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Purpose Mobile technologies, such as QR codes, play a particularly important role in scaffolding the child user's active learning in informal environments. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of QR code scanning on two informal learning outcomes: increased interest and greater knowledge understanding.Design/methodology/approach In total, 91 children and their families participated in the study as part of the iQ Zoo Project. Children in both the smartphone group and the control group completed were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively before and then after their zoo visits.Findings Qualitative findings suggest that most children's interest in learning about animals was sustained as a result of the experience. Quantitative results reveal that QR code scanning was effective in promoting knowledge gains, especially on subjects that are challenging for the informal learner. Findings were comparable across the younger (5–8) and older (9–12) age groups.Originality/value This study provides empirical support for the value and usefulness of mobile technologies such as QR code scanning for children's learning in informal environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a computational model that implicitly predict the children’s creative quality of solutions by analyzing the query pattern on a problem-solving-based lesson.Design/methodology/approach A search task related to the competencies acquired in the classroom was applied to automatically measure children’ creativity. A blind review process of the creative quality was developed of 255 primary school students’ solutions.Findings While there are many creativity training programs that have proven effective, many of these programs require measuring creativity previously which involves time-consuming tasks conducted by experienced reviewers, i.e. far from primary school classroom dynamics. The authors have developed a model that predicts the creative quality of the given solution using the search queries pattern as input. This model has been used to predict the creative quality of 255 primary school students’ solutions with 80 percent sensitivity.Research limitations/implications Although the research was conducted with just one search task, participants come from two different countries. Therefore, the authors hope that this model provides detection of non-creative solutions to enable prompt intervention and improve the creative quality of solutions.Originality/value This is the first implicit classification model of query pattern in order to predict the children’ creative quality of solutions. This model is based on a conceptual relation between the concept association of creative thinking and query chain model of information search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose- The purpose of this paper is to examine how elementary school teachers integrated technology into their mathematics teaching in classroom settings that were one-to-one computer environments for most of the day. Following a series of classroom observations and interviews, inductive qualitative analyses of data indicated that teachers felt that technology supported student's mathematics learning and prepared them for their future where technology was important. However, observations indicated that despite teaching in one-to-one environments, students only used technology on rare occasions or if they finished activities early. Further, these technology-based activities were low-level review of mathematics computations. Implications include the need to provide effective support to teachers about integrating technology in meaningful ways. Design/methodology/approach -This study involved classroom observations of two-third grade teachers. Findings -Findings indicate that teachers used Chromebooks in one-to-one classrooms to provide students with extra practice on computational skills. Research limitations/implications- There is a need for future studies to look at teacher's use of technology and its influence on student learning. Practical implications -Teacher education programs and school leaders should provide opportunities for current and future teachers to learn about technology with content specific examples. Originality/value - This study provided an examination of all of the third grade teachers in a school who all were teaching mathematics in one-to-one classroom environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to report the implementation and outcomes of the "Open Wings" project, a continuing effort to create a community of self-directed elementary school learners and to enhance their homonomy. Technology-enhanced international videoconference presentations resulted in both knowledge gains and attitude changes. These, in turn, inspired creative, collaborative interdisciplinary projects through which students demonstrated that they could embed themselves in contexts that contribute to homonomous identification and development. Design/methodology/approach - Over the 2015-2016 school year, interactive international videoconferences were delivered to first and sixth grade classrooms in two elementary schools in Athens, Greece. Topics included a personal immigration story and responsible citizenship. Impact was measured quantitatively by a pre-test/post-test design that measured changes in knowledge and attitudes and qualitatively by student group projects at six stations inspired by e-reflect methodology. Findings - Students demonstrated gains in factual knowledge and changes in attitudes toward immigrants and refugees. Individual and group work at each station revealed that they could plan, research, and present projects that demonstrated their personal sense of self and their place in the community. Originality/value - With many in Greece directly affected by the economic crisis and an influx of refugees and immigrants, students feel they have no control over their lives and become fearful of outsiders. Even when resources are limited, innovative use of learning technologies can help educate students in the prescribed curriculum and guide them beyond hopelessness to see themselves as empowered individuals who can enrich their own lives and those of their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate intrinsic factors associated with student teachers' intentions to integrate technology during their first year of teaching in elementary school classrooms. Design/methodology/approach - The researchers surveyed 103 undergraduate teacher candidates who had completed student teaching. The survey measured five factors derived from three inter-related theoretical models. A four-step hierarchical multiple regression analysis determined the contribution of each variable (value beliefs, self-efficacy beliefs, perceived ease of use, and subjective norm) to the prediction of intentions. Findings - The best predictors were subjective norm and perceived ease of use, which predicted 65 percent of the variance in intentions. Student teachers tended to anticipate using technology in their future classrooms when they perceived that significant others expected them to do so and thought that it would be relatively easy to accomplish. Most believed that technology integration would be effective and were confident that they could accomplish it; however, their value and self-efficacy beliefs were not the best predictors of their intentions to integrate technology in elementary classrooms. Originality/value - This study contributes to the literature on modeling technology acceptance in education. The model developed is unique compared to those presented in related studies. The results provide insight into factors associated with elementary preservice teachers' intentions to integrate technology and highlight the close association between intentions and subjective norm at a crucial transition point in new teacher development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]