Research Article
Tanju Deveci, David Dalton, Asli Hassan, Saeed Talep Amer, Samuel Cubero
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 1, pp. 1-21
ABSTRACT
Today’s digital natives enthuse educators to consider the impact of technology on learning and plan proper instruction, involving the use of laptop along with other technologies. However, implementing laptop use in classrooms without adequate support from administration, IT and faculty can have limited benefits. This article presents the results of a project conducted to identify the perceptions of students and faculty about ways in which the laptop use affects the learning environment at the Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi for two courses: Strategies for Team Based Engineering Problem Solving and Communication. Sixty-four freshman students, six instructors and two IT members were involved in the project. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from students and faculty using a student survey, weekly electronic faculty-feedback logs, and electronic student journals. Data revealed that the use of laptops in the classrooms enhanced the feedback process on team-assignments in particular. Instructors felt that integration of laptops facilitated syllabus delivery and classroom management. Results also indicated challenges related to technical issues such as battery-life and Wi-Fi interference. It was further found that initial student and faculty training is essential for the project to have greater success. Results are discussed and recommendations are made for effective integration of the laptop in active learning environments.
Keywords: Laptop, Active learning, Student engagement, Team learning
Research Article
Ozcan Ozgur Dursun, Onur Donmez, Yavuz Akbulut
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 1, pp. 22-41
ABSTRACT
The current mixed-method study investigated the extent of involvement in cyberloafing within classroom settings among preservice information technology teachers. Thirteen state universities were picked randomly from hierarchical clusters, which were determined according to the national university rankings. Then, a recent five-factor cyberloafing scale was administered to 1856 participants in these universities to collect the quantitative data. An open-ended survey was also administered to two volunteers from each university (n: 26) to address their rationale for cyberloafing. Parametric analyses on cyberloafing scores were conducted through considering background variables including gender, university, grade level, grade point average, socioeconomic status, ownership of mobile devices and online social networking habits. The qualitative data were processed through descriptive content analysis, which was confirmed by an independent scholar. Findings revealed that males surpassed females in terms of three cyberloafing types (i.e., shopping, accessing online content, and gaming). Significant differences were observed in terms of university and grade level. The relationship between the grade point average and cyberloafing was negative and statistically significant. Socioeconomic status, ownership of mobile devices and social network use predicted cyberloafing behavior. Finally, qualitative data from open-ended questions revealed student- and instructor-related rationales for cyberloafing.
Keywords: Cyberloafing, Cberslacking, Cyberdeviancy
Research Article
Elizabeth Csikar, Jill E. Stefaniak
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 1, pp. 42-60
ABSTRACT
Conveying scientific information with high intrinsic cognitive load to students is a challenge. Often, students do not have the existing schema to incorporate the information in a comprehensive manner. One method that has shown promise is storytelling. Storytelling has been successfully used to convey public health information to non-experts. Therefore, it was of interest to determine whether storytelling could be used in the classroom to present information with high intrinsic load to students in a meaningful manner. This study used a post-test only quasi-experimental study design to explore the utility of storytelling as an instructional strategy in anatomy and physiology classes at a community college. Students in the treatment group received instruction that used storytelling to present examples of application. Both control and experimental groups were assessed through the use of a proximal formative quiz, distal multiple-choice questions, and a novel critical thinking exercise administered after the instruction. Results suggest that storytelling was as effective as the instructional methods delivered to the control group. These findings suggest that storytelling may be used as a means to convey complex scientific information in the classroom.
Keywords: Story telling, Instructional strategies, Problem solving
Research Article
Cem Cuhadar
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 1, pp. 61-75
ABSTRACT
This study aims to expose the training and experience that pre-service teachers acquire in the course of their study at schools of education in regard to the use of information and communication technology (ICT). The study adopts the survey model and its sampling is comprised of 832 pre-service teachers who attend four different faculty of education in Turkey. The data were collected by means of a scale developed by Tondeur, van Braak, Siddiq and Scherer (2016) on the basis of SQD (Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence) model. It was basically found that pre-service teachers do not receive adequate training and support in regard to the use of ICT in education during the courses of their study at faculty of educations. This situation varies statistically according to gender and the faculty of education variables. In the process of technology integration in teacher education, it is important in terms of effectiveness and efficiency that resources other than human and human power are handled in a more realistic way. So, it is considered that the findings of the present study may help in the processes of planning and implementing the technology integration in teacher education.
Keywords: Technology integration, Teacher education, Preservice teachers
Research Article
Mark Kennedy, Thomas J. Dunn
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 1, pp. 76-89
ABSTRACT
In recent years, the use of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) has risen exponentially throughout higher education in the UK. Whilst TEL is an umbrella term for a range of technologies, evidence suggests that in the UK, TEL is usually delivered via the medium of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) for the provision of lecture materials and additional content. An emerging literature has established both the pedagogical potential and students’ perceived usefulness of TEL. However, researchers have yet to establish how the use of TEL via VLEs can be improved – a core requirement of establishing best practice. The current study sought to address this in a sample of 487 predominately undergraduate students. Content analysis revealed that views were overwhelmingly positive, but that students had clear views on what they wanted to see improved. Students expressed clear desires for the more consistent and more frequent use of TEL within lectures. Further, they felt that the potential of TEL to encourage and facilitate interactions, both within their University and with external stakeholders, has thus far gone unexploited. Implications for teaching practice and future research are discussed.
Keywords: Technology enhanced learning, Virtual learning environment, E-learning
Research Article
Zeynep Tatli
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 1, pp. 90-110
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to determine types of games that middle school students play in their daily lives and analyze the effects of various variables such as gender, available technology, grade in school and parents’ education levels on their game preferences. The sample consisted of a total of 464 grade 5-8 students (212 girls and 252 boys). The study was conducted in Spring 2015 and the data were collected using a two-part survey. The first part of the survey included questions about demographic information and the second part asked students to draw a picture of their favorite games. The results of this study showed that girls mostly preferred to play outdoor games whereas boys mostly preferred to play digital games. Participant students preferred to play games with rules outdoors and symbolic games indoors, and in digital environment, girls preferred to play mini-games whereas boys preferred to play sports games. CHAID analysis was used in determining the relationships between the variables and game preferences. Gender was a prominent factor in identifying the preferences; that is, girls’ game preferences were mainly influenced by having a computer and those of boys were affected by having an available Internet connection. This study also found that parents’ education level is not related to children’s game preferences. At the end of the study, suggestions were made for gamification and digital game design.
Keywords: Digital games, CHID analysis, Game motivation