scholarly journals Facilitating Emergency Remote K-12 Teaching in Computing-Enhanced Virtual Learning Environments During COVID-19 Pandemic - Blessing or Curse?

2021 ◽  
pp. 073563312199278
Author(s):  
Tamar Shamir-Inbal ◽  
Ina Blau
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Technology Enhanced Learning ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Organizational Challenges ◽  
K 12

This study explored teacher experience in leading Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) in K-12 and conducting blended synchronous and asynchronous instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s purpose was to understand the pedagogical, technological, and organizational challenges and benefits of computing-enhanced digital learning environments, and to explore teachers' pedagogical strategies. This study employed a qualitative research paradigm using nation-wide, online samples, which included 133 elementary and secondary school teachers from Hebrew-speaking and Arabic-speaking schools in Israel. Participants were asked to share their perspectives and experiences of ERT through open-ended questions in an online questionnaire. The bottom-up analysis of the data, based on the Grounded Theory approach, yielded 1,822 statements reflecting teachers' perceptions of pedagogical, technological, and organizational challenges (N = 580) and benefits of ERT (N = 827). The analysis also revealed a variety of pedagogical distance learning strategies used by teachers (N = 415). The study raises the need to turn a curse into a blessing by incorporating the experience of remote technology-enhanced learning and online activities into the school agenda on a regular basis. Thus, teachers and students would develop important digital competencies and be prepared for the next emergency event. The implications of our findings for educational theory and practice of educational computing are discussed.

Brain Breaks Go To College

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-301
Author(s):  
Kimberly E. Feiler
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
American Adult ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Brain Breaks ◽  
K 12

As health education specialists, we are called to practice what we promote. American adult physical activity levels are low, and too much time is spent sedentary. New habits can be learned early in adult life in the higher education setting. Most time students and faculty spend in higher education learning environments is spent while sedentary—this norm must change. Brain breaks in formal learning environments have worked well in K-12 schools; they can be incorporated into higher education in order to reengage students and improve their academic achievement. Brain Breaks are short (2-5 minutes), movement-based activities to break-up prolonged periods of sitting by students, thus increasing physical activity. Health and health-related college courses provide an ideal platform to begin adding back in brain breaks and active learning strategies where there has traditionally been little to none.

scholarly journals The Practice of Digital Learning (D-Learning) in the Study from Home (SFH) Policy: Teachers' Perceptions

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Widya Rizky Pratiwi
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Electronic Media ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Affective Development ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Learning Content ◽  
The Government

This article investigates the efficacy of Digital Learning implementation in SFH policy from teachers' viewpoints. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia in mid-March 2020 required the Government to take a decisive step in the form of Study from Home (SFH). The policy was aimed at preserving the quality of students' mental and psychological learning while socially and physically distancing. In this descriptive qualitative study, the interviews were conducted online with four teachers in various high schools in Bulukumba Regency, Indonesia. It was also supported by documents. This research found that teachers prefer to use WhatsApp and Google Classroom as the platforms to organize D-Learning. These applications are more comfortable to use, easy to access, and more familiar in their environment. Teachers perceive that D-Learning modifies the learning process so that it becomes more flexible. It also results in more autonomous learners. However, teachers are aware they are not yet ready to provide good technology-based material. They face difficulties in assessing students' progress from home. Students were also found to lack enthusiasm in responding to the learning content. Besides, inadequate facilities and infrastructure limit the students' access to D-Learning. As a result, D-Learning in SFH policy has not been effective for the students' cognitive and affective development and learning goals cannot be maximally achieved. Thus, it is suggested that the government support all efforts to adjust quickly to the D-Learning system's practice, such as by broadcasting more educational content through electronic media and publishing materials of pedagogical specialists for working in D-Learning environments.

Digital Learning in Rural K–12 Settings

2019 ◽  
pp. 100-133
Author(s):  
Amy Valentine ◽  
Butch Gemin ◽  
Lauren Vashaw ◽  
John Watson ◽  
Christopher Harrington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Rural Students ◽  
Rural Children ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Economic Decline ◽  
Rural America ◽  
Teacher Shortages ◽  
High Quality Education ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Support Students

Discussions of rural America often summon images of pastoral farmland, country roads, and close-knit communities; this vision offers a sharp contrast to contemporary perspectives of rural America, which highlight unemployment, entrenched poverty, economic decline, and geophysical isolation. However, both narratives share one characteristic: the belief that a high-quality education can open a world of opportunities for rural children. This chapter fills an existing gap in research by documenting successful practices of digital learning to support students, teachers, and families in rural education settings. A qualitative study identified the challenges faced by rural schools and then explored the digital learning strategies used to meet these challenges. Across the country, innovative practitioners are expanding Internet access, addressing teacher shortages, and increasing course offerings, which has in turn contributed to the academic achievement and future prosperity of today's rural students.

Inferences on enacted understanding: using immersive technologies to assess intuitive physical science knowledge

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Tscholl ◽  
Jason Morphew ◽  
Robb Lindgren
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Physical Science ◽  
Mixed Reality ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Science Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dynamic Stimuli ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to advance the proposal to use immersive virtual learning environments to stimulate and reveal deep-seated knowledge about science, giving instructors and researchers unique possibilities for assessing and identifying intuitive physical science knowledge. Aside from the ability to present rich and dynamic stimuli, these environments afford bodily enactment of people’s understanding, which draws less from declarative knowledge stores and more from everyday experiences with the physical world. Design/methodology/approach The authors ground their proposal in a critical review of the impact of stimulus and task characteristics of traditional physics inventories. Using a grounded theory approach, the authors present classifications and interpretations of observed bodily enactments of physics understandings in a study where participants enacted their understanding of force and motion of space in an immersive, interactive mixed reality (MR) environment. Findings The authors find that instances of these action categories can be interpreted as relating to underlying knowledge, often identified by other studies. The authors thus replicate a number of prior findings, which provide evidence to establish validation for using MR simulation as a tool for identifying people’s physical intuitions. Research limitations/implications This study targeted only a few specific physical science scenarios. Further, while a number of key insights about student knowledge came from the analysis, many of the observations are mere leads in need of further investigation and interpretation rather than core findings. Originality/value Immersive digital learning environments are primarily used for instruction. The authors propose to use and design them for assessment as well. This paper should prompt more research and development in this direction.

scholarly journals Exploring Teacher Perceptions of Using E-portfolios in Public Schools in the United Arab Emirates

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 180
Author(s):  
Samaa Abdel Ghany ◽  
Khadeegha Alzouebi
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Teacher Perceptions ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Constructive Feedback ◽  
K 12

This study explores e-portfolio practices among K-12 teachers and investigates their perceptions, attitudes and skills towards the potentials of e-portfolios to enhance the required 21st century competencies. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the use of e-portfolios in both public and private sectors in the seven Emirates of the UAE. In addition, 10 school leaders were interviewed to explore how willing and able they were in supporting a hypothetical change in the practice of documentation by using e-portfolios. A survey was conducted with over 400 teachers responding to 54 questions via an online questionnaire supported by the Survey Monkey web service tool. Data analysis results revealed that a substantial proportion of participants felt positively towards the possibility of using e-portfolios. However, the survey also revealed that the majority of teachers in the field need to acquire knowledge, associated skills, and competencies, through professional developmental training programs to cultivate and improve reflective, selective, organizational, constructive feedback skills, along with familiarity and proficiency in using online collaborative and professional networking tools. The study concludes with implications for policy-makers and stakeholders to consider before introducing requirements and regulations on e-portfolios.

Digital Learning Environments and Student-Centered Curriculum in a University Context

2012 ◽  
pp. 105-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sevinç Gülseçen
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Student Centered Learning ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Undergraduate Programs ◽  
Digital Learning Environments

With promises of rich information resources readily available, successful use of the World Wide Web (WWW) within an instructional setting is tied directly to a pedagogical approach that promotes Student-Centered Learning (SCL). SCL is based on constructivist approaches and has become an important theme in the educational theory and practice. Although SCL is not a new idea, new technologies developed for the Web and other Digital Learning Environments (DLEs) allow new forms of educational support to be facilitated, enabling new pedagogical concepts and enhancing learning. This chapter reports on an effort of empowering learners in the design of web-based teaching and learning in undergraduate programs in a Turkish university context.

scholarly journals Blended learning design for teaching innovation: university teachers’ perceptions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 36-45
Author(s):  
Katia Sannicandro ◽  
Annamaria De Santis ◽  
Claudia Bellini ◽  
Tommaso Minerva
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Educational Innovation ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Teaching Innovation ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
Digital Environments

Abstract In the Italian university context, almost all universities offer blended degree courses, digital environments and e-learning systems. In many cases, dedicated centres also provide technical support and, less frequently, teaching and methodological support. The development of digital learning environments often does not correspond to the spread of an effective culture of educational innovation in university courses. The research examined the experiences of instructional design among 44 university teachers of blended degree courses at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. The analysis focused on teachers’ level of satisfaction and the processes of teaching innovation linked to the blended methodology, investigating also the possible criticalities and strengths related to the process of (re)design and innovation. The activities of training and design for teachers contributed to the dissemination of good teaching practices and professional development. In line with what emerged from the research on blended learning, it seems necessary to build a framework for the adoption and implementation of ‘blended learning’ strategies at the institutional level, starting from the construction of a concrete agenda setting shared between the actors of the innovation process.

Digital Learning in Rural K–12 Settings

2021 ◽  
pp. 1987-2019
Author(s):  
Amy Valentine ◽  
Butch Gemin ◽  
Lauren Vashaw ◽  
John Watson ◽  
Christopher Harrington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Rural Students ◽  
Rural Children ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Economic Decline ◽  
Rural America ◽  
Teacher Shortages ◽  
High Quality Education ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Support Students

Discussions of rural America often summon images of pastoral farmland, country roads, and close-knit communities; this vision offers a sharp contrast to contemporary perspectives of rural America, which highlight unemployment, entrenched poverty, economic decline, and geophysical isolation. However, both narratives share one characteristic: the belief that a high-quality education can open a world of opportunities for rural children. This chapter fills an existing gap in research by documenting successful practices of digital learning to support students, teachers, and families in rural education settings. A qualitative study identified the challenges faced by rural schools and then explored the digital learning strategies used to meet these challenges. Across the country, innovative practitioners are expanding Internet access, addressing teacher shortages, and increasing course offerings, which has in turn contributed to the academic achievement and future prosperity of today's rural students.

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