An Experience Report on the Effectiveness of Five Themed Workshops at Inspiring High School Students to Learn Coding

Today there is a high demand for computing programmers, and at the same time a shortage of skilled professionals. This has triggered the creation of many initiatives in the past few years, with the aim of reversing the phenomenon. To achieve this, such events are designed to promote a more appealing image for programming, both as a profession and as a skill. This paper describes one such initiative, which uses a unique blend of differently themed, parallel workshops to motivate high school students to learn programming. With the use of questionnaires, we survey the participants and present our findings concerning the effectiveness of these workshops to engage the participants, to promote the value of coding, and to encourage the participants to consider a career in the field. We evaluate our results both at a general level, as well as by comparison among five individually themed workshops

Next generation pedagogy: IDEAS for online and blended higher education. Final report of the FUTURA (Future of university teaching: update and a roadmap for advancement) project

Next generation pedagogy: IDEAS for online and blended higher education. Final report of the FUTURA (Future of university teaching: update and a roadmap for advancement) projec

Next generation pedagogy: IDEAS for online and blended higher education. Final report of the FUTURA (Future of university teaching: update and a roadmap for advancement) project

Next generation pedagogy: IDEAS for online and blended higher education. Final report of the FUTURA (Future of university teaching: update and a roadmap for advancement) projec

Gamification and Coding to Engage Primary School Students in Learning Mathematics: A Case Study

This paper describes a pilot educational project made in a Primary School in Italy (Scuola Primaria Alessandro Manzoni at Mulazzano, Milan) implemented in 2016 and 2017. The project was born from a specific request: the school aimed at improving the results achieved by students aged 7 during the National Tests for Mathematics since they registered performances lower than the National Average. In this context, we supported teachers providing information tools and methods to improve performances. Our aim was to develop new game-oriented approaches to problem-solving, mixing our different experiences and competences (organization design, information technologies, psychology). We provided a broader spectrum of parameters tools and keys to understand how to achieve an inclusive approach personalized on students, involving them and their teachers in the project. This cooperative approach allowed us to collect interesting observations about learning styles, pointing out the negative impact that standardized processes and instruments can have on self-esteem and consequently on the performance of pupils. We argue that addressing pupils in considering mathematics as continuous research and development can increase their performances in National Tests execution. Children free to realize their own experiments and observations dramatically improve their involvement and curiosity about Mathematics

Teacher Perceptions of Digital Gaming and 21st-century skills in the Middle School Classroom

Teacher Perceptions of digital gaming and 21st-century skills in Middle School classrooms ABSTRACT The purpose of this research was to capture teacher perceptions on the use of digital gaming in the learning environment of middle school classrooms. Additionally, to speak to perceptions on learning of 21st-century skills such as communication, collaboration and critical thinking. This study of two middle schools in the same district in suburban New Jersey was utilized for capturing the ideas of teachers who employed a variety of digital games in the classroom as part of their learning objectives. An interview protocol was utilized to direct questions around ideas with a focus on: game types, game objectives and observations of learning, as well as perceptions around the assessment of learning. Interviews were conducted with educators both individually and in a group to compile their perspectives on how games can be utilized towards a learning target, specifically to support 21st-century skills. The digital games came in the form of a variety of formats and utilized for different intents, but purposefully integrated to support constructivist learning styles and foster learning. This study contributed information to the literature regarding digital gaming and learning, inclusive and beyond that of engagement. Recommendations for educational leaders and policy makers were outlined as well as suggestions for future research relevant to these ideas were also included

Teacher Perceptions of Digital Gaming and 21st-century skills in the Middle School Classroom

Teacher Perceptions of digital gaming and 21st-century skills in Middle School classrooms ABSTRACT The purpose of this research was to capture teacher perceptions on the use of digital gaming in the learning environment of middle school classrooms. Additionally, to speak to perceptions on learning of 21st-century skills such as communication, collaboration and critical thinking. This study of two middle schools in the same district in suburban New Jersey was utilized for capturing the ideas of teachers who employed a variety of digital games in the classroom as part of their learning objectives. An interview protocol was utilized to direct questions around ideas with a focus on: game types, game objectives and observations of learning, as well as perceptions around the assessment of learning. Interviews were conducted with educators both individually and in a group to compile their perspectives on how games can be utilized towards a learning target, specifically to support 21st-century skills. The digital games came in the form of a variety of formats and utilized for different intents, but purposefully integrated to support constructivist learning styles and foster learning. This study contributed information to the literature regarding digital gaming and learning, inclusive and beyond that of engagement. Recommendations for educational leaders and policy makers were outlined as well as suggestions for future research relevant to these ideas were also included

A Phenomenological Study of Teachers\u27 Experiences with Educational Gamification and its Impact on Student Engagement in the Middle School Math and Science Classroom

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand digital gamification and its effect on student engagement based on the lived experiences of middle school math and science teachers in rural schools in the southeast region of the United States. Nick Pelling’s gamification theory guided the study herein. Gamification theory served as a tool to alter learner engagement which impacted instruction and learning. I used a criterion-based purposeful selection of 10 middle school math and science teachers with gamification experience. Participating teachers had three or more years of teaching experience and taught in regional rural schools. The hermeneutical phenomenological study resulted in the themes of gamification elements on student engagement, planning gamification lessons, and obstacles to gamification. The lived experiences of middle school math and science teachers positively addressed the gap in the correlation between gamification and enhancing student engagement

How does a Gamification Design Influence Students’ Interaction in an Online Course?

This study created and examined a gamification design that aimed at improving students’ interaction in a graduate level online course. By using a design-based research approach, the study investigated the application of principles from Self-Determination Theory in the gamification design and its influence on students’ interaction in discussion forums in terms of quantity, interaction dynamic, and interaction quality. The gamification design included a positive feedback system, contextualized in a narrative environment that was based on the original course project design. Participants were 49 students enrolled in the online course in three versions of the course, which were the non-gamification version of the course in the 2016 summer semester (NGC), the prototype gamification version of the course in the 2016 summer semester (PGC), and the revised gamification version of the course in the 2016 summer semester (RGC). Students’ interaction data in the academic discussion forums were compared with each other. Students’ gamification performance data were presented and compared between the PGC and the RGC. Moreover, eight students from the RGC participated in semi-structured interviews and shared their experiences and perspectives about the revised gamification design. The results showed that students in the gamified courses posted more messages per week. When students were the facilitators for the week, they were more actively involved in the online discussion. The student facilitators in the gamified courses were more active compared to the student facilitators in the non-gamified course. Second, students’ interaction was more evenly distributed among students in the gamified courses. On average, students in the gamified courses received comments from more peers than students in the non-gamified course. The class level density scores were higher with smaller centralization scores in the gamified courses. Finally, the RGC discussion transcripts presented more knowledge building features on a weekly basis in comparison with the PGC and the NGC, while overall the online discussion in the three versions of the course fell into the lower phases in the knowledge building conceptual model. Students’ gamification performance was about the same in the two gamified courses. Nonetheless, the design adjustments made between the two design cycles and during the second cycle improved students’ participation in several gamification activities. Furthermore, students’ interaction was more stable during the six weeks in the RGC due to the design adjustments. The semi-structured interviews further revealed the RGC interviewees’ experiences in the course. The positive feedback system satisfied students’ competence needs. Nonetheless, to what degree their competence needs were satisfied depended on their experiences and understanding of gamification. In pursuit of competence needs, some interviewees’ autonomy needs were undermined. The peer evaluation, dynamic academic discussion, and the authentic course project satisfied students’ relatedness needs. But additional emotional support from peers was barely sufficient. The study provided an example of gamification design in online courses to improve students’ interactions in discussion forums. The results suggested a positive feedback system could be added in the course design to improve students’ performance of the targeted learning activities. The selection of learning activities, the design and development of the gamification elements, and the gamification algorithm should take both the subject matter and students’ characteristics into consideration. A narrative environment can help align the feedback system with the course context and students’ actions should result in development of the narrative