A Survey of Smart Classroom Literature

Recently, there has been a substantial amount of research on smart classrooms, encompassing a number of areas, including Information and Communication Technology, Machine Learning, Sensor Networks, Cloud Computing, and Hardware. Smart classroom research has been quickly implemented to enhance education systems, resulting in higher engagement and empowerment of students, educators, and administrators. Despite decades of using emerging technology to improve teaching practices, critics often point out that methods miss adequate theoretical and technical foundations. As a result, there have been a number of conflicting reviews on different perspectives of smart classrooms. For a realistic smart classroom approach, a piecemeal implementation is insufficient. This survey contributes to the current literature by presenting a comprehensive analysis of various disciplines using a standard terminology and taxonomy. This multi-field study reveals new research possibilities and problems that must be tackled in order to integrate interdisciplinary works in a synergic manner. Our analysis shows that smart classroom is a rapidly developing research area that complements a number of emerging technologies. Moreover, this paper also describes the co-occurrence network of technological keywords using VOSviewer for an in-depth analysis

Services and support for IU School of Medicine and Clinical Affairs Schools by the UITS/PTI Advanced Biomedical Information Technology Core and Research Technologies Division in FY 2013 - Extended Version

The report presents information on services delivered in FY 2013 by ABITC and RT to the IU School of Medicine and the other Clinical Affairs schools that include the Schools of Nursing, Dentistry, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, and Optometry; the Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI; the School of Public Health at IU Bloomington; and the School of Social Work

Educational use cases from a shared exploration of e-books and iPads

E-books and e-book readers are becoming increasingly widely available, particularly for the general reader, and there have been many studies on their adoption. However, less is known about their use for educational and academic purposes. We report here on work carried out on e-books and e-book applications using iPads by academic and teaching staff. After considering pedagogical issues and reporting survey results, we identify a spiral of six key use case areas for e-books. This spiral of use cases moves from basic e-book use, through situational reading, e-books and learning, using multiple learning resources, collaborative/group learning, to e-book production. We discuss each of these use case areas and provide guidelines that will be of interest to practitioners and researchers alike

Geography undergraduate students’ experiences of using modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment in higher education.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Technology has been adopted by various higher education institutions globally and locally to support teaching and learning. Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle) is one of the Learning Management Systems (LMSs) that is a popular choice among higher education institutions. Moodle provides an online teaching and learning environment that supports students in their courses. Many students have, however, been experienced challenges in adopting the LMSs due to insufficient training and lack of computer skills in developing countries. This study, therefore, sought to explore Geography students’ experiences of using Moodle in Higher Education. The study drew from the Activity theory. The study adopted a qualitative research method and followed a case study methodology. The participants in this study were Geography Education students at the University KwaZulu Natal- Edgewood Campus. The study applied qualitative data generation methods in the use of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The findings from the study indicated that Moodle was convenient, time-saving and enhanced communication between lecturers and students. However, the students revealed that usage of Moodle was affected by lack of training. From the findings, this study recommends regular training for students on the use of Moodle and electricity backup arrangements during load shedding

The relationship between research data management and virtual research environments

The aim of the study was to compile a conceptual model of a Virtual Research Environment (VRE) that indicates the relationship between Research Data Management (RDM) and VREs. The outcome of this study was that VREs are ideal platforms for the management of research data. In the first part of the study, a literature review was conducted by focusing on four themes: VREs and other concepts related to VREs; VRE components and tools; RDM; and the relationship between VREs and RDM. The first theme included a discussion of definitions of concepts, approaches to VREs, their development, aims, characteristics, similarities and differences of concepts, an overview of the e-Research approaches followed in this study, as well as an overview of concepts used in this study. The second theme consisted of an overview of developments of VREs in four countries (United Kingdom, USA, The Netherlands, and Germany), an indication of the differences and similarities of these programmes, and a discussion on the concept of research lifecycles, as well as VRE components. These components were then matched with possible tools, as well as to research lifecycle stages, which led to the development of a first conceptual VRE framework. The third theme included an overview of the definitions of the concepts ‘data’ and ‘research data’, as well as RDM and related concepts, an investigation of international developments with regards to RDM, an overview of the differences and similarities of approaches followed internationally, and a discussion of RDM developments in South Africa. This was followed by a discussion of the concept ‘research data lifecycles’, their various stages, corresponding processes and the roles various stakeholders can play in each stage. The fourth theme consisted of a discussion of the relationship between research lifecycles and research data lifecycles, a discussion on the role of RDM as a component within a VRE, the management of research data by means of a VRE, as well as the presentation of a possible conceptual model for the management of research data by means of a VRE. This literature review was conducted as a background and basis for this study. In the second part of the study, the research methodology was outlined. The chosen methodology entailed a non-empirical part consisting of a literature study, and an empirical part consisting of two case studies from a South African University. The two case studies were specifically chosen because each used different methods in conducting research. The one case study used natural science oriented data and laboratory/experimental methods, and the other, human orientated data and survey instruments. The proposed conceptual model derived from the literature study was assessed through these case studies and feedback received was used to modify and/or enhance the conceptual model. The contribution of this study lies primarily in the presentation of a conceptual VRE model with distinct component layers and generic components, which can be used as technological and collaborative frameworks for the successful management of research data.Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2018.National Research FoundationInformation ScienceDPhilUnrestricte

Studying and Supporting Activity Awareness in Collaborative Learning Groups: Using a Persuasive Social Actor

Collaborative learning is known as an effective learning method and various different kinds of technologies have been developed to support and facilitate collaborative learning. Many of these technologies are used to support the functional activities of a group of learners by enabling students to communicate, share documents and materials, track the work of the group, or distribute and allocate tasks. One factor that influences the success of collaborative groups is the awareness that members have of each others' activities i.e. activity awareness (Gutwin et al., 2004). Limited attention has been paid to promoting activity awareness in the collaborative learning literature. The work that does exist has focused on enhancing activity awareness by capturing and sharing details of the activity (e.g. Ganoe et al., 2003; Carroll et al., 2003). In contrast, there are no technologies that focus on the learners’ attitudes and behaviours with regard to activity awareness without considering the functional aspects of the group's work. This PhD hypothesises that persuasive technologies can offer a novel way of promoting activity awareness by changing learners’ attitudes and behaviours and persuading them to be more aware of fellow group members’ activities. This approach to enhancing activity awareness was investigated by using a persuasive social actor to change the attitudes and behaviours of learners who were working on collaborative learning projects over extended periods of time. Four studies were conducted: a pilot study to explore collaborative learning groups, an exploratory study to understand collaboration and activity awareness, a follow-up study to study activity awareness in depth, and a main study where a persuasive social actor for activity awareness in collaborative learning groups was developed and tested. All of these studies focused on a specific collaborative learning setting, in which small numbers of students (3 to 5) worked together in collaborative groups to complete real learning projects over approximately 6 weeks. This thesis makes four contributions to the fields of HCI and collaborative learning. The main contribution is a novel approach to enhance activity awareness in collaborative learning groups by changing learners’ attitudes and behaviours using a persuasive technology i.e. a persuasive social actor. The second contribution is a new method to evaluate activity awareness in collaborative learning groups. The third contribution is insight into how the Persuasive Systems Design (PSD) model (Oinas-kukkonen & Harjumaa, 2009) can be used in the design and evaluation of a persuasive social actor. The fourth contribution is an analysis of how students collaborate in long-term collaborative learning projects in naturalistic settings

Perceptions of Women of Color on Career Advancement in High Technology Management

In information technology, few women of color hold senior level executive leadership positions in the United States. Currently, in the high-tech industry, Asian and Black women hold 1.7% of executive/senior-level positions, and only 0.2% are in CEO positions. The purpose of this research was to understand professional executive women of color experiences in career advancement in the high technology fields. The study\u27s conceptual framework included organizational culture theory, Krumboltz\u27s theory of career counseling, and the leadership pipeline model. The overarching research question and subquestions addressed the lived experiences of 15 professional senior executive women of color in relation to career advancement in high technology to understand their perceptions, feelings, and values through a transcendental descriptive phenomenological approach. Through the use of Colaizzi\u27s method of data analysis, 8 major themes and 11 subthemes emerged from interviews with the participants. The results indicated that women of color needed to have access to internal opportunities for advancement, adjusting to longer work hours in a male dominated work environment, and the need to establish networks of women of color for support. This study may support positive social change by prompting organizational leaders to develop gender-neutral, comprehensive strategies that do not impede women from obtaining technical executive positions. If women were extended the same opportunities as their senior executive male counterparts, women executives could thrive as senior leaders

Geschlecht und Medien: Räume, Deutungen, Repräsentationen

Mediale Darstellungen von Geschlecht und Sexualität sind eingebettet in Machträume und gesellschaftliche Ordnungen. Dieses Buch gibt Einblicke in kritische Analysen gegenwärtiger Mediennutzungs- und Deutungspraktiken. Außerdem setzt es sich mit der übergeordneten Frage auseinander, wie feministische und geschlechtertheoretische Zugänge für eine machtanalytische Weiterentwicklung der Medienforschung fruchtbar gemacht werden können