Threshold Concepts Vs. Tricky Topics - Exploring the Causes of Student´s Misunderstandings with the Problem Distiller Tool

Cruz, Sara; Lencastre, José Alberto; Coutinho, Clara Pereira; Clough, Gill; Adams, Anne

doi:10.5220/0005908502050215

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 10 publications

(15 reference statements)

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“…Drawing on the time-space boundaries in learning elaborated by Maaninen-Olsson and Müllern (2009), Adams et al (2015) use threshold concepts to indicate that the progress to an individual's understanding involves crossing a boundary that is not inherent to the individual but to the learning environment. A threshold concept is conceptualized as a doorstep, which, when crossed, allows students to reach a higher level of understanding but if not understood, leaves students disengaged and unable to progress their learning (Cruz et al, 2016). It follows that classrooms are conceptualized around shared values and acquisition of new knowledge and facts, and this focus is actively fostered through social upbringing and collective perceptions.…”

Section: How Can Distances Be Bridged?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Distance Between the “Self” and the “Other” in Children’s Digital Books

Kucirkova

Littleton

2020

Front. Psychol.

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This conceptual paper contributes toward our understanding of the underlying mechanisms in children's understanding of self and the other with media. We synthesize diverse bodies of literature, concerned with children's reading with digital and traditional (print) books, to explicate the parameters that may, in part, explain positive learning outcomes and further illuminate the patterns across various measures. We propose the "Distance Model," which suggests that a child's interest in a reading activity depends on its proximity to the child's funds of identity (Esteban-Guitart and Moll, 2014). The closer the proximity, the more salient the impact on the child's cognitive understanding and sense of belonging. The familiarity of the reading content and the relevance of the reading medium for a child's personal life can be evoked through a number of reading strategies and design techniques, which we discuss in relation to children's literature and the contemporary design of children's interactive e-books. We conclude with some suggestions regarding future applications of the Distance Model in children's media research.

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Section: How Can Distances Be Bridged?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Distance Between the “Self” and the “Other” in Children’s Digital Books

Kucirkova

Littleton

2020

Front. Psychol.

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“…Each individual explores and examines the topic discussed during the focus group by building on others' per-spectives. In other words, the TTs technique is basically an exploration process rather than a structured interview (Cruz et al, 2016). The TT aims to determine Threshold Concepts (TCs).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methodological Discussions on the Use of Tricky Topics Technique for the Focus Group Discussions

ERDEN-BASARAN,

UĞUREL KAMIŞLI,

YILDIZ

et al. 2023

J Higher Edu Sci

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This paper examines the use of the Tricky Topics (TTs) technique in focus groups as a data collection method in qualitative research. This methodological study originated from a two-phase exploratory study that explored the perspectives of 23 senior Psychological Counseling and Guidance students on their online psychological counseling experiences. The data of the original study comprised indepth conversations via focus group meetings using the TTs technique. The collected data sets were analyzed through thematic analysis using MAXQDA 2022. During the data collection with the TTs technique, each participant builds on the opinions of others as they investigate and analyze the issues covered during the focus group. The experiences of the senior Psychological Counseling and Guidance program students on the use of the TTs technique indicated that using this technique helped them explore the barriers that stop them from understanding a concept in greater depth. The TTs technique encouraged and motivated participants to further explore the issues of online counseling when they observed others struggling, hesitating, and pausing to conceptualize what prevented them from being more active and effective in their practices and learning. This study suggests methodological implications for the TTs technique. When used in focus group research, the TTs technique provides participants with additional time to analyze how others reacted to the main discussion points. In this study, participants engaged in collaborative discourse and co-created practical measures to strengthen online counseling practices. These interactions resulted in the enhancement of Psychological Counseling and Guidance students’ perceptions of online counseling. This study explains the possible benefits of adopting the TTs technique in focus group interviews in terms of revealing the depth of the data. The implications of this methodology are further discussed, including how the findings could inform other studies that investigate specific concerns within a profession.

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“…For a deeper understanding of this approach see: "Threshold Concepts Vs. Tricky Topics" (Cruz, Lencastre, Coutinho, Clough, & Adams, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Problem Distiller Tool: Supporting Teachers in Uncovering Why Their Students Have Problems Understanding Threshold Concepts

Cruz

Lencastre

Coutinho

et al. 2017

Communications in Computer and Information Science

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This study explored the use of a web-based tool entitled 'Problem Distiller' designed to support teachers in uncovering why their students have problems understanding Threshold Concepts. Data collected involved interviews with two math teachers, invited to experiment the Problem Distiller tool and Think Aloud protocol. Content analysis was used to process and analyse the collected data.. Findings show that teachers found it helpful when the information they entered through the Problem Distiller was fed back as they constructed an online diagnostic quiz. Focusing on the teachers' understanding of why the students have problems is an effective way of tackling the barriers posed by Threshold Concepts and can be integrated with existing strategies and teaching approaches.

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Threshold Concepts Vs. Tricky Topics - Exploring the Causes of Student´s Misunderstandings with the Problem Distiller Tool

Cited by 3 publications

References 10 publications

The Distance Between the “Self” and the “Other” in Children’s Digital Books

The Distance Between the “Self” and the “Other” in Children’s Digital Books

Methodological Discussions on the Use of Tricky Topics Technique for the Focus Group Discussions

The Problem Distiller Tool: Supporting Teachers in Uncovering Why Their Students Have Problems Understanding Threshold Concepts

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