Digital Media & Learning

A Review of the Relevant Merits and Disadvantages of the Current Assessment Methods used in the Photography BTEC Extended Diploma Course

by Ben Macloughlin

This paper explores the current assessment method used in a Photography BTEC course. It reveals the role of formative... more This paper explores the current assessment method used in a Photography BTEC course. It reveals the role of formative and summative assessment methods in Photography. It identifies the differences between the use of sketchbooks, PowerPoint and blogs to track learner progress and for receiving feedback. The research takes into account the views of the learners and their tutors and offers an insight into teaching and learning styles. The aim of the paper is to discover which assessment method best suits Photography and can possibly raise the standards of teaching and learning in the UK.

Didattiche digitali. Come evolve l’apprendimento in ambiente multitasking?

by Michele Dantini

in: il manifesto, 24.5.2012

Con parole semplici e chiare: perché occorre impegnarsi nella discussione su scuola e digitale, e ritenere che la... more Con parole semplici e chiare: perché occorre impegnarsi nella discussione su scuola e digitale, e ritenere che la questione tocchi l’intera collettività, non solo il mondo dell’educazione? La prima buona ragione è questa: manca buona informazione, informazione indipendente, informazione qualificata e riflessiva…

L’introduzione di tablets e lavagne digitali può dischiudere potenzialità rilevanti all’apprendimento e alla partecipazione… Iniziative sul piano della didattica digitale sono avviate da università prestigiose e prontamente rilanciate dai media… Non è tuttavia chiaro se simili iniziative siano ad oggi più rilevanti sul piano educativo o su quello economico.

Non ci risulta che il dibattito su temi così importanti sia vivace e partecipato in Italia, almeno non tanto quanto forse dovrebbe; a tratti ci appare perfino opaco, e come condizionato da pressioni strumentali. L’euforia mediatica che da mesi accompagna le iniziative (o le semplici dichiarazioni) ministeriali pro-introduzione di dispositivi digitali nella scuola secondaria sembra orientata alla “debolezza, anzi la stupidità della mentalità stile ‘la tecnologia ci salverà’ che ha pervaso gli anni Novanta” (citiamo Richard Florida). Un preoccupante deficit di empatia sembra per di più caratterizzare le retoriche dell’”innovazione” digitale, e imporre un singolare mix di rifiuto della vulnerabilità e calloso ottimismo patriarcale.

Misyurov D.A. Dialectical formulas based on the binary notation as the development formulas // Credo New. 2012. №2

by Dmitry Misyurov

The article suggests dialectical formulas based on the binary notation as the development formulas: formula with... more The article suggests dialectical formulas based on the binary notation as the development formulas: formula with dominant and the non-dominant elements; universal formula; formula with symbolic weight of elements; tautological formula. For example, it suggests an opportunity to use the dialectical formulas for modeling and artificial intelligence creation, etc.

The role of different media in designing learning environments.

by Allan Collins

Collins, A., Neville, P., & Bielaczyc, K.  (2000). The role of different media in designing learning environments. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 11, 144-162.

As a broader array of communication tools is developed, designers of learning environments need a better understanding... more As a broader array of communication tools is developed, designers of learning environments need a better understanding of what kinds of communication each medium is best suited for. Each of the new media have different affordances and constraints. One of our principles for the design of learning environments is “Render unto each medium what it does best.” This paper is an attempt to state some of what we know about what different media are good for.

Digital Storytelling with Web 2.0 Tools for Collaborative Learning

by Dr Eva Dakich

To be published in Collaborative Learning 2.0: Open Educational Resources, Edited by Dr. Alexandra Okada, Ms. Teresa Connolly and Dr. Peter Scott, Knowledge Media Institute - The Open University UK, IGI Global, Expected publication date 2012.

Digital Storytelling is an innovative pedagogical approach that has the potential to engage learners in... more Digital Storytelling is an innovative pedagogical approach that has the potential to engage learners in student-centered learning, and improve the learning outcomes across the curriculum. It enhances learners motivation, provides learners with a learning environment conducive for communication, reflection, construction, and collaboration. It is a pedagogical approach that intends to provide students with the opportunities to explore, create, and evaluate their ideas both individually and collaboratively. When it is used with the latest technologies effective and efficient e-learning systems may be developed. This responds to the needs of the new generation of students, who are very familiar with the digital world. Despite the fact that many educationists have recognized the potential of digital storytelling, a well-designed framework for the same is still required.

This paper introduces a framework for advancing e-Learning systems through digital storytelling. It gives an overview of digital storytelling and the level of contemporary research and literature on the pedagogical benefits of digital storytelling. It describes the storytelling types as well as the current models of digital storytelling. Then, it explains the proposed e-Learning digital storytelling framework. It concludes with an overview of the research that needs to be conducted to test the efficacy of the proposed e-Learning digital storytelling framework on several dimensions.

...if we were cavemen we'd be fine

by Owen Barden

This is a draft. The final, definitive version is forthcoming via Blackwell Synergy and the UKLA in Literacy: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291741-4369

This article is derived from a study of the use of Facebook as an educational resource by five dyslexic students at a... more This article is derived from a study of the use of Facebook as an educational resource by five dyslexic students at a Sixth Form College in north-west England. Through a project in which teacher-researcher and student-participants co-constructed a group Facebook page about the students’ scaffolded research into dyslexia, the study examined the educational affordances of a digitally-mediated social network. An innovative, flexible, experiential methodology combining action research and case study with an ethnographic approach was devised. This enabled the use of multiple mixed methods, capturing much of the rich complexity of the students’ online and offline interactions with each other and with digital media as they contributed to the group and co-constructed their group Facebook page. Social perspectives on dyslexia (Cooper, 2006; Herrington & Hunter-Carsch, 2001) and multiliteracies (Cope & Kalantzis, 2000; Gee, 1996; Street 1984 & 2003) were used to help interpret the students’ engagement with the social network and thereby deduce its educational potential. The research concludes that as a digitally mediated social network, Facebook engages the students in active, critical learning about and through literacies in a rich and complex semiotic domain (Gee, 2004, 2005 & 2007). Offline dialogue plays a crucial role. This learning is reciprocally shaped by the students' developing identities as both dyslexic students and able learners. The findings suggest that social media can have advantageous applications for literacy learning in the classroom. In prompting learning yet remaining unchanged by it, Facebook can be likened to a catalyst.

Phases and Lssues In the Transition to ETDs

by Martin Bunch

Bunch, M. J. and C. Jewell (2004). Phases and Issues in the Transition to ETDs. The ETDs Sourcebook: Electronic Theses and Dissertations: A Sourcebook for Educators, Students, and Librarians. E. A. Fox, S. Feizabadi, J. M. Moxley and C. R. Weisser. New York, Marcel Deckker Inc.: 233-246.

This chapter outlines phases through which an institution is likely to pass when adopting electronic theses and... more This chapter outlines phases through which an institution is likely to pass when adopting electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) in addition to, or in place of, traditional (paper) forms of submission, storage, provision of access to, and distribution of theses and dissertations. Four phases are identified in this process: exploration, experimentation, transition, and institutionalization. Other chapters in this volume address technical aspects of ETDs. Thus, recommendations are not made in this chapter regarding details of ETD submissions, file formats, and the like. Rather this chapter addresses the process of investigation and adoption of ETDs at a university and presents an itinerary of issues that are likely to arise along the way. We hope that this discussion will be useful to those beginning an exploration into ETDs as a possible medium for theses and dissertations.

Op-ed: Digital Ways of Preventing HIV Are the Best Medicine

by Christopher Walsh

By Gurmit Singh & Christopher S Walsh

Why are we so fixated on finding a medical solution when, as social networks revolutionize sex in our community, gay... more Why are we so fixated on finding a medical solution when, as social networks revolutionize sex in our community, gay men are successfully using new technology to combat HIV?

Integration of learning style theory in an adaptive educational hypermedia (AEH) system

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Brown, Elizabeth and Brailsford, Tim (2004). Integration of learning style theory in an adaptive educational hypermedia (AEH) system. Paper presented at the 11th International Conference of the Association for Learning Technology (ALT-C 2004), 14-16 Sept 2004, Exeter, UK

Adaptive educational hypermedia (AEH - a branch of web-based learning) systems seek to personalise the learning... more Adaptive educational hypermedia (AEH - a branch of web-based learning) systems seek to personalise the learning experience for their users. User modelling can be performed using various criteria, such as prior ability or domain-specific knowledge, in systems such as WHURLE, AHA! and MOT. Information about the user, forming a user profile, are usually stored in a database, and integrated with the AEH learning environment. The learner is then presented with material that is best suited to them, with adaptation occurring at either the content or link level, or both.

WHURLE (Web-based Hierarchical Universal Reactive Learning Environment) is an AEH system that has been used with many types of students. It is a hypermedia-rich educational tool, suitable for all subjects, that seeks to address the pedagogical limitations of existing commercial Virtual Learning Environments. Its current user model is broadly based upon domain-specific knowledge. Investigations are under way to implement a user model based on learning style theory. This may be integrated with the early user model, or developed simply as a stand-alone module. Uniquely, WHURLE can change the user model used, as it is not a 'hard-wired' part of the system, but rather a component that can easily be interchanged.

Learning style theory advocates that since individuals are all different, they should learn in different ways; this suggests a natural integration with the principles of adaptive educational tools. There are many different learning styles in use around the world, such as the Dunn and Dunn model, Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, Kolb's theory of experiential learning and Riding and Rayner's Cognitive Styles Analysis. We will be discussing how we have implemented the Felder-Silverman Inventory of Learning Styles into the WHURLE architecture in an attempt to enhance the learning experience for users.

Towards a typology of computer use in primary education

by Jo Tondeur

Tondeur, J., van Braak, J., & Valcke, M. (2007). Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 23, 197-206.

In the present study, we reject the view that computer use can be studied as a single variable in the learning... more In the present study, we reject the view that computer use can be studied as a single variable in the learning environment. Our main objective is to develop an instrument to measure different types of class use of computers. This builds on a comprehensive review of the literature on computer use in education. The review helped to construct a questionnaire to study the typology of computer use in primary education. In addition, the questionnaire was enriched by statement of experts in this field. The questionnaire was presented to a sample of 352 primary school teachers. The input from a first sub-sample was used to carry out an exploratory factor analysis; the other sub-sample was used to verify the identified factor structure via confirmatory factor analysis. A three-factor structure of computer use in primary education was identified: “the use of computers as an information tool”, “the use of computers as a learning tool” and “learning basic computer skills”. The three-factor structure was confirmed in the confirmatory factor analysis. The results underpin a number of meaningful differences in the current practice of computer use in primary education.

Curricula and the use of ICT in education. Two worlds apart?

by Jo Tondeur

Jo Tondeur, Johan van Braak, & Martin Valcke (2006). British Journal of Educational Technology, 38,962-975.

In many countries, information and communication technology (ICT) has a clear impact on the development of educational... more In many countries, information and communication technology (ICT) has a clear impact on the development of educational curricula. In Flanders, the education government has identified and defined a framework of ICT competencies for expected outcomes, related to knowledge, skills and attitudes that pupils are expected to achieve at the end of primary school. However, it has never been examined whether teachers are using ICT in accordance with the competencies proposed by the Flemish government.

In order to answer this question, a survey was conducted among 570 respondents in a stratified sample of 53 primary schools. Results show that teachers mainly focus on the development of technical ICT skills, whereas the ICT curriculum centres on the integrated use of ICT within the learning and teaching process. This indicates the existence of a gap between the proposed and the implemented curriculum for ICT. The paper concludes with the potential value of a school-based ICT curriculum that ‘translates’ the national ICT-related curriculum into an ICT plan as part of the overall school policy.

Presence and place of main ideas and examples in study texts

by Fleur Prinsen

Adapting for visual and verbal learning styles in AEH

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Brown, E., Stewart, C. & T. Brailsford (2006) Adapting for visual and verbal learning styles in AEH. Proceedings of the Sixth IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT 2006), Kerkrade, The Netherlands, 5-7 July 2006, pp1145-1146. [Awarded Best Paper Award in the Adaptive Web-Based Education and Learning Styles (AWELS) workshop]

This paper describes how visual and verbal learning styles have been successfully integrated into an adaptive... more This paper describes how visual and verbal learning styles have been successfully integrated into an adaptive educational environment. User trials of this system were carried out, to determine the effect of the adaptation, and although these user trials do not indicate any statistically significant differences, the qualitative information gleaned from the study indicated that students preferred using this environment over other traditional revision methods, and that they perceived personalized tuition to be better than a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

A study of effective evaluation models and practices for technology supported physical learning spaces.

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Pearshouse, I., Bligh, B., Brown, E., Lewthwaite, S., Graber, R., Hartnell-Young, E. and M. Sharples (2009) A study of effective evaluation models and practices for technology supported physical learning spaces. JISC Evaluating Learning Spaces Programme.

This project was intended to inform the future design of learning spaces for higher education. It created an annotated... more This project was intended to inform the future design of learning spaces for higher education. It created an annotated directory of the methods and tools currently used to evaluate the contribution technology-supported physical learning spaces make to learning and teaching. It considered teaching and learning in newly-designed contexts, both formal and informal, looking at the interaction of four elements: learning/learners, teaching/teachers, space and technology.

The project reviewed the methods and tools currently used to evaluate the contribution technology-supported physical learning spaces make to learning and teaching.

The objectives were:
* To identify ‘good practice’ in the evaluation of physical learning space,
* To identify tools, models and data sources that can be used to monitor learning activities, to inform the development of new spaces and help improve the layout and operation of existing spaces, thus enabling development of baseline information to inform the design of new projects,
* To identify aspects (and examples) of space configuration, and of elements within a space, that contribute to effective learning by individuals and groups.

The full report and study plan can be found at http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/projects/learningspaces08.aspx

AnswerTree – a collaborative mobile location-based educational game

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Moore, A., Goulding, J., Brown, E. and J. Swan (2009) AnswerTree – a collaborative mobile location-based educational game. Proceedings of the mLearn 2009 Conference, Orlando, Florida, 26-30 Oct 2009, pp 199-202.

In this paper we present AnswerTree, a collaborative mobile location-based educational game designed to teach 8-12... more In this paper we present AnswerTree, a collaborative mobile location-based educational game designed to teach 8-12 year olds about trees and wildlife within the University of Nottingham campus. The activity is designed around collecting virtual cards (similar in nature to the popular Top Trumps games) containing graphics and information about notable trees. Each player begins by collecting one card from a game location, but then he or she can only collect further cards by answering questions – whose solutions are obtainable through sharing knowledge with other cardholders. This ostensibly allows each player to become a subject expert at the start of the game, encouraging collaborative interaction for the game to be successfully completed. In this initial paper we will outline the structure and background of this location based game. AnswerTree has been authored within the Hyperplace framework, and is a first implementation of a wider process to develop a flexible, multi-purpose platform for both individual and group location-based mobile learning.

Introduction to location-based mobile learning

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Brown, E. (2010) Introduction to location-based mobile learning. In: Brown, E. (ed) Education in the Wild: A report from the STELLAR Alpine Rendez-Vous workshop series. University of Nottingham: Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI). ISBN 9780853582649: pp 7-9.

The distinguishing aspect of mobile learning is the assumption
that learners are continuously on the move. This... more The distinguishing aspect of mobile learning is the assumption
that learners are continuously on the move. This is not just their physical mobility, but also how learners are active in different contexts and how frequently these might change, depending on an individual’s location.

Augmenting the field experience: A student-led comparison of techniques and technologies.

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Priestnall, G., Brown, E., Sharples, M. and G. Polmear (2010) Augmenting the field experience: A student-led comparison of techniques and technologies. In: Brown, E. (ed) Education in the Wild: A report from the STELLAR Alpine Rendez-Vous workshop series. University of Nottingham: Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI). ISBN 9780853582649: pp 43-46.

In this study we report on our experiences of creating and running a student fieldtrip exercise which allowed students... more In this study we report on our experiences of creating and running a student fieldtrip exercise which allowed students to compare a range of approaches to the design of technologies for augmenting landscape scenes. The main study site is around Keswick in the English Lake District, Cumbria, UK, an attractive upland environment popular with tourists and walkers. The aim of the exercise for the students was to assess the effectiveness of various forms of geographic information in augmenting real landscape scenes, as mediated through a range of techniques and technologies. These techniques were: computer-generated acetate overlays showing annotated wireframe views from certain key points; a custom-designed application running on a PDA; a mediascape running on the mScape software on a GPS-enabled mobile phone; Google Earth on a tablet PC; and a head-mounted in-field Virtual Reality system. Each group of students had all five techniques available to them, and were tasked with comparing them in the context of creating a visitor guide to the area centred on the field centre. Here we summarise their findings and reflect upon some of the broader research questions emerging from the project.

Call For Papers: Folklore and Literature Journal Special Issue: Cyber Culture

by Z.Nilüfer Nahya

The Role of Digital Technologies in Learning: Expectations of First Year University Students

by Sean Wiebe

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology
Issue 38(1)

Co-authored with Martha Gabriel, Barbara Campbell, Ronald J MacDonald, Alexander McAuley

A growing literature suggests that there is a disjuncture between the instructional practices of the education system... more A growing literature suggests that there is a disjuncture between the instructional practices of the education system and the student body it is expected to serve, particularly with respect to the roles of digital technologies. Based on surveys and focus group interviews of first-year students at a small Canadian university and focus group interviews of professors at the same institution, this study explores the gaps and intersections between students’ uses and expectations for digital technologies inside and outside of the classrooms and the instructional uses, expectations and concerns of their professors. It concludes with recommendations for uses of digital technologies that go beyond information transmission, the need for extended pedagogical discussions to harness the learning potentials of digital technologies, and for pedagogies that embrace the social construction of knowledge.

Creating user-generated content for location-based learning: an authoring framework

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

FitzGerald, E. (2012) Creating user-generated content for location-based learning: an authoring framework. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 28 (3) pp 195-207. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2729.2012.00481.x

NB - the PDF here is a pre-print copy. For an official 'journal' version please email me and I'll send you the PDF.

Two recent emerging trends are that of Web 2.0, where users actively create content and publish it on the Web and also... more Two recent emerging trends are that of Web 2.0, where users actively create content and publish it on the Web and also location awareness, where a digital device utilises a person’s physical location as the context to provide specific services and/or information. This paper examines how these two phenomena can be brought together, so that user-generated content on mobile devices are used to provide informal learning opportunities relevant to a person’s location. However, the generative process of such media does not always have much guidance on how or what to create, so the quality of such information can be highly variable. To overcome this, a framework has been designed to guide the authoring of user-generated content so that it can be used for informal learning about one’s immediate surroundings (particularly in an outdoor setting), combining pedagogical aspects with those from human-computer interaction and environmental aesthetics. The framework consists of six dimensions that include aspects such as curriculum area (e.g. science; art); type of communication; use of language/media related to the landscape; knowledge level of content; contextual aspects and types of interaction. In order to test the framework before it could be used to scaffold new content, it was first used to analyse and evaluate over 200 items of existing user-generated content, to investigate the appropriateness of the proposed dimensions and the items contained therein or if any were missing. This paper presents the findings of this initial testing phase, together with a discussion of how the framework can be improved, in order to help scaffold the creation of new user-generated content in the future.