Education Commons^™

Pandemic Pivot: Designing A Participatory Simulation To Support Social Distancing And Remote Learning, K. K. Lamberty, Paul Friederichsen, Audrey Le Meur, Joseph Moonan Walbran

Computer Science Publications

Participatory simulations usually aim to bring simulations off screen into a shared physical space with people acting as agents in the simulation. In this paper, we describe considerations and design decisions related to creating a participatory simulation for use in learning settings with restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic where typical classroom interactions were no longer allowed. We describe how our design decisions might help children both “dive in” and “step out” to understand more about pollinators and the prairie in spite of various restrictions on how exactly they can interact with each other. Our simulation, Buzz About, uses …

Informing Joyality 4 Kids: Ecopsychology Education To Support Upper Primary Children’S Well-Being Through Environmental And Social Crisis, Cambry Baker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Responding to climate change and the state of the world demands psychological resilience and a transformative shift towards sustainable behavior. Children inheriting our uncertain future require psychological support and tools of well-being to fuel emotionally sustainable activism. In this paper I investigate how best to support upper primary aged children through environmental and social issues with Joyality 4 Kids, an educational ecopsychology program.

During November of 2019 I completed the Joyality Program processes independently, then conducted two focus group interviews with five individuals experienced in the Joyality Program and/or environmental education to develop the processes for an eight-hour Joyality 4 …

Development Of A School Boredom Proneness Scale For Children, Taylor Carrington

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

One common phrase heard from students is, “I’m bored.” However, there is no real understanding of what this actually means. In this study, elementary-age students were asked to respond to a newly developed School Boredom Proneness Scale (SBPS) including questions relating to a five-factor model of boredom. Students were also asked to rate how often they become bored at school and how bored they seem compared to classmates. In addition to student responses, parents and teachers were asked to rate how bored they thought the student was, and teachers were additionally asked to rate students’ level of work completion. The …

Pushing The Boundaries Of Participatory Design With Children With Special Needs, Jerry Alan Fails

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite its inherent challenges, participatory design (PD) has unique benefits when designing technology for children, especially children with special needs. Researchers have developed a multitude of PD approaches to accommodate specific populations. However, a lack of understanding of the appropriateness of existing approaches across contexts presents a challenge for PD researchers. This workshop will provide an opportunity for PD researchers to exchange and reflect on their experiences of designing with children with special needs. We aim to identify, synthesize and collate PD best practices across contexts and participant groups.

The Seven Layers Of Complexity Of Recommender Systems For Children In Educational Contexts, Emiliana Murgia, Monica Landoni, Theo Huibers, Jerry Alan Fails, Maria Soledad Pera

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recommender systems (RS) in their majority focus on an average target user: adults. We argue that for non-traditional populations in specific contexts, the task is not as straightforward–we must look beyond existing recommendation algorithms, premises for interface design, and standard evaluation metrics and frameworks. We explore the complexity of RS in an educational context for which young children are the target audience. The aim of this position paper is to spell out, label, and organize the specific layers of complexity observed in this context.

Here, There, And Everywhere: Building A Scaffolding For Children’S Learning Through Recommendations, Ashlee Milton, Emiliana Murgia, Monica Landoni, Theo Huibers, Maria Soledad Pera

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reading and literacy are on the decline among children. This is compounded by the fact that children have trouble with the discovery of resources that are appropriate, diverse, and appealing. With technology becoming an evermore presence in children’s lives, tools that can minimize choice overload and ease access to online resources become a must. A powerful but underutilized tool in regards to children that could assist in this situation is a recommender system (RS). We posit that RS could be used to impact children’s learning, using them to not only suggest what children might like but what they need in …

Exploring Lifelong Influence Of Participating In The Junior Audubon Club During Childhood, Amy Weidensaul

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There is limited research looking at the role that specific programs play in the formation of environmental identity, or lifelong influences of specific environmental programs. This study looks to address this gap by exploring the salient and memorable experiences of past Junior Audubon Club members who participated in the program as children, and how they describe the influences of the program on their environmental identities. Based on this study, there were specific components of the Junior Audubon Club that proved most influential and lasting for the participants, including active learning in nature, supportive adults who shared similar interest and passions, …

Seeking Independent Management Of Problem Behavior: A Proof-Of-Concept Study With Children And Their Teachers, Camellia Zakaria, Richard C. Davis, Zachary Walker

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Problem behaviors are particularly common in children with neurodevelopmental disorders like Autism and Down syndrome. These behaviors sometimes discourage social inclusion, inhibit learning development, and cause severe injuries, but caregivers are often unable to attend to their children immediately when the behaviors occur. Recent research shows that problem behavior can be automatically detected with wearable devices, but it is still not clear how to reduce caregivers' burdens and facilitate academic, social, and functional development of children with problem behaviors. We conducted a field study at a school with 21 children who exhibit problem behaviors and found that they needed frequent …

Demo: Wearable Application To Manage Problem Behavior In Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Camellia Zakaria, Richard C. Davis

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Managing problem behaviors in children with neurodevelopmental disorders can be challenging. Such behaviors may discourage social participation and learning. Many of these behaviors warrant intervention, however, are challenging for caregivers to constantly supervise. Previous work focused on developing recognition systems for stereotypical and aggressive behaviors. Researchers also developed visualization interface for caregivers to better understand their child’s needs. Our goal however, is to design an independent behavior management application to help children manage problem behaviors with minimal supervision.We conducted a field study at a school for children with special needs in Singapore, and interviewed ten teachers. This study helped us …

Extended Book Review: Really Big Numbers, By Richard Evan Schwartz; The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life Of Paul Erdös, By Deborah Heiligman; The Short Seller, By Elissa Brent Weissman, Gizem Karaali

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

The genre of math lit for children is not huge, but it is growing. My kid loves the early reader books by my friend and colleague Julie Glass (A Dollar for Penny (1998), The Fly On the Ceiling (2000)). I found Izolda Fotiyeva’s Math with Mom (2003) too late for my daughter but will definitely read it with my son. For a neat twist on the traditional alphabet book, I recommend The Technical Alphabet (2014) by the engineer sisters Lavanya and Melissa Jawaharlal. More recently a colleague introduced me to Laura Overdeck’s Bedtime Math series; these will soon join …

Environmental Education Through The Lens Of Diverse Elementary School Students In The United States: A Phenomenographic Study, Brissa Yazmin Quiroz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Global environmental change is occurring, putting our planet under pressure. Children need to understand not only why the environment is important, but also their role as citizens of a globalized society and their necessary contribution to solving global problems. Students carry their own perspectives about the environment and education, and these differing perspectives should be a significant topic for environmental education research. Recent research studies have included the conceptualization of nature and the environment through children's eyes; yet, no studies have examined the concept of environmental education through the eyes of diverse children. Minority voices and experiences are not frequently …

Logo Programming (Part 1) - A Creative And Fun Way To Learn Mathematics And Problem-Solving, Abhay B. Joshi, Sandesh R. Gaikwad

Abhay B Joshi

Programming means tapping into the computerʹs immense power by talking with it directly. Through programming, children use the computerʹs terrific power to draw graphics, design animation, solve mathematical or word puzzles, and even build robots. This idea was first proposed in the famous book ʺMindstormsʺ by Seymour Papert and has subsequently been appreciated and praised by educators and parents all over the world.

Through programming, students discover that the computer is a powerful and flexible tool. Using interesting ideas embedded in programming environments, students solve problems in their favorite subjects, and also develop interest in ʺdifficultʺ subjects like Math and …

Logo Programming (Part 2) - A Creative And Fun Way To Learn Mathematics And Problem-Solving, Abhay B. Joshi, Sandesh R. Gaikwad

Abhay B Joshi

Programming means tapping into the computerʹs immense power by talking with it directly. Through programming, children use the computerʹs terrific power to draw graphics, design animation, solve mathematical or word puzzles, and even build robots. This idea was first proposed in the famous book ʺMindstormsʺ by Seymour Papert and has subsequently been appreciated and praised by educators and parents all over the world.

Through programming, students discover that the computer is a powerful and flexible tool. Using interesting ideas embedded in programming environments, students solve problems in their favorite subjects, and also develop interest in ʺdifficultʺ subjects like Math and …

Empirical Development Of An Instructional Product And Its Impact On Mastery Of Geometry Concepts, Donaldson Williams

Dissertations

Problem

Relatively poor levels of mathematical thinking among American school children have been identified as a major issue over the past half century. Many efforts have been made to increase the mathematics performance of children in schools. Additionally, out-of-school-time programs have attempted to address this issue as well. Holistic development is one of the distinguishing features of Seventh-day Adventist instructional programs. Yet, as of 2007, the Pathfinder program, an informal educational program operated by the world-wide Seventh-day Adventist church, had no instructional product designed to foster participants’ cognitive development in mathematics. This study focused on the empirical development of an …

Schools Respond To Risk Management Programs For Asbestos, Lead In Drinking Water And Radon, Ann Fisher, Lauraine G. Chestnut, Ruth H. Chapman, Robert D. Rowe

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Based on a study of the three EPA-initiated, public school risk management programs noted in the title, the authors find that state agency involvement is an important factor in the success of such programs. They also find, e.g., that school districts are justifiably reluctant to comply with tentative programs