Undoing the Factory Model: A Practical Field Test in Blended Learning

The successful implementation of e-learning strategies into the learning process is not a new idea. Education was first introduced to the concept of digital natives using technological tools to learn over a decade ago now, and yet we remain a nation struggling to come to terms with the educational potential of technology. It is true, that the past ten years has seen a significant integration of hardware into the classroom; the question must be asked however, whether this has been wastefully accomplished by many schools, without predetermined planning or the development of strategic outcomes for its use. Merely, introducing these new technologies into the classroom does little to address the needs of students -- while it might create a welcome instructional environment for them, it does not address the compelling elephant in the room. Being able to orchestrate a student-centered, technology-rich lesson requires much expertise on the part of the teacher and a system-wide universally acknowledged educational technology plan. This study will examine the paradigm shift required of teachers and the practical reality of adopting a blended learning environment to meet the needs of a diverse school district

Mobile learning and teacher quality: Assessing the impact of a mobile application on the positive psychology and professional practice of Panamanian teachers

In recent years, Latin America has experienced unprecedented growth in education coverage resulting in an acute strain on an already challenged infrastructure. Given the raft of research illustrating the strong relationship between teacher quality and student achievement the need to develop a proficient workforce to sustain the rapid change and improvement is critical. This study focuses on the improvement of teacher quality as a conduit to improving students' educational experiences. The study incorporates a mixed-methods design in two phases focusing on three key issues: (a) understanding teacher perception of self-efficacy and self-permission; (b) examining whether teacher performance can be improved by addressing teacher confidence; and (c) exploring whether teacher self-efficacy and professional practice can be improved using mobile learning. Phase One investigates the relationship between teacher quality, positive psychology, and the importance of cultural norms in individuals' perceptions of their professional abilities. A small-scale pilot study (n=75) was used to test the validity of a five-level, Likert-style survey generated to explore teacher attitudes regarding perceptions of self-efficacy and self-permission. The resulting survey was then administered to more than 500 Panamanian teachers and a comprehensive quantitative statistical analysis of data collected was used to gain an understanding of the relationships between teacher experience and qualification and levels of self-efficacy and self-permission. These findings ultimately informed the content, and structure of a mobile learning application designed to positively impact teachers’ positive psychology. Using this newly created learning application, Phase Two of the main study determines whether professional development delivered using mobile technology can have a positive impact upon professional efficacy, and performance. Ultimately, the study utilizes the mobile application to deliver research-informed practical tips for professional practice. As with Phase One, a small-scale (n=20) pilot study was carried out to inform the design of the mobile application and the way it might be delivered. Data collected over a three-month timeframe using Likert-style surveys and semi-structured interviews were then used to determine participants' interaction, perceived usefulness, and professional impact of the application. The study finds that Panamanian teachers' perceptions of self-efficacy are closely aligned with their classroom experience, while their perceptions of self-permission tend to be associated with a professional qualification. It also finds that when professional development is effectively delivered using a mobile learning application it shows potential to have a useful impact on teacher positive psychology, self-efficacy, and professional practice

Undoing the Factory Model: A Practical Field Test in Blended Learning

Merely, introducing new technologies into the classroom does little to address the needs of students–while it might create a welcome instructional environment for them, it does not address the compelling “elephant in the room.” Being able to orchestrate a student-centered, technology-rich lesson requires much expertise on the part of the teacher and a system-wide universally acknowledged educational technology plan. This study examines the paradigm shift required of teachers and the practical reality of adopting a blended learning environment to meet the needs of a diverse school district

Microgravity cursor control device evaluation for Space Station Freedom workstations

This research addressed direct manipulation interface (curser-controlled device) usability in microgravity. The data discussed are from KC-135 flights. This included pointing and dragging movements over a variety of angles and distances. Detailed error and completion time data provided researchers with information regarding cursor control shape, selection button arrangement, sensitivity, selection modes, and considerations for future research

Preparing Digital Natives to Teach: Time to Redesign Teacher Education Programs

Since the emergence of Marc Prensky\u27s concept of Digital Natives being taught by Digital Immigrants, education\u27s challenge has been to find a way to effectively teach those who have grown up in a net generation. Now that the first of these millenniel students are preparing to become teachers themselves, we have the opportunity, perhaps for the first time, to witness true digital natives teaching their own. This article will examine the paradigm shift required of teacher education programs if they are to prepare this digital teaching generation effectively for the educational challenge that lies ahead of them

Using Open Stack for an Open Cloud Exchange(OCX)

We are developing a new public cloud, the Massachusetts Open Cloud (MOC) based on the model of an Open Cloud eXchange (OCX). We discuss in this paper the vision of an OCX and how we intend to realize it using the OpenStack open-source cloud platform in the MOC. A limited form of an OCX can be achieved today by layering new services on top of OpenStack. We have performed an analysis of OpenStack to determine the changes needed in order to fully realize the OCX model. We describe these proposed changes, which although significant and requiring broad community involvement will provide functionality of value to both existing single-provider clouds as well as future multi-provider ones

Editorial on plants as alternative hosts for human and animal pathogens

Many of the most prevalent and devastating human and animal pathogens have part of their lifecycle out-with the animal host. These pathogens have a remarkably wide capacity to adapt to a range of quite different environments: physical, chemical and biological, which is part of the key to their success. Many of the well-known pathogens that are able to jump between hosts in different biological kingdoms are transmitted through the faecal-oral and direct transmission pathways, and as such have become important food-borne pathogens. Some high-profile examples include fresh produce-associated outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica. Other pathogens may be transmitted via direct contact or aerosols are include important zoonotic pathogens. It is possible to make a broad division between those pathogens that are passively transmitted via vectors and need the animal host for replication (e.g. virus and parasites), and those that are able to actively interact with alternative hosts, where they can proliferate (e.g. the enteric bacteria). This research topic will focus on plants as alternative hosts for human pathogens, and the role of plants in their transmission back to humans. The area is particularly exciting because it opens up new aspects to the biology of some microbes already considered to be very well characterised. One aspect of cross-kingdom host colonisation is in the comparison between the hosts and how the microbes are able to use both common and specific adaptations for each situation. The area is still in relative infancy and there are far more questions than answers at present. We aim to address important questions underlying the interactions for both the microbe and plant host in this research topic

Tools for educational innovation

How does an instructor keep abreast of educational technology changes and developments? What tools, apps and add-ins are available and how can they be used innovatively? This session will cover a variety of resources and tools that answer these two questions plus address how to pick the best tools for your instructional environment