Global South teacher educators in digital landscape: implications on professional learning

This article explores Pakistani and Bhutanese teacher educators’ digital competences about the use of social media, digital resources and professional online communities and implications of this on professional learning. The two countries, less discussed in international educational literature, are facing a growing use of the Internet in teaching and learning. Data include a survey completed by 67 teacher educators from Pakistan and 37 teachers from Bhutan, as well as semi-structured interviews from both countries. This study provides evidence of how teachers’ interaction on social networks and the use of digital resources play a central role in the introduction of innovative pedagogical practices of teacher educators, and teacher educators remain interested in knowledge sharing through social media for their professional learning.

Designing and re-designing the e-learning course «Teaching with Episodes of Situated Learning»

In order to satisfy the several training requests regarding the method of Episodes of Situated Learning by teachers of all levels, in the academic year 2018/2019, CREMIT (Catholic University) has developed an e-learning course. This paper aims to describe the training structure, designed according to the ADDIE instructional system model, focusing on the elements such as micro-learning, e-tivities and e-tutoring. The course was delivered in two editions (November–December 2018 and May–June 2019). The evaluation process highlights some relevant aspects: the high level of participants’ satisfaction, the moderate numbers of dropouts and the completely positive results of the assessment activities. The analysis of the gathered data allowed us to re-design the e-learning course.

The feasibility of a student-centred approach to the presentation of vicarious experience information within online learning

Previous researchers have emphasised the need for more student-centred approaches to online learning. This study presents and assesses the feasibility of a tailoring system, which adapts vicarious experience information to best benefit the learners’ self-efficacy (SE), based upon the model–observer similarity hypothesis. This hypothesis states that the benefit of vicarious experience information is positively correlated with the levels of similarity between the model within the information and the individual observing it. Participants took part in online learning, which included a set task. Before completing the set task, they were shown vicarious experience information in the form of a fictional testimonial from a previous individual who had completed the task. Participants were exposed to one of two types of testimonials: a testimonial chosen by the tailoring system to ensure high levels of model–observer similarity, or a generic testimonial. Overall, the results found that using a tailoring system to ensure high levels of model–observer similarity did result in the testimonial information having a more positive effect on an individual’s task-specific SE when compared to generic testimonial information. The results support the feasibility of tailoring within online learning to increase the effectiveness of testimonial information in increasing an individual’s efficacy beliefs.

Computational thinking in primary education: a systematic literature review

This study presents a 13-year (2006–2018) systematic literature review related to the way that computational thinking (CT) has grown in elementary level education students (K-6) with the intention to: (a) present an overview of the educational context/setting where CT has been implemented, (b) identify the learning context that CT is used in education, (c) highlight the ways of assessment/measurement of CT and present the learning outcomes for students who engage in CT educational activities. A set of criteria were specified to select appropriate studies for inclusion in the review. A thorough search in ten large electronic databases, meeting the inclusion criteria, revealed 53 studies on CT in primary education. The results of the study revealed a variety of educational and learning contexts that CT has been integrated. The majority of studies use the framework of programming for both plugged and unplugged activities in order to cultivate students’ CT-skills, while the main interest focuses on the subject of Computer Science and STEM field in general. However, teaching and learning issues on CT-concepts and skills, CT-measurement and the adoption of an established definition of CT remain a challenge. Based on the current findings, some recommendations and implications for future research are provided.

Examining associations between social media use, depression, global health, and sleep disturbance among emerging adults

In recent years, social media use and its effects on mental health have been investigated many times. Mostly, studies focused less on the global health when addressing mental health. In this cluster analysis study, on a sample of 261 Turkish college students who were emerging adults, the associations between social media use and depression, sleep disturbance, and global health were tested. By using k-means cluster analysis, participants were divided into three groups: ordinary and none, mild, and severe social media users. The results indicated that male college students had higher social networking addiction than females. There was a significant and positive relationship between time spent on social media and depression and sleep disturbance. The results showed that mild level social media users differ statistically in global health and sleep disturbance from both ordinary/none and severe users. The results were similar with the previous published studies in different cultures and countries in the fields of mental health.

Hybridising media education and social pedagogy: the (missed) opportunity in educational intervention with refugees in the ‘Italian reception system’

The thesis of this article is that in the informational society, social and intercultural education must be hybridized with media education. From this strong incorporation of media in education comes an approach to citizenship education as a new field of action in media education. The case study analysed deals with the flow of refugees into Italy as of 2013, following which there was a substantial investment in financing and in educating personnel in the reception system. Historically, there has always been a strong correlation between technology and migration; technology’s role as an active agent pertains not only to refugees’ departure but also to the entire migratory itinerary and the later process of integrating into the local community. Smartphones, global positioning systems, social networks and applications can make the difference between success and failure along the migration route. However, at reception centres, training practices in the digital environment do not characterise the structured educational offer but instead are more customary in refugees’ informal self-studies and build digital literacy. On the contrary, it appears useful to develop and promote refugees’ digital knowledge and literacy through practices that are not left to chance but are planned with pedagogical attention.

Discussion boards as a culturally responsive tool in the ESL classroom

The inclusion of new digital literacies in the ESL classroom has been growing lately. This study presents information about how beneficial it can be for emergent bilinguals to use an online platform, Blackboard, to engage in thoughtful and meaningful discussion boards. Findings from this qualitative case study show that such online discussion boards help students to not only develop their linguistic abilities, but also to feel valued as they can share their knowledges and experiences as part of the discussions. Discussions in the present study rely on students’ funds of knowledges to promote a more inclusive and multicultural classroom.

The impact of technology as a communication tool within the class: the teachers’ perceptions

The introduction of ICTs in the school system has been a powerful catalyst for educational and pedagogical practices. But there is more than meets the eyes: in fact, an increasing influence of technologies in the school is evident especially if one considers the social-relational side. This is mostly due to the pervasiveness of mobile devices and the proliferation – in terms of time and space – of communication channels that mediate the exchanges between the school’s actors – via email, through classroom information management systems, through chat or IM exchanges. By describing a research run in four secondary schools aimed to understand the ICTs’ influences on classroom climate, the purpose of this paper is to shed light on how teachers perceive the new aspects of technologies and their use in their daily work, highlighting how these technologies influence the way in which they build relationships with students, parents and colleagues.