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Full-Text Articles in Education
Assisting Bulgarian Special Educators With Competency Development Online, R. Peterson, J. Herrington, D. Konza, M. Tzvetkova-Arsova, K. Stefanov
Assisting Bulgarian Special Educators With Competency Development Online, R. Peterson, J. Herrington, D. Konza, M. Tzvetkova-Arsova, K. Stefanov
Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss an expansion of the Special Education Bulgaria (SEB) internet community that is required to pilot software created by the European Union’s (EU’s) Sixth Framework integrated project, TENCompetence. Design/methodology/approach – SEB is the product of a two-year research project designed to create a sustainable nation-wide community of practice (CoP) for special education in Bulgaria via the internet. This paper discusses the SEB features consistent with TENCompetence concepts of competency development, lifelong learning, and professional networking. It then describes the additional features needed to prepare a SEB pilot. Findings – SEB was …
The Need For Choice And Control: Preparing The Digital Generation To Be The Next Generation Of Teachers, Brian Ferry, L. Kervin, L. Carrington, K. Prcevich
The Need For Choice And Control: Preparing The Digital Generation To Be The Next Generation Of Teachers, Brian Ferry, L. Kervin, L. Carrington, K. Prcevich
Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)
In this paper we describe the design of an online classroom-based simulation, ClassSim, developed to enable pre-service teachers to interact with a virtual classroom environment as they assume the role of the teacher. The project built on the research of Herrington and Oliver by investigating how the design elements of authentic learning environments they identified can be operationalised in an on-line simulation of a classroom. The aim of the simulations was to progressively develop preservice teachers' understanding of the complex decisions needed to plan and implement reading, writing and spelling lessons for lower primary children. With the support of a …
Immersive Learning Technologies: Realism And Online Authentic Learning, J. Herrington, T. C. Reeves, R. Oliver
Immersive Learning Technologies: Realism And Online Authentic Learning, J. Herrington, T. C. Reeves, R. Oliver
Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)
The development of immersive learning technologies in the form of virtual reality and advanced computer applications has meant that realistic creations of simulated environments are now possible. Such simulations have been used to great effect in training in the military, air force, and in medical training. But how realistic do problems need to be in education for effective learning to occur? Some authors and researchers argue that problems should be real, or that simulations should have ultra-realistic physical similarity to an actual context. This paper proposes that physical verisimilitude to real situations is of less importance in learning than ‘cognitive …
Learning Designs: Bridging The Gap Between Theory And Practice, S. Bennett, S. Agostinho, Lori Lockyer, Lisa Kosta, J. Jones, R. Koper, Barry Harper
Learning Designs: Bridging The Gap Between Theory And Practice, S. Bennett, S. Agostinho, Lori Lockyer, Lisa Kosta, J. Jones, R. Koper, Barry Harper
Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)
This paper summarises the work being conducted in an ongoing research agenda focused on exploring how the ‘learning design’ construct can be used to support university educators to create both pedagogically sound and interoperable e-learning experiences. The premise of this work is that a learning design can be used to support the pedagogical design process and the integration of international e-learning standards, such as learning object metadata and IMS-LD, enabling resources and tools to be technically interoperable across different standards-compliant systems. The paper presents the rationale guiding this research focus, describes the features of the research that is underway, and …
Authentic Learning On The Web: Guidelines For Course Design, J. Herrington, R. Oliver, A. Herrington
Authentic Learning On The Web: Guidelines For Course Design, J. Herrington, R. Oliver, A. Herrington
Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)
Many teachers, when faced with the task of creating an online course, or adapting an existing course to an online format, are overwhelmed by both the affordances of the technology and by the need to create learning environments that do not simply replicate outmoded pedagogies in a new form. This chapter describes a useful framework for teachers and developers to guide the design of more authentic online learning environments. The chapter describes nine characteristics, derived largely from situated learning theory, and provides a practical and extended example of how the framework might be applied in the design of an online …
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
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 …
Authentic Tasks Online: A Synergy Among Learner, Task And Technology, J. Herrington, R. Oliver, T. C. Reeves
Authentic Tasks Online: A Synergy Among Learner, Task And Technology, J. Herrington, R. Oliver, T. C. Reeves
Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)
Fostering the synergy among learner, task and technology to create innovative and immersive distance learning environments runs counter to the widespread practice of incorporating traditional classroom pedagogical strategies into web-based delivery of courses. The most widely accepted model of online higher education appears to be one of reductionism, whereby learning management systems facilitate the design of easily digested packets of information, usually assessed by discrete stand-alone tests and academic assignments. This paper describes a model of authentic tasks that can assist in designing environments of increased rather than reduced complexity. It provides a robust framework for the design of online …
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
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 …