Around the table: Are multiple-touch surfaces better than single-touch for children's collaborative interactions?

This paper presents a classroom study that investigated the potential of using touch tabletop technology to support children's collaborative learning interactions. Children aged 7-10 worked in groups of three on a collaborative planning task in which they designed a seating plan for their classroom. In the single-touch condition, the tabletop surface allowed only one child to interact with the digital content at a time. In the multiple-touch condition, the children could interact with the digital content simultaneously. Results showed that touch condition did not affect the frequency or equity of interactions, but did influence the nature of children's discussion. In the multiple-touch condition, children talked more about the task; in the single-touch condition, they talked more about turn taking. We also report age and gender differences

Parent\u27s Perceptions And Lived Experiences About Online Learning in Elementary Education: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study is to understand the perceptions and lived experiences of public elementary school parents concerning online learning instruction for their children in the Center for Adoption Support and Education. The study will include 15 participants. The study will help gain insight into the experiences that parents have when their children take online courses. The theory guiding the study will be the community of inquiry framework. This theory supports blended learning and an online learning environment. It will also be relevant in evaluating public elementary school parents\u27 lived experiences and perceptions concerning online learning instruction for their children. A transcendental phenomenology will be selected as the research design. It will be used to research the live experiences of the participants. The study will use interviews, a focused group, and document analysis in collecting data. The study will implement the modified van Kaam approach from a phenomenological perspective to analyze the data

Initial evaluation and analysis of post graduate trainees use of a virtual learning environment in initial teacher training

This paper describes the initial findings of a longitudinal case study that investigates the use of a virtual learning environment to enhance the placement experience for full time post graduate certificate in education (PGCE) students. Initial teacher training (ITT) involves trainees spending approximately two thirds of their time on the course in schools (away from their peers) across a large regional area. Geographically separated trainees can feel very isolated on placement. The purpose of the VLE was to try to alleviate this sense of isolation by offering a way for trainees to maintain contact and offer mutual support to each other while on placement. A space and place for them to meet and discuss their experiences was provided by the VLE which was maintained as a resource and interactive communications site throughout the year, specifically for them to use. Data from a number of sources using a variety of methods was obtained throughout the duration of the course. This included both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. A preliminary analysis of the results is used to offer some insight into how this type of support might be improved for future students, by the construction of minimum pedagogical framework for initial teacher training. Each data set was analysed as a separate entity, looking for themes and patterns. Following this a comparison of the results from all data sets was conducted to determine any emerging patters from across the data. Recommendations for a pedagogical framework based around the use of ICT and VLEs on the PGCE course were then proposed as a way forward for this type of research into teaching and learning for distance based courses

Supporting Collaborative Learning in Videoconferencing using Collaboration Scripts and Content Schemes

Studies have shown that videoconferences are an effective medium for facilitating communication between parties who are separated by distance. Furthermore, studies reveal that videoconferences are effective when used for distance learning, particularly due to their ability to facilitate complex collaborative learning tasks. However, as in face-to-face communication, learners benefit when they receive additional support for such learning tasks. This article provides an overview of two empirical studies to illustrate more general insights regarding some effective and less effective ways to support collaborative learning with videoconferencing. The focus is on content schemes as content-specific support and task-specific support as collaboration scripts. Based on the results of the two studies, conclusions can be drawn about support measures that promote learning. Conclusions can also be reached about the need for employing both content schemes and collaboration scripts to provide learners with the most benefit.Studien haben gezeigt, dass Videokonferenzen ein effektives Medium für die verteilte Kommunikation sind. Ebenso zeigten erste Studien, dass sich Videokonferenzen auch in Telelernumgebungen einsetzen lassen, insbesondere weil sie komplexe kooperative Lernaufgaben ermöglichen. Lernende profitieren jedoch in solchen Lernaufgaben – ähnlich wie face to face – von zusätzlicher Unterstützung. In diesem Beitrag werden zwei empirische Studien dargestellt, die weiterführende Erkenntnisse hinsichtlich effektiver und weniger effektiver Arten der Unterstützung kollaborativen Lernens in Videokonferenzen erbringen sollen. Der Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf Wissensschemata als Methode inhaltlicher Unterstützung, und aufgabenspezifischer Unterstützung in Form von Kooperationsskripts. Ausgehend von den Ergebnissen dieser zwei Studien werden Folgerungen über lernförderliche Merkmale der Unterstützungsmaßnahmen formuliert. Befunde weisen auf die Notwendigkeit Wissensschemata und Kooperationsskripts kombiniert anzuwenden hin, um für die Lernenden den größtmöglichen Nutzen zu erreichen

A learning design toolkit to create pedagogically effective learning activities

Despite the plethora of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools and resources available, practitioners are still not making effective use of e-learning to enrich the student experience. This article describes a learning design toolkit which guides practitioners through the process of creating pedagogically informed learning activities which make effective use of appropriate tools and resources. This work is part of a digital libraries project in which teaching staff at two universities in the UK and two in the USA are collaborating to share e-learning resources in the subject domains of Physical, Environmental and Human Geography. Finding, or creating, suitable e-learning resources and embedding them in well designed learning activities can be both challenging and time consuming. Sharing and adapting effective designs and solutions is both a stimulant and a time saver. This article describes the background to the specification of a learning activities design toolkit to support teachers as they create or adapt e-learning activities. This uses a model of pedagogical approaches as a basis for developing effective learning design plans and illustrates its use. The authors share their definition of a learning activity and taxonomies for the constituent elements. Real examples are discussed to illustrate their approach

Responsible research and innovation in science education: insights from evaluating the impact of using digital media and arts-based methods on RRI values

The European Commission policy approach of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is gaining momentum in European research planning and development as a strategy to align scientific and technological progress with socially desirable and acceptable ends. One of the RRI agendas is science education, aiming to foster future generations' acquisition of skills and values needed to engage in society responsibly. To this end, it is argued that RRI-based science education can benefit from more interdisciplinary methods such as those based on arts and digital technologies. However, the evidence existing on the impact of science education activities using digital media and arts-based methods on RRI values remains underexplored. This article comparatively reviews previous evidence on the evaluation of these activities, from primary to higher education, to examine whether and how RRI-related learning outcomes are evaluated and how these activities impact on students' learning. Forty academic publications were selected and its content analysed according to five RRI values: creative and critical thinking, engagement, inclusiveness, gender equality and integration of ethical issues. When evaluating the impact of digital and arts-based methods in science education activities, creative and critical thinking, engagement and partly inclusiveness are the RRI values mainly addressed. In contrast, gender equality and ethics integration are neglected. Digital-based methods seem to be more focused on students' questioning and inquiry skills, whereas those using arts often examine imagination, curiosity and autonomy. Differences in the evaluation focus between studies on digital media and those on arts partly explain differences in their impact on RRI values, but also result in non-documented outcomes and undermine their potential. Further developments in interdisciplinary approaches to science education following the RRI policy agenda should reinforce the design of the activities as well as procedural aspects of the evaluation research

Evidence-based web-mediated professional learning program for Early Childhood Education and Care addressing physical activity and healthy eating behaviours of young children

The Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) environment has been identified as an optimal environment for the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity. A number of factors influence healthy eating and physical activity in the ECEC environment, including the quality of the environment, and ongoing Professional Learning (PL) of ECEC educators. This project investigated the relationship between the quality of ECEC environment and children’s physical activity and evaluated the efficacy of a blended PL program focusing on healthy eating and physical activity. A systematic review was conducted to investigate the impact of PL in physical activity interventions on childrens objectively measured physical activity. A cross sectional study investigated the relationship between the quality of the ECEC environment and physical activity and sedentary behaviours of toddlers and preschoolers (n=68)

Constructivism in online learning : a literature review

The purpose of this paper is to look at the interaction of constructivist-based approaches, adult learning characteristics and six online learning issues. Constructivist learning environments allow learners to build their own meaning and understanding from learning resources and circumstances. Constructivists claim that learners accumulate new knowledge by themselves and use this to pile up previous knowledge and experiences. The learner is the learning focus, and the instructors act as facilitators or guides, which provide appropriate and enriching supplies. This theory supports well the adult style of learning. Based on constructivism, the online instructor is a facilitator to monitor and provide a safe, positive, and motivating online learning environment, and a tutor to provide the supporting skills and knowledge to each individual. Compared to traditional education, online learning has some outstanding features, such as the setting overcomes geographic problems and the learners could go to the virtual classroom anytime and anywhere if they have the accesses to the Internet. This paper focuses on the adult learning group, along with the online learning benefits and some issues that occur among the technologies and human subjects