Innovating Pedagogy 2015: Open University Innovation Report 4

This series of reports explores new forms of teaching, learning and assessment for an interactive world, to guide teachers and policy makers in productive innovation. This fourth report proposes ten innovations that are already in currency but have not yet had a profound influence on education. To produce it, a group of academics at the Institute of Educational Technology in The Open University collaborated with researchers from the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International. We proposed a long list of new educational terms, theories, and practices. We then pared these down to ten that have the potential to provoke major shifts in educational practice, particularly in post-school education. Lastly, we drew on published and unpublished writings to compile the ten sketches of new pedagogies that might transform education. These are summarised below in an approximate order of immediacy and timescale to widespread implementation

Fostering collaboration in kindergarten through an augmented reality game

Kindergarten children are a very special class of users, since they are in a primary stage of life, when they must learn how to live in society, e.g. to listen and respect the others’ opinions, share the same objects and also help each other. This study presents an Augmented Reality game, in which kinder garten children were able to collaborate in a spontaneous way supported by motivation, enjoyment and curiosity. This game allows children to explore concepts like the animals and the en vironments they live in by using Augmented Reality markers and a wooden board. These markers are the game pieces and through them children are able to manipulate 3D virtual models. Experiments were performed with several classes of students in different schools. Results suggest that the game is effective in maintaining high levels of motivation and collaboration among children, particularly when using immediate feedback.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Music Information Retrieval Meets Music Education

This paper addresses the use of Music Information Retrieval (MIR) techniques in music education and their integration in learning software. A general overview of systems that are either commercially available or in research stage is presented. Furthermore, three well-known MIR methods used in music learning systems and their state-of-the-art are described: music transcription, solo and accompaniment track creation, and generation of performance instructions. As a representative example of a music learning system developed within the MIR community, the Songs2See software is outlined. Finally, challenges and directions for future research are described

An Investigation into Tenacity Levels at CoderDojos1

This paper provides an overview of CoderDojos and the philosophy that it aspires to. The research was conducted in one county in Ireland and focused on four CoderDojo locations that were geographically disperse. The findings used a scale known as Grit in order to gauge the tenacity levels of children attending these Dojos. Comparisons were drawn between genders. It also provides a rationale for future research with the addition of qualitative methods.</p

What makes a social robot good at interacting with humans?

This paper discusses the nuances of a social robot, how and why social robots are becoming increasingly significant, and what they are currently being used for. This paper also reflects on the current design of social robots as a means of interaction with humans and also reports potential solutions about several important questions around the futuristic design of these robots. The specific questions explored in this paper are: “Do social robots need to look like living creatures that already exist in the world for humans to interact well with them?”; “Do social robots need to have animated faces for humans to interact well with them?”; “Do social robots need to have the ability to speak a coherent human language for humans to interact well with them?” and “Do social robots need to have the capability to make physical gestures for humans to interact well with them?”. This paper reviews both verbal as well as nonverbal social and conversational cues that could be incorporated into the design of social robots, and also briefly discusses the emotional bonds that may be built between humans and robots. Facets surrounding acceptance of social robots by humans and also ethical/moral concerns have also been discussed

What makes a social robot good at interacting with humans?

This paper discusses the nuances of a social robot, how and why social robots are becoming increasingly significant, and what they are currently being used for. This paper also reflects on the current design of social robots as a means of interaction with humans and also reports potential solutions about several important questions around the futuristic design of these robots. The specific questions explored in this paper are: “Do social robots need to look like living creatures that already exist in the world for humans to interact well with them?”; “Do social robots need to have animated faces for humans to interact well with them?”; “Do social robots need to have the ability to speak a coherent human language for humans to interact well with them?” and “Do social robots need to have the capability to make physical gestures for humans to interact well with them?”. This paper reviews both verbal as well as nonverbal social and conversational cues that could be incorporated into the design of social robots, and also briefly discusses the emotional bonds that may be built between humans and robots. Facets surrounding acceptance of social robots by humans and also ethical/moral concerns have also been discussed

Chapter 10: Game Literacy and Message Design

The popularity of video games with today’s learners requires that educators and instructional designers develop game literacy , or an understanding of game mechanics and design. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss game literacy within the context of instructional message design and to illustrate how video game designers apply and adapt principles of instructional message design to manage cognitive load through an immersive experience. These techniques include customizing the screen to display only necessary information and signaling changes in gameplay through sound cues and cinematic perspective. Game mechanics that foster germane load include tutorial missions and interface design. Similar to a narrative-driven video game, this chapter is divided into “quests” addressing cognitive load theory in video games. Completing each quest “unlocks” heuristics derived from both educational research and game design. The chapter concludes with a “Boss Battle” against research gaps and challenges, notably the expertise reversal effect in game-based learning

Music conducting pedagogy and technology : a document analysis on best practices

This document analysis was designed to investigate pedagogical practices of music conducting teachers in conjunction with research of technologists on the use of various technologies as teaching tools. I sought to discern how conducting teachers and pedagogues are applying recent technological advancements into their teaching strategies. I also sought to understand what paths research is taking about the use of software, hardware, and computer systems applied to the teaching of music conducting technique. This dissertation was guided by four main research questions: (1) How has technology been used to aid in the teaching of conducting? (2) What is the role of technology in the context of conducting pedagogy? (3) Given that conducting is a performative act, how can it be developed through technological means? (4) What technological possibilities exist in the teaching of music conducting technique? Data were collected through music conducting syllabi, conducting textbooks, and research articles. Documents were selected through purposive sampling procedures. Analysis of documents through the constant comparative approach identified emerging themes and differences across the three types of documents. Based on a synthesis of information, I discussed implications for conducting pedagogy and made suggestions for conducting educators.Includes bibliographical references

PRACTICA. A Virtual Reality Platform for Specialized Training Oriented to Improve the Productivity

With the proliferation of Virtual reality headset that are emerging into a consumer-oriented market for video games, it will open new possibilities for exploiting the virtual reality (VR). Therefore, the PRACTICA project is defined as a new service aimed to offering a system for creating courses based on a VR simulator for specialized training companies that allows offering to the students an experience close to reality. The general problem of creating these virtual courses derives from the need to have programmers that can generate them. Therefore, the PRACTICA project allows the creation of courses without the need to program source code. In addition, elements of virtual interaction have been incorporated that cannot be used in a real environment due to risks for the staff, such as the introduction of fictional characters or obstacles that interact with the environment. So to do this, artificial intelligence techniques have been incorporated so these elements can interact with the user, as it may be, the movement of these fictional characters on stage with a certain behavior. This feature offers the opportunity to create situations and scenarios that are even more complex and realistic.This project aims to create a service to bring virtual reality technologies closer and artificial intelligence for non-technological companies, so that they can generate (or acquire) their own content and give it the desired shape for their purposes