Volume 1, Issue 3, July 2010

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

ABSTRACT

The utilization of the knowledge economy in the information age has been promoted by various tools developed both for communication and marketing purposes. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have proved their propensity to influence the flow, acquisition and dissemination of information across the globe. The business and education sectors have been the most conspicuous of all beneficiaries of ICT applications, especially in the fast-globalizing environment where interaction has become a necessity and an obligation rather than leisure. Enhanced tools for education, marketing and communication purposes have been coined with unprecedented efficacy and efficiency. Some of these technologies (e.g. blogs) have even livened communication and interaction among users. This paper will therefore focus on various e-tools and their application to open education, with prevalence being on the blog tool.

Keywords: E-tools, Globalized education, E-learning, Communication, Technology, Blogs

ABSTRACT

This study investigated primary education students’ perception of the Internet through resorting to the images they produced for the Internet concept. Sixty five primary education students constituted the sample of the study. Participants were asked to draw a picture concerning the Internet concept. In addition, researchers gave a 10-item survey form to voluntary students to collect demographic information. Frequency, percentage and Chi-square analyses were carried out for the demographic data collected. Qualitative analyses were conducted on the pictures students drew, and an evaluation chart was prepared. The images that students generated concerning Internet concepts have been categorized as: “game, homework, chat, research, music, video, violence and news”. Furthermore, other remarkable themes were torch, individualism, motionlessness and so on. Most common reasons of using the Internet were homework and games. It was revealed that personal Internet usage coincided with the images created concerning the Internet. There appeared a direct connection with the first three objects which came to mind about the Internet and the images they produced.

Keywords: Students of Primary Education, Internet, Perception, Painting, Images

ABSTRACT

Fundamental change, or systemic transformation, in public school systems is increasingly recognized as essential for best meeting all students’ needs in a digital, information-based society. The success of this kind of change depends to a large extent on the effectiveness of a district-wide Leadership Team (LT), which in turn depends on the communication practices of that team. This study describes the communication practices of the LT in a district-wide systemic transformation, focusing on the members’ values and beliefs about communication within the team, communication problems, communication channels, and communication sources. The purpose of the study was to improve the guidance offered by the School System Transformation (SST) protocol, a knowledge-base about the systemic transformation process, by identifying preventive measures that could reduce communication problems in a LT. Based on the findings, suggestions are made to improve several of the 18 continuous processes in the SST Protocol, namely sustain motivation, develop and maintain appropriate leadership, develop group-process and team-building skills, establish team spirit, engage in reflection, communicate with stakeholders, and foster organizational learning.

Keywords: Systemic transformation, Change process, Leadership team, Communication

ABSTRACT

This article presents a framework of semiotic analysis that could be used for interpreting learning objects. Many learning objects are multimodal representations that aim at servicing specific educational objectives. Consequently, an urgent need arises to know what kind of meanings these representations produce and what kind of pedagogic relationships are shaped between students and them. Taking a concrete learning object as an example, we deploy a sample of multimodal discourse analysis in order to elucidate these issues. Finally, we conclude with a few thoughts about the possibility of elaborating such a framework in relation to the effective design and the implementation of learning objects.

Keywords: Learning objects, Multimodal discourse analysis, Multimodal representations, Ideational metafunction, Interpersonal metafunction, Textual metafunction.

ABSTRACT

Second Life (SL) is an emerging technology in higher education. Academics are showing strong interest in it, but so far have more imaginative ideas about using it than experience of actual practice. This paper reports on a pilot study of using SL with six undergraduate students studying Digital Photography in October 2008 at the London South Bank University. The students took part in a group activity in SL that involved creating and manipulating virtual cubes, taking digital photos of avatars, putting these images onto the cubes and telling a story about them. The researchers used qualitative methods, namely personal interviews and a focus group. The findings illustrate benefits of SL for the subject of Digital Photography, particularly with regard to engaging students with active learning, gaining publicity for students as photographers and extending research into subcultures. The study demonstrates how SL can be used as a virtual space to create collaborative learning opportunities that might not be easy to generate in real life. It also examines the issue of user identity through avatars and its impact on group discussion. The paper showcases an example of SL being used for media and art education and offers insights into how this practice might be expanded and transferred to other disciplines and contexts in higher education.

Keywords: Second Life, Digital Photography, 3D Multi User Virtual Environments, Collaborative learning, Avatar identity

(no abstract)