Journeys towards expertise in technology-supported teaching

Expertise in technology-supported teaching needs to be understood from multi-dimensional perspectives and influences, if raising teacher quality is a desired goal of education services. This study aimed to uncover the interactive influences of teachers\u27 pedagogical practices, learning experiences and personal characteristics and how their decisions impacted upon their growth in expert technology-supported teaching. A mixed methods approach incorporated case study techniques, use of quantitative and qualitative data and was informed by grounded theory. Five female primary teachers participated in this research which was conducted during one year over two data collection stages in a technology-supportive independent Australian girls\u27 school. Variations of expertise were most evident in teachers\u27 pedagogical practices, attributable to their technological, pedagogical and content knowledge and beliefs about student learning. These were apparent in the design, delivery and management of student learning activities, with and without digital resources and tools. Common to all was the strength of performance self-efficacy beliefs, desire for excellence and the motivational challenges afforded by technologies to practices and approaches to learning. Particular experiences and influences on learning were perceived by teachers as significant in their journeys of growth, namely 1) accessing the knowledge and modelling strategies of a dedicated curriculum resource teacher, 2) engaging in collaborative activities and feeling part of a team, 3) observing colleagues at work, and 4) being committed to staying abreast of new ideas by spending time alone to play and learn in the non-threatening environment of technology. A distinctive feature of their professional agency was illustrated by pro-active attitudes to change and taking ownership for decisions. These deliberate choices made to advance professional growth over time were epitomised by changes in professional roles, changes within school systems and changes to practices, incorporating risk-taking actions. Expert practices with technology need to be sustained through perseverance and dedication to learning and practice. When the extent of a teacher\u27s expertise is distinguished by referring to descriptors along continuum pathways, this is an encouragement to all teachers to pursue excellence in technology-supported teaching practices

An Investigation of Teenagers’ Advertising Literacy in the Context of the Brand-Rich Environment of Social Media

Teenagers are avid consumers of social media and consequently, constitute attractive target audiences for marketers. On social media, advertising can be integrated into content such as YouTube videos and Instagram posts which means the boundary between commercial content (the advertisement) and non-commercial content (e.g., the video in which the ad appears) becomes increasingly blurred. Therefore, in this context, the consumer must be able to navigate a minefield of overt and covert advertising that is disseminated by a range of sources, including brands and social media influencers. A resulting concern for academics, parents and policy makers alike relates to young people’s understanding, evaluation and critical responses to such advertising practices, i.e., their advertising literacy. In order to command a basic level of advertising literacy, consumers need to be able to recognise the source of an advertisement, identify the commercial and persuasive intent, and subsequently enact a critical response. However, this can become challenging in the context of newer advertising practices on social media platforms where advertising content can be seamlessly woven into editorial content that is interactive, entertaining, and engaging. It follows that if a young consumer cannot properly identify and respond to an advertising episode, then the act of targeting them is unethical. This thesis reports on a qualitative study of 29 teenagers aged 15–17 years. The aim was to investigate teenagers’ dispositional and situational advertising literacy in the context of the overt and covert advertising formats which prevail on social media platforms. The study sought to investigate their general knowledge, attitudes and judgements regarding advertising which develops over time (dispositional AL), but also their ability to retrieve and apply this knowledge during exposure to specific advertising episodes (situational AL). The findings indicate that whilst the participants had a highly developed associative network about SM advertising (i.e., their dispositional AL), their ability to retrieve and apply it (i.e., their situational AL) was dependent on the nature and origin of advertising. Specifically, the marketer’s ability to craft messaging which delights the consumer; emerges from a meaningful source; or provides opportunities for social learning can impede critical response

Attitudes and perceptions of mobile advertising among rural youth in the Limpopo Province.

Master of Commerce in Marketing Management. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2017.Mobile advertising, a form of advertising that targets people using mobile devices such as cell phones and tablets, has opened a platform for advertisers to communicate with their target markets at any given time and location. The mobile market continues to multiply in South Africa, and devices are continuously becoming more technologically advanced, resulting in more sophisticated advertising vehicles and mobile users. In addition, mobile advertising has been referred to as one of the best means to communicate with the youth. This study explores the attitudes and perceptions of youth in rural communities towards mobile advertising. As such, it addresses a gap in the literature on youth and mobile advertising, which tends to focus on youth in more urban contexts. The study focuses on the following types of mobile advertising: SMSs, video advertising, mobile web banner advertising and app advertising. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted, involving a sample of 38 participants. Six focus group sessions were conducted in Thohoyandou and Turfloop. The study used the ARF Model (that is, vehicle exposure, advertising attentiveness, advertising communication, advertising persuasion, and advertising response) and the ABC model of attitudes (that is, affect, behaviour, and cognition) to develop the research instrument, and then additionally used the Ducoffe Extended Model (that is, informativeness, entertainment, credibility, and irritation) to guide the analysis of the collected data. The following are the main findings of this study: The majority of participants show low responsiveness towards mobile advertising; however, some welcome mobile advertising. Most participants find mobile advertising ‘annoying’ or ‘irritating’, mainly because they feel that the content advertised to them is not always relevant, has poor timing and invades their privacy. Other participants are happy receiving mobile adverts if the content is relevant, informative, helpful, creative and entertaining. Participants generally appear to have negative overall attitudes towards SMS advertising in particular, again largely due to irrelevant content. Video, mobile web banner and app advertising receive mixed reactions. Implications and recommendations are provided, for marketers and future researchers

Aspects of the Jury in Criminal Proceedings

Although a trial by jury happens in only a fraction of the total criminal cases, the jury is one of the most intriguing facets of criminal proceedings. This thesis intends to delve into the various aspects of the criminal jury’s history, formulation, and processes. The different areas included are jury selection, elimination of bias, the jury’s role in criminal trials, their deliberations, determining a verdict, and potential problems with the system that is currently in place. All trials can be expected to have foundational court procedures, readings of the law, opening statements and closing arguments, and testimonies, but it ultimately comes down to what the jury decides at the end that makes all of the aforementioned practices meaningful and necessary. While hysterical witnesses can sometimes bring unexpected occurrences to the trial, the unpredictability of the jury verdict can always leave both parties wondering which way the outcome could possibly go. This thesis intends to explore deeper into these concepts, explaining what goes into the jury process and its vital role in the pursuit for justice

Exploring the landscape of reflection

open4noopenFrison, Daniela; Fedeli, Monica; Tino, Concetta; Minnoni, ErikaFrison, Daniela; Fedeli, Monica; Tino, Concetta; Minnoni, Erik

Attitudes on TV Advertising for Children: a Survey among Flemish Parents of Children Aged 6 - 12 years.

The issue of 1V advertising and children has always been quite controversial. From I the early 1970s until now, hundreds of studies have been conducted on this topic. Some of these studies are based on the observation of children in experimental situations. By their use of a non-verbal research method, these studies have the advantage of avoiding misrepresentation caused by some children\u27s verbal skills when responding to verbal tests.2 The disadvantage of this type of experimental research, however, is that the real-life validity of the results is sometimes quite low: the skillfully constructed research-experiments In which children\u27s short-term reactions to Individual stimulants (such as 1V ads) are measured, do not always represent the real life situation in which the child Is influenced by a great many factors - 1V advertising being only one of them. Similarly, research data based on the actual questioning of children should be treated with caution, since younger children especially misunderstand the questions, lack the verbal techniques to provide an adequate answer, or are simply intimidated by the presence of the researcher

The Importance of Developing Classroom Community

Secondary education students spend approximately 135 hours in one classroom per school year, sitting amongst the same twenty or thirty peers and staring at the same teacher. Whether they end up developing positively or negatively, the classroom’s culture is very quickly and easily formed: The daily routines, student attitudes during work, and the strategies used to implement a well-managed classroom form with or without effort from teachers and students. However, what is much more demanding to create, though ultimately more meaningful and positively impactful on learning is a positive classroom community. When educators embed discussion-based strategies and collaborative, discussion-based activities leading towards relevant, authentic assessments, stronger bonds form between the members of a classroom, ultimately resulting in increased engagement

Do I question what influencers sell me? Integration of critical thinking in the advertising literacy of Spanish adolescents

Engaging with influencer posts has become a prevalent practice among adolescents on social media, exposing them to the combined elements of promotional content and entertainment in influencer marketing. However, the versatile and appealing nature of this content may hinder adolescents’ ability to engage in critical thinking and accurately interpret this hybrid form of advertising. This study aims to investigate adolescents’ capacity to critically process persuasive content shared by influencers, utilizing the five components of digital critical thinking outlined by Van Laar (2019): clarification, evaluation, justification, linking of ideas, and novelty. To analyze minors’ online experiences, a qualitative approach was employed involving twelve discussion groups with a total of 62 children and adolescents aged 11 to 17 in Spain. The findings indicate that the exercise of critical thinking in response to influencer marketing is closely associated with the cognitive and affective dimensions of advertising literacy in adolescents, while wamong them