Technology educational affordance: Bridging the gap between patterns of interaction and technology usage

This paper reports on an empirical and descriptive investigation into how teachers and learners use technology in three prototypical learning activities in a higher educational online learning environment. Additionally, the relationship between the educational uses of technology and the overall educational patterns of interaction between teachers and learners, and among learners themselves was analysed. Detailed teacher and learner self-reports about their teaching and learning activity; the asynchronous written messages teachers and learners sent as educational interaction in the online llearning environment; and documents produced by students were all obtained. The results from the three learning activities indicated six overall educational uses of technology in an online learning environment. Moreover, the results also indicated differences in technology usage in some different patterns of educational interaction in each learning activity. In conclusion, we argue that the notion of technology educational affordance is useful as an effective bridge between the real use of technology and instructional aims. Therefore the distribution of educational uses of technology is not only related to some attributes of both technology and instruction but also to its interaction

The perceived self-efficacy of teachers in the use of digital tools during the COVID-19 Pandemic: a comparative study between Spain and the United States

[EN] This study analyzed the use of fifteen groups of digital tools that 197 active teachers made during the sudden shift to remote instruction due to the COVID-19 quarantine orders placed by various health departments in Spain and the United States. The study also examined the impact that the use of digital tools had on teachers’ perceived self-efficacy. A quantitative research design was used, supported by an exploratory descriptive approach that materializes in the application of an online questionnaire during the spring of 2020. The results indicate that perceived self-efficacy differs from country of origin and is conditioned by sociodemographic variables such as the training received and type of center. It is noted that teachers in Spain prefer the use of Moodle or Escholarium over that of teachers in the United States that opted for Google Classroom as a primary platform for teaching online, and the frequency of use of digital tools analyzed does not guarantee that their implementation is effective.S

A literature review of the use of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education

This review focuses on the use of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education. It provides a synthesis of the research literature in the field and a series of illustrative examples of how these tools are being used in learning and teaching. It draws out the perceived benefits that these new technologies appear to offer, and highlights some of the challenges and issues surrounding their use. The review forms the basis for a HE Academy funded project, ‘Peals in the Cloud’, which is exploring how Web 2.0 tools can be used to support evidence-based practices in learning and teaching. The project has also produced two in-depth case studies, which are reported elsewhere (Galley et al., 2010, Alevizou et al., 2010). The case studies focus on evaluation of a recently developed site for learning and teaching, Cloudworks, which harnesses Web 2.0 functionality to facilitate the sharing and discussion of educational practice. The case studies aim to explore to what extent the Web 2.0 affordances of the site are successfully promoting the sharing of ideas, as well as scholarly reflections, on learning and teaching

Instructional Design for a Virtual Teaching-Learning Environment (VTLE): Process, Structure And Validation By Experts

To design and implement quality training actions, teachers follow a conscious and non-routine process, so it is useful to have a model that standardizes and guides this process. Courses designed for virtual environments must respond to models focused on student learning, so a design based on the constructivist approach is proposed that identifies the learning objectives, groups the contents into units, involves the student in learning and evaluation activities; proposes timely feedback and promotes the transfer of knowledge and the development of skills and attitudes. To validate the proposed design, 10 experts were selected. To qualify them, the coefficient of expert competence was calculated and to collect their appreciation of the proposed instructional design, a questionnaire with Likert-type scale questions was applied. The results show that the general assessment of the experts is positive and consistent with the proposal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Towards the Situated Engagement Evaluation Model (SEEM) : making the invisible visible

This thesis explores the multifaceted concept of engagement within online learning environments. Key research aims are to suggest approaches and an extendable model for evaluating, monitoring and developing understanding of online learner engagement. The overall intention is to offer educators insight, practical guidance and tools for supporting timely intervention in fostering learner engagement. This thesis reviews the major theoretical perspectives on learning and highlights the role of student engagement in relation to the research literature. It discusses the limitations of the methods applied in current research and attempts to address this problem by crossing the disciplinary boundaries to draw together a range of perspectives and methodologies. A review of the literature provides a foundation for a learner engagement evaluation model that employs a variety of evaluation methods and accommodates the possible diversity of learning experiences. The proposed ‘Situated Engagement Evaluation Model’ (SEEM) is positioned to reflect the wide theoretical perspective of social learning. It constitutes a comprehensive system of intertwined components (Learning Content; Pedagogical Design Elements; Learning Profiles; and Dialogue and Communication) that learners may interact with, and integrates dynamically changing preferences and predispositions (e.g. cultural, emotional, cognitive) potentially informative in engagement studies. Prior to (and independently of) the development of SEEM, four empirical studies were conducted and reported here. These explored patterns of online engagement with respect to learning content, learning profiles, patterns of communication and elements of pedagogical design. Studies were then revisited to evaluate the usefulness of SEEM for monitoring and evaluating student engagement, and to discuss its potential for guiding intervention to improve learning experiences. The practical relevance for integrated and automated implementation of SEEM in online learning is considered further

Perception of democracy in computer-mediated communication: Participation, responsibility, collaboration, and reflection.

We present a case study to analyze how higher education students attending a Spanish University (N = 100) democratize the virtual classroom by assuming responsibility for their learning and that of the other members of the class; participate actively in social, cognitive, and teaching issues; and collaborate by creating a learning community and reflecting individually and as a group. Our mixed methodology includes the following: (1) content analysis with a categorization system adapted from the community of inquiry approach and (2) two questionnaires on students’ perception of the democratic elements in the virtual classroom. The results show that the students assume democratic principles of responsibility, critique, participation, and collaboration. We observe the role that the teachers play in facilitating democratization of the classroom through flexible design of instruction, promotion of social relationships, and orientation of the debate toward the learning objectives. This investigation shows the implementation of democratic principles in the virtual classroom

Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of CLIL Implementation Through English and a VLE

Juhendaja: Pille PõiklikResümee/kokkuvõtte leiab manusest

Emerging technologies. Analysis and current perspectives

The convergence in the use of technology in classrooms and the development of new methodologies have involved a redefinition of the different educational agents’ performance, for the upcoming Horizon reports to generate a radiography of the emerging technological trends that will have an impact in the upcoming years. As a consequence, we will focus on adaptative learning technologies based on the perspectives of profound learning, where the achievement of objectives will be reflected through generated learning analytics, whose association may produce consistent verifiable blockchains. For that matter, this work proposes a meta-analysis of 62 research studies indexed in the WOS and Scopus databases during 2013 and 2018, in the area of Social Sciences, taking as descriptors the technologies mentioned in those reports. A search strategy based on four different criteria has been used: public (target), topic, methodological design and main conclusions

Internal structure of virtual communications in communities of inquiry in higher education: Phases, evolution and participants’ satisfaction

This study investigates the phases of development of synchronous and asynchronous virtual communication produced in a community of inquiry (CoI) by analyzing the internal structure of each intervention in the forum and each chat session to determine the evolution of their social, cognitive and teaching character. It also analyzes the participating higher education students’ satisfaction with the activities, with the professors’ actions, and with themselves. We use a mixed methodology that includes content analysis of the virtual communications by crossing two categorization systems: (1) type of communication according to the model adopted from Garrison, Anderson and Archer (social, cognitive and teaching presence) and (2) phases in the evolution of the communication (initiation, proposal, development, opinion/closing and good-byes). The data are relevant to the students’ satisfaction and grades earned. The results suggest differences in the quantity and content of the communication in each phase and an evolution from social to cognitive elements, ending with social contributions. The students are satisfied with the virtual communications related to both the activities and the professors and evaluate themselves positively