scholarly journals Human connection and learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23
Author(s):  
Stephanie MacMahon
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
School Contexts ◽  
Classroom Learning Environments ◽  
Innate Capacity ◽  
Initial Research ◽  
Social Synchrony ◽  
Human Connection

Human connection is fundamental to learning. Through social interaction, we consciously and unconsciously share a range of states with others in the learning environment which assists us to understand one another and the experience. Underpinning this sense of connection is a phenomenon known as social synchrony – an innate capacity that allows us to connect with and understand others. The nature of this connection is represented in the quality of the learning environment, and is colloquially referred to as the ‘vibe’. We’ve all sensed it in our own classes or our own learning experiences in the classroom, but does it impact learning and, if so, how can we manage it to promote learning? These were the practical questions as an educator that drove my initial research into human connection and learning in school contexts. Using a science of learning lens, I wanted to understand the factors that contribute to this ‘vibe’, the strategies that we could use to enhance it, and the indicators of its quality. The findings have not just informed our understanding of classroom learning environments in schools, but also the role of human connection in learning beyond the classroom, into the workplace, in online environments, and across the lifespan.

Increasing Research Students' Engagement through Virtual Communities

2015 ◽  
pp. 50-75
Author(s):  
Maria Limniou ◽  
Clare Holdcroft ◽  
Paul S. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Technical Issues ◽  
Research Students ◽  
Geographical Space

This chapter describes important issues regarding research students' participation in a virtual community. Within a virtual community, university staff can communicate with research students without geographical/space constraints, and research students can exchange views, materials, and experience with their peers and/or academics in a flexible learning environment. Students' participation in virtual communities is mainly based on socio-emotional and informational motivations. Initially, this chapter describes the conditions of research in a traditional environment and the role of students and academics in it, along with the role of pedagogical and psychological aspects in virtual communities. Examples from a university virtual community developed in a Virtual Learning Environment and a Facebook™ closed group are presented. Apart from discussion forums, blended learning activities also increase students' engagement in virtual communities. Technical issues and difficulties based on different learning environments and university members' experience and familiarity with technology are highlighted and discussed.

Towards a Model of Playful Learning

2016 ◽  
pp. 263-280
Author(s):  
Raphael Raphael
Keyword(s):  
Middle School Students ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Community Schools ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
School Students ◽  
Game Mechanics ◽  
Narrative Account

What is the role of play in learning? What ways can we as educators leverage our students' extracurricular digital lives in meaningful ways in our digital and physical learning environments? What roles can the elements of game mechanics and game thinking serve towards these ends, especially in a blended learning environment? These are some of the initial questions that guided my action research at the American Community Schools, Athens (ACS). My project considers the efficacy of employing gamification strategies within a blended learning environment. This chapter in turn provides a brief narrative account of my research experience, focusing on an entrepreneur simulation in the ACS Academy (High School), and a series of gamified interventions done with ACS middle school students. It closes with a brief gamification toolset, a series of practical considerations drawn from this field experience and relevant research that may be helpful for teachers and administrators interested in exploring ways to gamify their own digital and physical learning communities or spaces.

The Blended Learning Environment in Higher Education

2016 ◽  
pp. 180-197
Author(s):  
Ellen Boeren
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Determination

This chapter explores the author's experiences with blended learning, both as a tutor and as a student at a British Russell Group University. The chapter starts from the importance of encouraging an autonomy supporting learning environment, featured within self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000). In the first part of the chapter, definitions of blended learning will be briefly reviewed. Secondly, the role of the learning environment will be explained, drawing upon previous research on learning environments undertaken by Darkenwald and Valentine (1986), mentioning the importance of the learning environment within motivational theories. Thirdly, results of a critical analysis on the own teaching and learning practice will be conducted, comparing the perspective of being a tutor and being a student. Finally, recommendations for future teaching practice will be discussed, before concluding this chapter.

Using Characters in Online Simulated Environments to Guide Authentic Tasks

2006 ◽  
pp. 88-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirley Agostinho
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Chief Executive Officer ◽  
Authentic Learning ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Authentic Tasks ◽  
Simulated Environments ◽  
Simulated Environment ◽  
The Subject

The use of characters to present tasks and critical information in a simulated environment has proven to be a useful strategy in the creation of more authentic learning environments online. Such characters can not only perform the role of setting and structuring tasks within the fictitious scenario, but also that of providing useful and realistic guidance. This chapter describes a learning environment designed to create an authentic context for learning evaluation skills and strategies appropriate to technology-based learning settings. The subject in which this approach was adopted was a masters-level course in evaluation of technology-based learning environments. The chapter focuses on the use of a fictitious CEO (chief executive officer) who requests certain evaluation tasks of “employees.” Students are given realistic jobs with realistic parameters, and in this way the subject is dealt with in a much more authentic manner than if presented in a more decontextualised way. The rationale for adopting the approach is described together with a description of how it was implemented and summary findings of an evaluation of the approach.

The need to strengthen the educative role of parents: Some implications drawn from educational productivity research

1995 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 15-19
Author(s):  
Jeff Dorman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Television Viewing ◽  
The United States ◽  
Home Learning Environment ◽  
Educational Productivity ◽  
Home Learning ◽  
Role Of Parents

This article considers the empirical results of educational productivity research conducted by a team of researchers from Australia and the United States in the mid 1980s. Based on nine factors identified by this research, three issues that highlight the important educative role of parents, namely, the quality of the home learning environment, homework support and monitoring television viewing are discussed.

scholarly journals Gamification strategies in learning spaces: A brief toolkit

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4Β) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Raphael
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Field Experience ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Relevant Research ◽  
Game Mechanics

What is the role of play in learning?  What ways can we as educators leverage our students’ extracurricular digital lives in meaningful ways in our digital and physical learning environments?  What roles can the elements of game mechanics and game thinking serve towards these ends, especially in a blended learning environment? These are some of the initial questions that guide this brief gamification toolset, a series of practical considerations drawn from field experience and relevant research that may be helpful for teachers and administrators interested in exploring ways to gamify their own digital and physical learning communities or spaces.

scholarly journals Reflexões sobre o papel do tutor na EAD

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (31) ◽  
pp. 226-239
Author(s):  
Alvaro Martins Fernandes Júnior ◽  
Jorge Luiz Bernardi
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Construction Of Knowledge ◽  
Calidad De Vida ◽  
Educación A Distancia ◽  
Palabras Clave

RESUMO Considerando o cenário da Educação a Distância no Brasil e sua importância enquanto possibilidade de democratização da educação superior, este texto tece reflexões a respeito do papel do tutor nos ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem, usuais em cursos oferecidos nesta modalidade. O texto inicia com algumas ponderações filosóficas que revelam a influência que o conhecimento (ou sua falta), exerce sobre a humanidade, considerando-se que é pela construção de conhecimento que se favorece a superação de desigualdades e melhor qualidade de vida. Nesse sentido, apresenta-se a modalidade a distância como possibilidade de autonomia e emancipação social, sendo necessário pensar a respeito do papel do tutor neste horizonte. Finalmente o texto conceitua ambiente virtual de aprendizagem, preconizando alguns princípios relevantes na aprendizagem de adultos.   Palavras-chave: Educação a distância e tutoria. Tecnologia e educação. Ambiente Virtual de aprendizagem.   ABSTRACT Considering the scenario of Distance Education in Brazil and its importance as a possibility for the democratization of higher education, this text reflects on the role of the tutor in the virtual learning environments, usual in courses offered in this modality. The text begins with some philosophical considerations that reveal the influence that knowledge (or its lack), exerts on humanity, considering that it is by the construction of knowledge that favors the overcoming of inequalities and better quality of life. In this sense, the distance modality is presented as a possibility of autonomy and social emancipation, being necessary to think about the role of the tutor in this horizon. Finally, the text conceptualizes virtual learning environment, advocating some relevant principles in adult learning.   Key words: Distance education and tutoring. Technology and education. Virtual learning environment.   RESUMEN Considerando el escenario de la Educación a Distancia en Brasil y su importancia como posibilidad de democratización de la educación superior, este texto teje reflexiones acerca del papel del tutor en los ambientes virtuales de aprendizaje, usuales en cursos ofrecidos en esta modalidad. El texto comienza con algunas ponderaciones filosóficas que revelan la influencia que el conocimiento (o su falta), ejerce sobre la humanidad, considerando que es por la construcción de conocimiento que se favorece la superación de desigualdades y mejor calidad de vida. En ese sentido, se presenta la modalidad a distancia como posibilidad de autonomía y emancipación social, siendo necesario pensar acerca del papel del tutor en este horizonte. Finalmente el texto conceptualiza ambiente virtual de aprendizaje, preconizando algunos principios relevantes en el aprendizaje de adultos.   Palabras clave: Educación a distancia y tutoría. Tecnología y educación. Entorno virtual de aprendizaje. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22169/revint.v14i31.1585

scholarly journals Space speaks: A portrait of an early childhood centre and the affordances provided by the learning environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-34
Author(s):  
Katrina McChesney ◽  
Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Reggio Emilia ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Education And Care ◽  
Early Childhood Learning

The quality of early childhood education and care fundamentally depends on teachers’ wise practice. However, the environments in which that education and care occur can influence, inform, and shape teachers’ practice, and children’s and families’ experiences. This article draws on a written “portrait” of the learning environment created at one New Zealand early childhood education (ECE) centre, capturing both physical and non-physical aspects of the environment and highlighting the affordances the environment offered to children and families/whānau. A Reggio Emilia lens is used to inform analysis of the learning environment and the associated affordances. The portrait (McChesney, 2020) and this article may support practitioners by providing a vision of what can be in terms of early childhood learning environments, and by providing a possible framework for self-review and inquiry.

The Role of Virtual Communities in the Customization of e-Services

2011 ◽  
pp. 655-670
Author(s):  
Bill Karakostas ◽  
Dimitris Kardaras ◽  
Adéla Zichová
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Service Customization

Virtual communities are groups of people with similar interests who meet online and together act as a learning environment, place for social support, or as bodies for influencing public opinion. In this paper, the authors identify characteristics of a virtual community that influence its members to customize e- services provided to or received by the virtual community. The authors propose a theoretical framework of factors influencing service customization in a virtual community that has been validated with two case studies conducted in health-focused virtual communities. The findings confirm that the quality of the learning environment, social support, and the virtual community’s ability to influence public opinion, positively contribute to the perceived usefulness and active participation in the community by its members. In turn, these factors were found to have a positive influence on customization of e-services by the members, based on the community’s suggestion. The research also suggests several areas of focus to enhance e-service customization through virtual communities.

The Future of Assessment for Personalized Naturalistic Learning

2019 ◽  
pp. 2053-2066
Author(s):  
Lauren Reinerman-Jones ◽  
Martin S. Goodwin ◽  
Benjamin Goldberg
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Intelligent Tutoring ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Open Architecture ◽  
Learning Paradigm ◽  
Tutoring Systems ◽  
On Demand ◽  
New Learning

Education in general has transcended boundaries of a physical classroom and given rise to the phenomenon of ubiquitous learning (u-learning) and the ability to access knowledge on-demand. To understand the effect of learning as it is evolving, the present chapter puts forth a framework of formal, non-formal, and informal virtual learning environments discussed on the basis of nine components. As the learning environment changes, the role of assessment within this new learning paradigm must be reconsidered. The chapter concludes with a discussion of integrating assessment into intelligent tutoring systems and the importance of designing such systems as open architecture for accommodation of a variety of domains.

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