56,947 research outputs found

    Review of CCAFS Scaling Activities

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    This review was commissioned by CCAFS Learning Platform for Partnerships and Capacity Building for Scaling Climate Smart Agriculture, with the aim to reflect on CCAFS project portfolio to highlight good practices and gaps in implementation of CCAFS Scaling Activities. The review was undertaken with a systemic approach, using the concepts of design thinking and system thinking throughout its methodology and analysis. 21 practitioners throughout CCAFS regional, flagship and learning platform portfolios were interviewed between March and May 2019. The results are presented in a way that allows CCAFS to identify areas to deepen systematically upon; areas for CCAFS’s further strategic or conceptual support, and areas that require more research by CCAFS. The systemic analysis shows that CCAFS has the potential to consciously transform into a learning organization and an innovation environment, thereby fostering and increasing its performance, relevance and overall impact in changing and challenging circumstances. The results were discussed and validated with the CCAFS Core Team (CT) in the frame of a CCAFS CT Workshop on Scaling on 15th May in Madrid. In open learning formats, the CT prioritized its next step. The review report further contains a set of recommendations, derived from both the review and the CT Workshop on Scaling, which shall help CCAFS to transform into both a learning organization and an innovation environment

    Exploring the Impact of Learning Technologies in Teaching Interaction Design: A Case Study at First Technical University, Nigeria

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    Teaching interaction design poses unique challenges as it requires discussing design principles for interactive products. Conventional methods like static slides and lectures often fail to effectively engage learners, leading to reduced satisfaction and limited active participation. To address this issue, an action research study was conducted at First Technical University, Nigeria, to investigate the impact of incorporating learning technologies in teaching interaction design. The study involved 21 purposively selected 200 level students from the Computer Science and Software Engineering departments who willingly participated to compare their previous instruction in interaction design.The study aimed to adapt the current learning approach by emphasizing technology-enhanced methods such as flipped classrooms and online teaching. By integrating technology-equipped pedagogy, the research aimed to enhance learners' engagement and interest in the subject.The findings reveal that the integration of learning technologies in teaching interaction design has a significant impact on student engagement and understanding. The gradual inclusion of various technologies transformed students from passive learners to active participants who freely expressed their ideas, engaged in critical discussions, and applied design principles in practical contexts. The results also highlight the importance of aligning pedagogy with learners' needs and cultural context. By creating a less formal learning environment that encourages open expression of ideas and active participation in discussions, the use of learning technologies not only enhances the application of design principles but also fosters the development of students' personalities and soft skills. Notably, communication skills, leadership abilities, teamwork, and project management skills exhibited significant improvement throughout the study cycles. Keywords: Interaction design, Learning technologies, Pedagogy, Engagement, Design principles DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-21-05 Publication date:July 31st 202

    IMPACT: The Journal of the Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning. Volume 6, Issue 1, Winter 2017ï»ż

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    IMPACT: The Journal of the Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching & Learning is a peer-reviewed, biannual online journal that publishes scholarly and creative non-fiction essays about the theory, practice and assessment of interdisciplinary education. Impact is produced by the Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching & Learning at the College of General Studies, Boston University (www.bu.edu/cgs/citl)

    Development and Field Testing of a Narrative-Centered Digital Game for English Comprehension

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    This paper describes the development and field testing of Learning Likha: Rangers to the Rescue, a narrative-centered, mobile-based digital game for practicing English comprehension. Twenty-seven (27) student participants from Grades 4, 5, and 6 were invited to play the game and answer a comprehension test to determine their level of understanding of the game’s contents. Self-report questionnaires were also used to assess the extent to which they enjoyed playing the game. Three (3) teachers were likewise invited for a focus group discussion (FGD) to gather their insights about the game and how they may use it in their classes. Student’s self-reported feedback indicated they found the game fun, interesting, and sufficiently challenging. Post-test comprehension scores were generally good. Younger participants scored lower than their older peers but the differences were found to be not significant. Teachers indicated the game has the potential to be used as a supplement for their classes and that their students would enjoy playing it

    Extending the Research on 1:1 Technology Integration in Middle Schools: A Call for Using Institutional Theory in Educational Technology Research

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    In this essay, we argue institutional lenses are a vital but largely missing part of understanding how 1:1 technology programs can effect change in teaching and learning in middle schools. Indeed, while current research highlights the positive effects technology integration efforts, and 1:1 programs in particular, have on student learning and engagement, much has focused on the knowledge, skills, and beliefs of individuals or groups of actors. There is less research considering how the institutional context may impact teacher and administrator behavior regarding these and other technology-focused efforts thus limiting our ability to fully support schools and teachers in these efforts. We conclude by calling on researchers to use institutional theory to further understand and support implementation efforts and enhance outcomes for schools, teachers, and students alike

    Integrating Computer Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments: Issues Raised by Early Childhood Educators

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    The purpose of this study was to assess the educators’ perspectives on the introduction of computer technology in the early childhood education environment. Fifty early childhood educators completed a survey and participated in focus groups. Parallels existed between the individually completed survey data and the focus group discussions. The qualitative data provided a richer understanding of the issues faced by these educators. Thematic analyses of the focus group discussions revealed that many of the educators’ concerns involved the effect of technology on the educators themselves, with secondary emphasis on how computers affected the students and parents. Although educators generally supported the integration of computers, they also identified critical concerns and limitations. L’objectif de cette Ă©tude Ă©tait d’évaluer les points de vue des Ă©ducateurs relatifs Ă  l’introduction de la technologie informatique dans un milieu d’éducation des jeunes enfants. Cinquante Ă©ducateurs de la petite enfance ont complĂ©tĂ© une enquĂȘte et ont participĂ© aux sessions de groupes de discussion. La recherche a trouvĂ© des correspondances entre les donnĂ©es des enquĂȘtes individuelles et les discussions de groupe. Les donnĂ©es qualitatives ont permis une meilleure connaissance des enjeux auxquels sont confrontĂ©s ces Ă©ducateurs. Des analyses thĂ©matiques des discussions de groupe ont rĂ©vĂ©lĂ© que plusieurs des prĂ©occupations des Ă©ducateurs portaient sur l’effet de la technologie sur les Ă©ducateurs eux-mĂȘmes et, en deuxiĂšme lieu, sur l’influence des ordinateurs sur les Ă©lĂšves et les parents. Tout en indiquant qu’ils appuyaient globalement l’intĂ©gration des ordinateurs, les Ă©ducateurs ont Ă©galement identifiĂ© des prĂ©occupations et des limites importantes

    Developing a MovieBrowser for supporting analysis and browsing of movie content

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    There is a growing awareness of the importance of system evaluation directly with end-users in realistic environments, and as a result some novel applications have been deployed to the real world and evaluated in trial contexts. While this is certainly a desirable trend to relate a technical system to a real user-oriented perspective, most of these efforts do not involve end-user participation right from the start of the development, but only after deploying it. In this paper we describe our research in designing, deploying and assessing the impact of a web-based tool that incorporates multimedia techniques to support movie analysis and browsing for students of film studies. From the very start and throughout the development we utilize methodologies from usability engineering in order to feed in end-user needs and thus tailoring the underlying technical system to those needs. Starting by capturing real users’ current practices and matching them to the available technical elements of the system, we deployed an initial version of our system to University classes for a semester during which we obtained an extensive amount of rich usage data. We describe the process and some of the findings from this trial
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