Digital literacy in religious studies

This article considers the relevance of the concept of ‘digital literacy’ within the context of the discipline of religious studies in higher education and reflects on its potential impact on notions of ‘graduateness’. It contemplates how digital technology can be integrated most effectively in learning design and reflects on the skills students need to be equipped with to recognise the challenges and opportunities of digital technology and understand its impact and role within the study of religions

Wearables at work:preferences from an employee’s perspective

This exploratory study aims to obtain a first impression of the wishes and needs of employees on the use of wearables at work for health promotion. 76 employ-ees with a mean age of 40 years old (SD ±11.7) filled in a survey after trying out a wearable. Most employees see the potential of using wearable devices for workplace health promotion. However, according to employees, some negative aspects should be overcome before wearables can effectively contribute to health promotion. The most mentioned negative aspects were poor visualization and un-pleasantness of wearing. Specifically for the workplace, employees were con-cerned about the privacy of data collection

Teaching and learning in virtual worlds: is it worth the effort?

Educators have been quick to spot the enormous potential afforded by virtual worlds for situated and authentic learning, practising tasks with potentially serious consequences in the real world and for bringing geographically dispersed faculty and students together in the same space (Gee, 2007; Johnson and Levine, 2008). Though this potential has largely been realised, it generally isn’t without cost in terms of lack of institutional buy-in, steep learning curves for all participants, and lack of a sound theoretical framework to support learning activities (Campbell, 2009; Cheal, 2007; Kluge & Riley, 2008). This symposium will explore the affordances and issues associated with teaching and learning in virtual worlds, all the time considering the question: is it worth the effort

Transforming pre-service teacher curriculum: observation through a TPACK lens

This paper will discuss an international online collaborative learning experience through the lens of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. The teacher knowledge required to effectively provide transformative learning experiences for 21st century learners in a digital world is complex, situated and changing. The discussion looks beyond the opportunity for knowledge development of content, pedagogy and technology as components of TPACK towards the interaction between those three components. Implications for practice are also discussed. In today’s technology infused classrooms it is within the realms of teacher educators, practising teaching and pre-service teachers explore and address effective practices using technology to enhance learning

Lesson Plans from the Higher Education Course Curriculum for a Distance Learning Model Reinforced with Robotics for 3 to 7 Years Old Children

EARLY recognizes the importance of early childhood education and the potential of digital technologies in enhancing learning experiences. By providing teachers, parents, and children with effective strategies and resources, it aims to improve the quality of online education for young children. To ensure that all preschool children have access to a continuous learning process in different circumstances (e.g., pandemics, prolonged illness or other situations), teachers and parents benefit from being prepared for these different circumstances. The materials developed and offered in the Higher Education Course Curriculum for Distance Learning Model Reinforced with Robotics for 3-7 Years Old Children are, therefore, relevant. Besides the Curriculum itself, which can be used for structuring training or for self-learning, EARLY offers some examples of activities and lesson plans for online activities with educational value. The main target group of this curriculum is pre-service preschool educators (undergraduates in most countries), but the material is also suitable and recommended for experienced preschool educators who want to expand their competences and those who are in close contact with an early childhood learner.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

BECTA research project: International Baccalaureate E-Learning Laboratory (iBEL): evaluation report

The International Baccalaureate E-Learning Laboratory (iBEL) investigated the role that design-for-learning (D4L) plays in fostering independent learning on the International Baccalaureate programme using integrated open source platforms, namely Moodle and LAMS. Results from the project indicate these technologies increased independent learning, especially when teachers provided a clear framework by linking to pre-selected, reliable resources, and structured these through appropriate activities. Visual design was highly valued and learners enjoyed using resources containing rich media. In subject disciplines such as Modern Foreign Languages and English they were motivated by the integration of social learning tools, notably forum, glossary tools and chat. Students expected the use of technologies to form a part of their learning. Some teachers found that the use of the technologies assisted with long-term planning and enhanced their relationships with students. Adoption of a D4L system is more likely to succeed if introduced as a repository for existing content to which activities are later added and where it supports flexibility, fits the way that practitioners normally plan for learning, integrates easily with F2F teaching, contains a variety of easy to use tools, and accommodates the integration and updating of existing resources created by staff, such as Word, pdf and PowerPoint

Using mobile learning in blended learning environments in higher education: perceptions and acceptance among students and lecturers at Qassim university, Saudi Arabia

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonIn Saudi Arabia, learning methods, such as blended learning and mobile learning, have become more important than ever. However, to successfully implement such type of learning methods in higher education settings, determining the perceptions of students and lecturers is vital. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to determine students’ and lecturers’ understanding, acceptance, and barriers of using mobile learning in blended learning environments, using semi-structured interviews, open-ended surveys, and responses to the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). Overall, 108 participants were included in the study, of which 12 students attended the interview and 24 lecturers and 72 students participated in the open-ended survey. The results show that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, habit, academic social influence, and conditions facilitating academics are the core determinants of behavioural intention, which have direct effects on the user behaviour of students and lecturers. To our knowledge, this is the first study that has investigated blended mobile learning acceptance in Saudi higher education settings. The findings can be generalised to the most of Saudi universities and some universities in the Arabian Gulf that exhibit the same conditions

Updated strategies based on the communicative approach to enhance efl spoken lexicon acquisition of beginners from “Alfonso Herrera” High School

La investigación mixta actual tuvo como objetivo discernir las estrategias más valiosas basadas en metodologías de aprendizaje de idiomas con fines comunicativos para motivar a los estudiantes a aplicar nuevos conocimientos en la vida real. Consecuentemente, su propósito principal es analizar cómo las estrategias de los docentes son abordadas para promover la mejora del vocabulario y su eventual aplicación en interacciones auténticas. Igualmente, las estrategias del Enfoque Comunicativo, el Enfoque Léxico y el Aprendizaje Combinado son la columna vertebral de este estudio para alentar a los estudiantes en la mejora del léxico. Por ende, la utilidad del vocabulario en interacciones orales y las estrategias de aprendizaje exitosas son las dos variables que enmarcan el punto focal de este estudio. Los objetivos, la pregunta de investigación y los resultados se contextualizaron fácilmente para emitir generalizaciones mediante un enfoque mixto. Además, la investigación mixta permitió identificar las percepciones de los estudiantes sobre el aprendizaje del léxico a través de encuestas y las experiencias de los maestros para promover un aprendizaje más significativo del Inglés a través de entrevistas. Los datos mostraron que las habilidades de comunicación más demandadas son hablar y escuchar, ya que son el principal medio de intercambio de idiomas entre profesores y estudiantes. Los resultados también revelaron que la mejora del léxico es una de las preocupaciones cotidianas que adoptan los maestros en las clases de Inglés. Sin embargo, las estrategias de los profesores para la formación del léxico no ofrecen una comunicación significativa. Por ende, la propuesta académica busca promover estrategias de aprendizaje más alentadoras con respecto a la mejora del léxico para persuadir a los estudiantes de aplicar el vocabulario nuevo en interacciones auténticas de manera espontánea. Finalmente, este estudio proporciona información sobre las implicaciones metodológicas que pueden orientar futuras expansiones de este trabajo o contrastarlo en estudios futuros.Maestrí