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Australian employers' appraisal and use of vocational education and training (VET) qualifications were examined through case studies of 15 small, medium, and large organizations in 8 of Australia's "old" and "new" economy industries. Data were collected through interviews with management/employer representatives, middle managers, and union representatives at each organization and a company profile that was administered during the site visits. Employer confidence in the ability of Australian VET providers to meet business needs was mixed. Although providing training was not part of their core business or primary focus, they generally considered it important in supporting their business goals. This view was particularly evident in the use of training for recruitment and for meeting legislative requirements. All sectors but the surfing industry used formal training. The employers were also ambivalent toward training providers. Their comments on training providers were generally negative, in some cases, expressing the view that all training is lacking but training supplied to their own organization was satisfactory. When asked what they want in VET training, the employers mentioned flexibility of VET qualifications and training, flexibility in delivery, and training organizations that listen to and are responsive to business needs. A need for greater understanding and knowledge of recent changes to Australia's national training system was identified. (Contains 60 references.) (MN)

The Centre for Research and Learning in Regional Australia is investigating the elements of social capital and developing a set of indicators that show when social capital is building. The indicators can be used where groups or organizations with a shared purpose engage in productive interactions that benefit not only the individual member groups but also the "learning community" as a whole. The intention is that the indicators will be applicable to geographic communities, professional or common interest communities, such as professional associations, and groups of businesses such as Executive Link[TM], the subject of this paper. Executive Link consists of farm businesses that meet for nonformal training in several chapters in eastern Australia. Each chapter consists of about six farm businesses and their owner/managers who share their business management expertise. Executive Link appears to have features of a learning community, including a shared purpose and learning interactions across the boundaries of individual member businesses and chapters. This paper identifies networks, commitments, and shared values as the elements of social capital that contribute to the quality of learning interactions. Suggested indicators of social capital building include development of a shared language, shared experiences, trust, self-development, and an identification with the community. (Contains 25 references.) (Author/TD)

The question of the extent to which effective leadership in vocational education and training (VET) depends on the specific context in which it occurs was examined. Data were collected from the following sources: an intensive literature analysis; studies of purposive sample of 12 diverse VET sites across Australia; and individual interviews with 48 individuals and group interviews with approximately 60 individuals at the 12 sites. The data from the sites were assembled and subjected to preliminary analysis. Selected emerging results were reported. The following attributes were deemed important leadership characteristics: (1) envisages future trends and their impacts on current strategies; (2) demonstrates interpersonal skills by talking and listening to others and establishing rapport; and (3) works to understand the personalities, motivations, and other diverse qualities of people. The following different "takes" on effective VET leadership were identified: (1) leadership is initiated and carried by a single "leader" or manager; (2) leadership is encouragement of each employee; (3) leaders must see the big picture and translate it into each staff member's own contribution so they perform at their best; (4) people are essentially born leaders; and (5) leadership is about enabling people to develop and grow within an environment of increasing complexity and change. (Contains 33 references.) (MN)

This document contains 43 papers from a conference on researching inclusion. The following are among the papers included: "Include Me Out: Critique and Contradiction in Thinking about Social Exclusion and Lifelong Learning" (Paul Armstrong); "The Linking of Work and Education To Enable Social Inclusion" (Dave Beck); "Including Citizenship in the Adult Curriculum" (Roseanne Benn); "Researching 'Inclusion': Reality and Rhetoric; It's All in the Curriculum Approach" (Darol Cavanagh); "Flexibility and Inclusion in Lifelong Learning: Working the Discourses in Further Education" (Julia Clarke, Richard Edwards); "Researching Inclusion: The Development of Adult Education for Women" (Janet Coles); "Peripheral Vision: Staff Development and Part-Time Tutors in Adult Education" (Derek Cox);"Valuing Exclusive Educational Provision for Disabled Adults" (Mark Dale); "Without and Within: Inclusion, Identity and Continuing Education in a New Wales" (Ian Davidson, Brec'hed Piette); "Adding Life to Your Years: Transformative Learning for Older People at the Irish Museum of Modern Art" (Ted Fleming); "The Network Society and Lifelong Learning--The Work of Manuel Castells and Theories of Adult Education" (Nick Frost); "An Inclusive MBA? Researching Curriculum Design and Delivery" (Roger Hall, Caroline Rowland); "Including the Excluding Image: Researching and Teaching Cultural Images of Adult Educators" (Ann Harris, Christine Jarvis); "Re-Visioning the Boundaries of Learning Theory in the Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)" (Judy Harris); "Reducing Exclusion--Introducing Choice: The Introduction of Distance Learning into Taught Courses" (Christine Hibbert); "Accountability, Audit and Exclusion in Further and Higher Education" (Phil Hodkinson, Martin Bloomer); "Voices from the Community: The Challenge of Creating a Culturally Relevant Curriculum and Inclusive Learning Environment" (Ann-Marie Houghton, Helen Ali); "Opening Pathways to Inclusion: The Importance of Non-Accredited Learning in the Lives of Students in the Local Authority Sector" (Ann Jackson, Belinda Whitwell); "Education in a Uniting Society?" (Nick Small); "'We're Not the Only Ones Learning Here'--An Investigation of Co-Tutoring and the Dynamics of Power within a Class of Adult Dyslexics" (Barbara Taylor); and "Including Mezirow's Concept of Perspective Transformation in the Study of Adult Education" (Miho Tokiwa-Fuse). Many papers contain substantial bibliographies. (MN)

This study examined the character of the emerging systems of corporate management in Australian universities and their effects on academic and administrative practices, focusing on relations of power. Case studies were conducted at 17 individual universities of various types. In each institution, interviews were conducted with senior managers/leaders, middle-level academic managers (faculty deans), and a range of other personnel. The study shows that the Australian government has led the change to a performance-based competitive system with a single, standardized system of funding, funds distribution, and measurement of research activity. Study findings are organized under five broad headings: (1) the emergence of a new kind of strategic leader; (2) the eclipse of collegial systems of decision making and the rise of management-controlled "post-collegial" mechanisms for decision making and consultation; (3) changes in research management, with consequent effects on academic work; (4) commonalities and variations in the different New Universities; and (5) changes in universities in the context of developments in public management. Overall, the study found more corporate-style university managements emerging in all institutions. It is concluded that the new research system is creating perverse incentives in academic terms such as the primacy of money income for research over research activities and outputs, the primacy of research quantity over quality, and the tendency to "flatten out" distinctions among the disciplines for administrative purposes. (Contains 13 references.) (DB)

Providing opportunities for students to demonstrate their mathematical thinking can be challenging. This paper reports on a case study conducted with a teacher and her class of Grade 3/4 students which investigated this phenomenon. Following collection of baseline data that showed her students were not demonstrating evidence of mathematical thinking, the teacher implemented teaching approaches designed to address this. The findings indicated the teaching approaches were effective and led to changes in the teacher's practice and professional growth. The study has implications for teachers who are looking to make changes to their practice based on evidence-informed teaching approaches.

It is well accepted and understood amongst the mathematics education community that numeracy is the responsibility of all teachers, across all levels of schooling. However, the way numeracy is understood and actioned across the Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary contexts is different. This paper reports on a case study of secondary school teachers seeking to be more intentional in embedding numeracy across the curriculum. The findings indicate that dialogue and support to see, and make, numeracy connections result in greater cohesion in terms of understanding numeracy and making numeracy more visible for students.

Teachers often perceive barriers to integrating technology with Mathematics. In the study, teachers participated in professional development about considerations for and examples of integrating Digital Technologies into Mathematics learning in primary schools meeting the "Australian Curriculum: Mathematics and Digital Technologies" requirements. This exploratory multiple case study included preand post-surveys, mentoring conversations and interviews to explore their beliefs and perceived barriers to integrating mathematics and digital technologies. This paper provides insights into their perceived barriers to integrating digital technologies.

School Mathematics Leaders seek to improve the mathematical learning outcomes of the students in their schools. Recognising that improved learning is dependent on high quality teaching, leaders are often keen to support teachers' knowledge of mathematics content and pedagogy. This paper reports ways in which School Mathematics Leaders support and lead the professional development of teachers in team meetings. Results from survey data and case study research are reported in this paper to describe and highlight the supportive actions undertaken by School Mathematics Leaders as they provide professional learning opportunities for teachers.

These proceedings contain the papers of the 11th International Conference on Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age (CELDA 2014), October 25-27, 2014, which has been organized by the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS) and endorsed by the Japanese Society for Information and Systems in Education (JSISE). The CELDA 2014 conference aims to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There have been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a fast pace and affecting academia and professional practice in many ways. Paradigms such as just-in-time learning, constructivism, student-centered learning and collaborative approaches have emerged and are being supported by technological advancements such as simulations, virtual reality and multi-agents systems. These developments have created both opportunities and areas of serious concerns. This conference aimed to cover both technological as well as pedagogical issues related to these developments. The conference included the Keynote Lecture: "Designing Learning Environments in a Digital Age: The Quest for What to Consider," by Professor Jan Elen, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, K.U. Leuven, Belgium. The conference included a panel entitled: "Competencies, Challenges, and Changes: A Global Conversation About 21st Century Teachers and Leaders" by Lynne Schrum, Rose Dolan, Dirk Ifenthaler, Ronghuai Huang, Dale Niederhauser, and Neal Strudler. Papers in the proceedings include: (1) Interactive Application in Spanish Sign Language for a Public Transport Environment (José Guillermo Viera-Santana, Juan C. Hernández-Haddad, Dionisio Rodríguez-Esparragón, and Jesús Castillo-Ortiz); (2) A Game-Based Assessment of Students' Choices to Seek Feedback and to Revise (Maria Cutumisu, Doris B. Chin, and Daniel L. Schwartz); (3) Investigating Teachers' Readiness, Understanding and Workload in Implementing School Based Assessment (SBA) (Norsamsinar Samsudin, Premila A/P Rengasamy, Jessnor Elmy Mat Jizat, Hariyaty Ab Wahid, and Norasibah Abdul Jalil; (4) The Effects of Frequency of Media Utilization on Decision Making of Media Choice (Yasushi Gotoh); (5) Comparing Novices & Experts in Their Exploration of Data in Line Graphs (Bruce H. Tsuji and Gitte Lindgaard); (6) Assessment Intelligence in Small Group Learning (Wanli Xing and Yonghe Wu); (7) Collaborative Creativity Processes in a Wiki: A Study in Secondary Education (Manoli Pifarré, Laura Marti, and Alex Guijosa); (8) LSQuiz: A Collaborative Classroom Response System to Support Active Learning Through Ubiquitous Computing (Ricardo Caceffo and Rodolfo Azevedo); (9) Impacts of MediaWiki on Collaborative Writing Among Teacher Students (Said Hadjerrouit); (10) Teachers' Perceptions of the Individual Case Studies' Literacy Performance and Their Use of Computer Tools (Odette Bourjaili Radi); (11) Exploring Opportunities to Boost Adult Students' Graduation--The Reasons Behind the Delays and Drop-Outs of Graduation (Päivi Aarreniemi-Jokipelto and Asta Bäck; (12) Effective Use of a Learning Management System to Influence On-Line Learning (Xu Hongjiang, Sakthi Mahenthiran, and Kenton Smith); (13) Order Effects of Learning with Modeling and Simulation Software on Field-Dependent and Field-Independent Children's Cognitive Performance: An Interaction Effect (Charoula Angeli, Nicos Valanides, Eirini Polemitou, and Elena Fraggoulidou); (14) Comparative Case Study on Designing and Applying Flipped Classroom at Universities (Cheolil Lim, Sunyoung Kim, Jihyun Lee, Hyeonsu Kim, and Hyeongjong Han); (15) Organizational Leadership Process for University Education (Ricardo Llamosa-Villalba, Dario J. Delgado, Heidi P. Camacho, Ana M. Paéz, and Raúl F. Valdivieso); (16) Academic versus Non-Academic Emerging Adult College Student Technology Use (Joan Ann Swanson and Erica Walker); (17) Creative Stories: A Storytelling Game Fostering Creativity (Antonis Koukourikos, Pythagoras Karampiperis, and George Panagopoulos); (18) An EVS Clicker Based Hybrid Assessment to Engage Students with Marking Criteria (Steve Bennett, Trevor Barker, and Mariana Lilley); (19) ICT Competence-Based Learning Object Recommendations for Teachers (Stylianos Sergis, Panagiotis Zervas, and Demetrios G. Sampson); (20) Improving Content Area Reading Comprehension with 4-6th Grade Spanish ELLs Using Web-Based Structure Strategy Instruction (Kausalai [Kay] Wijekumar, Bonnie J.F. Meyer, and Puiwa Lei); (21) Preparing Special Education Teachers to Use Educational Technology to Enhance Student Learning (Teresa Wallace and David Georgina); (22) ASK4Labs: A Web-Based Repository for Supporting Learning Design Driven Remote and Virtual Labs Recommendations (Panagiotis Zervas, Stefanos Fiskilis, and Demetrios G. Sampson); (23) Digital Storytelling: Emotions in Higher Education (Sandra Ribeiro, António Moreira, and Cristina Pinto da Silva); (24) Design in Practice: Scenarios for Improving Management Education (Lee Schlenker and Sébastien Chantelot); (25) Factors Influencing Students' Choice of Study Mode: An Australian Case Study (Dirk Ifenthaler, Maree Gosper, Matthew Bailey, and Mandy Kretzschmar); (26) Addressing Standardized Testing Through a Novel Assessment Model (Catherine C. Schifter and Martha Carey); (27) "It's Just Like Learning, Only Fun"--A Teacher's Perspective of Empirically Validating Effectiveness of a Math App (Ka Rene Grimes); (28) A User Centered Faculty Scheduled Development Framework (Shohreh Hadian and Nancy Sly); (29) Musical Peddy-Paper: A Collaborative Learning Activity Supported by Augmented Reality (José Duarte Cardoso Gomes, Mauro Jorge Guerreiro Figueiredo, Lúcia da Graça Cruz Domingues Amante, and Cristina Maria Cardoso Gomes); (30) Undergraduate Students' Experiences of Time in a MOOC: A Term of Dino 101 (Catherine Adams and Yin Yin); (31) The Answering Process for Multiple-Choice Questions in Collaborative Learning: A Mathematical Learning Model Analysis (Yasuyuki Nakamura, Shinnosuke Nishi, Yuta Muramatsu, Koichi Yasutake, Osamu Yamakawa, and Takahiro Tagawa); (32) Using Five Stage Model to Design of Collaborative Learning Environments in Second Life (Sevil Orhan and M. Kemal Karaman); (33) Students' Reflections Using Visualized Learning Outcomes and E-Portfolios (Takatsune Narumi and Yasushi Gotoh); (34) The Efficiency of Different Online Learning Media--An Empirical Study (Franziska J. Kößler and Marco M. Nitzschner); (35) Microblogging Best Practices (Shohreh Hadian and Maria-Elena Froese); (36) DIY Analytics for Postsecondary Students (Timothy Arndt and Angela Guercio); (37) Project "Flappy Crab": An Edu-Game for Music Learning (Cristina Maria Cardoso Gomes, Mauro Jorge Guerreiro Figueiredo, José Bidarra, and José Duarte Cardoso Gomes); (38) Higher Education Institutions (HEI) Students Take on MOOC: Case of Malaysia (Jessnor Elmy Mat-jizat, Norsamsinar Samsudin, and Rusliza Yahaya); (39) A Cross Cultural Perspective on Information Communication Technologies Learning Survey (Hale Ilgaz, Sacide Güzin Mazman, and Arif Altun); (40) An App for the Cathedral in Freiberg--An Interdisciplinary Project Seminar (Cindy Kröber and Sander Münster); (41) Possible Science Selves: Informal Learning and the Career Interest Development Process (Leila A. Mills); (42) A Case Study of MOOCs Design and Administration at Seoul National University (Cheolil Lim, Sunyoung Kim, Mihwa Kim, Songlee Han, and Seungil Seo); (43) Persistent Possible Science Selves (Leila A. Mills and Lin Lin); and (44) Towards a Collaborative Intelligent Tutoring System Classification Scheme (Rachel Harsley). Individual papers contain references. An author index is included.

This book contains 31 papers from a conference on future training issues in Australia's industries. The following papers are included: "Training Development in Australia" (Chris Ellison); "Meeting National and Employer Training Requirements" (Mark Paterson); "Meeting Employee Training Requirements" (Bill Mansfield); "Training Challenges in Australia's Manufacturing Industries" (Richard Jenkins); "New Paradigms for Training and Learning Work Skills" (Sandra Yates); "Research and Development: Beyond the Bottom Line" (Ken Boston); "Where the Jobs Are: The Outlook for Jobs" (Chris Murphy); "Industry Training in Australia Today" (Peter Kirby); "Current and Future Issues in the Forest Products Industry and the Implications for VET (Vocational Education and Training)" (Nick Murray);"Rural Training" (Glennyss Leyne); "Training Is More Than Catching: Meeting Future Skill Requirements of the Australian Seafood Industry" (Ross Ord); "The Perfect Partnership: Innovation in Driller Training" (Rod McCallum); "Process Manufacturing Industries Today" (Jeremy Gilling); "Manufacturing Training Perspectives" (Bob Paton); "International Fibre Centre: A Study of Training Innovation" (Lynn Glover); "The NUEITAB (National Utilities and Electrotechnology Industry Training Advisory Board)" (Paul O'Brien); "Gas Industry Skills Centre" (Joseph Calabrese); "Overview of the Building and Construction Industry" (Raymond Hutt); "Flexible Training Delivery in the Hospitality Training Industry" (Gavin Dadswell); "Needs versus Training in the Communications Industry" (Rob Gage); "Skills Formation for the Financial Services Industry: Agent of Change or Zookeeper to the Dinosaurs" (Loretta Winstanley); "NIBA (National Insurance Brokers Association): A Case Study in the Finance and Insurance Industry" (Linda Evans); "Vocational Education and Training in Australian Local Government" (Annabelle Langdale); "Trends and Training Issues in Government" (Meg Barnett); "Database Training for SAAP (Supported Accommodation Assistance Program) Management and Reporting Tool" (Janice Anderson); "A Union Perspective" (Sharan Burrow); "Current and Future Issues and Worker Education and Training" (Terri Seddon); "Factors Shaping the Training Agenda in the Health and Community Services Industries" (Lorraine Wheeler); "Flexible Training Strategies for Social and Community Services: A Case Study" (Berwyn Clayton, Lola Krogh); "The YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) as Training Providers" (Rhys Williams); and "Training and the Sport and Recreational Industries" (Tony Guihot). (MN)

These proceedings contain the papers of the International Conference e-Learning 2013, which was organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society and is part of the Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems (Prague, Czech Republic, July 23-26, 2013). The e-Learning 2013 conference aims to address the main issues of concern within e-Learning. This conference covers both technical as well as the non-technical aspects of e-Learning. The conference accepts submissions in the following seven main areas: Organisational Strategy and Management Issues; Technological Issues; e-Learning Curriculum Development Issues; Instructional Design Issues; e-Learning Delivery Issues; e-Learning Research Methods and Approaches; e-Skills and Information Literacy for Learning. Keynote papers in these proceedings include: (1) Thoughts on the Quality of Learning in MOOCs (Thomas C. Reeves); and (2) Social Networks as the support of the e-Learning (Jan Lojda). Full papers in these proceedings include: (1) Evaluation of Visual Computer Simulator for Computer Architecture Education (Yoshiro Imai, Masatoshi Imai and Yoshio Moritoh); (2) Understanding Children's Museum Learning from Multimedia Instruction (Asmidah Alwi and Elspeth McKay ); (3) How Does the "Digital Generation" Get Help on Their Mathematics Homework? (Carla van de Sande, May Boggess and Catherine Hart-Weber); (4) Productization and Commercialization of IT-Enabled Higher Education in Computer Science: A Systematic Literature Review (Irja Kankaanpää and Hannakaisa Isomäki); (5) Motivating an Action Design Research Approach to Implementing Online Training in an Organizational Context (Christine Rogerson and Elsje Scott ); (6) Social e-Learning in Topolor: A Case Study (Lei Shi, Dana Al Qudah and Alexandra I. Cristea); (7) Training Educators: Plan for Replicating the Experience (Ulanbek Mambetakunov and Marina Ribaudo); (8) Choosing Learning Methods Suitable for Teaching and Learning in Computer Science (Estelle Taylor, Marnus Breed, Ilette Hauman and Armando Homann); (9) Teaching AI Search Algorithms in a Web-Based Educational System (Foteini Grivokostopoulou and Ioannis Hatzilygeroudis ); (10) Digital Histories for the Digital Age: Collaborative Writing in Large Lecture Courses (Leen-Kiat Soh, Nobel Khandaker and William G. Thomas); (11) Promoting Scientific Literacy through the Online Argumentation System (Chun-Yen Tsai); (12) Using a Techno-Skepticism Framework to Evaluate the Perception and Acceptance of a New Online Reading List (Ajmal Sultany and Samantha Halford); (13) SMS-Based Learning in Tertiary Education: Achievement and Attitudinal Outcomes (Yaacov J Katz); (14) e-Portfolios @ Teacher Training: An Evaluation of Technological and Motivational Factors (Alfred Klampfer and Thomas Köhler ); (15) Effects of Facebook Tutoring on Learning English as a Second Language (Chang-hwa Wang and Cheng-ping Chen); (16) An Italian Experience of Social Learning at High School (Michelle Pieri, Davide Diamantini and Germano Paini); (17) Distance Education: Educational Trajectory Control (Andrey Isaev, Alla Kravets, Ludmila Isaeva and Sergey Fomenkov); (18) Leadership for Sustaining Pedagogical Innovations in ICT Implementation: A Case Study of Taiwanese Vocational High School (Yih-Shyuan Chen, Yu-Horng Chen, Shun-Jyh Wu and Fang-Kai Tang); (19) Towards to a Versatile Tele-Education Platform for Computer Science Educators Based on the Greek School Network (Michael Paraskevas, Thomas Zarouchas, Panagiotis Angelopoulos and Isidoros Perikos); (20) Adaptive Feedback Improving Learningful Conversations at Workplace (Matteo Gaeta, Giuseppina Rita Mangione, Sergio Miranda and Francesco Orciuoli); (21) Teachers Little Helper: Multi-Math-Coach (Martin Ebner, Martin Schön, Behnam Taraghi and Michael Steyrer); (22) Youflow Microblog: Encouraging Discussions for Learning (Rafael Krejci and Sean W. M. Siqueira); (23) Interaction Problems Accessing e-Learning Environments in Multi-Touch Mobile Devices: A Case Study in Teleduc (André Constantino da Silva, Fernanda Maria Pereira Freire, Alan Victor Pereira de Arruda and Heloísa Vieira da Rocha); (24) Integrating a Learning Management System with a Student Assignments Digital Repository. A Case Study (Javier Díaz, Alejandra Schiavoni, María Alejandra Osorio, Ana Paola Amadeo and María Emilia Charnelli); (25) On the Recommender System for University Library (Shunkai Fu, Yao Zhang and Seinminn); (26) Developing and Implementing a New Online Bachelor Program: Formal Adoption of Videoconferencing and Social Networking as a Step towards M-Learning (Roland van Oostveen and François Desjardins); (27) Developing a User Oriented Design Methodology for Learning Activities Using Boundary Objects (?lga Fragou and Achilles Kameas); (28) User Acceptance of a Haptic Interface for Learning Anatomy (Soonja Yeom, Derek Choi-Lundberg, Andrew Fluck and Arthur Sale); (29) e-Learning Software for Improving Students Music Performance Using Comparisons (M. Delgado, W. Fajardo and M. Molina-Solana); (30) A Digital Game for International Students Adjustments (Maryam Bisadi, Alton Y.K Chua and Lee Chu Keong); (31) Developing an ICT-Literacy Task-Based Assessment Instrument: The Findings on the Final Testing Phase (Jessnor Elmy Mat-jizat); (32) Peer Tutoring in the CIS Sandbox: Does it Work? (Mark Frydenberg); (33) e-Competent Teacher and Principal as the Foundation of e-Competent School e-Education, the Largest School Informatization Project in Slovenia 2008-2013 (Magdalena Šverc, Andrej Flogie, Maja Vicic Krabonja and Kristjan Percic); (34) Collaborative Tools in Upper Secondary School--Why? (Helle Mathiasen, Hans-Peter Degn, Christian Dalsgaard, Christian W Bech and Claus Gregersen); (35) Adaptation of Educational Text to an Open Interactive Learning System: A Case Study for RETUDIS (M. Samarakou, E.D. Fylladitakis, G. Tsaganou, J. Gelegenis, D. Karolidis, P. Prentakis and A. Papadakis); and (36) Using Podcasts in Distance Education (Herman Koppelman). Short papers in these proceedings include: (1) Big Data & Learning Analytics: A Potential Way to Optimize eLearning Technological Tools (Olga Arranz García and Vidal Alonso Secades); (2) Critical Factors in Mobile eLearning: A Quasi-Systematic Review (Sergio Assis Rodrigues, Rodrigo Pereira dos Santos, Lucas Arnaud and Jano Moreira de Souza); (3) Analysis of Instruction Models in Smart Education (JaeHyeong Park, JeongWon Choi and YoungJun Lee); (4) The History Harvest: An Experiment in Democratizing the Past through Experiential Learning (William G. Thomas and Patrick D. Jones); (5) Challenges of Mongolian e-Learning and An Improvement Method of Implementation (S.Baigaltugs, B. Munkhchimeg and J.Alimaa); (6) Towards a Trust Model in e-Learning: Antecedents of a Student's Trust (Woraluck Wongse-ek, Gary B Wills and Lester Gilbert); (7) Elemental Learning as a Framework for e-Learning (John V. Dempsey and Brenda C. Litchfield); (8) An Interactive Training Game Using 3D Sound for Visually Impaired People (Hsiao Ping Lee, Yen-Hsuan Huang and Tzu-Fang Sheu); (9) e-Learning Practice-Oriented Training in Physics: The Competence Information (Alla G. Kravets, Oxana V. Titova and Olga A. Shabalina); (10) Student Experiences on Interaction in an Online Learning Environment as Part of a Blended Learning Implementation: What is Essential? (Laura Salmi); (11) Usability Assessment of e-Cafe Operational Management Simulation Game (Chiung-sui Chang and Ya-Ping Huang); (12) System for Automatic Generation of Examination Papers in Discrete Mathematics (Mikael Fridenfalk); (13) Direction of Contents Development for Smart Education (YoungSun Park, SangJin An and YoungJun Lee); (14) Online Training in Australia (Joze Kuzic); (15) Using Facebook as a Virtual Classroom in a Public University in Mexico City (Miguel Angel Herrera Batista); (16) Exploring Competency Development with Mobile Devices (Maurice DiGiuseppe, Elita Partosoedarso, Roland Van Oostveen and Francois Desjardins); (17) A Study of the Metacognition Performance in Online Learning (Ya-Ping Huang and Chiung-Sui Chang); (18) Educational Company and e-Learning (František Manlig, Eva Šlaichová, Vera Pelantová, Michala Šimúnová, František Koblasa and Jan Vavruška ); (19) Structural Constructivism as an Epistemology for Professional e-Learning: Implications & Recommendations for the Design of ECPD Pedagogical Models (Gurmit Singh and Maggie McPherson); (20) e-Learning System for Experiments Involving Construction of Practical Electric Circuits (Atsushi Takemura); (21) Component-Based Approach in Learning Management System Development (Larisa Zaitseva, Jekaterina Bule and Sergey Makarov); (22) Learning Portfolio as a Service--A Restful Style (Shueh-Cheng Hu, I-Ching Chen and Yaw-Ling Lin); (23) Context Aware Recommendations in the Course Enrollment Process Based on Curriculum Guidelines (Vangel V. Ajanovski); and (24) A Model of e-Learning Uptake and Continued Use in Higher Education Institutions (Nakarin Pinpathomrat, Lester Gilbert and Gary B Wills). Reflections papers in these proceedings include: (1) The Development of Logical Structures for e-Learning Evaluation (Uranchimeg Tudevdagva, Wolfram Hardt and Jargalmaa Dolgor); (2) Ethics in e-Learning (Alena Bušíková and Zuzana Melicheríková); (3) A Comparative Study of e-Learning System for Smart Education (SangJin An, Eunkyoung Lee and YoungJun Lee); (4) Alternative Assessment Techniques for Blended and Online Courses (Brenda C. Litchfield and John V. Dempsey); (5) Assessing the Structure of a Concept Map (Thanasis Giouvanakis, Haido Samaras, Evangelos Kehris and Asterios Mpakavos); (6) Implementations for Assessing Web 2.0 on Education (Gabriel Valerio and Ricardo Valenzuela); (7) Storytelling: Discourse Analysis for Understanding Collective Perceptions of Medical Education (Yianna Vovides and Sarah Inman); (8) Perception and Practice of Taiwanese EFL Learners' Making Vocabulary Flashcards on Quizlet (Chin-Wen Chien); (9) A Study of Perceptions of Online Education among Professionals (Parviz Ghandforoush); and (10) The Design of the Test Format for Tablet Computers in Blended Learning Environments: A Study of the Test Approach-Avoidance Tendency of University Students (Takeshi Kitazawa). Posters in these proceedings include: (1) Blended Lessons of Teaching Method for Information Studies in Which Students Produce a Learning Guidance Plan (Isao Miyaji); (2) Factors Affecting Teenager Cyber Delinquency (Young Ju Joo, Kyu Yon Lim, Sun Yoo Cho, Bo Kyung Jung and Se Bin Choi); (3) Personalized Virtual Learning Environment from the Detection of Learning Styles (M. L. Martínez Cartas, N. Cruz Pérez, D. Deliche Quesada, and S. Mateo Quero); (4) Distance Online Course for Librarian in Mongolia, Reflection and Learned Lesson (Uranchimeg Tudevdagva and Garamkhand Surendeleg); (5) The Design and Development of a Computerized Attention-Training Game System for School-Aged Children (Tsui-Ying Wang and Ho-Chuan Huang); (6) Discovering Visual Scanning Patterns in a Computerized Cancellation Test (Ho-Chuan Huang and Tsui-Ying Wang); and (7) The Effects of Self-Determination on Learning Outcomes in a Blended Learning (Young Ju Joo, Kyu Yon Lim, Sang Yoon Han, Yoo Kyoung Ham and Aran Kang). Luís Rodrigues is an associate editor of the proceedings. Individual papers contain references. An author index is included.

These proceedings contain the papers of the International Conference on Educational Technologies 2013 (ICEduTech 2013), which has been organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society and co-organised by the Faculty of Computer Science & Information Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 29 November - 1 December 2013. ICEduTech is the scientific conference addressing the real topics as seen by teachers, students, parents and school leaders. Scientists, professionals and institutional leaders are invited to be informed by experts, sharpen the understanding what education needs and how to achieve it. Papers in these proceedings include: (1) Learning in the Networked Society (Piet Kommers); (2) Mediating Authentic Learning: The Use of Wiki's and Blogs in an Undergraduate Curriculum in South Africa (Simone Titus); (3) Professional Learning to Nurture Adaptive Teachers (Kar-Tin Lee); (4) Understanding TPACK in Practice: Praxis through Technological Pedagogical Reasoning (Glenn Finger and Paul Finger); (5) A Comparison of Low Performing Students' Achievements in Factoring Cubic Polynomials Using Three Different Strategies (Ugorji I. Ogbonnaya, David L. Mogari, and Eric Machisi); (6) Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Collaboration Technology within the Context of Virtual Teamwork Training (Joy J. Godin and Lars F. Leader); (7) Surveillance in Programming Plagiarism beyond Techniques: An Incentive-Based Fishbone Model (Yanqing Wang, Min Chen, Yaowen Liang, and Yu Jiang); (8) Elearning Strategic Planning 2020: The Voice of Future Students as Stakeholders in Higher Education (Glenn Finger and Vicky Smart); (9) Laptops in Classroom Interaction: The Dynamic Reach of the Laptoped Situation (Tomas Lindroth, Johan Lundin, and Lars Svensson); (10) Salapiggy: Usability Test of the Sifteo Cubes as a Game Interface for the Money Counting Game for Preschoolers (Adrian Orense, Berlyn Anne Decena, and Rommel Feria); (11) An Ontology for Software Engineering Education (Thong Chee Ling, Yusmadi Yah Jusoh, Rusli Adbullah, and Nor Hayati Alwi); (12) Technology Enhanced Analytics (TEA) in Higher Education (Ben Kei Daniel and Russell Butson); (13) Teachers' Learning in Online Communities of Practice: Two Case Studies from Australia (Ria Hanewald); (13) Teaching Teachers for the Future Project: Building TPACK Confidence and Capabilities for Elearning (Glenn Finger, Romina Jamieson-Proctor, and Peter Grimbeek); (14) The Comparison of Inductive Reasoning under Risk Conditions between Chinese and Japanese Based on Computational Models: Toward the Application to CAE for Foreign Language (Yujie Zhang, Asuka Terai, and Masanori Nakagawa); (15) Use and Production of Open Educational Resources (OER): A Pilot Study of Underground Students' Perceptions (Khe Foon Hew and Wing Sum Cheung); (16) Teaching 21st Century Competencies: Lessons from Crescent Girls' School in Singapore (Gucci Trinidad, Deepa Patel, Linda Shear, Peishi Goh, Yin Kang Quek, and Chen Kee Tan); (17) Research on Demand Analysis of the Users of the Senior English Diagnostic System (Chen Guo, Hui Zhang, Qian Yao, and Min Wu); (18) Using Self-Reflection and Badges in Moodle-Based Medical English Review Courses for Enhancing Learners' Autonomy (Jun Iwata, John Clayton and Sarah-Jane Saravani); (19) Investigating the Use of Social Media by University Undergraduate Informatics Programmes in Malaysia (Jane See Yin Lim, Shirley Agostinho, Barry Harper, and Joe F. Chicharo); (20) Educational Online Technologies in Blended Tertiary Environments: A Review of Literature (Kimberley N. Tuapawa); and (21) How Teachers Use and Manage Their Blogs? A Cluster Analysis of Teachers' Blogs in Taiwan. Individual papers contain references. An author index is included.

This paper contributes to the Research Symposium, "Strengths approaches in early childhood mathematics education" by providing an illustration of how an early childhood centre adopts a strengths approach to mathematics education for birth to three-year-old children. A case illustration is drawn from a current Australian Research Council-funded study focusing on mathematics education for children under three years of age. The case is analysed and described using a five-step strengths-based framework. [This paper is the second in a symposium of three papers. For the first paper, "An Introduction to the Strengths Approach," see ED616177. For the third paper, "Leadership of Strengths-Based Approaches for Early Years Mathematics Education: Using CHAT as a Framework for Educational Leaders' Professional Learning Leadership," see ED616189.]

Mathematical self-concept refers to the perceived ability that one has in being able to do mathematics. While it has been shown to be a significant predictor for how students learn and apply mathematics, little research has been conducted into the relationship between the mathematical self-concept of teachers and their pedagogical practices in the mathematics classroom. This paper reports on a section of the findings from a small mixed methods study that sought to ascertain the nature of primary teachers' mathematical self-concept and how it is related to their teaching practices. Findings suggest that a teachers' mathematical self-concept does not necessarily reflect the mathematics practices evident in their classroom.

This document is the fourth volume of the proceedings of the 29th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Conference papers are centered around the theme of "Learners and Learning Environments." This volume features 42 research reports by presenters with last names beginning between Mul and Wu: (1) Case Studies of Children's Development of Structure in Early Mathematics: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study (Joanne Mulligan, Michael Mitchelmore, and Anne Prescott); (2) A Case Study of How Kinesthetic Experiences Can Participate in and Transfer to Work with Equations (Ricardo Nemirovsky and Chris Rasmussen); (3) The Construction of Proportional Reasoning (Stephen Norton); (4) The Transition of a Secondary Mathematics Teacher: From a Reform Listener into a Believer (Jo Clay Olson and Karmen Kirtley); (5) Substantive Communication of Space Mathematics in Upper Primary School (Kay Owens); (6) Transforming Korean Elementary Mathematics Classrooms to Student-Centered Instruction (JeongSuk Pang); (7) The Effect of Improved Automaticity and Retrieval of Basic Number Skills on Persistently Low-Achieving Students (John Pegg, Lorraine Graham, and Anne Bellert); (8) Degrees of Freedom in Modeling: Taking Certainty out of Proportion (Irit Peled and Ronit Bassan-Cincinatus); (9) "I Know That You Don't Have to Work Hard": Mathematics Learning in the First Year of Primary School (Bob Perry and Sue Dockett); (10) Disentangling Mentors' Role in the Development of Prospective Teachers' Efficacy Beliefs in Teaching Mathematics (George Philippou and Charalambos Y. Charalambous); (11) Linear Functions and a Triple Influence of Teaching on the Development of Students' Algebraic Expectation (Robyn Pierce); (12) Engaging the Learner's Voice? Catechetics and Oral Involvement in Reform Strategy Lessons (Adrian J. Pinel); (13) Teaching Projectile Motion to Eliminate Misconceptions (Anne Prescott and Michael Mitchelmore); (14) An Investigation of a Preservice Teacher's Use of Representations in Solving Algebraic Problems Involving Exponential Relationships (Norma Presmeg and Rajeev Nenduradu); (15) On Embodiment, Artifacts, and Signs: A Semiotic-Cultural Perspective on Mathematical Thinking (Luis Radford, Caroline Bardini, Cristina Sabena, Pounthioun Diallo, and Athanase Simbagoye); (16) Generalization Strategies of Beginning High School Algebra Students (Joanne Rossi Becker and Ferdinand Rivera); (17) Synchronizing Gestures, Words and Actions in Pattern Generalizations (Cristina Sabena, Luis Radford, and Caroline Bardini); (18) Analyzing Student Modeling Cycles in the Context of a "Real World" Problem (Roberta Y. Schorr and Miriam Amit); (19) Negotiating about Perceived Value Differences in Mathematics Teaching: The Case of Immigrant Teachers in Australia (Wee Tiong Seah); (20) Development of Mathematical Norms in an Eighth-Grade Japanese Classroom (Yasuhiro Sekiguchi); (21) Solving Additive Problems at Pre-Elementary School Level with the Support of Graphical Representation (Ana Coelho Vieira Selva, Jorge Tarcisio da Rocha Falcao, and Terezinha Nunes); (22) From the Everyday, through the Authentic, to Mathematics: Reflecting on the Process of Teaching Mathematics through the Everyday (Godfrey Sethole); (23) Personal Experiences and Beliefs in Early Probabilistic Reasoning: Implications for Research (Sashi Sharma); (24) Assimilating Innovative Learning/Teaching Approaches into Teacher Education: Why Is It so Difficult? (Atara Shriki and Ilana Lavy); (25) Student Thinking Strategies in Reconstructing Theorems (Tatag Yuli Eko Siswono); (26) A Comparison of How Textbooks Teach Multiplication of Fractions and Division of Fractions in Korea and in U.S. (Ji-Won Son); (27) Mathematical Knowledge of Pre-Service Primary Teachers (Beth Southwell and Marina Penglase); (28) Analysing Longitudinal Data on Students' Decimal Understanding Using Relative Risk and Odds Ratios (Vicki Steinle and Kaye Stacey); (29) Girls Journey toward Proportional Reasoning (Olof Bjorg Steinthorsdottir); (30) University Student Perceptions of CAS Use in Mathematics Learning (Sepideh Stewart and Michael O. J. Thomas); (31) Prospective Teachers' Understanding of Proof: What if the Truth Set of an Open Sentence Is Broader than that Covered by the Proof? (Andreas J. Stylianides, Gabriel J. Stylianides, and George Philippou); (32) Planning and Teaching Mathematics Lessons as a Dynamic, Interactive Process (Peter Sullivan, Robyn Zevenbergen, and Judy Mousley); (33) Teacher Factors in Integration of Graphic Calculators into Mathematics Learning (Michael O. J. Thomas and Ye Yoon Hong); (34) Students' Overreliance on Linearity: An Effect of School-Like Word Problems (Wim Van Dooren, Dirk De Bock, Dirk Janssens, and Lieven Verschaffel); (35) A Process of Abstraction by Representations of Concepts (N. C. Verhoef and H. G. B. Broekman); (36) Argumentation Profile Charts as Tools for Analysing Students' Argumentations (Jill Vincent, Helen Chick, and Barry McCrae); (37) Characterizing Middle School Students' Thinking in Estimation (Tanya N. Volkova); (38) Reviewing and Thinking the Affect/Cognition Relation (Margaret Walshaw and Tania Cabral); (39) Young Children's Ability to Generalise the Pattern Rule for Growing Patterns (Elizabeth Warren); (40) Consolidating One Novel Structure whilst Constructing Two More (Gaye Williams); (41) Spreadsheets, Pedagogic Strategies and the Evolution of Meaning for Variable (Kirsty Wilson, Janet Ainley, and Liz Bills); and (42) A Study of the Geometric Concepts of the Elementary School Students Who Are Assigned to the van Hiele Level One (Der-bang Wu and Hsiu-Lan Ma). (Individual papers contain references.)

This document contains the second volume of the proceedings of the 29th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Conference papers are centered around the theme of "Learners and Learning Environments." This volume features 43 research reports by presenters with last names beginning between Adl and Fre: (1) Working with Learners' Mathematics: Exploring a Key Element of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (Jill Adler, Zain Davis, Mercy Kazima, Diane Parker, and Lyn Webb); (2) A Comparison between Teachers' and Pupils' Tendency to Use a Representativeness Heuristic (Thekla Afantiti-Lamprianou, Julian S. Williams, and Iasonas Lamprianou); (3) Purposeful Task Design and the Emergence of Transparency (Janet G. Ainley, Liz Bills, and Kirsty Wilson); (4) A Developmental Model for Proportional Reasoning in Ratio Comparison Tasks (Silvia Alatorre and Olimpia Figueras); (5) Referential and Syntactic Approaches to Proof: Case Studies from a Transition Course (Lara Alcock and Keith Weber); (6) Teachers' Beliefs about Students' Development of the Pre-Algebraic Concept of Equation (Vassiliki Alexandrou-Leonidou and George N. Philippou); (7) Developing Students' Understanding of the Concept of Fractions as Numbers (Solange Amorim Amato); (8) Multiple Representations in 8th Grade Algebra Lessons: Are Learners Really Getting It? (Miriam Amit and Michael N. Fried); (9) Reform-Oriented Teaching Practices: A Survey of Primary School Teachers (Judy Anderson and Janette Bobis); (10) The Genesis of Signs by Gestures: The Case of Gustavo (Ferdinando Arzarello, Francesca Ferrara, Ornella Robutti, and Domingo Paola); (11) Students' Experience of Equivalence Relations: A Phenomenological Approach (Amir H. Asghari and David Tall); (12) How Series Problems Integrating Geometric and Arithmetic Schemes Influence Prospective Secondary Teachers' Pedagogical Understanding (Leslie Aspinwall, Kenneth L. Shaw, and Hasan Unal); (13) Dealing with Learning in Practice: Tools for Managing the Complexity of Teaching and Learning (Sikunder Ali Baber and Bettina Dahl); (14) Situations of Psychological Cognitive No-Growth (Roberto R. Baldino and Tania C. B. Cabral); (15) Good CAS Written Records: Insight from Teachers (Lynda Ball and Kaye Stacey); (16) Developing Procedure and Structure Sense of Arithmetic Expressions (Rakhi Banerjee and K. Subramaniam); (17) Struggling with Variables, Parameters, and Indeterminate Objects, or How to Go Insane in Mathematics (Caroline Bardini, Luis Radford, and Cristina Sabena); (18) Exploring How Power is Enacted in Small Groups (Mary Barnes); (19) A Framework for the Comparison of PME Research into Multilingual Mathematics Education in Different Sociolinguistic Settings (Richard Barwell); (20) Vygotsky's Theory of Concept Formation and Mathematics Education (Margot Berger); (21) Preservice Teachers' Understandings of Relational and Instrumental Understanding (Kim Beswick); (22) The Transformation of Mathematics in On-Line Courses (Marcelo C. Borba); (23) Using Cognitive and Situated Perspectives to Understand Teacher Interactions with Learner Errors (Karin Brodie); (24) Identification of Affordances of a Technology-Rich Teaching and Learning Environment (TRTLE) (Jill P. Brown); (25) The "A4-Project": Statistical World Views Expressed through Pictures (Michael Bulmer and Katrin Rolka); (26) A Whole-School Approach to Developing Mental Computation Strategies (Rosemary Callingham); (27) A Comparison of Perceived Parental Influence on Mathematics Learning among Students in China and Australia (Zhongjun Cao, Helen Forgasz, and Alan Bishop); (28) Using Word Problems in Malaysian Mathematics Education: Looking beneath the Surface (Kah Yein Chan and Judith Mousley); (29) Constructing Pedagogical Knowledge of Problem Solving: Preservice Mathematics Teachers (Olive Chapman); (30) Revisiting a Theoretical Model on Fractions: Implications for Teaching and Research (Charalambos Y. Charalambous and Demetra Pitta-Pantazi); (31) Students' Reflection on Their Sociomathematical Small-Group Interaction: A Case Study (Petros Chaviaris and Sonia Kafoussi); (32) Investigating Teachers' Responses to Student Misconceptions (Helen L. Chick and Monica K. Baker); (33) Studying the Distribution of Responsibility for the Generation of Knowledge in Mathematics Classrooms in Hong Kong, Melbourne, San Diego and Shanghai (David Clarke and Lay Hoon Seah); (34) Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Teaching Relationships in Three Mathematics Classrooms in Remote Queensland (Tom J. Cooper, Annette R. Baturo, and Elizabeth Warren); (35) Exploring the Strategies Used by Grade 1 to 3 Children through Visual Prompts, Symbols and Worded Problems: A Case for a Learning Pathway for Number (Ty Corvell Cranfield, Cally Kuhne, and Gary Powell); (36) Primary Students' Knowledge of the Properties of Spatially-Oriented Diagrams (Carmel Diezmann); (37) A Conceptual Framework for Studying Teacher Preparation: The Pirie-Kieren Model, Collective Understanding, and Metaphor (Maria A. Droujkova, Sarah B. Berenson, Kelli Slaten, and Sue Tombes); (38) Mathematical Modelling with 9-Year-Olds (Lyn English and James Watters); (39) Exploring "Lesson Study" in Teacher Preparation (Maria L. Fernandez); (40) Child-Initiated Mathematical Patterning in the Pre-Compulsory Years (Jillian Fox); (41) The Tacit-Explicit Nature of Students' Knowledge: A Case Study on Area Measurement (Cristina Frade); (42) Teachers as Interns in Informal Mathematics Research (John M. Francisco and Carolyn A. Maher); and (43) Exploring Excellence and Equity within Canadian Mathematics Classrooms (George Frempong). (Individual papers contain references.)