Innovation in Mobile Learning: A European Perspective

In the evolving landscape of mobile learning, European researchers have conducted significant mobile learning projects, representing a distinct perspective on mobile learning research and development. Our paper aims to explore how these projects have arisen, showing the driving forces of European innovation in mobile learning. We propose context as a central construct in mobile learning and examine theories of learning for the mobile world, based on physical, technological, conceptual, social and temporal mobility. We also examine the impacts of mobile learning research on educational practices and the implications for policy. Throughout, we identify lessons learnt from European experiences to date

The genesis and development of mobile learning in Europe

In the past two decades, European researchers have conducted many significant mobile learning projects. The chapter explores how these projects have arisen and what each one has contributed, so as to show the driving forces and outcomes of European innovation in mobile learning. The authors identify context as a central construct in European researchers’ conceptualizations of mobile learning and examine theories of learning for the mobile world, based on physical, technological, conceptual, social and temporal mobility. The authors also examine the impacts of mobile learning research on educational practices and the implications for policy. Finally, they suggest future challenges for researchers, developers and policy makers in shaping the future of mobile learning

Beginning elementary teachers' beliefs about the use of anchoring questions in science: A longitudinal study

Current science education reform efforts highlight the importance of engaging students in scientifically oriented questions as a central dimension of inquiry-based elementary science. However, elementary teachers, particularly beginning teachers, must often overcome a variety of challenges to engage their students in reform-minded, standards-based, inquiry-oriented classroom practice. To better support beginning elementary teachers' learning to support students to ask and answer scientifically oriented questions, it is necessary to better understand their beliefs about questions and questioning, as well as how they negotiate these beliefs at this crucial stage of the teacher professional continuum. Four beginning elementary teachers were studied longitudinally over their first 3 years of professional teaching careers. Results show that each teacher cited the importance of driving questions and investigation questions to establish purpose and promote student sense-making. However, they followed different trajectories in reconciling their ideas about the use of driving questions and investigation questions in light of the particular facets of science teaching they prioritized. These findings have important implications for current perspectives on teacher learning along the teacher professional continuum and help inform research on teachers and teaching, as well as teacher education and science curriculum development. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 94: 365–387, 2010Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65029/1/20370_ftp.pd

Virtual worlds: a new environment for constructionist learning

Virtual worlds have the potential to provide a new environment in which to engage learners in constructionist activities. However, they were not designed for education and have features and affordances which are not found in traditional constructionist environments. These may limit the pedagogy in action and/or provide new opportunities with which to transform constructionist pedagogy in practice, but to date there has been no research on these issues. To address this, we explore constructionism in action in the virtual world Second Life. This is the first study to examine the theoretical alignment of pedagogy and technology in practice. An exploratory case study of a purpose-built constructionist learning experience was conducted. The experience was designed based on the theoretical alignment of pedagogy and technology and implemented with 24 postgraduate students over four weeks. Open non-directive interviews, chat logs, constructed artefacts, learners’ written reflections and observations were collected and analysed using the constant comparative approach. The findings provide insights into how learners engage in meaningful artefact construction, highlight the role of avatars and draw attention to the importance of the designed space. New opportunities for distributed constructionism are identified. We conclude that virtual worlds are effective environments for constructionist learning

SLurtles: Supporting constructionist learning in 'Second Life'

Constructionism places an emphasis on the process of constructing shareable artefacts. Many virtual worlds, such as Second Life, provide learners with tools for the construction of objects and hence may facilitate in-world constructionist learning experiences. However, the construction tools available present learners with a significant barrier (or ‘high-floor’) for the novice to first master. To address this problem, this paper presents the design concepts, first implementation and analysis of SLurtles (programmable turtles in Second Life), easy-to-use, programmable construction tools for use in Second Life. During a pilot study 24 postgraduate learners in pairs and working at distance from one another, programmed SLurtles to create interactive installations in Second Life over four weeks. Open interviews were conducted, chat logs recorded and learners artefacts and reflections were collected and analysed using qualitative methods. Findings show that SLurtles provide learners with a programmable, low-floor, high-ceiling and wide-wall construction tool, which supported their construction of a wide range of complex artefacts as part of a constructionist learning experience in Second Life

Un modèle pour la gestion et la capitalisation d'analyses de traces d'activités en interaction collaborative

We present our three main results in adressing the problem of assisting the socio-cognitive analysis of human interaction. First, we propose a description of the process of analysis of such data, as well as a generic artefact which covers a large number of the analytic artefacts we have observed and which we call a replayable. Second, we present a study and a modelling of replayables, and describe the four fundamental operations which can be applied to them: synchronisation, visualisation, transformation and enrichment. Finally, we describe the implementation of this model in an environment that assists analysis through the manipulation of replayables, which we evaluate in real-life research situations. Tatiana (http://code.google.com/p/tatiana), the resulting software environment, is based on these four operations and integrates numerous possibilities for extending these operations to adapt to new kinds of analysis while staying within the analytic framework afforded by replayables.Nous présentons nos trois résultats principaux face à la difficulté d'assister l'analyse socio-cognitive d'interactions humaines. D'une part, nous proposons une description du processus d'analyse de ce genre données ainsi qu'un artefact générique permettant de recouvrir un grand nombre d'artefacts analytiques que nous avons pu observer et que nous nommons rejouable. D'autre part, nous présentons une étude et modélisation informatique des rejouables, et décrivons quatre opérations fondamentales qui peuvent s'y appliquer : synchronisation, visualisation, transformation et enrichissement. Enfin, nous décrivons l'implémentation de cette modélisation dans un environnement d'aide à l'analyse par manipulation de rejouables que nous évaluons dans des situations de recherche réelles. Tatiana (http://code.google.com/p/tatiana), l'environnement logiciel résultant, est basé sur ces quatre opérations et permet l'extension de ces opérations pour s'adapter à de nouvelles formes d'analyse

Designing Embodied Interactive Software Agents for E-Learning: Principles, Components, and Roles

Embodied interactive software agents are complex autonomous, adaptive, and social software systems with a digital embodiment that enables them to act on and react to other entities (users, objects, and other agents) in their environment through bodily actions, which include the use of verbal and non-verbal communicative behaviors in face-to-face interactions with the user. These agents have been developed for various roles in different application domains, in which they perform tasks that have been assigned to them by their developers or delegated to them by their users or by other agents. In computer-assisted learning, embodied interactive pedagogical software agents have the general task to promote human learning by working with students (and other agents) in computer-based learning environments, among them e-learning platforms based on Internet technologies, such as the Virtual Linguistics Campus (www.linguistics-online.com). In these environments, pedagogical agents provide contextualized, qualified, personalized, and timely assistance, cooperation, instruction, motivation, and services for both individual learners and groups of learners. This thesis develops a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and user-oriented view of the design of embodied interactive pedagogical software agents, which integrates theoretical and practical insights from various academic and other fields. The research intends to contribute to the scientific understanding of issues, methods, theories, and technologies that are involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of embodied interactive software agents for different roles in e-learning and other areas. For developers, the thesis provides sixteen basic principles (Added Value, Perceptible Qualities, Balanced Design, Coherence, Consistency, Completeness, Comprehensibility, Individuality, Variability, Communicative Ability, Modularity, Teamwork, Participatory Design, Role Awareness, Cultural Awareness, and Relationship Building) plus a large number of specific guidelines for the design of embodied interactive software agents and their components. Furthermore, it offers critical reviews of theories, concepts, approaches, and technologies from different areas and disciplines that are relevant to agent design. Finally, it discusses three pedagogical agent roles (virtual native speaker, coach, and peer) in the scenario of the linguistic fieldwork classes on the Virtual Linguistics Campus and presents detailed considerations for the design of an agent for one of these roles (the virtual native speaker)