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Recent research in the vocational education and training (VET) sector shows that students are gaining a range of benefits from their studies, beyond expected course outcomes. Students are developing new networks, and gaining confidence and self esteem through the respect received from their teachers and classmates. For some students, these advantages help them to find work and interact more easily with those around them. The networks and trust developed by students can also be referred to as "social capital." While many students are gaining social capital outcomes incidentally, these outcomes can also be actively developed. This paper, presented to Australian Learning Communities Network discusses the concept of social capital and examines the link between social capital and VET. The paper also outlines ways in which social capital can be developed through VET courses and partnerships. The research shows developing social capital can be particularly helpful for marginalised young people. [This work has been produced on behalf of the Australian Government and state and territory governments.]

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)

There are clear signs that community learning is the way to a more sustainable future for Australian communities, especially rural ones. There are also indications that policymakers now recognize that the people who live in communities should play an important role in determining the future of their own communities. Policy must use the best knowledge from research and provide sufficient resources to build community capacity to learn, adapt, and change. That means a policy approach that builds social capital in communities. A learning community is building social capital as it learns, and a community with high levels of social capital will be a learning community. Strategies for building social capital/learning communities include creating opportunities for interaction; developing leadership skills; building ties within and across communities and between public and private institutions; and establishing brokers to build and maintain these ties. Policy that uses and builds social capital in communities and is most likely to produce sustainable outcomes has these features: a degree of program continuity; diversity at the local level; integrity of programs across levels of government and departments; knowledge resources that communities can draw upon; two-way networks between policymakers and communities; and recognition that social capital alone is not enough--policies must also be resourced with human, physical, and financial capital. (Contains 32 references.) (TD)

The theme of the 2016 National Conference of the Australian College of Educators (ACE), "Challenges and changes: The power of education to build the world to which we aspire," provided a unique opportunity for education professionals to carefully consider and propose papers, workshops, and poster sessions to stimulate discussion and debate about this significant topic as participants from all sectors and at all levels of the education community gathered at this two-day event in Sydney, Australia, on September 26-27, 2016. The ACE 2016 National Conference Proceedings include Keynote Addresses and Reviewed Paper Presentations, including the winning Paper of the ACE/ASG Student Educator "Writing the future" National Award, and two Reviewed Paper Presentations that provide reflections from the field. Following an editorial by Kerrie Ikin and a welcome by the ACE National President, Bronwyn Pike, keynote presentations in these proceedings include the following: (1) The best possible start: Why investment in quality early childhood education and care matters (Rachel Hunter); (2) The power of teachers in building the world to which we aspire: Breaking open the "black box" of teacher education (Diane Mayer); (3) Teaching Human Rights (Megan Mitchell); (4) A model for a new financing framework for tertiary education in Australia (Peter Noonan); (5) The New Work Order (Jan Owen); and (6) What kind of education is needed to build a better world? (Colin Power). Presentations in these proceedings include the following: (7) Learning to create preferred futures: Theorising informal and incidental learning in hybrid community learning spaces (Catherine Arden); (8) Educating for sustainable rural futures (Pam Bartholomaeus); (9) Changes and challenges: Is our education system equipped to prepare students for a brave new world? (Erin Canavan); (10) Leadership for international mindedness (Paul Kidson); (11) Systems thinking for system reform: Developing leaders, schools and networks for the future we want in education (Andrew Mowat and Richard Owens); (12) Developing a community of VET professionals (Terry O'Hanlon-Rose); (13) Collaborative Learning Design in the Middle Years: Aspiring to a transformative approach to teaching and learning (Sarah Quinn); and (14) Creating the ideal classroom environment to ensure success for Indigenous students (Tracy Woodroffe). Reflections from practitioners include: (15) What cultural world view will equip Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with the capacity to meet the challenges and changes in today's society (Theresa Ardler); and (16) Training pre-service teachers through a "virtual" classroom: The changes and challenges to build a better future (Sharon Lierse). Individual papers contain references. [For the 2015 proceedings, see ED571024.]

These proceedings contain the papers of the International Conferences on Educational Technologies (ICEduTech 2014), and Sustainability, Technology and Education (STE 2014). The International Conference on Educational Technologies (ICEduTech 2014) 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 of what education needs and how to achieve it. Topics for the ICEduTech Conference include: (1) Education in Context: Education in the Network Society, Educational Games, Social Media in Education, Home Schooling, Students' Rights, Parents' Rights, Teachers' Rights, Student-Safe Searching, School Violence, Education and Tolerance for Peace and Education in Developing Countries; (2) Education as Professional Field: Teacher Education, Teachers' Professional Development, Teachers' Workload, Teacher Support for Grading, Time Tabling, Grading, Learning Tools, and Online Learning Software, Teachers' learning in Communities of Practice, Web-based Communities for Teacher Support, Teachers' Career Planning, Legal and Financial Issues, Conflict Resolution and Mediation, Governance and Servant Leadership and Educational Policies; (3) Curricular Evolution: Problem-based Learning, Critical Thinking Skills, Creativity Skills, Learning Citizenship, Global Education, Media Literacy / Pedagogy, Multicultural Education and Alternative Assessment Methods; (4) Learner Orientation: Student-Oriented Learning, Peer- and Collaborative Learning, Learning Strategies: Learn how to Learn, Motivating Students, Recognizing Students' Learning Styles and Special Education; (5) Integrating Educational Technologies: Social Media and Social Networking, The Semantic Web 3.0, Podcasting for Broadcasting Video Lectures, Podcasting feedback to students, Wiki and blogs in Higher Education, Mobile, Virtual and Vicarious Learning and Simulations and Modeling; and (6) International Higher Education: Marketing Higher Education as a Business Case, Pitfalls and Solutions in Joint and Double Degree Programs, Enculturation and International Teacher Accreditation, Web-based, Mobile, Virtual Presence and Social Media to Overcome Student Mobility, Blended Learning and Student Assessment at a Distance, Student Mobility and Distance Education, New-Emerging Standards and Benchmarks for Higher Education, Education, Research, Exchange and Capacity Building, 21st Century Academic and Industrial Brain Exchange, Academic Salaries, Faculty Contracts, Residence Permits and Legal Issues, International Student Exchange Funding Programs: Erasmus Mundus, the U.S. Council on International Educational Student Exchange, and the Euro-American "Atlantis" program, Networks for International Higher Education in the Pacific, Australia, Europe, Asian and European countries and Higher Education, Cultural Diversity, Tolerance and Political Conflict. The International Conference on Sustainability, Technology and Education (STE) aims to address the main issues which occur by assessing the relationship between Sustainability, Education and Technology. Broad areas of interest are: Sustainability and Leadership, Sustainability and Green IT, Sustainability and Education. Following three Keynote Lectures by Chun-Yen Chang, David Tawei Ku, and Pedro Isais, the full papers presented are as follows: (1) The Study of Adopting Problem Based Learning in Normal Scale Class Course Design (Chia-ling Hsu); (2) Student Learning Through Hands-On Industry Projects (Lingma Lu Acheson); (3) A Study of Facilitating Cognitive Processes with Authentic Support (Rustam Shadiev, Wu-Yuin Hwang, Yueh-Min Huang and Tzu-Yu Liu); (4) Mobile-Assisted Second Language Learning: Developing a Learner-Centered Framework (Choy Khim Leow, Wan Ahmad Jaafar Wan Yahaya and Zarina Samsudin); (5) Social Interaction Development through Immersive Virtual Environments (Jason Beach and Jeremy Wendt); (6) Teaching and Learning in the Digital Era: A Case Study of Video-Conference Lectures from Japan to Australia (Seiko Yasumoto); (7) Lessons Learnt from and Sustainability of Adopting A Personal Learning Environment & Network (PLE&N) (Eric Tsui and Farzad Sabetzadeh); (8) Studying Challenges in Integrating Technology in Secondary Mathematics with Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) (Dorian Stoilescu); (9) Building Better Discipline Strategies for Schools by Fuzzy Logics (Dian-Fu Chang, Ya-Yun Juan and Wen-Ching Chou); (10) Assessing Critical Thinking Performance of Postgraduate Students in Threaded Discussions (Cheng Lee Tan and Lee Luan Ng); (11) Work-Integrated Learning with Work-Integrated Learners (Martin Gellerstedt and Tobias Arvemo); (12) A Framework for Gamified Activities Based on Mobile Games (Ana Amelia Carvalho, Inês Araújo and Nelson Zagalo); (13) The OpenForest Portal as an Open Learning Eosystem: Co-Developing in the Study of a Multidisciplinary Phenomenon in a Cultural Context (Anu Liljeström, Jorma Enkenberg, Petteri Vanninen, Henriikka Vartiainen and Sinikka Pöllänen); (14) Designing Participatory Learning (Henriikka Vartiainen); (15) The Relationship among Principals' Technology Leadership Teaching Innovation, and Students' Academic Optimism in Elementary Schools (Chuan-Chung Hsieh, Hung-Chin Yen and Liu-Yen Kuan); (16) Design Research Methods for Future Mapping (Sugandh Malhotra, Prof. Lalit K. Das and Dr. V. M. Chariar); (17) Makahiki: An Open Source Serious Game Framework for Sustainability Education and Conservation (Yongwen Xu, Philip M. Johnson, George E. Lee, Carleton A. Moore and Robert S. Brewer); (18) The Relationships among Principals' Distributed Leadership, School Knowledge Innovation and ICT Use in Taiwanese Elementary Schools (Chuan-Chung Hsieh, Jui-Hsuan Hung and Hao-Chiou Li); (19) Beauty of Wholeness and Beauty of Partiality "New Terms Defining the Concept of Beauty in Architecture in Terms of Sustainability and Computer Aided Design (Ayman A. Farid, Weaam M. Zaghloul and Khaled M. Dewidar); (20) Galvanizing Local Resources: A Strategy for Sustainable Development in Rural China (Eun Ji Cho); (21) Teaching Assembly for Disassembly: An Under-Graduate Module Experience (Eleftheria Alexandri); and (22) System-Events Toolbox- Activating Urban Places for Social Cohesion through Designing a System of Events that Relies on Local Resources (Davide Fassi and Roberta Motter). Short Papers include: (1) A Design and Development of Distance Learning Support Environment for Collaborative Problem Solving in Group Learners (Takuya Nitta, Ryo Takaoka, Shigeki Ahama and Masayuki Shimokawa); (2) Academic Use of Social Media Technologies as an Integral Element of Informatics Program Delivery in Malaysia (Jane See Yin Lim, Barry Harper and Joe F. Chicharo); (3) Digital Storytelling across Cultures: Connecting Chinese & Australian Schools (Mark Pegrum, Grace Oakley, Cher Ping-Lim, Xi Bei Xiong and Hanbing Yan); (4) A Study on Building an Efficient Job Shadowing Management Methodology for the Undergraduate Students (Koichi Sakoda and Masakazu Takahashi); (5) Using Tablet PCS in Classroom for Teaching Human-Computer Interaction: An Experience in High Education (Andre Constantino da Silva, Daniela Marques, Rodolfo Francisco de Oliveira and Edgar Noda); (6) Technology and Motor Ability Development (Lin Wang, Yong Lang and Zhongmin Luo); (7) The Integrated Framework of College Class Activities--Using Learn Mode with the Introduction of Educational Technology as an Example (Chia-Ling Tsai and David Tawei Ku); (8) Training Pre-Service Chinese Language Teachers to Create Instructional Video to Enhance Classroom Instruction (Lih-Ching Chen Wang and Ming-Chian Ken Wang); (9) Using Project-Based Learning and Google Docs to Support Diversity (Amy Leh); (10) Exploring Social Equity Aspects in Integrating Technology in Primary Mathematics Education (Dorian Stoilescu); (11) Chinese Fantasy Novel: Empirical Study on New World Teaching for Non-Native Learners (Bok Check Meng and Goh Ying Soon); and (12) Building of a Disaster Recovery Framework for E-Learning environment Using Private Cloud Collaboration (Satoshi Togawa and Kazuhide Kanenishi). The reflection papers include: (1) Stoic Behavior Hypothesis in Hint Seeking and Development of Reversi Learning Environment as Work Bench for Investigation (Kazuhisa Miwa, Kazuaki Kojima and Hitoshi Terai); (2) Alternative Assessment Methods Based on Categorizations, Supporting Technologies and A Model for Betterment Marion G. Ben-Jacob and Tyler E. Ben-Jacob; (3) Wiki -Enhanced Scaffolding to Encourage Student Participation in a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) Classroom (Chun-Yi Lin) ; and (4) Pragmatics and Seminotics: Movies as Aesthetic Audio-Visual Device Expedite Second Language Acquisition (Lucia Y. Lu). Individual papers contain references. An author index is included. [These conferences are co-sponsored by Curtin University, Curtin Business School (Australia), and the International Society for Professional Innovation Management.]

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 describes the utilisation of a technology-facilitated professional learning network (PLN) for pre-service teachers, centred on chemical demonstrations. The network provided direct experiences designed to extend their pedagogical content knowledge on demonstrations in Chemistry teaching. It provided scaffolded opportunities to collaborate as they "negotiated their identity" as chemistry educators. Using technology to facilitate conversations around the use of chemical demonstrations was seen as advantageous as it provided an explorative workspace to discuss and refine pedagogical approaches. Importantly, it was anticipated that through these personal experiences the pre-service teachers would better understand ways to utilise technology within a PLN. The design of the PLN, and two examples of discussions designed to phenomenologically explore the teaching and learning associated with chemical demonstrations, ably facilitated by technology, are described here. [For full proceedings, see ED557189.]

These proceedings contain the papers and posters of the International Conferences on Internet Technologies & Society (ITS 2016), Educational Technologies (ICEduTech 2016) and Sustainability, Technology and Education (STE 2016), which have been organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society and co-organised by the RMIT University, in Melbourne, Australia, December 6-8, 2016. The Internet Technologies & Society conference aims to address the main issues of concern within WWW/Internet as well as to assess the influence of Internet in the Information Society. The International Conference on Educational Technologies (ICEduTech) is the scientific conference addressing the real topics as seen by teachers, students, parents and school leaders. The International Conference on Sustainability, Technology and Education (STE) aims to address the main issues which occur by assessing the relationship between Sustainability, Education and Technology. Full papers in these proceedings include: (1) ECG Identification System Using Neural Network with Global and Local Features (Kuo Kun Tseng, Dachao Lee and Charles Chen); (2) Smartening Up: Ongoing Challenges for Australia's Outback (Lucy Cradduck); (3) Extraction of Graph Information Based on Image Contents and the Use of Ontology (Sarunya Kanjanawattana and Masaomi Kimura); (4) Applicability of Domain-Specific Application Framework for End-User Development (Takeshi Chusho); (5) Application of Business Intelligence System in Company Restructuring Process: The Case of Croatia (Iva Bakula, Katarina Curko, Mirjana Pejic Bach and Vesna Bosilj Vukšic); (6) Method to Identify Deep Cases Based on Relationships between Nouns, Verbs, and Particles (Daisuke Ide and Madaomi Kimura); (7) Leveraging Data Analysis for Domain Experts: An Embeddable Framework for Basic Data Science Tasks (Johannes-Y. Lohrer, Daniel Kaltenthaler and Peer Kröger); (8) Investigating the Identity Theft Prevention Strategies in M-Commerce (Mahmood Hussain Shah, Javed Ahmed and Zahoor Ahmed Soomro); (9) Electronic Invoice in Costa Rica: Challenges for Its Implementation (Juan José Ramírez-Jiménez, Mario De La O-Selva and Roberto Cortés-Morales); (10) Car App's Persuasive Design Principles and Behavior Change (Chao Zhang, Lili Wan and Daihwan Min); (11) Evaluating the Quality of Experience of a System for Accessing Educational Objects in Health (Miguel Wanderley, Júlio Menezes Jr., Cristine Gusmão and Rodrigo Lins); (12) An Evaluation of iPad As a Learning Tool in Higher Education within a Rural Catchment: A Case Study at a South African University (Ruth Diko Wario, Bonface Ngari Ireri and Lizette De Wet); (13) Towards a Framework to Improve the Quality of Teaching and Learning: Consciousness and Validation in Computer Engineering Science, UCT (Marcos Lévano and Andrea Albornoz); (14) MOOCs--Theoretical and Practical Aspects: Comparison of Selected Research Results: Poland, Russia, Ukraine, and Australia (Eugenia Smyrnova-Trybulska, Ewa Ogrodzka-Mazur, Anna Szafranska-Gajdzica, Nataliia Morze, Rusudan Makhachashvili, Tatiana Noskova, Tatiana Pavlova, Olga Yakovleva, Tomayess Issa and Theodora Issa); (15) Evaluating the Design and Development of an Adaptive E-Tutorial Module: A Rasch-Measurement Approach (Allaa Barefah and Elspeth McKay); (16) Analysing Students' Interactions through Social Presence and Social Network Metrics (Vanessa Cristina Martins da Silva and Sean Wolfgand Matsui Siqueira); (17) Differences between Perceived Usefulness of Social Media and Institutional Channels by Undergraduate Students (Leandro Sumida Garcia and Camila Mariane Costa Silva); (18) Integrate WeChat with Moodle to Provide a Mobile Learning Environment for Students (Zhigao Li, Yibo Fan and Jianli Jiao); (19) Scaling a Model of Teacher Professional Learning--to MOOC or Not to MOOC (Deirdre Butler, Margaret Leahy, Michael Hallissy and Mark Brown); (20) A Preliminary Study on Building an E-Education Platform for Indian School-Level Curricula (Rajeev Kumar Kanth and Mikko-Jussi Laakso); (21) Automated Assessment in Massive Open Online Courses (Dmitrii A. Ivaniushin, Dmitrii G. Shtennikov, Eugene A. Efimchick and Andrey V. Lyamin); (22) Application of Digital Cybersecurity Approaches to University Management--VFU Smart Student (Anna Nedyalkova, Teodora Bakardjieva and Krasimir Nedyalkov); (23) Developing a Technology Enhanced CSO Course for Engineering Students (Erno Lokkila, Erkki Kaila, Rolf Lindén, Mikko-Jussi Laakso and Erkki Sutinen); (24) Teaching Data Science to Post Graduate Students: A Preliminary Study Using a "F-L-I-P" Class Room Approach (Sunet Eybers and Mariè Hattingh); (25) Educational Robots in Primary School Teachers' and Students' Opinion about STEM Education for Young Learners (Eugenia Smyrnova-Trybulska, Nataliia Morze, Piet Kommers, Wojciech Zuziak and Mariia Gladun); (26) Towards the Successful Integration of Design Thinking in Industrial Design Education (Omar Mubin, Mauricio Novoa and Abdullah Al Mahmud); (27) International Study Tours: A Key to 21st Century Academic and Industry Exchanges (Ana Hol, Danielle Simiana, Gilbert Lieu, Ivan Ong, Josh Feder, Nimat Dawre and Wakil Almazi); (28) A Rethink for Computing Education for Sustainability (Samuel Mann); (29) Technical Education as a Tool for Ensuring Sustainable Development: A Case of India (Gagan Deep Sharma, Raminder Singh Uppal and Mandeep Mahendru); (30) Evaluating Eco-Innovation of OECD Countries with Data Development Analysis (Reza Kiani Mavi and Craig Standing); (31) Revealing Greenwashing: A Consumers' Perspective (Anne Brouwer); and (32) Benchmarking Anthropogenic Heavy Metals Emissions: Australian and Global Urban Environmental Health Risk Based Indicators of Sustainability (Nick Dejkovski). Short papers in these proceedings include: (1) Racing to the Future: Security in the Gigabit Race? (Mark A Gregory and Lucy Cradduck); (2) An E-Learning System with MR for Experiments Involving Circuit Construction to Control a Robot (Atsushi Takemura); (3) Simulations for Crisis Communication: The Use of Social Media (Siyoung Chung); (4) Social Networking Framework for Universities in Saudi Arabia (Sulaiman Alqahtani); (5) Rethinking E-Learning Media: What Happens When Student "Like" Meets Professor "Me"? (Stephen Arnold); (6) Telling the Story of Mindrising: Minecraft, Mindfulness and Meaningful Learning (Deirdre Butler, Mark Brown and Gar Mac Críosta); (7) Green IT Model for IT Departments in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Organisations (Abdulaziz Albahlal); (8) How Does the Use of Mobile Devices Affect Teachers' Perceptions on Mobile Learning (Dong-Joong Kim, Daesang Kim and Sang-Ho Choiv); (9) Categorizing "Others": The Segmentation of Other Actors for "Faith in Others" Efficacy (FIO) (Chi Kwan Ng and Clare D'Souza); (10) Design Thinking: A Methodology towards Sustainable Problem Solving in Higher Education in South Africa (Keneilwe Munyai); and (11) New Ecological Paradigm and Sustainability Attitudes with Respect to a Multi-Cultural Educational Milieu in China (Mona Wells and Lynda Petherick). Reflection papers in these proceedings include: (1) Synthetic Biology: Knowledge Accessed by Everyone (Open Sources) (Patricia Margarita Sánchez Reyes); (2) Envisioning the City of the Future: Knowlege Societies vs. Entertainment Societies (Yolanda Alicia Villegas González); (3) Blue Ocean Strategy for Higher Education (Ricardo Bragança); (4) Exploring How Digital Media Technology Can Foster Saudi EFL Students' English Language Learning (Abdulmohsin Altawil); (5) Cloud Computing in Higher Education Sector for Sustainable Development (Yuchao Duan); and (6) Exploring Connectivism in the Context of Online Social Trading (Endrit Kromidha). Posters in these proceedings include: (1) A Preliminary Investigation into the Information Sharing Behavior of Social Media Users after a Natural Disaster (Yukiko Maruyama); (2) Effects of a Technology-Friendly Education Program on Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions and Learning Styles (Dong-Joong Kim and Sang-Ho Choi); (3) Use of Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies in Online Search: An Eye-Tracking Study (Mingming Zhou and Jing Ren); (4) Development of a Diagnostic System for Information Ethics Education (Shingo Shiota, Kyohei Sakai and Keita Kobayashi); (5) A Practical Study of Mathematics Education Using Gamification (Kyohei Sakai and Shingo Shiota); (6) Demonstrating the CollaTrEx Framework for Collaborative Context-Aware Mobile Training and Exploration (Jean Botev); (7) Development of Training/Self-Recognizing Tools for Disability Students Using a Face Expression Recognition Sensor and a Smart-Watch (Taku Kawada, Akinobu Ando, Hirotaka Saito, Jun Uekida, Nobuyuki Nagai, Hisashi Takeshima and Darold Davis); and (8) Analysis of Usage Trends of Social Media and Self-Esteem by the Rosenberg Scale (Hiroko Kanoh). Finally, one doctoral consortium is included: A Model for an Information Security Risk Management (ISRM) Framework for Saudi Arabian Organisations (Naser Alshareef). An author index is provided. Individual papers contain references.

Australia is a vast land with a dispersed population especially in rural or remote areas, which is geographically located in the Asian region. This has a strong bearing on its initial education (pre-service) and the ongoing professional development (in-service) of teachers. The vastness of Australia causes professional isolation and a lack of face-to-face contact with other teachers while the geographical proximity to Asia makes with languages and cultures a necessity due to geo-political and economic reasons. These two motives shape the work of teachers, whether they are still in training or already experienced professionals. Online social networking platforms such as "ning" and "edumodo" can bridge the geographical distance within Australia while also connecting it to its Asian neighbour. These online communication networks are increasingly more used to Communities of Practice (CoP) based on the theoretical framework of Etienne Wenger. The educational theorist describes CoP's as groups of people with a shared knowledge base, who interact due to a common interest or goal. This paper describes two case studies from an Australian university that involved online CoP's; one for 34 teacher in pre-service to overcome their geographic isolation and the another for 41 in-service teachers to develop their professional learning in order to engage with Asian languages and cultures. The first project failed completely whereas the second project was highly successful. The failure was mainly due to shortcomings in the technical, behavioural and organisational aspect (i.e. a lack of social capital and face-to-face interaction to accompany the online learning component), features which the successful CoP utilised. The opportunities, challenges and outcomes of both projects are described and analysed. These, in combination with the subsequent recommendation might assist readers who are contemplating similar endeavours. [For full proceedings, see ED557168.]

Web 2.0 technologies create opportunities for distance learning with particular promise for students while they are on international exchange. The current generation of students departing for study abroad is electronically literate or "digital natives", who have thoroughly integrated internet and communication technologies into their daily lives. But their modes of interacting may not be adequate to really gain all that they might learn through study abroad. Many international exchange programs, at the same time, have not kept pace and are missing significant opportunities to reinforce intercultural learning while students are sojourning abroad. This paper reports on qualitative and strategic findings from the project "Bringing the Learning Home," an Australian Learning and Teaching Council-funded pilot project to develop reflection-based curriculum for improving study abroad outcomes. In particular, we discuss qualitative findings from in-country blogging and reentry workshops using photo elicitation, reflection-based learning, and meta-cognitive teaching strategies, with intercultural skills and professionalization as primary goals. Perhaps most importantly, we found that online tools and visual literacy, with adept instruction and practice, could produce a virtual "third space" where students could better reflect on cultural differences, sharpen their own intercultural skills, and gain the metacognitive skills necessary to become life-long learners from experience. (Contains 1 footnote.)

This paper presents a model of learning in a workplace, in which an online course provides flexibility for staff to learn at their convenient hours. A motivation was brought into an account of the success of learning in a workplace program, based upon Behaviorist learning approach--an online mentor and an accumulated learning activities score was applied; whereas a social constructivist concept was also blended to the online learning environment. Ninety-seven staff was in an online program for 12 weeks, with 3 mentors in a social network online platform--NING. Every three weeks, 3 hours of face-to-face meeting was blended to the 9 weeks online programs. The results showed that all staff successfully completed the online learning program. Their opinions on the mentoring system were at a very high level of satisfaction, and few active staff obtained rewards from their collected scores during the online social network activities. Correlation was found between frequency of staff's participation in social learning activities and achievement with high learning scores at the end of the program. The model was discussed on its strategies to flexible a learning in a workplace with a blended mode of online and offline, a full support from top level management to allocated staff hour for learning, recognition for the outstanding staff, and value their learned skills. Online mentors and social network took significant roles in triggering learning activities in an online social network environment, which motivated learners themselves as lifelong learners in a digital age.

A study examined the characteristics of the learning process when it is facilitated by computer-mediated communication in nonformal learning contexts. In this paper, learning is defined as the transformation of experience through reflection, conceptualization, and action. Such experiential learning often occurs in dialogue with others. "Learning communities" are communities of practice--problem-solving networks that enhance the learning process through aspects of social capital: shared language, shared experiences, self-development, mutual trust, and identification with the community. Over a 1-month period, data from seven e-mail discussion groups in Australia were collected and analyzed. Groups included sheep and beef grazers in remote locations; professional development groups in educational administration, human resource development, and women's health; and two organizations using email to enhance work practice. The asynchronous, virtual environment differed considerably from that of face-to-face interactions, with the virtual environment allowing for multiple discussion topics and varying levels of participation, and demanding different facilitator skills. Challenge was very prevalent in three groups, but the outcomes were quite different, ranging from respect, support, and reflective discussion to personal attacks and miscommunication. The facilitator or moderator has an important role in maintaining a respectful dialogue that enhances understanding and learning. (SV)