Education Research with Electronic Focus Groups

An emerging trend in education research methods is to integrate digital technologies into the research process. Electronic focus groups represent one such innovation. Drawing on four examples of research and practice undertaken using a synchronous, digital system, this chapter reflects on how an innovative tool can assist in focus group research in the fields of school and higher education. The examples presented illustrate how some of the theoretical, practical and ethical problems that have arisen with traditional approaches to focus groups research can be overcome. It is anticipated that reflecting on such experiences and building upon the findings of these research projects will enable an understandings about the potential for innovative practices in education research that are possible with digital technologies.

Technology-Enhanced Learning in the Corporate Context

This paper focuses on tools and strategies to integrate the strengths of formal and informal learning in the corporate context via the use of work-based activities within courses. The following proposition is argued: An effective course in the corporate context becomes a blend of formal and informal learning, a guided opportunity to learn from and share experiences gained through work-based activities, and to contribute one’s own experiences as learning resources for others, for use in both formal and informal learning settings. Examples from practice in a multinational corporate learning context where a number of courses have been redesigned to allow integration of formal and informal learning are given. Key issues and challenges arising from this experience are discussed.

To be Lost and to be a Loser Through the Web

The purpose of this chapter is to present and discuss findings from a study of students’ information seeking and use for a learning assignment. The overall interest is to describe the coherence between differences in the quality of students’ information seeking and the quality of their learning outcomes and to relate this to issues of information literacy in the Knowledge Society. The study was framed within a sociocultural perspective of learning and adopted an ethnographic approach. Analysis of data resulted in the identification of two major categories of competences related to information seeking and knowledge formation, one of which involves serious shortcomings in meaningful learning through information seeking. There is little evidence that ICT conclusively supports the development of new knowledge in terms of seeing the world differently. Conclusions are that the school system tends to produce ‘information illiterates’ which may entail unwanted consequences for both individuals and for maintaining a democratic Knowledge Society.

Digital Storytelling as a Tool in Education

The aim of this chapter is to discuss digital storytelling in the context of education. Two questions guide the study: What is a digital story? What is the motivation for making a digital story? I have examined short multimodal personally-told digital stories published on the Internet. As a theoretical framework for the discussion I have compared digital storytelling with storytelling traditions in the oral and the written culture. The result implies that the definition of a digital story depends on what is considered a narrative. By transcending what has traditionally been considered narrative and by defining narrative in a broader sense, digital storytelling is an innovative tool and serves as a promising activity facilitating learning and development in the post modern society.

One to One Computing and Teacher Transformation

This chapter outlines a recent study on 1:1 computing and teacher transformation. It begins with an introduction to the theoretical framework of transformative learning and an overview of the professional literature dealing with 1:1 computing and teacher transformation. The study is then outlined, including the sampling procedures, participant background, and methodologies used. The remainder of the chapter presents the findings and conclusions related to the central theme of whether 1:1 computing transforms teachers. The chapter concludes with implications for the future.

Authentic E-Learning in a Virtual Scientific Conference

The goal of this chapter is to illustrate how the concept of authentic learning can be implemented in a web-based distance course. We present a collaborative e-learning scenario, inspired by socio-constructivist and situated learning theories, which encourages authentic learning. Developed as the main learning scenario of a graduate distance education course, it requires students to participate asynchronously in a simulation of an online scientific conference. We describe the learning scenario, the technological environment developed to implement this scenario, as well as some results of a course evaluation completed by students.

An Ethical Perspective on ICT in the Context of the Other

The importance of incorporating an ethical perspective in the development of digital competence is discussed. It is argued that an ethical perspective that emphasise mutual understanding as a possible conception of democracy, is of importance in the light of the current global e-learning trend, especially when it comes to designing e-learning ventures as online learning communities.

Multi-User Virtual Learning Environments in Education

Today’s middle school students represent a generation growing up where digital tools abound and where using them for home and school is the norm. Virtual learning environments to include multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) are fairly new to formal educational settings as teaching and learning tools but are growing in popularity. These learning environments have an ability to reach all levels of students in ways that are both familiar and appealing. This chapter reviews interest and trends in educational games and describes beginning teacher reactions to using one of these critical thinking tools designed for middle school students. Recommendations for future implementation in classrooms are made. Faculty perspectives about these newer forms of educational technology are explored.

A Topic-Case Driven Methodology for Web Course Design

A topic-case driven methodology for a web course design and realization process is based on software engineering metaphors for capturing the necessary steps in creating web courses by means of a content-based development method. The methodology combines instructional issues to design phases that guide teachers and instructors to design and implement online courses. The methodology has been used by students of computer science, teacher education as well as professional university educators from different educational fields. The results from these experiences have been reported as case studies. In this chapter, the methodology is introduced with the summarized results from three case studies.

Mobile Learning in a Social, Ethical, and Legal Environment

The increasing diversity, availability and functionality of mobile and wireless technologies over the last four or five years has accelerated the proliferation of pilots and trials in mobile learning. But the evaluation of these has been methodologically and ethically flawed and consequently substantial and sustained mobile learning has not happened. These technologies are also transforming many aspects of society including ideas of communication, discourse, community, culture and ethics. Mobile learning is uniquely aligned to contribute to this transformed society but only once evaluators understand the ethical challenges. This chapter is important because it addresses the issue of the ethical evaluation of mobile learning.