Education Commons^™

Standards For Educational, Edutainment, And Developmentally Beneficial Computer Games, R. Peterson, I. Verenikina, J. Herrington

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The results of a comprehensive review of the body of research concerning the developmental and educational value of computer gaming for children is reported. Based on the review, design criteria are proposed for educational and edutainment computer games. In addition, a hierarchy of educational, edutainment, and entertainment game categories is introduced. It is argued that a standard educational labeling system is needed to assist parents and teachers with selecting computer games. A gap in the research is highlighted with regard to the affordances of computer games to facilitate the development of young children’s higher order thinking. It is recommended that …

A Linguistic Analysis Of Social Attitudes Towards The Quality Issues Of Postgraduate Education In Vietnam, V. T. H. Tran, Elizabeth Thomson

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

This paper proposes the PhD project A linguistic study on social attitudes towards the quality of postgraduate education in Vietnam. The study uses Appraisal theory as the framework to analyse interviews with different stakeholders involved in the postgraduate education sector, namely bureaucrats, management, academics and students. The study aims to find out:

• What the stakeholders’ perceived quality issues in relation to MA and PhD education in Vietnam are
• Who the stakeholders’ believe to bear the responsibility for the quality issues.

Taking into account the facts that the quality of postgraduate education in Vietnam is in question and the fact that …

A Comparison Of Japanese Persuasive Writing: The Writings Of Japanese As Foreign Language Students In The Nsw Hsc Examination And Japanese Native Speaking Students In High School In Japan, Y. Oe

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

This study uses a functional model of language to examine the 2005 Japanese HSC examination persuasive essays to investigate the language features of the exposition genre, which students produce during the examination. The exam scripts are compared to the essays which were written by Japanese native speaking (JNS) high school students answering the same question. This study seeks to answer two questions: “How successful Japanese persuasive essays are constructed in the HSC Japanese Examination?”, and “To what extent a successful HSC exam model matches the native speaker equivalent?”. The methodology used in this study is Generic Structure Potential (GSP) (Hasan, …

Investigating The Role Of Eportfolios And Online Courses In A Community Of Practice: Assisting Bulgarian Special Educators With Lifelong Competency Development, R. Peterson, J. Herrington, D. Konza, M. Tzvetkova-Arsova, K. Stefanov

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Research and development for an Internet-facilitated distributed community of practice (DCoP) for special education in Bulgaria is in its final phase. The DCoP is called Special Education Bulgaria. Results from the needs assessment indicated that special education researchers, practitioners, and parents in Bulgaria would benefit from such a community and that there is sufficient Internet access. Formative evaluation results directed website usability and sociability improvements and the incorporation of Moodle, a popular course management system. An effectiveness evaluation is currently underway to investigate the DCoP’s effect on the job performance and satisfaction of special educators. Preliminary results indicate that though …

Establishing An Internet-Based Special Education Community In Bulgaria: A Summary Of Preliminary Findings And Future Steps, R. Peterson

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Research behind the establishment of an Internet-based community of practice, called Special Ed Bulgaria, www.specialedbulgaria.org, is discussed. Preliminary results show that special education researchers and practitioners in Bulgaria are familiar enough with using the Internet to benefit from an online community. Results also indicate that there is sufficient access to the Internet. Usability results directed modifications to the prototype online community and led to the incorporation of a popular course management system called Moodle.

Developing An Internet-Based Community For Special Education In Bulgaria, R. Peterson

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Research on special education practices in Bulgaria to develop an Internet-based community of practice is now underway. The study will answer a call to action to test the potential of online communities of practice (OCoPs) to close the gap between education research and practice. A secondary goal is to update findings about the feasibility of Internet-based instruction in Bulgaria. Qualitative and quantitative methods will be used to develop and evaluate a website and propose design principles for future OCoP development. Research has been guided by situated learning and legitimate peripheral participation theory as well as the design-based research approach. This …

The State Of The Art Of Design-Based Research, R. Peterson, J. Herrington

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Ann Brown (1992) and Allan Collins (1992) introduced the term design experiment in 1992 as an innovative approach to educational research. Today, commonly termed design-based research (DBR), the approach itself is still very much being designed. There is a general consensus that DBR standards need to be set by addressing such questions as: What kinds of knowledge should DBR be expected generate? What theoretical requirements should be imposed on DBR? and What types of research can be considered DBR? Given the drive for empirical educational research and escalating interest in DBR, it is hoped that continued expert commentary will lead …