Distance education in the teacher education program of Zimbabwe

This research project was conducted using qualitative and quantitative methods to describe the distance education component of the Zimbabwean teacher education program. There were three objectives of the project. The first was to design and implement a workshop for faculty of Zimbabwean teachers\u27 colleges. The second was to produce, from that workshop, a written proceedings detailing the critical issues in Zimbabwean distance education. The third objective was to create a comprehensive description of the distance education component of the Zimbabwean teacher education program. A model, the Triad Perspective Model of Distance Education (TPMDE), was created from the three theoretical bases of curriculum development theory, systems theory, and adoption and diffusion of innovations theory. This multi-dimensional model was used to provide frames of reference for examining the Zimbabwean distance education program. There were five program recommendations offered as a result of this study. These were: (1) Create a Zimbabwean Commission for Distance Education, (2) Conduct regularly scheduled program evaluations, (3) Emphasize applied (as opposed to theoretical) education in the distance education print modules, (4) Increase the leadership role of the University of Zimbabwe in the area of distance education, and (5) Create Distance Education Departments within each teachers\u27 college. It was further suggested that future research be conducted using the TPMDE as both a descriptive tool as well as a design tool for building distance education programs

Online laboratories in engineering education research and practice

Instructional laboratories have long been an integral part of engineering education and technical degree programs. Today, online laboratories using remote, simulation, or even immersive virtual reality technologies offer additional innovation potential for teaching with a wide variety of pedagogical approaches, of which some are possible only because of the introduced technology and its new affordances. Educational research in this field is focused on developing new educational settings for the use of online laboratories and on fundamentally understanding how these new types of instructional laboratories influence both the faculty and the student experience. Gaining this fundamental understanding of the sociotechnical instructional reality introduced by online laboratories is highly relevant, as students should be given the opportunity to use all laboratory formats, depending on the targeted learning goal, the available equipment, or individual personal preferences of students or even faculty. This chapter takes a closer look at engineering education research and the specific field of instructional online laboratories in higher education, with a focus on remote and virtual laboratories. In this context, the chapter covers the overall background, advantages and challenges, educational research, pedagogy, history and examples, and the innovation potential of online laboratories for current as well as future engineering education.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Educational games as a motivational tool: Considerations on their potential and limitations

There is considerable interest in leveraging video games to support students’ motivation. This involves employment of educational (serious) and entertainment games. However, while evidence indicates that games can enhance learning outcomes, doubts persist about whether they retain their enjoyable character in formal learning contexts. This study was carried out within the H2020 Gaming Horizons project, which involved a review of academic literature on the role of games in society, as well as 73 semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders, including players and educators, investigating their positions on game-related issues. The interviews suggested that players tend to view game-based learning – and specifically serious games at school – with scepticism. This is partly attributable to the perception that serious games have lower production values than entertainment games, and that gaming, as a voluntary, self-driven activity, clashes with the structured nature of school. Some educators reported individual and gender differences in the motivating power of games. However, the use of entertainment games to foster learning outcomes was seen favourably. Two focus groups devoted to the issue highlighted the need for carefully tailoring the gaming experience to both context and student, and the importance of developing a sustainable business model for enhancing serious games quality

Library not found: The disconnect between gaming research and development

Video games clearly have great educational potential, both for formal and informal learning, and this avenue is being thoroughly investigated in the psychology and education literature. However, there appears to be a disconnect between social science academic research and the game development sector, in that research and development practices rarely inform each other. This paper presents a two-part analysis of this communicative disconnect based on investigations carried out within the H2020 Gaming Horizons project. The first part regards a literature review that identified the main topics of focus in the social sciences literature on games, as well as the chief recommendations authors express. The second part examines 73 interviews with 30 developers, 14 researchers, 13 players, 12 educators, and 4 policy makers, investigating how they perceived games and gaming. The study highlights several factors contributing to the disconnect: different priorities and dissemination practices; the lag between innovation in the games market and research advancements; low accessibility of academic research; and disproportionate academic focus on serious games compared to entertainment games. The authors suggest closer contact between researchers and developers might be sought by diversifying academic dissemination channels, promoting conferences involving both groups, and developing research partnerships with entertainment game companies

Identifying objectives for a learning space management system with value-focused thinking.

A classroom with a blackboard and some rows of desks is obsolete in special education. Depending on the needs, some students may need more tactile and inspiring surroundings with various pedagogical accessories while others benefit from a simplified environment without unnecessary stimuli. This understanding is applied to a new Finnish special education school building with open and adaptable learning spaces. We have joined the initiative creation process by developing software support for these new spaces in the form of a learning space management system. Participatory design and value-focused thinking were implemented to elicit the actual values of all the stakeholders involved and transform them into software implementation objectives. This paper reports interesting insights about the elicitation process of the objectives

Creating Engaging Online Courses

The importance of engagement for learning, specifically related to online coursework, is discussed in this paper. The cognitive basis for engagement and instructional strategies for integrating it into coursework are described, as well as the challenges that instructors face in creating robust learning environments. The roles of teacher and learner must also evolve to accommodate these new models, with increased student responsibility and accountability. Finally, practical examples are given to demonstrate strategies for enhanced engagement in online coursework

Distance education in the teacher education program of Zimbabwe

This research project was conducted using qualitative and quantitative methods to describe the distance education component of the Zimbabwean teacher education program. There were three objectives of the project. The first was to design and implement a workshop for faculty of Zimbabwean teachers' colleges. The second was to produce, from that workshop, a written proceedings detailing the critical issues in Zimbabwean distance education. The third objective was to create a comprehensive description of the distance education component of the Zimbabwean teacher education program. A model, the Triad Perspective Model of Distance Education (TPMDE), was created from the three theoretical bases of curriculum development theory, systems theory, and adoption and diffusion of innovations theory. This multi-dimensional model was used to provide frames of reference for examining the Zimbabwean distance education program. There were five program recommendations offered as a result of this study. These were: (1) Create a Zimbabwean Commission for Distance Education, (2) Conduct regularly scheduled program evaluations, (3) Emphasize applied (as opposed to theoretical) education in the distance education print modules, (4) Increase the leadership role of the University of Zimbabwe in the area of distance education, and (5) Create Distance Education Departments within each teachers' college. It was further suggested that future research be conducted using the TPMDE as both a descriptive tool as well as a design tool for building distance education programs.</p