We examine the impact of a gamified mobile learning application on students' exam success in a mandatory introductory accounting course. The app was developed with the particular needs of first-year students in mind. It provides elements like quizzes as well as organizational and communicative elements helping students structure their daily life…

Various studies have examined how the study of economics affects students' views on economic phenomena, yet there is little evidence regarding its impact on teenagers. We study the effect of a recent curriculum reform introducing mandatory economic education on teenagers' attitudes towards economics in Southwest Germany. Our findings reveal that…

Many countries are trying to increase the recruitment to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) studies. Some have implemented curriculum reforms to this end, others may do so. Using experiences from curriculum reforms in Germany, the Netherlands and, in particular, Sweden, we consider a proposal from the Royal Society in England…

Teacher-assigned grades provide important information that is used by universities and colleges to make admission decisions and by employers to make hiring decisions. Besides grades, the results of standardized achievement tests are frequently used for student selection and allocation. However, correlations between the two achievement measures are…

At the University of Paderborn, the course "Introduction into the culture of mathematics" is required for all first-year students who enter the study program for future mathematics teachers at lower secondary level (grade 5-10). In this inquiry-based transition-to-proof course, we use four different kinds of proofs (the generic proof…

In this paper, we present our experience with redesigning an introductory computer science course for (electrical) engineers with blended learning concepts. It is a large mandatory course with eight credit points over the course of two semesters, where first year electrical engineers learn how to program with Arduino, C and Python. Additionally,…

The effects of offering and seizing optional learning opportunities rarely have been investigated. Thus, university instructors have no basis on which to decide whether offering optional learning opportunities to their students would be worth the effort and which students would seize and benefit from them. To target these questions, we designed a…

The subject of computer science (CS) and computer science education (CSE) has relatively recently arisen as a subject for inclusion within the compulsory school curriculum. Up to this present time, a major focus of technologies in the school curriculum has in many countries been on applications of existing technologies into subject practice (both…

The current criticism of higher education is that the education offered does not match the needs of practice. In terms of competitiveness, Germany is about the forefront in Europe, and logically the question of whether higher education is the source from which leads to this result. The objective of this paper is to compare the corresponding study…

Compulsory second foreign language phenomenon has emerged in Turkey in the near term. German was made compulsory as the second foreign language in Anatolian high schools in the academic year 2012-2013. As with the first foreign language teaching, there are also problems with the second foreign language teaching. The revealing of the problems in…

In recent years, universities have been increasingly complaining that the basic mathematics skills of new students barely satisfy the requirements of many degree courses. They criticise the high dropout rates, especially in mathematics and natural sciences degrees, and link them to the lack of basic skills of university entrants. Many universities…

Math achievement, math self-concept, and vocational interests are critical predictors of STEM careers and are closely linked to high school coursework. Young women are less likely to choose advanced math courses in high school, and encouraging young women to enroll in advanced math courses may therefore bring more women into STEM careers. We…

Background: Teachers' professional vision includes the ability to apply general pedagogical knowledge about components of effective teaching and learning to reason about significant features of classroom practice. It requires teachers to (a) describe, (b) explain, and (c) predict classroom situations. Although the acquisition of underling…

In 2004 the German state of Bavaria introduced a new compulsory subject of computer science (CS) in its grammar schools ("Gymnasium"). The subject is based on a comprehensive teaching concept that was developed by the author and his colleagues during the years 1995-2000. It comprises mandatory courses in grades 6/7 for all students of…

Examines the reading behavior of education students and the pedagogical theories dealt with during their studies. Reports that pre-test findings indicate that the pedagogical literature read by education students is largely determined by the different courses of study (i.e., elementary or secondary education), and less so by a common disciplinary…