Second Life as a Learning and Teaching Environment for Digital Games Education

Previous studies show that online virtual worlds can contribute to the social aspects of distance learning, improve student engagement, and enhance students’ experience as a whole [4]; [3]. This paper reviews previous research of using online virtual worlds in teaching and learning, compares Second Life with traditional classroom sessions and the Blackboard, and discusses the benefits and problems of using virtual environments in the post-sixteen education and how they affect students’ learning. It also reports a study of using Second Life as an educational environment for teaching games design at undergraduate level, and investigates the impacts and implications of online virtual environments on learning and teaching processes and their application to digital games education. The sample was 27 first year students of the Computer Games Modelling and Animation course. Students’ views on using Second Life for learning and teaching were collected through a feedback questionnaire. The results suggest that virtual learning environments like Second Life can be exploited as a motivational learning tool. However, problems such as identify issues and lacking of role markers may change student behaviour in virtual classroom. We discuss this phenomenon and suggest ways to avoid it in the preparation stage

Social Studies Teachers’ Instructional Techniques Knowledge and Its Impact on Learners’ Attitudes, Values and Skills in Senior High Schools in the North East Region of Ghana

This study set out to examine how Social Studies teachers knowledge of instructional techniques in Senior High Schools impact on the attitudes, values, and skills of learners. To achieve this, interview guides and questionnaires were designed and employed to elicit the views of respondents. For this research, 54 Social Studies teachers were involved. The simple random, cluster, and convenient sampling techniques were employed to select the respondents for the research. Frequency counts and percentages were employed as statistical tools for analyzing the questionnaire data gathered, and the data from the interview guide was transcribed, categorized, analyzed, and discussed based on themes and research questions. The findings revealed that most teachers of Social Studies in Senior High Schools in Ghana are not teaching to develop attitudes, values, and skills of learners. Majority of Social Studies teachers in Senior High Schools are not familiar with instructional techniques such as project work, simulations and games, problem-solving, demonstrations, among others. Based on the findings, it was recommended that there should be courses on Social Studies instructional pedagogy to develop teachers' knowledge about instructional techniques of the subject to enhance effective teaching. Keywords: Social Studies, Instructional Techniques Knowledge, Instructional Techniques Knowledge Impact, Senior High Schools. DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/10-22-02 Publication date: November 30th 2020

Integrating Cultural-Historical Activity Theory and Authentic Learning with Technology in Teaching and Learning: A Case Study Analysis

This research work presents a comprehensive framework that merges Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (C), Authentic Learning (A), and six distinct roles of Technology (T) in the context of teaching and learning. The study reviews five individual case studies that explore the utilization of technology in educational settings, examining their alignment with the CAT framework. The research highlights the significance of adventure games as an effective medium for knowledge construction, wherein embedded puzzles and core content serve as extrinsic mediators, while discussions between players intrinsically mediate knowledge construction. Additionally, artifacts of mass media, such as games, software, and other media, facilitate knowledge production when they function as tools rather than objects of the activity. Drawing on Vygotskian concepts of social tool-mediated dialogical knowledge construction, the research concludes that games and media play an integral role in enhancing teaching and learning experiences. This study aims to contribute to the broader understanding of technology integration in education, encouraging educators to adopt transformative approaches to optimize the benefits of technology in the learning process

Connecting Historical Thinking and Technology in the Classroom

The motivation behind the Social Studies @ CSU summer blog series is to encourage discussion among teachers about connecting historical thinking and technology with the content of their Social Studies courses. Many teachers are unaware of how to integrate critical thinking skills into their Social Studies courses, leaving students unable to use those skills to guide their own academic careers. Using the current model of Ohio Social Studies content standards and research completed by Sam Wineburg and Daisy Martin as a framework, the Social Studies @ CSU summer blog series provides technological and lesson planning resources and methods for integrating technology and historical thinking with Social Studies content. The results were seventeen blog postings that provide online resources and ideas that help teachers connect the content of the current Social Studies standards with modern technologies. Also featured are games and interviews with students and teachers that give practical advice and strategies about employing unconventional teaching methods to increase student engagement in Social Studies courses. In conclusion, the discussion about connecting historical thinking and technology in the classroom is ongoing, but research and current technologies are helping teachers integrate historical and critical thinking methods into their content more and more each day.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/u_poster_2014/1023/thumbnail.jp

On-line role-play as a teaching method in engineering studies

We propose to adapt the role-play teaching methodology to engineering studies, trying to overcome obstacles like its exclusive association with fantasy games or its demand of social skills. We have chosen the role of a maintenance technician, a relevant job profile for engineering graduates. The interaction is based on email exchange, and the instructor is included in the simulation to guide the activity development and the achievement of the learning objectives. In this paper, our experience with this methodology, its implementation, results and student feedback are presented.Peer Reviewe