Development of a Mobile Application for Learning Style Prediction

This chapter presents the development of a mobile application through the use of intelligent systems adapted to learning styles in accordance to the models of Feder-Silverman and Kolb. This development takes place in a Java programming language within the Android Studio development environment, which at the same time uses the SQLite mobile data base. The mobile application allowed the authors to identify the learning styles of students from the Mechatronics Engineering academic program that show some sort of educational backwardness in the subject of differential calculus. It was found that, according to the Felder-Silverman model, the style that predominates among students is the auditory style, while in accordance to the Kolb model, it was identified that the reflective style was the most common learning style amongst mechatronics students. It is concluded that through the use of this mobile application, students are able to identify the learning style, predict, and apply appropriate learning techniques to their learning style.

Multi-Perspective Concept Mapping in a Digital Integrated Learning Environment

Improving higher education requires a pedagogical transformation of the trainers but also of the learners committed in their learning activities. In the framework of distance learning and WIL, learner-centered pedagogical approaches are useful. Thus, the Conceptual Map Project (CMP) is proposed with the support of Perspec-Map, a software aimed at strengthening the knowledge acquisition in automatic control of the audience in WIL. Perspec-Map is a web application promoting reflexive learning based on the sharing of users' point of view, thanks to multi-perspectives. It is an additional support for collaboration and blended-course momentum, changing the behavior of all the parties involved. On the basis of an evaluation with users, several improvements are envisioned: easier map design; management of the trainer-perspective for an improved reference map enriched by the peer reviews; availability of a digitally assisted trainer dashboard for map quality assessment, skills recognition, and facilitated guidance. These last issues demand an ethics and learning analytics.

Pathways of Divergence, Convergence, and Adaptation to Persistent Learning

This chapter proposes to examine how rapid change occurring in all sectors of our society as they relate to education paradigms must be addressed to embrace new avenues of learning and new charters for educational change.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

This chapter focuses on virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) as tools for teaching and learning. Attainment of skills and knowledge can be supported through the use of VR/AR applications that are being developed both in the commercial sector and at various research institutions. An overview of what differentiates VR and AR is provided to the reader along with considerations of how such applications might be used to support learning environments in the future. If instructional designers and programmers can synchronize their efforts it may be possible to make VA/AR a common feature across learning environments nationally. Common elements of a VR/AR system are discussed here as well as the need to incorporate instructional design practices into the design of learning applications that use VR/AR.

Use of Humanoid Robots for Students With Intellectual Disabilities

In parallel with the significant developments in robotics, humanoid robots have become popular recently. It is known that when humanoid robots are used for educational goals, students become more interested in learning activities, develop better situation awareness through exercises and physical activities, and learn more effectively. Therefore, humanoid robots will possibly play a key role in education in the future. Since humanoid robots have enhanced social skills, are able to repeat a particular sequence many times, and provide real-time feedback, they can improve the engagement of students with intellectual disabilities and may find significant acceptance in specific target groups, such as students with autism spectrum disorder. In this chapter, the authors investigate the use of humanoid robots for students with intellectual disabilities and review existing approaches in this domain. In addition, limitations and challenges to the use of humanoid robots for educational goals are discussed. Finally, the authors investigate research challenges in this domain and state future research directions.

Supporting Learners in the Classroom

To facilitate learning in the classroom, an instructor must use techniques to differentiate and manage instruction while balancing the type and amount of instructional support necessary to help learners achieve their goals. A major set of considerations for an instructor or facilitator in the classroom has to do with determining (1) the appropriate philosophy of teaching and learning for a given body of knowledge or set of tasks, (2) how to optimize the learning environment to make it conducive to learning, and (3) the amount of support or scaffolding that will be required within educational contexts. This perspective piece is intended for pre-service teachers; however, the main ideas surrounding the 3CE model of classroom facilitation can be used by any instructional leader in various instructional formats (online, face-to face, or blended).

The Effect of Digital Storytelling Activities Used in a Social Studies Course on Student Engagement and Motivation

The aim of this chapter is to investigate the effect of digital storytelling activities used in the Social Studies course on student engagement and motivation. To this end, a quasi-experimental pattern with pre-test and post-test control group design was used in the study. A total of 119 students were included in the study. The motivation scale and the engagement scale were used for data collection in the 10 week implementation. According to the results of the study, the students who participated in digital storytelling activities were more active in the learning process, spent more effort, had increased communication and interaction with their teachers and friends, and spent more time for activities within the scope of the Social Studies course compared to the control group students. Additionally, the use of digital storytelling in the Social Studies course was found to be more effective compared to the regular course program in terms of improving motivation.

Classroom Applications of Automated Writing Evaluation

The majority of United States students demonstrate only partial mastery of the knowledge and skills necessary for proficient writing. Researchers have called for increased classroom-based formative writing assessment to provide students with regular feedback about their writing performance and to support the development of writing skills. Automated writing evaluation (AWE) is a type of assessment for learning (AfL) that combines automated essay scoring (AES) and automated feedback with the goal of supporting improvements in students' writing performance. The current chapter first describes AES, AWE, and automated feedback. Next, results of an original study that examined students' and teachers' perceptions of automated feedback are presented and discussed. The chapter concludes with recommendations and directions for future research.

The Role of E-Collaboration in E-Learning

This chapter examines the relationship between collaboration and learning. Next, attention will be turned to how collaboration was transitioned from the classroom to the online environment, as e-collaboration. The case will be made that e-collaboration has provided solutions to at least four major areas of concern in e-learning: providing sufficient interaction for the learner, creating instructor and peer telepresence for learners, stimulating learning motivation online, and providing a vehicle to deliver authentic learning tasks and activities online. E-collaboration provides richer and more human interactions. E-collaboration provides the kind of telepresence that learners seek. E-collaboration can influence learning motivation. Finally, e-collaboration has made it possible to create authentic learning tasks, projects, and activities online. Additionally, many online collaborative tools, various platforms that can support e-collaboration, instructor techniques, and illustrative examples or stories will be shared.

New Technology for the Classroom

New developments in educational technologies are making it possible for teachers to bring technology into the classroom more than ever before. This chapter provides an overview of educational technologies related to mobile devices, artificial intelligence, intelligent tutoring systems, and robotics. As developments in computer technologies advance over time educators will need to cultivate better understanding and skills for using technology with a well conceptualized instructional design. Concepts are offered here to further discussions on how new technologies will support persistent and personalized learning in the not too distant future. Educational leaders must begin to think about on how to incorporate different technologies as well as potential resource constraints that school systems need to consider in order to achieve broader educational technology integration goals.