Techtrends 

About: Techtrends is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Educational technology & Instructional design. It has an ISSN identifier of 1559-7075. Over the lifetime, 1968 publications have been published receiving 28845 citations. The journal is also known as: TechTrends linking research and practice to improve learning & TechTrends for leaders in education & training.

Augmented Reality in Education and Training

Abstract: There are many different ways for people to be educated and trained with regard to specific information and skills they need. These methods include classroom lectures with textbooks, computers, handheld devices, and other electronic appliances. The choice of learning innovation is dependent on an individual’s access to various technologies and the infrastructure environment of a person’s surrounding. In a rapidly changing society where there is a great deal of available information and knowledge, adopting and applying information at the right time and right place is needed to main efficiency in both school and business settings. Augmented Reality (AR) is one technology that dramatically shifts the location and timing of education and training. This literature review research describes Augmented Reality (AR), how it applies to education and training, and the potential impact on the future of education.

Let’s not forget: Learning analytics are about learning

Abstract: The analysis of data collected from the interaction of users with educational and information technology has attracted much attention as a promising approach for advancing our understanding of the learning process. This promise motivated the emergence of the new research field, learning analytics, and its closely related discipline, educational data mining. This paper first introduces the field of learning analytics and outlines the lessons learned from well-known case studies in the research literature. The paper then identifies the critical topics that require immediate research attention for learning analytics to make a sustainable impact on the research and practice of learning and teaching. The paper concludes by discussing a growing set of issues that if unaddressed, could impede the future maturation of the field. The paper stresses that learning analytics are about learning. As such, the computational aspects of learning analytics must be well integrated within the existing educational research.

Computers as Mindtools for Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking

Abstract: Introduction Traditionally, instructional technologies have been used as media for delivering instruction, that is, as conveyors of information and tutors of students. Whn used in this way, information is "stored" in the technology. During the "instructional" process, learners perceive and try to understand the messages stored in the technology as they "interact" it. Interaction is often limited to pressing a key to continue the information presentation or responding to queries posed by the stored program. The technology program judges the learner's response and provides feedback, most often about the "correctness" of the learners response. Technologies that have been developed by instructional designers are often marketed to educators as "validated" and "teacher proof," removing any meaningful control of the learning process by the learners or the teachers. In this paper, we argue that technologies should not support learning by attempting to instruct the learners, but rather should be used as knowledge construction tools that students learn with, not from . In this way, learners function as designers, and the computers function as Mindtools for interpreting and organizing their personal knowledge. Mindtools are computer applications that, when used by learners to represent what they know, necessarily engage them in critical thinking about the content they are studying (Jonassen, 1996). Mindtools scaffold different forms of reasoning about conent. That is, they require students to think about what they know in different, meaningful ways. For instance, using databases to organize students’ understanding of content organization necessarily engages them in analytical reasoning, where creating an expert system rule base requires them to think about the causal relationships between ideas. Students cannot use Mindtools as learning strategies without thinking deeply about what they are studying.

Looking at the Impact of the Flipped Classroom Model of Instruction on Undergraduate Multimedia Students at CSUN

Abstract: Scholars and practitioners have reported the positive outcomes of a flipped, or inverted, approach to instruction (Baker, 2000; Lage, Platt, & Treglia, 2000; Bergmann, 2011; Wright, 2011; Pearson, 2012; Butt, 2012; Bates, 2012). While many of the reports are anecdotal, the sheer number of instructors that have reported successful implementation of the strategy provides some evidence of its powerful use as an instructional method. This study provides a detailed case in which one approach of the Flipped Classroom Model of Instruction was applied in two classes at California State University Northridge. Student reports suggest that the approach provided an engaging learning experience, was effective in helping students learn the content, and increased self-efficacy in their ability to learn independently. Additionally, challenges and potential solutions to those challenges are discussed.

Teaching and Learning with iPads, Ready or Not?

Abstract: Within weeks of becoming available, the iPad reportedly sold over 3 million units, a brisker pace than other tablets in the personal computer realm. Much of the early success might be attributed to the almost 250,000 applications that could run on the device and a similar interface to the popular iPod Touch and iPhone. This article considers whether the sales spark that has ignited a hardware revolution (numerous device manufacturers have launched–e.g., HP, RIM, Samsung, Motorola, and HTC–or have plans to launch tablet devices over the next year) is being matched on the software front, with a particular focus on K-12 teaching and learning. Authors consider the potential affect both the iPad and its applications might have on teaching and learning in K-12 settings and whether these technologies allow educators and students to accomplish what they otherwise could not, from a teaching and learning perspective.