A Design of Personal Learning Network on Social Networking Tools with Gamification for Professional Experience

This research aimed to design a novel teaching and learning process in the professional experience training. The Successive Approximation Model (SAM) was applied in the design steps. The attainment of the designed framework derived from numbers of theoretical reviews, as well as the analytical data collected from the expert interviews. The proposed framework included the components of a Personal Learning Network (PLN), the process of PLN, and the professional experience procedure. The components of PLN were: learning resources, learning tools, learning content, and learning activities. In addition, the process of PLN consisted of Creation, Connection, Cognition, and Contribution. The professional experience incorporated nine main activities particularly, enrolling in the course, joining three compulsory seminars, doing two major periods of internship, mentor visiting, submitting assignments, and completing the course. These three concepts were combined into the framework of integrated learning activities, which occurred in social networking tool, Course Networking (CN). It operated as the learning tool utilized the newly created addable badges as a part of gamification features. The assessment results from the eleven experts revealed that the teaching and learning practice using personal learning networks on social networking tools with gamification in the professional experience proved to have high levels of standard evaluation, innovative attributes, design process, teaching and learning procedure, and teaching and learning activities.

Framework for Technology-Enriched Active Class Learning of Physics in Secondary Schools in Kenya

Active learning transforms the learning process and activities from tutor focused to learner-cantered and is driven by the learner's learning ability. In other words, active learning provides an opportunity for self-directed learning that enables the learners to engage with the learning materials at personal level and pace. Thus, this chapter argues that active learning can provide equal learning opportunity for every single learner irrespective of the differences in their personality traits that would otherwise affect how they learn. Hence, this chapter proposes a framework for technology-enriched active learning for young learners that provides a personalized learning that deviates from the traditional “fit-for-all” classroom setups that tends to favour only the extrovert students. The proposed framework leverages advancement in technology such as personal learning network, virtual physics labs, massive open online courses, and crowd-sourced expert opinions to provide the learners with just-in-time active learning opportunity.

Teachers as Connected Professionals

As education becomes increasingly complex, effective continuing professional learning is an important strategy to support teachers in schools. However, current professional development approaches may not meet contemporary teachers’ needs. Seeking to enhance teachers’ professional learning opportunities, this paper presents a model of learning as a connected professional. The model draws upon the findings of a qualitative case study of 13 teachers who interact with others through a personal learning network (PLN). Theories of connectivism, networked learning, and connected learning underpin the model, which conceptualises the whole experience of learning as a connected professional. The model comprises three elements: arenas of learning, teacher as learner, and PLN. Key characteristics of the experience are practices described as linking, stretching, and amplifying. These practices recur in various ways across all three elements of the model. The model promotes professional learning that is active, interest-driven, and autonomous, meeting personal learning needs while being socially connected. As education becomes increasingly complex, effective continuing professional learning is an important strategy to support teachers in schools. However, current professional development approaches may not meet contemporary teachers’ needs. Seeking to enhance teachers’ professional learning opportunities, this paper presents a model of learning as a connected professional. The model draws upon the findings of a qualitative case study of 13 teachers who interact with others through a personal learning network (PLN). Theories of connectivism, networked learning, and connected learning underpin the model, which conceptualises the whole experience of learning as a connected professional. The model comprises three elements: arenas of learning, teacher as learner, and PLN. Key characteristics of the experience are practices described as linking, stretching, and amplifying. These practices recur in various ways across all three elements of the model. The model promotes professional learning that is active, interest-driven, and autonomous, meeting personal learning needs while being socially connected.

PEDAGOGICAL TRAINING OF LEARNING ENGINEER

Digital technologies command determines the information and professional competence of a teacher. The first competences help him to organize a modern educational process, others provide access to the latest professional information. Studies show that serious complex strategies for the use of digital technologies are beginning to emerge, and a teacher is becoming a leader in future education. Digital technologies are becoming more complicated and there is an urgent need for new professionals - learning engineers who have to provide new strategies in education. The paper considers a complex of open distance courses for the training of teachers to use new educational technologies. The courses use the results of the annual polls of the world's pedagogical community to identify popular pedagogical instruments. They form teachers’ personal knowledge mastery. This contributes to the development of a personal learning environment and a teacher's personal learning network. The learning engineer's training system should consist of software engineering and the proposed teaching block. The last block includes sections for the formation of skills of personal knowledge mastery, the design of a distance course, the development of the structure, organization of distance and blended learning, expertise of the distance course. All sections of the pedagogical unit were tested in open distance courses at the Research Laboratory of Distance Learning at NTU "KhPI". During 2013-2018 open distance learning courses were learnt by more than 2,600 teachers of Ukraine and 370 of them successfully completed the training. The next step should be to integrate efforts with IT specialists, identify competencies of the learning engineer and prepare a training program for a specialist in the future.