Abstract:

Introduction:
This article concentrates on the findings of a multi-case study conducted to explore the design principles of the university course “Methodology of science education” addressed to pre-service primary teachers. The learner centered approach in this online distance education course is aimed to foster students’ active learning and enhance pedagogical and digital competences. The research question is how range of course elements, such as digital resources (R), activities (A), supports (S), and evaluations (E), termed the RASE learning design model (Churchill, King, & Fox, 2013) have influence student’s achievements.

Methodology:
The study is an action research project, during which the researcher designed and implemented RASE learning design model in the university course ‘Methodology of science education’. The course was delivered online in distance educational format. University students from four different pedagogical specialty totally 378, took part in the research during summer and winter semester of 2020 year.
A suite of e-learning materials and activities was developed for the online synchronous and asynchronous learning, which introduced core content relating to science teaching and learning. Students attended, the Google meet lectures and the Google classroom webinars on either their computers or personal mobile devices. Lectures were delivered to five cohorts of between 70 and 86 students. Webinars were delivered to groups of 35 to 42 students, used a range of media to deliver teaching, including a PowerPoint presentation, video clips, and access to variety of online educational resources. Interactivity was fostered through use of live audience participation using polls, messaging, or chat room.
Students were asked to submit reflections on their lessons plans, lesons observation log, and learning tasks, which were analyzed and evaluated during the webinars, with formative assesment provided. Data collection involved collecting experiences and perceptions, focused observations, interviews, and survey, assessment procedures and grading, throughout both semesters.Feedback about the entire educational experience was collected via a voluntary online form in the student portfolio at the end of the course.

Key results/conclusions:
The RASE learning design model implemented in the academic course ‘Methodology of science education’ proved its efficiency. Students’ engagement was highly encouraged and appreciated. Authentic and relevant course materials that connect to teaching practice were explore. Various statements in the results have validated that students’ attention, motivation and collaboration elevate, since they functioned like in their everyday life: use of electronic devices, visual images, and multimedia resources. Self-paced learning, the differentiation, personalized synchronous and asynchronous communication, the feedback, enhanced students ‘pedagogical and digital competences and achievements have been identified as leading outcomes from the course design and implementation.

Keywords:

Online course design, distance education, pedagogical and digital competences.