Francesca Pozzi | Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) (original) (raw)

Papers by Francesca Pozzi

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Nowadays, technologies play a key role in educational research processes, especially in the conte... more Nowadays, technologies play a key role in educational research processes, especially in the context of complex designs or integrative perspectives (qualitative and quantitative). Affordances provided by new tools and technological devices are constantly impacting the way educational research is carried out. Consequently, this growing importance (and dependence on) technology for educational research calls for a deeper reflection, not only about its clear benefits, but also about its potential drawbacks and limitations. This paper explores this tension in a specific mixed-methods research design aimed at understanding the barriers preventing the adoption of Learning Design (LD) tools/methods, a significant problem in the research field of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL). Different actors (teachers and researchers) were involved in the research design, which included a systematic literature review, a Delphi study and a case study. Such an articulated design required the adoption of...

Technology, Pedagogy and Education

The research field of Learning Design (LD) has been active for some time now, but several questio... more The research field of Learning Design (LD) has been active for some time now, but several questions remain open for the scientific community. In particular, the article tackles issues that have been core concerns in LD over the years: (1) how to support the different phases of the LD process; (2) what representations should be used in the various steps; and (3) to what extent should digital LD tools be structured or flexible, either guiding the teacher/designer or leaving them free to pursue their own design path and style. The authors investigated these open questions through an LD tool called the Pedagogical Planner. This tool has been evaluated in authentic contexts with the goal of providing input for the ongoing debate. Evaluation has focused on the perceptions and actual usage by teachers, generating significant evaluative data to be used as a spur for further reflection on LD.

British Journal of Educational Technology

One of the core activities teachers perform as part of their professional practice is conceptual ... more One of the core activities teachers perform as part of their professional practice is conceptual and practical planning of classroom activities, or, more generally, of educational interventions. This is a complex, demanding, problem-solving activity, entailing consideration of all the factors at play, including learning objectives, student-related variables and contextual constraints as well as available resources. The interplay between these variable elements informs teachers' decision making: a process aimed at creating a coherent, manageable plan, responding effectively to learners' needs-insofar as these can be determined a priori. The process is especially challenging in preparation of TEL (Technology-Enhanced Learning) interventions, which are potentially more complex endeavours, involving careful consideration of more open and dynamic elements and a number of additional actants.

Ectel, 2009

... common to adopt “techniques” or “scripts” with the aim of providing a structure to activities... more ... common to adopt “techniques” or “scripts” with the aim of providing a structure to activities, so as to foster collaboration and exchange (Kanuka &amp; Anderson, 1999; Dillenbourg 2002; Hernández-Leo et al., 2005; Persico &amp; Sarti, 2005; Jaques &amp; Salmon, 2007; Fischer et al., 2009). ...

Innovations in Education and Teaching International, Mar 20, 2007

Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf ... more Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article maybe used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.

Ifip Tc3 Publications, 2002

Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 2007

No reproduction, copy or transmission may be made without written permission from the individual ... more No reproduction, copy or transmission may be made without written permission from the individual authors. Papers have been doubleͲblind peer reviewed before final submission to the conference. Initially, paper abstracts were read and selected by the conference panel for submission as possible papers for the conference. Many thanks to the reviewers who helped ensure the quality of the full papers.

The present contribution tackles the issue of creativity in educational contexts and in particula... more The present contribution tackles the issue of creativity in educational contexts and in particular in online collaborative learning environments. The contribution proposes a model to evaluate collaborative learning activities oriented to the development of skills and attitudes underpinning the creative expression. The model is used in this study to evaluate two real online activities, based on two different collaborative techniques (namely the Role Play and the Discussion), so that it is possible to make some considerations about the two techniques and their ability to foster those skills and attitudes underpinning creativity.

Computers & Education

In CSCL contexts (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) collaborative activities with differ... more In CSCL contexts (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) collaborative activities with different levels of structuredeness are often used to foster discussion and exchange among students and enhance collaboration. In this field the debate around whether and to what extent it is useful to structure the activities proposed to students, is still very lively. In this paper two collaborative activities are explored, namely a simple Case Study (moderate level of structuredness) and the Case Study joint with the Jigsaw (higher level of structuredness). Starting from the analysis of the interactions occurred among students of two real online courses performing these activities, it is possible to identify strong points and weaknesses of the two activities, so to draw some reflections on the impact of structuredness on the collaborative learning process.

Recenti studi mettono in luce che, a causa dei rapidi cambiamenti che caratterizzano la nostra so... more Recenti studi mettono in luce che, a causa dei rapidi cambiamenti che caratterizzano la nostra società, il mondo della scuola, spesso basato su modelli e concetti ormai obsoleti, deve flessibilizzarsi e aprirsi al cambiamento. Su queste ipotesi, il progetto ha mirato a costruire un sistema pan-europeo, chiamato U-learn.it, in grado di favorire l’aggregazione di questi docenti pionieri in comunità di pratica e di stimolare quindi la circolazione dell’innovazione all’interno del sistema scolastico. In quest’articolo viene proposta una definizione di comunità di pratica nel contesto educativo; inoltre vengono illustrate le strategie adottate nel progetto ULEARN per stimolarne la creazione. Infine vengono proposte alcune riflessioni sulle possibilità di sviluppo di tale comunità e le condizioni per mantenerla nel tempo.

Il progetto GE8 nasce in occasione dell’evento del G8 a Genova, sollecitato da una duplice esigen... more Il progetto GE8 nasce in occasione dell’evento del G8 a Genova, sollecitato da una duplice esigenza contenutistica e metodologica. Riguardo ai contenuti, GE8 vuole dare ai giovani delle scuole medie superiori strumenti di indagine, riflessio- ne e produzione dell’informazione, basati sulle ICT, perché essi possano riflettere ed esprimersi su quei temi della globaliz- zazione, che li riguardano più da vicino e che più influenzeranno la loro vita. Dal punto di vista metodologico GE8 vuole mostrare come le nuove tecnologie dell’informazione e della comunicazione (ICT) consentano di realizzare a scuola percorsi di innovazione basati su processi di apprendimento collaborativo, prendendo spunto da temi di attualità emergenti dal territorio, in cui opera la scuola. Questo articolo presenta i presupposti teorici del progetto dal punto di vista dell’innovazione scolastica e del ruolo delle nuove tecnologie, descriveremo poi l’intera esperienza e infine discuteremo i primi risultati.

Focusing on the European situation regarding the teachers competencies in ICT for Education that ... more Focusing on the European situation regarding the teachers competencies in ICT for Education that emerge from teacher training processes, this paper provides a general approach to the differences between national practices.

School innovation requires changes in aims, curricula, ways of learning, school buildings and org... more School innovation requires changes in aims, curricula, ways of learning, school buildings and organisation, equipments, learning materials, teachers, etc.: in other words, it is a holistic process affecting all the components of the school system. In this process, a key role is played by the teachers, especially early adopters of innovation, herein called "pioneer teachers", those on which the dissemination of innovation mainly relies. Carreid put in the context of the European programme called "eLearning initiative", ULEARN was aproject whose main aim was to create conditions favouring the birth of communities of pioneers teachers at national and international level.

The main objective of the EU FP7 ICT i-Treasures project is to build a public and expandable plat... more The main objective of the EU FP7 ICT i-Treasures project is to build a public and expandable platform to enable learning and transmission of rare know-how of intangible cultural heritage. A core part of this platform consists of game-like applications able to support teaching and learning processes in the ICH field. We have designed and developed four game-like applications (for Human Beat Box singing, Tsamiko dancing, pottery making and contemporary music composition), each corresponding to one of the ICH use cases of i-Treasures project. A first preliminary version of these applications is currently available for further validation, evaluation and demonstration within the project. We have encountered a number of issues, most of which derive from the peculiarities of the ICH domains addressed by the project, and many have already been resolved. The evaluation results are expected to lead to further optimization of these games.

he paper draws on the i-Treasures project, an Integrated Project co-financed by EU under the ICT ... more he paper draws on the i-Treasures project, an Integrated Project co-financed by EU under the ICT theme (Information and Communication Technologies) of the FP7 (7th Framework Program), which deals with the use of advanced ICT technologies in the field of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) education. The project aims at going far beyond the mere ICT-enhanced dissemination; rather it is meant to support the learning and passing down of the rare know-how behind the various ICHs by means of cutting edge ICT and sensor technologies. In doing so, it focuses on four use cases: a) Rare Traditional Songs, b) Rare Dance Interactions, c) Traditional Craftsmanship and d) Contemporary Music Composition. An open and extendable platform is being developed, which provides access to rare ICH resources and offers a dedicated Learning Management System, able to sustain innovative teaching and learning practices in ICH education

The paper deals with the adoption of Serious Games (SGs) in the specific area of Intangible Cultu... more The paper deals with the adoption of Serious Games (SGs) in the specific area of Intangible Cultural Heritage Education (ICH). The transmission of some cultural expressions, like rare traditional singing or dancing, is more related to the acquisition of procedural knowledge (i.e. how to perform some tasks, like a dance step) rather than to declarative knowledge (i.e. knowledge that can be declared or stated through words or symbol systems, e.g. music notation). Coherently, so far knowledge in these areas has been transmitted mainly by observation or imitation of experts/performers in real contexts. Grounded on the research results in Game Based Learning and on the opportunity offered by cutting-edge sensor technologies, the i-Treasures project exploits the interesting potential of Serious Games in the ICH field. As a matter of fact, the capacity of games to train motor skills and to support sensorimotor learning, together with their ability to enhance engagement and motivation, are ...

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Technology, Pedagogy and Education

British Journal of Educational Technology

Ectel, 2009

Innovations in Education and Teaching International, Mar 20, 2007

Ifip Tc3 Publications, 2002

Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 2007

Computers & Education

While the use of social networks (SNs) and social media is increasingly permeating all sectors of... more While the use of social networks (SNs) and social media is increasingly permeating all sectors of the global society, in Italy there is an ongoing debate about its advantages and drawbacks for learning, especially within formal educational contexts. In order to contribute to such a debate, a study has been conducted, aimed to investigate the Italian university students' beliefs about the positive and negative effects of social networking on their learning and to identify any correlation between such beliefs and the students' characteristics. This chapter reports and discusses the results of the study, which was based on the data collected through a survey to 336 Italian university students (F=63.6%, 83.8% aged below 32). Results revealed that Italian university students perceive social networks as useful tools for both improving their learning and connecting with their peers, but also that they are aware of their undesirable consequences, such as experiencing negative emotions, losing concentration and being prevented from engaging in extra-academic activities.

While the use of social networks (SNs) and social media is increasingly permeating all sectors of... more While the use of social networks (SNs) and social media is increasingly permeating all sectors of the global society, in Italy there is an ongoing debate about its advantages and drawbacks for learning, especially within formal educational contexts. In order to contribute to such a debate, a study has been conducted, aimed to investigate the Italian university students' beliefs about the positive and negative effects of social networking on their learning and to identify any correlation between such beliefs and the students' characteristics. This chapter reports and discusses the results of the study, which was based on the data collected through a survey to 336 Italian university students (F = 63.6, 83.8 % aged below 32). Results revealed that Italian university students perceive social networks as useful tools for both improving their learning and connecting with their peers, but also that they are aware of their undesirable consequences, such as experiencing negative emotions, losing concentration and being prevented from engaging in extra-academic activities.

Information Technology and Open Source: Applications for Education, Innovation, and Sustainability, 2014

The need for higher educational systems to undergo a radical process of innovation is recognized ... more The need for higher educational systems to undergo a radical process of innovation is recognized worldwide, but how such a process has to be triggered, managed and sustained is far from being fixed. The paper illustrates the case study of a small Italian online university where a number of actions (i.e. a preliminary analysis of the existing system, the development of a new platform, a training course addressed to teachers and staff, a pilot test of the new system) were carried out to make technological and methodological innovation proceed hand in hand and to drive innovation towards a higher quality of teaching and learning experience. The paper describes context, method and outcomes of the approach adopted and then discusses its strengths and weaknesses.

In this paper an approach is presented that supports tracking and analysis of interactions within... more In this paper an approach is presented that supports tracking and analysis of interactions within an online course with the twofold aim of evaluating the overall quality of the learning process and monitoring students' performance. Focus of the paper is on what data can be collected and how they can be gathered and analysed to provide course designers, tutors and researchers with all the information needed to inform monitoring at run-time and validation at the end of the course. The approach proposes to distinguish four kinds of data: raw, additional, subjective and aggregated data. Raw data consist of quantitative data about message exchanges and are usually stored automatically by the communication system used. Additional data have to do with course and target population features and are normally available in course documentation. Subjective data are quantitative information obtained by processing subjective aspects such as opinions of participants or content analysis of messages. Finally, aggregated data include any elaboration or the above, including graphical representations and statistics. Finally the paper provides examples of how and by whom these data can be used to inform monitoring and evaluation of an online course, pointing out some of the questions that can be addressed through the analysis of these information.

This paper describes the approach adopted to carry out an evaluation of the STEEL eLearning syste... more This paper describes the approach adopted to carry out an evaluation of the STEEL eLearning system, developed for an Italian online university. The aim of the evaluation study was to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the system in view of innovative potential and impact. The core of the adopted approach is based on an adaptation of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), originally proposed by Davis (1989) as a theory to model how users of a new technological system accept it and take it on, based on two main acceptance factors: perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use. Although the TAM was not developed specifically for educational contexts, several authors have subsequently proposed and demonstrated how adaptations of the TAM theory can be used to evaluate the impact of technology even in these contexts. This paper is a step forward along this line of work to perform formative evaluation of eLearning systems. Though based on the TAM, our approach is also grounded on a couple of assumptions. The first is that data concerning actual use of the system and its effectiveness, in terms of concrete actions and achievements of its users, should also be considered, at least to complement and verify the data concerning users’ perceptions. A second assumption is that the evaluation should consider all the phases of use of the system (course design, running and evaluation), all the users of the system (students, teachers, and eLearning management), and all the components of the system (the eLearning platform, the learning resources and, last but not least, the pedagogical approach underlying the eLearning system). The resulting model is a three-dimensional one (phases of use, users and components), with three aspects to be considered on each axis. For each of the 27 combinations of these aspects, indicators of usefulness and ease-of-use have been identified, as well as, when available, data concerning actual use (derived from the tracking functions of the platform) and data regarding effectiveness (based on teachers’ adoption of new tools and students’ exam results). The paper describes the model and its indicators, discusses its pros and cons based on its field test. A summary of the results of the evaluation are presented along with considerations about future research in the field.