Handheld Devices

Zoe builds a tower in the block area, taking care to leave a hole at the top. Her teacher pulls a smartphone from her pocket and snaps a picture. "What are you building, Zoe?" she asks. "Rapunzel's tower," Zoe replies. The children have been studying the story of Rapunzel for the last two weeks. "This is Rapunzel," says Aster, showing the teacher a cutout drawing of a person. A piece of ribbon is taped to the head. "I see that she has very long hair," the teacher says, snapping another picture. "Will Rapunzel's hair reach the ground from the window of the tower?" The children see that the hair is too short to reach the bottom of Zoe's tower, and they gather materials from the cut-andcolor table to fix it. Will Parnell, EdD, is assistant professor in curriculum and instruction and early childhood education at Portland State University (PSU). He is pedagogical director of PSU's Helen Gordon Child Development Center and has authored publications about children's and teachers' Reggio-inspired experiences in the cen-ter. Will coordinates the master's specialization in early childhood education for the Graduate School of Education's Curriculum and Instruction Department.

Zoe builds a tower in the block area, taking care to leave a hole at the top. Her teacher pulls a smartphone from her pocket and snaps a picture. "What are you building, Zoe?" she asks. "Rapunzel's tower," Zoe replies. The children have been studying the story of Rapunzel for the last two weeks. "This is Rapunzel," says Aster, showing the teacher a cutout drawing of a person. A piece of ribbon is taped to the head. "I see that she has very long hair," the teacher says, snapping another picture. "Will Rapunzel's hair reach the ground from the window of the tower?" The children see that the hair is too short to reach the bottom of Zoe's tower, and they gather materials from the cut-andcolor table to fix it. Will Parnell, EdD, is assistant professor in curriculum and instruction and early childhood education at Portland State University (PSU). He is pedagogical director of PSU's Helen Gordon Child Development Center and has authored publications about children's and teachers' Reggio-inspired experiences in the cen-ter. Will coordinates the master's specialization in early childhood education for the Graduate School of Education's Curriculum and Instruction Department.

The case studies in this volume enforce technology is a principle catalysts for transnational collaborative interventions in providing learning and professional development opportunities to the people of both developed and developing countries"--Provided by publisher.

This article discusses the impact of the Internet in education in India, and in particular the difference it has brought to corporate affairs, which is a large focus of English language training in India. As an English language teacher, the author highlights the way English language teaching is promoted with the help of the Internet from middle school to tertiary levels in India. She further discusses the constraints faced by Internet users, and finally the future of Internet usage in language teaching in India.

Web site: www.centreforliteracy.qc.ca understanding how social innovation might happen in the landscape of literacy and essential skills is by describing and analyzing how different forms of social innovation are crystallizing in the Canadian context and elsewhere. We will then consider what aspects of social innovation might be applied to literacy, education and skills training.

Web site: www.centreforliteracy.qc.ca understanding how social innovation might happen in the landscape of literacy and essential skills is by describing and analyzing how different forms of social innovation are crystallizing in the Canadian context and elsewhere. We will then consider what aspects of social innovation might be applied to literacy, education and skills training.

Reasoning about ecosystems includes consideration of causality over temporal and spatial distances; yet learners typically focus on immediate time frames and local contexts. Teaching students to reason beyond these boundaries has met with some success based upon tests that cue students to the types of reasoning required. Virtual worlds offer an opportunity to assess what students actually do in a simulated context. Beyond this, mobile devices make it possible to scaffold and assess learning in the real world. Situating learning outside, in the target contexts, bypasses many of the challenges of transfer. A study investigated the learning of fifth and sixth graders (n = 38) while they used a virtual world called EcoMUVE, designed to support learning of ecosystems concepts and complex causal dynamics, and Mobile Broadband Device (MBDs) components, designed to assess and support learning and transfer in a real pond ecosystem. The experiences of two classes were contrasted as reference populations; one class participated in the MBD experience first, followed by the learning components in EcoMUVE; the other participated in EcoMUVE first, followed by the MBD components. Rich and triangulated data was collected to illuminate how students experienced and responded to the curriculum components. Both classes made learning gains in EcoMUVE. Students who completed EcoMUVE prior to their MBD experience transferred concepts to their pond explorations. Both classes made learning gains at the pond following the MBD support and revealed more expert reasoning about the importance of change over time and distant drivers in ecosystem dynamics. Keywords mobile devices; field trips; transfer; Multi-User Virtual Environments; complex causality; systems dynamics; ecosystems dynamics; watersheds; spatial scale; change over time Reasoning about ecosystems dynamics includes consideration of causality over time and across spatial distances. Research shows that students often frame systems concepts in reductive forms (Jacobson 2001) that fail to capture complex dynamics (e.g. ; learners typically constrain their consideration to the immediate time frame and to local contexts. Further, students often hold limited notions of the environmental concepts that embed complex causal features. For instance, they don't understand that watersheds are part of the broader ecological system that includes the surrounding land and that they can be expansive (Shepherdson, Wee, Priddy, Schellenberger, and Harbor 2007). They focus on timedelineated events when reasoning about ecosystems (Grotzer, Kamarainen, Tutwiler, Metcalf and Dede 2013) at the expense of noticing broader processes of steady state. Further, they miss the non-obvious and microscopic causes that offer potential mechanism information about what is going on (e.g. Hogan and Fishkeller, 1996) in instances when covariation patterns may not be fully informative. How to help students learn to reason in more expert ways given the limitations of the classroom has prompted researchers to explore how technology can create new instructional possibilities. For instance, researchers have developed virtual worlds (Dede 2009), handheld devices (e.g. Klopfer and Yoon 2005), and representational tools using hypermedia (e.g. Hmelo-Silver, Marathe and Liu 2007) to model complex dynamics. Multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) are 3-D graphical worlds that enable simulated immersive experiences where users move through the world interacting with digital objects, tools, and computer-based agents. Such programs show promise in helping students learn ecosystems and complex systems concepts (e.g.

This study is a descriptive and survey type work. Main objective of this research is to explore e-learning system components needs among students of colleges of education (one year Bachelor of Education or B.Ed. degree programme) affiliated by University of Mysore, India. Needs assessment is one of the main investigative tools used by institutions to the identification of actual needs, gaps, and hidden parts in the system and other activities. Through a comprehensive needs assessment process, an institution can establish its e-learning goals. Based on this view, a researcher made questionnaire was designed and validated by experts in teacher education, ICT and e-learning field. For reliability of the tool a pilot test was carried and the Alpha Cronbach value found .8980 and classified as having acceptable. Researcher tried to find out the most high and the lowest ranks in needs of students. Also gender, type of institutions on dependency to government financial aids, types of learning subjects as background variables were studied.

Technology, artificial intelligence, and more robots are all around us. People in the twenty-first century primarily use technology in all spheres of their daily lives. There are no industries or fields where technology and artificial intelligence are not used. The biggest advancements in our planet are the transformation of ancient society into a digitalized society.
Every industry in our society has gone completely digital, including the medical, engineering, information technology, creative, administrative, scientific, and space exploration sectors. Every aspect of daily life involves the use of technology to some extent. Digitalization and technology have an influence on the legal profession, jurimetrics, court administration, and the study of evidence that is necessary to establish or refute the truth in both civil and criminal cases

This deliverable provides an updated and extended description of the KP-Lab co-design framework as well as a summary of main design methods used so far. The purpose of this deliverable is to explicate the underlying rationale as well as systematic structure of the co-design process. The report starts with a brief outline of the theoretical considerations underlying the design-framework as well as a comparison with current approaches in software-engineering. Against this background, the main methodological challenges are sketched. In the main part of the report the actual co-design framework, including its guiding principles, the overall process framework as well as concrete design practices are depicted. The report ends with an outlook on the next steps to be taken. This document replaces Deliverable 2.1 "Guidelines and models on implementing design principles in KP-Lab, application scenarios and best practice, v.1" submitted at M6. Introduction.

This paper describes an evaluation of tablet devices for a Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS). The purpose of this evaluation is to assess what type of tablet device could meet the needs of a GEMS student. GEMS requirements for the evaluation include; using the tablet device to replace paper teaching resources in lectures and tutorials and students must be able to edit the electronic resources in class. The tablet device is also considered for its suitability on clinical placements in third and fourth years, where students need a tablet device that allows them to take notes and access GEMS resources. The study evaluates four leading tablet devices; Apple iPad Air & iPad Mini, Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Microsoft Surface Pro 3. The methodology section will cover the assessment criteria used to compare tablet devices from the student, technical and GEMS management perspective. A questionnaire was also developed to gather feedback from students at the end of their time with each tablet device. Time constraints and tablet device availability meant that testing was carried out with a small number of medical students. The iPad Mini was chosen by GEMS as the overriding opinion was to go with the interface and device size most favored by the student participants in the evaluation. The author concludes with three standout challenges to consider; changing perceptions, network infrastructure and training and support.

This paper describes an evaluation of tablet devices for a Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS). The purpose of this evaluation is to assess what type of tablet device could meet the needs of a GEMS student. GEMS requirements for the evaluation include; using the tablet device to replace paper teaching resources in lectures and tutorials and students must be able to edit the electronic resources in class. The tablet device is also considered for its suitability on clinical placements in third and fourth years, where students need a tablet device that allows them to take notes and access GEMS resources. The study evaluates four leading tablet devices; Apple iPad Air & iPad Mini, Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Microsoft Surface Pro 3. The methodology section will cover the assessment criteria used to compare tablet devices from the student, technical and GEMS management perspective. A questionnaire was also developed to gather feedback from students at the end of their time with each t...

1 Luis Fernando Ramos Molinaro, University of Brasilia, NMI – Multimedia and Internet Laboratory, Brasilia [email protected] 2 Humberto Abdalla Jr., University of Brasilia, NMI – Multimedia and Internet Laboratory, Brasilia [email protected] 3 Flávio Elias Gomes de Deus, University of Brasilia, NMI – Multimedia and Internet Laboratory, Brasilia [email protected] 4 Paulo Ovídio Inácio Guimarães, University of Brasilia, NMI – Multimedia and Internet Laboratory, Brasilia [email protected] 5 Marcos Maeda Fukase, University of Brasilia, NMI – Multimedia and Internet Laboratory, Brasilia [email protected] 6 Cláudia Jacy Barenco Abbas, University of Brasilia, NMI – Multimedia and Internet Laboratory, Brasilia [email protected] Abstract  Videotraining is an interactive instructor-led program that connects virtual learners inside and outside the University of Brasilia. Videotraining topics range from foundation skills to proprietary knowledge applications. For this program, we implanted a ...

Abstract: This study highlights ways in which generative activities may be coupled with network-based technologies in the context of teacher preparation to enhance preservice teachers' cognizance of how their own experience as students provides a blueprint for the ...

This study aims to explore the effects of digital interaction on language development in children aged 8-13, viewed through a psycholinguistic lens. At this critical age, children undergo rapid growth in vocabulary, grammar, and more complex communication skills. With the rise of technology, digital interaction—through social media, online gaming, and educational apps—has become an integral part of their daily lives. This research examines how digital media influences language development, highlighting both the potential benefits, such as access to broader information and social interaction, and the potential risks, including reduced attention spans and disruptions in formal language skills. The findings indicate that while digital interaction can enrich vocabulary and support the learning of foreign languages, excessive exposure may reduce the opportunities for face-to-face interactions that are crucial for developing pragmatic language skills. This study aims to provide guidance for parents, educators, and policymakers in maximizing the benefits of technology while maintaining the importance of direct social communication for healthy language development.

In the context of classroom, it is possible to create a playground with digital technology beneficial for learning in spite of rising enthusiasm in incorporating educational games in classroom. This paper is an essay to describe a learning playground called Digital Learning Playground (DLP). It is essentially an application of digital technology to build a Mixed Reality environment with game-based-learning-like ingredient for classroom context. A learning theory that could be used to describe the learning process is that of experiential learning by Kolb. Meanwhile, Total Scenario Response (TSR) can be used for its learning design. Although the experiment was applied in the context of learning English, it may open a possibility to extend for the purpose of learning other subjects, such as Math. © The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology.

Students in network-based learning environments may have their own learning paths based on either their learning results or status. The learning system can choose suitable learning materials for individual students depending on students’ learning results. There is a lot of research about learning diagnosis in distance education, and the main objective is to improve students’ learning effects. This research proposes a full-loop learning architecture based on a knowledge map and provides feedback about teaching materials suitable for students. First of all, the learning system diagnoses and identifies the misconceptions of students by using a knowledge map; second, it selects suitable learning materials according to misconceptions and arranges a learning path for individual students to do remedial learning. This research uses precision, recall, and F-measure to measure the feedback effects. The results of the experiment show that the learning materials and learning paths suggested by the system are good. The contributions of this research are as follows: improving the diagnosis method; giving suitable learning materials and learning paths for remedy learning; and, moreover, improving the learning effects of students.

The HANDS (Helping Autism-diagnosed teenagers Navigate and Develop Socially) research project involves the creation of an e-learning toolset that can be used to develop individualized tools to support the social development of teenagers with an autism diagnosis. The e-learning toolset is based on ideas from persuasive technology. This paper addresses the system design of the HANDS toolset as seen from the user's perspective. The results of the evaluation of prototype 1 of the toolset and the needs for further development are discussed. In addition, questions regarding credibility and reflections on ethical issues related to the project are considered.

Note to committee members: I have not yet begun work on the two sections highlighted below because I think it will be useful to hear from each of you, after you have read the draft, regarding what you think needs to be included. Dr. Irvine, if you could give me a sense of what the project timeline should look like, or what you expect from it, when you give your feedback, I'd appreciate it. For the other committee members, any suggestions on what you need/want to see in the conclusion, as well as wording or organizational suggestions with regard to the rest of the paper, are greatly appreciated. Happy reading! Dissertation Prospectus Outline I. Introduction II. Research Methods a) Participant Observation b) Survey Questions c) Student Free Writes d) Interview Data, Coding and Analysis III. Project Timeline IV. Working Chapter Outline V. Conclusion VI. References VII. Appendices a) Sample: Survey Questions b) Interview Guiding Questions

Note to committee members: I have not yet begun work on the two sections highlighted below because I think it will be useful to hear from each of you, after you have read the draft, regarding what you think needs to be included. Dr. Irvine, if you could give me a sense of what the project timeline should look like, or what you expect from it, when you give your feedback, I'd appreciate it. For the other committee members, any suggestions on what you need/want to see in the conclusion, as well as wording or organizational suggestions with regard to the rest of the paper, are greatly appreciated. Happy reading! Dissertation Prospectus Outline I. Introduction II. Research Methods a) Participant Observation b) Survey Questions c) Student Free Writes d) Interview Data, Coding and Analysis III. Project Timeline IV. Working Chapter Outline V. Conclusion VI. References VII. Appendices a) Sample: Survey Questions b) Interview Guiding Questions

This study presents findings from a survey of secondary special education teachers who teach reading to students with learning disabilities (LD). Respondents were 392 special education teachers from a large Midwestern State who completed an online or paper survey. Results indicate predominant foci of secondary special education teachers’ reading instructional practices were teaching vocabulary and comprehension, engaging in ongoing formative assessment, and incorporating technology into instruction. Additionally, the majority of respondents report not feeling adequately prepared to teach reading to secondary students with LD. These findings are discussed in relation to the national discourse on adolescent literacy and special education teacher preparation.

paper reports on an investigation of podcasting as a tool for honing pronunciation skills in intermediate language learning. We examined the effects of using podcasts to improve pronunciation in second language learning and how students' attitudes changed toward pronunciation over the semester. A total of 22 students in intermediate German and French courses made five scripted pronunciation recordings throughout the semester. After the pronunciation recordings, students produced three extemporaneous podcasts. Students also completed a pre-and post-survey based on Elliott's (1995) Pronunciation Attitude Inventory to assess their perspectives regarding pronunciation. Students' pronunciation, extemporaneous recordings, and surveys were analyzed to explore changes over the semester. Data analysis revealed that students' pronunciation did not significantly improve in regard to accentedness or comprehensibility, perhaps because the16-week long treatment was too short to foster significant improvement and there was no in-class pronunciation practice. The podcast project, however, was perceived positively by students, and they appreciated the feedback given for each scripted recording and enjoyed opportunities for creativity during extemporaneous podcasts. Future studies might seek to delineate more specific guidelines or examine how teacher involvement might be adapted to the use of podcasts as a companion to classroom instruction. Historically, with the advent of the communicative approach, there may have been some confusion as to the place and role of pronunciation in language learning. Terrell (1989), for example, suggests that those teaching from a communicative approach "have not known what to do with pronunciation" (p. 197). Likewise, Pennington and Richards (1986) discuss that pronunciation is often viewed as having "limited importance" in communicative curricula (p. 207). As a result of the perceived confusion with regard to the role of pronunciation in the communicative approach, language teachers struggle to find ways to practice pronunciation in class (Lord, 2008). Further, Elliott (1995) maintains that "teachers tend to view pronunciation as the least useful of the basic language skills and therefore they generally sacrifice teaching pronunciation in order to spend valuable class time on other areas of the language" (p. 531). Although teachers sometimes forgo pronunciation instruction to spend time on aspects of the FL that they find more important, pronunciation plays a significant role in comprehensibility (Anderson-Hsieh & Koehler, 1988). Leather (1999) points out that non-native speakers (NNSs) with poor pronunciation can

Gummi is an interaction technique and device concept based on physical deformation of a handheld device. The device consists of several layers of flexible electronic components, including sensors measuring deformation of the device. Users interact with this device by a combination of bending and 2D position control. Gummi explores physical interaction techniques and screen interfaces for such a device. Its graphical user interface facilitates a wide range of interaction tasks, focused on browsing of visual information. We implemented both hardware and software prototypes to explore and evaluate the proposed interaction techniques. Our evaluations have shown that users can grasp Gummi's key interaction principles within minutes. Gummi demonstrates promising possibilities for new interaction techniques and devices based on flexible electronic components.

We show interaction possibilities and a graphical user interface for deformable, mobile devices. WIMP (windows, icons, mouse, pointer) interfaces are not practical on mobile devices. Gummi explores an alternative interaction technique based on bending of a handheld device.

What, if anything, connects the formal writing teens do and the informal e-communication they exchange on digital screens? A considerable number of educators and children's advocates worry that James Billington, the Librarian of Congress, was right when he recently ...

Dear TME Readers, We are pleased to present you with this concluding issue of The Mathematics Educator's Volume 19. This issue displays the variety of article types published in TME. Although all draw upon the work of researchers, the first is a position paper, the second a more traditional research report, the third a literature review focusing on theoretical frameworks of mathematics educators, and the last a research report analyzing issues of methodology. Although we did not intend for this issue to have a particular theme, as you read through the articles presented in Volume 19 Issue 2, you will see that the importance of the mathematical community comes through in each article. In the first article, mathematics is argued to be an inherently social endeavor. In the second article, the impact of student teachers' interactions with mentors on their attitudes towards technology in the classroom is underlined. In the third article, the implications of viewing mathematics as a social construction are fleshed out. And in the fourth article, the effect of communication through letter writing on both secondary students and preservice teachers is explored. In lieu of a guest editorial, we have decided to open this issue with a position paper by Thomas Ricks. He offers a challenge to return to the intellectual and social roots of mathematics activity in the classroom. His article would make an excellent reading for preservice or inservice teachers who do not see the importance of creativity and communication in school mathematics. The second article, by Asli Özgün-Koca, Michael Meagher and Todd Edwards, is a report of research on the development of technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). TPACK is an area of pedagogical content knowledge that is sure to receive more attention in the coming years as increasingly sophisticated technology continues to offer new possibilities and challenges in the classroom. The third article, by Kimberly White-Fredette, brings a sense of the variety of theoretical frameworks used in mathematics education. An awareness, not only of one's own perspective, but also of the perspectives of others, is certainly important for all mathematics educators. And, finally, Anderson Norton and Zachary Rutledge have written a follow-up article to "Preservice Teachers' Mathematical Task Posing: An Opportunity for Coordination of Perspectives," published in the first issue of Volume 18. Their original article focused on the theoretical perspectives of the researchers when conducting a study on preservice teachers' letter writing exchanges with secondary students and on the results that these different perspectives helped them draw out of the data. In their followup article, they focus on the methodological obstacles when measuring student engagement. We would like to thank our associate editors and authors for all their hard work and dedication. We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we all have enjoyed working on it.

The paper calls for a fresh new perspective in thinking about the application of ICTs in postmodern learning environments. Adopting a Lefebvrian view of theoretical approximations, it sets the challenge to reconsider the value of available information and knowledge in the context of global electronic communication. It aims to establish a spatial theoretical understanding of the digital reorganization of information and knowledge by ICT systems. It is argued that the reconsideration of our daily digital environments and informational landscapes must proceed from an in-depth analysis and a 'framing' of the organization of information systems.

Resumo – Não é novidade que o prontuário em papel já não atende mais as necessidades da medicina moderna. O prontuário eletrônico passa a ser uma necessidade para o gerenciamento da grande quantidade de informações sobre o paciente. Mobilidade é parte inerente na ...

Mobile devices play an important role on modern society. Their functionalities go beyond the basic communication, gathering a large set of productivity and leisure applications. The interaction with these devices is highly visually demanding disabling blind users to achieve control. Particularly, text-entry, a task that is transversal to several mobile applications, is difficult to accomplish as it relies on visual feedback both from the keypad and screen. Although there are specialized solutions to overcome this problem, those are ...

The purpose of this survey was to determine the usefulness of MP3 players in the educational experience of women religious in five sub-Saharan countries. The women's ability to implement cellphones led to the assumption that other innovations could be acculturated, consistent with Rogers' (1995) adoption of an innovation theory. Surveys were sent to 158 women religious who received an MP3 player preloaded with five hours of instruction. Thirty-nine participants responded to the survey that examined the benefits and limitations of the MP3 player. Findings illustrate the effectiveness and efficiency of MP3 players. Benefits included portability, manageability, radio use, and means of sharing information. Frequent power outages, barriers to recharging and reliance on ear plugs were cited as challenges.

Despite recent technological advances, the promise of the virtual classroom with anywhere, anytime access and rich data sharing remains largely unfulfilled. To address this need, Project Numina researchers are developing a mobile learning environment that fosters collaboration among students and between students and instructors.

Este trabalho apresenta a proposta de um sistema web para realizar a automacao de um instrumento de coleta de dados da area da enfermagem. O instrumento foi produzido para atender pacientes do Hospital Geral da Santa Casa de caridade de Uruguaiana (HGSCCU) e esta sendo utilizado para coleta de dados de pacientes que consultam no ambulatorio. Anteriormente, o hospital armazena os dados coletados de maneira obsoleta: geralmente em arquivos de texto ou em papel. Uma solucao possivel e armazenar e manipular os dados dos pacientes tendo em vista que se tratam de informacoes medicas. A automacao encontra-se em estado de finalizacao da codificacao, que esta sendo executada sobre artefatos gerados ate o momento, como: banco de dados; interface grafica de prototipacao evolutiva; diagramas de classes, entidade relacionamento e casos de uso. Para concluir o sistema proposto, e esperada a validacao do sistema apos a implantacao, que ocorrera quando a etapa de codificacao e a etapa de testes for...

Students now have at their disposal a range of Web 2.0 authoring forms such as audio and video podcasting, blogging, social bookmarking, social networking, virtual world activities and wiki writing. Many university educators are interested in enabling students to demonstrate their learning by creating content in these forms. However, the design and conduct of assessment for such student-created content is not straightforward. Based upon a review of current literature and examples in the public domain, this paper identifies key challenges for academic assessment that arise from students' use of Web 2.0 authoring forms. We describe and analyse selected cases where academics have set assessable student Web 2.0 activities in a range of fields of study, noting especially the inter-relationship of learning objectives, assessment tasks and marking criteria. We make recommendations for practice, research and understanding to strengthen educational quality and academic integrity in the u...

Interactive television (iTV) is a new media technology that has great potential for supporting second language learning, particularly for independent adult learners. It has many characteristics demanded by modern second language (L2) learning theories and is technologically quite sophisticated. However, in order for it to succeed it needs to fit in with these learners' approaches to media use in language learning. While there is an extensive literature on many other aspects of language learning and teaching, particularly in ...

JODI A. HIFT: IGeneration: A Study in Challenge Based Learning at a Small Private University Faculty-buy in is an essential component of successful technology integration processes at the Higher Education level. The goal of this case study was to assess the University faculty's role in the utilization of Challenge Based Learning while teaching undergraduate students. Did the University have the faculty's support and buy-in concerning the use of Challenge Based Learning as a campus-wide initiative? The perspectives of 16 full-time University faculty members enrolled in a Challenge Based Learning pilot study were explored at the beginning of the Challenge Based Learning pilot and then and were assessed again upon the completion of the pilot. The findings of the study were in favor of using Challenge Based Learning again. APPROVAL OF DISSERTATION IN PRACTICE @ c, LY N N '".ii*.ii' u N I v E R s I T Y IGeneration: A Study in Challenge Based Learning at a Small Priva...

ommunication through technology occupies an increasingly greater role in our lives, whether by way of cell phones and other handheld communication devices, such as Blackberries and iPods, or Internet access using computers. Not surprisingly, students and young adults have devised unanticipated applications for technology that raise significant legal implications for school business officials and other education leaders. The most recent and most troublesome misuse of technology involves sextingthe practice of sending or posting sexually explicit images or text messages via cell phones and other handheld devices. While photographing and exploiting nudity or sexually graphic materials have certainly been around since the proverbial time immemorial, today, in the cyber age of instantaneous far-reaching communication, images can be sent immediately and irretrievably. Based on the speed of electronic communications, questions arise about whether students or their parents fully comprehend the ramifications of their actions when young people engage in sexting and its potentially dire consequences.

This study aimed to evaluate radiation doses from handheld X-ray devices, specifically NOMAD Pro 2 TM (DvcN), Rextar X (DvcRX), and Diox 602 (DvcD), targeting operator and patient's critical organs and tissues. Calibrated TLD-100H dosimeters were placed on a mannequin and phantom head, focusing on the eyes, thyroid, gonads, hands, and salivary glands. Using a TLD reader, absorbed equivalent doses post irradiation were assessed. Conventional systems yielded higher radiation doses than phosphor plates and digital systems. Notably, implementing protective measures resulted in significant (p < 0.05) dose reductions to the operator. Peak measurements without protection included: gonad 24.4 (DvcN) µGy; thyroid 30.5 (DvcN) µGy; right eye 31.9 (DvcN) µGy; left eye 27.9 (DvcN) µGy; right hand 111.6 (DvcRX) µGy; and left hand 71.7 (DvcD) µGy. Radiation dose reductions ranged from 11.49% to 93.25%, depending on the region and device. It is imperative to adhere to radiological protection protocols, particularly when employing handheld X-ray devices; optimally, these should be used with digital systems.

Interactivity and inquiry-based learning science are effective ways of helping students overcome their perception of chemistry as an alien and abstract topic and instead approach the subject as a creative way of understanding ideas and applying mastered concepts to new contexts. Data acquisition systems are an extremely useful form of educational technology that can be used alone or in conjunction with other technologies to bring about active learning and enable students to move beyond memorization to the verification strategies and knowledge base they need to successfully master chemistry concepts. This article describes the use of data acquisition systems and analysis software in combination with other technologies such as electronic response systems and online video. The technologies were used for laboratory activities, online learning, and lecture hall demonstrations and allowed for cross-disciplinary experiments. They also brought an element of interactivity to each instructional setting that proved to be an excellent avenue for engaging student interest and ensuring comprehension of chemistry topics.

This study explores the relationship between students' extracurricular experiences online and their performance on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), focusing specifically on students' competence in digital reading. The study uses a descriptive, correlational, ex post facto design. The data are taken from Spanish students' results on the PISA 2009, which was developed by the OECD and in which 65 countries participated. A subsample of 4748 students who had taken the digital reading exam was extracted from the Spanish sample. In explaining digital reading performance, online experience in informationsearching activities is shown to be more relevant than online social activities. Certain pedagogical implications are subsequently suggested to improve students' digital reading competence.

More recent motivational research focuses on the identification of effective techniques for enhancing instructional design and meeting the needs of diverse student populations (Wlodkowski R. J., 1981). Learning-motivation researchers are applying some of the same theories and concepts found to be effective in industry to the development of motivational models that enhance the teaching-learning environment. One of such models is the Attention Relevance Confidence Satisfaction (ARCS) model of motivational design developed by John M. Keller (Small Ruth V., 2007). The continuous improvement in handheld devices technologies has led to a new learning paradigm called mobile learning which involves the delivery of learning contents to learners utilizing mobile computing devices. Handheld devices, however, have constraints which limit their use for effective learning. Towards improving the effectiveness of mobile learning is a new mobile learning model proposed by Shih on which instructional designs for mobile learning can be based to facilitate mobile learning design and to achieve better mobile learning outcomes (Yushin E. Shih & Dennis Mills, 2007). Shih's model is based on Graphical User Interface (GUI). This paper presents an enhanced Shih's model for effective mobile learning outcome in a university environment by making provision for instructional design to include online library search for both e-books and audio books using collaborative filtering algorithm to aid the search and posting and reading of testimonials about positive mobile learning outcomes so as to encourage other mobile learners. It also incorporates the use of Voice User Interface (VUI) to access the learning portal in order to overcome mobile devices interface limitations in addition to Graphical User Interface (GUI) proposed by Shih, so as to cater for the learning needs of the blind and the visually impaired.

Rapidly increasing educational needs of the information society individuals make it necessary and commonplace to use information and communication technologies for instructional purposes. These technologies regulate, direct and shape individuals&#x27; social interactions, ...

This research study explored the effects of the use of clicker technology as a means of formative assessment in large, college introductory psychology courses. Academic achievement, as measured by performance on tests of knowledge, was compared between students who used clickers and students that did not use clickers. There was a significant difference between the two groups, although a small effect was noted. Students using the clickers responded to survey items created to solicit information regarding student perceptions of increased understanding, ability to self-identify content deficits, fun, and financial value of clickers. Data from the survey indicated that the majority of students perceived the usage of clickers increased their understanding of and ability to self-identify concept areas. All of the students reported that using clickers was fun, although approximately only one third of those same students reported that purchasing a clicker was worthwhile. Implications for administrators are discussed and alternative technologies are explored.

This study determined the effectiveness of integrating podcasts into learners' lessons to enhance agricultural literacy. Through quantitative methods, including surveys and pre-and post-tests, the study assessed the effectiveness of podcast integration in improving learners' cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of agri-crop production. The researcher selected two sections of grade 7 from a junior high school in the division of Tanuan City. The researcher used an experimental method to determine the effectiveness of podcast integration. The study revealed that the respondents perceived the integration of podcasting as a localized learning tool in terms of localized lessons, localized discussions, and localized interviews as highly appreciated because of the relatability and practicality of the lesson. On account of the student's perceptions regarding the utilization of podcast design in terms of length, pedagogical approach, style, and fit with other materials, they strongly agree on all the indicators that were interpreted as highly favorable. Moreover, the study reveals a statistically significant difference in the level of agricultural literacy among students before and after the utilization of podcasting as a localized learning tool in agri-crop production across the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor competency domains. The use of the localized podcast content significantly increased their scores based on the administered assessment.

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) technology and pedagogy have gained recognition globally for their success in supporting second language acquisition (SLA). In Saudi Arabia, the government aims to provide most educational institutions with computers and networking for integrating CALL into classrooms. However, the recognition of CALL's efficacy does not translate into easy acceptance and integration in English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) classrooms in Saudi schools, particularly where teaching of both English language and information and communication technologies (ICT) is subject to religious and cultural constraints. There are other barriers that impede native Arabic speakers from learning English. Accordingly, the research question addressed in this paper is an exploration of the overt and covert factors that affect CALL use and integration in Saudi Arabian secondary schools. A case study approach using mixed methods was employed to interview and observe a sample of teachers and school inspectors in urban and rural secondary schools. Results were supplemented with an online questionnaire and analysed using both descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The findings lead to recommending a model to address the covert and overt issues identified, and provide systematic support for integrating CALL into Saudi Arabian English language classrooms.