Achieving digital literacy through game development: an authentic learning experience

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 256-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Frydenberg
Keyword(s):  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Authentic Learning ◽  
Game Development

International teleconferences in EGAP courses: preparing students for prospective professional situations

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-32
Author(s):  
Anila R. Scott-Monkhouse ◽  
Michal Tal ◽  
Maria Yelenevskaya
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Israel Institute ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Institute Of Technology

Abstract This paper describes a joint programme developed in 2018 by the University of Parma Language Centre (Italy) and the Humanities and Arts Department of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The aim of the project was to involve students of English for General Academic Purposes in delivering presentations to an unfamiliar foreign audience on a topic relevant to their academic interests. The students were required to prepare for the presentation by exploring and personalising the chosen topic so as to be able to explain it to a group which they had had no previous contact with or information about. Through the active involvement of the students in a realistic implementation of their prospective professional use of English, language learning became a holistic experience where a traditional approach to language learning focusing mainly on vocabulary and macro-skills was integrated with a pragmatic approach which addressed the so-called ‘21st-century skills’ (specifically critical thinking, communication, collaboration and digital literacy). The simulation of situations that they are likely to encounter in their professional lives helped students build their confidence, with the whole learning experience carrying both emotional and social implications. This paper offers an insight into the challenges and issues which arose, and ideas for improving the learning experience. We describe the preparation carried out by the teachers at both universities, and the guided and autonomous work carried out by students in the different stages. A post-conference survey triggered the students’ self-reflection in relation to learning and personal development. The survey was also valuable for the teachers regarding reassessment of teaching strategies and preparation for future joint projects.

Fostering Collaboration and Digital Literacy with Mobile Technology

2014 ◽  
pp. 43-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Mills
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Technology ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Traditional Classroom ◽  
Multimodal Literacy ◽  
21St Century Classroom ◽  
Cognitive Benefits ◽  
Collaborative Activities

Multimodal literacies are an essential construct of the 21st century classroom, and mobile technology will serve to facilitate the collaborative creation of multimodal digital content. The mission of this chapter is to highlight the potential of mobile technology as a means for enabling collaborative activities and fostering effective communication. Over the past several decades, there has been a tremendous shift in how educators and students communicate, learn, and share ideas. The proliferation of mobile computing devices to a near-ubiquitous level has amplified this shift and compels educators to seek ways to harness the power of these devices to break down the barriers of the traditional classroom in an effort to make way for a more collaborative, reflective learning experience. Drawing on recent research on the cognitive benefits of multimodal literacy instruction and its potential for increasing opportunities for student engagement, this chapter provides a rationale for and subsequently sketches a practical approach for fostering collaborative, multimodal literacy practices through mobile technology.

Transforming Digital Literacy With Culturally Diverse, Personalized Learning

2017 ◽  
pp. 170-195
Author(s):  
Patricia J. Donohue ◽  
Kevin Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Media Literacy ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Personalized Learning ◽  
Literacy Education ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Media Literacy Education ◽  
Design For Learning

The chapter reports on the research and efforts of two faculty members in an Instructional Technologies (ITEC) Master's program to transform their undergraduate and graduate courses into culturally sensitive personalized learning experiences in media literacy education. The 20-year-old ITEC program needed upgrading to meet the paradigm shift in new technologies and global education that its students would enter on graduation. Cultural and social justice issues have been the mission of the University for 40 years and that dimension of media literacy education was missing from the ITEC curricula. Researchers found that introducing techniques of gamification, heutagogical methods, and universal design for learning principles into their online and blended-learning courses provided a way to help students personalize their learning experience and interact more engagingly with each other, and to master the media literacy skills being taught.

Strategies to Teach Game Development Across Age Groups

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-43
Author(s):  
Lakshmi Prayaga ◽  
James W. Coffey ◽  
Karen Rasmussen
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
College Level ◽  
School Students ◽  
Game Development ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
Age Related

The process of game development can be used as a highly motivating learning experience geared to the teaching and learning of a variety of skills in students of varying ages. This article presents a description of a conceptual framework for teaching and learning based on game creation, including pedagogical foundations, a model of instruction for game development, age-related issues relative to learning tasks, and the basic aspects of game development. The authors compare the expectations for types of concepts and technologies employed with middle and high school students versus those employed with college-level students in game development. Projects that illustrate these differences are then presented, and the article closes with a summary and conclusions.

Pedagogical Responses to Social Software in Universities

2010 ◽  
pp. 335-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine McLoughlin ◽  
Mark J.W. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Social Software ◽  
Pedagogical Change ◽  
Geographically Dispersed ◽  
Models Of Teaching ◽  
Networked Society

Learning management systems (LMS’s) that cater for geographically dispersed learners have been widely available for a number of years, but many higher education institutions are discovering that new models of teaching and learning are required to meet the needs of a generation of learners who seek greater autonomy, connectivity, and socio-experiential learning. The advent of Web 2.0, with its expanded potential for generativity and connectivity, propels pedagogical change and opens up the debate on how people conceptualize the dynamics of student learning. This chapter explores how such disruptive forces, fuelled by the affordances of social software tools, are challenging and redefining scholarship and pedagogy, and the accompanying need for learners to develop advanced digital literacy skills in preparation for work and life in the networked society. In response to these challenges, the authors propose a pedagogical framework, Pedagogy 2.0, which addresses the themes of participation in networked communities of learning, personalization of the learning experience, and learner productivity in the form of knowledge building and creativity.

scholarly journals Global U: Exploring Curricular Development and Outcomes in Three University of Utah Experiential Learning Abroad Programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-45
Author(s):  
Lisa H. Gren ◽  
L. Scott Benson ◽  
Caren J. Frost
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Authentic Learning ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Learning ◽  
Short Term ◽  
University Of Utah ◽  
The University

The University of Utah is a publicly funded, R1 university located in the United States, with a mission statement that includes recognition of its global role, asserting that “. . . we engage local and global communities to promote education, health, and quality of life.” As part of that engagement, the University of Utah has offered learning abroad opportunities since 1967. Approximately 1 in 10 students participates in a global learning experience, and 80% of programs are short term (defined as 10 weeks or less). The pedagogical theories that guide these short-term programs are experiential learning, authentic learning, and intentional targeted intervention. We describe three short-term learning abroad programs in public health and social work—for students at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate level—connecting the reported benefits to the pedagogical model and theories used to develop the specific curriculum for these short-term programs. Faculty use a variety of reflective tools to help students learn to function in their new setting (experiential learning); explore and meaningfully construct concepts and relationships as they address real-world problems (authentic learning); and facilitate intercultural growth (intentional targeted learning). The University of Utah has adapted a three-stage model for learning abroad that incorporates principles from these theories to drive program activities: Plan (predeparture), Learn (program participation), and Integrate (postprogram). Immediate benefits to students of participating in a global-learning experience include intercultural learning, personal, and career development. Benefits to faculty include scholarly products in the domains of education and service learning, community-engaged participation, and research.

Improving the authentic learning experience by integrating robots into the mixed-reality environment

2010 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 1572-1578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Wei Chang ◽  
Jih-Hsien Lee ◽  
Chin-Yeh Wang ◽  
Gwo-Dong Chen
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Reality ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Authentic Learning

scholarly journals Authentic Learning – Does It Improve Pass Rates and Student Satisfaction?

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Authentic Learning ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
University Education ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Pass Rates ◽  
Learning Methods ◽  
Learning Techniques

Learning by doing is thought to be one of the most effective ways to learn (Lombardi, 2007). This article explores the findings of a small scale study on one module about whether pass rates and student satisfaction can be improved by introducing authentic learning methods into the classroom by changing the teaching and assessment methods used on a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) module (Accounting and Finance for Decision Making). The pass rates pre and post the changes were monitored and also the student satisfaction scores. Comparisons were made between the results three semesters prior and three semesters post the changes, reviewing quantitative and qualitative data from 180 students. Leeds Beckett University has undertaken reviews of its undergraduate and postgraduate curricula and one of the key messages underlying university education at the Business School is that it needs to enhance employability. Therefore the consideration of using ‘authentic learning’ methods wherever appropriate would appear to fit in well with this strategy. The findings suggest that the introduction of authentic learning techniques make student learning from this sample more effective in terms of better pass rates and also that the students enjoy the learning experience more. The findings therefore bode well for the further use of authentic learning techniques in future teaching and learning activities and also support current literature in this area. The module continues to use the changes introduced and has experienced much higher pass rates and student satisfaction as a result.

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