Achievement goal theory has been one of the most prominent theories of motivation in educational research for more than 25 years. It has undergone considerable revision during that span, most notably with the distinction between approach and avoidance goals, debate concerning the critical features of performance goals, and the emergence of a multiple goal perspective that emphasizes the positive potential of performance-approach goals alongside mastery goals. This multiple goal perspective has met several criticisms from theorists taking the traditional perspective that emphasizes mastery goals over performance goals. We review these criticisms and the ongoing debate in light of the relevant research. We then spotlight two areas for future research, with the aim of advancing theory development and bridging these perspectives.

Achievement Goal Theory at the Crossroads: Old Controversies, Current Challenges, and New Directions

Do video games show demonstrable relationships to academic achievement gains when used to support the K-12 curriculum? In a review of literature, we identified 300+ articles whose descriptions related to video games and academic achievement. We found some evidence for the effects of video games on language learning, history, and physical education (specifically exergames), but little support for the academic value of video games in science and math. We summarize the trends for each subject area and supply recommendations for the nascent field of video games research. Many educationally interesting games exist, yet evidence for their impact on student achievement is slim. We recommend separating simulations from games and refocusing the question onto the situated nature of game-player-context interactions, including meta-game social collaborative elements.

http://www.sunyresearch.net/IITG/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/REVIEW-OF-EDUCATIONAL-RESEARCH-2012-Young-61-89.pdf

Our Princess Is in Another Castle: A Review of Trends in Serious Gaming for Education

The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning

Artificial Intelligence and Tutoring Systems

Apple's iPad has attracted a lot of attention since its release in 2010 and one area in which it has been adopted is the education sector. The iPad's large multi-touch screen, sleek profile and the ability to easily download and purchase a huge variety of educational applications make it attractive to educators. This paper presents a case study of the iPad's adoption in a primary school, one of the first in the world to adopt it. From interviews with teachers and IT staff, we conclude that the iPad's main strengths are the way in which it provides quick and easy access to information for students and the support it provides for collaboration. However, staff need to carefully manage both the teaching and the administrative environment in which the iPad is used, and we provide some lessons learned that can help other schools considering adopting the iPad in the classroom.

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iPad in Education: A Case Study of iPad Adoption and Use in a Primary School

This paper presents a classroom study that investigated the potential of using touch tabletop technology to support children's collaborative learning interactions. Children aged 7-10 worked in groups of three on a collaborative planning task in which they designed a seating plan for their classroom. In the single-touch condition, the tabletop surface allowed only one child to interact with the digital content at a time. In the multiple-touch condition, the children could interact with the digital content simultaneously. Results showed that touch condition did not affect the frequency or equity of interactions, but did influence the nature of children's discussion. In the multiple-touch condition, children talked more about the task; in the single-touch condition, they talked more about turn taking. We also report age and gender differences.

Around the table: are multiple-touch surfaces better than single-touch for children's collaborative interactions?

Applications running on multi-touch tabletops are beginning to be developed to enable children to collaborate on a variety of activities, from photo sharing to playing games. However, little is know as to how children work together on such interactive surfaces. We present a study that investigated groups of children's use of a multitouch tabletop for a shared-space design task, requiring reasoning and compromise. The OurSpace application was designed to allow children to arrange the desks in their classroom and allocate students to seats around those desks. A number of findings are reported, including a comparison of single versus multiple touch, equity of participation, and an analysis of how a child's tabletop position affects where he or she touches. A main finding was that children used all of the tabletop surface, but took more responsibility for the parts of the design closer to their relative position.

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Children designing together on a multi-touch tabletop: an analysis of spatial orientation and user interactions

Tabletop and tangible interfaces are often described in terms of their support for shared access to digital resources. However, it is not always the case that collaborators want to share and help one another. In this paper we detail a video-analysis of a series of prototyping sessions with children who used both cardboard objects and an interactive tabletop surface. We show how the material qualities of the digital interface and physical objects affect the kinds of bodily strategies adopted by children to stop others from accessing them. We discuss how children fight for and maintain control of physical versus digital objects in terms of embodied interaction and what this means when designing collaborative applications for shareable interfaces.

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Fighting for control: children's embodied interactions when using physical and digital representations

Background. Research has demonstrated that working collaboratively can have positive effects on children's learning. While key factors have been identified which influence the quality of these interactions, little research has addressed the influence of children's achievement goals on collaborative behaviour. Aims. This paper investigates the influence of mastery and performance goals on the nature of children's collaborative participation while playing a problem-solving computer game with a peer. Sample. Forty-eight primary schoolchildren aged 8-10 years were divided into two groups: those displaying strong personal goal preferences (dispositional group: N = 14) and those whose goal preferences were context-dependent, displaying no consistent bias for either mastery or performance goals (context-dependent: N = 34). Children were paired on the basis of same gender, year group, and goal orientation. Method. Context-dependent pairs were assigned to either a mastery or a performance condition in which they received goal-focused instructions. Dispositional pairs received only the instructions to collaborate given to all groups. Collaborative sessions were videotaped and interactions coded. Results. Children who were assigned mastery goals engaged in significantly more elaborated problem-solving discussion whilst children who were assigned performance goals engaged in more executive help seeking and displayed lower levels of metacognitive control. Dispositional pairs shared some similar patterns, according to goal orientation, as context-dependent pairs. Conclusions. Goal-focused instructions can be used to influence the nature and quality of children's paired interactions. Instructing children towards mastery goals appears to promote a more collaborative style of interaction. © 2008 The British Psychological Society.

The influence of context-specific and dispositional achievement goals on children's paired collaborative interaction.

We take a socio-cultural approach to comparing how dual control of a new user interface paradigm - Separate Control of Shared Space (SCOSS) - and dual control of a single user interface can work to mediate the collaborative decision-making process between pairs of children carrying out a multiple categorisation word task on a shared computer. Qualitative analysis focuses on how the interface properties of SCOSS can encourage each child to participate in the task and to represent their own opinions as part of the process of reaching final joint agreement. We conclude by suggesting additional features to improve the content of collaborative conversations and by proposing other contexts that may benefit from this interface.

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I'm keeping those there, are you? The role of a new user interface paradigm - Separate Control of Shared Space (SCOSS) - in the collaborative decision-making process

Amanda Harris

Papers

Around the table: are multiple-touch surfaces better than single-touch for children's collaborative interactions?

Children designing together on a multi-touch tabletop: an analysis of spatial orientation and user interactions

Fighting for control: children's embodied interactions when using physical and digital representations

The influence of context-specific and dispositional achievement goals on children's paired collaborative interaction.

I'm keeping those there, are you? The role of a new user interface paradigm - Separate Control of Shared Space (SCOSS) - in the collaborative decision-making process