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"This issue contains a range of articles addressing some of the most important contemporary issues in educational technology research, including technology supported learning design in higher education, teacher knowledge and ICT capacity development, the use of laptops and mobile devices in schools, and comparisons of learning outcomes achieved with and without technology".
Design of a blended learning environment: Considerations and implementation issues
By Nuray Gedik, Ercan Kiraz and M. Yasar Ozden
Abstract
This study identified critical issues in the design of a blended learning environment by examining basic design considerations and implementation issues. Following a design-based research approach with the phenomenological tradition of qualitative research, the study investigated instructor experiences relating to the design, development, and implementation processes of a blended course.
The results reveal that the design considerations centred on the pedagogical approach, course organization, materials preparation, interactions, and the instructor's and students' roles. The affordances of the implementation included the arousal of the students' interest and participation, flexibility, time conservation, the ability to track student progress, and the improvement of interaction, collaboration, and communication opportunities. The challenges were increased workload, course and time management, overlaps, and the creation of harmony between the face-to-face and online environments.
The overall results show that the critical issues involved context, the pedagogical framework, instructor competency, and technical issues in the blended course design.
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Schools going mobile: A study of the adoption of mobile handheld technologies in Western Australian independent schools
By Mark Pegrum, Grace Oakley and Robert Faulkner
Abstract
This paper reports on the adoption of mobile handheld technologies in ten Western Australian independent schools, based on interviews with staff conducted in 2011. iPads were the most popular device, followed by iPod Touches and iPhones.
Class sets were common at lower levels, with 1:1 models becoming increasingly common at higher levels. Mobile learning, or m-learning, was still at an experimental stage in most schools, but common themes were already emerging around the need to integrate mobile devices into a broader learning ecology. Key discussions focused on their role in promoting consumption or production, collaboration or personalisation, and creating seamless learning spaces. Used for both organisational and pedagogical purposes, mobile devices were seen as enhancing student motivation, with empirical evidence of improved student learning also emerging in small-scale studies conducted by two schools. Challenges included the need to carefully manage the technology, ethical issues in its use, and staff roles in its deployment.
Pedagogically grounded and adequately contextualised professional development (PD) was seen as vital for time-poor staff, while a desire to set up a professional community of practice was widely expressed. All the schools surveyed planned to extend their use of mobile handheld technologies in the future.
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Visit the website to review articles and items of interest.
Source: Australasian Journal of Educational Technology
Class sets were common at lower levels, with 1:1 models becoming increasingly common at higher levels. Mobile learning, or m-learning, was still at an experimental stage in most schools, but common themes were already emerging around the need to integrate mobile devices into a broader learning ecology. Key discussions focused on their role in promoting consumption or production, collaboration or personalisation, and creating seamless learning spaces. Used for both organisational and pedagogical purposes, mobile devices were seen as enhancing student motivation, with empirical evidence of improved student learning also emerging in small-scale studies conducted by two schools. Challenges included the need to carefully manage the technology, ethical issues in its use, and staff roles in its deployment.
Pedagogically grounded and adequately contextualised professional development (PD) was seen as vital for time-poor staff, while a desire to set up a professional community of practice was widely expressed. All the schools surveyed planned to extend their use of mobile handheld technologies in the future.
Read more...
Visit the website to review articles and items of interest.
Source: Australasian Journal of Educational Technology
