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The paper deals with implementation of a smart learning environment, namely Blackboard, into the course of business communication. The new approach was implemented into the course and the research was conducted into the subjective satisfaction of the users of the environment. The first research was conducted in 2018 into the users´ satisfaction with the course which was taught using traditional methods, and the second research was conducted in 2019 into the users´ satisfaction with the new online course. The idea of the creator of the online course was to keep the contents and the scope of the subject as much similar as possible to create two groups of users, i.e. the first, using the traditional approaches, and the second with the modern technology-enabled class. With this intention, the Blackboard class was created, and the users were taught by using blended learning methodology. The research focused merely on personal satisfaction with the course within the intention of positive psychology, i.e. focusing on potential issues regarding personal satisfaction. It did not focus on the differences in the performance of the students as there is a lot of research into this aspect. However, it focused on the individual satisfaction and personal feelings of the users while using blended learning platforms in the context of ubiquitous computing. The findings are that the users expressed their satisfaction regarding easily accessible materials and varied learning environment; however, the dissatisfaction was created by increased screen time and reduces social contacts. The findings are very important for educators who use various mobile platforms and eLearning environments as they should be aware of the reservations of the users of these tools.

One-to-one laptop initiatives have become prevalent in schools aiming to enhance active learning and assist students in developing twenty-first-century skills. This paper reports on a qualitative investigation of teachers in a junior high school in Northern Israel, who were gradually implementing one-to-one computing. The research reported in this paper is based on longitudinal data collected over a five-year period and included all of the teachers who participated in the project. We triangulated teachers’ perspectives and actual behavior by employing classroom observations, followed up with semi-structured interviews. This study aims to map teachers’ perspectives on changes in teaching in one-to-one computing settings, and the pedagogical strategies that they use in one-to-one classrooms. To explore the depth of change in teaching, teachers’ perspectives were mapped based on the SAMR framework, while the TEUCT-TEUIT approach was employed to categorize pedagogical strategies. The findings pointed to several benefits of using a laptop for teaching, as well as classroom management problems and technological problems while teaching. Analysis of the interviews revealed four categories which appeared in the original TEUCT/ TEUCT scales, alongside three additional categories which did not appear in the original scales, and emerged bottom-up from our data. Furthermore, findings indicated that some of the categories originally included in TEUCT, should rather be included in the TEUIT scale. The findings point to a change in teaching strategies, from a more teacher-centered teaching approach to a more student-centered learning approach.

Conversational agents also known as Chatbots are the future of human-machine interaction. Classes with large number of students turn out to be a source of worry to the lecturers since they have to respond to their inquiries immediately. Embedding Chatbots in education systems is a necessity to boost the interaction between students and lectures especially those shy students feel ashamed of asking. Such systems possibly will assist the students to attain better learning outcomes. This paper presents Labeeb (Wiseman in Arabic) a conversational agents respond to student inquiries in specific course, objectives, learning outcomes and academic rules and regulations. Labeeb receives either text or speech inquiries, then respond in both written text and speech reply.

Despite poetry’s important role in improving linguistic skills and creative thinking, students often find poetry writing to be difficult and boring. This study is an investigation of how the digital Poetry Machine influences students’ poetry writing by applying AI techniques. It uses qualitative and quantitative analysis of the log data of poems that the seventh graders wrote with the Poetry Machine. The results show that the draft poems functioned as affordances, which the students followed as models. The drafts encouraged students to experiment with several different poetic features. The data suggest an association between the number of edited versions and the quality of the final poem. The results suggest that a co-creative AI-based tool inspires and supports those students who engage in the writing process, and the poems are developed from the first versions. More studies regarding the role of AI based digital tools in developing students’ writing competencies would be worthwhile.

Globalization is frequently viewed in economic and environmental terms. Goods and services move easily across regions and national boundaries. The United States, the European Union, and countless other nation-states and political bodies are struggling to define attitudes and policies towards immigrants and immigration for the 21st Century. The debate over language is often a heated one. Most nations encourage newcomers to learn the national language. Language can be seen as a mechanism for integration and acculturation. For full participation in the national and political life of a country, immigrants benefit from knowledge of the language. Just an Investment in Education in the process of learning the language immigration country Germany considers very important socio-economic factor in the process of socialization of immigrants. Where language differences are accepted, there are costs such as bi-lingual education, multi-lingual signs and instructions, and a constant need for qualified interpreters. Language is fluid and constantly changes, especially in terms of the development´s informational and communication technologies where it´s necessary adoption of digital competence. Digital society implies a transformation of the traditional way of life and the economic, industrial, educational, and labor changes as well as changes of personal and individual way of existence, but also the question of the "new" partnership in education. The study was conducted on N=185 students of higher education institutions in German among various constituents (faculties and departments) in Mannheim, Mainz, and Heidelberg. The research was conducted during winter semester 2016/2017 academic year, from November 9 to January 14. The survey instrument used was the first part of the questionnaire to record students’ opinions on different variables related to various multimedia foreign language learning tool. Research results show that students feel that it’s necessary to invest in the Education of immigrants in order to prevent the demolition of (inter)national identity, as well as to facilitate the realization of the process of socialization and more employment.

This article reports on a study of how a one-year, course-taught, master's level Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme challenged primary student teachers (n = 4) in developing their sense of self-as-teacher. This study examined how the programme's incorporation of video capturing technology impacted on these student teachers' development of reflexivity and adaptive expertise. Student teachers self-selected a community of practice to include two experienced teachers acting as facilitators. Using a secure video capturing system, student teachers collected samples of teaching practice. Then through student teacher led discussions, they and their community of practice examined how they were developing as teachers. Results indicate how video capturing provided the experiences necessary for these student teachers to reflect on teaching practice and learn how to think, know, feel and act like a teacher. Implications of this research highlight the benefits of student teachers actually seeing their own teaching practice and then using these examples of teaching as evidence of how they were becoming reflexive and adaptive teachers.

The contribution aims at corroborating location-based mobile games as models for the integration of digital technologies in the educational field. They demonstrated to be valid alternatives to formal education in the applied research project: Play Design!, which addressed to high school students, interested in design-related matters, and intends to valorise the Italian design culture, transforming Milan into the stage of a double-sided story. Design is here highlighted both as a cultural heritage and a discipline, inducing the development of two different games sharing a common didactic aim: D.Hunt and D.Learn. The first one is a mobile treasure hunt illustrating the excellences of the creative production of the country, and the renowned protagonists and places of Italy- and Milan-based design: a cultural background to be preserved and valorised. The second one, instead, is a role-play, cooperative and competitive game which depicts the city as a hub for schools and universities, where design is considered a subject for didactic courses, a combination of theories and practices to be transmitted and implemented. Then, the two mobile, location-based serious games exploit this copious and multifaceted material for evident learning purposes, joining the examples of informal education to increasingly follow in future technology developments.

This article investigates the factors affecting primary and secondary education teachers&rsquo, behavioral intention to adopt learning management systems (LMSs). Information technology (IT) innovations have the power to change the way we work, educate, learn, and basically the way we live. The effect of IT innovations on education makes it critical to understand the current usage situation of LMSs and the factors affecting their adoption by teachers. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was extended with factors from education and game-based learning literature. In order to see the effect of individual- and organizational-level characteristics, multi-group structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was conducted and discrepancies in relationships were reported. Evaluation of users and non-users and teachers of different fields were also compared to each other. The findings of this study not only contribute to theory through the development and testing of a thorough model relating technology features and individual characteristics to behavioral intention to use, but also offer strong implications for practitioners who would like to increase LMS usage and create a more effective learning environment.

Medical education is a complex interplay between teacher and trainee with the ultimate goal of producing competent physicians who provide excellent patient care. Physician education has evolved over centuries, from the apprenticeship of barber-surgeon through generations of bedside teachers and now evolving use of technology based instruction. All of these educational practices are based on expert assessment of effective techniques for imparting experience and knowledge on a new group of learners, the young doctor. In the past several decades, exponential growth in both medical innovation and technology development has occurred, leaving the current landscape of medical education with a substantial amount of medical data as well as innovative platforms for information access and distribution. These rapid changes have led to a stark differences between medical educators and learners in their world views and preferences relating to teaching and learning. Therefore, understanding how the current generation of medical trainees perceives the world, accesses and retains information is imperative to effective education. The concept of generational learning can be used as a framework to identify teaching and learning preferences and help build relevant and effective education content. This review article aims to outline our current understanding of generational characteristics, learning styles and preferences. Using this framework, we will explore innovative educational content relevant to pediatric cardiology. Finally, we propose that a methodical approach to curriculum development will forge this generational gap and lead to even more effective and sharable educational content within our field., Highlights • The concept of generational learning provides teaching and learning styles for today’s trainee and educator • Understanding millennial (generation Y) and generation Z characteristics will help guide educational content creation. • Online learning provides an ideal platform for contemporary education • Pediatric cardiology education is well suited for online content creation

The use of immersive virtual reality learning environments (VRLEs) is changing the way students learn and understand things. A VRLE allows its users to get immersed in the simulation, thus giving the sense of being part of the real world that it represents. Virtual Reality (VR) existed in various forms in the past two decades, but its early adoption in education was hampered by its high cost. Emergence of affordable head-mounted displays (HMD) is now making it possible to provide VR experience in classrooms. This paper aims to apply integrative review of relevant studies conducted in evaluating the effectiveness of VRLEs and in doing so reveal the existing research gaps among VRLE studies. This paper identifies salient features of a fully immersive and non-collaborative VRLEs that uses HMD. Salient features were derived from evaluating different instruments used to measure the effectiveness of immersive VRLEs. A framework and example of instruments to evaluate salient features of an effective VR, using Kokoda VR as a case study, are also provided. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Educational system plays crucial role on the development of nations, and the impact of early education empower knowledge acquisition. In this research, technology assisted second language learning (English) with peace context is used to reveal impact of information and communication technologies (ICT)in learning. The study is carried on 5 years old pre-schoolers, representing 4 classes with the average of 17 students in each, and the total of 60 sample students. Knowledge acquisition and tests are conducted with in class gamification training. Tests are first carried out by written assessment, then conducted with technology assisted gamification activity. Results revealed that teaching language with ICT together with gamification context significantly improved language acquisition and awareness of peace concept. Furthermore, observations show that technology assisted learning also minimizes distraction of children and boosts learning curve.

According to the European commission the participation of non-formal and informal education will be increasing. The school should be a center of a community, where a synergy between formal, non-formal and informal education occurs. That means expiring of traditional formal education system and opening it and this process will be successful as far as modern technology will be used. The article speaks about key aspects of these transformation of school role, which will deal with learning society in information age. School should be open institution and the most of its pedagogical and didactic forms have to be changed, equally collaboration must replace cooperation.

The purpose for this study is to be able to deliver messages and life tips for special needs students in an easy way. For that, we used a web 2.0 visual tool “EdPuzzle” to show a video about bullying, having in it some questions to know if the message is delivered and understood by these students. The outcome of the study was positive and showed that the special needs students were motivated and understood the meaning of bullying from the video they saw. In addition, the students felt more comfortable and understood the lesson without asking the teacher

The aim of this qualitative interview study is to explore the extent to which faculty in one Irish higher education institution consider the cultural nature of what they include in the design and delivery of online courses. As the number of online courses increases nationally and internationally, there is a need to consider the diverse background of the students that faculty will meet and work with. However, from the literature examined it seems that the focus is primarily on identifying suitable pedagogical approaches and technology, rather than the cultural dynamics amongst participants in online programmes. In this study, it emerged that though faculty are aware of diverse learning needs of their students, culture was not considered either in the design or delivery phases of their courses. Recommendations for how to address this are included and intended to provide some assistance for those working as or with faculty teaching online. yes

Constructivist teaching is based on constructivist learning theory. This theoretical framework is based on the belief that learning occurs through what a student already knows; this prior knowledge is called a schema. Because all learning should pass through the filter of the pre-existing schemata, constructivists suggest that learning is best accomplished when a student gets actively engaged in the learning process rather than attempting to receive knowledge passively with the teacher avoiding most direct instruction and attempting to lead the student through questions and activities to discover, discuss, appreciate and verbalize the new knowledge (Richards et.al., 2001).Technology is increasingly gaining attention of those who are obsessed with improving teaching and learning. In this research attempts has been made to describe and analyze elementary teachers’ perceptions of using technology as a means for implementing classroom constructivist activities. Doing this, private schools were chosen were every classroom was equipped with a PC for the teacher as well as students. The PCs were networked so that all students could interact with the teacher and other students independently or as a group. Data was gathered through questionnaires from both teachers and students. Findings of the study show that teachers intend to look at the technology provided as an effective tools for developing constructivist practices and for gaining students’ interest. Students are given free rein to be in charge of learning experiences. This method initiates an active and positive learning environment that is technology based, including teamwork while maintaining independence where necessary, which is safe and avoids the anti-motivation effects of being judged. The results show that teachers reported an increase of test scores.

This paper recounts and reflects upon the first two years of a project of transdisciplinary online collaboration involving a group of students studying journalism at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), who are paired one-to-one with a group studying linguistics at Trinity College Dublin. Taking as its starting point the idea that most journalism urgently needs to improve the accuracy and depth of its science coverage, and the equally urgent idea that scientists need to improve their capacity to communicate clearly to a wide public, the project has seen the students working together to produce an accessibly written blog, The Multilingual Times, reporting on the latest peer-reviewed research in the field of multilingualism. By using a series of Google Drive folders and files to host the collaborative work, the instructors (the paper’s co-authors) are able to monitor students’ progress, address issues as they arise, and assess the contributions of each student to the finished blog-posts. The project is therefore, in additional to its other pedagogical facets, something of an experiment in using Google Apps and its online synchronous and asynchronous capacities to facilitate collaboration.

People from all backgrounds engage with technology in their everyday lives. There is, however, a gap in the public's understanding of technology and limited research on how engineers and non-engineers approach technological challenges. Prior studies have focused on the public's understanding of technology but limited research has been conducted on how people deal with technological challenges as part of their everyday lives. Studying how individuals with non-STEM backgrounds engage with technology will contribute a more comprehensive understanding of strategies for closing the technological literacy gap. Taking into account that technology developments rapidly occur, lifelong learning skills are another critical dimension of technological competency. ^ The purpose of this study is to identify how adults with STEM (specifically engineering) and non-STEM backgrounds with varying levels of lifelong learning approach technological challenges in their everyday lives. ^ A sequential mixed methods design using nested, purposeful sampling was performed. The quantitative strand included cluster analysis for outlier identification. The qualitative strand included thematic analysis. Four groups of participants were formed: Engineers with lower (LLE) and higher (HLE) levels of lifelong learning and non-STEM participants with lower (LLnE) and higher (HLnE) levels of lifelong learning. Twelve outliers —three in each group— were selected for the qualitative strand. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted on participants' past and recent experiences with technology and challenges they faced during such interactions. ^ Three dimensions of approaching technology (attitudes, behaviors, and conceptions) emerged from the analysis. Those with broader conceptions of technology were more active users of technology and were emotionally neutral towards the challenge. Conversely, those who had narrower conceptions of technology were passive users of technology and had strong positive and negative emotions towards the challenge. The analyses resulted in five different approaches to technological challenges: disengagement, scaffolding, transitioning, emotional engagement, and ownership. In particular, background shaped conceptions about technology, engagement, and attitudes towards the challenge. This inclusive understanding informs future research and practice about new strategies for improving technology education for all citizens, aligned with the 21st century skills framework.

A study on the microstructure development of as-cast Cu-Mn alloys based around the congruent minimum at 34.6 wt % Mn and 873 °C was performed. Initially, this was to evaluate the alloy as an alternative to wide freezing range Pb and Sn bronzes that are plagued with porosity. The shallow minimum and associated narrow freezing ranges around the congruent point result in a completely cellular (non-dendritic) solidification morphology for a composition range ~3 wt % Mn about the congruent composition (C c). The degree of cellular solidification was found to depend on the mold material. Increased mold conductivity lead to a narrower composition range of complete cellular solidification. By casting alloys of different compositions into a composite mold, the effect of the mold conductivity allowed an evaluation of the congruent point reported by Gokcen. These results fit well with the constitutional supercooling criterion. While solidification at a point ideally would be planar, this was not observed even with minor deviations from the Cc. An additional study of the microstructure development along the minimum trough in the liquidus surface between the Cu-Mn and Ni-Mn binary congruent points of the Cu-Mn-Ni ternary system was conducted. This study revealed that alloys near the binary congruent minima were more cellular than alloys near the middle of the phase diagram, along the trough. As the composition approached the center of the Cu-Mn-Ni diagram, the morphology became more dendritic, characteristic of an isomorphous system. Even though these alloys did not solidify in a completely cellular manner, they were free of any microshrinkage porosity. The alloys in this study (Cu-Mn and Cu-Mn-Ni) show promise for use in structural applications due to the lack of microshrinkage porosity, potent solution strengthening of manganese and strong aging response.

This study examined the use of lecture capture in students in a large 3rd year undergraduate biological science course at the University of Guelph. Data regarding viewing behaviour, academic performance, and attendance were analyzed in relation to student learning approach (as assessed by the R-SPQ-2F), gender, and year of post-secondary education. It was found that relative to historic controls, students provided lecture capture videos increased their final exam grade by approximately 5%. It was also found that learning approach was significantly related to video viewing behaviour, final exam performance, and attendance, with a deep learning approach being associated with more video views, better performance, and a greater tendency to watch videos to master and review material. A surface approach showed contrasting associations. Moreover, a higher deep approach score was related to fewer absences, while a higher surface approach score was related to more absences and increased the likelihood of a student missing a class. Gender also influenced viewing behaviour, with females being more likely than males to watch videos to generate notes and to review material. This research demonstrates that learning approach and gender are significant predictors of lecture capture behaviour, performance, and/or attendance in biological science education, and provides support for the use of lecture capture as a tool to improve academic performance. Cette étude examine l’utilisation de la capture de cours dans une grande classe d’étudiants de premier cycle inscrits à un cours de sciences biologiques de troisième année. Les données relatives au comportement de visionnement des vidéos, aux résultats académiques et à l’assiduité ont été analysées en relation avec l’approche d’apprentissage des étudiants (telle que mesurée par le R-SPQ-2F), le sexe et l’année d’études post-secondaires. Cette étude a montré que, comparativement aux contrôles historiques, les notes obtenues aux examens finals par les étudiants exposés à des vidéos académiques étaient de 5 % supérieures. L’étude a également indiqué que l’approche d’apprentissage était liée de façon significative au comportement de visionnement, aux résultats obtenus aux examens finals et à l’assiduité, et que l’approche en profondeur était liée à un nombre supérieur de visionnements des vidéos, à de meilleurs résultats et à une tendance accrue à regarder les vidéos afin de maîtriser et de réviser la matière. L’approche en surface a indiqué des associations contrastées. De plus, un score supérieur d’approche en profondeur était lié à un nombre moins élevé d’absences alors que l’approche en surface était liée à davantage d’absences et qu’elle augmentait les possibilités que les étudiants soient absents en classe. Le sexe avait également une incidence sur le comportement de visionnement, les femmes ayant davantage tendance à regarder les vidéos afin de prendre des notes et de réviser la matière que les hommes. Cette recherche a montré que l’approche d’apprentissage et le sexe sont des indicateurs importants de comportement en ce qui concerne la capture de cours, la performance et/ou l’assiduité dans le domaine des sciences biologiques et qu’elle offre un soutien efficace pour l’utilisation de la capture de cours en tant qu’outil pour améliorer la performance académique.

In this study, the integration of technology in education and the application of action learning as a teaching strategy, are investigated through a literature study and with empirical research. The purpose is to develop a teaching model wherein technology can be effectively incorporated for the offering of the subject Information Systems (IS). The study also focuses on the nature and scope of the subject Information Systems, as well as the status concerning the subject Information Systems at Technikons in South Africa. Knowledge regarding technology quickly becomes obsolete and therefore IS-learners should have the means and skills to keep abreast of advances in technology. IS-learners not only need subject oriented knowledge, but also personal skills that are known as critical cross field outcomes in the new educational paradigm. The establishment of the National Qualification framework, led to an academic initiative that is based on transparent national standards and clear descriptions of learning outcomes. For higher education institutions in South Africa the implication was that all curricula of subjects, including Information Systems, had to be rewritten in terms of outcomes. Specialisation is essential for the Information System qualification, as it became apparent that information system applications and demands from industry are becoming specialised. In 1999 the IS-qualification was adjusted to provide for specialisation areas at Technikons in South Africa. Action learning integrates the theories and characteristics of several disciplines, amongst others, education, psychology, systems thinking, political science, ethics, anthropology and sociology. During the process of action learning, knowledge must be constructed by asking questions, processing information and applying the newly acquired knowledge. Links must be established between new knowledge and pre-knowledge. Action learning attempts to integrate the elements of knowledge, insight and practice, and states that there can be no learning without action and that no purposeful action can take place without learning, while the solving of a problem influences both the problem and the person that acts on the problem. Action learning satisfies all the requirements needed to address the knowledge, values, skills and behaviour that IS-learners should adhere to. Action learning stimulates the development of cognitive skills that are essential for the training ofiS-learners. The different types of information systems that are found in organisations are not isolated systems, but rather integrated systems that collaborate in order to support a business function. IS-learners should not only understand the development, but also the integration and implementation of these systems. From this it becomes apparent that action learning is a suitable teaching strategy for IS-learners. The classification of educational technology as well as a framework for the implementation thereof, is discussed in the study. According to the literature study and from results obtained from the empirical research, a teaching model is proposed that consists of the following three components: • Determinants that influence the teaching and learning scenario. These determinants include the National Qualification framework industry; technology infrastructure; institutional policy and outcomes based education. • The didactic triangle, in which the distinct roles of the learners (that can act as facilitators during action learning) and educators are discussed, as well as the outcomes for the subject Information Systems. • Action learning and the utilisation of technology as the teaching strategy within the proposed model. The proposed action learning and technology teaching model promotes a learner-centred approach and focuses on learning outcomes, rather than learning contents. The proposed model empowers learners as well as educators and makes provision for the use of technology within the financial constraints of institutions. Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003

Los cambios sociales y los nuevos métodos de enseñanza han implantado las nuevas tecnologías. La tecnología audiovisual es una de las grandes áreas desarrolladas. Las imágenes provocan una atracción en el espectador reforzando la retención de datos y produciendo un aprendizaje en menos tiempo de la materia. Es la presentación de la información la que hace que no se pierda la capacidad de atención y de concentración, pero para ello su estructura debe ser simple, completa, formando una unidad independiente. The social changes and the new methods of teaching have implated the new technologies. The audiovisual technology is one of the big developed areas. The images cause an attraction in the spectator reinforcing the retention of information. The learning requires less tense. The form of presentation of the information influences in the capacity of attention and concentration of the user; but for this reason their structure should be simple, complete, forming an independent unit.

O artigo apresenta os pressupostos, a fundamentacao pedagogica e a estrutura do curso de especializacao- pos-graduacao lato sensu - em Tecnologias em Educacao oferecido em sua primeira versao para 1 400 professores da rede estadual e municipal do pais. O artigo ainda aponta para as estruturas pedagogicas utilizadas no curso e como estas apresentam o conteudo gerador e, a partir dai, a formacao da comunidade de aprendizagem mediada pelo professor- tutor, um dos atores do processo de desenvolvimento do curso. Palavras-chave Tecnologias em educacao; Estruturas pedagogicas; Formacao de professores Abstract This article presents the principles, the pedagogical basis and the structure of the specialization course – postgraduate/ lato sensu/ - of Technologies in Education offered in its first version for 1.400 teachers from municipal and estate levels of Brazil. This paper also shows the pedagogical structures used in the course and how they introduce the content, and from there, the formation of a learning community mediated by the teacher-tutor, one of the actors in the development of the course. Keywords Technology in education; Pedagogical structures; Tteachers development

A few eLearning research teams promoting a scenario-based approach have adopted the IMS-LD specification, At the same time, other teams have developed other notations, languages and meta-models related to IMS-LD, along with tools and methodologies for modelling and implementing learning activities on eLearning platforms.The aim of this special issue is to share and confront approaches (i.e., models, tools and methodologies) through modelling experiences of collaborative learning activities. There is a starting point focused on a common case study, called "Planet Game" or "Astronomy Game", which is modelled and implemented with a very specific approach in every paper.To discuss or comment on articles in this special issue please go to the OpenLearn LabSpace forum at http://labspace.open.ac.uk/mod/forum/view.php?id=110175. To contribute you will need to register for free on OpenLearn.Editors: Laurence Vignollet, Université de Savoie, France; Christian Martel, Pentila Corp., France and Daniel Burgos, ATOS Origin Research and Innovation, Spain.

In March 2002, thirty-three experts in e-learning from four continents met each other for the first time in Valkenburg aan de Geul, a small village in the south of The Netherlands. Since then, the group, referred to as the Valkenburg Group, has met several times at different locations to explore how to improve the pedagogical quality of e-learning courses, in an interoperable way, with user-friendly tools. The general feeling of the experts was that most of the current e-learning offerings lack one or more of these aspects: they are of poor pedagogical quality, they lack portability, or they lack adequate tooling. Pedagogical quality is considered to be the key issue. To be successful, e-learning must offer effective and attractive courses and programmes to learners, while at the same time providing a pleasant and effective work environment for staff members who have the task of developing course materials, planning the learning processes, providing tutoring, and assessing performance. Editors: Colin Tattersall and Rob Koper. N.B. This article is reproduced with permission from Koper, R. and Tattersall, C. (2005) (Eds.) Learning Design: A handbook on modelling and delivering networked education and training. Berlin: Springer. More information about the book is available from http://www.springeronline.com/sgw/cda/frontpage/0,0,5-0-22-36633821-0,0.html [link checked 24 August 2005] or from http://www.springer.com/computer/general+issues/book/978-3-540-22814-1 [link checked 26 August 2010]

This paper considers the increasing impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the associated rise in e-learning as a recognised and respected research area. The paper provides a summary of some of the current research areas under investigation and provides a list of characteristics of the area. The paper goes on to consider the professional identities of researchers in the area and the tensions which have resulted in terms of aligning with this new emergent group of professionals within existing institutional structures.Editors: Stuart Lee.

Dissertação de mestrado em Educação (área de especialização em Tecnologia Educativa), A investigação aqui descrita é o resultado da Unidade Curricular Dissertação, integrante do segundo ano do Curso de Mestrado Trata-se de um estudo de caso com recolha e análise de dados qualitativos. O objetivo geral da pesquisa é analisar de que forma o uso do Portal Positivo e outros recursos tecnológicos existentes na escola podem contribuir para a aprendizagem de alunos do 4º ano do Ensino Fundamental. Como justificativa, espera-se que os resultados desta pesquisa venham possibilitar aos docentes do Ensino Fundamental ampliar suas práticas com o uso das tecnologias em sala de aula, melhorando-as, e contribuindo para o sucesso da aprendizagem dos alunos. Os procedimentos, técnicas e instrumentos de recolha de dados foram organizados da seguinte forma: organização do referencial teórico e dos instrumentos, recolha de dados através de questionários e observações das atividades individuais e coletivas, seguidos de análise, interpretação e discussão dos dados. Os participantes da pesquisa foram dez alunos, sete professores e dez familiares, tendo sido o critério de escolha o acesso privilegiado e consentido. Dentre os autores citados no marco teórico estão: Gomes, (2003, 2008) e Silva (2013) que definem a evolução das tecnologias e suas gerações; Kenski (2008) que define técnicas, tecnologias e tipos de tecnologias; Prensky (2001) que traz os conceitos das novas gerações de “nativos digitais”; Lévy (1999) e Perrenound (2000) com as definições de conhecimentos diferenciados da atual sociedade (linguagem oral, escrita e digital); Moran (2011) com os conceitos de aprendizagens em tempos e espaços diferenciados, bem como a motivação do professor e do aluno que também são abordados por Lourenço e Paiva (2010) e Knuppe (2000); Goleman (1995) que aborda as questões do campo emocional e suas inteligências. Após a análise dos dados obtidos e da reflexão sobre o marco teórico, é possível observar que os resultados apresentados estão de acordo com os objetivos propostos inicialmente. Tanto pais, professores e alunos compreendem que há uma contribuição significativa do Portal Positivo para a aprendizagem dos alunos, bem como de outros recursos tecnológicos também utilizados no contexto escolar., The research described here is the result of the Curricular Unit of Dissertation, an integrant part of the second year of the Master Course. This is a case study with collection and analysis of qualitative data. The overall objective of the research is to examine how the use of Positive Portal and other existing technological resources in school can contribute to the learning of students in the 4th year of Elementary School. As justification, it is expected that the results of this research will enable teachers of Elementary School expand their practices with the use of technology in the classroom, improving them, and contributing to the success of student learning. Procedures, techniques and data collection instruments were organized as follows: organization of the theoretical framework and instruments, data collection through questionnaires and observations of individual and collective activities, followed by analysis, interpretation and discussion of the data. Survey participants were ten students, seven teachers and ten families and the criterion for choosing was the privileged and authorized access. Among the authors cited in the theoretical framework are: Gomes (2003, 2008) and Silva (2013) that define the evolution of technologies and their generations; Kenski (2008) defining techniques, technologies and types of technologies; Prensky (2001) which brings the concepts of new generations of "digital natives"; Levy (1999) and Perrenound (2000) with the definitions of differentiated knowledge of current society (oral, written and digital language); Moran (2011) with the concepts of learning in different times and spaces, as well as the motivation of the teacher and the student are also covered by Lawrence and Paiva (2010) and Knuppe (2000); Goleman (1995) who addresses the issues of the emotional field and their intelligence. After analyzing the data and reflecting on the theoretical framework, we can see that the results are consistent with the objectives initially proposed. Both parents, teachers and students understand that there is a significant contribution of the Positive Portal for student learning, as well as other technological features also used in the school context.

Multiple-Choice items are used in many different kinds of tests in several areas of knowledge. They can be considered an interesting tool to the self-assessing or as an alternative or complementary instrument to the traditional methods for assessing knowledge. The objectivity and accuracy of the multiple-choice tests is an important reason to think about. They are especially useful when the number of students to evaluate is too large. Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is an Open Source course management system centered around learners' needs and designed to support collaborative approaches to teaching and learning. Moodle offers to the users a rich interface, context-specific help buttons, and a wide variety of tools such as discussion forums, wikis, chat, surveys, quizzes, glossaries, journals, grade books and more, that allow them to learn and collaborate in a truly interactive space. Come together the interactivity of the Moodle platform and the objectivity of this kind of tests one can easily build manifold random tests. The proposal of this paper is to relate our journey in the construction of these tests and share our experience in the use of the Moodle platform to create, take advantage and improve the multiple-choices tests in the Mathematic area., Instituto Politécnico do Porto. Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Poerto