A DISTRIBUTED E-LEARNING SERVICE FOR REMOTE AREAS

The cloud-compatible architecture of a distributed distance e-learning system which has been deployed and is being utilized in five remote areas in Eastern Europe (Finland, Poland, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus) is presented and discussed as a case study of e-learning. A series of e-courses is being conducted with a variety of learning tools and techniques: a Virtual World, Web 2.0 tools, a web conference platform and a learning management system. Emphasis is placed on the feasibility of the delivery of the integrated Distance Learning (DL) service through distributed web services; an architecture is proposed that extends the existing one by implementing the DL service in the form of a SOA in a hybrid cloud

Validating an Instrument to Measure Teachers’ Preparedness to Use Digital Technology in their Teaching

In order to effectively integrate digital technology into education, it is necessary to examine and understand teachers’ preparedness to use digital technology in education. The objective of this pilot study is to validate a self-reported instrument to measure teachers’ preparedness to use Information and Communication Technologies for learning and teaching. The survey items of the instrument are grounded and developed on the basis of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Data was collected from a sample of 157 teachers at seven K-9 schools in Sweden and analysed mainly using exploratory factor analysis. The results yielded a seven-factor structure comprising a model of teachers’ digital competence focusing on their preparedness. These factors are: (1) Abilities to use digital learning technology, (2) Social influence and support, (3) Intention of use, (4) Usefulness and efficiency, (5) Limitation awareness, (6) Pedagogical potential, and (7) Assistance awareness. The results of this study aim to support schools when encouraging and supporting teachers to use technology in teaching and learning. They can also be used to measure differences before and after inventions, such as on the job teacher training.publishedVersio

On the Creation of Sustainable Design Patterns of ICT Integration in the Classroom

The paper focuses on the methodology of making observations that account for the actual use of ICT infrastructure and tools in the classroom. The observational study is part of a project that focuses on scenario feasibility as an enabler of ICT usage. In particular, the observations provide input on pattern mining with the aim to help teachers and other stakeholders in the decision-making process of selecting suitable ICT facilities

A Case of Career Consultancy in STEM for Youths

A poster paper presented at the European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL 2017)

Students Perceptions on Teaching Design of Power Electronics Using Student-Response Systems: Thematic Content Analysis of Interviews

The paper presents an empirical study conducted in the context of an advanced power electronics design course in a technical university. In selected points of the lectures formative assessments were introduced and supported by the use of clickers. The purpose of the article is to examine students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of clickers use. Individual, semi-structured student interviews conducted which were analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings reveal that the perceptions of the students with respect to the use of clickers were associated to: sustain student attention during the lecture, the provision of confirmatory and elaborative instructional feedback, the anonymity of the students’ answers, asking questions appropriate for this teaching/learning method, students’ motivation, students own suggestions for improvement, and the perceived existence of game-like elements. While in general the findings confirm the previous literature, there are a few points which are unique for this study, such as the relative importance of enhancing the students’ attention compared to other studies, as well as the importance of using appropriate questions from the subject-matter. Besides, the drawbacks of previous research on clickers are not in line with the perceived ones in the present study. The paper is concluded with providing research and practical implications. The former touch upon the potential of this study on informing the research on didactics in the field of electrical engineering in Higher Education, whereas the latter pertains to its contribution with respect to learning design in similar learning contexts

Digitalisation of Education : Application and Best Practices

The topic of digitalisation of education has attracted the interest of the research community worldwide owing to unprecedented capabilities provided by technology to capture digital traces of today’s students who, being ‘digital natives’, are active in technology-rich learning environments. The aim of this report is to present solutions on the topic that can be applicable in a Swedish context and raise an awareness of potential barriers and challenges. The solutions emerge as best practices, or as examples from recent literature. QC 20190326</p

Profiling of English language teachers as trainees in an online course and ensuing implications

The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of profiling English Language Teachers' preferences and experiences of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in order to inform the design of an online teacher training programme in Language Testing and Assessment and the relevant teacher training research. The findings revealed that the participant teachers received very well a variety of formats and also, they indicated methods as well as types of tasks and activities they would find most favourable in an online training course. Teachers were diverse but mediocre on average with regard to the level of confidence of their competencies in using ICT in their classrooms. Small differences were also revealed between teachers with regard to their ICT competency levels on the basis of their previous participation in online training courses but strong correlations among the different ICT competencies investigated. The findings point to the need to incorporate scaffolds in the design of online training environments that will help teachers feel confident in the online training environment and especially empower those that have not participated in such training courses before. Overall the study advocates for good practices that can be relevant and informative for higher education authorities and teacher training institutions responsible for designing (blended or online) professional training schemes for pre- and in-service English language teachers