivism calls for learning opportunities that

are experiential, active, and collaborative. The goals

here for the learner are: firstly, to develop and

implement the new forms of teaching approach;

secondly, cultivate the curiosity and motivation by

expanding and collaborating learning in groups and

298

Liu N., Yang S., Feng B. and Chen L..

Academic Frontier-based Approach Based on Constructivism .

DOI: 10.5220/0004956502980300

In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU-2014), pages 298-300

ISBN: 978-989-758-021-5

 2014 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)

Figure 1: The outline of the academic frontier-based approach.

teams. Thus, it is not to passively absorb and

regurgitate information; but rather to actively engage

with the science references, through an inquisitional

learning, discussing and analysis with group mates,

and effectively review and get academic frontier

knowledge with the corresponding basic knowledge

gained in textbook. Therefore, the ultimate goal is

the development of knowledge expanding,

expansive learning, interest adding, and potential

exploiting abilities which are beneficial for learner’s

careers in the future research and work.

For our work, we have found several underlying

themes to be particularly cogent toward our

instructional activities. Specifically, AFA provides a

context for the content of our courses; meaning that

many of the individual concepts that each course

identifies are drawn together to understand the new

knowledge that are submitted to learners through the

various keywords and topics that they work on

during their AFA project work. It is important then to

draw the distinction that AFA presents specific

topics for learners to learn. The advantages of AFA

project works in microelectronic courses are the

increased engagement of learners and the

relationship to professional practice, team

cooperation and self-regulated and directed. Thus it

is common to assign keywords and topics as a

beginning for learners to illustrate their abilities of

self-learning and reviewing of science references by

group work, and indeed to assess that learning under

the guidance of instructors. The importance here is

that we are not solely doing AFA project work, but

also organize and construct advanced knowledge

(expansive learning) based upon the well known

content knowledge that has been written in

textbooks. Such scaffolding is integral to the process

as learners use the content provided along with their

own learning with their groupmates/teammates, to

construct new knowledge based upon the keywords

and topics at academic frontier. Learners learnt in

this manner would get an important experience in

the process. Therefore, AFA and project-based

learning (PBL) are similar in that there is a shared

goal of successfully completing the activity in a

learning community actively; however, it is different

from the latter in that projects typically cultivate the

abilities of review and analysis of references.

Moreover, the implementation of AFA is a process of

sharing information and goals, and improving social

relationship by collaborative learning. Thus, AFA

has the characteristics of PBL and

collaborative/cooperative learning.

While AFA can be applied in any discipline, its

appeal within microelectronic science is clear. The

courses, such as “Semiconductor Physics”, “Physics

of Semiconductor Devices” or “Compound

Semiconductor Materials and Devices”, are courses

designed to implement AFA. With the rapid

advances within the microelectronic, it is also of

particular concern that learners understand how to be

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good independent learners that catch up with the

progress of microelectronics. We will particularly

value the pedagogy that results in graduates who are

able to educate themselves about new technologies

and conductor them AFA for their development in

the future research and work. Thus, AFA directly

supports the characteristics: an appreciation of the

interplay between classic theories in textbooks and

new knowledge at academic frontier, a familiarity

with common themes and principles.

3 THE STRATEGIES

AND PROCESS

OF IMPLEMENTATION

3.1 The Constructive Strategy

(1) About knowledge

 To track the development of knowledge at

scientific frontier related to textbooks.

 To increase new content of teaching

information and the depth of the topic out of the

textbook.

(2) About skills

 To co-integrate knowledge.

 To coordinate and grow up the teamwork of

the learners.

 To cultivate the learners’ independent, active,

communicative, self-regulated and directed

skills by collaborating learning.

3.2 The Process of Implementation

 Inspiration. Instructors ask questions; provide the

keywords and topics about academic frontier.

 Introduction. Instructors introduce the academic

background and the main website of the

references.

 Definition of goals and formation of

community of learning. Instructors allocate the

task to a team which is consisted of 5-10 small

groups according to the scale of the class. The

teaching aim is decided and the significance of

the topics is explained.

 Instruction. Instructors guide the learners to

learn online resources and track the development

of the academic.

 Modification of sub-goals. Learners learn, ask

question, read, analysize, discuss and review by

themselves and cooperate with the group-mates

by QQ group and face-to face discussion in

group meeting. Each group gives the presentation

of the sub-goal.

 Integration of goals. The team gives the final

presentation by integrating the key contents from

each groups and discussion in class.

 Evaluation of the process by instructors.

4 CONCLUSIONS

To sum up, the AFA to teaching and learning has

the characteristics as follows: The integration of

knowledge of academic frontier and the essentiality

of study; the exploration and the target guidance;

the fun of teaching, the extensibility of teaching and

effectiveness; construction; the cumulativity of the

study; the diagnosis and the rethinking of learning;

the society and collaboration.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors acknowledge the support from the

International Corporation and Communication

Scholarship of Sichuan Province (Grant No.

2012HH0027), Project of Undergraduate Education

and Teaching Reform of UESTC, and Project of

Undergraduate Education and Teaching Reform of

ZJUT.

REFERENCES

Duffy, T. M, & Jonassen, D. H. (Eds.), 1992.

Constructivism and the technology of instruction: A

conversation. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum

Associates.

Shuell, T. J., 1986. Cognitive conceptions of learning,

Review of educational research 56, 411.

Tyler, R. W., 1949. Basic principles of curriculum and

instruction, University of Chicago.

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