The Management and Creation of Knowledge: Do Wikis Help?

Wikis are frequently cited in Higher Education research as appropriate and powerful web spaces which provide opportunities to capture, discuss, and review individual, group, project or organisational activities. These activities, in turn, offer possibilities for knowledge development by utilising wiki collaborative active spaces. The chapter uses selected case studies examples to illustrate the use of wikis to support online community based tasks, project development/process, collaborative materials development and various student and peer supported activities. A key focus of the chapter centres on evaluating the effectiveness (or otherwise) of wikis to create online communities to support knowledge management (development, retention and transfer). See Choy & Ng (2007), Lamb (2004), Elgort (2008), Raman et al. (2005). By way of contextualising the studies, a variety of uses of wikis in higher education are reviewed as part of this chapter. See, for example, Lamb, (2004) Choy, & Ng, (2007), Doolan, (2006) Jones P. (2007) Raman, et al. (2005) Grierson, et al.,, (2004). Creation of knowledge sentence + refs? The chapter concludes with a review of the emergent themes arising and lessons learned from the case studies. This leads into a series of recommendations relating to the effective establishment, design, management and support and use of wikis to support knowledge creation and collaborative enterprise

Reflective Diary for Professional Development of Novice Teachers

Many starting teachers of computer science have great professional skill but often lack pedagogical training. Since providing expert mentorship directly during their lessons would be quite costly, institutions usually offer separate teacher training sessions for novice instructors. However, the reflection on teaching performed with a significant delay after the taught lesson limits the possible impact on teachers. To bridge this gap, we introduced a weekly semi-structured reflective practice to supplement the teacher training sessions at our faculty. We created a paper diary that guides the starting teachers through the process of reflection. Over the course of the semester, the diary poses questions of increasing complexity while also functioning as a reference to the topics covered in teacher training. Piloting the diary on a group of 25 novice teaching assistants resulted in overwhelmingly positive responses and provided the teacher training sessions with valuable input for discussion. The diary also turned out to be applicable in a broader context: it was appreciated and used by several experienced university teachers from multiple faculties and even some high-school teachers. The diary is freely available online, including source and print versions

Collaborative Output Processing in Web-based English Language Learning Scenarios

This thesis focuses on proving the potential of web-based collaborative output processing for the development of communication with a focus on form in second language learning. A comparison between teachers’ and learners’ perception of current and ideal second language learning and teaching practices with modern Second Language Acquisition views suggests cross-cultural collaborative writing experiences in the wiki space can be highly meaningful, in particular when integrated in blended language learning scenarios, because they facilitate authentication, collaboration and autonomy. Case study evidence is provided in favour of the potential of peer review helped by a meta-space that facilitates languaging and pushes output, and consequently higher-level critical thinking mirrored in successful revisions and concrete learning outcomes

public class Graphic_Design implements Code { // Yes, but how? }: An investigation towards bespoke Creative Coding programming courses in graphic design education

Situated in the intersection of graphic design, computer science, and pedagogy, this dissertation investigates how programming is taught within graphic design education. The research adds to the understanding of the process, practice, and challenges associated with introducing an audience of visually inclined practitioners—who are often guided by instinct—to the formal and unforgiving world of syntax, algorithms, and logic. Motivating the research is a personal desire to contribute towards the development of bespoke contextualized syllabi specifically designed to accommodate how graphic designers learn, understand, and use programming as an integral skill in their vocational practice.The initial literature review identifies a gap needing to be filled to increase both practical and theoretical knowledge within the interdisciplinary field of computational graphic design. This gap concerns a lack of solid, empirically based epistemological frameworks for teaching programming to non-programmers in a visual context, partly caused by a dichotomy in traditional pedagogical practices associated with teaching programming and graphic design, respectively. Based on this gap, the overarching research question posed in this dissertation is: “How should programming ideally be taught to graphic designers to account for how they learn and how they intend to integrate programming into their vocational practice?”A mixed methods approach using both quantitative and qualitative analyses is taken to answer the research questions. The three papers comprising the dissertation are all built on individual hypotheses that are subsequently used to define three specific research questions.Paper 1 performs a quantitative mapping of contemporary, introductory programming courses taught in design schools to establish a broader understanding of their structure and content. The paper concludes that most courses are planned to favor programming concepts rather than graphic design concepts. The paper’s finding can serve as a point of departure for a critical discussion among researchers and educators regarding the integration of programming in graphic design education.Paper 2 quantitatively assesses how the learning style profile of graphic design students compares with that of students in technical disciplines. The paper identifies a number of significant differences that call for a variety of pedagogic and didactic strategies to be employed by educators to effectively teach programming to graphic designers. Based on the results, specific recommendations are given.Paper 3 proposes a hands-on, experiential pedagogic method specifically designed to introduce graphic design students to programming. The method relies on pre-existing commercial graphic design specimens to contextualize programming into a domain familiar to graphic designers. The method was tested on the target audience and observations on its use are reported. Qualitative evaluation of student feedback suggests the method is effective and well-received. Additionally, twenty-four heuristics that elaborate and extend the paper’s findings by interweaving other relevant and influential sources encountered during the research project are provided. Together, the literature review, the three papers, and the heuristics provide comprehensive and valuable theoretical and practical insights to both researchers and educators, regarding key aspects related to introducing programming as a creative practice in graphic design education

An investigation into the role of a wiki in supporting collaborative learning activities

Providing students with learning opportunities based on real-life situations has beenfound to enhance student learning. With this aim, two Open University post-graduatecourses introduced collaborative activities modelled on workplace situations. Theactivities employed wikis: a lightweight, web-based collaborative authoringenvironment. The purpose of this research has been to investigate the role of a wiki insupporting the collaborative learning activities, and to assess how the wiki influencedstudent engagement with the activities.The dissertation draws data from the three presentations of Open University courses’56 wikis produced by almost 240 students. The base data includes wiki content andstudent discussions. Issues identified in the base data were further explored throughpost-course questionnaires and interviews. An iterative inductive qualitative analysiswas applied to analyse students' perceptions and experiences with the wikis. Activitytheory was used to place these within the context of the activities.The wikis enabled all student groups to author collaboratively the documents requiredby their courses. Writing the documents benefited the students because it prompteddiscussion and personal reflection; both of which many students reported as enhancingtheir learning. The students particularly valued the wiki’s role as a central repositorythat helped them achieve these two benefits. The research shows that wikis cansupport collaborative activities among students and lead to enhanced learningopportunities. The key findings suggest that a wiki’s simplicity enabled students toengage easily with the collaborative learning activities. However, a wiki’s lack ofinherent structure hindered their progress until they had worked out how to organisetheir use of the wiki. The insights from the research are presented as guidelines for educators intending toincorporate wiki supported collaborative learning activities into their courses. Theguidelines have two aims: first, to help educators facilitate speedy induction andparticipation of the students in the collaborative activities; second, to ensure the wiki isused effectively by students to increase their collaborative learning opportunities

Exploring the universal design principles of a Flipped Classroom Model for Inquiry-Based Learning in Cyprus primary education context:A Multiple Case Study

Background In this thesis, a multi-case study will be presented to address an important gap in current literature concerning universal design principles (UDPs) for an effective implementation of a Flipped Classroom (FC) model for Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL), called the IB-FC model. Currently, there has been limited research focusing on the implementation of any FC model within the primary education context despite its potential benefits, such as developing higher order cognitive skills. Method used The study is a collaborative research project, during which the research, in collaboration with five primary school teacher participants, explored the effective ways of universal implementation of the initial IB-FC model developed, in five different primary schools in Cyprus. The model was implemented for a school year (2017-18), involving 5 teachers, 77 students and 48 of their parents. Qualitative data has been selected mainly through classroom observations and interviews. Key results Data analysis has focused on teachers’, students’ and parents’ experiences and perceptions on the IB-FC implementation which aimed to revise the initial instructional tools, lesson template and framework given to the teachers for designing their lessons. This in turn led to the extraction of seven UDPs: structure and flexibility, simplicity and accessibility, interconnectivity and community, differentiation and personalization, development and progression, motivation and engagement and assessment and evaluation. Conclusion The final IB-FC framework proposed in the findings illustrates how the seven UDPs for IB-FC implementation are connected to the ten instructional IB-FC tools developed for further supporting IB-FC implementation. In summary, this study has clearly demonstrated that the FC methodology can be effectively implemented in primary education settings. The final IB-FC framework contributes to the slow growing body of research on FC and IBL practice, theory building and policy in primary education

Identification and Evaluation of Predictors for Learning Success and of Models for Teaching Computer Programming in Contemporary Contexts

Introductory undergraduate computer programming courses are renowned for higher than average failure and withdrawal rates when compared to other subject areas. The closer partnership between higher education and the rapidly expanding digital technology industry, as demonstrated by the establishment of new Degree Apprenticeships in computer science and digital technologies, requires efficient and effective means for teaching programming skills. This research, therefore, aimed to identify reliable predictors of success in learning programming or vulnerability to failure. The research also aimed to evaluate teaching methods and remedial interventions towards recommending a teaching model that supported and engaged learners in contemporary contexts that were relevant to the workplace. Investigation of qualifications designed to prepare students for undergraduate computer science courses revealed that A-level entrants achieved significantly higher programming grades than BTEC students. However, there was little difference between the grades of those with and those without previous qualifications in computing or ICT subjects. Analysis of engagement metrics revealed a strong correlation between extent of co-operation and programming grade, in contrast to a weak correlation between programming grade and code understanding. Further analysis of video recordings, interviews and observational records distinguished between the type of communication that helped peers comprehend tasks and concepts, and other forms of communication that were only concerned with completing tasks. Following the introduction of periodic assessment, essentially converting a single final assessment to three staged summative assessment points, it was found that failing students often pass only one of the three assignment parts. Furthermore, only 10% of those who failed overall had attempted all three assignments. Reasons for failure were attributed to ‘surface’ motivations (such as regulating efforts to achieve a minimum pass of 40%), ineffective working habits or stressful personal circumstances rather than any fundamental difficulty encountered with subject material. A key contribution to pedagogical practice made by this research is to propose an ‘incremental’ teaching model. This model is informed by educational theory and empirical evidence and comprises short cycles of three activities: presenting new topic information, tasking students with a relevant exercise and then demonstrating and discussing the exercise solution. The effectiveness of this model is evidenced by increased engagement, increased quiz scores at the end of each teaching session and increased retention of code knowledge at the end of the course

Digital storytelling for non-background learners of Chinese : a case study of a primary school in Australia

With the proliferation of technology, digital storytelling has become a popular strategy used in the second language learning classroom. Despite its widely cited benefits, digital storytelling is not common in the context of teaching and learning Chinese as a foreign language. Adopting a case study methodology, this study aimed to examine the affordances and challenges of using digital storytelling to teach Chinese to non-background learners in an Australian primary school where Chinese language lessons were incorporated into its school curriculum. It also aimed to explore the scaffolding strategies needed to make Chinese learnable when non-background learners created digital stories to develop Chinese language skills. The study involved 32 Year 6 students (aged 11 to 12), and it employed a qualitative approach to analyse the data collected over a school term, which consisted of field notes from participant observations, transcripts of focus group discussion, and students’ artefacts. I argue that digital storytelling was beneficial to the non-background learners, primarily in the retention of Chinese vocabulary and engaging them in the language learning process. Nevertheless, two key challenges were evident when digital storytelling was used to teach Chinese to the non-background learners. There was an overemphasis on technical aspects of the creating of digital stories given the limited ICT competency of the learners. Additionally, the linguistic characteristics of Chinese language created high levels of difficulty for the nonbackground learners to create digital stories entirely in Chinese. Given the challenges in adopting digital storytelling, appropriate scaffolding strategies were judiciously and reflectively developed to enable the non-background learners to use Chinese to create digital stories. The study showed that appropriate levels of scaffolds had to be progressively introduced; social scaffolding was the dominant type of scaffold that was viable, which included timely encouragement and prompting, sequential modelling and imitation, distancing, direction, and concurrent modelling and imitation. The findings of the study contribute to an understanding of how digital storytelling can be an innovative strategy for the teaching and learning of Chinese as a foreign language. It shows that teaching Chinese to non-background learners does not necessarily have to adopt the traditional approach of using rote learning. The research presented is one of the pioneering studies that experiment with technology to promote a more student-centred approach when teaching Chinese to non-background learners in Australia

Approaches to networked learning : an investigation into the nature of autonomous student interaction with web-based educational environments.

A Networked Learning Environment is an autonomously accessible web resource that combines hypertext course materials, online communication channels, multimedia and other interactive features. Constructivist learning theory makes many claims about the potential of such environments, and the educational ‘affordances’ inherent within them. Yet what we understand about the ways in which students learn online, and whether this is conducive to realising the potential benefits on offer, is somewhat limited. Research into learning style differences and attitudes towards online studying provides a partial insight. However, by using tools designed for assessing how students undertake learning in traditional contexts, and through having been predominantly quantitative, much of the research to date can only highlight the relevance of such factors. Consequently, many questions regarding the how and why of networked learning behaviour remain largely unanswered, and there is a growing consensus that an understanding that is informed by the subjective perspectives of learners is required. This thesis describes a primarily qualitative investigation that shared this concern. The main research element involved a phenomenographic study that focused on the perceptions, behaviours and experiences of students who interacted with NLEs that were the sole or primary means of course delivery in three undergraduate, campus- based contexts. Two case studies and a naturalistic experiment were conducted, and the phenomenographic study was supplemented with other data relating to assignment grades, online discussion contributions, and preferences for conventional studying. The phenomenographic analysis identified three distinct types of approach to networked learning that can be seen as increasingly effective in terms of networked learning interactions and outcomes. Based on the findings of the phenomenography, and other aspects of the research, the thesis argues that while many students will experience to some extent the affordances inherent within NLEs, there is an important distinction between students recognising the benefits of networked learning, and actually undertaking this in a way that is conducive to good knowledge development. This thesis concludes by presenting a theoretical framework that conceptualises the relationship between a range of individual and contextual factors that influence networked learning, and which has a number of implications for theory and practice

Computational Thinking in Education: Where does it fit? A systematic literary review

Computational Thinking (CT) has been described as an essential skill which everyone should learn and can therefore include in their skill set. Seymour Papert is credited as concretising Computational Thinking in 1980 but since Wing popularised the term in 2006 and brought it to the international community's attention, more and more research has been conducted on CT in education. The aim of this systematic literary review is to give educators and education researchers an overview of what work has been carried out in the domain, as well as potential gaps and opportunities that still exist. Overall it was found in this review that, although there is a lot of work currently being done around the world in many different educational contexts, the work relating to CT is still in its infancy. Along with the need to create an agreed-upon definition of CT lots of countries are still in the process of, or have not yet started, introducing CT into curriculums in all levels of education. It was also found that Computer Science/Computing, which could be the most obvious place to teach CT, has yet to become a mainstream subject in some countries, although this is improving. Of encouragement to educators is the wealth of tools and resources being developed to help teach CT as well as more and more work relating to curriculum development. For those teachers looking to incorporate CT into their schools or classes then there are bountiful options which include programming, hands-on exercises and more. The need for more detailed lesson plans and curriculum structure however, is something that could be of benefit to teachers