Mobilising teacher education: a study of a professional learning community

This paper reports on a study of a community of university educators that investigated the introduction of mobile technologies into their learning and teaching. The study was conducted by a subgroup of that community. Given the ubiquity of mobile devices, members of the community felt they needed to develop expertise in mobile learning so that they could incorporate it into their teaching. They studied their own learning, supported by a critical friend who evaluated the community's functioning and activities, providing valuable feedback. Activities of this group were informed by and focused on: development of awareness of the potential of mobile devices for learning; construction of action plans within the community; and implementation of these plans. They also included investigating best-practice approaches by interviewing experts in the field, exploring the literature on mobile learning and then initiating and testing some mobile learning pedagogies in the context of their own teacher education subjects. The community met regularly to discuss emerging issues and applications. The paper shares some of the findings gained from studying the community, and discusses the challenges and constraints that were experienced. The authors conclude with recommendations for professional learning communities aiming to learn about technology-mediated teaching practices

From the sage on the stage to what exactly? Description and the place of the moderator in co‐operative and collaborative learning

This paper reports a significant finding from a two‐year study of computer conferencing used to deliver a course unit at a UK university. Computer conferencing has been applied to education alongside a concern to develop co‐operative and collaborative learning strategies. The technology of computer conferencing has been identified as especially appropriate to a co‐operative style of work. This study found that far from collaboration being an outcome of the deployment of computer conferencing it became in some sense the problem. A common ‘gloss’ on the educational changes that are taking place, with the introduction of new technologies for teaching and learning, is that the ‘sage on the stage’ is being replaced by ‘the guide on the side’. This paper argues that this opposition rests on little substantial evidence or research. The moderator/facilitator role advocated as suitable for computer conferencing is shown to be deeply embedded in wider social actions. The orientations of the tutor are heavily inclined towards the demands of assessment. Successful computer‐supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is the outcome of the co‐operative work of all the members of the conference. The application of CSCL relies upon timely interventions by the tutor

E-learning

E-learning as a term and its application in the support of learning has evolved considerably over the last ten or more years. This evolution comes from a noticeably different approach to learning by early adopters, as dictated by the technology of the time.In order to bring the reader up to date with the role and use of e-learning and its associated technologies this article will review the meaning of e-learning as it evolved from little more than reading electronic books to today's concept of 'anytime anywhere' learning supported by the Web. It will attempt to clarify some of the confusing terminology surrounding e-learning and provide a basic introduction to some types of technology used to support learning. In addition some examples of the use of e-learning within the physical sciences will also be reviewed along with some pointers to current publications and national initiatives for up to date information about how e-learning is being used in higher education

Reply to the comment by Carmelo Anile on the paper "Complexity analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid pulse waveform during infusion studies"

Veterinary technology is an emerging profession within the veterinary and allied animal health fields in Australia and affords graduates the opportunity to contribute to the small but growing body of literature within this discipline. This study describes the introduction of a contextualised assessment task to develop students’ research capability, competence and confidence in professional writing, and to engage them with the academic publishing process. Students worked in self-selected dyads to author a scientific case report, of publishable standard, based on authentic cases from their clinical practicum. Intrinsic to the task, students attended a series of workshops that explored topics such as critiquing the literature, professional writing styles and oral presentation skills. Assessment was multi-staged with progressive feedback, including peer review, and culminated with students presenting their abstracts at a mock conference. Students reported the task to be an enjoyable and valuable learning experience which improved their competence and confidence in scientific writing; supported by a comparison of previously submitted work. Linking scientific writing skills to clinical practice experiences enhanced learning outcomes and may foster the professionalisation of students within this emerging discipline

Conclusions: The Cornerstones and Future Directions of Invention Pedagogy

In this chapter, the key elements of invention projects presented in the introduction and explored in the chapters of this book are revisited and further discussed as the four cornerstones of invention pedagogy. The cornerstones—inclusive innovator mindset, multifaceted real-world phenomena, co-creation of knowledge and artifacts, and technology-enriched tools and materials—are seen as essential for students’ knowledge-creating learning, for the facilitation of such learning, and for the development of an inventive school culture. The continuous development of all these levels of invention pedagogy is supported by research–practice partnerships in national and international contexts.Peer reviewe

Online discussion forum: A tool to support learning in business management education

The introduction of online-supported teaching and learning in education calls for a better understanding of how online support is experienced by South African students (many of whom encounter this technology for the very first time at university) and how their experiences of online support may influence their learning. The mixed-methods approach used in the study reported on here incorporated a qualitative component that drew on the principles of phenomenography. From 156 students enrolled in a business management education module that forms part of the Bachelor of Education curriculum, 15 participants were selected using phenomenographic sampling. A sequential-exploratory quantitative investigation was then undertaken to test qualitative findings. Qualitative data sources included personal reflective journals, focus group discussions and individual interviews; quantitative data were generated from questionnaires administered to the respondents. In the principal findings participants indicated that the online discussion forum offered them a context for learning through social interaction in qualitatively different ways, and this offers insights into how developing nations might address the need to engage with pedagogical practices in the online space. Keywords: blended education methods; business management education; e-learning; learning management system; online discussion forum; online-supported teaching and learnin

Immersive Virtual Worlds in Educational Practice: Introducing Educators to Second Life

This paper reports outcomes of the second iteration of a longitudinal action research study on the affordances of Second Life for enriched online teaching and learning. Introduction to Second for Educators was a professional development opportunity offered to graduate students, faculty, and administrators as a distance course in spring 2009. Participants’ wiki reflections and exit questionnaires were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of a constructivist instructional design using guided discovery within a supportive Community of Inquiry [CoI]. Results indicate that the constructivist design ensures a level of facilitation requisite to successfully scaffolding novices’ experiential learning inworld. The CoI model is well supported in the data, with some deficits in cognitive presence. Challenges persist in the areas of technology and time. Action items for the Fall 2009 iteration include increasing activities to maximize SL affordances for building, problem solving, and peer collaboration, and adjusting measurement tools for improved future data analysis

From Learning Environments and Implementation to Activity Systems and Expansive Learning

The paper argues that the notion of learning environment is not a theoretical concept that can serve as the centerpiece and unit of analysis in research on computer-supported collaborative learning, and that the preoccupation in this research domain with implementation of digital learning environments is a largely misguided consequence of the unquestioned expectation that technology will radically change learning. The paper suggests that these two pervasive weaknesses may be at least partially overcome by examining activity systems as an alternative unit of analysis and by focusing on expansive learning instead of implementation as such. A case study of a Finnish middle school demonstrates that it is important to build the introduction of new technologies on the local realities of actual teachers and students. It is unlikely that the implementation and diffusion of advanced digital learning environments will be successful in a school where the teachers will not allow the students to use computers during recess and the students believe that their teachers will in any case take away the computers the next day. In the school examined in the case study, the building of trust and optimism by means of simple new practices and artifacts was the first step toward a serious collective engagement with the potentials of computers for instruction and learning

Pendampingan Penerapan Media Pembelajaran Inovatif Berbasis E-Learning Untuk Peningkatan Kompetensi Pada Guru SMAN 1 Anjir Pasar

The majority of teachers at Anjir 1 Public High School Market are skilled in using technology devices such as smartphones and computers. Supported by computer laboratory facilities and internet access in schools so that teachers should be able to make maximum use of these facilities in addition to learning support media as well as supporting the improvement of teacher competencies as professional educators. This community service activity aims to provide edmodo social media-based e-learning training that is very practical and easier to use for beginners so that in addition to the teacher having knowledge of e-learning as well as having the skills to support the learning process without limited space and time. The method used was in the form of an introduction to Edmodo's e-learning as well as the creation of an Edmodo account, followed by training in making digital exam questions using the Edmodo quiz facility involving students of Anjir Pasar 1 Public High School. The results of the activity found that the teacher can make digital exam questions with various types of questions such as true false, short answer, fill in the blank, multiple choice and matching. Keywords: edmodo, e-learning, teacher, qui

Use of short podcasts to reinforce learning outcomes in biology

Podcast, a powerful Web 2.0 tool increasingly used in higher education, refers to an audio or a video file which can be automatically downloaded to one’s computer as it becomes available, then later transferred to a portable player for listening. The technology thereby enables the user to listen to and/ or to watch the content anywhere and anytime. This paper describes an exploratory study conducted at University of Minho, Portugal, in a 2nd year graduation course, where podcasts were introduced and used as a tool to present learning outcomes and to give some study guidelines The research was conducted in order to evaluate students’ and teacher’s reactions to the integration of this resource in teaching/ learning as well as students´ interest in having podcasts in the future. In conclusion, students and the lecturer considered the introduction of podcasts a very positive experience and they would like to have access to podcasts in other pedagogical contexts.This work was supported by FCT project PTDC/CED/70751/2006