Human Factors and Innovation with Mobile Devices
Advancements in technology are a significant driving force in educational innovation, but a strong focus on technology means that human aspects and implications may not be given the attention they deserve. This chapter examines usability issues surrounding the use of mobile devices in learning. A key aim is to empower educators and learners to take control of personal devices and realise their potential in relation to teaching and learning. The background section reviews the development of usabi
Mathematical Logic and Deduction in Computer Science Education
Mathematical logic is a discipline used in sciences and humanities with different point of view. Although in tertiary level computer science education it has a solid place, it does not hold also for secondary level education. We present a heterogeneous study both theoretical based and empirically based which points out the key role of logic in computer science, computer science education and knowledge representation. We focus on the key contrast of semantics and syntax, the resolution principle
Comparison of Approaches to a Multimedia Presentation
Two computer-based multimedia lecture presentations were developed using the same software but using two different approaches. Similar lecture material was used for both lecture presentations. Students found that there were considerable differences between the two lecture presentations. One lecture presentation was found to be very dynamic and interesting compared to the other. However, when videos showing applications of theory were supplied with the less interesting lecture presentation, stude
Introducing interactive whiteboards in the schools: an experience report
We report the findings of a project aimed at introducing Interactive Whiteboards in schools (both primary and secondary). We focussed on the early phases (installation, introduction, training, first use). We find that there are indeed problems that need to be tackled before one can hope to obtain the good results that are promised by the marketing hype.
Virtual Continent in the Classroom: Teaching e-Business Integration Issues with Web-based Technologi
In this extended abstract we outline a Web-based learning approach for e-Business integration issues. We present a virtual toolbox, including an advisable open source tool and Web Service Application Programming Interfaces (WS APIs). By applying a collaborative learning model and by incorporating Web 2.0 features such as Web services, operating with the SOAP protocol, we were able to increase the motivational background as well as the learning success of our students significantly.
Multicultural Classroom - The Potential of ICT for Intercultural Integration of Children in Primary
Migration is a worldwide phenomenon these days. Thus schools and in particular primary schools have to face the challenge of multicultural classrooms. Information and communication technologies can support the integration process of those children, as they can contribute to the main issues of intercultural integration.
Remote engineering implies a new strategy of assessment?
When we spoken about remote engineering as a new methodology used in the cyberspace with the final goal of the teaching/learning improvement and cost sharing, we are obliged to approach all of the process sides. Assessment is one of these sides and there is considered the most powerful tool for illustration, in the qualitative and quantitative ways, the learners responds at educational objectives offered by the remote engineering learning environment. In the present paper the authors have the in
MOSEP – More Self-Esteem With My E-Portfolio
Development of a Train-the-Trainer Course for E-Portfo
This paper gives an insight into the MOSEP project, funded by the European Commission (Leonardo da Vinci Programme). The project focuses on the high dropout rates amongst young students (14-16) in the transition phase from middle to upper secondary school or into first vocational education. MOSEP addresses this problem by proposing to introduce the method of electronic learning and development portfolios (e-portfolios) specifically designed for effectively teaching and consulting this difficult
A Pilot Project – From Illiteracy to Computer Literacy: Teaching and Learning Using Information Tec
This paper addresses the use of information and communication technologies, ICT or IT for brevity, to combat illiteracy and move participants directly from illiteracy to computer literacy. The resulting assistive technology and instructional software and hardware can be employed to speed up literacy programs and make them more attractive and effective. The approach provides an interactive, self-paced, autonomous and entertaining learning experience, eases entry and exit in and out of the program
XML and Databases for E-Learning Applications
XML has become a standard format in information exchange and integration on the Web. Much research has been conducted in recent years on XML technology, which has led to new developments in this field. The effective combination of XML and relational databases for portable Internet data exchange and data management is the technology platform of choice for the Internet Applications. Our paper describes the relationship between XML and relational databases and its potential as an enabling technolog
Investigating mental representations in children interacting with small mobile robots
This research aimed at investigating the acquisition of comprehension of a robotic system in school age children by using two different methods: concept maps and interviews. We demonstrated that concept maps are an important instrument of verification of knowledge, offering the possibility to graphically re-examine the expressed knowledge, and training children to decompose a problem (analysis) and re-compose it in a more structured way (synthesis). The interviews confirmed the subjectsÂ’ abilit
Designing and application of E-portfolio for teacher training
Portfolio is not just a magic word but it is mandatory for everyone in today's free market. Some companies started their own portfolios for employee assessment. Other has them for optimization purposes or even education. Each of us first encounter portfolio in schools. Big books with grades and other useful data were in them. In the teacher education we also have portfolios and the most important is teacher training portfolio. Based on this portfolios employees decide who to hire or not. With th
Informational technologies in resolving the social issues of school communities in Uzbekistan
This article examines the experience of 40 schools of Uzbekistan in usage of Informational technologies in resolving the social issues of their communities. The article describe the projects that were used by schools in the framework of the "Global Connections and Exchange - Uzbekistan" programme during the 2005-2007 academic years, and results of the projects and their positive experience.
An Interactive, Multimedia Environment for Exploring Tonal Pitch Space
Because they depict relations among musical pitches, chords, and key, charts in Fred LerdahlÂ’s Tonal Pitch Space can be rendered more accurately and vividly with multimedia authoring software. My renderings enable a user to orient charts toward any specific key, trace any of numerous possible paths, determine the depth of embedding of any element in any tonal context, and compute distances between elements. LerdahlÂ’s analyses can be depicted more vividly by synchronizing graphic images with th
The Global Life Long Learning Communities (GL3C) Project
In our opinion learning is moving from pushing content to an individual into the integration of formal & informal learning, just in time help and coaching, and is highly adaptive. There is a way to improve how people, organizations, and institutions are learning and working together. Therefore the Global Learning Institute and RSM Erasmus University launched the Global Life Long Learning Communities (GL3C) project and invites you to join. We started this project by first determining the cause as
Analyzing Sequential Data in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning
Representations and changes between them play a major role in cognitive development (e.g., Vosniadou, & Brewer, 1992) and education (e.g., Hewson, Beeth, & Thorley, 1998). By definition, change of representations is also indispensable for collaborative work since a common understanding or shared knowledge can only be achieved by a partial convergence of the knowledge structures of the collaborating subjects. This articles presents and discusses knowledge tracking (KT), viz., an approach to analy
Using A Simulated Student for Instructional Design
In this paper, I describe how a cognitive model was used as a simulated student to help design lessons for training circuit board assemblers. The model was built in the Soar cognitive architecture, and was initially endowed with only an ability to learn instructions and prerequisite knowledge for the task. Five lessons, and a total of 81 instructions for teaching expert assembly were developed by iteratively drafting and testing instructions with the simulated student. The resulting instructions
Making the abstract concrete: Visualizing mathematical solution procedures
This paper reports on an experiment investigating the effects of different kinds of computer-based visualizations on the acquisition of problem-solving skills in the domain of probability theory. Learners received either purely text-based worked examples, text plus an instruction to mentally imagine the examplesÂ’ contents, or the possibility of retrieving either static pictures or concrete animations that depicted the problem statement and the problem states achieved by applying a specific solu
Balancing situativity and formality: the importance of relating a formal language to interactive gra
A situated cognition theory is presented in which situated learning is viewed from a Vygotskian perspective: the developmental situativity theory. It is assumed that learning is basically a non-symbolic inductive process that is greatly enhanced by formal systems which act as tools. Instruction should provide students with an environment containing elements to allow for situated activity as well as with appropriate formal tools. Tarski's World, which is an instructional Interactive Graphical Rep
Cognitive processes in solving variants of computer-based problems used in logic teaching
The effect of two instructional variables, visualisation and manipulation of objects, in learning to use the logical connective, conditional, was investigated. Instructions for 66 first-year social science students were varied in the computer-based learning environment Tarski's World, designed for teaching first-order logic (Barwise & Etchemendy, 1992. The language of first-order logic: including the Microsoft Windows program Tarski's World 4.0 for use with IBM-compatible computers. Stanford, CA
