Education and literacy. 'Educación y alfabetización'.

Resumen tomado de la publicación.Monográfico : las condiciones de aprendizaje de la lengua escrita

Entornos de aprendizaje móviles adaptativos y evaluación : CoMoLE y GeSES.

Monográfico con el título: 'Adaptación y accesibilidad de las tecnologías para el aprendizaje'. Resumen basado en el de la publicación

El aprendizaje autorregulado como marco te??rico para la aplicaci??n educativa de las comunidades virtuales y los entornos personales de aprendizaje

Resumen basado en el de la publicaci??n

Entorno de aprendizaje virtual adaptativo soportado por un modelo de usuario integral

El objetivo de esta tesis es mejorar la efectividad y eficiencia de los entornos de aprendizaje virtual. Para lograr este propósito se define un Modelo de Usuario que considera las características del usuario, el contexto y la Interacción. Estas tres dimensiones son integradas en un Modelo de Usuario Integral (MUI) para proveer adaptación de contenido, formato y actividades en entornos educativos con heterogeneidad de usuarios, tecnologías e interacciones. Esta heterogeneidad genera la entrega de contenidos, formatos y actividades inadecuadas para los estudiantes. La particularización del MUI en un entorno educativo es definida Modelo de Estudiante Integral (MEI). Las principales aportaciones de esta tesis son la definición y validación de un MUI, la utilización de un MEI abierto para propiciar la reflexión de los estudiantes sobre sus procesos de aprendizaje, la integración tecnológica con independencia de plataforma y la validación del MEI con estudiantes en escenarios reales.

A gestão pedagógica do ensino e aprendizagem on-line : especificidades

A gestão pedagógica do ensino e aprendizagem on-line: especificidades abordam os desafios da Gestão do Projeto Pedagógico que tem as Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação por base didático-pedagógica. O fenômeno constitui-se na gestão do ensino-aprendizagem de curso lato senso a distância, no uso do computador conectado à internet, e a formação do educador especialista responsável pela coordenação, ensino, avaliação e/ou monitoria a frente do trabalho educativo. Reflete sobre os desafios da práxis pedagógica, subsidiada pela busca questionadora das tecnologias, a fim de responder também à demanda por inclusão sócio-digital. A abordagem metodológica de natureza qualitativa pauta-se na interpretação da realidade, de caráter hermenêutico com o intuito de considerar a experiência vivida pelos sujeitos na educação on-line a partir de uma visão crítica. Questiona o descompasso da educação formal brasileira e os avanços sociais com as incorporações de novas tecnologias de aprendizagens. Estabelece nas análises, a relação entre as teorias que sedimentam os objetivos do curso, as práticas de gestão e as influências ideológicas que marcam esse cenário, no PIGEAD da Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro Brasil, período de 2010 a 2012. Os resultados desta pesquisa mostram que a interatividade, diferencial que aproxima o indivíduo e o torna parte da comunicação estabelecida na EAD on-line, não ocorre plenamente entre os sujeitos do processo. Além disso, a gestão democrática participativa declarada em seus objetivos de formação se mostra na realidade como prática centralizadora, sinalizando um descompasso entre teoria e prática. Esta pesquisa, entre outros, oferece elementos de avaliação e aprimoramento ao PIGEAD.

Facebook & Blackboard: comparison of learner perspectives

Different systems, different purposes – but how do they compare as learning environments? We undertook a survey of students at the University, asking whether they learned from their use of the systems, whether they made contact with other students through them, and how often they used them. Although it was a small scale survey, the results are quite enlightening and quite surprising. Blackboard is populated with learning material, has all the students on a module signed up to it, a safe environment (in terms of Acceptable Use and some degree of staff monitoring) and provides privacy within the learning group (plus lecturer and relevant support staff). Facebook, on the other hand, has no learning material, only some of the students using the system, and on the face of it, it has the opportunity for slips in privacy and potential bullying because the Acceptable Use policy is more lax than an institutional one, and breaches must be dealt with on an exception basis, when reported. So why do more students find people on their courses through Facebook than Blackboard? And why are up to 50% of students reporting that they have learned from using Facebook? Interviews indicate that students in subjects which use seminars are using Facebook to facilitate working groups – they can set up private groups which give them privacy to discuss ideas in an environment which perceived as safer than Blackboard can provide. No staff interference, unless they choose to invite them in, and the opportunity to select who in the class can engage. The other striking finding is the difference in use between the genders. Males are using blackboard more frequently than females, whilst the reverse is true for Facebook. Interviews suggest that this may have something to do with needing to access lecture notes… Overall, though, it appears that there is little relationship between the time spent engaging with Blackboard and reports that students have learned from it. Because Blackboard is our central repository for notes, any contact is likely to result in some learning. Facebook, however, shows a clear relationship between frequency of use and perception of learning – and our students post frequently to Facebook. Whilst much of this is probably trivia and social chit chat, the educational elements of it are, de facto, contructivist in nature. Further questions need to be answered - Is the reason the students learn from Facebook because they are creating content which others will see and comment on? Is it because they can engage in a dialogue, without the risk of interruption by others?

The impact of an intelligent classroom on pupils' interactive behaviour

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to determine whether new intelligent classrooms will affect the behaviour of children in their new learning environments. Design/methodology/approach – A multi-method study approach was used to carry out the research. Behavioural mapping was used to observe and monitor the classroom environment and analyse usage. Two new classrooms designed by INTEGER (Intelligent and Green) in two different UK schools provided the case studies to determine whether intelligent buildings (learning environments) can enhance learning experiences. Findings – Several factors were observed in the learning environments: mobility, flexibility, use of technology, interactions. Relationships among them were found indicating that the new environments have positive impact on pupils' behaviour. Practical implications – A very useful feedback for the Classrooms of the Future initiative will be provided, which can be used as basis for the School of the Future initiative. Originality/value – The behavioural analysis method described in this study will enable an evaluation of the “Schools of the Future” concept, under children's perspective. Using a real life laboratory gives contribution to the education field by rethinking the classroom environment and the way of teaching.

Biological fieldwork provision in higher education

Fieldwork is regarded as an important component of many bioscience degree programmes. QAA benchmarks statements refer explicitly to the importance of fieldwork, although give no indication of amounts of field provision expected. Previous research has highlighted the importance of fieldwork to the learning of both subject-specific and transferable skills. However, it is unclear how the amount and type of fieldwork currently offered is being affected by the recent expansion in student numbers and current funding constraints. Here we review contemporary literature and report on the results of a questionnaire completed by bioscience tutors across 33 UK institutions. The results suggest, perhaps contrary to anecdotal evidence, that the amount of fieldwork being undertaken by students is not in decline and that on the whole, programmes contain reasonable amounts of fieldwork. The majority of programmes involved UK-based fieldwork, but a number of programmes also offered ‘exotic’ overseas fieldwork which was considered important in terms of student recruitment as well as exposing students to a diversity of field learning environments. Tutors were very clear about the benefits of fieldwork and the need to be proactive to maintain its provision.

iPad use in fieldwork: formal and informal use to enhance pedagogical practice in a bring your own technology world

We report on use of iPads (and other IOS devices) for student fieldwork use and as electronic field notebooks and to promote active. We have used questionnaires and interviews of tutors and students to elicit their views and technology and iPad use for fieldwork. There is some reluctance for academic staff to relinquish paper notebooks for iPad use, whether in the classroom or on fieldwork, as well as use them for observational and measurement purposes. Students too are largely unaware of the potential of iPads for enhancing fieldwork. Apps can be configured for a wide variety of specific uses that make iPads useful for educational as well as social uses. Such abilities should be used to enhance existing practice as well as make new functionality. For example, for disabled students who find it difficult to use conventional note taking. iPads can be used to develop student self-directed learning and for group contributions. The technology becomes part of the students’ personal learning environments as well as at the heart of their knowledge spaces – academic and social. This blurring of boundaries is due to iPads’ usability to cultivate field use, instruction, assessment and feedback processes. iPads can become field microscopes and entries to citizen science and we see the iPad as the main ‘computing’ device for students in the near future. As part of the Bring Your Own Technology/Device (BYOD) the iPad has much to offer although, both staff and students need to be guided in the most effective use for self-directed education via development of Personal Learning Environments. A more student-oriented pedagogy is suggested to correspond to the increasing use of tablet technologies by students

New occupancy

The chapter is part of a book which has contributors from interior architecture education across the world. New Occupancy refers to the re use of existing structures in educational environments and how they can be successfully adapted and reinvented to accommodate new client requirements and also create exciting stimulating learning environments.

Is the unfolding of the group discussion off-pattern? Improving coordination support in educational forums using mobile devices

A forum is a valuable tool to foster reflection in an in-depth discussion; however, it forces the course mediator to continually pay close attention in order to coordinate learners` activities. Moreover, monitoring a forum is time consuming given that it is impossible to know in advance when new messages are going to be posted. Additionally, a forum may be inactive for a long period and suddenly receive a burst of messages forcing forum mediators to frequently log on in order to know how the discussion is unfolding to intervene whenever it is necessary. Mediators also need to deal with a large amount of messages to identify off-pattern situations. This work presents a piece of action research that investigates how to improve coordination support in a forum using mobile devices for mitigating mediator`s difficulties in following the status of a forum. Based on summarized information extracted from message meta-data, mediators consult visual information summaries on PDAs and receive textual notifications in their mobile phone. This investigation revealed that mediators used the mobile-based coordination support to keep informed on what is taking place within the forum without the need to log on their desktop computer. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An algorithm for automatic checking of exercises in a dynamic geometry system: iGeom

One of the key issues in e-learning environments is the possibility of creating and evaluating exercises. However, the lack of tools supporting the authoring and automatic checking of exercises for specifics topics (e.g., geometry) drastically reduces advantages in the use of e-learning environments on a larger scale, as usually happens in Brazil. This paper describes an algorithm, and a tool based on it, designed for the authoring and automatic checking of geometry exercises. The algorithm dynamically compares the distances between the geometric objects of the student`s solution and the template`s solution, provided by the author of the exercise. Each solution is a geometric construction which is considered a function receiving geometric objects (input) and returning other geometric objects (output). Thus, for a given problem, if we know one function (construction) that solves the problem, we can compare it to any other function to check whether they are equivalent or not. Two functions are equivalent if, and only if, they have the same output when the same input is applied. If the student`s solution is equivalent to the template`s solution, then we consider the student`s solution as a correct solution. Our software utility provides both authoring and checking tools to work directly on the Internet, together with learning management systems. These tools are implemented using the dynamic geometry software, iGeom, which has been used in a geometry course since 2004 and has a successful track record in the classroom. Empowered with these new features, iGeom simplifies teachers` tasks, solves non-trivial problems in student solutions and helps to increase student motivation by providing feedback in real time. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On Aspects of Mathematical Reasoning : Affect and Gender

This thesis explores two aspects of mathematical reasoning: affect and gender. I started by looking at the reasoning of upper secondary students when solving tasks. This work revealed that when not guided by an interviewer, algorithmic reasoning, based on memorising algorithms which may or may not be appropriate for the task, was predominant in the students reasoning. Given this lack of mathematical grounding in students reasoning I looked in a second study at what grounds they had for different strategy choices and conclusions. This qualitative study suggested that beliefs about safety, expectation and motivation were important in the central decisions made during task solving.  But are reasoning and beliefs gendered? The third study explored upper secondary school teachers conceptions about gender and students mathematical reasoning. In this study I found that upper secondary school teachers attributed gender symbols including insecurity, use of standard methods and imitative reasoning to girls and symbols such as multiple strategies especially on the calculator, guessing and chance-taking were assigned to boys. In the fourth and final study I found that students, both male and female, shared their teachers view of rather traditional feminities and masculinities. Remarkably however, this result did not repeat itself when students were asked to reflect on their own behaviour: there were some discrepancies between the traits the students ascribed as gender different and the traits they ascribed to themselves. Taken together the thesis suggests that, contrary to conceptions, girls and boys share many of the same core beliefs about mathematics, but much work is still needed if we should create learning environments that provide better opportunities for students to develop beliefs that guide them towards well-grounded mathematical reasoning. 

Pedagogical Methods in Web-Based Language Teaching

This paper presents a research project that is being conducted at Dalarna University in Sweden. The aim is to study the following: 1) The quality of online language education compared with that of campus education, and 2) Advantages and disadvantages of online language education and how the disadvantages might be overcome. The project consists of two parts: pedagogical methods in online language education from the teachers’ point of view and from the students’ point of view. The first part was conducted in 2012 and various characteristics (benefits and difficulties) of online language education were identified. Flexibility and wider opportunities were general benefits, while lack of physical co-presence, difficulty in having lively debates/discussions, and high dropout rates were among the problems. The second part of the project (being conducted in 2014) aims to investigate how students experience online language learning. The goal is to explore alignments and misalignments between teachers’ perspectives and students’ perspectives, and to develop methods to enhance the quality of online education.

Från traditionellt akademiskt bibliotek till modern lärmiljö : Högskolan Dalarnas bibliotek – förväntningar och resultat

I denna rapport beskrivs idéerna bakom Högskolan Dalarnas prisbelönta bibliotek i Falun. Planerings- och byggprocessen beskrivs och det färdiga resultatet utvärderas, samt de erfarenheter som har gjorts delas.