Using mobile phones in support of student learning in secondary science inquiry classrooms

This paper reports on findings from a research project concerned with how electronic networking tools (e-networked tools), such as the Internet, online forums, and mobile technologies, can support authentic science inquiry in junior secondary classrooms. It focuses on three qualitative case studies involving science teachers from two high schools together with their Year 9 and Year 10 classes. The ways teachers and students view and take up the affordances of mobile phones to support authentic science inquiry are of interest. Data were collected from teacher reflections, student interviews, a student survey, classroom observations and student work. The findings highlight three key themes that illustrate the advantage of using mobile phones as part of the classroom culture to video record group practical investigations, support students’ developing abilities to think like a scientist, and enable the sharing of learning beyond the classroom. The findings have implications for practice and can contribute to a better understanding of the ways mobile devices can support and extend science inquiry in New Zealand secondary classrooms

Impact of Career and Technical Education Programs

Autism spectrum disorder rates are climbing in the United States. Because this population is growing, research is needed to understand how to assist these individuals in pursuit of postsecondary educational and employment opportunities. The purpose of this qualitative study, as reflected in the central research question, was to investigate how a career and technical education program impacted the preparedness of students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder for educational and employment opportunities beyond high school. The conceptual framework was based on Bronfenbrenner\u27s ecological perspective of human development, Zhao and Frank\u27s ecological perspective of technology, and Song\u27s research about distributed cognition. This study used a single case study design, and the case was a career and technical education program at a high school located in Southwestern state. Participants included one program administrator, three career and technical education teachers, and two special education teachers. Data were collected from multiple sources, including individual interviews with participants and program documents. Data analysis included line-by-line coding and category construction to determine themes and discrepancies. Key findings indicated that the CTE program prepared ASD students for postsecondary educational and employment opportunities, differentiated instruction to meet the individual needs of ASD students, technologies such as computers helped ASD students prepare for postsecondary educational and employment opportunities, helped ASD students learn technical skills, life skills, and job skills. As a society we need to recognize ASD students are impacting the paradigm associated with special needs students as they attend universities, work study programs, technical schools, and other opportunities which have evaded this population

MOBILE LEARNING: ATITUDE DE ESTUDANTES UNIVERSITÁRIOS NA APRENDIZAGEM DE LÍNGUA ESTRANGEIRA SOB A PERSPECTIVA ECOLÓGICA

A pesquisa foi realizada com a participação de três grupos de estudantes e trêsprofessores de português língua estrangeira, estando dois deles localizados naFaculdade de Ciências Exatas e Naturais da Universidade Nacional de Assunção,cidade de São Lourenço, Paraguai e um deles na Escola de Administração HoteleiraVatel, Assunção. Os sujeitos da pesquisa estiveram conformados por estudantesuniversitários e professores dos cursos de português I e II das instituiçõesmencionadas, que cursam a disciplina como matéria eletiva (Universidade Nacionalde Assunção) e obrigatória (Vatel). A metodologia selecionada utilizou-se de umaabordagem de métodos mistos, de tipo incorporado, com um desenho avaliativopragmáticocom coleta de dados concomitante e ênfase ao aspecto quantitativo.Utilizou-se, como instrumento, questionário com os estudantes, aspectoquantitativo, e entrevistas com os professores, aspecto qualitativo e aspecto misto.Os resultados apontam para uma atitude positiva dos estudantes com relação ao usodo celular para atividades de aprendizagem de línguas estrangeiras sob aperspectiva ecológica e uma avaliação positiva dos professores sobre o AmbienteEcológico de Aprendizagem. Também apontam para a necessidade deaperfeiçoamento dos recursos, instrumentos e métodos para a melhora da atitudedos estudantes. As sugestões se centram na necessidade do desenvolvimento dashabilidades digitais dos estudantes, sua agência, motivação e metacognição, bemcomo o uso amplo de metodologias de aprendizagem de línguas para maioroportunidade de apropriação dos affordances e aquisição da língua