Coding wp2- comparative study-romania -in english

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Teaching Method and Flexible Tools
COMPARATIVE STUDY
ROMANIA
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission
cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information
contained therein.

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1.General Objective of the Work package
- To achieve good practice exchange of information, ideas and
concrete method of working with coding;
- To analyse the differences of the diverse educational systems
from the partner countries regarding education, computational
thinking and coding.
The objective of the Work Package nº 2 is to expose current training needs in
primary and secondary schools as well as show current mismatch and
competences shortage within the teachers and students.
Work package Nº 2is the starting point to know what are the real needs of
training and learning of teachers and students. On the other hand, we would like
to make know the good practices developed in the different countries of the
project and that these practices improve the skills and answer the questions of
the implementation of coding and computational thinking in the schools
curriculum.
The study of work package results offers a detailed vision of each target group
needs, among the different countries of the project. These results are
fundamental to know training and competitive lacks to face and work with
through the following work packages and this affects the achievement of the
project objectives.

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INDEX
ACTIVITIES
• Research and Mapping of teaching methods and flexible tools
across EU Member States:
1. Comparative studies;
2. Examination with questionnaires on the use of innovative tools
on computational thinking and coding Searching and sharing of good
practices;
3. Good practices
4. Materials for teachers and students

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1. COMPARATIVE STUDIES
General description of “computational thinking and coding”
Computer programming is the process of developing and implementing various
sets of instructions to enable a computer to perform a certain task, solve problems and
provide human interactivity. These instructions (source codes which are written in a
programming language) are considered computer programs and help the computer to
operate smoothly.
Coding on a technical level is a type of computer programming that closely or
exactly represents what happens at the lowest (machine) level. However, when most
people talk about coding, they usually mean something at a higher, more human-
readable level which could be anything from problem-orientated languages like Java,
C++ or PHP.
Often computer programming (when referring to software) and coding are used
interchangeably and refer to more or less the same activities of writing the
instructions (recipe) for the computer to perform a specific task following a logic.
However, based on the definitions above, coding can also be seen as a specific sub-
task of software computer programming which arranges the implementation of the
algorithm in the target programming language.
Programming/ computational thinking: “to be able to define a set of instructions to
reach a given goal from a given starting point; to be able to write a concrete set of
instructions for a computer to let the computer run a certain task.” (Belgium
Flanders).
Programming: “The ability to realise an algorithm in a computer programming
language, that is to interpret the steps of the algorithm as instructions in a
programming language, as a computer programme, to compile, run and debug the
programme, as well as to identify and reuse common design patterns.”

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Application of coding in the educational system of the involved
countries
Each school has to develop the description of the current situation in
its country
The Primary Educational System in Romania.
Basic Information
The Romanian primary educational system is compulsory and is structured on a 5-years level: pre-
primary class and primary classes (starting from first class to the fourth class), the pupils’ ages vary
from 5 to 7 years old at enlisting; the enrolment is based on a psychological evaluation for children.
The legal frame consists in a general syllabus which comprises general knowledge for all pupils
called “compulsory syllabus”, that is the minimum number of classes (19) stipulated by the general
syllabus, detailed for every object. These classes are provisioned to teach the general syllabus. To
cover the minimum or if the case may be, the maximum number of classes (21) per week stipulated
by the general syllabus, the school can also provide additional classes, representing The Curricula
offered by the school, based on each special situation that may come up: additional classes to
enlarge or to study more. If the choice is to enlarge, then the school syllabus is taught in full,
covering all elements suggested by the Ministery of Education.
The classes to study more are provisioned for these students who were not able to aquire the
minimum amount of knowledge stipulated by the general syllabus and who need extended practice
to reach the requested level. In this case, one or more classes are alloted for each object to go
throught the general syllabus.
The general number of classes for each level will consist of at least one class with an optional
feature. This will be established after consulting the students and the parents.

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The objectives of the primary educational systemare:
Objective 1 deals with: the use of acquired skills to solve simple problems within given contexts,
the use of simple mind processes to make decisions in familiar contexts, the use of the acquired
investigation methods to explore simple social and natural processes.
Objective2
The effective use of
instruments necessary
for secundary
education as a means
to life long learning LLP
Objective3
The identification of
learning objectives
relative to the students’
interestsandskills.
Objective4
The manifestation of
creativity and
innovative spirit.
Objective1
The usage of special
concepts,methods
characteristicto various
fields of activity and
technical tools to solve
problems.

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Objective 2 deals with: the effective use of tools necessary for the secondary education offered by
school, as a starting point for life long learning.
Objective 3 deals with: the identification of learning objectives corresponding to the students’ skills
and interests, correlated to the learning experiences provided by the family, the use of learning
techniques which value autonomy, discipline and perseverence in order to solve problems within
familiar contexts, to practice responsability for own learning, the use, according to the students’
age, of providing information and communication, to practice procedings and tools to create
informaton within virtual fields, by means of learning activities specific to the age and personal
development: the putting together of the students’ portfolios, artistic portfolios, the making of a
personal or group page, wikis, blogs, general features ncessary later on in life.
Objective 4 deals with: to participate in projects related to familiar life contexts from the known
environment, to make some computer related products using new working techniques, the
application and the valuing of the knowledge.
Link: www.edu.ro
2.Questionnaire to teachers who have used the coding
Questionnaire no. 1
General information
1-Name, Surname:
2- Name Of The School:
3- What level of education DO you teach?
a) Primary education; First stage of basic Education
b) Lower secondary education; Second stage of basic education
c) (Upper) secondary education
1. Does your school offer IT / Informatics / coding lessons?
a) Yes
b) No
If your answer is yes, CE? Informatics lessons
2. When schools participated in the development of the code, how would you judge the
involvement of the following actors?

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very
important
important not very
important
not important at all
Headteacher
School board/council
Teachers
Parents
Students
3. What level of education are these lessons?
a. Primary education; First stage of basic Education
b. Lower secondary education; Second stage of basic education
c. (Upper) secondary education
4. Please describe the content that you teach
I teach English (vocabulary and basic grammar for younger learners)
5. Are your students interested in ITC/Informatics/Coding lessons?
A. Yes
B. No
ASSESSMENT REPORT
Survey no. 1
The survey was taken by 25 teachers.
- Which cycle do you teach?
a) Primary school; the first stage of basic education
b) Secondary school; the second stage of basic education
c) High school

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-Does your school provide ITC/ Informatics / coding classes?
a) Yes
b) No
- All teachers are informed of the fact that their school provides ITC/ Informatics / coding
classes, such as: ITC/INFORMATICS/Optional classes, THE COMPUTER IS MY FRIEND,
ECDL, EXCEL
-How important do you think it is for the following actors to get involved in code
development?
It is very important for the school managers, the administration board, the teachers, the parents
and the students to get involved in code development.
- To which educational level do these classes belong?
a. Primary school; the first stage of basic education
b. Secondary school; the second stage of basic education
c. Highschool

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The teachers are informed about the educational levels to which these classes belong and
mentioned: C++/HTML/CSS/PHP/PICASA/PREZI/MOVIE MAKER/WORD/EXCEL/POWER
POINT/ACCESS, CREATING FOLDERS/SAVING DOCUMENTS, ECDL, USING
COMPUTERS, ONLINE TOOLS, TEXT EDITING, CALCULUS, DATABASE,
PRESENTATIONS
-Are your students interested in ITC/Informatics/Coding?
A. Yes
B.No
All the students are interested in ITC/Informatics/Coding?
Questionnaire no. 2
Lower secondary education;
Second stage of basic education
(Upper) secondary education
1-Name, Surname:
………………………………….
2- Name Of The School:
…………………………………….
3. Does your school offer an AP Computer Science Java Course?
a) Yes
b) No
If your answer is yes:
4. What is the number of pages of the code?
a) Less than five pages
b) Between five and 6 pages
c) Between ten and twenty pages

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d) More than twenty pages
5. Do you think it is useful to teach students create games by using Java?
a) Yes
b) No
ASSESSMENT REPORT
Survey no. 2
The survey was taken by 25 teachers/school staff.
- Does your school provide Java classes?
d) Yes
e) No
According to the answers, all teachers are informed that the school does not provide Java classes.
-Do you think it is useful for the students to learn how to design games by using Java?
c) Yes
d) No

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According to the answers, all teachers find it necessary for the students to learn how to design
games by using Java.
3.Searching and sharing of good practices
Please, describe 5 good practices with selection of innovative tools for students and
teaching methods for teacher
 Primary education; First stage ofbasic Education
 Lower secondaryeducation;Secondstage ofbasic education
 (Upper) secondaryeducation
NAME of the PROGRAM/PROJECT
Learn English (Kids)
RESPONSIBLE INSTITUTION
British Council
PARTNERS: teachers, parents, kids, teenagers
SHORT DESCRIPTION:
85.7% of teachers teach other
subjects
14.3% of teachers teach / taught
computer science / ICT

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The website dedicated to young learners is part of a larger website
(http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/). It can be used by anyone (kids, parents and
teachers) and there's no need to have a user account. You do get access to more resources
by creating your own account, but there is plenty of material to use anyway. It consists of
educational activities for young students to learn or for teachers to teach English (Listen
& Watch, Read & Write, Speak & Spell, Grammar, Kids' Games, Make). It is advertised
by newsletters sent to registered users.
WEBSITE
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/?utm_source=lekids&utm_medium=header-
tab&utm_campaign=learnenglish-kids
CONTACTS FOR INFORMATION
There is a website section consisting of answers to FAQ (frequently asked questions). If no
mention is made of one particular problem, there's an option of filling in a contact form
with details concerning your identity, the topic of your message (chosen from a drop-down
list) and the actual contents of your message.
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/games
www.cambridgeenglish.org
PARTNERS:
Cambridge English Helpdesk

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Cambridge English Teacher
Cambridge English Penfriends
Cambridge English Schools
SHORT DESCRIPTION:
It is a platform dedicated to learning and/or teaching English through a variety of
educational games and activities, meant to make it easier both on the students to learn and on
the teachers to teach English.
It consists of vocabulary games in which a monkey gets ready for a long journey and
it has to pass one level to move to the next stage of its adventure. Students have to solve
different tasks, such as:
e) identify different objects according to their characteristics (the ”ball” next to
the ”kite”, as opposed to another ”ball”, which is opposite the ”house”) and colour them
according to the instructions
f) match the image with the correct word and remember the order in which they
appear in a grid
g) find the word which best fits a description
h) solve one level to unlock the next one
i) reach a certain number of points
Another, more topic-related version of this game, based on the same principle of completing
one level to get to the next one, refers to an alien who graduates from the English Academy.
The final destination is a castle and the alien has to go through Noun Town, Pronoun Town,
Plural Town, Simile Town, Adjective Village and Vowel Ville, with different levels within
each of them. Games vary from dual choice to multiple choice questions, filling in blanks,
choosing the best answer for a specific question, and so on.
WEBSITE
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org

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Teachers, examination centers and preparation centers can use a link to embed the games on
their own website or blog.
The http://www.cambridgeenglish.org website is hosted by the British
Council website. The British Council has Romanian affiliates in the following cities:
Bucharest, Iasi, Cluj Napoca and Timisoara.
AEL
SIVECO Romania SA
PARTNERS:
MECTS
SHORT DESCRIPTION:
AeL is a modern eLearning solution which offers various management and presentation facilities for
different types of educational content, such as interactive multimedia materials, interactive guides,
exercices, simulations and tests. It is a modern, computer-assisted learning method. It does not
require the student's physical presence in the laboratory – he/she can use it either at school or
at home.
Students connect to the application by means of a username and a password.
The platform consists of several modules.
The “Teaching” module contains administration, planning, designing and topic options.

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Each course is planned according to the learning method:
- Synchronous – the course is held by a trainer in a virtual classroom
- Asynchronous – students can attend the course without entering a virtual classroom
In order to administer Created and/or Planned courses, click on the link Administrare
cursuri (Course administration) in the {Predare} (Teaching) menu and choose the
Administrare Cursuri option (Course Administration). Select a course and the desired option.
The trainers /teachers can also makes notes of absences and grades.
The “Invatare” (Learning) module consists of optional courses, course reports and existing courses.
The “Spatiu de lucru” (Workspace) module stores and filters a large amount of
information/lessons. The user is granted access to their own directory and to their public
directory as well, and can administer the existing documents.
Lessons are created by using the “Editorul de lectie” (Lesson editor) - “Creare lectie” (Lesson creation).
This option enables the user to organize their own materials in one lesson, which is published
as a course.
In order to create a lesson within the [Materiale educaţionale personale] (Personal
educational materials) directory, the following steps must be taken:
- Choose the [Materiale educaţionale personale] (Personal educational materials) directory
within the navigation menu.
- Choose Operaţii pe Materiale educaţionale (Operating educational materials)
- Click on the [Creare] (Create) button
- Choose the Creare lecţie (Create lesson) option
- Insert the name of the lesson

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- Click on the [OK] button.
Within the Proprietăţile lecţiei (Lesson properties) tab, the user can change the name of the
lesson and associate fields and levels.
The test editor is used to create assessment tests which can be inserted in synchronous or
asynchronous lessons.
In order to design a test by using the QTI editor, the following steps must be taken:
a) Open Workspace ()Spatiul de lucru/ My workspace (Spaţiul meu de lucru) / Personal
Educational Materials (Materiale Educaţionale Personale) / Create / Create test
b) Insert the name of the test and hit [OK]
c) A page will open, called “Creează test” (Create a test)
d) The left side of the page contains the properties of the test: navigation, shuffling,
partial score, time limit, objectives, resources, preview, view test and results, save,
back.
e) In order to add a question/ an item to the test, choose the Add (Adauga) option from
the Questions (Întrebãri) menu. A drop-down menu opens, consisting of different
types of questions/items.
Items from other tests can also be inserted. Items can also be modified, deleted, multiplied or
moved.
Resources can also be added to a test. In order to do this, simply click on Resurse
(Resources) in the general properties tab. The Resurse (Resource) page will open. Resources
may be of the following types:
- images, in one of the following formats: jpg, jpeg, gif, bmp, png.
- audio, in one of the following formats: wav, mp3, wma, aac, au.

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- video, in one of the following formats: wmv, avi, mpg, mpeg, mpv, mov, flv, swf.
The “Administrare” (Administration) module is used to administer users, groups, and
assigned roles.
AeL facilitates understanding of contents and increases learning efficiency.
WEBSITE
http://advancedelearning.com/
Forum - http://forum.portal.edu.ro
TELVERDE: 0800 0800 05
E-mail: ael@portal.edu.ro
Contact information:
SIVECO Romania SA
Victoria Park
73-81 Bucureşti-Ploieşti Highway,
Building C4, Sector 1, code 013685, Bucharest
Tel: +40 (21) 3023300
Fax: +40 (21) 3023391
www.siveco.ro
www.advancedelearning.com
www.educreativ.ro
Secretariat: office@siveco.ro
Marketing & PR: marketing@siveco.ro
European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL)

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ECDL ROMANIA
PARTNERS:
The ECDL/ICDL programme is administered at a global level by the ECDL Foundation, with headquarters in
Dublin, Irlanda.
The ECDL Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, the role of which is to promote, develop and certify IT
knowledge and computer skills.
SHORT DESCRIPTION:
ECDL – European Computer Driving Licence is an internationally recognized standard used to certify
computer skills.
ECDL ROMANIA is the only entity authorized by the ECDL Foundation and ATIC to promote and
develop the concept of ECDL in Romania and the Republic of Moldova.
Candidates are only trained and tested within specific centers authorized by ECDL ROMANIA, by
using standard ECDL tests.
Training and testing centers can be teaching establishments (universities, highschools, schools),
administration training centers, professional training centers in all of the important cities in the
country.
The ECDL certificate awarded in Romania is valid in 150 countries worlwide, provided that those
countries recognize the ECDL/ICDL standard.
The ECDL certificate can be obtained by anyone (young people , pupils, students, clerks or
company employees) who want to have their computer skills certified and recognized at an
international level.
In schools training is conducted by ECDL trainers (informatics teachers who have been tested
to become ECDL trainers).
Exams are held online in informatics laboratories authorized by ECDL, provided that they have
a functional surveillance camera to be used during the examination. ECDL Romania conducts
online monitorization from its local headquarters in Bucharest.
In order to get an ECDL authorization as a testing center, an informatics laboratory must be
endowed with a functional surveillance camera which complies with certain ”technical
specifications”, as well aswith computers ”which must support the automated testing
application”.

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Students access the ECDL automated testing application : http://certificare.ecdl.ro/
by using customized usernames and passwords and they have 45 minutes to complete their
testing applications.
The final number of points is shown at the end of the test. It must be at least 75%.
ECDL PROFIL START BAC and ECDL PROFIL BAC certifications are dedicated to those students who
want to have their computer test at the end of their highschool years certified by the ECDL certificate.
The ECDL PROFIL START BAC certificate can be obtained after having passed four compulsory
modules: Use of a computer, Online tools, Text editing, Tables.
The ECDL PROFIL BAC certificate can be obtained after having passed six compulsory modules: Use of
a computer, Online tools, Text editing, Tables, Databases, Presentations.
A student who obtained the ECDL PROFIL START BAC certificate can be recognized as an
ADVANCED USER at their BAC examination for computer skills.
A student who obtained the ECDL PROFIL BAC certificate can be recognized as an PROFICIENT
USER at their BAC examination for computer skills.
ECDL trainings can be attended by students starting from the 9th grade.
At an international level, there are 14 milion people registered in this programme, with over
250.000 candidates in Romania alone, who have and are going to take the ECDL certificate.
WEBSITE
http://www.ecdl.org.ro/
Address:8-10 Grivitei Road,6th
Floor,
Bucharest,Sector 1, 010701,Romania
(TRN J40/2422/2002,URC RO14541553)
Tel: +4021 316 9922;

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Fax: +4021 319 7227
E-mail:office@ecdl.ro
The equivalent of the ECDL programme outside Europe is known as ICDL - International Computer
Driving Licence.
MOODLE(https://www.moodle.ro/ https://edu.moodle.ro/)
f) Moodle Pty Ltd (also known as the Moodle Headquarters or the Moodle Trust,
located in Perth, West Australia), is an Australian company which develops the largest part
of the Moodle core;
g) In Romania there is the EDU Moodle România network.
PARTNERS:
Moodle is an Open Source software kit.
Basically, the Moodle project consists of a series of distinctive elements which are
however interconnected, such as:
h) the Moodle software;
i) Moodle Pty Ltd (also known as the Moodle Headquarters or the Moodle Trust,
located in Perth, West Australia), an Australian company which develops the largest part of
the Moodle core;
j) the Moodle community, a free network with over one million registered users who
interact through the website of the Moodle community to share ideas, codes, information and
free support;
k) the Moodle partners' network, which constitutes the commercial part of the Moodle
environment and ensures the largest amount of money used for financing Moodle Pty Ltd.
The EDU Moodle România network is a school community, which develops an
innovative and interactive virtual environment to promote high-quality education within the
European society of knowledge.
SHORT DESCRIPTION:

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Moodle is an Open Source software kit, a Content Management System - CMS, a
Learning Management System - LMS, as well as a Virtual Learning Environment - VLE.
Moodle is a learning platform (e-learning), initially developed by Martin Dougiamas
to help teachers create online courses focused on interaction and collaborative constitution of
the educational contents, which is still developing.
This software, which is used to create online courses, can be set up on any computer
which can support PHP, and it can handle a database of the SQL type (such as MySQL). It
can run on Windows, Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Moodle requires no changes when running in Unix, Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, Mac
OS X, NetWare and in any other system which handles PHP and a database.
Moodle is easy to administer, it offers management for online courses and registered
users and the opportunity to add new functions to a website which uses Moodle. It has multi-
language support, chat and forum.
The Moodle Romania e-learning platform offers a socializing and communication
environment, electronic courses and assessment and participants have the opportunity to
learn together. There are 5 levels of access which are implicitly defined within the
application:
j) Administrator: full rights over the application
k) Trainer: the right to administer the resources and activities available for the
course which the person trains
l) Tutor: the right to add and modify courses
m) Trainee: the right to attend a course
n) Guest: limited rights.
WEBSITE
https://www.moodle.ro
In Romania:
The EDU Moodle România network
Address: 91, Revolutiei Blvd. ap. 10, Arad, Romania, the EU

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MANAGEMENT
Manager of the Moodle Community in Romania
Technical manager of EDU Moodle Romania
Cosmin Herman - contact@moodle.ro
Manager of Edu Moodle Romania
Carmen Epure: edu@moodle.ro
SECRETARIAT
Ema Vuculescu: ema.vuculescu@moodle.ro, +40371067211
Support for EDU Moodle Romania
suport@moodle.ro
ORACLE
Oracle Academy
PARTNERS:
With more than 420,000 customers and deployments in more than 145 countries, Oracle offers a
comprehensive and fully integrated stack of cloud applications, platform services, and
engineered systems.
SHORT DESCRIPTION:
The Oracle Academy provides training courses for teachers and students alike, in an interactive,
attractive and comprehensible manner, while allowing total, real-time feedback.
For online access to the training courses provided by the Oracle Academy follow the link below:
https://academy.oracle.com/index1.html --> Student sign in
Fill in the registration data.
Access the Profile tab or the link https://profile.oracle.com/myprofile/account/create-

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account.jspx and fill in the profile. After login you will have access to the training courses for
which you have registered.
The course consists of two sections:
o) Oracle Academy Database Design – Student
p) Oracle Academy Database Programming with SQL – Student
Each lesson ends with a set of quizzes to pass.
At the end of each section there is an intermediary exam and a final one at the end of the course,
which students must pass in order to graduate from the training courses.
The exams are passed along with other students under close supervision of the
trainer.
WEBSITE
https://academy.oracle.com
https://www.facebook.com/oracle
For further contacts follow the link below:
https://academy.oracle.com/en/about-contact-us.html
For further information follow the link below:
https://www.oracle.com/corporate/index.html#info
In Romania there is:
ORACLE ROMANIA
Address: 169A FLOREASCA Avenue
City: Bucharest, Sector 1
County: Bucharest
Romania

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The W3Schools online platform
www.w3schools.com/ http://www.w3schools.org.in/
http://www.w3schools.org.in/
PARTNERS:
SHORT DESCRIPTION:
The W3Schools platform is a learning management system. There is a useful
tutorial for teaching the HTML language at www.w3schools.com. This website
also hosts other useful tutorials for teaching XHTML, CSS, XML,
JAVASCRIPT, ASP, PHP, SQL.
It contains over 100 examples of code sequences in HTML. It is possible to
edit the HTML code and to view the result by clicking the Edit and click me
button. By clicking this button we can basically view the webpage the way in
which it would be visible if opened by means of a browser. These are the steps
which must be taken in order to access the HTML language tutorial:
l) Access www.w3schools.com;
m) Choosethe Learn HTML link;
n) We will be granted access to a list of links divided into the following
categories: HTML Basic, HTML Advanced, HTML Examples and
HTML References which describe some basic actions regarding the

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HTML language, as well as advanced notions, examples and references;
o) Access the link of our choice, for example HTML HOME;
p) Click on Try it yourself to access a work window to the left of which
there is the HTML editor, and on the right side we can see the result by
clicking on the Edit and Click Me button;
q) Edit the codeof our choice in the HTML editor;
r) Click on Edit and click Me to view the result.
There are also some assessmentquizzes which can be used in order to test
the students' acquisitions. Just click on Start the HTML Quiz.
W3Schools is a programme which can be used for online certification. In
order to obtain this certificate, follow the HTML Certificate link, or test your
knowledge of XHTML and CSS.
Examinations are held in an organized environment and there must be one
supervisor. There are 70 multiple or dual-choice items and the time limit is 70
minutes. The examination is passed if there are at least 75% correct answers. The
examination language is English. If a student answers over 95% of the questions
correctly, they will get a further Excellency Degree which will be added to their
certificate.
WEBSITE
www.w3schools.com

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4. Materials for teachers
4.1.
Name of the method/instrument:
Heuristic conversation
Brief description:
#It is designed to guide the student to “discover" something new.
#It consists of a series of questions and answers, the result of which being a new truth or novelty discovered by
the student.
#The questions and answers must constitute compact series, each new question being based upon the previous
answer.
#It is conditioned by the student's prior knowledge, enabling them to andwer the respective questions.
Which is the teacher's role?
The teacher asks questions meant to guide the student to the discovery of something new.
Which is the student's role?
The student answers the teacher's questions and makes the necessary connections in order to learn
something new
Example of use:
The acquisition and development of Maths-related terms

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4.2.
Name of the method/instrument:
Catechetic conversation
Brief description:
#Its main function is to measure the student's level of knowledge at a give time.
#The difference from the heuristic conversation is the fact that the questions and answers no longer constitute
series or systems (each set of question and answer constitute a self-standing microuniverse as reported to the
other questions and answers).
#It must meet certain criteria in terms of the quality of the questions, on one hand, and of the answers, on the
other hand.
The questions:
a) must be correct, both in terms of grammar, and in terms of logic;
b) must be accurate;
c) must be conveniently brief and refer to a limited content;
d) must be varied enough: *dates, names, definitions;
* explanations;
* problem situations
The question must always be associated to the necessary amount of reflection time, depending on its
difficulty.
The answer is only interrupted when the student gets confused from the very beginning.
It is not advisable to ask questions with suggested or one-syllable answers.
The question is first asked to the entire class, and the student who must answer it is only named after
the reflection time has expired.
It is not useful to ask tricky (intentionally wrong) questions
The answers:
a) must always be gramatically and logically correct, regardless of the subject.
b) must cover all aspects of the questions.
c) must address the essential part of the questions, whilst being as concise as possible.
d) for primary school classes, the answers must be expressed in a fully formed sentence or phrase.
e) must have a full form, with no fragments or “parasite” elements
The teacher assesses the student's level of knowledge at the given moment and guides the students to
the discovery of new things.
The student uses their existing knowledge in order to learn new things
Example of use: The deduction of Maths rules based on the student's prior knowledge of
the subject..

29
4.3.
Name of the method/instrument
Actuality conversation
Brief description:
#The students can only get involved in the debate when they have:
(a) the relevant information;
(b) the method necessary to investigate outside the respective debate;
(c) the ability to understand and accept opposing points of view.
#The teachers can only get involved in the debate if they have:
(a) created the necessary social and affective climate, based mostly on group cohesion;
(b) organized the debate group in a reasonable number of members (15-20), in order for everyone to
have time to express their opinion;
(c) made the best space arrangements;
(d) avoided to impose their own opinion, their role being a mere mediation one;
(e) set an approximate time limit for each aspect of the issue, in order to cover all revelant aspects.
The teacher encourages the students to express their own opinions, while helping them develop a set
of social and communication skills.
The student expresses their opinion on a given actuality topic, while listening to and respecting
potentially opposite opinions.
Example of use:
A debate regarding the importance of attending PE classes.
4.5.
Didactic observation
Brief description:
# It consists of the systematic observation of the objects and phenomena which constitute the
contentes of the learning activity, in order to notice their most significant characteristics.
# It uses research and discovery
# It has a formative function
# It implies several steps:- organization
- observarea propriu-zisa
- interpretation
- valorification
Didactic observation involves a close look at various objects and phenomena. It can be systematic –

30
with the teacher guiding the student or independent – out of the student's own free will. It aims at the
student descovering the world around them, and completing the information which is already in their
knowledge database.
Observation has a heuristic character, and it aims at encouraging the student's participation and
receptivity regarding the environment.
Observation can be on an either short or long term.
Observation can help reach the following objectives: explanation, description, interpretation of
various phenonema.
Observation will then be turned into charts, articles, drawings, graphs, in which the student explains
what they have previously noticed about the respective phenomenon.
The process of observation and its related forms can also help develop other skills, such as: patience, diligence,
imagination, perseverence,perspicacity.
The teacher organizes observation in such a way as to raise and maintain the student's interest in
discovering new things about the world around them
The student follows the teacher's indications in order to become the author of their own learning.
Example of use:
Observation of how plants grow in their natural environment by planting beans or wheat, either at
home or at school.

31
4.6.
Demonstration
Brief description:
# It is a teaching-learning method, during which the message that has to be conveyed to the
student takes the form of a concrete or substitute object or action.
# Types of demonstration (depending on the means):
a. Object demonstration
-for a student, the main source of information is a natural object (rocks, seeds, plants, chemical
substances) in their environment, when and if possible (for instance, plants or some lab animals).
-advantage -> they give demonstration a very convincing nature
b. Action demonstration
- for a student, the main source of knowledge is an action shown by the teacher, and the purpose of
demonstrating actions is to turn them into abilities.
- Conditions:
- a preliminary sitting, grouping and instruction of the students
- a preliminary rehearsal of the action by the instructor
- a real action demonstration, not a mime or a mere verbalization
- a short demonstration time, followed by the student doing it themselves
- sufficient instructions.
c. Substitute demonstration
#It is very extended (substitutes or ready-made materials are easily available for the teacher to use)
image boards
maps
photographs and paintings
3-D materials
# Advantages:
1. Time and space do not often enable the teacher to make direct use of the object or phenomena to be
taught;
2. An over-complicated structure of the real objects or phenomena can be simplified either by
visualization or by schematization;
3. It is sometimes impossible to recur to natural objects, therefore substitutes can be used to describe
them
4. Substitutes have unlimited availability for teachers
5. They involve less financial effort as compared to the original objects
d. Combined demonstration – experiment demonstration
- drawing demonstration
Experiment demonstration consists of a mixture of object and action demonstration.
Drawing demonstration consists of the teacher drawing something in fornt of the students, who draw
at the same time ( action and substitute demonstration)
e. Technical demonstration
# It uses technology: audio, video or both.
# Advantages:
1. High accuracy, both in terms of sound and in terms of image;

32
2. They can express different aspects which could not be (easily) conveyed;
3. Different technical tools can be used to describe various phenomena which cannot be otherwise
observed;
4. They can be replayed whenever necessary, thus avoiding the waste of time;
5. They are more productive and more attractive to students.
# Conditions: - a special space management (mat curtains, desks, etc.);
- a thoughtful use fo such demonstrations, so as not to interrupt the student's activity.
The teacher demonstrates the aspects which the student must acquire, thus enabling learning and
internalization.
The student pays attention to the teacher's demonstration and makes an active and intentional effort
to make the necessary connections in order to learn new things.
Example of use:
Demonstration of various movements during the PE class
4.7.
Exercise
Brief description:
# It consists of repeatedly and intentionally performing an action in order to acquire a pattern of
action or to improve one's own performance
# It aims not only at creating skills, but also at consolidating knowledge
# It is compatible with any learning content
# There are at least two classification criteria:
● form - oral
- written
- practical
b. purpose and complexity – introductory exercises → the students are explained an activity for the
first time and they perform it along with their teacher
- consolidation (basic)exercises -> the students performs the action repeatedly and intentionally
- connection (parallel) exercises -> the students integrate the new and the existing skills into larger
systems
- creative or heuristic exercises
# Conditions :
a. The student must be fully aware of the purpose of the exercise and follow the learning pattern
accurately.
b. The exercises must be varied enough, so as to avoid developing only part of the respective skill.

33
c. The exercises must be increasingly difficult. Complicated skills require a progressive integration of
the basic ones.
d. The exercises must have time continuity, otherwise various gaps might occur, which could hinder
the normal acquisition of the respective skill.
e. The exercises must have an appropriate duration and rhythm.
f. Performance of the exercises must always integrate (self)correction
The teacher facilitates the creation of skills or the consolidation of the student's prior
knowledgeby having them repeat actions.
The student follows the teacher's instructions in order to acquire certain skills and knowledge, which
they can later use with minimum concentration.
Example of use:
During Maths classes, for rule acquisition.
.
4.8.
Star explosion
Brief description
# It stimulates creativity and get the students to relax
# It is based on asking questions to solve problems.
# It can be used after reading activities, conversations, memorizations, story telling.
# The teaching materials consist of a big star, five small yellow stars, five red arrows and counters.
The teacher pastes an image related to the respective topic on the big star, and writes a question
(What?, Who?, Where?, When?, Why?) on each of the five smaller stars.
This method has the advantage of helping the students develop their creative potential, making them
familiar with the type of questions mentioned above, allowing them to practice question formation
and giving full answers, and solving problems by answering the teacher's questions.
The teacher facilitates the comprehension of the reading materials and encourages students to ask and
answer questions.
The student answers the questions and thus provides feed-back as for the acquisition of the learning
contents, whilst being able to correct potential comprehension errors.

34
Example of use:
After a reading activity, to show reading comprehension
4.9.
Name of method/tool:
Natural means of teaching
Short description:
There can be two types of means:
a. strictly natural means: rocks, minerals, plants (herbariums),insects (insectariums); animal
skeletons; stands of natural chemical substances, etc.;
b.natural means, created for the day-to-day needs: objects, pieces,devices, mechanisms, machines,
tools, pieces of equipment, facilities, technical systems, information systems (computers) etc
The teacher uses this teaching method to present the lesson and to assess the students' progress
Which is the student' s role?
The students use the teacher's instructions to achieve their task.
4.10.
Algorithmization
Short description:
In totally general terms, algorithmization is a reaching and learning method consisting of the use
and valorification of algorithms. Algorithms are, in their turn, a string of operations conducted in a
fairly constant order, which enables the solution of a whole set of similar problems. In teaching
terms, algorithmization means that the teacher finds the string of operations which are necessary for
every learning activity.
Didactic algorithmization implies two things: the approximately fixed form or succession of the
student's operations and the pre-determination thereof by the teacher.
By using this method, the student acquires a set of knowledge or working techniques after having
complied with a ready-set pattern, whereas heuristic learning implies learning is the result of the
student's own research.

35
4.11.
Programmed learning
Short description:
Programmed learning is a teaching method which consists of the students go over a certain training
content at their own pace and in a conscious effort to learn. They have the opportunity to check
their own solutions(a stept at a time) thus ensuring success.
The principles of programmed learning are:
● 1. The principle of small steps. The learning content is divided into several fragments,
small enough to be accessible to the students at their current level of understanding.
● 2. The principle of active responding. It determines every student to understand the
respective contents and answer questions and solve problems within each theme, otherwise
studying would no longer be possible.
● 3. The principle of immediate confirmation- the student can check the correctness of their
answer or solution on the spot.
● 4. The principle of self-pacing - by working on their own, each student progresses in their
own rhythm, depending on their real, existing capacities.
4.12.
Modeling is a teaching method which consists of using a model to organize and schedule the
learning processes.
Short description:
The main characteristics of a model are:
– it imitates the essence or parts of the original;
– it consists of scientifically interesting elements;
– it provides extra information as compared to the direct observation of the original;

36
– it can be used as an instrument to discover new properties of the original.
From a teaching point of view, models can be:
–substantial (objective) such as: dummies, molds, shapes, small items (planes, locomotives,
engines);
–graphic (figurative): diagrams, graphs (schemes and reprezentations), conventional signs,
animation;
–logical (symbolic): algorithms, formulas
Within the learning process modelling can have two aspects. The first is the possibility for the
students to learn by means of models created by others (teachers, parents). The second refers to the
students learning by means of models created by themselves with the teacher's assistance.

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