Smart, social, flexible and fun: Escaping the flatlands of virtual learning environments

© 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. This paper describes the development of intelligent, social, flexible and game-based pedagogic approaches and their applications in Virtual Learning Environment based Education. Applications of computer science technologies and techniques can enable, facilitate and change educational approaches, allowing scalable approaches that can address both individual student needs whilst managing large – sometimes-massive - cohort sizes. The benefits of these information systems include supporting the wide range of contexts met in education, in terms of individual needs and specific subject and curriculum requirements. Technologies and approaches that are considered range from the representation of knowledge and the use of intelligent systems, the use of social computing, through to the enabling opportunities of ubicomp and the practical application of game mechanics (gamification). This paper concludes with practical illustrations in the context of undergraduate computer science didactics

Supports and Barriers to Universal Design for Learning in Schools Implementing Integrated Comprehensive Systems for Equity

These two qualitative descriptive case studies investigated supports and barriers to integrating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as an instructional methodology in language arts and social studies departments at an urban and a suburban high school in Wisconsin. Integrated Comprehensive Systems (ICS) implementation was determined through the Four Cornerstones – Cornerstone One: Focus on Equity, Cornerstone Two: Align Staff and Students, Cornerstone Three: Transform Teaching and Learning, and Cornerstone Four: Leverage Funding and Policy. Classroom observations were conducted of the eleven participating teachers in this study. These teachers also participated in semi-structured interviews designed to explore supports and barriers to integrating UDL as an instructional methodology. The research questions were: 1) What supports exist for integrating UDL as an instructional methodology in schools implementing ICS? 2) How do these supports bring about successful integration of UDL as an instructional methodology? 3) What barriers prevent the integration of UDL as an instructional methodology in schools implementing ICS? 4) How do these barriers prevent the integration of UDL as an instructional methodology? and 5) Why do barriers preventing the integration of UDL as an instructional methodology exist? Supports identified to integrating UDL as an instructional methodology included commitment, administrative support, freedom to experiment, funding, professional development, teacher flexibility, technology, shared expertise, co-servicing, common planning, and flexible furniture. Barriers included common curriculum and assessments, push back from central office, limited flexibility, limited commitment, limited professional development, class size and disproportionate numbers of students with high needs, no preparation time, limited class support, and limited funding. The data collected in these qualitative case studies suggests that teachers should be aligned to create Co-planning and Co-serving™ Teams (CCTs) including general education teachers, special education teachers, interventionists, Title supports, and English Language Learner (ELL) support teachers to share knowledge and expertise during a regularly scheduled co-planning time for increasing each other’s capacity to teach a broad range of students. The data also suggested that teachers benefit from regular and ongoing professional development focused on UDL to support their understanding of providing students with different ways of accessing information and demonstrating what they learn through use of their individual strengths

Transformative Technology: Staff Perceptions, Attitudes, And Behaviors Related To The Use Of Learning Management Transformative Technologies

This qualitative case study examined how the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of staff relate to the effective use of transformative learning management technologies to support personalized/customized learning. Additionally, this study sought to understand the stories of individuals using the learning management system Empower as staff transformed to a personalized/customized culture. The conceptual framework focused on the disruptive technology necessary for personalized/customized learning. Fifteen participants engaged in open-ended interviews, observations, sharing of artifacts, and the data was analyzed through coding transcripts into themes and summary concepts. The goal of the research was to analyze teacher experiences and perceptions using Empower to support personalized/customized learning. Key findings of the research indicate that the effective use of Empower revolves around participant engagement, planning and experiences. One key finding of the research was that pre-work is critical to the success of technology in order to support effective use. A foundational first step must include ensuring a viable and valid structure of learning progressions for each content area, with attention to processes that take into account complex reasoning, and habits of mind and work. The study also concludes that providing practitioners with deeply meaningful learning experiences, personalized supports, and restructured planning time is crucial to sustainability and must be on-going. It is essential that all practitioners have a solid understanding of instructional design in a blended learning model. Furthermore, time needs to be leveraged differently for practitioners and students. The time-based fixed structures limit the practicality of implementing all aspects of a personalized/customized learning model. The technology problems need to be rectified in a timely manner and better communication about technology use is essential. Teachers can’t wait for days for the technology to be made functional. They are working live with students and need the technology to be up and running smoothly at all times. Highly effective communication to all stakeholders, especially the parent/guardian group, is a critical need for the successful and sustainable impact of Empower or other learning management systems on personalized/customized learning. The role of leadership is foundational and essential to the implementation of Empower. Leadership, meaning from the board and superintendent level to the building level leaders and curriculum leaders, has to create the conditions for success of the practitioners and learners

Challenges in Developing Adaptive Educational Hypermedia Systems

Traditional educational hypermedia systems afford learners the “one size fits all” approach to learning (Brusilovsky, 2003, 2004; Chatti, Jarke, & Specht, 2010; Hsieh, Lee, & Su, 2013). In the “one size fits all” approach to learning each student in every cohort of students is given access to the same learning objects in the same way as every other student who is studying the same course. The learning objects or learning content stays static regardless of the learning requirements of different students

Improving workplace-based assessment and feedback by an E-portfolio enhanced with learning analytics

Electronic portfolios (E-portfolios) are crucial means for workplace-based assessment and feedback. Although E-portfolios provide a useful approach to view each learner’s progress, so far options for personalized feedback and potential data about a learner’s performances at the workplace often remain unexploited. This paper advocates that E-portfolios enhanced with learning analytics, might increase the quality and efficiency of workplace-based feedback and assessment in professional education. Based on a 5-phased iterative design approach, an existing E-portfolio environment was enhanced with learning analytics in professional education. First, information about crucial professional activities for professional domains and suited assessment instruments were collected (phase 1). Thereafter probabilistic student models were defined (phase 2). Next, personalized feedback and visualization of the personal development over time were developed (phase 3). Then the prototype of the E-portfolio—including the student models and feedback and visualization modules—were implemented in professional training-programs (phase 4). Last, evaluation cycles took place and 121 students and 30 supervisors from five institutes for professional education evaluated the perceived usefulness of the design (phase 5). It was concluded that E-portfolios with learning analytics were perceived to assist the development of students’ professional competencies and that the design is only successful when developed and implemented through the eyes of the users. Feedback and assessment methods based upon learning analytics can stimulate learning at the workplace in the long run. Practical, technological and ethical challenges are discussed

K-12 Mobile learning

Mobile devices have been the focus of a push in many nations and internationally as part of efforts to achieve greater literacy and numeracy among students. Research has shown a strong link between Internet usage, the spread of broadband in a country, and its GDP. Those coun - tries that are the highest performing educationally already integrate mobile devices in their education. This paper synthesizes empirical research on mobile devices from 2010 to 2013 in K-12 schools by focusing on studies that demonstrate emerging themes in this area. It is also clear that the pedagogy needed to be successful in creating positive outcomes in the use of technology has to be student-centered with the aim of personalizing the learning experience. Research found that students could become collaborators in designing their own learning process. As students become independent learners, they become more prepared in the skills needed for college and in their careers