Placing Urban Schools at the Forefront of the Revolution in Earth Science Education

NOTE: This is a large file, 5mb in size! Space-age technologies have revolutionized Earth science, but this revolution has yet to extend to Earth science education. This article points out that urban schools can be at the forefront of reform because cities offer a wealth of opportunities and resources for study. The authors present examples of urban investigations and educational tools, such as remotely-sensed imagery and interactive GIS maps showing cities and their physical and human infrastructure in impressive detail. By relying on publicly-available aerial and satellite perspectives of urban areas and tapping into ground and historical data and easily used visualization tools, students can understand their cities as dynamic, interconnected systems of human and environmental forces. Using the powerful views of astronaut and satellite imagery to study Los Angeles, for example, students can acquire skills of inquiry, analysis and problem solving as they learn how the city is shaped by its environment, climate and geography. Themes for urban Earth science studies include regional ecology, climate, water resources and transportation. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

JuxtaLearn D3.2 Performance Framework

This deliverable, D3.2, for Work Package 3 incorporating the pedagogy from WP2 and orchestration factors mapped in D3.1 reviews aspects of performance in the context of participative video making. It reviews literature on curiosity and engagement characteristics of interaction mechanisms for public displays and anticipates requirements for social network analysis of relevant public videos from WP6 task 6.3. Thus, to support JuxtaLearn performance it proposes a reflective performance framework that encompasses the material environment and objects required, the participants, and the knowledge needed

Emerging technologies for learning (volume 1)

Collection of 5 articles on emerging technologies and trend

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

EngageMe: The Design and Implementation of a Reflective Tool for Evaluating Student Engagement

Recently, there has been a growing push to explore the potential of non-cognitive factors in helping students reach their fullest potential. Engagement, one predictor of student achievement, is such a factor. Because the conditions under which engagement is elicited may vary, EngageMe, a visualization tool, has been developed to assist instructors’ efforts to understand student engagement in the learning process. The application attempts to enhance traditional observation methods by utilizing electrodermal activity, a measure of physiological arousal, as a proximal indicator of engagement. An iterative, participatory design process was used to create prototypes of the EngageMe interface. The results of this design process, a study focused on the barriers to adoption of this kind of technology, as well as an exploratory case study are discussed. Finally, implications for future development are presented

Immersive virtual reality and education: a study into the effectiveness of using this technology with preservice teachers.

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is a rapidly advancing technology utilized across varying education fields for learning and educational applications. IVR provides the capabilities of computer simulations and embodied cognition experiences through a hands-on activity, making it a natural step to improve learning. Creating educational applications in IVR for use with students and preservice teachers could be a laborious and costly endeavor and require teacher belief in its effectiveness, so research is essential to investigate whether these applications are useful in advancing prekindergarten through Grade 12 (P-12) student learning. Research in this field is new, limited, and practically void of its use in P-12 learning environments. This inquiry expanded upon the literature on IVR technology in education and preservice teacher use of technology. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of IVR technology on preservice teachers through an experience focused on the American Civil Rights Movement, specifically on knowledge attainment, lesson planning effectiveness, and motivation for future use in their instructional practice. Participants were 21 elementary preservice teachers in a diverse metropolitan university. Results indicated participants in the IVR group significantly increased scores on a content test, reported engagement with the experience, and indicated likelihood to use IVR with their future students

Introduction to location-based mobile learning

[About the book] The report follows on from a 2-day workshop funded by the STELLAR Network of Excellence as part of their 2009 Alpine Rendez-Vous workshop series and is edited by Elizabeth Brown with a foreword from Mike Sharples. Contributors have provided examples of innovative and exciting research projects and practical applications for mobile learning in a location-sensitive setting, including the sharing of good practice and the key findings that have resulted from this work. There is also a debate about whether location-based and contextual learning results in shallower learning strategies and a section detailing the future challenges for location-based learning