Showing papers in "Educational Review in 2006"

Digital Game-Based Learning: It's Not Just the Digital Natives Who Are Restless.

Abstract: After years of research and proselytizing, the proponents of digital game-based learning (DGBL) have been caught unaware. Like the person who is still yelling after the sudden cessation of loud music at a party, DGBL proponents have been shouting to be heard above the prejudice against games. But now, unexpectedly, we have everyone's attention. The combined weight of three factors has resulted in widespread public interest in games as learning tools. The first factor is the ongoing research conducted by DGBL proponents. In each decade since the advent of digital games, researchers have published dozens of essays, articles, and mainstream books on the power of DGBL—including, most recently, Marc Prensky's Digital Game-Based Learning (2001), James Paul Gee's What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy (2003), Clark Aldrich's Simulations and the Future of Learning: An Innovative (and Perhaps Revolutionary) Approach to e-Learning (2004), Steven Johnson's Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter (2005), Prensky's new book “Don’t Bother Me, Mom, I'm Learning!”: How Computer and Video Games Are Preparing Your Kids for 21st Century Success and How You Can Help! (2006), and the soon-to-be-published Games and Simulations in Online Learning: Research and Development Frameworks, edited by David Gibson, Clark Aldrich, and Marc Prensky. The second factor involves today’s “Net Generation,” or “digital natives,” who have become disengaged with traditional instruction. They require multiple streams of information, prefer inductive reasoning, want frequent and quick interactions with

Web 2.0: A New Wave of Innovation for Teaching and Learning?

Abstract: © 2 0 0 6 B r y a n A l e x a n d e r chronological structure implies a different rhetorical purpose than a Web page, which has no inherent timeliness That altered rhetoric helped shape a different audience, the blogging public, with its emergent social practices of blogrolling, extensive hyperlinking, and discussion threads attached not to pages but to content chunks within them Reading and searching this world is significantly different from searching the entire Web world Still, social software does not indicate a sharp break with the old but, rather, the gradual emergence of a new type of practice These sections of the Web break away from the page metaphor Rather than following the notion of the Web as book, they are predicated on microcontent Blogs are about posts, not pages Wikis are streams of conversation, revision, amendment, and truncation Podcasts are shuttled between Web sites, RSS feeds, and diverse players These content blocks can be saved, summarized, addressed, copied, quoted, and built into new projects Browsers respond to this boom in

Global citizenship: abstraction or framework for action?

Abstract: This paper explores whether the notion of ’global citizenship‚ is too abstract to be valuable in driving curriculum policy and active citizenship for students. The paper looks firstly at three of t...

Student voice and the perils of popularity

Abstract: In this article we suggest that the current popularity of student voice can lead to surface compliance—to a quick response that focuses on ‘how to do it’ rather than a reflective review of ‘why we ...

The IT Leader as Alchemist: Finding the True Gold.

Abstract: © 2006 Ron B leed I l l u s t ra t i on by Randy Lyhus , © 2006 Ron Bleed, recently retired Vice Chancellor for Information Technologies for the Maricopa Community College District, received the 2005 EDUCAUSE Award for Excellence in Leadership, sponsored by SunGardSCT, an EDUCAUSE Platinum Partner. This lifetime-achievement award honors extraordinary influence, statesmanship, and effectiveness on individual campuses and within the higher education community. In his distinguished career, Bleed provided leadership and service to a variety of constituencies for nearly forty years. He raised the bar for technology implementation and utilization at Maricopa, which is today recognized as a national leader in this arena and as an exemplar among community colleges. He was a founder of the League for Innovation’s Conference on Information Technology. He served as chair of the EDUCAUSE board of directors for two terms, as chair of the CAUSE board, as vice chair of the Educom board, and as an important facilitator of the merger between those two organizations. Bleed lent his expertise to the international consulting community and to many corporate advisory councils, including those of Microsoft, Apple, HP, and Oracle. His interests in the teaching and learning field extend to conducting research on strategies for instructional innovation, supporting library transformations, and introducing new ideas into building architecture. As a leader, Bleed blended imaginative foresight with informed hindsight, determination with warmth, and organizational acumen with a valuing of individuals, especially students. Gold Finding the True By Ron Bleed

Differential teacher attention to boys and girls in the classroom

Abstract: For over 30 years, there has been a continuing concern with differential teacher attention to boys and girls in the classroom. In this article, we review themes and issues in gender and classroom interaction. The evolving theoretical perspectives on gender inequality are discussed and the pertinent empirical evidence is reviewed. The influence of feminism on the way classroom interactions between teachers and their students have been interpreted is considered, as is the way in which disruptive behaviour, mainly exhibited by boys, has impacted on the classroom environment (including referrals to special education services). More recent public concern with the relative underachievement of boys in school is discussed in the light of differential teacher attention to boys and girls.

Education for global citizenship: teacher agency and curricular structure in Ontario schools

Abstract: As a multicultural nation with aspirations to an international peacekeeping role, Canada makes an interesting context in which to study global citizenship education. This article is based on resear...

Education and Globalization: Redefining the Role of the Educational Professional.

Abstract: This paper argues that current globalizing forces are profoundly affecting the policies of nation states, and particularly those in education, and producing a situation where educational profession...

‘This place could help you learn’: student participation in creating better school environments

Abstract: This paper examines the role of student consultation and participation in the process of improving the physical environment in schools. Although quantitative studies suggest that there are some lin...

A Wider World: Youth, Privacy, and Social Networking Technologies.

Abstract: November/December 2006EDUCAUSE r e v i e w 17 I l l u s t r a t i o n b y P h i l i p K a a k e , © 2 0 0 6 R emember the Communications Decency Act of the 1990s? This law sought to protect youth from legal adult pornography, but its language and imprecise implementation so overreached its goal that when the law was passed, a federal court granted an injunction that lasted until the Supreme Court determined that many of the act’s provisions were an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment.1 History may be repeating itself. At the time of this writing, the House of Representatives has passed H.R. 5319, a bill with the intent of protecting children from online predators but with the effect of blocking all social networking technologies for recipients of universal service support for schools and libraries.2 A Wider W rld

The past, the papers and the project

Abstract: For Educational Review pupil voice is nothing new. Almost 30 years ago a Special Issue on the topic was produced under the editorship of Roland Meighan who had a strong and enduring commitment to d...

A UNESCO view of global citizenship education

Abstract: The need to attend to global citizenship education is essential. The urgency of our work was not just determined by 9/11, but this terrible event highlighted situations and perils that have dogged ...

Children's ‘funds of knowledge’ and their real life activities: two minority ethnic children learning in out‐of‐school contexts in the UK

Abstract: In this paper we explore the concept of ‘funds of knowledge’ used by Moll and Greenberg (1990) in the US to recognize and value expertise located within minority ethnic communities and apply it to ...

Practitioner perceptions of their role in facilitating the handling of controversial issues in contested societies: a Northern Irish experience

Abstract: This paper examines the role adopted by teacher and youth work practitioners engaged in a project to carry forward practice in the handling of controversial issues in the contested society of North...

The Myth about Online Course Development: "A Faculty Member Can Individually Develop and Deliver an Effective Online Course"

Abstract: 14 I n the early days of online courses, a widespread production model was to provide faculty members with release time and/or stipends in return for developing and delivering their own courses. These early online courses were developed by a cadre of faculty “zealots” who believed that information technology could transform learning. Such faculty were willing—and able—to master the required skills, whether that meant learning Java, HTML, or a graphics package. Often re-creating the lecture, the resulting courses frequently had an idiosyncratic structure and might—or might not—use good instructional design. Being a “Lone Ranger”1 often meant figuring things out alone, so solutions were stitched together with whatever resources were available to the faculty member. Today, the legacy of these early courses is a boutique of different applications, approaches, and instructional designs scattered across a campus. Developing and delivering effective online courses requires pedagogy and technology expertise possessed by few faculty. Consider pedagogy, for example. Good pedagogy implies that the instructor can develop targeted learning objectives. Online instruction is more than a series of readings posted to a Web site; it requires deliberate instructional design that hinges on linking learning objectives to specific learning activities and measurable outcomes. Few faculty have had formal education or training in instructional design or learning theory. To expect them to master the instructional design needed to put a well-designed course online is probably unrealistic. A more effective model is to pair a faculty member with an instructional designer so that each brings unique skills to the course-creation process. But what is a course? And how should a course be put online? Instructors are being challenged to move beyond the notion of a course as covering content to the idea of a course as constructing a series of learning environments and activities. Effective learning motivates learners, develops their skills, and enables learners to transfer their new skills to other settings. Interaction is a critical part of the learning experience. How will that be facilitated online? A first step is to rethink the roles of both the faculty member and the learner. Beyond lecturing, the faculty member might serve as architect, consultant, resource, reviewer, or role model. Students may assume multiple roles as well. Besides being a listener, the student might be an apprentice, builder, mentor, peer teacher, team member, or writer. With these alternative roles for faculty and students, the range of possible learning activities expands to include options such as authentic projects, peer exchange, case studies, debate, brainstorming, coaching, journaling, and so on. Can—and should—a faculty member who is a subject-matter expert be expected to think through these nuances of instructional design on his or her own? Technology is another significant responsibility when developing and delivering an online course. One of the first issues to address is the application that should undergird the course. Should the course be built using a course management system? What other tools should be used to enhance the course? Is a chat room appropriate, or is using blogs or wikis better? Once the platform is chosen, who is the developer? Is learning HTML a good use of the faculty member’s time? The technology questions don’t end when the course is developed. The support implications of any online course are significant. If the course includes links to readings or other Web sites, who is responsible for keeping those links updated? If a new version of software is released, who updates the course? And who worries about the security of the system, ensuring that students’ assignments and grades are not tampered with? Who provides help-desk support for the course? If a student has trouble with the Web browser, should the student go to the faculty member, or is there an IT support desk that can handle technical questions? Is there a different place where students can get academic assistance? Beyond the technical mechanics are IT policy issues such as copyright and intellectual property. Initial questions deal with ownership. If a course is developed as a part of a faculty member’s regular responsibilities, does it belong to the faculty member (analogous to how textbooks are often handled), or does the institution own the work? If the author receives compensation for the course, such as a special stipend, is the course considered a work for hire? Who has the

Global citizenship education and war: the needs of teachers and learners

Abstract: This article is based on the data from a 2 year Department for International Development (DfID) funded research project, and looks at the perceived needs of teaching and learning about global issue...

‘I'm not seen as one of the clever children’: consulting primary school pupils about the social conditions of learning

Abstract: Bernstein (1996) suggests that we need to engage critically with what it would mean to extend democracy in schools through pupil consultation. This paper explores the ways in which pupil consultation can uncover aspects of both pupil peer group cultures and classroom dynamics that work against fairness, collegiality and a sense of community in classrooms. Often it is the disruptive and the underachieving pupils who are the focus of teachers' concerns. However, the findings of this study suggest that consultation can also reveal the detrimental impact that a fractious, competitive peer group riven with power struggles can have on well behaved, high achieving pupils.

The Future for Higher Education: Sunrise or Perfect Storm?

Abstract: n today's knowledge economy, the role of higher education is being redefined—not simply tweaked and fine-tuned but, rather, fundamentally redefined. From where I stand, there are at least two ways to frame this future for higher education. The first is to view it as a perfect storm, born from the convergence of numerous disruptive forces. The second is to view this time as the dawn of a new day, a sunrise rife with opportunities arising from these same disruptive forces. How we choose to respond to the disruptions that are coming will determine much of the higher education landscape during the coming decade.

Professional researcher or a 'good guest'? Ethical dilemmas involved in researching children and families in the home setting

Abstract: In this article we explore our experiences of researching children and families in the home setting. We trace the impact of the home setting on some ethical and methodological issues which arose in...

Pupil consultation: The importance of social capital

Abstract: We studied how teachers use ideas that pupils offer when they are consulted. Six teachers (two each in English, Maths and Science) and their Year 8 classes at three secondary schools were involved....

Home–school knowledge exchange in context

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of the Home‐School Knowledge Exchange Project and an introduction to this special issue on home–school knowledge exchange. The paper starts by situating the project ...

Boxes, bags and videotape: enhancing home–school communication through knowledge exchange activities

Abstract: Effective two‐way communication between home and school has been frequently promoted by policy‐makers and educationalists in the UK and elsewhere. In practice, however, home–school communication ca...

Finding a Voice, Finding Self.

Abstract: The term ‘pupil voice’ has, in recent years, become part of a wider discourse but tends to refer to a limited conception of young people ‘having a say’ within the bounds of school convention. This ...

Is there a school mix effect

Abstract: This paper uses the notion of ‘pathological’ social science, wherein large claims to knowledge are made on the basis of very small differences in the data, to consider the notion of the school mix ...

The Myth about IT Security

Abstract: S eeing an institution’s name in the headlines for a security breach may be among a CIO’s— and a president’s—worst nightmares. Whether the breached data involves social security numbers, credit card accounts, clinical records, or research, this is bad news. Federal agencies that provide research funding may lose confidence in data integrity, putting millions of dollars in grants at risk. Legislators may seek additional oversight. Beyond image, institutions face issues of liability and business continuity. Considering that colleges and universities manage some of the world’s largest networks and collections of computers, the risk and the importance of the issue should not be underestimated.1 Information security cannot be the responsibility of only the CIO—or even a chief security officer (CSO). Part of the reason is its importance. Institutions rely on information for academic, research, and outreach programs and for support services. Information security ensures the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of information, services, networks, and computer systems. These systems and networks must be available on a timely basis. Their information must be protected from unauthorized use or disclosure as well as from unapproved, unanticipated, or unintentional modification. Security incidents include inappropriate access, alteration of data, virus infiltrations, and denial-of-service attacks. Contrary to common belief, the greatest risks may be internal, rather than external. Incidents may be precipitated by disgruntled or dishonest employees. Hackers are found on campus as well as

Dilemmas in the formation of student identity in offshore higher education: a case study in Hong Kong

Abstract: This paper explores the impact of the internationalization of higher education on the formation of student identity. It does so in the context of increasing developments in offshore education and the rapid emergence of the professional doctorate in Australia and overseas. Drawing on data from a larger qualitative study of student experiences of offshore education, the focus is on professional doctorate candidates located in Hong Kong. Identity is characterized by a series of dilemmas experienced by the students as they seek to become members of the academic community. These dilemmas centre on a range of inter‐related issues, including sense of belonging, educational goals, learning style preferences and relationships with supervisors.