Aikaterini Kokkinaki | University of Bristol (original) (raw)
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Papers by Aikaterini Kokkinaki
The use of ICTs as tools that assist Digital Natives enhance their own learning, 2009
There is no argument that the present chronological period is one of the most rapid periods of te... more There is no argument that the present chronological period is one of the most rapid periods of technological transformation ever as no major aspect of modern life has been untouched by the way the information technologies are used. This transformation has a serious impact on the way the educational system is structured as it has to deal with the first generation of students that were born in a network society and raised assimilating technologies. Research findings indicate that this generation, often called 'Net Generation', 'Digital Natives', 'Y Generation' or 'Millennials', share unique characteristics because of their interaction with all those toys and tools of the digital age which consequently have changed their thinking patterns. This paper aims to provide a review of the literature regarding digital natives, address the main characteristics of theirs, that set them apart from previous generations, and present how different tools and applications from the digital age have the potential to assist students enhance their own leaning.
In 2010 Google's researchers introduced the HEART framework for the evaluation of online products... more In 2010 Google's researchers introduced the HEART framework for the evaluation of online products. HEART, which stands for Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention and Tasks, tries to provide guidance on a set of key metrics that need to be measured in order to evaluate an online product in an objective and holistic manner. While each metric quantifies an angle of key factors, we need all of them in order to achieve safe conclusions. Our position is that the same framework could be used in the assessment of the deployment of an OLE. We present the framework and an example of its application. Every modern educational institution offers access to an Online Learning Environment (OLE), or as interchangeably used in the literature: Virtual Learning Environments, Managed Learning Environments, Personal Learning Environments and Learning Platforms. An OLE has been characterised as an online space that includes the components through which the learners and the tutors participate in online interactions including online learning (Joint Information Systems Committee, 2006, p. 6). Without argument, an OLE has become an online space where a significant amount of the teaching experience of students takes place. However, it is not clear how an institution can measure the effectiveness and the impact of their OLE. This is even more difficult if the institution needs to measure the impact from students' perspective. Simple metrics such as the number of Daily Active Users, or Monthly Active Users that measure the number of students that login on a daily or monthly basis, may have significant hidden issues. To give an example, students may login every day to the OLE to access core materials for their courses because they were given no alternative option and not because they necessarily enjoy using the OLE. Traditional surveys may offer some limited insights and actually they are part of the HEART framework especially when the survey concerns measuring students' satisfaction. Nevertheless, the question on whether the evaluation of an OLE is complete and as objective as possible remains unanswered. In this paper, the Happiness-Engagement-Adoption-Retention-Tasks (HEART) framework is presented and its potential use as a measuring framework for OLEs in higher education is discussed. The original purpose of HEART framework was to help software designers to create online products, monitor their quality, detect problems and give directions for future modifications. Currently, the HEART framework is used by software companies for the evaluation of their online products. Although the HEART framework doesn't discuss specific metrics, it provides a set of recommendations on perspectives that need to be taken into account. The exact metrics can be decided by the higher education institutions based on their aims and needs.
This paper reports findings from a research study which involved the use of an Online Learning En... more This paper reports findings from a research study which involved the use of an Online Learning Environment by Greek primary students in their school classroom and from home for a period of six weeks for the development of a wiki for a school project. This research study sought to answer whether and how collaboration can be supported between primary students with the use of an Online Learning Environment. Although collaboration is often reported as the outcome from the use of technology in an educational context, this paper presents research findings to show that collaboration between primary students with the use of an Online Learning Environment is associated with students' previous collaborative work experiences.
The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential use of Wikis as a tool that supports and im... more The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential use of Wikis as a tool that supports and improves collaborative learning in the context of higher education. The paper begins by explaining how technologies that enable asynchronous social networking promoted the transition from the "Information Age" to the "Interaction Age". After a brief analysis on the term "Web 2.0 technologies", an in depth analysis of how Wikis connect themselves with main pedagogy theories follows. Furthermore, referring to relevant research literature, this study addresses Wikis' characteristics which make its implementation in higher education visible and promising. The weaknesses and the disadvantages from the use of Wikis are also addressed in order for the conclusions to be drawn at the end of this paper.
In the discussion regarding the educational applicability of ICTs, several arguments have been ar... more In the discussion regarding the educational applicability of ICTs, several arguments have been articulated and can be found regarding teachers’ perspectives on the use of ICTs for educational purposes. Although the review of the literature presents teachers to hold a general positive attitude towards the implementation of ICTs in an educational context, there can also be identified studies in which teachers discuss about a series of parameters that limit ICTs integration in education. In this respect, the present study comes to present the limitations that impede ICTs use for teaching and learning in primary education in Greece as these were addressed from the 46 teachers who participated in the study. This study aims also to explore whether the use of new technologies is experienced, from teachers’ perspective, as an extra burden rather than a potential aid. In order for the above to be explored a mixed method research design was followed at which both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in order for teachers’ perspectives on ICTs use to be explored. The study reveals that the lack of time, infrastructure and technical support are the most significant reasons that impede teachers from the use of ICTs in a school classroom.
eKate is an innovative project created by MSc Education Studies Students Srikanth Siva, Ariel Liu... more eKate is an innovative project created by MSc Education Studies Students Srikanth Siva, Ariel Liu, Katarzyna Kozinska, Catherine Kokkinaki and Naida Dervishalidovic that uses an animated screen accompanied by a voiceover explaining how to use online thesaurus resources.
The use of ICTs as tools that assist Digital Natives enhance their own learning, 2009
There is no argument that the present chronological period is one of the most rapid periods of te... more There is no argument that the present chronological period is one of the most rapid periods of technological transformation ever as no major aspect of modern life has been untouched by the way the information technologies are used. This transformation has a serious impact on the way the educational system is structured as it has to deal with the first generation of students that were born in a network society and raised assimilating technologies. Research findings indicate that this generation, often called 'Net Generation', 'Digital Natives', 'Y Generation' or 'Millennials', share unique characteristics because of their interaction with all those toys and tools of the digital age which consequently have changed their thinking patterns. This paper aims to provide a review of the literature regarding digital natives, address the main characteristics of theirs, that set them apart from previous generations, and present how different tools and applications from the digital age have the potential to assist students enhance their own leaning.
In 2010 Google's researchers introduced the HEART framework for the evaluation of online products... more In 2010 Google's researchers introduced the HEART framework for the evaluation of online products. HEART, which stands for Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention and Tasks, tries to provide guidance on a set of key metrics that need to be measured in order to evaluate an online product in an objective and holistic manner. While each metric quantifies an angle of key factors, we need all of them in order to achieve safe conclusions. Our position is that the same framework could be used in the assessment of the deployment of an OLE. We present the framework and an example of its application. Every modern educational institution offers access to an Online Learning Environment (OLE), or as interchangeably used in the literature: Virtual Learning Environments, Managed Learning Environments, Personal Learning Environments and Learning Platforms. An OLE has been characterised as an online space that includes the components through which the learners and the tutors participate in online interactions including online learning (Joint Information Systems Committee, 2006, p. 6). Without argument, an OLE has become an online space where a significant amount of the teaching experience of students takes place. However, it is not clear how an institution can measure the effectiveness and the impact of their OLE. This is even more difficult if the institution needs to measure the impact from students' perspective. Simple metrics such as the number of Daily Active Users, or Monthly Active Users that measure the number of students that login on a daily or monthly basis, may have significant hidden issues. To give an example, students may login every day to the OLE to access core materials for their courses because they were given no alternative option and not because they necessarily enjoy using the OLE. Traditional surveys may offer some limited insights and actually they are part of the HEART framework especially when the survey concerns measuring students' satisfaction. Nevertheless, the question on whether the evaluation of an OLE is complete and as objective as possible remains unanswered. In this paper, the Happiness-Engagement-Adoption-Retention-Tasks (HEART) framework is presented and its potential use as a measuring framework for OLEs in higher education is discussed. The original purpose of HEART framework was to help software designers to create online products, monitor their quality, detect problems and give directions for future modifications. Currently, the HEART framework is used by software companies for the evaluation of their online products. Although the HEART framework doesn't discuss specific metrics, it provides a set of recommendations on perspectives that need to be taken into account. The exact metrics can be decided by the higher education institutions based on their aims and needs.
This paper reports findings from a research study which involved the use of an Online Learning En... more This paper reports findings from a research study which involved the use of an Online Learning Environment by Greek primary students in their school classroom and from home for a period of six weeks for the development of a wiki for a school project. This research study sought to answer whether and how collaboration can be supported between primary students with the use of an Online Learning Environment. Although collaboration is often reported as the outcome from the use of technology in an educational context, this paper presents research findings to show that collaboration between primary students with the use of an Online Learning Environment is associated with students' previous collaborative work experiences.
The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential use of Wikis as a tool that supports and im... more The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential use of Wikis as a tool that supports and improves collaborative learning in the context of higher education. The paper begins by explaining how technologies that enable asynchronous social networking promoted the transition from the "Information Age" to the "Interaction Age". After a brief analysis on the term "Web 2.0 technologies", an in depth analysis of how Wikis connect themselves with main pedagogy theories follows. Furthermore, referring to relevant research literature, this study addresses Wikis' characteristics which make its implementation in higher education visible and promising. The weaknesses and the disadvantages from the use of Wikis are also addressed in order for the conclusions to be drawn at the end of this paper.
In the discussion regarding the educational applicability of ICTs, several arguments have been ar... more In the discussion regarding the educational applicability of ICTs, several arguments have been articulated and can be found regarding teachers’ perspectives on the use of ICTs for educational purposes. Although the review of the literature presents teachers to hold a general positive attitude towards the implementation of ICTs in an educational context, there can also be identified studies in which teachers discuss about a series of parameters that limit ICTs integration in education. In this respect, the present study comes to present the limitations that impede ICTs use for teaching and learning in primary education in Greece as these were addressed from the 46 teachers who participated in the study. This study aims also to explore whether the use of new technologies is experienced, from teachers’ perspective, as an extra burden rather than a potential aid. In order for the above to be explored a mixed method research design was followed at which both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in order for teachers’ perspectives on ICTs use to be explored. The study reveals that the lack of time, infrastructure and technical support are the most significant reasons that impede teachers from the use of ICTs in a school classroom.
eKate is an innovative project created by MSc Education Studies Students Srikanth Siva, Ariel Liu... more eKate is an innovative project created by MSc Education Studies Students Srikanth Siva, Ariel Liu, Katarzyna Kozinska, Catherine Kokkinaki and Naida Dervishalidovic that uses an animated screen accompanied by a voiceover explaining how to use online thesaurus resources.