Trustworthiness in Sampling Selection: Remedies Against Introspective Chaos

The ethical dimension pertaining to protecting participants from psychological harm due to the in-depth nature of the inquiry and to the intimacy resulting from prolonged engagement is well-documented. This is laudable, but very few studies focused on guiding the researchers against chaotic emotions arising from introspectively questioning their beliefs and motivations and inspiring their judgments underlying their decisions. In our involvement with masters’ students’ thesis writing and research management training, supervision, and examination, we became aware of recurring cases of novice researchers silently disappearing from the program, eventually reappearing, continuously struggling with their thesis. Investigating this process, we identified the difficulty of becoming trustworthy researcher-instruments as the central issue leading to students disconnecting from their research. Students would disclose their anxiety of being accused of bias when defending their purposeful sampling. Therefore, we decided to equip them pre-emptively, helping them build their researchers’ expertise and confidence. Firstly, we disclosed our vulnerability from the perspective of the researchers’ awareness. Secondly, we exposed an intricate sampling case in terms of methodical considerations. Lastly, we provided a step-by-step demonstration of the initial, purposeful, and theoretical sampling selection process, illustrating the constant comparative analysis method, peer discussions and member reflections as safeguarding procedures towards trustworthiness

K-12 Technology Audit: Lessons for School Leaders

This article synthesizes findings from a technology audit to evaluate technology use and integration in the district of a moderate-sized suburban school district in a mid Atlantic state in the U.S. Survey and interview data were analyzed from administrators, teachers, students, and school board members. This district had in place a detailed technology plan yet half of the teachers and one third of administrators surveyed had no knowledge that the plan even existed. Issues such as access, pressure to cover content for standardized testing, and a strained relationship between the Information Technology department and the faculty emerged as barriers to effective implementation. Perhaps the greatest obstacle exposed by the audit was the district\u27s lack of vision to fuel growth, innovation, and risk-taking. Implications are discussed

Exploratory Research Methods for the Extremely Mobile: Supporting Community Interaction Amongst Backpackers

Mobile communities of backpackers represent a challenging population to study because of frequent and long-duration of movement, distributed group structure, and adventuresome activities. Five types of mobile group studies are presented here, which address challenges posed by this context to existing methods. Methods used include: contextual interviews, site surveys, participatory activities, field trips, team ethnography, contextual questionnaires, and electronic diary methods. The structure of each method is described, reflected upon and recommendations are made for its effective use. Many existing mobile and CSCW methods have difficulties when applied to mobile groups, and many are not designed for exploratory research dealing with product conceptualization or requirements analysis. We propose that improvising with a diverse set of available methods is appropriate for many mobile research situations. It may also be advantageous to use multiple methods which explore different aspects of target user groups' behaviour from a variety of perspectives. Furthermore, piloting studies to test methods with new user groups or situations, and using in-situ methods is advisable

Computación ubicua aplicada al aprendizaje: implementación en el curso de ingreso universitario

Integrar tecnologías en los procesos de aprendizaje de los estudiantes que ingresan a la universidad se vuelve desafiante para favorecer la colaboración, conectar espacios formales, no formales e informales; la ubicación del aprendizaje, tanto dentro como fuera del aula; adaptar los contenidos y actividades a las características de los alumnos y su contexto, etc. Es así, que se considera como alternativa válida el uso del modelo educativo de aprendizaje ubicuo. En este modelo, los ambientes de aprendizaje ubicuo superan las limitaciones de un ambiente de aprendizaje tradicional, y lo extienden haciendo realidad la idea de aprendizaje en cualquier lugar y momento. Por lo tanto, los contenidos educativos pueden accederse y las interacciones pueden concretarse donde los estudiantes lo necesiten sin restricción de espacio ni de tiempo. En este trabajo se presenta la línea de investigación: Desarrollos de sistemas para el aprendizaje ubicuo; en particular uno de los principales resultados obtenidos. Se trata de una aplicación ubicua para el curso de ingreso a la universidad para carreras de informática. La propuesta se basa en aprendizaje ubicuo con el uso de objetos de aprendizaje (OA) que se ofrecen de forma personalizada al estudiante. La aplicación ofrece servicios de apoyo para el aprendizaje.Eje: Tecnología informática aplicada en educación.Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informátic

Avances en métodos y técnicas para la construcción de aplicaciones basadas en computación ubicuas

Los nuevos desarrollos de las Ciencias de la Computación/Informática se orientan hacia la Computación Ubicua, en la que los ordenadores están incluidos en nuestros movimientos naturales y en las interacciones con nuestro entorno, tanto físico como social. Este nuevo paradigma de la computación involucra dos características fundamentales: la movilidad y la pervasividad. Los principales desafíos en la Computación Ubicua se originan, entonces, en la integración de ambas características en la búsqueda de que todo dispositivo computacional, mientras se mueve con nosotros, pueda ir construyendo de forma incremental modelos dinámicos de sus diversos entornos y configurar sus servicios en consecuencia. Nuevos retos emergen en términos de cómo se debe diseñar y desarrollar aplicaciones ubicuas. Esto requiere el replanteo de las arquitecturas de software posibles, el diseño de ontologías y de modelos de dominio, nuevos escenarios de interacciones y el análisis de nuevas familias de requisitos no funcionales (como configurabilidad y la adaptabilidad). Con el proyecto de investigación presentado en el contexto, se busca desarrollar nuevas técnicas, métodos y estrategias para el diseño y construcción de aplicaciones ubicuas, atendiendo a los nuevos retos que la computación Ubicua impone. En este artículo se describe el proyecto, los resultados obtenidos a lo largo de tres años de ejecución del mismo, en especial la formación de recursos humanos concretada en el marco del proyecto.Eje: Innovación en sistemas de software.Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informátic

Peer-Assisted Learning Online: Peer Leader Motivations and Experiences

This research explores the different types of motivation that inspired students to engage in an online peer-assisted learning (PAL) leader role. An interdisciplinary online PAL pilot programme at a university in the United Kingdom was reviewed to investigate the experience and perceptions of voluntary online PAL leaders. The purpose of the study was to address a paucity in knowledge about the motivations for this role, specifically from an online perspective, and to guide future online PAL leader recruitment. A thematic analysis of in-depth qualitative semi-structured interviews was used to determine emerging and relevant themes. Three research questions guided the interviews, and findings are presented in response to these questions. Findings indicate that different types of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation were key reasons for engaging in the online PAL leader role. The participants expressed an altruistic and empathic approach towards volunteering. Potential personal benefits motivated their participation, including improved study skills, transferable skills, and the possibility of an award. These motivations fell into two significant themes: the awareness of personal gain and the emergence of a desired version of self. Recommendations are made for the recruitment and training of online PAL leaders and the logistics of the scheme to ensure it is well advertised, accessible, endorsed by academic staff, and combines synchronous and asynchronous modes. It is hoped that this research will be valuable given the shift to online study and blended learning in response to and as an outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic and the value placed on interactive virtual spaces to minimise isolation

Infusing Technology Skills into the Law School Curriculum

Legal education has never considered technological proficiency to be a key outcome. Law professors may debate the merits of audiovisual teaching tools: do they work when they should?; do they facilitate learning objectives or are they just toys?; whom should they call when something breaks?; and so on. Teachers use course management sites like TWEN and Blackboard to share information and manage basic course functions. Many fear that laptops and other devices distract students in class, and some institute outright bans. Among many law teachers, technology is warily accepted, but only for the purpose of achieving traditional educational objectives. What if educators viewed technology as a competency that students need to master in order to succeed in practice? This paper will identify gaps between the use of technology in practice and in our classrooms; suggest ways that we can change what we teach, and the way we teach, to address the disparity; consider the benefits/drawbacks of developing new courses, or infusing technology-related outcomes throughout the curriculum; and propose methods to encourage professors to teach with technology in ways that model the practices of successful attorneys

Learning and Becoming in Design Reviews

Drawing from the prior work of McNair and Paretti (2010), this study investigates how language practices and design artifacts mediate the interactions among novice and expert designers to shape the nature of design, and specifically design learning. By analyzing data collected from two design courses in different fields, this study addresses two research questions: 1) how do language practices mediate the interactions between design mentors and design learners; and 2) how do design artifacts mediate these interactions between mentors and learners? Drawing on activity theory and discourse analysis, we use these questions to explore how students work with experts to make meaning within their design experiences. In doing so, we treat meaning-making as an array of social processes situated within a complex activity system that includes instructors, professionals, team members, and artifacts