COMPUTER SCIENCE AND PRIMARY EDUCATION TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS, IN USING DIGITAL GAMES AS LEARNING TOOLS. OBSTACLES AND FACTORS THAT LEAD TO THEIR EFFECTIVE USE

Over the last decade, in addition to their entertainment dimension, digital games, have been used as teaching and learning tools. International literature has shown several studies that evaluate the effectiveness of digital games in the educational process. Many researchers argue that digital games can be of assistance to student’s learning and solving problems, as well as develop social and cognitive skills (Gee 2003, Prensky 2007, Oblinger & Oblinger 2005, Watson et al. 2011). This research aimed to computer science teachers and primary education teacher’s perceptions, regarding the use of digital games, as a teaching and learning tool, the factors that make their use effective, not to mention the barriers to their use. One hundred twenty teachers participated (70 computer science teachers and 50 teachers), by completing a questionnaire of fifteen questions, on a Likert scale and two open-ended questions. Results demonstrated that both teachers and computer educators agree that the use of digital games is a "good" practice, which enhances and enriches the learning process, provides motivation, and is an effective learning tool. Their design should be addressed to students’ personal needs and be based on learning principles. However, it has been observed that computer educators are the ones who use digital games in their teaching, more often as opposed to teachers. The main obstacles that prevent teachers from using technology in their classrooms are the lack of infrastructure, motivation, training, as well as the time available. The elements that seem to be taken into consideration by a teacher, in order to capitalize on digital games in the educational process, are personal needs and students’ particularities, as well as preparation, feedback and the setting of limits by the teachers. Research findings could be utilized in both digital play use in education and in its development, as a learning tool.  Article visualizations

Signalling through AMPA receptors on oligodendrocyte precursors promotes myelination by enhancing oligodendrocyte survival

Myelin, made by oligodendrocytes, is essential for rapid information transfer in the central nervous system. Oligodendrocyte precursors (OPs) receive glutamatergic synaptic input from axons but how this affects their development is unclear. Murine OPs in white matter express AMPA receptor (AMPAR) subunits GluA2, GluA3 and GluA4. We generated mice in which OPs lack both GluA2 and GluA3, or all three subunits GluA2/3/4, which respectively reduced or abolished AMPAR-mediated input to OPs. In both double- and triple-knockouts OP proliferation and number were unchanged but ~25% fewer oligodendrocytes survived in the subcortical white matter during development. In triple knockouts, this shortfall persisted into adulthood. The oligodendrocyte deficit resulted in ~20% fewer myelin sheaths but the average length, number and thickness of myelin internodes made by individual oligodendrocytes appeared normal. Thus, AMPAR-mediated signalling from active axons stimulates myelin production in developing white matter by enhancing oligodendrocyte survival, without influencing myelin synthesis per se

Pre-Existing Mature Oligodendrocytes Do Not Contribute to Remyelination following Toxin-Induced Spinal Cord Demyelination.

Remyelination is the regenerative response to demyelination. Although the oligodendrocyte progenitor is established as the major source of remyelinating cells, there is no conclusive evidence on whether mature, differentiated oligodendrocytes can also contribute to remyelination. Using two different inducible myelin-CreER mouse strains in which mature oligodendrocytes were prelabeled by the expression of membrane-bound Green fluorescent protein, we found that after focal spinal cord demyelination, the surrounding surviving labeled oligodendrocytes did not proliferate but remained at a consistent density. Furthermore, existing (prelabeled) oligodendrocytes showed no evidence of incorporation or migration into the lesioned area, or of process extension from the peripheral margins into the lesion. Thus, mature oligodendrocytes do not normally contribute to remyelination and are therefore not a promising target for regenerative therapy.Supported by European Research Council grant agreement 293544 (W.D.R.), Wellcome Trust grant WT100269AIA, Medical Research Council grant G0800575, a Royal Society-USA/Canada Exchange Fellowship (I.M.), the UK Multiple Sclerosis Society, and a Wellcome Trust Integrated Veterinary Training Fellowship (A.H.C.)

Endogenous GABA controls oligodendrocyte lineage cell number, myelination, and CNS internode length

Adjusting the thickness and internodal length of the myelin sheath is a mechanism for tuning the conduction velocity of axons to match computational needs. Interactions between oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) and developing axons regulate the formation of myelin around axons. We now show, using organotypic cerebral cortex slices from mice expressing eGFP in Sox10-positive oligodendrocytes, that endogenously released GABA, acting on GABAA receptors, greatly reduces the number of oligodendrocyte lineage cells. The decrease in oligodendrocyte number correlates with a reduction in the amount of myelination but also an increase in internode length, a parameter previously thought to be set by the axon diameter or to be a property intrinsic to oligodendrocytes. Importantly, while TTX block of neuronal activity had no effect on oligodendrocyte lineage cell number when applied alone, it was able to completely abolish the effect of blocking GABAA receptors, suggesting that control of myelination by endogenous GABA may require a permissive factor to be released from axons. In contrast, block of AMPA/KA receptors had no effect on oligodendrocyte lineage cell number or myelination. These results imply that, during development, GABA can act as a local environmental cue to control myelination and thus influence the conduction velocity of action potentials within the CNS. GLIA 2017;65:309-321

Local axonal morphology guides the topography of interneuron myelination in mouse and human neocortex

GABAergic fast-spiking parvalbumin-positive (PV) interneurons are frequently myelinated in the cerebral cortex. However, the factors governing the topography of cortical interneuron myelination remain incompletely understood. Here, we report that segmental myelination along neocortical interneuron axons is strongly predicted by the joint combination of interbranch distance and local axon caliber. Enlargement of PV+ interneurons increased axonal myelination, while reduced cell size led to decreased myelination. Next, we considered regular-spiking SOM+ cells, which normally have relatively shorter interbranch distances and thinner axon diameters than PV+ cells, and are rarely myelinated. Consistent with the importance of axonal morphology for guiding interneuron myelination, enlargement of SOM+ cell size dramatically increased the frequency of myelinated axonal segments. Lastly, we confirm that these findings also extend to human neocortex by quantifying interneuron axonal myelination from ex vivo surgical tissue. Together, these findings establish a predictive model of neocortical GABAergic interneuron myelination determined by 42 local axonal morphology

Endothelin signalling mediates experience-dependent myelination in the CNS

Experience and changes in neuronal activity can alter CNS myelination, but the signalling pathways responsible remain poorly understood. Here we define a pathway in which endothelin, signalling through the G protein-coupled receptor endothelin receptor B and PKC epsilon, regulates the number of myelin sheaths formed by individual oligodendrocytes in mouse and zebrafish. We show that this phenotype is also observed in the prefrontal cortex of mice following social isolation, and is associated with reduced expression of vascular endothelin. Additionally, we show that increasing endothelin signalling rescues this myelination defect caused by social isolation. Together, these results indicate that the vasculature responds to changes in neuronal activity associated with experience by regulating endothelin levels, which in turn affect the myelinating capacity of oligodendrocytes. This pathway may be employed to couple the metabolic support function of myelin to activity-dependent demand and also represents a novel mechanism for adaptive myelination

The harnessing of the digital game in the educational process and its role in the development of children's cognitive and social skills: investigating the views of children and teachers

In the context of the formation of a new era, in which technology occupies a primary position, the field of education could not remain unaffected. Accepting the fact that digital toys are a big part of children's daily lives, we need to find constructive ways to integrate them into the school environment. Learning, based on the use of digital games, which is the result of the widespread use of digital games, has created the need for teachers to use them in the classroom. (Gerhard and Debry, 2009∙ Kangas et al, 2017∙ Takeuchi και Vaala, 2014). By incorporating educational goals into digital games, while taking into account the interests and knowledge of the new generation of students, dynamic learning environments can be formed. The present study attempts to explore the views of teachers and students, on the use of digital play in the educational process, as well as its role in the development of children's social and cognitive skills. It answers research questions and hypotheses, that have emerged from the review of the relevant literature, regarding the proper use of digital play in the classroom, the obstacles that arise from its use in school, in the Greek reality, the habits of children around digital games, as well as their views on their socialization through them and the development of social and cognitive skills. The research was addressed to fourth, fifth & sixth grade primary school students, the Municipalities of Volos and Nea Ionia, as well as to teachers and computer science teachers of the respective classes. 537 student questionnaires and 120 teacher questionnaires were collected. Initially, a descriptive analysis of all the data was performed, the averages and standard deviations for all the variables that constitute the scales of our research were calculated. Then, in order to investigate differences between sub-groups of teachers determined based on their demographic characteristics, inductive analyzes were performed. In particular, T-Test test was used for independent samples for comparisons between two groups and ANOVA test was used for comparisons over the two groups. Finally, factor analysis of the participants' answers to the questions of the two research questionnaires was performed, in order to determine the way of correlation between their variables. The results showed that, on average, teachers believe that the use of digital games in the classroom is a fairly "good" use of technology, which enhances and enriches the learning process, motivates students, is an effective learning tool for them. At the same time, both children's cognitive and social skills are developed through digital games. According to children, digital games are a way to use their free time, which does not exclude other activities and games with friends or family members. Simultaneously, time, the development of cognitive and social skills is another advantage that digital games offer children, according to their views. The innovation of our research lies in the fact that it examines the characteristics, but also the possibilities of digital games in the educational context, based on the views of teachers, but also of computer science teachers in primary education. Concurrently, it explores the views of primary school children, as most research on digital games is mainly concerned with secondary and tertiary education (Markouzis & Fesakis, 2014). The present research contributes to the relevant literature, regarding the views of teachers, on the use of digital games in the classroom, as well as the views of both teachers and children on social and cognitive skills, developed through the use of digital games and could be used as a starting point for future relevant research.Στο πλαίσιο της διαμόρφωσης μίας νέας εποχής, κατά την οποία η τεχνολογία κατέχει πρωταρχική θέση, δε θα μπορούσε να μείνει ανεπηρέαστος ο τομέας της εκπαίδευσης. Αποδεχόμενοι το γεγονός ότι τα ψηφιακά παιχνίδια αποτελούν μεγάλο κομμάτι της καθημερινής ζωής των παιδιών, οφείλουμε να βρούμε εποικοδομητικούς τρόπους της ένταξής τους στο σχολικό περιβάλλον. Η μάθηση που στηρίζεται στη χρήση ψηφιακών παιχνιδιών, η οποία αποτελεί αποτέλεσμα της μεγάλης διάδοσης και χρήσης των ψηφιακών παιχνιδιών, έχει δημιουργήσει την ανάγκη για την αξιοποίησή τους από τους εκπαιδευτικούς στην τάξη (Gerhard & Debry, 2009∙ Kangas, Koskinen & Krokfors, 2017∙ Takeuchi & Vaala, 2014). Ενσωματώνοντας εκπαιδευτικούς στόχους στα ψηφιακά παιχνίδια, λαμβάνοντας παράλληλα υπόψη τα ενδιαφέροντα και τις γνώσεις της νέας γενιάς μαθητών, μπορούν να διαμορφωθούν δυναμικά μαθησιακά περιβάλλοντα. Η παρούσα έρευνα επιχειρεί να διερευνήσεις τις απόψεις των εκπαιδευτικών και των μαθητών σχετικά με τη χρήση του ψηφιακού παιχνιδιού στην εκπαιδευτική διαδικασία, καθώς και τον ρόλο του στην ανάπτυξη κοινωνικών και γνωστικών δεξιοτήτων των παιδιών. Απαντά σε ερευνητικά ερωτήματα και υποθέσεις που προέκυψαν από την ανασκόπηση της σχετικής βιβλιογραφίας, αναφορικά με τη σωστή χρήση του ψηφιακού παιχνιδιού στην τάξη, τα εμπόδια που προκύπτουν από τη χρήση του στο σχολείο, στην ελληνική πραγματικότητα, τις συνήθειες των παιδιών γύρω από τα ψηφιακά παιχνίδια, καθώς και τις απόψεις τους για την κοινωνικοποίησή τους μέσω αυτών και την ανάπτυξη κοινωνικών και γνωστικών δεξιοτήτων. Η έρευνα απευθυνόταν σε μαθητές τετάρτης, πέμπτης και έκτης τάξης δημοτικού σχολείου, των Δήμων Βόλου και Νέας Ιωνίας, καθώς και στους δασκάλους και εκπαιδευτικούς πληροφορικής, των αντίστοιχων τάξεων. Συλλέχθηκαν 537 ερωτηματολόγια μαθητών και 120 ερωτηματολόγια εκπαιδευτικών. Αρχικά πραγματοποιήθηκε περιγραφική ανάλυση του συνόλου των δεδομένων, υπολογίστηκαν οι μέσοι όροι και οι τυπικές αποκλίσεις για όλες τις μεταβλητές που αποτελούν τις κλίμακες της έρευνάς μας. Στη συνέχεια, προκειμένου να διερευνηθούν διαφορές ανάμεσα σε υπο-ομάδες εκπαιδευτικών καθορισμένες με βάση τα δημογραφικά τους χαρακτηριστικά, πραγματοποιήθηκαν επαγωγικές αναλύσεις. Συγκεκριμένα, χρησιμοποιήθηκε ο έλεγχος T-Test για ανεξάρτητα δείγματα για συγκρίσεις μεταξύ δύο ομάδων και χρησιμοποιήθηκε ο έλεγχος ANOVA για συγκρίσεις άνω των δύο ομάδων. Τέλος, πραγματοποιήθηκαν παραγοντικές αναλύσεις των απαντήσεων των συμμετεχόντων, στις ερωτήσεις των δύο ερωτηματολογίων της έρευνας, προκειμένου να διαπιστωθεί ο τρόπος συσχέτισης μεταξύ των μεταβλητών τους. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι, ο μέσος όρος των εκπαιδευτικών πιστεύει ότι η χρήση ψηφιακών παιχνιδιών μέσα στην τάξη είναι μία αρκετά «καλή» χρήση της τεχνολογίας, η οποία ενισχύει και εμπλουτίζει τη διαδικασία της μάθησης, δίνει κίνητρα στους μαθητές, είναι αποτελεσματικό εργαλείο μάθησης για τους μαθητές. Παράλληλα, ότι τόσο οι γνωστικές, όσο και οι κοινωνικές δεξιότητες των παιδιών, αναπτύσσονται με τα ψηφιακά παιχνίδια. Σύμφωνα με τις απόψεις των παιδιών, τα ψηφιακά παιχνίδια αποτελούν μέσο αξιοποίησης του ελεύθερου χρόνου τους, τα οποία δεν αποκλείουν άλλες δραστηριότητες και παιχνίδια με τους φίλους ή τα μέλη της οικογένειάς τους. Ταυτόχρονα, η ανάπτυξη γνωστικών και κοινωνικών δεξιοτήτων, αποτελεί ένα ακόμη πλεονέκτημα που προσφέρουν τα ψηφιακά παιχνίδια στα παιδιά, σύμφωνα με τις απόψεις τους. Η καινοτομία της έρευνάς μας, έγκειται στο γεγονός, ότι εξετάζει τα χαρακτηριστικά, αλλά και τις δυνατότητες των ψηφιακών παιχνιδιών στο εκπαιδευτικό πλαίσιο, βασιζόμενοι στις απόψεις των δασκάλων, αλλά και των εκπαιδευτικών πληροφορικής στην πρωτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση. Παράλληλα, διερευνά τις απόψεις των παιδιών της πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης, καθώς οι περισσότερες ερευνητικές μελέτες, σχετικά με τα ψηφιακά παιχνίδια αφορούν κυρίως τη δευτεροβάθμια και τριτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση (Μαρκούζης & Φεσάκης, 2014). Η παρούσα έρευνα συμβάλλει στη σχετική βιβλιογραφία, αναφορικά με τις απόψεις των εκπαιδευτικών για την αξιοποίηση των ψηφιακών παιχνιδιών στην τάξη, καθώς και τις απόψεις, τόσο των εκπαιδευτικών, όσο και των παιδιών, για τις κοινωνικές και γνωστικές δεξιότητες που αναπτύσσονται μέσω της χρήσης ψηφιακών παιχνιδιών, και θα μπορούσε να χρησιμοποιηθεί ως αφετηρία μελλοντικών σχετικών ερευνών

Regulation of oligodendrocyte development by electrical signalling

Myelin in the CNS is produced by oligodendrocytes (OLs), which are themselves produced by oligodendrocyte precursors (OLPs). OLPs are generated during embryonic development and continue to proliferate and give rise to new OLs throughout life. OLPs express a number of ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors, and receive synaptic input from neurons. The role of this synaptic communication has remained elusive. In this Thesis I investigated the developmental role of electrical communication between neurons and OLPs. I examined the expression of glutamate receptors of the AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic) subclass in cells of the OL lineage. This revealed that OLPs are likely to express three of the four AMPA receptor subunits (GluA2-4). I started to investigate the function of these subunits by generating GluA2/GluA3 single and double knockout mice. This resulted in reduced glutamatergic synaptic signalling to OLPs. The decrease in synaptic input was accompanied by a decrease in the number of OLPs and mature OLs. Thus, glutamatergic synaptic input to OLPs promotes their development. To investigate this question further in the future, I have generated new transgenic mouse lines that should allow manipulation of electrical communication specifically between neurons and OLPs in vivo

Εκπαιδευτικοί, συνδικαλιστική δράση και αντιλήψεις για την εκπαίδευση στην ιδιότητα του πολίτη στο νηπιαγωγείο

Στόχος της παρούσας εργασίας είναι να διερευνήσει τις αντιλήψεις των νηπιαγωγών που πολιτικοποιούνται για την εκπαίδευση στην ιδιότητα του πολίτη. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό, θέλουμε να διερευνήσουμε εάν και κατά πόσο η συνδικαλιστική τους δράση επηρεάζει τη στάση και το εκπαιδευτικό τους έργο. Για τη θεωρητική πλαισίωση της εργασίας θα αξιοποιηθεί η Κριτική παιδαγωγική. Στην έρευνα συμμετείχαν οχτώ νηπιαγωγοί, εφτά γυναίκες και ένας άντρας, μέλη συνδικαλιστικών οργανώσεων που ανήκουν στο πλαίσιο της ευρύτερης αριστεράς. Μέσα από τη θεματική ανάλυση προκύπτει ότι η συνδικαλιστική δράση των εκπαιδευτικών αυτών τροφοδοτεί την εκπαιδευτική τους δραστηριότητα. Συγχρόνως, οι εκπαιδευτικοί αυτοί υιοθετούν ένα συμμετοχικό μοντέλο εκπαίδευσης στην ιδιότητα του πολίτη, ενσωματώνουν χειραφετικά χαρακτηριστικά ως προς τη στοχοθεσία τους και υιοθετούν έναν αναβαθμισμένο επαγγελματικό ρόλο.The aim of this paper is to investigate the perceptions of politicized preschool teachers on civic education. In this context, we want to investigate whether and into what extent their trade union action influances their attitude and educational work. Critical Pedagogy is employed as a theoritical framework. The study included eight preschool teachers, seven women and one man, members of trade unions of the broad left. The reaserch findings of our thematic analysis show that the trade union action of these preschool teachers feeds their educational activity. Moreover, according to the results, these preschool teachers adopt a participatory civic education model, incorporate participatory features in their targeting and opt for an upgraded professional role

Listening to children: using the ECERS-R and Mosaic approach to improve learning environments: a case study

Given that there is a lack of children’s active involvement in the school design process, the aim of the present multimethod study was to gather data in relation to children’s active involvement towards the improvement of their own school’s physical environment. Over a period of three months, twenty-nine children aged 4-5 years participated in this process, using a range of methods according to the Mosaic Approach [Clark, A., & Moss, P. (2008). Spaces to play: More listening to young children using the Mosaic approach. London: National Children’s Bureau Enterprises]. So, multi-faceted methods were encouraged and observations, interviews and participatory techniques such as photograph taking, maps, drawings and discussions were applied during the intervention sessions. Pre and post intervention changes concerning the quality of classroom environment were evaluated using a standardized version of ECERS-R. Results are encouraging in that children’s voices can be included and therefore child-centered techniques can be implemented while using standardized measures to assess the quality of educational contexts such as the ECERS-R scale. © 2017, © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group