Higher Sustainability of Mental Models Acquired from a Digital Game in Comparison with a Live Action Role-playing Game and a Traditional Lecture

This article analyses the effectivity of teaching EU law using various educational media. It specifically explores the differences between, and sustainability of, mental models constructed within three various educational environments: (1) a digital game played on PCs, (2) a non-digital role-playing game, and (3) a traditional lecture with discussions. We conducted a laboratory experiment, in which participants (253 high school students, M = 112, F = 141, mean age 16.5) studied EU laws, institutions, and politics in the three above-mentioned environments. We evaluated and compared mental models participants constructed through content analysis of the concept maps they drew immediately after the experiment and others made one month later. Within the analysis, we studied content, architecture, and changes in mental models over time. The resulting data offer unique insight into the process of mental models creation and sustainability thereof within game-based learning; particularly, when using a digital game. Digital game-based learners’ concept maps differed in comparison with those of the educational role-playing and traditional lecture groups; the students tended to keep less altered mental models in their long-term memory: even after the one month period. The results suggest that a digital game-based learning environment could be more successful in mental model retention and for efficacy of future recall; particularly, when dealing with complex phenomena like EU law

Digital Arabs: Representation in video games

This article presents the ways in which Muslims and Arabs are represented and represent themselves in video games. First, it analyses how various genres of European and American video games have constructed the Arab or Muslim Other. Within these games, it demonstrates how the diverse ethnic and religious identities of the Islamic world have been flattened out and reconstructed into a series of social typologies operating within a broader framework of terrorism and hostility. It then contrasts these broader trends in western digital representation with selected video games produced in the Arab world, whose authors have knowingly subverted and refashioned these stereotypes in two unique and quite different fashions. In conclusion, it considers the significance of western attempts to transcend simplified patterns of representation that have dominated the video game industry by offering what are known as 'serious' games

Teaching Contemporary History to High School Students: the Augmented Learning Environment of Czechoslovakia 38-89

This paper discusses the experimental implementation of a complex educational simulation, Czechoslovakia 38-89, in Czech high schools. The primary aim of this paper is to investigate the acceptance of Czechoslovakia 38-89 by teachers and students as a teaching tool for history education. We examine whether the simulation was successfully integrated into the formal schooling system and, if this was the case, what properties of the simulation contributed most to this success. We have used the theoretical framework of the Augmented Learning Environment (ALE) in the design and implementation of Czechoslovakia 38-89. The formulation of ALE stems from our previous research and has been so far used for the design and implementation of a different educational simulation, dealing with different content and knowledge domains. Therefore, the secondary aim of this paper is to investigate the usability of ALE as a design framework in a new context, i.e. contemporary history education. Thirteen high school and primary school classes evaluated the Czechoslovakia 38-89 prototype in autumn 2013. Nine teachers (5 males, 4 females) overall took part in the evaluation and we received 562 feedback questionnaires from students. The evaluation’s key results show that students perceive the simulation to be attractive both in the in-school and out-of-school contexts. For teachers, it is a learning tool that fulfills its educational goals and motivates students to learn about Czech contemporary history. Finally, ALE has proven as a useful theoretical framework for design and implementation of the simulation, indicating its possible further usability in different contexts and knowledge domains

The Internet and the Construction of Islamic Knowledge in Europe

Muslim communities in Europe vary greatly in regards to their ethnic origin and geographical location as well as their religious and cultural backgrounds. From Muslims in the Balkans, settled in the area for centuries, to the first-generation immigrants of Asian or African Muslims in the Western Europe, these communities live in a legal and political framework where the Islamic law is not recognized as a legitimate source of law and thus is not applied by the state authorities. According to some scholars, the specific conditions in European Muslim communities contribute to a series of social and political changes, briefly referred to as the ‘privatization’ and ‘individualization’ of Islam. Given the distinctive character of the Islamic decision making process, a new paradigm has emerged in the construction of Islamic knowledge and interpretative authority. Within this new paradigm established ‘traditional’ authorities operate in coexistence with Internet based muftis, on-line fatwa databases and individual Islamic blogs. The Internet arguably holds the potential to reshape inequities in the distribution of information tied to other forms of mass media. This paper examines how, and if ever, the Internet Islamic sites after several years of operation change the process of decision making and construction of Islamic knowledge within European Muslim minorities

European courts ́ authority contested? The Case of Marriage and Divorce Fatwas On-line

This article explores Islamic websites providing normative content for European Muslim minorities. It focuses on four distinct Sunni websites and analyzes their fatwas, i.e. legal and religious recommendations issued in matters related to family law. Drawing from a broader research of more than 450 fatwas, this article presents the various ways, in which Muslim authorities associated with these sites deal with the conflicting areas between Islamic law and European legal systems. Essentially, it argues that the Internet and information and communication technology create new public spheres where different, and oftentimes conflicting, concepts of coexistence between Islam and the State are negotiated. Moreover this article demonstrates how these concepts are later incorporated into existing legal frameworks through the institutions of arbitration and marriage contracts. At the same time it explores the underlying rationale behind the fatwa-issuing websites, which emphasize the role of the individual and promote voluntarily adherence to Islamic law. On a more general level, this article aims to provide case studies on how technology redefines the politics of religious authority

Současná jurisprudence pro muslimské menšiny v Evropě

1 Abstrakt Předložená diplomová práce se zaměřuje na aktuální islámskou jurisprudenci (fiqh), která se vyjadřuje k situaci muslimů žijících v Evropě. Muslimské menšiny přinášejí do evropských států koherentní a vysoce propracovaný model sociálních, etických a právních norem. Konkrétní normativní rámce jednotlivých komunit se pak od sebe velmi liší, v závislosti na etnickém, geografickém a náboženském zázemí dané menšiny. Také v evropském prostoru spolu soupeří velmi různorodá pojetí islámu. Postavení muslimů žijících v nemuslimské zemi klasické islámské právo podrobně neřeší a jurisprudence se tak stává základním nástrojem normotvorby. Klíčovým institutem je pak udílení právních dobrozdání (iftā). Předložená diplomová práce demonstruje, že vlivu oficiálních či tradičních islámských autorit - jako je turecká síť Diyanet v Německu nebo imámové z al-Azharu v jiných zemích - v praxi úspěšně konkurují neformální autority z lokálních komunit, soukromých nadací nebo islámských hnutí. Profilace těchto skupin sahá od liberálního islámu až po fundamentalismus či radikální islamismus. Zvláště skupiny s širší ideologickou a politickou aspirací velmi účinným způsobem využívají elektronická média a internet pro vlastní propagaci jakožto náboženské a právní autority. Předložená diplomová práce se proto zabývá soupeřícími...1 Abstract This diploma thesis deals with the contemporary Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) providing normative frameworks for Muslim minorities living in Europe. The Muslim minorities in Europe vary significantly in their ethnic, social, and religious background; yet in many cases they bring to Europe coherent system of ethical and legal rules. Nevertheless, these normative systems differ according to the country of origin and religious background of the respective minorities. Therefore, in Europe that is a constant struggle between the various interpretations of Islam and different Muslim authorities. The situation of Muslims living in the non-Muslim legal system is not regulated by the classical Islamic law and therefore jurisprudence is becoming the primary mechanism for dealing with normative issues. The key institute for contemporary Islamic jurisprudence is iftā, i.e. delivering fatwas in response to real or hypothetical individual inquiries. This diploma thesis argues that the traditional and established Muslim authorities, such as imams in mosques and muftis trained in the countries of origin, are increasingly being challenged by global Muslim authorities and individual interpretation of Islam. The ideological background of these newly established authorities range from the liberal Islam to...Institute of Near Eastern and African StudiesÚstav Blízkého východu a AfrikyFaculty of ArtsFilozofická fakult

Internet, nová média a islám: Vytváření islámských norem a konstrukce muslimské identity v digitálním věku

This dissertation analyzes the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) and new media on the production of Islamic knowledge and the construction of Muslim identity in Muslim communities in the Arab world and Western Europe. Today we witness an unprecedented proliferation of ICT and new media in the Arab and Muslim world as well as growing interdependency of various media outlets. This process includes media that morph into each other, messages that migrate across boundaries, and social networks that utilize multiple technologies. The unanticipated assemblages formed by these media contribute simultaneously to preserving traditional cultural norms and religious values while unsettling the existing arrangements and promoting new organizational forms; appealing to a local audience while addressing transnational communities; and asserting conformity with established religious institutions while fueling fragmentation of authority and individualization of faith. Therefore, this dissertation aims to transcend the media-centric logic and to analyze the impact of ICT and new media in the light of the above-mentioned interdependency and hybridization within broader social, cultural and linguistic context. By doing so, it particularly focuses on two separate, yet simultaneously entangled,...Předložená disertační práce analyzuje vliv informačních a komunikačních technologií a nových médií na vytváření islámských norem a konstrukci muslimské identity v muslimských komunitách v arabském světě a zemích Západní Evropy. V současné době dochází k bezprecedentnímu rozšiřování informačních a komunikačních technologií a nových médií v arabském a islámském světě, stejně tak jako k rostoucí provázanosti a vzájemné závislosti jednotlivých platforem digitálních médií. Tento proces zahrnuje média, která metamorfují jedno v druhé, sdělení, která se šíří bez ohledu na státní hranice, a sociální sítě, využívající celou škálu odlišných technologií. Nepředvídatelné kombinace těchto médií a technologií pak přispívají na jedné straně k posilování tradičních kulturních norem a náboženských hodnot a na druhé straně k rozrušování existujících struktur a vzniku nových modelů organizace; na jedné straně oslovují lokální publikum, zatímco na druhé straně posilují globální komunity; vynucují konformitu s etablovanými náboženskými institucemi, a zároveň usnadňují fragmentaci náboženské autority a individualizaci víry. Předložená disertační práce si klade za cíl překročit logiku sevřenou úzkými mediálními kategoriemi a analyzovat vliv informačních a komunikačních technologií a nových médií ve světle výše zmíněné...Institute of Information Studies and LibrarianshipÚstav informačních studií a knihovnictvíFilozofická fakultaFaculty of Art

Contemporary Jurisprudence for Muslim Minorities in Europe

1 Abstract This diploma thesis deals with the contemporary Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) providing normative frameworks for Muslim minorities living in Europe. The Muslim minorities in Europe vary significantly in their ethnic, social, and religious background; yet in many cases they bring to Europe coherent system of ethical and legal rules. Nevertheless, these normative systems differ according to the country of origin and religious background of the respective minorities. Therefore, in Europe that is a constant struggle between the various interpretations of Islam and different Muslim authorities. The situation of Muslims living in the non-Muslim legal system is not regulated by the classical Islamic law and therefore jurisprudence is becoming the primary mechanism for dealing with normative issues. The key institute for contemporary Islamic jurisprudence is iftā, i.e. delivering fatwas in response to real or hypothetical individual inquiries. This diploma thesis argues that the traditional and established Muslim authorities, such as imams in mosques and muftis trained in the countries of origin, are increasingly being challenged by global Muslim authorities and individual interpretation of Islam. The ideological background of these newly established authorities range from the liberal Islam to..

The Internet, New Media, and Islam: Production of Islamic Knowledge and Construction of Muslim Identity in the Digital Age

This dissertation analyzes the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) and new media on the production of Islamic knowledge and the construction of Muslim identity in Muslim communities in the Arab world and Western Europe. Today we witness an unprecedented proliferation of ICT and new media in the Arab and Muslim world as well as growing interdependency of various media outlets. This process includes media that morph into each other, messages that migrate across boundaries, and social networks that utilize multiple technologies. The unanticipated assemblages formed by these media contribute simultaneously to preserving traditional cultural norms and religious values while unsettling the existing arrangements and promoting new organizational forms; appealing to a local audience while addressing transnational communities; and asserting conformity with established religious institutions while fueling fragmentation of authority and individualization of faith. Therefore, this dissertation aims to transcend the media-centric logic and to analyze the impact of ICT and new media in the light of the above-mentioned interdependency and hybridization within broader social, cultural and linguistic context. By doing so, it particularly focuses on two separate, yet simultaneously entangled,..

Contemporary Jurisprudence for Muslim Minorities in Europe

1 Abstract This diploma thesis deals with the contemporary Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) providing normative frameworks for Muslim minorities living in Europe. The Muslim minorities in Europe vary significantly in their ethnic, social, and religious background; yet in many cases they bring to Europe coherent system of ethical and legal rules. Nevertheless, these normative systems differ according to the country of origin and religious background of the respective minorities. Therefore, in Europe that is a constant struggle between the various interpretations of Islam and different Muslim authorities. The situation of Muslims living in the non-Muslim legal system is not regulated by the classical Islamic law and therefore jurisprudence is becoming the primary mechanism for dealing with normative issues. The key institute for contemporary Islamic jurisprudence is iftā, i.e. delivering fatwas in response to real or hypothetical individual inquiries. This diploma thesis argues that the traditional and established Muslim authorities, such as imams in mosques and muftis trained in the countries of origin, are increasingly being challenged by global Muslim authorities and individual interpretation of Islam. The ideological background of these newly established authorities range from the liberal Islam to..