Twelve years of iPads and apps in schools : what conditions support effective practices in K-6 classrooms?

Since their release in 2010, iPads and their associated apps have been touted as ‘game changers’ for schools struggling with technology provisioning issues, that limited their ability to fully leverage the educational potential of digital devices on a ‘whole class’ basis. Since then, a variety of schemes have been implemented such as ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) and portable ‘device pods’, as systems for improving access to, and utilisation of, mobile technologies in classroom curriculum. In many schools, concurrent to these initiatives have been improvements in technology infrastructure, including upgrades to external connectivity via the advent of high-speed fibre-based broadband, and internally through the establishment of school wifi networks and associated online security systems. Aligned with these developments has been a growing body of research exploring how teachers at all levels of education systems have incorporated these new resources into their curriculum, and examining what, if any, benefits have resulted. This article is an analysis of key findings from four published studies undertaken by the author between 2015 and 2021 in New Zealand K-6 schools, to build understanding of factors that contributed to the effective practices with mobile devices witnessed in the research classrooms. While numerous separate studies have been undertaken exploring specific outcomes from the use of iPads and other mobile technologies in different educational contexts, the analysis presented in this article attempts to identify common factors existing across four purposively selected studies, that contributed to their success. The studies were deliberately chosen to provide a broad overview of applications of this technology in different K-6 classrooms for different purposes, supporting deeper understanding of the factors that underpin effective teaching and learning with and through mobile devices, in schools. This is important, as it builds knowledge of the fundamental foundations to effective educational use of mobile devices, regardless of the learning context in which they are used, and could assist teachers in designing, implementing and assessing curricular that optimises the learning potential of these devices. Copyright © 2023 Falloon

The empirical analysis in determining the critical determinants of using technology in utilising online learning platforms for improving academic achievements using Anova analysis

The goal of this study is to identify and investigate the elements that may influence the levels of achievement and contentment experienced by students enrolled in online classes. There is a body of research that has already investigated the advantages and applications of online education. In the current dynamic environment, many people using online platforms, this presents a problem in and of itself. The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding in determining the critical determinants of using technology in utilising online learning platforms for improving academic achievements. In the past, some of the implementation issues that have been highlighted include a lack of trained lecturers, insufficient facilities, and students who are unprepared to use online learning platforms and Learning Management System (LMS) platforms as teaching tools. In addition, a dearth of trained lecturers has been identified as a challenge. The demand for it among students increased, and it is currently utilized by individuals all over the world as a result of its adaptable design and several helpful functions. There have, for a considerable amount of time, been concerns over the expansion of online learning environments at the expense of those that are more traditional

Coding Success through Math Intervention in an Elementary School in Rural Amish Country

Coding in the elementary classroom is a relatively new movement in K-12 education that intends to engage young people in computer science and technology-related study. Coding initiatives focus on introducing young learners to coding and developing their computational thinking abilities. Coding helps enhance problem solving, mathematics skills, and higher-order thinking. Nevertheless, educators face many challenges with teaching coding at the elementary school level, because of the newness of computer science concepts and programming languages, gaps in student mathematics knowledge, use of technology, a relatively short attention span of young students and not fully developed reasoning, logic, and inferential skills among many others. This report describes how math interventions helped elementary school students in rural Amish Country become more successful with their coding activities

Sorotan Literatur Bersistematik: Aktiviti Pemikiran Komputasional dalam Pendidikan di Malaysia

Kajian semasa bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti jenis aktiviti pemikiran komputasional yang digunakan dalam pendidikan di Malaysia. Metodologi kajian berdasarkan pernyataan PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) digunakan untuk kaedah tinjauan yang menggunakan pangkalan data utama iaitu Scopus dan Web of Science. Pencarian menyeluruh dalam pangkalan data elektronik terungkap 19 kajian mengenai pemikiran komputasional yang diterbitkan antara Jan 2010 hingga Julai 2020 di Malaysia berdasarkan kriteria-kriteria yang telah ditetapkan. Tinjauan terhadap artikel-artikel ini menunjukkan terdapat 19 aktiviti pemikiran komputasional yang dilakukan dalam konteks kajian di Malaysia. Aktiviti pengaturcaraan (programming) dikenal pasti sebagai aktiviti yang banyak dilakukan berbanding aktiviti robotik, LED (light emitting diode), gamifikasi, kad bergambar haiwan, modul pengajaran, amalan pembelajaran dan pengajaran, serta soal selidik. Manakala, tahap pendidikan yang mengintegrasikan pemikiran komputasional pula secara umumnya merangkumi golongan pelajar pra sekolah, pelajar sekolah rendah, pelajar sekolah menengah, pelajar universiti, guru, pensyarah, warga media sosial, dan warga emas. Kajian-kajian ini disintesis bergantung pada sebilangan ciri umum, seperti bagaimana mereka melakukan aktiviti pemikiran komputasional, tahap pendidikan, dan potensi sumbangan pemikiran komputasional khususnya kepada pelajar. Beberapa cadangan masa depan untuk sarjana diberikan pada akhir kajian ini

Kemampuan Guru Junior dalam Mengajarkan Proses Berpikir untuk Menyelesaikan Soal Cerita Sederhana: Studi pada Guru Matematika Sekolah Dasar

Riset deskriptif kualitatif ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis kemampuan guru dalam melatih siswa untuk menuliskan proses berpikir dalam menyelesaikan soal cerita matematika yang sederhana. Lima belas guru matematika junior yang tergabung dalam grup WhatsApp dilibatkan pada riset ini. Data diperoleh dengan memanfaatkan tes tulis dan wawancara yang hasilnya dianalisis menggunakan pendekatan content analysis. Kemampuan guru junior dikategorikan menjadi 3 level, yaitu 4 guru berpengetahuan matematika tingkat lanjut, 8 guru berpengetahuan matematika sangat memadai, dan 3 guru berpengetahuan matematika cukup memadai. Dari semua guru junior yang terlihat, tidak satupun dari mereka memunculkan proses berpikir secara tertulis pada proses penyelesaian soal cerita. Mereka lebih fokus pada kebenaran hasil akhir. Pertimbangan ini dilakukan oleh guru karena (1) kelulusan pada ujian akhir tidak dilihat dari proses berpikir tertulis, tetapi pada kebenaran hasil akhir, dan (2) kurikulum yang diberikan pemerintah tidak mendorong guru untuk menuntut siswa menuliskan proses berpikirnya. Peneliti selanjutnya dapat berinovasi dalam mendesain soal dan rubrik penilaian yang mempertimbangkan proses berpikir pada penyelesaian soal, baik untuk matematika atau bidang studi lain

Integrating Computational Thinking and The Polya’s Model In Minecraft: The Effects on Learners’ Fractions Achievement

There are few empirical research on the influence of incorporating computational thinking and Polya's Model in digital games on the academic achievement of students and the best ways for implementing this integration. Therefore, this quasi-experimental pretest and posttest non-equivalent group design research was aimed at determining the effect of integrating computational thinking and Polya’s model in Minecraft on students' fraction proficiency. Fifty-seven students from two intact classes were involved as the participants. The control group had 28 students, while the experimental group had 29 students. The findings revealed that the fraction achievement of the experimental group students increased as compared to students in the control group. It may be determined that studying fractions in Minecraft through the integration of computational thinking and Polya’s model had the best influence on student's academic progress. Thus, teachers should be able to incorporate it into other materials for learning mathematics

Development of IoT applications in civil engineering classrooms using mobile devices

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Chacón R, Posada H, Toledo Á, Gouveia M. Development of IoT applications in civil engineering classrooms using mobile devices. Comput Appl Eng Educ. 2018;26:1769–1781. https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.21985], which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.21985. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-ArchivingThis paper presents academic efforts aimed at integrating methodologies associated with the use of mobile devices, the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT), and the role of experimental education in civil engineering. This integration is developed by encompassing the use of sensors, microcontrollers, civil engineering problems, app development, and fabrication. The proposal provides an explorative way of approaching the numerous possibilities that arise in civil engineering when it comes to IoT, automation, monitoring, and control of civil engineering processes. The used tools represent accessible and affordable ways for application in classrooms and in educational laboratories for beginners. The initial explorative approach implies the fusion of three realms: (i) the phenomenology and mathematics of varied civil engineering problems; (ii) the systematic use of digital fabrication technologies and electronic prototyping platforms; and (iii) the creative and visual way of developing codes provided by block-based development platforms. This integration of perspectives is an attempt of approaching civil engineering mathematics to technology and arts with a rigorous scientific approach. A set of different examples is presented with the corresponding findings in educational terms. These examples are developed in a constructive, scaffolding-based way and may contribute as a potential alternative in the development of open-source teaching labs in civil engineering schools.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

How User-Friendly Operating Systems and Interfaces Make Technology Harder for Everyone

This thesis explores both deprecated and current Operating Systems to understand the changes of user interfaces. By comparing older and more flawed Operating Systems interfaces, I intend to demonstrate how user-friendliness has come to the forefront of OS design. However, by building more user-friendly interfaces, the functionality and power of the older designs, while often misused, has been lost. Systems design restricts user access to such functionality because it might damage the system. It is a sensible precaution for users unaware of the effects of certain actions. However, this thesis will argue that for trained and educated users of the system interface modern, user-friendly design limits what users could do with the system. The thesis also includes other examples besides Operating Systems interfaces; similar functionality restriction can be seen in programming languages. C++ required users to allocate their own memory and subsequently delete the allocated memory. If not, errors occurred resulting in bugs of the program. Modern languages like Java and C# have eliminated the necessity for users to manually allocate and delete memory, instead opting for having automatic memory handling. Similarly, C++ pointers were not maintained onto the later dot net (.NET) languages. Overall, this thesis will explore if these changes have been good for the users as well as the programmers. This thesis will attempt to explain why simply educating users about systems, instead of removing useful tools in fear of user error, will make technology better for everyone

A Literature Review Exploring the use of Programming in Mathematics Education

Programming is now included in mathematics curricula in several countries; thus, the purpose of this literature review is to determine the research-based justifications for these educational decisions. From a selection of relevant articles, 15 articles were identified and analyzed, each of which had varying study types, themes, and designs. Three themes from the studies were identified: the motivation to learn mathematics, student performance in mathematics, and the collaboration between students and the changed role of the teacher. It was found that in certain circumstances, including programming in mathematics education could improve student motivation to learn mathematics and improve student performance in mathematics. To gain a better understanding of the potential of programming in mathematics education, the entire collective learning process should be considered by discussing the roles of the teacher and the collaboration between students as part of these roles.publishedVersio

Developing Computational Thinking with Educational Technologies for Young Learners

This article aims to provide an overview of the opportunities for developing computational thinking in young learners. It includes a review of empirical studies on the educational technologies used to develop computational thinking in young learners, and analyses and descriptions of a selection of commercially available technologies for developing computational thinking in young learners. The challenges and implications of using these technologies are also discussed