Contemporary Educational Technology (CET) is an internationally peer-reviewed journal. It is published quarterly in January, April, July and October. All submissions go through a strictly double-blind review process. CET is a truly open-access journal. There is no handling charge or publication fee for authors.
Research Article
Meina Zhu, Merve Basdogan, Curtis J. Bonk
CONTEMP EDUC TECHNOL, Volume 12, Issue 2, Article No: ep267
ABSTRACT
Instructional design and training skills have become a key competency that is expected of public health professionals. However, the research on educating public health students as instructional designers (ID) is lacking. The purpose of this study is to better understand how novice IDs design trainings using their design judgment in an authentic instructional design project in order to provide them with effective educational supports. The data sources of this case study include 11 training lesson plans generated by 37 students through a semester and six semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that: (1) online games, (2) instructional videos, (3) handouts, (4) PowerPoint presentation slides, and (5) infographics were designed and used by novice IDs. In the midst of the various challenges that were encountered, framing judgment, core judgment, instrumental judgment, navigational judgment, and appearance judgment were manifested in the design process of novice IDs. Based on the findings, practical implementations are recommended to develop effective instructional design curricula for novice public health student designers.
Keywords: design judgment, instructional design, instructional design challenges, instructional design practices, novice instructional designers, public health
Research Article
Necati Taşkın, Ebru Kılıç Çakmak
CONTEMP EDUC TECHNOL, Volume 12, Issue 2, Article No: ep268
ABSTRACT
Marczewski (2015) has introduced a new classification model for different user types. Tondello et al. (2016) developed and later revised (Tondello et al., 2019) “The Gamification User Types Hexad Scale” based on this model. The aim of this study is to adapt this scale into Turkish. The validity and reliability study of the scale was conducted on 330 university students. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the model also showed that the fit indices were acceptable. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of the factors were also within the acceptable range. Additionally, it was found that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of the lower 27% and upper 27% groups for both the items and the sub-factor scores. As a result, it can be concluded that this valid and reliable scale composed of 24 items and 6 factors can be used as an effective tool in the gamification solutions considering the characteristics of the target group.
Keywords: gamification, player/user types, scale adaptation, validity, reliability
Research Article
Eddie M. Mulenga, José M. Marbán
CONTEMP EDUC TECHNOL, Volume 12, Issue 2, Article No: ep269
ABSTRACT
Digital learning has reshaped education in many ways. The purpose of this study is to respond to the question of whether COVID-19 is the gateway for digital-learning in mathematics education. To this end, this study explores some uptakes of social media platforms by prospective secondary school teachers. Data was collected from 102 prospective mathematics teachers from the Copperbelt University (CBU). Cluster analysis approach was used. Results revealed that participants’ scores for digital learning in mathematics in cluster 2 were higher than those in both cluster 1 and 3. This is a clear indication that prospective teachers in clusters with low scores are more likely to exhibit low skill levels in the use of mobile technology and the adoption of social media in relation to mathematics pedagogy during the COVID-19 crisis. Results show different patterns. However, overall results show that digital learning could be a positive response to COVID-19 closure period.
Keywords: COVID-19, digital learning, social media, students, mathematics education, Zambia
Research Article
Duygu Umutlu, Yavuz Akpinar
CONTEMP EDUC TECHNOL, Volume 12, Issue 2, Article No: ep270
ABSTRACT
This study investigated different modalities of videos in a flipped classroom for English writing classes in an intensive English program at a state university in Turkey. This quasi-experimental study was conducted with six experimental groups (n= 109) and one control group (n = 18). The dataset included the participants’ scores of an essay pretest and two posttests, namely, recall and essay posttests. The data analysis showed that the experimental group viewing the video lecture which includes simultaneous presentation of animation and on-screen text followed by a narration in a user-paced environment outperformed the control group on the recall posttest. The groups studying the video lecture including animation with simultaneous narration and sequential on-screen text in a whole presentation and in a part-by-part presentation outperformed the control group on the essay writing posttest. In the whole presentation, participants studied all the parts of a video in a system-paced design and answered the related questions whereas participants studied each part of a video and answered the related questions in a part-by-part presentation. The paper provides a discussion and a set of recommendations on how to design flipped classrooms.
Keywords: flipped learning, flipped classroom, multimedia learning, video modalities, English as a foreign language, academic essay writing
Research Article
Sanna Elina Oinas, Helena Thuneberg, Mari-Pauliina Vainikainen, Risto Hotulainen
CONTEMP EDUC TECHNOL, Volume 12, Issue 2, Article No: ep271
ABSTRACT
As a variety of commercial educational applications are currently being taken into daily use to provide technology-enhanced feedback, research is needed to observe whether pedagogical evidence of the impact of feedback on learning and well-being is being utilized. To this end, this study explores the connections between technology-enhanced feedback, motivation, competence and the relationship with teachers. A nationally representative sample of pupils undertaking Finnish basic education (N=2031) was analyzed using latent profile analysis. Seven patterns for receiving technology-enhanced feedback were identified. Most girls (80%) and boys (55%) belonged to groups receiving mainly positive feedback in the form of teacher praise, which was connected to the highest scores in all measured indicators. Although the results indicate teachers’ efforts to encourage pupils through technology-enhanced feedback, we also identified profiles in which pupils (up to 30%) repeatedly received negative feedback related to behavior problems or forgotten matters, as well as profiles in which pupils (5%) reported that they never received any technology-enhanced feedback at all. Pupils who did not receive any feedback reported the lowest values in all scales. The relationship with teachers was particularly weak for pupils receiving negative feedback or no feedback. The results indicate that current technology-enhanced feedback practices do not fully meet pedagogical knowledge concerning efficient feedback.
Keywords: technology-enhanced feedback, motivation, competence, academic well-being
Research Article
Chin Soon Cheah
CONTEMP EDUC TECHNOL, Volume 12, Issue 2, Article No: ep272
ABSTRACT
This paper reviews the literature relating to the factors that contribute to the difficulties in learning of computer programming. Programming has been a difficult subject to learn and master even at the early stage of education. It has been a global problem and continues to worsen at the local level. Although, there are many education tools available to complement the teaching and learning of computer programming. The problem persists until present day. Even at the initial stage of computer introduction courses, there were high failure rates and high drop out. One of the rationalism behind this scenario is from the students’ lack of problem solving abilities. However, the problem does not only lie within the students’ level of efficacy. It involves the effective use of teaching and learning material as well. Therefore, the focus of this review is on the factors concerning the students learning method and the effectiveness of the teaching material. Based on plethora of literature review, it is vital that these two aspects need to be consider simultaneously to overcome the difficulties of learning computer programming. A much more comprehensive, effective and universal teaching and learning tools need to be design to address the severity of this problem.
Keywords: computer programming, difficulties in programming, phases of programming, teaching materials