Review Article
Abdullah S. Alshalawi
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 4, Article No: ep378
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the current study is to provide a synthesis review of previous social media networks studies and to elaborate on the influence of social media networks on learning performance. The study analyzed 130 articles on social media networks that were published by five major journals in the field of educational technology in the last decade. It summarizes demographic, methodological, and theoretical trends, including educational level, learning domain, country context, research methods, data collection tools, data analysis techniques, and research purpose, followed by a summary of the influence of social media networks on student learning performance and students’ perceptions toward the use of social media networks in learning. The findings show that more than two thirds of the reviewed articles studies were conducted in higher education institutes, college students were the most common participants in these studies, and most of the learning performance focus articles reported a positive influence of social media networks on learning performance. Students recognize and value the learning benefits of social media networks on the majority of the reviewed articles. Patterns in these articles are discussed in order to better understand the research and identify gaps that need to be filled by future studies.
Keywords: social media networks, learning performance, teaching/learning strategies, mobile learning, literature review
Research Article
Richeal Phil Thien Kim How, Hutkemri Zulnaidi, Suzieleez Syrene Abdul Rahim
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 3, Article No: ep372
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to identify the teaching styles and problems that are faced by teachers in cultivating digital literacy skills for the topic of quadratic equations. This study helps to overcome and refine all shortcomings that occur in the process of instilling digital literacy skills into the topic of quadratic equations. This study employed a qualitative approach by adopting the structured interview method that involved four participants from three districts in Malaysia. The interview data were analyzed using the ATLAS.ti 8 software by dividing the transcripts into small codes based on thematic analysis. The findings show that the importance of digital literacy skills in quadratic equation comprises the aspect of motivation, space saving, conducive environment, fostering thinking skills, and diversity of resources. The results have also indicated that the teachers’ teaching approach is based on existing hardware and software such as the Microsoft software, Google software, teaching aids, the Internet resources, and mobile device applications. Among the constraints that are faced by the teachers include the use of technology in calculations, communicating information, issues in exploring the diversity of information, issues in mathematical modelling, and technical limitations. Accordingly, all emerging themes and codes are summarized using schematic diagrams. A major implication of this research is that it serves as a catalyst in cultivating digital literacy among generation Z such as using the TI-Nspire software to solve mathematical problems.
Keywords: quadratic equation, qualitative approach, teaching styles, problems, digital literacy skills
Review Article
Sergei P. Zhdanov, Kseniia M. Baranova, Natalia Udina, Artem E. Terpugov, Elena V. Lobanova, Oksana V. Zakharova
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 3, Article No: ep369
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 outbreak has wreaked havoc on educational systems on a scale never seen before in history. The closure of schools and other institutions of learning has impacted 94% of the world’s student population. Even school closures, such as those that occur during the summer, have a significant effect on children’s academic ability. The word “learning loss” refers to any loss of information and abilities, whether specific or generic. By Fall 2020, extended absences from school will have a detrimental effect on student achievement. Learning loss is commonly addressed when schools close for extended periods of time during the summer, natural catastrophes, or epidemics. Even brief school closures might result in significant loss of learning. Due to the global nature of the COVID-19 epidemic, special attention was devoted to learning losses.
During the pandemic, learning loss occurs as a result of kids studying at home due to school closures. School closures do not have to result in an equal loss of learning for all students. The variables that contribute to learning loss include “change in teaching methods”, “opportunities to reach education”, “less time for learning”, and “emotional factors”. Reduced instructional time–provided by teachers in accordance with the national curriculum–is likely to result in loss of learning. Due to the disparate scales used in the studies, it is hard to compare the magnitudes of learning losses. However, based on the data from the studies, it is reasonable to assume that these nations are investigating learning losses and that they exist. As a result, there is convincing evidence that students lose more information during lockdown than they do over the course of a normal school year. The elements causing learning losses differ according to context. With the reopening of schools, it is important to establish the actual magnitude of learning losses and to implement remedial measures in order to avoid the emergence of medium- and long-term educational difficulties.
Keywords: learning losses, change in teaching methods, opportunities to reach education, less time for learning, less control/feedback, emotional factors
Research Article
Yuval Ben Abu, Renana Kribushi
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 3, Article No: ep364
ABSTRACT
During the junior high and high school years, there is a dramatic decrease in motivation for math studies, which has been found to play a major role in learning processes. Many attempts have been made to mitigate this decrease in motivation and to encourage mathematics studies in higher grades. One way that researchers have proposed to stimulate students’ curiosity and their perceived ability in math is to integrate technology into teaching. Such technology includes technological tools, digital educational activities, learning support software. Using tablet in class has significant potential to improve learning but the issue of how to effectively integrate digital technology into teaching and learning practices becomes critical. According to that knowledge we examined the impact of the use of a digital writing board (similar to tablet) by the lecturer during frontal lectures in mathematics on students’ learning motivation in an engineering academic preparatory program, following motivational constructs: self-efficacy, implicit theory of ability, value beliefs, and learning climate. The results showed that the technological tool positively affected two important motivational constructs that influence general motivation for mathematics studies.
Keywords: motivation, teaching using technological tools, digital writing board, teaching mathematics, pre-academic preparatory program
Research Article
Irene García-Lázaro, Jesús Conde-Jiménez, María Pilar Colás-Bravo
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 2, Article No: ep352
ABSTRACT
The presence and use of technologies in educational settings is constantly increasing. Therefore, initial teacher education needs to prepare future teachers to deal with this technological implementation from both practical and pedagogical perspectives. This paper examines the treatment of technologies that initial teacher education offers to early childhood education and primary education preservice teachers facing their practicum experiences. A bibliometric and thematic review during the 2010-2020 period is conducted in WoS, Scopus, PsycInfo, and ERIC databases. An analysis of co-occurrence of terms and the creation of bibliometric maps are considered. The thematic analysis follows an inductive approach. Three big areas are addressed through this approximation: consideration of technologies before practicum, the use of technologies at the schools, and the study of preservice teacher’s personal variables. Findings show the importance of working with technological preparation of university supervisors and cooperating teachers when teacher candidates do their practicum. In this proposal, to consider the self-efficacy and technological, pedagogical and content knowledge model of preservice teachers is encouraged. Conclusions underline the importance of teaching and strengthening pedagogical and reflective experiences during the practicum. Limitations are considered.
Keywords: initial teacher education, bibliometric review, practicum, TPACK, educational technologies, teaching practices
Research Article
María Martínez Lirola
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 1, Article No: ep346
ABSTRACT
This article offers a proposal for integrating the social network Facebook into an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom in tertiary education. The main objectives of this article are the following: 1. To offer a pedagogical proposal so that students can develop written skills and grammar at the same time that they acquire social competences using Facebook and 2. To know students’ opinions about the use of Facebook and the main social competences that they have acquired while using this social network in the teaching-learning process. The methodology is mainly qualitative-descriptive although some quantitative data is offered with the results of a questionnaire students completed. The data were collected through students’ posts in the Facebook discussions and a questionnaire.
The findings reveal the main grammar mistakes observed in students in the Facebook discussions and how Facebook is an appropriate social network for the participation of students in cooperative discussions on social topics and for the acquisition of social competences such as cooperation or communication. The results of the questionnaire show that students have a positive opinion about practicing the written skill in Facebook and they are aware that, apart from learning English, they also acquire social competences.
Keywords: English language online teaching, social networks, Facebook group, writing skill, social competences
Research Article
Mohammad Taufiq Abdul Ghani, Mahizer Hamzah, Wan Ab Aziz Wan Daud, Taj Rijal Muhamad Romli
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 1, Article No: ep344
ABSTRACT
In the 21st century, the advancement of technology has changed how people, especially the younger generation communicate and socialise with each other, as well as how they learn, acquire and process information. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact on the employment of digital game-based learning in Arabic class at the tertiary level. This study is a qualitative study and data obtained through semi-structured interview sessions with 16 students at tertiary level, who exposed to the mobile digital game in learning the Arabic language. The students were chosen purposively based on several determining characteristics. The major findings indicated that the mobile digital game produces a significant effect on their learning achievement and enhances their Arabic vocabulary acquisition. Besides, the digital game-based learning also promotes a student-centred and interactive learning, while additionally creates an enjoyable environment for learning that could encourage student participation in class activities, sustain their learning engagement, and improve their motivation. This study explored opportunities for Arabic language lecturers to practice digital game-based learning as it promotes student-centred learning, which would enhance student’s participation in language activities and provide them with a joyful, fun, and active learning environment.
Keywords: Arabic language, mobile digital game, digital game-based learning, teaching and learning, mobile learning
Research Article
Ricardo-Adán Salas-Rueda, Ricardo Castañeda-Martínez, Ana-Libia Eslava-Cervantes, Clara Alvarado-Zamorano
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 1, Article No: ep343
ABSTRACT
Technological advances such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) allow the construction of new spaces where students consult the information at any time, take the online exams and communicate with the participants of the educational process from anywhere. This quantitative research analyzes the perception of the teachers about the organization of the school activities in MOOCs and use of ICT considering machine learning and decision tree techniques (data science). The participants are 122 teachers (58 men and 64 women) from the National Autonomous University of Mexico who took the “Innovation in University Teaching 2020” Diploma. The academic degree of these educators is Bachelor (n = 35, 28.69%), Specialty (n = 4, 3.28%), Master (n = 58, 47.54%) and Doctorate (n = 25, 20.49%). The results of machine learning (linear regressions) indicate that the organization of the school activities in MOOCs positively influences the motivation, participation and learning of the students. Data science identifies 3 predictive models about MOOCs and ICT through the decision tree technique. According to the teachers of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the organization of the school activities in MOOCs and use of ICT play a fundamental role during the COVID-19 pandemic. The implications of this research promotes that educators use MOOCs and ICT to improve the educational conditions, create new remote school activities and build new virtual learning spaces. In conclusion, universities with the support of technological tools can improve the teaching-learning process and update the course during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, MOOCs represent a technological alternative to transform the school activities in the 21st century.
Keywords: MOOCs, teaching, data science, machine learning, ICT, COVID-19
Review Article
Francisco D. Guillén-Gámez, Raquel Rodríguez-Fernández
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 1, Article No: ep339
ABSTRACT
Studies analysing and comparing the attitudes of teachers towards Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) based on gender have provided mixed results. In this work, we carried out a meta-analysis on gender differences in attitudes towards ICT, from a global perspective and exploring four dimensions: affective-emotional attitude, beliefs, self-efficacy, and mixed with each other. Through the collection of 55 studies providing 73 effect sizes based on a total sample of 21,325 working teachers, a negative effect was found, almost null (d= -0.0297) and not statistically significant. These results indicate that female teachers have a more positive attitude towards the educational use of ICT than male teachers. Independently, the dimensions affective-emotional attitude (d= -0.342), beliefs (d= 0.114), and self-efficacy (d= 0.273) produced significant effect sizes, although with small effects. The analysis of moderating variables showed that different moderators intervene significantly in the variability of effect sizes: continental origin of the teachers (emotional and beliefs dimensions); teacher’s workplace (dimension self-efficacy); type of publication (emotional dimension) and validity of the instruments (emotional and beliefs dimension). With this meta-analysis, it is possible to take another step towards a better measurement and explanation of the attitudes that teachers have towards the use of new technologies in educational contexts.
Keywords: technology, education, teacher, teaching, gender, meta-analysis, research methods
Research Article
Amka Amka, Juhriyansyah Dalle
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 1, Article No: ep334
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 had a disastrous impact on the education sector resulting in a boom of online learning systems. This shift has severely impacted the underprivileged students with special needs due to the sudden implementation of prolonged distance learning. Thus, it creates an immense need to analyze distance learning media’s effectiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic for students with special needs. The E-learning readiness and satisfaction of special needs students are scarcely investigated areas in education and e-learning literature. Established on the community of inquiry (COI) model, this study aims to determine the factors that underpin students’ satisfaction with their e-learning experience through the mediated mechanism of students online learning readiness. Surveying 178 special needs students from various Indonesian universities revealed that teaching presence, cognitive and social presence, and content quality, directly and indirectly, influence e-learning satisfaction. This extended and more comprehensive model would help educators better understand e-learning’s use as an effective pedagogical platform, especially in the context of special needs students. Key policy implications and directions for future research are suggested.
Keywords: community of inquiry model, content quality, online learning readiness, students’ cognitive presence, social presence, students’ satisfaction with e-learning experience, teaching presence
Research Article
Eirini Tzovla, Katerina Kedraka, Thanassis Karalis, Marina Kougiourouki, Konstantinos Lavidas
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 4, Article No: ep324
ABSTRACT
Teachers’ Professional Development Massive Open Online Courses (TPD-MOOCs) are a new form of MOOCs and have influenced an intense research interest. This study reports on the design and implementation of a TPD-MOOC which utilizes digital educational content and Open Educational Recourses (OER) and supports in-service elementary school teachers to enhance their self-efficacy beliefs. In the design framework we take into consideration the findings of previous research and the educational needs of the participants. We conducted an experimental design research and compared the teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs before and after their participation in a TPD-MOOC. A total of 251 teachers enrolled in this course and 142 of them completed it. We used quantitative data to measure the enhancement of teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and the effectiveness of the course. The results provide evidence that our TPD-MOOC improved in service elementary school teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in teaching biological concepts. Recommendations are made for future research.
Keywords: teacher professional development, MOOC, self-efficacy beliefs, elementary education, improving classroom teaching
Research Article
Lawrence Meda, Areej ElSayary
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 4, Article No: ep318
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 has forced many universities across the globe to implement emergency remote teaching as a preventative measure. Many faculty staff members were not adequately equipped with knowledge and skills of facilitating remote teaching. This made the establishment of social, cognitive and teacher presences difficult for them. The purpose of this study is to examine ways in which certified online instructors established social, cognitive and teacher presences during emergency remote teaching at a university in the United Arab Emirates. The study is guided by one critical question: How did certified online instructors establish social, cognitive and teacher presences in their online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic? The study adopted a qualitative case study within an interpretivist paradigm. Two certified online instructors were purposely selected to reflect on their experiences in establishing social, cognitive and teaching presences in their remote classes. It was found that students’ engagement, critical thinking and self-directed learning and continual engagement play an indispensable role in students’ remote learning. The study concludes that the establishment of the three components of a community of inquiry enhance students’ learning experiences and allow instructors to cater for the diverse learning needs of all students in an online community.
Keywords: emergency remote teaching, social presence, teaching presence, cognitive presence, online learning
Review Article
Barry Matthews
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 4, Article No: ep317
ABSTRACT
Introduction: To meet the ambition of the UK becoming the global leader in health technology, the future workforce needs to have a developed digital literacy. The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the move to online learning has also increased the requirement for a reinvention of traditional teaching methodologies (Sá & Serpa, 2020).
Methodology: A systematic review was conducted using a mix of Boolean search terms in twelve education and health journal databases to discover the extent of current international research of digital literacy in health programmes. Papers were selected for their specificity to digital literacy in health education pre-registration professional programmes.
Results: The initial search included 5359 papers, 3925 after duplicates removed, 134 remained after title review which were then input into Covidence for full reading, finally 47 papers being included for thematic analysis. This thematic analysis identified a number of key themes within these papers: digital literacy of the educator, digital literate workforce, technical skills limit adoption, information literacy, a curriculum requirement in education, institutional infrastructure or personal access, preparedness for entering academia, concerns over the use of digital skills, personalised digital literacy experience, increased communication skills with digital literacies, competency frameworks, COVID-19 and social media in education.
Conclusion: This research identifies areas of good practice and areas that need to be considered in higher education programmes and by academics to ensure the digital literacy of the future healthcare workforce.
Keywords: health education, digital literacy, digital skills, technology enhanced teaching, health care, higher education
Research Article
Trang Phan, Mary Paul, Meina Zhu
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep307
ABSTRACT
This study portrays profile uses of technology in the classroom by faculty at a school of education at a university in Central California (N = 47). First, it describes their professional uses of certain technology on a frequency scale. Second, it reports the effects of faculty’s teaching philosophy and perceptions of instructional technology (IT) in their teaching practice with regards to use of technology. This study employed quantitative data analysis. The findings indicate that faculty’s teaching goals and perception of the learning environment play an important role in determining their uses of technology. Third, it reveals faculty’s motivation and challenges to use certain technological tools in their teaching. Specifically, the participants reported high levels of motivation for using various new technologies, minimal challenges to IT use in their classroom and their actual uses of such technology being unknown. Given the faculty’s high motivation (or absence of barriers) of using various innovative technology, one of the suggestions for future professional development programs is to offer training which moves beyond understanding how to use technology, and addresses the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching with technology.
Keywords: technological practice, perceptions, teaching philosophy, instructional technology, professional development
Research Article
Ricardo-Adán Salas-Rueda, Jesús Ramírez-Ortega, Ana-Libia Eslava-Cervantes
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 1, Article No: ep286
ABSTRACT
This mixed research analyzes the use of the Collaborative Wall to improve the teaching-learning conditions in the Bachelor of Visual Arts considering data science and machine learning (linear regression). The sample is made up of 46 students who took the Geometric Representation Systems course at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) during the 2019 school year. The Collaborative Wall is a web application that facilitates the organization and dissemination of ideas through the use of images and text. In the classroom, the students formed teams and used mobile devices to access this web application. The results of machine learning indicate that the organization of ideas in the Collaborative Wall positively influences the participation of students, motivation and learning process. Data science identifies 3 predictive models about the use of this web application in the educational field. Also, the Collaborative Wall facilitates the learning process in the classroom through the comparison and discussion of information. Finally, technological advances allow organizing creative activities that favor the active role of students.
Keywords: collaborative wall, bachelor, technology, learning, data science, teaching
Research Article
Sri Gunawan, Chich-Jen Shieh
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 12, Issue 2, Article No: ep279
ABSTRACT
Learning area integrated teaching, teaching unit topics and the contents of various subjects with team teaching and cooperative learning to have students learn better integrated concepts, is emphasized domestically. Nevertheless, it is discovered that subject-specific teaching is still used in living technology teaching area. The integration and application of knowledge content learned in classes could enhance the problem solving opportunity.
To effectively achieve research objectives and test research hypotheses, nonequivalent test experimental design is applied to the experimental research in this study. Aiming at 312 business school students of Parahyangan Catholic University (UNPAR), Indonesia, as the experimental objects, the research results are summarized as below. 1. STEM curriculum integration model presents significant effects on learning effect. 2. STEM curriculum integration model shows remarkable effects on learning gain. 3. Living technology teaching reveals notable effects on learning effect. 4. Living technology teaching appears significant effects on learning gain. 5. STEM curriculum integration model integrated living technology teaching presents remarkable effects on learning effect. 6. STEM curriculum integration model integrated living technology teaching shows notable effects on the promotion of learning gain. According to the results to propose suggestions, it is expected to have students analyze problems from more aspects and develop diverse solving strategies to effectively enhance living technology learning effectiveness.
Keywords: STEM curriculum, living technology teaching, business school, learning effectiveness
Research Article
Cheng-Jui Tseng, Tzu-Chia Chen
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 12, Issue 2, Article No: ep277
ABSTRACT
In response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, companies around the world have suspended on-site jobs and adopted remote operations. Education and training in some companies are also being carried out through web-based teaching. In addition to bringing new challenges to traditional education and training, web-based teaching platforms also provide a wealth of information sources and application channels for corporate education and training. This study targeted service staff in the service industry as subjects, and incorporated three types of teaching methods into the research design, namely video tutorial, computer-aided teaching and web-based teaching. ANOVA and stepwise regression are then used to analyze the learning motivation, learning attitude and learning performance in an integrated comparison. The results showed that in the service industry, using web-based teaching to conduct employee training for service staff had a substantial impact on improving their learning performance.
Keywords: video tutorial, computer-aided teaching, web-based teaching, learning motivation, learning attitude, learning performance
Research Article
Chin Soon Cheah
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, 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
Research Article
Kashif Ali Sabiri
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 11, Issue 2, pp. 177-195
ABSTRACT
This literature review focuses the research conducted on Information and Communication Technology in English as a Foreign Language Teaching and Learning. It reviews various aspects of ICT integration, ICT tools, barriers and challenges to ICT integration, teachers’ perceptions and views about ICT and advantages and benefits of ICT integration in education. The factors effecting pre-service and in-service teachers and student teachers’ perceptions, views and confidence about ICT integration are also discussed and analyzed. This review further discusses the gaps in the studies and establishes a theoretical background for further studies specifically in Oman.
Keywords: ICT, EFL teaching, barriers and solutions of ICT use, teachers’ attitudes and beliefs on ICT use
Research Article
Marwan Abualrob, Safa Nazzal
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 11, Issue 1, pp. 55-76
ABSTRACT
The aim of the study is to assess the extent to which WhatsApp Instant Messaging is used to teach chemistry and biology to the tenth-grade students. A mixed approach was used, whereby the authors drew on the content analysis model to analyze quantitative data. The sample consisted of 28 Palestinian tenth-grade students and their teachers, who used WhatsApp Instant Messaging for four months (the Spring semester of 2019). The collected data was divided into four categories: the nature of the message (instructional, organizational, or social); the form of the message (texts, pictures/graphs, voice recordings, videos, or link-sharing); the direction of communication flow (from a teacher to a student, from a student to a teacher, from a student to a student, or from a teacher to a teacher); and knowledge exchange. Our findings suggest that WhatsApp is used more for non-instructional purposes– particularly socialization– yet the portion of instruction-related messages was somehow enough to predict more effective future use of the application for teaching/learning purposes.
Keywords: WhatsApp, instant messaging, tenth grade, teaching/learning chemistry and biology
Research Article
Ahmet Coymak
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 10, Issue 1, pp. 94-105
ABSTRACT
There is a growing interest in the use of computer-based learning environments to enhance learning in higher education, but the implications of this on the improvement of metacognition in higher education have yet to be adequately explored. In the current study, 175 students who enrolled in an introductory psychology course were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (computer-assisted vs. self-managed). In the computer-assisted condition, besides the lecture delivered four hours per week and for three months in total, students took a set of assignments based on evidence-based teaching in a computer-based environment. The control group, however, took these assignments as in-and-out class activities without using a computer environment. An assessment based on Bloom’s taxonomy was utilized to obtain metacognitive and competency scores for both groups. The results of the study showed that the students who completed the structured learning assignments as computer-based, self-learning environment showed better metacognition performance than those in the self-managed group, who did not engage with the online platform, even though there was no significant difference between the groups regarding competence on the course’s learning objectives. The current experiment offers an empirical validation for why instructors should use technology as a self-regulatory tool that enhances students’ metacognitive performance and competence of learning outcomes.
Keywords: Metacognition, University teaching, Self-regulation in learning, Computer-based learning
Research Article
Osman Solmaz
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 3, pp. 315-330
ABSTRACT
The current study aims to present a critical analysis of research on social networking sites (SNSs) in second language teaching and learning (L2TL) context. Twenty-two studies published from 2011 to 2017 were included in the analysis through the selection criteria devised by the researcher. The descriptive analysis reveals that Facebook was the most commonly explored medium, and more than half of the studies featured English language learners in various levels. Following the content analysis of the studies, the emerging aspects of the literature review are treated under five overarching themes: practicing multiple language areas and literacies; authenticity and negotiation of meaning through interaction; development of intercultural competence and socio-pragmatic awareness; membership in L2 communities; and (re)construction of identities. Following an account of pedagogical considerations such as the dynamics of classroom, technical features, and various cultural uses of the SNSs, the study concludes with suggestions and directions for future research in regards to the incorporation of SNSs such as Facebook and Twitter into L2 classrooms.
Keywords: Social networking cites, Facebook, Twitter, Language teaching, Social media
Research Article
Unal Cakiroglu, Fatih Erdogdu, Seyfullah Gokoglu
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 2, pp. 171-185
ABSTRACT
Clickers as electronic response systems allow students to respond instantly to questions. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of using clickers on student participation during different periods of EFL courses. The intervention was implemented in question–response sessions of an EFL course at a secondary school. A quasi-experimental design was used in which twenty participants were assigned to two groups, Group A (n = 10) and Group B (n = 10). The implementation process is divided into three periods. In the preparation period, both of the groups did not use clickers, in the first period while the Group A used clickers, Group B continued without using clickers in the lessons. Then in the second period; in contrary, Group A and Group B students changed the roles in using the clickers; that is Group B started with clickers in the second period and Group A followed the lesson without clickers. When the clickers used the students’ participation rates were determined by clicker system records and an observation form is used when non-clickers strategies were used. As a result, even if they used clickers in different time periods both Groups A and B increased their participation rates while using clickers. Moreover, when the students in Group A were non-clickers, their correct answer rates were decreased. In contrast, when the students in Group B were non-clickers, their correct answer rates were increased. Results showed that even after students ceased to use clickers, positive effects on participation continued; however, the quality of the students’ answers declined. Along with the study findings, suggestions for clickers use in various periods of the courses are included.
Keywords: Participation, Clickers, Traditional response strategies, Language teaching
Research Article
Eylem Yalcin Incik, Cenk Akay
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 8, Issue 3, pp. 232-248
ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this research is to identify the competency and the perceptions of pre-service teachers on technopedagogical education. While study group of quantitative dimension is composed of 626 pre-service teachers; study group of qualitative extent is composed of 67 pre-service teachers. The sample represents 35% of the population of 1778 students. The quantitative data were collected through Technopedagogical Education Competency (Tpack-Deep) Scale and Technology Perception Scale and the qualitative data were collected with an open ended-question form. It was concluded that pre-service teachers generally regard themselves at a moderate level in the sense of technopedogogical education competency, have positive perception towards technology and there is a positive correlation between pre-service teachers’ technopedogogical educational competency and perception towards technology. According to results of qualitative analysis of the study, pre-service teachers think that educational technologies have contributions to preparing information-communication technologies based upon presentations, developing technology-based materials, preparing homework, doing research, raising awareness about the importance of educational technology use in the learning and teaching process, acquiring information about their department, developing skill of using technology based on information-communication technologies and having positive attitude
Keywords: Educational technology, Technopedagogical competency education, Information technology, Preservice teacher, Teaching and learning
Research Article
Sacide Guzin Mazman Akar, Arif Altun
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 8, Issue 3, pp. 195-213
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to investigate and conceptualize the ranks of importance of social cognitive variables on university students’ computer programming performances. Spatial ability, working memory, self-efficacy, gender, prior knowledge and the universities students attend were taken as variables to be analyzed. The study has been conducted with 129 2nd year undergraduate students, who have taken Programming Languages-I course from three universities. Spatial ability has been measured through mental rotation and spatial visualization tests; working memory has been attained through the measurement of two sub-dimensions; visual-spatial and verbal working memory. Data were analyzed through Boosted Regression Trees and Random Forests, which are non-parametric predictive data mining techniques. The analyses yielded a user model that would predict students’ computer programming performance based on various social and cognitive variables. The results yielded that the variables, which contributed to the programming performance prediction significantly, were spatial orientation skill, spatial memory, mental orientation, self-efficacy perception and verbal memory with equal importance weights. Yet, the effect of prior knowledge and gender on programming performance has not been found to be significant. The importance of ranks of variables and the proportion of predicted variance of programming performance could be used as guidelines when designing instruction and developing curriculum.
Keywords: Improving classroom teaching, Social cognitive approach, Individual differences
Research Article
Donggil Song
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 8, Issue 2, pp. 176-190
ABSTRACT
Learning-by-teaching has been identified as one of the more effective approaches to learning. Recently, educational researchers have investigated virtual environments in order to utilize the learning-by-teaching pedagogy. In a face-to-face learning-by-teaching situation, the role of the learners is to teach their peers or instructors. In virtual environments, learners take an active role by teaching a computer agent, which is referred to as Teachable Agent (TA). Although the current TA systems have shown their effectiveness on students’ learning, there are some challenges associated with learner-computer interaction methods. One of the most popular interaction methods between the learner and the system is a concept map approach. The learner teaches TA by creating information structures by drawing and editing their concept map. However, the learner can teach TA rather constrained topics, such as concept-related materials or causal effects. It is difficult for TA systems to be utilized in different types of learning along with concept-related areas. Therefore, new approaches or methods for communication between a human learner and TA systems are required. This project aims to suggest a virtual learning-by-teaching environment. A communication method (i.e., a symbol manipulation approach) was adopted in this system. The method facilitates the interaction between the learner and the computer agent, specifically for K-12 students’ mathematics learning. The design and development process is described, and future research areas are discussed.
Keywords: learning by teaching, teachable agent, pedagogical agent, intelligent system
Research Article
Ahmet Basal, Selahattin Yilmaz, Asli Tanriverdi, Lutfiye Sari
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 7, Issue 1, pp. 47-59
ABSTRACT
Smartphones are increasingly becoming an ordinary part of our daily lives. With their remarkable capacity, applications used in these devices are extremely varied. In terms of language teaching, the use of these applications has opened new windows of opportunity, innovatively shaping the way instructors teach and students learn. This 4 week-long study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a mobile application on teaching 40 figurative idioms from the Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken English (MICASE) corpus compared to traditional activities. Quasi-experimental research design with pretest and posttest was employed to determine the differences between the scores of the control (n=25) and the experimental group (n=25) formed with convenience sampling. Results indicate that participants in the experimental group performed significantly better in the posttest, demonstrating the effectiveness of the mobile application used in this study on learning idioms. The study also provides recommendations towards the use of mobile applications in teaching vocabulary.
Keywords: English language teaching, Figurative idioms, Mobile learning, Mobile applications, Vocabulary teaching
Research Article
Hasan Karal, Mehmet Kokoc, Canan Colak, Yasin Yalcin
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 6, Issue 4, pp. 319-337
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to explore instructors’ perspectives on the effect of using pen-based technology in the online mathematics courses and understand instructors’ experiences in online mathematics teaching with pen-based technology. In this study, two instructors who taught online mathematics courses in fourteen weeks used digital pen as a pen-based technology. The data were obtained from semi-structured interviews and observation of online mathematics course records. The findings indicated that the use of digital pen in the online mathematics course was fairly beneficial in pedagogical and interaction aspects and it was necessary to use digital pen in online mathematics courses for displaying steps of problem solving process synchronously. It was concluded from the study that digital pen technology plays a positive role in the enhancement of interaction between the elements of an online learning environment by providing real-time feedback to students and permitting to digitize mathematical concepts. The observation findings also supported the statements of the instructors. The findings of the study have further provided some insight into how to use digital pen by an instructor in online mathematics course efficiently.
Keywords: Online mathematics course, Digital pen, Digital ink technology, Interaction in online learning, Teaching with digital ink
Research Article
Chokri Barhoumi
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 221-238
ABSTRACT
This research paper explores the effectiveness of using mobile technologies to support a blended learning course titled Scientific Research Methods in Information Science. Specifically, it discusses the effects of WhatsApp mobile learning activities guided by activity theory on students' knowledge Management (KM). During the 2014 academic year, the researcher adopted an experimental approach-based comparison between an experimental group (34 students) and a control group (34 students). The learning process of the experimental group was based on continuity between 2 hours of in-class learning and 1 hour of learning activities that were mediated by WhatsApp instant messaging each week. The control group’s experience was 100% in-class with no app mediation. The researcher used the t-test to compare the means of the control and experimental groups in the test and the students’ attitudes at 0.05 alpha levels. This research paper is useful for exploring the effectiveness of mobile technologies in supporting blended learning courses.
Keywords: WhatsApp, Mobile teaching, Mobile learning, Mobile tools, Activity theory
Research Article
Serkan Sendag, Osman Erol, Sezan Sezgin, Nihal Dulkadir
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 172-187
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between preservice teachers’ Web 2.0 competencies and their critical thinking disposition (CTD). The study employed an associational research design using California Critical Thinking Disposition-Inventory (CCTD –I) and a Web 2.0 competency questionnaire including items related to Web 2.0 awareness, Web 2.0 use, and educational use of Web 2.0 tools. Five different Web 2.0 tools included in the study: (a) blogs, (b) wikis, (c) social networking websites, (d) YouTube, (e) podcasts. A total of 1335 preservice teachers completed the survey. Findings indicated that participants had a medium level internet use, Web 2.0 awareness, Web 2.0 use and Web 2.0 skills while their educational Web 2.0 use level was low. In terms of competencies on certain Web 2.0 tools, their blog, wiki and podcast competencies were at a very low level, whereas their social networking and YouTube competency levels were high. Findings also showed that there were significant relationships between preservice teachers' Web 2.0 competencies and their critical thinking disposition. The results highlighted that the use of different Web 2.0 tools can be complementary to each other during certain instructional activities to improve different dimensions of critical thinking disposition.
Keywords: Critical thinking, Higher order cognitive skills, Teaching-learning strategies, Web 2.0 awareness, Web 2.0 competencies, Preservice teacher education
Research Article
Jill E. Stefaniak, Monica W. Tracey
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 6, Issue 2, pp. 95-112
ABSTRACT
In this exploratory study, we examined how undergraduate students experience learning in a learner-centered teaching environment and their perceptions of motivation towards learning material in an introductory public speaking communications course. Six faculty members participated in a semester-long study where their teaching strategies were observed. Three faculty members participated in a cognitive apprenticeship where they were taught how to implement learner-centered instructional strategies into their coursework. Participants were 109 students who were enrolled in an introductory public speaking course. Data was collected by means of classroom observations, interviews, and the administration of a survey. Our findings indicated that students who were engaged in learner-centered activities within the communications course demonstrate higher levels of motivation towards the course and are more actively engaged in their learning.
Keywords: Learner-centered instruction, Instructional sequencing, Teaching strategies, Student motivation
Research Article
Richard Vickers, James Field, Cai Melakoski
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 6, Issue 1, pp. 62-73
ABSTRACT
In 2013 five universities from across Europe undertook an innovative project ‘Media Culture 2020’, combining skills and forces to develop new practices that would face the challenge of the convergence of digital media, taking full advantage of social media and cloud-based technologies. The aim of the Media Culture 2020 project was to demonstrate what 21st century converged and interactive European Media Culture could be in comparison to the broadcasting based one-way 20th century model. The main objective of the project was to break down classroom and campus walls by creating open virtual learning environments where students from different countries and fields could explore and learn together. Media Culture 2020 developed innovative digital learning environments that consider new forms of production, transmission and representation of knowledge. The project utilized a range of online platforms, social media and cloud-based technologies including Facebook, Google+ Google Hangout, Google Docs and Blogger in the collaborative development, management and delivery of the project
Keywords: Media culture, Collaborative teaching, Blended learning, Social Media, Cloudbased technologies
Research Article
Chokri Barhoumi, Pier Giuseppe Rossi
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 4, Issue 4, pp. 281-308
ABSTRACT
The use of hypertext systems for learning and teaching complex and ill-structured domain of knowledge has been attracting attention in design of instruction. In this context, an experimental research has been conducted to explore the effectiveness of instructional design oriented hypertext systems. Cognitive flexibility hypertext theory is compared to direct instruction course design without hypertext systems for teaching and learning Flash online course in e-learning environment. Researchers used an experimental approach conducted in the academic year 2010 with independent sample of students of an experimental group (73 students) compared to a control group (73 students) from a university class. The results show the effectiveness of the hypertext systems course design compared to direct online course design. Indeed, the results of cognitive performance have demonstrated that the average time to answer achievement tests is lower for flexible instruction compared to average time for direct instruction. The number of students’ accesses to learning resources in the e-learning platform is higher in case of flexible instruction compared to direct instruction. Results of the experimentation also demonstrate that there are significant differences between the experimental group and the control group, regarding the attitudes of students toward using flexible online course design based cognitive flexibility hypertext theory and direct online course design.
Keywords: E-learning, Online teaching, Flexible online course design, Direct online course design, Cognitive flexibility, Hypertext systems
Research Article
Nuri Kara, Nese Sevim
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 4, Issue 2, pp. 108-120
ABSTRACT
Since 1950s, teaching machines have changed a lot. Today, we have different ideas about how people learn, what instructor should do to help students during their learning process. We have adaptive learning technologies that can create much more student oriented learning environments. The purpose of this article is to present these changes and its effects on learning environment. First, after explaining the concepts of teaching machines and adaptive learning systems including their main features as well as integral components, similarities and differences between these technologies are discussed briefly. Then, following the discussion on weaknesses and strengths of adaptive learning systems, what instructional designers should consider in developing and using them are mentioned.
Keywords: Adaptive learning, Adaptive learning systems, Teaching machines, Instructional design, Instructional technology
Research Article
Ann-Louise Petersen, Leona Bunting
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 3, Issue 4, pp. 249-264
ABSTRACT
This article focuses on computing in teaching. It focuses on the differences between a traditional view of teaching and a view where the teacher no longer is the knowledge broker but more of a coordinator or a coach. The empirical examples stem from a research project called “One computer one pupil”, a study of two classes in year three with children aged 9 and two classes in year five with children aged 11 in a Swedish primary school. When the project started the pupils had been using the computers for about 2,5 years. In contrast to the teacher in grade five, the classes in year three had teachers with a great interest in developing ICT. The children became very skilled in using ICT and working with the laptop was very popular. According to the theoretical model of Voogt (2008), features of a “traditional pedagogy”, like prescriptions of the activities, were mixed with elements of an “emerging pedagogy”, where the pupils in collaboration performed their tasks in a creative way. However, some of the classroom work was quite unfocused relative to the goals of the subject. Instead of using the technology to reach the goals of the subject, the technology more or less became a goal in itself. To follow up ten Brummelhuis’ and Kuiper’s (2008) terms technology push and educational pull, we have added the term “technology pull.”
Keywords: Teaching design, Computer use, Technology push, Technology pull, Primary school, One–to-one learning environment.
Research Article
Adrie A. Koehler, Minchi C. Kim
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 3, Issue 3, pp. 212-233
ABSTRACT
Teachers are faced with many barriers during their first few years of teaching, and they desire support to help them through this challenging time. Unfortunately, many beginning teachers rarely receive this assistance. Lack of support can create barriers that grow into to overall job dissatisfaction and lead to the failure of teacher retention. In the past, state departments of education and school administrators have focused on the use of mentoring programs to help address these concerns. However, much inconsistency exists among these programs’ duration, structure, and intensity, with many beginning teachers changing schools or leaving the profession all together. The purposes of this paper are to discuss key problems and concerns faced by beginning educators, to explore current professional development practices created for assisting beginning teachers, and to examine new ways to support beginning teachers through the use of educational technologies. Specifically, this article proposes principles to guide the design and improvement of beginning teacher induction programs through the incorporation of distance education technologies
Keywords: Beginning teacher induction, Distance education, Barriers to teaching, Guidelines for the use educational technology in teacher training
Research Article
Sirous Hadadnia, Norouz Hadadnia, Nina Shahidi
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 3, Issue 1, pp. 50-59
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted with the purpose of comparing the effect of teaching of the online teacher with that of the real teacher on the students' learning in the university classroom. The study was conducted in the academic year 2009-2010. The sample of the study consisted of 80 students working either in control group or experimental group, 40 in each. The subjects were chosen and assigned by cluster sampling method. For data gathering, a 40 item test was administered in given time intervals to measure prior knowledge, achievement and retention of learning. Research methodology is of empirical, applied, and prospective nature. For data analysis, a t-test for comparing the differences between mean scores was employed. Based on the findings of this study, it appears that to overcome the lack of skilled university instructors, one could use online teachers. The quality of learning provided by the online teacher is the same as the one provided by the real teacher. In the university classrooms, one can use online teachers instead of the real teacher for a number of reasons. Finally, the degree of learning retention in both types of instruction (online versus traditional) is the same.
Keywords: Online learning, Virtual teaching, Face-to-face instruction, Online teacher, Distance education
Research Article
Hatice Sancar Tokmak, Turkan Karakus
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 4, pp. 319-332
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate how well initial teacher training in ICT prepare pre-service teachers to teaching profession. Eight pre-service teachers attending to the “School Experience” course from the Computer Education and Instructional Technology Department at the Middle East Technical University took part in this case study. Observation and interview methods were employed to gather data. Moreover, pre-service teachers’ lesson plans prepared for teaching activity were analyzed. The results showed that initial teacher training courses provided several affective teaching skills such as developing awareness about the importance of being well-prepared for each class, being calm for unexpected situations, and understanding the reasons of students’ misbehaviors in the class. However, according to ICT pre-service teachers, practical aspect of these courses was not enough. Most of them stated that they could not apply different strategies in different contexts. In addition, due to the lack of experience on classroom management they had difficulty in completing subjects although they left extra time for each activity in their lesson plans.
Keywords: Teaching practice, Initial teacher training, Case study, ICT pre-service teachers.
Research Article
Alireza Badeleh, G. Sheela
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 3, pp. 213-237
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based approach and the Laboratory Training Model of Teaching (LTM) chemistry. It strived to determine whether the ICT or the LTM would be more effective with respect to the male and female students’ overall as well as component-based achievement in chemistry and their retention of learning. The sample of the study consisted of 120 seventh standard students from two English-medium elementary schools in Mysore city, India. Four homogenous groups were formed randomly for the study and the effects of independent variables were tested under experimental conditions. The Test of Higher Mental Ability in Science (THMAS) was used to determine the homogeneity of the participants. After one month, the delayed posttest for achievement in chemistry was administered to determine the retention level of the students. The statistical techniques used to analyze the data were the independent sample t-test and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings indicated that as far as the overall achievement in chemistry, component-based achievement, and retention of knowledge, comprehension, application, and skills are concerned, the ICT-based method of teaching chemistry was more effective than the LTM of teaching. The effects of gender varied according to comparisons.
Keywords: Information and communication technology, Laboratory training model of teaching, Achievement in chemistry, Retention of learning
Research Article
Frank W. K. Amenyedzi, Mary N. Lartey, Beloved M. Dzomeku
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 2, pp. 151-162
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to assess the computer and Internet usage as supplementary educational material to enhance quality education; help improve educational management and planning; how students use the computers and internet to facilitate their learning; how teachers in the Tema Senior High Schools use the computers and Internet to teach and guide students. Stratified sampling method was used to select students and teachers. The results showed that a significantly high percentage of respondent teachers (92%) were computer literate and 78% of respondent students also had basic knowledge in computer. However, less than 15% of these teachers used the internet as an innovative way of improving teaching and learning. Over 30% of the teachers used the computer mainly for research work. Less than 40% of student respondents used the computer and the Internet facility for entertainment, whereas less than 25% used it for research and learning. Less than 40% of respondent students used the Internet for e-mail and browsing. It was revealed that Internet and computers have helped students to achieve new things such as finishing assignments, solving problems, learning history of other countries, improving typing skills, and chatting with friends. There is no clear interaction between teachers and students through the use of Internet facilities. The Internet was not used for guidance. Despite the limited use of computers by teachers in their teaching, many agree that the computer has changed the way students learn. One fourth of teachers have received some form of training in the use of computers, with quite minimal training in the pedagogical integration of ICT. It appears that integration of ICT in Ghanaian school systems is a major step in promoting innovation.
Keywords: Computer, Internet, Teaching, Learning, Guidance
Research Article
Vibha Chawla, Praveen Thukral
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 1, pp. 77-87
ABSTRACT
This study is an attempt to evaluate the effects of student feedback in developing teaching competence among student teachers. The study was conducted on ten student-teachers of one of the reputed colleges of Panjab University using single-group pretest-posttest design. The efficiency of employing all the selected skills has been calculated by using observation schedule cum rating scale for each skill. The efficiency has been found to be greater than 83% in case of all the student-teachers trained through student feedback. The coefficient of correlation between Efficiency of Using Five Selected Teaching Skills and Posttest Baroda General Teaching Competence Scale Score has been found to be 0.260. Also, 10% of the student-teachers move from average to high performance category on Stanine scale. In brief, student feedback has been found to be effective in improving the general teaching competence of student-teachers.
Keywords: Student feedback, Teaching competence, Teaching skills, Microteaching