Research Article
Emmanuel Fokides, Aikaterini Mastrokoukou
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 2, pp. 154-170
ABSTRACT
The paper presents the results from a study which examined whether tablets together with a mobile application with augmented reality features can help students to better understand the functions of the respiratory and the circulatory system. The target group was 75 sixth-grade primary school students, divided into three groups. The first group was taught conventionally; students studied using a printed handbook. In the second, a constructivist teaching model was used, but the instruction was not technologically enhanced. The third group of students used tablets and an application, and the teaching was based on a slightly modified version of Bybee's 5Es model. All three groups of students worked in pairs, they were taught the same learning material, and the teacher acted as a facilitator of the process. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire and evaluation sheets. Results indicated that students in the third group outperformed students in the other two groups. The results can be attributed to students' enjoyment, motivation, and positive attitude towards the use of tablets as well as to the teaching method. The study's implications are also discussed.
Keywords: Augmented reality, Circulatory system, Mobile applications, Tablet computers
Research Article
Emmanuel Fokides
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 8, Issue 1, pp. 56-75
ABSTRACT
The study examines the factors affecting Greek pre-service teachers’ intention to use
computers when they become practicing teachers. Four variables (perceived usefulness,
perceived ease of use, self-efficacy, and attitude toward use) as well as behavioral intention
to use computers were used so as to build a research model that extended the Technology
Acceptance Model (TAM) and structural equation modeling was used for parameter
estimation and model testing. Self-reported data were gathered from 487 pre-service
teachers studying at the Departments of Primary School Education in Greece. Results
revealed a good model fit and of the nine hypotheses formulated, seven were supported.
Overall, the TAM, with the addition of computer self-efficacy beliefs, adequately
represented the relationships among the factors. It also possesses the explanatory power
to predict pre-service teachers’ intention to use computers when they become practicing
teachers since a high percentage (68%) of the variance in behavioral intention to use
computers was explained, while the most influential factors were perceived usefulness and
attitude toward computers. Implications for practice are also discussed.
Keywords: attitudes toward computers, perceived ease of use, pre-srvice teachers, self-efficacy, structural equation modelling, technology acceptance model
Research Article
Sahin Gokcearslan
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 8, Issue 1, pp. 40-55
ABSTRACT
Recent mobile learning technologies offer the opportunity for students to take charge of
the learning process both inside and outside the classroom. One of these tools is the tablet
PC (hereafter ‘tablet’). In parallel with increased access to e-content, the role of tablets in
learning has recently begun to be examined. This study aims to reveal the relationship
between the level of acceptance of tablets (TAM) and the level of selfdirected
learning with technology (SDLT) of students and to differentiate these in terms of
gender. A mixed method research design is used in this study. In addition, the qualitative
part of the study aims to determine the reasons students have for using or not using tablets
for supporting learning. The study group consisted of 414 high school students, involved in
the pilot application group of the FATIH project in Turkey. According to the study, a
significant positive relationship was determined between four of the variables of tablet
acceptance and the SDLT level. While the degree of acceptance of tablets was different
according to gender, the SDLT level was not.
Keywords: tablet computers, self-directed learning, secondary education, learning with technology, gender studies
Book Review
Esra Barut
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 7, Issue 4, pp. 382-384
ABSTRACT
This book presents the things that should be done in an empirical human-computer interaction (HCI) study in a sequential way. Each step is presented in relation to other steps in the process. The book can help scholars interested in empirical HCI studies in their scientific research. Although the work is quite powerful with respect to the research process, it has limitations in providing theoretical field knowledge. The conversational writing style of the author adds to the comprehensibility of the book. Experiments and discussions are visualized using charts, tables or figures, and therefore, the narrative was materialized to increase retention.
Keywords: human-computer interaction, HCI, ergonomics, computers
Research Article
Michael S. Mills
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 7, Issue 2, pp. 123-137
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this article is to add to the collective body of research regarding the use of digital books (or eTexts) and their preference by students in higher education. Although there have been many studies in this area, the findings are not necessarily consistent. One reason for this inconsistency is the rapid evolution of e-reading capabilities through recent advances in tablet computing. No empirical studies currently exist to describe the impact of multi-touch interactive eTexts, which are only accessible on these latest tablet computers. The purpose of this study was to determine how graduate pre-service teacher education students perceive the interactivity, engagement, and value of customized course eTexts. Participants in this quasi-experimental study rated the level of interactivity, engagement, and value of three eText formats: page fidelity (Adobe PDF), reflowable text (Kindle ePub), and multi-touch (Apple iBooks). Users of the multi-touch eText reported a significantly more interactive and engaging experience with their text than the other eText users. The experiment also revealed that students overwhelmingly prefer a free, customized open-access text for use in their course, no matter what eText format is used.
Keywords: e-book, Multi-touch, Digital textbook, eText, Tablet computers
Research Article
Mehmet Akif Ocak, Şahin Gökçearslan, Ebru Solmaz
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 5, Issue 1, pp. 22-38
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to investigate pre-service teachers’ perceptions on the use of blogs regarding ICT integration in the FATIH project in Turkey. Participants were 174 pre-service teachers continuing their education. Data collection tool was a questionnaire which measured pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the blogs. Questionnaire embodied some sub-categories of blog use such as learning, motivation, active participation, writing skills, group work, and critical thinking. Findings revealed that using blogs in classes affected learning and teaching process. The obtained results also showed that the blogs contributed to the recuperation of writing and critical thinking skills. These results indicated that students found social contributions of the blogs such as sharing information and interacting with peers. Based on the findings of study, appropriate conclusions and implications were addressed within the context of the FATIH project.
Keywords: Blogs, FATIH project, Tablet computers, Technology use in education, Technology integration
Research Article
Samira M. Bakr
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 4, pp. 308-318
ABSTRACT
Appraisal of teacher attitudes towards computers has gained importance following the widespread availability of microcomputers in schools all around the world. This study aims at investigating Egyptian teachers' attitudes towards computers in terms of gender and years of teaching experience. Attitudes of a sample of 118 public school teachers, 53 (45%) male and 65 (55%) female, were assessed using ‘The Attitude Towards Computer Instrument’ (ATCI), developed by Shaft et al (2004), which is a Likert type instrument with three factors of affective, cognitive, and behavioral. The gathered data were analyzed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA). Findings showed that the Egyptian public school teachers' attitudes towards computers are positive. There were no significant differences in terms of gender and teaching experience. Recommendations for further research are provided.
Keywords: Attitudes towards computers, ATCI, Teachers' attitudes, Egyptian teachers, Microcomputers in schools
Research Article
Ali Simsek
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 3, pp. 177-187
ABSTRACT
This study examined the relationship between computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy of students and teachers in elementary and secondary schools. The sample included a total of 845 subjects from two private school systems in Turkey. The Oetting’s Computer Anxiety Scale was used to measure computer anxiety whereas the Murphy’s Computer Self-Efficacy Scale was used to measure computer self-efficacy of subjects. The results demonstrated that elementary students were less-anxious than secondary students; males had lower anxiety scores than females; and the difference between anxiety scores of students and teachers was not significant. However, students had higher self-efficacy scores than their teachers; elementary students were more self-efficient than secondary students; and males had higher computer self-efficacy scores than females. The correlation between the variables of computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy was moderate, negative, and significant.
Keywords: Computer anxiety, Computer self-efficacy, Attitudes toward computers, Beliefs about computers, Elementary education, Secondary education
Research Article
Alaba O. Agbatogun, Peter A. Ajelabi, Lawunmi M. Oyewusi
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 1, Issue 4, pp. 335-347
ABSTRACT
This study was designed to investigate the relative and combined contributions of cognition and emotion on Nigerian undergraduate students’ level of computer frustration in online environments. A total of 1972 (Male=987, Female=985) students randomly selected from the two state-owned universities in Ogun State of Nigeria participated in the study. The data for the study were collected through the use of Students’ Cognition Scale (SCS), Students’ Emotion Scale (SES) and Students’ Computer Frustration Scale (SCFS). Data analysis involved the use of mean and standard deviation as descriptive statistics as well as Pearson Product Moment Correlation and regression analysis as inferential statistics. The research findings revealed that students encountered various frustrating experiences during e-registration, when a combination of the predictor variables (cognition and emotion) significantly accounted for 2.5% to the variance of the students’ level of frustration during e-registration. Meanwhile, cognition was found as the potent contributor of students’ frustration during e-registration. The results of this study further indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in the level of computer frustration among students of different universities. Recommendations were made according to the findings of the study.
Keywords: Cognition, Emotion, Computers frustration, Online registration
Research Article
Adem Uzun, Aysan Senturk
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 1, Issue 3, pp. 196-207
ABSTRACT
Purpose of this study is to compare students’ course achievement and attitudes towards computers in computer literacy course between two course delivery methods: Blended and face-to-face (FTF). Using a pretest-posttest control group experimental design model, participants were assigned to experimental and control groups purposefully in order to achieve group equivalency. The study was conducted during the fall of the 2006-2007 academic year. Participants were 179 students from the Faculty of Education at Uludag University in Turkey. 86 students were taught with the blended mode of delivery, which involved using both FTF and online modes of instruction; 93 students were taught with FTF mode alone. At the beginning of the study, prior knowledge about computer literacy and attitudes towards computers were measured in both groups. At the end of the study, students’ final course scores and attitude scores towards computers were evaluated. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests. A statistically significant difference was found between the FTF and blended group (p < 0.05). The analysis showed that the blended group was more successful than the traditional group in terms of both course achievement and attitudes towards computers.
Keywords: Blended learning, Face-to-face instruction, Computer literacy, Attitudes toward computers