Metafora: A Web-based Platform for Learning to Learn Together in Science and Mathematics

This paper presents Metafora, both a platform for integrated tools as well as an emerging pedagogy for supporting Learning to Learn Together in science and mathematics education. Our goal is to design technology that brings education to a higher level; a level where students not only learn a subject matter, but also gain a set of critical skills needed to engage in and self-regulate collaborative learning experiences in science and math education. We first discuss the core skills we hope students will gain as they learn to learn together. We then present our design and implementation that can achieve this goal; a platform and pedagogy we have developed to support the learning of these skills. Finally, we present an example use of our system based on results from pilot studies that demonstrates interaction with the platform, and potential benefits and limitations of the tools in promoting the associated skills

ICT (WEB.DESIGN)AND JAVANESE LANGUAGE LEARNING IN INDONESIA: REVITALIZATION INDIGENOUS LANGUGES

In this paper, I would like to focus on Javanese language as indigenous language in Indonesia that needs to preserve and develop especially Javanese letters and naturalness conversation. This paper also describes important areas in which technology plays a role in language and culture revitalization and explores efforts made by Indigenous communities to preserve, maintain and revitalize their Indigenous language with the help of computer technology. Why Javanese language?, The Javanese language is becoming endangered, even though it is one of the compulsory subjects taught at Javanese schools. Students become unmotivated when they learn the language at school because of boring and irrelevant teaching and learning materials. Furthermore, their closest mentors such as teachers, parents and relatives cannot provide motivating conditions to learn the Javanese language. In order to preserve the Javanese language through education at schools, ICT-Web Design is an approach proposed for Javanese language learning. The students can learn the usage of Javanese language at a proper Javanese letters, level of politeness through a natural dialogue with ICT. An approach that is not new, but which has been under-utilized and has yet to be proven useful in Indigenous communities is the integration of technology to supplement efforts in Indigenous language education, revitalization and maintenance programs. Many Indigenous communities have embraced technologies, such as audio, video, multimedia, Internet and etc as a means to revitalize their language. However, the language revitalization employs the following categories: Indigenous language preservation; documentation and material development; and building communicative community can be applied to other Indigenous languages as well

Characterizing and unpacking learning to learn together skills in a wiki project in primary education

This is the author accepted manuscript.The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.Learning to learn together (L2L2) skills are widely acknowledged as some of the most important 21 st century skills that enable learners to participate in a digital and global society. This paper examines how L2L2 skills emerged in a small-group wiki-based collaborative project and in the context of face-to-face real-classroom practice, in order to conceptualise L2L2 and identify the key features of the skills involved. To this end, our paper reports on an empirical study with primary school students who worked in two different modes of interaction, namely face-to-face in-pair discussion and on-line wiki-based between-pair discussion. The study identified and defined key features of four L2L2 skills, namely distributed leadership, mutual engagement, group reflection and group assessment, all of which emerged to a similar extent during the wiki project. It was found that a few distinctive features of L2L2 skills are related to different stages of task resolution, wiki affordances and different modes of collaboration. Therefore, this empirical study argues that technology and pedagogy are equally important and required to promote L2L2 skills in primary school classrooms and also it discusses some educational implications for the design of more effective technology-enhanced pedagogy.This research was funded by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of the Spanish Government (projects number: EDU2012-32415 and EDU2016-80258-R)

Design and evaluation of teacher assistance tools for exploratory learning environments

We present our approach to designing and evaluating tools that can assist teachers in classroom settings where students are using Exploratory Learning Environments (ELEs), using as our case study the MiGen system, which targets 11-14 year old students' learning of algebra. We discuss the challenging role of teachers in exploratory learning settings and motivate the need for visualisation and notification tools that can assist teachers in focusing their attention across the whole class and inform their interventions. We present the design and evaluation approach followed during the development of MiGen's Teacher Assistance tools, drawing parallels with the recently proposed LATUX workflow but also discussing how we go beyond this to include a large number of teacher participants in our evaluation activities, so as to gain the benefit of different view points. We discuss the results of the evaluations, which show that participants appreciated the capabilities of the tools and were mostly able to use them quickly and accurately

The Use of Tiktok Based on Audiolingual Method in Arabic Learning at an Islamic Junior High School in Indonesia

There have been various discussions on the use of TikTok in Arabic learning today, and they indicate that it has the potential as an interactive learning media. However, using TikTok in Audiolingual-based Arabic learning needs more attention. Therefore, this research aims to fill the gap by describing the utilization, stages, and supporting and inhibiting factors in using TikTok in Arabic learning based on an Audiolingual approach at an Islamic Junior High School in Indonesia. This study used descriptive qualitative research. The researcher carried out observations and interviews to obtain research data. The research data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman technique. The results of this study report that 1) the use of TikTok in learning Arabic is based on media support, teaching skills, and variations in delivery. 2) There are three stages in the learning process: preparation, implementation, and evaluation. 3) Supporting factors found are students' ability to understand lessons and adequate school facilities. The inhibiting factor is the limited time available for applying the audiolingual method, which takes quite a long time and makes students feel bored. This study recommends research on the effectiveness of TikTok on interest, motivation, and achievement in learning Arabic

Serious Games in Formal Education: Discussing Some Critical Aspects

International audienceInnovation in technology together with evolution in pedagogical approaches is encouraging increased integration of technology-supported interventions in mainstream teaching practices. One area attracting particularly close attention in this respect is Serious Games (SGs), which offer considerable potential for facilitating both formal and informal learning experiences in supported and standalone contexts. Advances in technology and in technology enhanced learning are raising learners' expectations for immersive and engaging game-based experiences. This trend is underpinned by the emergence of young learners adept at using digital technologies and the internet; there is an attendant risk that, as students, they may be alienated by traditional education and its failure to engage them fully in a lifelong learning process and prepare them adequately for the challenges of the 21st Century. SGs would appear to offer an attractive solution in this regard. However, there are a number of inhibitors preventing their wider take-up in mainstream education, with the result that the considerable potential on offer has yet to be fully exploited. This situation is the background for the joint efforts of partners in the Games and Learning Alliance (GALA), an EC-funded Network of Excellence on SGs, especially the sub-group dedicated to the pedagogical dimension of SGs. In its discussions on the key challenges for more wide-scale and effective SG use, the group has focused in particular on aspects related to the central role played by the educator in formal education settings. Specifically, discussion has focused on the challenges posed when educators are called on to modify their practice, adopting the new roles and approaches demanded for effective SG deployment. This paper presents the outcome of the group's exploration. It frames the question of the educator's central role by drawing on research work that, in the view of the different authors, embodies the major references for shedding light on this multi-faceted aspect. As well as the new role that the educator assumes in games-based learning environments, particular attention is also dedicated to the innovative pedagogical approaches that can be applied to SG deployment, especially those inspired by peer collaboration

Designing Serious Games for Education: From Pedagogical Principles to Game Mechanisms

International audienceSGs represent an important opportunity for improving education thanks to their ability to compel players and to present realistic simulations of real-life situations. The scientific community is aware that we are just at the beginning of a proper use of gaming technologies for education and training and, in particular, there is a need for scientific and engineering methods for building games not only as more realistic simulations of the physical world, but as means that provide effective learning experiences. This requires an ever closer cooperation among the various actors involved in the overall SG life- chain, putting pedagogy in a central role, given the educational target of the SGs. This paper addresses the till-now inadequate integration of educational and game design principles and proposes techniques, methods and mechanisms that allow designers with different background to dialogue among each other and to define games that are able to integrate - by design - entertainment and educational features. In particular, the paper follows a design path that starts from the definition of reference frameworks and then analyses the typical categories of design patterns, before focusing on the user-interaction modalities - seen from a pedagogical point of view - given their relevance for the end-users. In the end, we discuss the sandbox serious game model, that looks suited to implement - by design - joint pedagogical and entertainment features. We believe that the indications provided in this paper can be useful for researchers and stakeholders to understand the typical issues in SG design and to get inspiration about possible solutions that take into account the need to implement tools that are effective both as an entertainment medium and as an education tool

Reflection-in-Action Markers for Reflection-on-Action in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Settings

International audienceWe describe an exploratory study on the use of markers set during a synchronous collaborative interaction (reflection-in-action) for later construction of reflection reports upon the collaboration that occurred (reflection-on-action). During two sessions, pairs of students used the Visu videoconferencing tool for synchronous interaction and marker setting (positive, negative or free) and then individual report building on the interaction (using markers or not). A quantitative descriptive analysis was conducted on the markers put in action, on their use to reflect on action and on the reflection categories of the sentences in these reports. Results show that the students (1) used the markers equally as a note-taking and reflection means during the interaction, (2) used mainly positive markers both to reflect in and on action; (3) paid more attention in identifying what worked in their interaction (conservative direction) rather than in planning on how to improve their group work (progressive direction); (4) used mainly their own markers to reflect on action, with an increase in the use of their partners' markers in the second reflection reports; (5) reflected mainly on their partner in the first reflection reports and more on themselves in the second reports to justify themselves and to express their satisfaction