Research Article
Imam Fitri Rahmadi, Zsolt Lavicza, Tony Houghton
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep299
ABSTRACT
Educational games have great potential for learning, however the potential of user-generated microgames for supporting learning is still not completely understood. The present study reviews the design quality of user-generated microgames based on microgame design fundamentals and explores the potential of the games for facilitating learning from the perspective of elementary teachers in terms of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This is exploratory research organised within the GeoGebra application and with the participation of elementary teachers in Indonesia. The study found that the games met the microgame design fundamentals but the mechanics and aesthetics were in need of some improvements. The major strength of the games is simplicity for learning, however their user interfaces are their major weakness. Learning resources and environments in Indonesian elementary schools are relatively supportive of games integration into learning processes whilst senior teachers and rural areas are less so. These findings suggest users should pay more attention to audios, visuals and special effects as well as winning conditions when creating microgames in open platforms. It is of pivotal importance to provide playing instructions and games that fit to mobile screens. Furthermore, teachers have to carefully select the games and consider the context before utilising user-generated microgames for assisting learning.
Keywords: user-generated microgames, microgame-based learning, microgame design fundamentals, exploratory study
Research Article
Kasim Karatas, Ibrahim Arpaci
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep300
ABSTRACT
This study investigated role of the self-directed learning skills, metacognitive awareness, and 21st century skills and competences in predicting readiness for online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. 21st Century Skills and Competences Scale, Self-Directed Learning Skills Scale, Metacognitive Awareness Inventory, and Readiness for Online Learning Scale were used to collect data from 834 prospective teachers. Structural equation modelling (SEM) results indicated that self-directed learning skills, metacognitive awareness, and 21st century skills and competences positively predict prospective teachers’ readiness for online learning. These findings suggested that enhancing prospective teachers’ self-directed learning, metacognitive awareness, and 21st century skills and competences may promote their readiness for online learning.
Keywords: self-directed learning, metacognitive awareness, 21st century skills, readiness for online learning, teacher education
Research Article
Vusumuzi Maphosa, Bekithemba Dube
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep301
ABSTRACT
The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused unprecedented global socio-economic disruptions. One of the areas negatively impacted is the education system. The country’s over reliance on traditional face-to-face teaching has brought about serious challenges to policymakers who have to decide how learning would proceed in the absence of physical contact between the teacher and the learner. This has been exacerbated by the general lack of access to textbooks and other teaching and learning materials which makes it difficult for parents to assist with home schooling. The potential use of mobile apps to support and enhance early childhood learning has received little attention in developing countries such as Zimbabwe, yet its impact in supporting early childhood education would be enormous during and post the COVID-19 pandemic. The study seeks to develop a numeracy-based app prototype that uses a local language (IsiNdebele) in a classroom or home-based schooling in response to the COVID-19 pandemic or other natural disasters or man-made situations that may make face-to-face interaction impossible. The analysis showed that kindergarten teachers had positive opinion towards the app as they perceived the prototype to be useful, easy to use, simple and that learners would be eager to use it. The results of this study can inform policymakers and educators on optimising technology based early teaching and learning at school and home.
Keywords: COVID-19, kindergarten, mobile apps, home-based learning, technology acceptance model
Review Article
Cecilia Avila-Garzon, Jorge Bacca-Acosta, Kinshuk, Joan Duarte, Juan Betancourt
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep302
ABSTRACT
Research on augmented reality (AR) in education is gaining momentum worldwide. This field has been actively growing over the past decades in terms of the research and development of new technologies. Reviews in the field of AR in education consist of systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses (around 45), surveys (around 33), and only one bibliometric analysis. However, these reviews do not provide a general synthesis of the research published in the field to depict its evolution over the years. This study used the metadata of articles from a 25-year period (1995-2020) to conduct a bibliometric analysis. A total of 3,475 studies were considered. In this study, we used tools such as the Scopus database, the bibliometrix R package, and the VOSviewer analysis tool. The analysis of the literature is based on the metadata, author, content, and citation information extracted from the dataset. In addition, we focus on comparing literature published mainly in journals (articles, articles in press, and reviews) and those published in other sources (conference papers, books, and book chapters). Practitioners could use the results of this study to make decisions about the adoption of AR technologies in education.
Keywords: augmented reality, education, learning, bibliometric, trends
Research Article
Chooi Yi Wei, Yoke Chin Kuah, Chee Pung Ng, Wai Kwan Lau
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep303
ABSTRACT
The rapid technological development and revolution have transformed the education field, promoting the betterment of learning and teaching quality. Augmented Reality (AR) is becoming increasingly popular for its ability to help educators to create an engaging and creative method of teaching. The increasing use of technology has piqued researchers’ interests in studying its efficiency. Following this observation, this study aims to explore educators’ readiness in embracing AR as an enhancement teaching tool in the future. This study employed a quantitative methodology and collected 223 respondents’ data from five private universities in Malaysia. The data was analysed using the Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) software. The results demonstrated that there were significant relationships between educators’ innovation towards the intention to adopt AR moderated by perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU). This study provides some insightful AR applications in the education industry, which is in line with the Industrial Revolution 4.0 theme. It successfully identifies the importance of motivating educators and students in embracing AR as an enhancement learning tool, providing a valuable discussion for the government, learning institutions, and educators on the implementation of AR in Malaysia.
Keywords: augmented reality, educator innovation, technology acceptance model, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness
Research Article
Muhammad S Bawa’aneh
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep304
ABSTRACT
In the current circumstances, the second wave of COVID-19 Pandemic is spreading and we seem to have to live longer with most of the urgent measures taken in early 2020 to fight the spread out of the pandemic; of which is school closure. The present study aims at investigating students’ satisfaction, attitudes and challenges in UAE public schools during the distance learning time of the third trimester of the academic year 2019-2020. The study also aims to measure differences of satisfaction level, attitudes, and challenges across gender and geographic places of residence within the UAE. Data collection started eight weeks after the commencement of the distance learning process and continued for two weeks. The first eight weeks that preceded data collection witnessed a continuous update of the, previously rich and well established, educational plans in line with continuous development plan for students and instructors that included intensive training for students and instructors on the use of up-to-date educational technologies. That has reflected on the results of the study, where the student satisfaction level, attitudes and challenges were found to lie within the “strong” category indicating high satisfaction level, positive attitude, and minimum faced challenges, with statistically significant differences in the mean across gender and residency for some cases. Such positive result is directly related to the fact that students of the UAE public schools were partially exposed to electronic learning even before the pandemic, the tremendous efforts of the ministry of education to guarantee smooth transfer to full distance learning after the outbreak of the pandemic, and the well established infrastructure of the country.
Keywords: student satisfaction, student attitudes, student challenges, distance learning, e-learning, virtual classes, COVID-19
Research Article
Julio Cabero-Almenara, Rosalía Romero-Tena, Carmen Llorente-Cejudo, Antonio Palacios-Rodríguez
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep305
ABSTRACT
In recent years, studies carried out in the educational field have concluded that the Flipped Classroom methodology offers numerous advantages for both teachers and students. In this sense, this approach is worked on at the university to develop skills necessary for the future professional of students, as well as increase their commitment to the subjects. The general objective of this research is to verify if the learning acquired through the Flipped methodology, as well as the perception of it, are useful for university students of the Degree in Primary Education. For this, two types of designs are used: pretest-posttest and validation through structural equations (PLS) of the scale to evaluate the degree of acceptance of the Flipped methodology based on the TAM model. The results show the adequacy of the training proposal based on Flipped methodology for university students. The students perceive the incorporation of the inverted methodology as an adequate strategy, highlighting the ease of use in the classroom, the acceptance of its integration, the transformation of interest in learning and showing a positive attitude towards its use in the future. Together, the level of acceptance as regards the validation of the TAM model is high. Finally, the possibility of replicating the model in similar investigations or through the so-called emerging technologies is evaluated.
Keywords: flipped classroom, digital competence, primary education, teacher training, TAM, CFA
Research Article
Ragad M Tawafak, Ghaliya Alfarsi, Jasiya Jabbar
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep306
ABSTRACT
With restrictions on face-to-face clinical consultations within the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges faced by healthcare systems in delivering patient care, alternative information technologies like telemedicine and smartphones play a crucial role. A wide variety of smartphone applications employs high-tech mathematical and programming approaches to enhance computer-assisted communication and learning processes’ pedagogical efficiency. Accordingly, this study’s main objective is to develop a model system that can function as smartphone computer graphics. This paper used the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as an m-learning model, and Bresenham’s line algorithm is a calculation system implemented by applications. The study method applies technology to validate the accuracy of the contents’ acceptance method of use. The results reveal significant positive effects of the proposed model on generating reasonable, fast, and accurate solutions for the presented problems and developing a more interactive platform of m-learning.
Keywords: computer graphics, algorithms, COVID-19, TAM
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
Omar Alawajee
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep308
ABSTRACT
This research aims to uncover higher education students’ experiences regarding sign language learning with online learning platforms and learning experiences during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in one of the teacher-preparation programs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as learning the basics of sign language is one of the essential elements in the teacher-preparation program for future teachers to be able to interact with their deaf students. Qualitative research method, structured individual interviews were employed to collect data to understand students’ experiences, knowledge, expectations, and thoughts of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and the sudden and unplanned movement to online teaching tools on their sign language learning and practices. A total of 24 female students enrolled in a special education bachelor program were interviewed in this study. Fifteen participants thought that the COVID-19 crisis influenced their sign language learning and practices, while six of the interviewees reported no impact, and three were not sure. Data revealed some disadvantages, difficulties, and concerns of learning sign language through e-learning tools and some advantages of sign language learning using e-learning tools during the COVID-19 pandemic and are presented alongside examples of the interviewees’ statements. This study presented some practice recommendations like integrating digital game-based learning, web and phone applications to practice sign language to endorse effective and innovative sign language learning and practices techniques.
Keywords: COVID-19, sign language, teacher-preparation program, online learning, higher education
Research Article
Vincentas Lamanauskas, Rita Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep309
ABSTRACT
Distance learning is not a new subject in university study practice. It is clear that a significant number of universities practiced this way of learning before the pandemic. In the case of distance learning, the emphasis is always not so much on the means used for teaching and learning, as on the very fact of the physical separation of the lecturer and the student. There is a reasonable concern about the quality of studies, their efficiency, the quality of the qualifications acquired by future specialists, etc. The new context creates the need to analyse and assess the distance learning situation that arose during the pandemic.
In January-February 2021, a qualitative study was conducted, in which 158 students from three Lithuanian universities participated. Most of the respondents were students of social and humanitarian study programmes. Qualitative data obtained on the basis of open-ended questions were analysed using the method of quantitative content analysis, i.e., semantic subcategories and categories according to four main variables were distinguished: advantages of distance lectures, disadvantages of distance lectures, and distance lecture improvement.
It has been established that the main advantages are the convenience of studying and the flexibility of the study process. Meanwhile, the most obvious shortcomings are deterioration of physical and mental health and non-realisation of social needs, deterioration of the quality of academic activities. Improving the design of lectures and improving their planning and organisation are considered the key areas of improvement.
Keywords: content analysis, distance learning, distance lectures, qualitative research, university students
Research Article
Mirian Agus, Maria Lidia Mascia, Maria Assunta Zanetti, Simona Perrone, Dolores Rollo, Maria Pietronilla Penna
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep310
ABSTRACT
In the literature there are more and more works dealing with cyberbullying and adolescents’ perception of this phenomenon. In particular, we are interested in cyberbullying and the effects of cyberbullying on adolescent life. What is more, in 2020 the impact of COVID-19 has increased the digital presence of cyberbullying behaviours. This phenomenon is extremely complex, since it is multicomponential and multifactorial, and many components act on it. Starting with an analysis of the literature, this work offers preliminary data towards the validation of a self-reporting questionnaire; it was administered to 650 adolescents, to evaluate their perceptions of the victims of cyberbullying. The questionnaire consisted of 33 items; Principal Component Analysis was applied, which identified the dimensions resuming the items’ variability. The findings confirmed the multidimensional nature of the issue covered by the questionnaire and highlighted three psychological dimensions: Internalisation, Counterbalance and Marginalisation. The results support the structure of the questionnaire, useful to quickly collect information about adolescents’ perception of cybervictimisation. The assessment of this information might help teachers, educators, and tutors to formulate targeted interventions to combat the spread of cyberbullying aimed for example at improving emotional intelligence, starting from the construction of emotional contagion.
Keywords: cyberbullying, adolescent representations, cybervictims, assessment
Research Article
Jamal N. Al-Karaki, Nedal Ababneh, Yasir Hamid, Amjad Gawanmeh
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep311
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 Pandemic affected all sectors worldwide including education sector changing the students learning environment at a large scale. In the education sector, governments had to close schools and universities around the world and turn into online mode of delivery. The sudden transformation to online learning demands educators and institutions to develop more innovative teaching methods in supporting students during this growing crisis. It is pertinent that this is the era of large-scale online learning, where education is delivered remotely utilizing various digital platforms. To this end, this move presented many challenges to students, educators, families, administrators, and government regulations. In this paper, we conduct an oriented and well-rounded survey that captures all aspects of distance learning verticals as perceived by educators in order to study online delivery aspects, including teaching models, communication media, and teaching best practices in distance learning. The paper will answer subtle and comprehensive questions related to student satisfaction and success, technical needs and challenges, teaching models, educator mobility, etc. across different universities in the UAE. In particular, the paper tries to identify best model to use given many key issues related to the adoption of e-learning during COVID-19. Overall, the survey results showed almost all participants agreed that online learning during the COVID-19 is a very good alternative solution to Face-to-Face approach. However, teaching models do vary in promoting students’ participation and students’ engagement. All participants agree that absence of the proper infrastructure at home will hinder the operation especially in courses with hands-on components. Finally, the educators questioned the credibility of online assessments despite the enforced exam integrity tools and methods. The paper concluded with many recommendations for continuous development of the distance learning systems during and after COVID -19.
Keywords: COVID-19, distance learning, online education, technology adoption, education models, higher education