ImpacT2 project: preliminary study 1: establishing the relationship between networked technology and attainment

This report explored teaching practices, beliefs and teaching styles and their influences on ICT use and implementation by pupils. Additional factors explored included the value of school and LEA policies and teacher competence in the use of ICT in classroom settings. ImpaCT2 was a major longitudinal study (1999-2002) involving 60 schools in England, its aims were to: identify the impact of networked technologies on the school and out-of-school environment; determine whether or not this impact affected the educational attainment of pupils aged 816 years (at Key Stages 2, 3, and 4); and provide information that would assist in the formation of national, local and school policies on the deployment of IC

Online mentoring and peer support: Using learning technologies to facilitate entry into a community of practice

A vital aspect of any professional education is the opportunity for students to engage in meaningful practical experiences. In pre‐service teacher education in Australia, this vital teaching practice component has undergone challenges in recent years due to increasing student numbers (linked to the increasing demand for new teachers) and limited resources in university and school sectors. As such, initiatives to enhance the practical component of this professional degree have been sought. This paper details the methodology and outcomes associated with a pilot project that utilized asynchronous Web‐based communication tools to facilitate mentoring and peer support through the teaching practice experience. Analysis of the online discussions and interviews with participants provides an indication of the nature of the interactions and the perceived value of the intervention, and informs the potential for larger‐scale implementation

Standardising the design of educational computer reading programs for children.

Educationalists working in the sphere of special education, psychologists and software engineers continue to debate the efficacy of technology interfaces and the merits of information technology with regard to supporting learning in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and the need to standardise software design for this group. This research argues that, for these children to optimise the use of this technology, it must be designed to meet the learning needs and characteristics of this condition, and so a design/development standard is needed. There is currently no instruction to aid educational professionals in choosing suitable computer programs that can be employed to support learning to read in children with ASD. The present research offers a rigorous comparative analysis of the multimedia conditions. A selection instruction (SI) was developed to facilitate the choice of appropriate computer programs for children with ASD, and forms part of the pilot study for this investigation, which was later modified and developed into an educational computer programs design standard. This SI serves as a set of guidelines that is intended to assist professionals and the parents/guardians of children with ASD in their search for good, useable programs that will assist in the acquisition of early reading skills by this group. This research advocates the development of effective computer programs based on individualistic considerations and the stringent application of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) principles in the design of multimedia computer technology for children with ASD. Two educational programs were employed in the investigation, and the data collection method included quantitative (pre-tests; a comparative study of children with ASD and typically developing children in videorecorded sessions, and post-tests) and qualitative (interviews, and an attitude questionnaire) methods. This approach was triangulated, thereby promoting the validity and rigour of the investigation. The present research concludes that, although there were recorded gains in the application of computer technology to teach new words to children with ASD, there were problems relating to the appropriateness and suitability of the programs for the children employed in this research, as detected during the interviews and from the attitude questionnaires, noting the need for autistic preferences in the design and development of these educational computer programs. This investigation offers a broader approach to the theoretical understanding and explanation of autistic learning styles, reading methodologies and issues relating to the design, development and usability of multimedia computer technology. Attention is drawn to the inadequacy of the existing technology and research into ASD and how the disorder affects learning in these children

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND LEARNING PROCESSES. THE ETERNAL GOLDEN GARLAND

none1noBeyond any possible rhetorical division between those who are for or against a more or less massive use of technologies, it is undeniable that technologies always have effects on cognitive, relational, and autonomy processes of individuals, in every season of life and by virtue of the quantity and quality of the use to which we are exposed. The experience of the pandemic caused by Covid19 definitely amplified and highlighted this fact, making the advantages and disadvantages of online life, to which many were forced, immediately apparent. The data on the learning process, in particular on the exclusions that online education has generated, is evident, although very patchy. The difference was determined by the technological skills of learners and teachers, by the possibilities of access to appropriate infrastructures and devices, and by the style of conducting teaching. With regard to this last point, pre-Covid teaching methods were an important factor: digital teaching has often amplified, for better or for worse, what was already being done in the traditional way, with the evidence, however, that some changes that were less evident in frontal teaching were urgent in mediated teaching. The speed of the lesson, for example, the didactic rhythm, the anchorage to the concrete and the levels of personalization were some of the conditions that compromised the success of online training. Technological teaching has also concerned the population of pupils in difficult, disabled, and disadvantaged situations, for whom the impact with the ICT world has been accompanied, as research has shown, by other risk factors (Ianes, 2020), again linked mainly to pre-Covid elements, and referring above all too experienced integration, practiced as a cultural model for schools or as a routine afterthought. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, recognizes new technologies as an essential contextual element for the promotion of the person's functioning, becoming tools capable of compensating for deficits, facilitating independent living, or, conversely, an obstacle and depriving environment/tool. For this reason, they find a specific place within the Environmental Factors of the ICF (WHO, 2001) and the assessment that must be made of them in view of individualized educational planning. International research (Woodward et al .,2001) based on evidence that tries to define what works in the ICT world for children with special educational needs, taking into account a plurality of variables, amount and type of feedback, practical experience, evaluation systems, motivation, teaching strategies - comes to the conclusion that the fact that software has been validated on the research level, does not guarantee that it works in practice (ibid., p. 21). The contribute aims to go in this direction and intends to provide some general reference criteria for evaluating and choosing technological opportunities.Pinnelli StefaniaPinnelli, Stefani

Fast-tracking concept learning to English as an Additional Language (EAL) students through corpus-based multilingual glossaries

This is a copy of the published manuscript of Madiba, M. 2010. Fast-tracking concept learning to English as an Additional Language (EAL) students through corpus-based multilingual glossaries. Alternation. 17(1): 225-248. Available: http://alternation.ukzn.ac.za/Files/docs/17.1/11%20Mad%20FIN.pdf.The aim of this article is to discuss the corpus-based Multilingual Concept Glossaries project at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and to show how multilingual glossaries can be used to fast-track concept literacy among English as Additional Language students (EALs). In South Africa, it is an accepted fact that most of EAL students from poor academic and family backgrounds enter higher education with limited English proficiency which makes it difficult for them to learn and understand concepts in different content learning areas (cf.Kapp 1998; Council on Higher Education 2007; National Benchmark Tests Project Progress Report 2009). Thus, the development of the multilingual glossaries is aimed at providing academic support to these students. It is the contention of this article that the development of these glossaries constitutes an important intervention strategy to optimize concepts learning in different content areas to EAL students. The pedagogic value of glossaries is widely acknowledged by many scholars in the field of academic literacy (cf. Hüllen1989; Marzano 2003, 2004; Graves 2006; Beck, McKeown & Kucan 2008; Hiebert & Kamil 2005; Farstrup & Samuels 2008; Sauer 2009). However, as the Project is still in its initial stage, the article mainly provides a conceptual argument based on two theories, namely, the theory of conceptual difficulty (cf.Perkins 2007; 2009), which provides a theoretical framework for analysing EAL students' conceptual difficulties, and Vygotsky's socio-cultural constructive theory which provides a framework of pedagogic intervention to fast-track concepts learning

The Impact of Dyslexia on the Effectiveness of Online Learning: A Systematic Literature Review

Dyslexia can have an impact on online learning outcomes. However, few studies have examined the association between dyslexia and online learning effectiveness. This systematic review focused on the effects of dyslexia on online learning effectiveness to conduct research in three major categories: analysis of impact, analysis of dyslexia on online learning, and analysis of interventions. A screening of two bibliographic databases identified 37 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The study determined that dyslexic learners are uncomforted with online learning and suffer from frustrated self-confidence and decreased academic performance in the learning process. It even affects the learners' evaluation of themselves and causes a decrease in self-efficacy. Among these, research on influencing factors can be divided into two dimensions: internal and external factors. Dyslexic learners are influenced by both the type of dyslexia and their psychological characteristics, as well as by teachers, teaching strategies, online educational environments, and educational media. These influences provide intervention strategies, such as developing customized online learning systems for dyslexic learners and exploring interventions in telerehabilitation medicine. However, no intervention strategies involve adjustments to the internal psychology of dyslexic learners and external support systems. Therefore, more research is needed to explore the differential impact of dyslexia on online learning and to understand the factors that produce this impact to provide a theoretical basis and direction for the generation of instructional strategies for dyslexics and the adaptation of online learning for dyslexics

Augmentative communication device design, implementation and evaluation

The ultimate aim of this thesis was to design and implement an advanced software based Augmentative Communication Device (ACD) , or Voice Output Communication Aid NOCA), for non-vocal Learning Disabled individuals by applying current psychological models, theories, and experimental techniques. By taking account of potential user's cognitive and linguistic abilities a symbol based device (Easy Speaker) was produced which outputs naturalistic digitised human speech and sound and makes use of a photorealistic symbol set. In order to increase the size of the available symbol set a hypermedia style dynamic screen approach was employed. The relevance of the hypermedia metaphor in relation to models of knowledge representation and language processing was explored.Laboratory based studies suggested that potential user's could learn to productively operate the software, became faster and more efficient over time when performing set conversational tasks. Studies with unimpaired individuals supported the notion that digitised speech was less cognitively demanding to decode, or listen to.With highly portable, touch based, PC compatible systems beginning to appear it is hoped that the otherwise silent will be able to use the software as their primary means of communication with the speaking world. Extensive field trials over a six month period with a prototype device and in collaboration with user's caregivers strongly suggested this might be the case.Off-device improvements were also noted suggesting that Easy Speaker, or similar software has the potential to be used as a communication training tool. Such training would be likely 10 improve overall communicative effectiveness.To conclude, a model for successful ACD development was proposed