Athanassios Jimoyiannis | University of the Peloponnese (original) (raw)
Journal papers by Athanassios Jimoyiannis
The study presented in this paper was designed to examine Greek primary education teachers’ perce... more The study presented in this paper was designed to examine Greek primary education teachers’ perceptions of their knowledge and skills with regards to the integration of ICT in their instructional practices. By adopting the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework, we developed an extended TPACK scale, including two sub-constructs, i.e., a) the Educational Context and b) teachers’ self-assessment of TPACK abilities. The analysis of the results showed that the participants appear to believe that they have a good level of knowledge with regards to the primary TPACK domains, i.e., content, pedagogy and technology.
However, most teachers perceived them separately and were not able to integrate their TPACK knowledge in order to design and implement meaningful ICT-based interventions in their classroom practice. Statistically significant differences were recorded in relation to teachers’ factors, i.e., gender, teaching experience and training about ICT in education. Finally, the findings showed that teachers’ efforts to implement ICT-based interventions in their classrooms could be affected by factors related to the educational context in the Greek primary schools.
Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 16(1), 74-91, 2019
This paper aims to report on a study concerning a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), designed to ... more This paper aims to report on a study concerning a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), designed to support Greek-language teachers in secondary-education schools in implementing collaborative
writing activities with Google Docs (GDs) in their classrooms. The design framework of the particular teacher professional development MOOC was determined by the connectivist principles and addressed three main dimensions of teachers’ active participation: a) individual engagement; b) peer interaction and mutual support; and c) collaborative creation of educational scenarios and artefacts. The analysis used a mixed method that combines data from teachers’ active engagement through the MOOC platform records and quantitative and qualitative data from their responses to a post-survey questionnaire. The analysis of the research data provided supportive evidence that the design framework was effective towards promoting teachers’ active engagement, peer interaction and support and development of learning design abilities to integrate collaborative writing with GDs in their classrooms. The findings showed that the majority of participants conceptualized this MOOC as an efficient environment to enhance their pedagogical knowledge and classroom practices and to support continuous professional development.
Open Review of Educational Research, 6(1), 12-25, 2019
This article focuses on the early stages of an international project on gamifying national identi... more This article focuses on the early stages of an international project on
gamifying national identity. It examines the production of the
content required for developing a sophisticated and engaging
approach to pedagogical innovation in education, through gamebased
learning. This will encourage individuals to think about
both European and national identity, specifically within the
context of the European Union (EU). At a time when the EU faces
significant challenges, a better understanding and appreciation of
the role of national and supra-national identity and belonging in
Europe is clear. RU EU? – an Erasmus+ funded project – aims to
develop an innovative online game to help students and others
enhance their understanding of their own national and European
identities and challenge attitudes and prejudices. The content
development of the game has brought together experts with
socio-political knowledge, pedagogical understanding and
technical expertise. This article discusses the early stages in the
content development process, during which we amassed material
from literature reviews, academic interviews and student focus
groups and surveys. We sought to ensure that the content of the
game reflected the issues raised within the game development
lifecycle and our article describes our engagement with this
material and its integration into game content.
Themes in Science and Technology Education, 10(1), 31-52, 2017
Developing students' algorithmic and computational thinking is currently a major objective for pr... more Developing students' algorithmic and computational thinking is currently a major objective for primary and secondary education in many countries around the globe. Literature suggests that students face at various difficulties in programming processes, because of their mental models about basic programming constructs. Arrays constitute the first data structure students have to cope with in introductory programming courses. This paper presents the results of an empirical study on secondary education students' misconceptions and mental representations of the array data structure. Students' responses to written tasks regarding short code segments were mapped to the different levels of the SOLO taxonomy, in order to identify how students use arrays to solve programming problems. The analysis of the results showed that the majority of the students tended to manifest responses assigned to the lower SOLO levels, i.e. prestructural, unistructural and multistructural. The findings indicate that many students in the sample had incomplete or faulty representations of the array concept, which seem to be connected to their misconceptions about the programming variable concept.
Abstract Purpose - This paper presents an integrated framework for designing and investigating s... more Abstract
Purpose - This paper presents an integrated framework for designing and investigating students’ engagement patterns and learning presence in educational blogs. The framework was grounded in the ideas of self-directed and reflective learning, and was applied to analyse students’ blogging activities in the context of an undergraduate course.
Design/methodology/approach – The proposed research framework was organised along three dimensions: content artefacts, blogging processes and community building. With regards to the methodological tools used, this study integrates Content Analysis of students’ posts using the framework of Community of Inquiry (CoI), the representation of Learning Mapping and Social Network Analysis methods.
Findings - The results revealed important information about the different ways of students’ engagement and learning presence within the blogging groups, the contribution and the influence each student had, as well as the structure and the cohesion of the learning community developed around the blogging project.
Research limitations/implications - The findings of this study are limited by the blended course features, the specific sample and the context of implementation. Future research needs to consider and analyse students’ lurking or invisible presence in educational blogging communities.
Practical implications – This study has yielded promising results with regard to the design of educational blogs in higher education that aim to enhance students’ engagement, reflection, collaboration and self-directed learning.
Originality/value - The originality concerns the proposed conceptual framework which can guide the design, monitoring and analysis of blogging processes in order to reveal students’ learning presence within self-directed communities of blogging.
Keywords: educational blogging, learning presence, integrated analysis framework, reflective learning, self-directed learning
Abstract Purpose - This paper presents a case study investigating students’ patterns of collabora... more Abstract
Purpose - This paper presents a case study investigating students’ patterns of collaborative content creation in a wiki-project that was designed to promote self-directed and collaborative learning in the context of a university course. In addition, it proposes a new organizational and analysis framework of students’ constructive and collaborative activities in wiki-authoring projects.
Design/methodology/approach – The key notion, around which the present conceptual and research framework was built, is that a wiki integrates a content space and a social (discussion) space both considered in collaborative manner. The analysis of student contributions to their wiki was organised along two dimensions: a) interaction and refection posts were analysed using the framework of Community of Inquiry (CoI); b) content contributions to the wiki pages were classified into five categories: (1) creating a new page, (2) content expansion, (3) content reorganization, (4) content enrichment (with video, images or hyperlinks), and (5) editing and grammatical corrections.
Findings - The analysis of the research data revealed important information that could help to depict an overall representation of individual interactions and contributions, students’ collaborative performance within wiki groups as well as the overall evolution of the wiki content. The findings showed that properly designed wiki projects can be effectively introduced in higher education with the aim to support students to improve their authoring and collaborative skills through critical thinking, peer interaction and reflection.
Research limitations/implications - The findings of this study are limited by the specific sample and the context of implementation. Future research will be directed to various educational contexts and to include in the analysis students’ experiences and learning outcomes of wiki-authoring activities.
Practical implications –The results provided supportive evidence that successful wiki-based projects in higher education depend on the way students’ individual and collaborative authoring contributions are interwoven. Effective wiki-based interventions should consider students’ learning as the outcome of both, individual and collaborative work, determined by self and peer reflection in wiki groups.
Originality/value - The originality and the significance of the present study are justified by the conceptual framework proposed which can guide both aspects of students’ learning presence within self-directed wiki-authoring projects, i.e. research and educational practice (design and monitoring).
This paper presents an exploratory study on the use of concept mapping as a cognitive tool in K-6... more This paper presents an exploratory study on the use of concept mapping as a cognitive tool in K-6 science education. The design of an instructional sequence with concept mapping activities, in the topics of human respiratory and circulatory systems, is also presented. Qualitative research data was collected in the form of students’ concept maps developed by using both the ‘paper and pencil’ method and concept mapping software. The content and structure of students’ concept maps were analysed according to the levels of the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy. The analysis revealed promising results regarding students’ learning evolution during the instructional sequence. The paper concludes that concept mapping is an effective learning strategy that could be integrated into the primary science classroom.
The use of information and communication technologies in educating children with autism spectrum ... more The use of information and communication technologies in educating children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a dynamic field linking both special education and learning technologies research areas. This
paper reports on the development of pre-vocational skills laboratory (PVS-Lab), a Web-based learning environment aiming to support students with ASD towards developing pre-vocational and employment skills. The first section addresses theoretical foundations and the design framework of PVS-Lab, as well as the structure and the functionality
of the system. Following a particular intervention is presented including the analysis of the engagement of an autistic student with PVS-Lab and his tutors’ monitoring, based on a psychophysiological signal recording system. The paper concludes with the need to advance future research towards new learning environments that can help (a) students with autism to acquire pre-vocational skills, and (b) tutors to harness the potential of multiple forms of information (PVS-Lab system log files, psychophysiological data, video records and observation notes) towards
designing effective individualized interventions.
E-portfolios constitute a dynamic research topic in e-learning, since they foster a new philosoph... more E-portfolios constitute a dynamic research topic in e-learning, since they foster a new philosophy for learning and personal development, which is characterised by open, participatory, self-directed, reflective and collaborative processes. This paper presents an investigation on students' learning presence in a blended post-graduate course, designed to promote self-directed learning through e-portfolio activities. The theoretical foundations and the key dimensions of e-portfolio learning activities are outlined, i.e. students' construction, reflection and collaboration. Following are presented the organizational and the analysis framework of students' self-directed learning and constructive activities within the e-portfolio. Combining both, descriptive analysis and Social Network Analysis of the research data, we have revealed important information regarding individual performance and students' learning presence, interaction and collaboration among participants as well as the overall operation of the e-portfolio community.
On-line teacher communities constitute a very popular and dynamic field while they foster a new p... more On-line teacher communities constitute a very popular and dynamic field while they foster a new philosophy for professional development which is characterised as associative, constructivist, reflective, situated, collaborative, and connectivist. This paper reports on the design and the implementation of a learning community consisted of computer science teachers teaching in primary and secondary public schools (K-9), in Greece. The conceptual and the operational dimensions of the on-line community design framework are presented in detail. The architecture of an integrated platform, developed to support the teacher community, as well as the tools and the features it incorporates are also outlined. Finally, we present the findings of a pilot study concerning teachers’ presence within the community as well as their views and perceptions of community learning. The results provided supportive evidence of the effectiveness of the design framework and revealed important information with regards to critical indicators of teachers’ learning presence within the community, i.e. members’ participation, engagement, interaction and cohesion.
Procedia Computer Science, 27, 229-239, 2014
Teaching basic algorithmic concepts to novices is not an easy task. Existing research has given c... more Teaching basic algorithmic concepts to novices is not an easy task. Existing research has given considerable information about students' alternative conceptions and faulty mental models about abstract programming concepts and constructs, as well as their difficulties in solving programming problems. Various algorithm visualization systems are proposed as alternative and efficient instructional environments for introductory programming courses. They include dynamic features, based on animation techniques, aiming at illustrating the behavior of basic algorithms and fostering students' experimentation and algorithmic knowledge construction. This paper presents DAVE, a web-based dynamic algorithm visualization environment designed to support secondary education students' learning about basic algorithms. DAVE facilitates students' experimentation with array algorithms by allowing the modification of both code and data. The presentation of preliminary results, obtained from an evaluation study, provided evidence of the usability of the system and its potential to support students' development of efficient mental models regarding basic array algorithms.
Procedia Computer Science, 27, 207–217, 2014
The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in educating children with Autism Spe... more The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in educating children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a dynamic field linking both special education and learning technologies research areas. This paper reports on the design and development of Pre-Vocational Skills Laboratory, a Web-based learning environment aiming to support students with ASD towards developing pre-vocational skills. The first section addresses theoretical foundations regarding ICT applications in educating and supporting individuals with ASD. The key design features, the structure and the functionality of the system are analytically presented. Following, preliminary findings regarding an instructional intervention implemented in a special education school in Greece are also presented. The paper concludes that the environment can help students with autism to acquire pre-vocational skills, while the combination of multiple source data (observation notes, system log files and biofeedback data) can offer valuable information regarding the design of effective individualized interventions.
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 29(2), 248-267, 2013
Web 2.0 has captured the interest and the imagination of both educators and researchers while it ... more Web 2.0 has captured the interest and the imagination of both educators and researchers while it is expected to exert a significant impact on instruction and learning, in the context of the 21st century education. Hailed as an open collaborative learning space, many questions remain unanswered regarding the appropriate teacher preparation and the pedagogical impact of using Web 2.0 tools in the classroom practice. Do teachers feel comfortable and ready to adopt educational Web 2.0? What are their beliefs and perceptions regarding the educational potential of Web 2.0? What are the educational and contextual issues that determine teachers' challenges and decisions to use Web 2.0 in their classroom practice? This paper addresses the questions above by presenting the design and the implementation of a development program aiming to prepare teachers to make meaningful and purposeful use of Web 2.0 tools in their classroom. The model of technological pedagogical content knowledge and the authentic learning approach were the guiding principles that largely influenced the Web 2.0 pedagogical framework, which was designed and applied in this particular teacher preparation program. The program findings were encouraging as far as the participants' perceptions and beliefs towards educational Web 2.0 and the expected outcomes for the students. Implications and recommendations are drawn in relation to the use of the proposed Web 2.0 pedagogical framework to guide teachers' development and the effective implementation of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom to maximize benefits and enhance students' learning. Zorko, V. (2009). Factors affecting the way students collaborate in a wiki for English language learning.
Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 10(1), 15-30, 2013
Educational Media International, 50(4), 306-324, 2013
Educational Media International, 49(3), 183-200, 2012
International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence, 3(2), 20-37, 2012
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 28(3), 222-234, 2012
Educational blogs are currently gaining in popularity in schools and higher education institution... more Educational blogs are currently gaining in popularity in schools and higher education institutions, and they are widely promoted as collaborative tools supporting students' active learning. However, literature review on educational blogging revealed a lack of a complete and consistent framework for studying and assessing students' engagement and the impact of blogging on students' learning. This study reports on the application of an analysis framework for evaluating blogging learning activities, based on two well-documented models, those of Community of Inquiry (CoI) and Social Network Analysis. The framework proposed is examined through an empirical study involving 21 K-9 students, coming from two classes, in Greece. This investigation shed light into the different ways of students' engagement in a blog-based project, namely their social and cognitive presence that supported the development of a CoI and learning. The results suggest that the students, through their different roles in the blog, achieved higher thinking and cognitive levels.
Themes in Science & Technology Education, 5(1/2), 107-132. , 2012
Introductory programming seems far from being successful at both university and high school level... more Introductory programming seems far from being successful at both university and high school levels. Research data already published offer significant knowledge regarding university students' deficiencies in computer programming and the alternative representations they built about abstract programming constructs. However, secondary education students' learning and development in computer programming has not been extensively studied. This paper reports on the use of the SOLO taxonomy to explore secondary education students' representations of the concept of programming variable and the assignment statement. Data was collected in the form of students' written responses to programming tasks related to short code programs. The responses were mapped to the different levels of the SOLO taxonomy. The results showed that approximately more than one half of the students in the sample tended to manifest prestructural, unistructural and multistructural responses to the research tasks. In addition, the findings provide evidence that students' thinking and application patterns are prevalently based on mathematical-like mental models about the concepts of programming variable and the assignment statement. The paper concludes with suggestions for instructional design and practice to help students' building coherent and viable mental models of the programming variable and the assignment statement.
Themes in Science & Technology Education, 4(2), 53-74., 2011
Introductory programming seems far from being successful at both university and high school level... more Introductory programming seems far from being successful at both university and high school levels. Research data already published offer significant knowledge regarding university students' deficiencies in computer programming and the alternative representations they built about abstract programming constructs. However, secondary education students' learning and development in computer programming has not been extensively studied. This paper reports on the use of the SOLO taxonomy to explore secondary education students' representations of the concept of programming variable and the assignment statement. Data was collected in the form of students' written responses to programming tasks related to short code programs. The responses were mapped to the different levels of the SOLO taxonomy. The results showed that approximately more than one half of the students in the sample tended to manifest prestructural, unistructural and multistructural responses to the research tasks. In addition, the findings provide evidence that students' thinking and application patterns are prevalently based on mathematical-like mental models about the concepts of programming variable and the assignment statement. The paper concludes with suggestions for instructional design and practice to help students' building coherent and viable mental models of the programming variable and the assignment statement.
The study presented in this paper was designed to examine Greek primary education teachers’ perce... more The study presented in this paper was designed to examine Greek primary education teachers’ perceptions of their knowledge and skills with regards to the integration of ICT in their instructional practices. By adopting the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework, we developed an extended TPACK scale, including two sub-constructs, i.e., a) the Educational Context and b) teachers’ self-assessment of TPACK abilities. The analysis of the results showed that the participants appear to believe that they have a good level of knowledge with regards to the primary TPACK domains, i.e., content, pedagogy and technology.
However, most teachers perceived them separately and were not able to integrate their TPACK knowledge in order to design and implement meaningful ICT-based interventions in their classroom practice. Statistically significant differences were recorded in relation to teachers’ factors, i.e., gender, teaching experience and training about ICT in education. Finally, the findings showed that teachers’ efforts to implement ICT-based interventions in their classrooms could be affected by factors related to the educational context in the Greek primary schools.
Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 16(1), 74-91, 2019
This paper aims to report on a study concerning a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), designed to ... more This paper aims to report on a study concerning a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), designed to support Greek-language teachers in secondary-education schools in implementing collaborative
writing activities with Google Docs (GDs) in their classrooms. The design framework of the particular teacher professional development MOOC was determined by the connectivist principles and addressed three main dimensions of teachers’ active participation: a) individual engagement; b) peer interaction and mutual support; and c) collaborative creation of educational scenarios and artefacts. The analysis used a mixed method that combines data from teachers’ active engagement through the MOOC platform records and quantitative and qualitative data from their responses to a post-survey questionnaire. The analysis of the research data provided supportive evidence that the design framework was effective towards promoting teachers’ active engagement, peer interaction and support and development of learning design abilities to integrate collaborative writing with GDs in their classrooms. The findings showed that the majority of participants conceptualized this MOOC as an efficient environment to enhance their pedagogical knowledge and classroom practices and to support continuous professional development.
Open Review of Educational Research, 6(1), 12-25, 2019
This article focuses on the early stages of an international project on gamifying national identi... more This article focuses on the early stages of an international project on
gamifying national identity. It examines the production of the
content required for developing a sophisticated and engaging
approach to pedagogical innovation in education, through gamebased
learning. This will encourage individuals to think about
both European and national identity, specifically within the
context of the European Union (EU). At a time when the EU faces
significant challenges, a better understanding and appreciation of
the role of national and supra-national identity and belonging in
Europe is clear. RU EU? – an Erasmus+ funded project – aims to
develop an innovative online game to help students and others
enhance their understanding of their own national and European
identities and challenge attitudes and prejudices. The content
development of the game has brought together experts with
socio-political knowledge, pedagogical understanding and
technical expertise. This article discusses the early stages in the
content development process, during which we amassed material
from literature reviews, academic interviews and student focus
groups and surveys. We sought to ensure that the content of the
game reflected the issues raised within the game development
lifecycle and our article describes our engagement with this
material and its integration into game content.
Themes in Science and Technology Education, 10(1), 31-52, 2017
Developing students' algorithmic and computational thinking is currently a major objective for pr... more Developing students' algorithmic and computational thinking is currently a major objective for primary and secondary education in many countries around the globe. Literature suggests that students face at various difficulties in programming processes, because of their mental models about basic programming constructs. Arrays constitute the first data structure students have to cope with in introductory programming courses. This paper presents the results of an empirical study on secondary education students' misconceptions and mental representations of the array data structure. Students' responses to written tasks regarding short code segments were mapped to the different levels of the SOLO taxonomy, in order to identify how students use arrays to solve programming problems. The analysis of the results showed that the majority of the students tended to manifest responses assigned to the lower SOLO levels, i.e. prestructural, unistructural and multistructural. The findings indicate that many students in the sample had incomplete or faulty representations of the array concept, which seem to be connected to their misconceptions about the programming variable concept.
Abstract Purpose - This paper presents an integrated framework for designing and investigating s... more Abstract
Purpose - This paper presents an integrated framework for designing and investigating students’ engagement patterns and learning presence in educational blogs. The framework was grounded in the ideas of self-directed and reflective learning, and was applied to analyse students’ blogging activities in the context of an undergraduate course.
Design/methodology/approach – The proposed research framework was organised along three dimensions: content artefacts, blogging processes and community building. With regards to the methodological tools used, this study integrates Content Analysis of students’ posts using the framework of Community of Inquiry (CoI), the representation of Learning Mapping and Social Network Analysis methods.
Findings - The results revealed important information about the different ways of students’ engagement and learning presence within the blogging groups, the contribution and the influence each student had, as well as the structure and the cohesion of the learning community developed around the blogging project.
Research limitations/implications - The findings of this study are limited by the blended course features, the specific sample and the context of implementation. Future research needs to consider and analyse students’ lurking or invisible presence in educational blogging communities.
Practical implications – This study has yielded promising results with regard to the design of educational blogs in higher education that aim to enhance students’ engagement, reflection, collaboration and self-directed learning.
Originality/value - The originality concerns the proposed conceptual framework which can guide the design, monitoring and analysis of blogging processes in order to reveal students’ learning presence within self-directed communities of blogging.
Keywords: educational blogging, learning presence, integrated analysis framework, reflective learning, self-directed learning
Abstract Purpose - This paper presents a case study investigating students’ patterns of collabora... more Abstract
Purpose - This paper presents a case study investigating students’ patterns of collaborative content creation in a wiki-project that was designed to promote self-directed and collaborative learning in the context of a university course. In addition, it proposes a new organizational and analysis framework of students’ constructive and collaborative activities in wiki-authoring projects.
Design/methodology/approach – The key notion, around which the present conceptual and research framework was built, is that a wiki integrates a content space and a social (discussion) space both considered in collaborative manner. The analysis of student contributions to their wiki was organised along two dimensions: a) interaction and refection posts were analysed using the framework of Community of Inquiry (CoI); b) content contributions to the wiki pages were classified into five categories: (1) creating a new page, (2) content expansion, (3) content reorganization, (4) content enrichment (with video, images or hyperlinks), and (5) editing and grammatical corrections.
Findings - The analysis of the research data revealed important information that could help to depict an overall representation of individual interactions and contributions, students’ collaborative performance within wiki groups as well as the overall evolution of the wiki content. The findings showed that properly designed wiki projects can be effectively introduced in higher education with the aim to support students to improve their authoring and collaborative skills through critical thinking, peer interaction and reflection.
Research limitations/implications - The findings of this study are limited by the specific sample and the context of implementation. Future research will be directed to various educational contexts and to include in the analysis students’ experiences and learning outcomes of wiki-authoring activities.
Practical implications –The results provided supportive evidence that successful wiki-based projects in higher education depend on the way students’ individual and collaborative authoring contributions are interwoven. Effective wiki-based interventions should consider students’ learning as the outcome of both, individual and collaborative work, determined by self and peer reflection in wiki groups.
Originality/value - The originality and the significance of the present study are justified by the conceptual framework proposed which can guide both aspects of students’ learning presence within self-directed wiki-authoring projects, i.e. research and educational practice (design and monitoring).
This paper presents an exploratory study on the use of concept mapping as a cognitive tool in K-6... more This paper presents an exploratory study on the use of concept mapping as a cognitive tool in K-6 science education. The design of an instructional sequence with concept mapping activities, in the topics of human respiratory and circulatory systems, is also presented. Qualitative research data was collected in the form of students’ concept maps developed by using both the ‘paper and pencil’ method and concept mapping software. The content and structure of students’ concept maps were analysed according to the levels of the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy. The analysis revealed promising results regarding students’ learning evolution during the instructional sequence. The paper concludes that concept mapping is an effective learning strategy that could be integrated into the primary science classroom.
The use of information and communication technologies in educating children with autism spectrum ... more The use of information and communication technologies in educating children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a dynamic field linking both special education and learning technologies research areas. This
paper reports on the development of pre-vocational skills laboratory (PVS-Lab), a Web-based learning environment aiming to support students with ASD towards developing pre-vocational and employment skills. The first section addresses theoretical foundations and the design framework of PVS-Lab, as well as the structure and the functionality
of the system. Following a particular intervention is presented including the analysis of the engagement of an autistic student with PVS-Lab and his tutors’ monitoring, based on a psychophysiological signal recording system. The paper concludes with the need to advance future research towards new learning environments that can help (a) students with autism to acquire pre-vocational skills, and (b) tutors to harness the potential of multiple forms of information (PVS-Lab system log files, psychophysiological data, video records and observation notes) towards
designing effective individualized interventions.
E-portfolios constitute a dynamic research topic in e-learning, since they foster a new philosoph... more E-portfolios constitute a dynamic research topic in e-learning, since they foster a new philosophy for learning and personal development, which is characterised by open, participatory, self-directed, reflective and collaborative processes. This paper presents an investigation on students' learning presence in a blended post-graduate course, designed to promote self-directed learning through e-portfolio activities. The theoretical foundations and the key dimensions of e-portfolio learning activities are outlined, i.e. students' construction, reflection and collaboration. Following are presented the organizational and the analysis framework of students' self-directed learning and constructive activities within the e-portfolio. Combining both, descriptive analysis and Social Network Analysis of the research data, we have revealed important information regarding individual performance and students' learning presence, interaction and collaboration among participants as well as the overall operation of the e-portfolio community.
On-line teacher communities constitute a very popular and dynamic field while they foster a new p... more On-line teacher communities constitute a very popular and dynamic field while they foster a new philosophy for professional development which is characterised as associative, constructivist, reflective, situated, collaborative, and connectivist. This paper reports on the design and the implementation of a learning community consisted of computer science teachers teaching in primary and secondary public schools (K-9), in Greece. The conceptual and the operational dimensions of the on-line community design framework are presented in detail. The architecture of an integrated platform, developed to support the teacher community, as well as the tools and the features it incorporates are also outlined. Finally, we present the findings of a pilot study concerning teachers’ presence within the community as well as their views and perceptions of community learning. The results provided supportive evidence of the effectiveness of the design framework and revealed important information with regards to critical indicators of teachers’ learning presence within the community, i.e. members’ participation, engagement, interaction and cohesion.
Procedia Computer Science, 27, 229-239, 2014
Teaching basic algorithmic concepts to novices is not an easy task. Existing research has given c... more Teaching basic algorithmic concepts to novices is not an easy task. Existing research has given considerable information about students' alternative conceptions and faulty mental models about abstract programming concepts and constructs, as well as their difficulties in solving programming problems. Various algorithm visualization systems are proposed as alternative and efficient instructional environments for introductory programming courses. They include dynamic features, based on animation techniques, aiming at illustrating the behavior of basic algorithms and fostering students' experimentation and algorithmic knowledge construction. This paper presents DAVE, a web-based dynamic algorithm visualization environment designed to support secondary education students' learning about basic algorithms. DAVE facilitates students' experimentation with array algorithms by allowing the modification of both code and data. The presentation of preliminary results, obtained from an evaluation study, provided evidence of the usability of the system and its potential to support students' development of efficient mental models regarding basic array algorithms.
Procedia Computer Science, 27, 207–217, 2014
The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in educating children with Autism Spe... more The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in educating children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a dynamic field linking both special education and learning technologies research areas. This paper reports on the design and development of Pre-Vocational Skills Laboratory, a Web-based learning environment aiming to support students with ASD towards developing pre-vocational skills. The first section addresses theoretical foundations regarding ICT applications in educating and supporting individuals with ASD. The key design features, the structure and the functionality of the system are analytically presented. Following, preliminary findings regarding an instructional intervention implemented in a special education school in Greece are also presented. The paper concludes that the environment can help students with autism to acquire pre-vocational skills, while the combination of multiple source data (observation notes, system log files and biofeedback data) can offer valuable information regarding the design of effective individualized interventions.
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 29(2), 248-267, 2013
Web 2.0 has captured the interest and the imagination of both educators and researchers while it ... more Web 2.0 has captured the interest and the imagination of both educators and researchers while it is expected to exert a significant impact on instruction and learning, in the context of the 21st century education. Hailed as an open collaborative learning space, many questions remain unanswered regarding the appropriate teacher preparation and the pedagogical impact of using Web 2.0 tools in the classroom practice. Do teachers feel comfortable and ready to adopt educational Web 2.0? What are their beliefs and perceptions regarding the educational potential of Web 2.0? What are the educational and contextual issues that determine teachers' challenges and decisions to use Web 2.0 in their classroom practice? This paper addresses the questions above by presenting the design and the implementation of a development program aiming to prepare teachers to make meaningful and purposeful use of Web 2.0 tools in their classroom. The model of technological pedagogical content knowledge and the authentic learning approach were the guiding principles that largely influenced the Web 2.0 pedagogical framework, which was designed and applied in this particular teacher preparation program. The program findings were encouraging as far as the participants' perceptions and beliefs towards educational Web 2.0 and the expected outcomes for the students. Implications and recommendations are drawn in relation to the use of the proposed Web 2.0 pedagogical framework to guide teachers' development and the effective implementation of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom to maximize benefits and enhance students' learning. Zorko, V. (2009). Factors affecting the way students collaborate in a wiki for English language learning.
Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 10(1), 15-30, 2013
Educational Media International, 50(4), 306-324, 2013
Educational Media International, 49(3), 183-200, 2012
International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence, 3(2), 20-37, 2012
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 28(3), 222-234, 2012
Educational blogs are currently gaining in popularity in schools and higher education institution... more Educational blogs are currently gaining in popularity in schools and higher education institutions, and they are widely promoted as collaborative tools supporting students' active learning. However, literature review on educational blogging revealed a lack of a complete and consistent framework for studying and assessing students' engagement and the impact of blogging on students' learning. This study reports on the application of an analysis framework for evaluating blogging learning activities, based on two well-documented models, those of Community of Inquiry (CoI) and Social Network Analysis. The framework proposed is examined through an empirical study involving 21 K-9 students, coming from two classes, in Greece. This investigation shed light into the different ways of students' engagement in a blog-based project, namely their social and cognitive presence that supported the development of a CoI and learning. The results suggest that the students, through their different roles in the blog, achieved higher thinking and cognitive levels.
Themes in Science & Technology Education, 5(1/2), 107-132. , 2012
Introductory programming seems far from being successful at both university and high school level... more Introductory programming seems far from being successful at both university and high school levels. Research data already published offer significant knowledge regarding university students' deficiencies in computer programming and the alternative representations they built about abstract programming constructs. However, secondary education students' learning and development in computer programming has not been extensively studied. This paper reports on the use of the SOLO taxonomy to explore secondary education students' representations of the concept of programming variable and the assignment statement. Data was collected in the form of students' written responses to programming tasks related to short code programs. The responses were mapped to the different levels of the SOLO taxonomy. The results showed that approximately more than one half of the students in the sample tended to manifest prestructural, unistructural and multistructural responses to the research tasks. In addition, the findings provide evidence that students' thinking and application patterns are prevalently based on mathematical-like mental models about the concepts of programming variable and the assignment statement. The paper concludes with suggestions for instructional design and practice to help students' building coherent and viable mental models of the programming variable and the assignment statement.
Themes in Science & Technology Education, 4(2), 53-74., 2011
Introductory programming seems far from being successful at both university and high school level... more Introductory programming seems far from being successful at both university and high school levels. Research data already published offer significant knowledge regarding university students' deficiencies in computer programming and the alternative representations they built about abstract programming constructs. However, secondary education students' learning and development in computer programming has not been extensively studied. This paper reports on the use of the SOLO taxonomy to explore secondary education students' representations of the concept of programming variable and the assignment statement. Data was collected in the form of students' written responses to programming tasks related to short code programs. The responses were mapped to the different levels of the SOLO taxonomy. The results showed that approximately more than one half of the students in the sample tended to manifest prestructural, unistructural and multistructural responses to the research tasks. In addition, the findings provide evidence that students' thinking and application patterns are prevalently based on mathematical-like mental models about the concepts of programming variable and the assignment statement. The paper concludes with suggestions for instructional design and practice to help students' building coherent and viable mental models of the programming variable and the assignment statement.
Since its formal introduction as a theoretical concept, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowled... more Since its formal introduction as a theoretical concept, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) has been transformed into a robust framework to support ICT integration in practice by allowing instructional designers, teachers and teacher educators to focus upon the connections among Technology, Content, and Pedagogy in real instructional-learning contexts. Web 2.0, on the other hand, has received in the last decade intense and growing educational and research interest. The key idea, upon which the educational Web 2.0 is built, is the wide range of affordances incorporated that transform both Pedagogy (Pedagogy 2.0, e.g. self-directed, reflective and community learning) and Content (Content 2.0, e.g. shared and learner-generated content). This chapter presents TPACK 2.0, as a promising framework a) to guide learning design and teacher preparation programs and b) to promote Web 2.0 integration in curriculum and classroom settings by harnessing their learner-centered, participative and social networking characteristics.
Research on e-Learning and ICT in Education (pp. 167-180)., 2011
The study presented in this is paper reports on the investigation of students’ engagement in an e... more The study presented in this is paper reports on the investigation of students’ engagement in an educational blog established as a project-based learning environment. Twenty-one secondary education students (aged 15 years), coming from two separate K-9 classes, were involved in this learning activity and the research reported. Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, the analysis of the content posted shed light into the multiple ways of students’ engagement into the blog learning space, namely their social and cognitive presence that supported the development of a CoI. The results suggested that the students in the sample achieved higher cognitive levels through enhancing their communication and collaboration skills, and their analytical and critical thinking as well.
Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in Virtual Worlds and Environment (pp. 327-347), 2011
Encyclopedia of Information Communication Technology (pp. 106-120), 2008
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is increasingly expanded nowadays and undoubtedl... more Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is increasingly expanded nowadays and undoubtedly constitutes a vital component of our modern society influencing many aspects of our lives, such as administration, economy, culture, work environment, home-life and most of all education. In particular, multimedia and Internet technologies provide exciting opportunities for the integration of new tools in the curriculum in order to support teaching, to promote students' active engagement and enhance their ability to facilitate high order skills.
Encyclopedia of Information Communication Technology (pp. 321-334), 2008
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are currently one of the most debated and dynamically evolvin... more Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are currently one of the most debated and dynamically evolving e-learning topics with regards to application in practice, research and development. This paper reports on the implementation of a MOOC designed to support primary education teachers’ development in using Web-based tools in their instruction. The findings of an empirical post-course investigation indicated that the MOOC presented helped teachers to acquire the knowledge and skills to integrate Web tools in their classroom. The great majority of the teachers attending this MOOC were satisfied of their participation and the key course design and implementation issues, and they reported that this program had a positive impact to their professional development. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research and analysis of teachers’ learning in MOOCs designed to support teacher professional development.
This paper presents an investigation on students’ learning presence in a blended post-graduate co... more This paper presents an investigation on students’ learning presence in a blended post-graduate course, designed to promote self-directed learning through e-portfolio activities. The theoretical foundations and the key dimensions of e-portfolio learning activities are outlined, i.e. students’ construction, reflection and collaboration. Following are presented the organizational and the analysis framework of students’ self-directed learning and constructive activities within the e-portfolio. Descriptive analysis and Social Network Analysis of the research data revealed important information regarding individual performance, interaction and collaboration among participants as well as the whole e-portfolio community.
On-line learning communities constitute a dynamically evolving field at both levels, research-dev... more On-line learning communities constitute a dynamically evolving field at both levels, research-development and practical application. This paper reports on teachers’ performance in the context of two on-line communities with different organizational-functional characteristics, an open and a semi-structured one. The conceptual and operational dimensions of the teacher community design framework are presented in detail. The findings presented revealed important information regarding a) critical community indicators, e.g. participation, engagement, interaction, creativity and cohesion, and b) the role of community structure. The results provided supportive evidence that the structured community framework was effective towards promoting teachers’ engagement, interaction, ideas interchange, collaboration and knowledge sharing and co-creation. On the other hand, open community turned out to be centralised and evolving around the coordinator’s initiatives; the participants exhibited low rates of interaction and community presence. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research and analysis of teachers’ community learning and the different patterns of their community presence and contribution.
This paper presents an investigation of teachers’ engagement and collaboration toward building a ... more This paper presents an investigation of teachers’ engagement and collaboration toward building a Teacher Community in the context of a blended post-graduate course about e-learning and ICT in education. The design of both pedagogical and technological dimensions of the teacher community framework are presented. Research data were analysed using Social Network Analysis methods and revealed important information regarding critical indicators of interaction and collaboration among participants and the whole community performance. Conclusions are drawn for future development and research about on-line teacher communities.
. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on “New Developments in Science and Technology Education”, 29-31May, 2014, Corfu, Greece. , May 29, 2014
This paper presents an exploratory study on the use of concept mapping as a cognitive tool in K-6... more This paper presents an exploratory study on the use of concept mapping as a cognitive tool in K-6 science education. The design of an instructional sequence with concept mapping activities, in the topics of human respiratory and circulatory systems, is also presented. Qualitative research data were collected in the form of students' concept maps developed by using both paper-pencil and concept mapping software. The content and the structure of students' concept maps were analysed according to the levels of the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy. The analysis revealed promising results regarding students' learning evolution during the instructional sequence. The paper concludes that concept mapping is an effective learning strategy that could be integrated into the primary science classroom.
Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Software Development and Technologies for Enhancing Accessibility and Fighting Info-exclusion (DSAI 2013), 13-15 November 2013, Vigo, Spain, 2013
Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Software Development and Technologies for Enhancing Accessibility and Fighting Info-exclusion (DSAI 2013), 13-15 November 2013, Vigo, Spain
Proceedings of EDULEARN13 Conference (pp. 70-80), 1-3 July 2013, Barcelona, Spain, 2013
Proceedings of EDULEARN13 Conference (pp. 41-49), 1-3 July 2013, Barcelona, Spain, 2013
Proceedings of the IADIS International Conference e-Learning 2012, pp. 228-235, Lisbon, Portugal, 2012
Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Next Generation Web Services Practices, pp. 530-535, Salamanca, Spain, IEEE, 2011
This paper presents the design and the implementation of a training course aiming to prepare teac... more This paper presents the design and the implementation of a training course aiming to prepare teachers to effectively integrate Web 2.0 tools in their instruction. The program was established in the context of the Web2.0 ERC project aiming at simplifying Web 2.0 for educational purposes. The model of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge and the Authentic Learning approach were the guiding principles that largely influenced the educational design of this teacher preparation program. This Web 2.0 instructional design framework is outlined in detail. The program outcomes and the described experience aim to offer insight into the developing programs that respond to teachers' training needs and effective preparation.
Proceedings of the Informing Science & IT Education Conference (InSITE 2010), 597-607, Cassino, Italy , 2010
In this paper we describe a science teacher preparation program, implemented in Greece, aiming at... more In this paper we describe a science teacher preparation program, implemented in Greece, aiming at ICT integration in classroom practice. The development of this teacher preparation program was guided by the various components of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) while attempting to meet the professional development needs of science teachers. We begin with an overview of this teacher preparation program. Next, we look specifically at program components and correlate them with the knowledge bases for science education in secondary schools, particularly Pedagogical Content Knowledge. This is followed by a review of recent research findings that report the impact of the teacher preparation program on teachers' views, perceptions and abilities to integrate ICT in science classroom. Finally, we draw on the apparent successes and challenges of the teacher preparation program to make suggestions regarding further applications of the construct of TPACK in science teacher preparation.
Educating the adult educator: Quality provision and assessment in Europe, ESREA Network on Adult Educators, Trainers and their Professional Development, E-book conference proceedings, pp. 837-844, Thessaloniki, ISBN: 978-960-243-668-4. , 2009
E Ed du uc ca at ti in ng g t th he e A Ad du ul lt t E Ed du uc ca at to or r: : Q Qu ua al li i... more E Ed du uc ca at ti in ng g t th he e A Ad du ul lt t E Ed du uc ca at to or r: : Q Qu ua al li it ty y P Pr ro ov vi is si io on n a an nd d A As ss se es ss sm me en nt t i in n E Eu ur ro op pe e 4 E Ed du uc ca at ti in ng g t th he e A Ad du ul lt t E Ed du uc ca at to or r: : Q Qu ua al li it ty y P Pr ro ov vi is si io on n a an nd d A As ss se es ss sm me en nt t i in n E Eu ur ro op pe e 6-8 November 2009 | University of Macedonia | Thessaloniki | Greece E Ed du uc ca at ti in ng g t th he e A Ad du ul lt t E Ed du uc ca at to or r: : Q Qu ua al li it ty y P Pr ro ov vi is si io on n a an nd d A As ss se es ss sm me en nt t i in n E Eu ur ro op pe e 844 Greece and elsewhere.
ECER 2008: European Educational Research Association Conference: From Teaching to Learning?, 10-12 September, Göteborg: Sweden, 2008
Adult educators and learners' perceptions and experiences of digital literacy: The case of the Se... more Adult educators and learners' perceptions and experiences of digital literacy: The case of the Second Chance Schools in Greece.
Acquiring knowledge about algorithms and programming skills is a difficult and complex process in... more Acquiring knowledge about algorithms and programming skills is a difficult and complex process in particular. Various algorithm visualization systems have been developed, using animation techniques to illustrate the behavior of basic algorithms, to facilitate studentspsila learning and skills development. This paper presents DAVE, an interactive dynamic algorithm visualization system for the introductory lessons in algorithm design and programming. DAVE allows studentspsila experimentation not only with sample algorithms, constructed by the designer, but, mainly, with the automatic animation of their own algorithms.
Proceedings of the 7th European Conference on e-Learning (ECEL), pp. 520-529, Agia Napa, Cyprus, 2008
Proceedings of the 6th Panhellenic Conference with International Participation ‘’Information and Communication Technologies in Education’’, Vol. II, pp. 419-426, Cyprus, 2008
VCs. In addition, the project is working towards developing a practical framework to help guide t... more VCs. In addition, the project is working towards developing a practical framework to help guide the process of creating best practice in VCs, as well as raising awareness of issues and approaches to creating sustainable VCs.
Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2008 (pp. 897-902). Chesapeake, VA: AACE, , 2008
Proceedings of the Informing Science and IT Education Conference (InSITE 2008), 22-25 June, Varna, Bulgaria, 2008
European Association of Distance Teaching Universities Conference (EADTU 2007), 8-9 November, Lisbon, Portugal, 2007
Despite a significant growth in the development of virtual campuses (VCs) across the EU in recent... more Despite a significant growth in the development of virtual campuses (VCs) across the EU in recent years, the findings from a European Commission DG Education and Culture workshop in 2005 on VCs highlighted a number of concerns relating to VC projects and initiatives across the EU. It was felt that many VCs suffered from a low profile resulting in little support at senior levels, thus hampering their development, as well as having very little contact and interoperability with each other. If eLearning and VC initiatives are to be sustainable within the European Union, then it is vital that stakeholders understand how new models of teaching and learning transform the institution and how they can be used to enhance the flexibility and inclusiveness of the European education system. This paper reports on the work of a European Commission DG Education and Culture co-financed project PBP-VC Promoting Best Practice in Virtual Campuses which is aimed at providing a deeper understanding of the key issues and critical success factors underlying the implementation of VCs. The paper will outline a tentative model of issues underpinning best practice in VCs derived from an initial literature based investigation of existing VC initiatives within Europe. In addition, the project is working towards developing a practical framework to help guide the process of creating best practice in VCs, as well as raising awareness of issues and approaches to creating sustainable VCs.
Themes in Science Education and Technology publishes original, peer-reviewed articles on a variet... more Themes in Science Education and Technology publishes original, peer-reviewed articles on a variety of topics and research methods in science education, environmental education, computer science education, ICT in education and e-learning.
Papers on innovation and development, scholarly research reports, review articles, position papers and book reviews are also included. Special emphasis is given to applicable research relevant to educational practice guided by educational realities in schools, colleges, universities and informal learning organizations. All published articles have undergone rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and reviewing by at least two anonymous referees.
Themes in Science Education and Technology serves as a medium for communication and interaction between multidisciplinary scientific communities and bridges the gap between research and practice providing information, ideas and opinions. The journal welcomes articles from academicians and researchers coming from the Greek Diaspora.
Special Issues devoted to topics of major interest and importance, guest-edited by an acknowledged expert, are also featured. Proposals are welcome.
"Reflecting the current trends, this book comprises a set of high-quality scientific papers, sour... more "Reflecting the current trends, this book comprises a set of high-quality scientific papers, sourced from a wide international community, that present theoretical perspectives, pedagogical innovations, original empirical investigations, case studies and practical applications regarding e-learning and ICT in education. Bringing together contributions from different educational systems and cultures around the world (from the UK, Canada, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Greece), this book serves as a multidisciplinary forum and gives an explicit view of the current international trends regarding the research and the application of ICT in educational practice.
The papers included were originally presented at the 7th Pan-Hellenic Conference with International Participation “Information and Communication Technologies in Education” (HCICTE 2010), organized by the Department of Social and Educational Policy, University of Peloponnese, Greece and the Hellenic Association of ICT in Education (HAICTE), September 23-26, 2010, Korinthos, Greece, http://korinthos.uop.gr/~hcicte10. The original papers received positive criticism and suggestion from, at least, two independent reviewers, experts in the various fields, after a blind review process.
The result is a book of 22 chapters reflecting a variety of thematic areas across e-learning falling into four main categories:
Part I: 21st century education and e-learning
Part II: e-learning and teachers’ professional development
Part III: ICT-enhanced learning
Part IV: Learning environments and technologies.
"
Informing Science and IT Education Conference, 2010
In this paper we describe a science teacher preparation program, implemented in Greece, aiming at... more In this paper we describe a science teacher preparation program, implemented in Greece, aiming at ICT integration in classroom practice. The development of this teacher preparation program was guided by the various components of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) while attempting to meet the professional development needs of science teachers. We begin with an overview of this teacher preparation program. Next, we look specifically at program components and correlate them with the knowledge bases for science education in secondary schools, particularly Pedagogical Content Knowledge. This is followed by a review of recent research findings that report the impact of the teacher preparation program on teachers' views, perceptions and abilities to integrate ICT in science classroom. Finally, we draw on the apparent successes and challenges of the teacher preparation program to make suggestions regarding further applications of the construct of TPACK in science teacher preparation.
Springer eBooks, 2012
This book aims to serve as a multidisciplinary forum covering technical, pedagogical, organizatio... more This book aims to serve as a multidisciplinary forum covering technical, pedagogical, organizational, instructional, as well as policy aspects of ICT in Education and e-Learning. Special emphasis is given to applied research relevant to educational practice guided by the educational realities in schools, colleges, universities and informal learning organizations. In a more generic scope, the volume aims to encompass current trends and issues determining ICT integration in practice, including learning and teaching, curriculum and instructional design, learning media and environments, teacher education and professional development, assessment and evaluation, etc.
IGI Global eBooks, Jan 18, 2011
ABSTRACT
EDULEARN proceedings, Jul 1, 2021
IGI Global eBooks, May 25, 2011
European Physical Journal D, Mar 1, 1994
The even parityJ=3 autoionizing spectra of calcium were investigated below the 3d threshold by a ... more The even parityJ=3 autoionizing spectra of calcium were investigated below the 3d threshold by a two-step laser excitation from the 3d4s metastables through the 3d4p3P2,1F3 intermediate states. The 3d4s were populated by electronic collisions in a d.c. glow dis-charge through a Ca heat-pipe. More than a hundred resonance transitions have been measured with an accuracy of ~0.2 cm-1 for the
Communications in computer and information science, 2022
Communications in computer and information science, 2022
Computers
Although web survey has been a popular method of data collection in the academic community, it pr... more Although web survey has been a popular method of data collection in the academic community, it presents meagre response rates, which primarily affect the validity of the results as well as the reliability of the outcomes. Surveys worldwide that study the response rate only of teachers have not been found in the relevant literature. In this survey, with a sample of 263 Greek teachers, we investigate possible factors that explain teachers’ intention to participate in web surveys that are conducted by online questionnaires indicating, therefore, the factors that probably influence the response rate of web surveys. Our findings support those factors such as (a) authority, (b) incentives, (c) survey structure/form, (d) ethical issues, (e) reminders and pre-notifications, and (f) survey time received, which seem to explain the teachers’ intention to participate in web surveys with questionnaires. Based on the findings, methodology implications and limitations for researchers are discussed.
2018 Innovations in Intelligent Systems and Applications (INISTA), 2018
Fractions are considered to be a difficult cognitive area for students. Fractions are represented... more Fractions are considered to be a difficult cognitive area for students. Fractions are represented in different ways and various software systems are used to support, as pedagogical agents, the teaching process with the aim to achieve a desired teaching result for students. This article attempts to present the basic features of three e-learning, web-based systems that contain applications to teach basic operations of fractions using multiple representations. The aim of this study is to highlight the basic features, positive elements, and the originality of each system, as well as, critically discussing the various other parameters that are not considered by such software systems. The main finding of this work is a critical comparison between the systems studied with the aim of identifying the elements that could be incorporated into a newly proposed web-based/cloud application specifically designed for teaching fractions.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2008
Towards the Development of a New Model … 122 the process of creating best practice in virtual cam... more Towards the Development of a New Model … 122 the process of creating best practice in virtual campuses, as well as raising awareness of issues and approaches to creating sustainable virtual campuses. In addition to the investigation of European Union virtual campus projects, the paper will consider virtual campus projects outside the European Union (e.g. North America, Asia, Africa) in order to identify best practices and explore the use of constructivist learning environments. The last phase of the PBP-VC project will be to conduct in depth face-to-face research with specific virtual campus projects and initiatives in order to learn more about the issues that underpin best practice, as well as sending out detailed questionnaires to virtual campus projects and initiatives throughout the European Union, as well as beyond. The detailed framework for best practices built upon the principles for the development of an online constructivist learning environment based on problem-based learning highlighted in this paper will be at last developed and refined.
Informing Science and IT Education Conference, 2008
Towards the Development of a New Model … 122 the process of creating best practice in virtual cam... more Towards the Development of a New Model … 122 the process of creating best practice in virtual campuses, as well as raising awareness of issues and approaches to creating sustainable virtual campuses. In addition to the investigation of European Union virtual campus projects, the paper will consider virtual campus projects outside the European Union (e.g. North America, Asia, Africa) in order to identify best practices and explore the use of constructivist learning environments. The last phase of the PBP-VC project will be to conduct in depth face-to-face research with specific virtual campus projects and initiatives in order to learn more about the issues that underpin best practice, as well as sending out detailed questionnaires to virtual campus projects and initiatives throughout the European Union, as well as beyond. The detailed framework for best practices built upon the principles for the development of an online constructivist learning environment based on problem-based learning highlighted in this paper will be at last developed and refined.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Oct 24, 2008
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Oct 24, 2008
IGI Global eBooks, 2014
Lifelong learning (LLL) programmes can be perceived as a means of governing youth transitions. Yo... more Lifelong learning (LLL) programmes can be perceived as a means of governing youth transitions. Young adults can use such programmes to try to overcome different constraints in their life course. This article explores the decisions of young adults in Vienna (Austria) and Malaga (Spain) who are participating in different LLL programmes that seek to address their transition from unemployment to employment. In order to understand these decisions, we want to explore: (1) how the young adult's experiences influenced their decision to engage with an LLL programme, (2) what role these programmes played in their biographies and (3) how young adults imagine their future. We use two theoretical lenses to explore these questions: bounded agency and projectivity. A comparative study of these two regions provides insight into how different contextual conditions influence young adults' decisions. We perform three different analyses: of the young people's past trajectories and transitions, of their imagined futures, and of their decision to enrol in the programme. Exploring young people's subjective accounts of their pasts and their imagined futures helps to improve our understanding of the role young people believe these programmes play in their lives, why they have decided to enrol in them, and how they use and interpret these pathways through, and in the framework of, different contextual conditions.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Nov 8, 2007
ABSTRACT Despite a significant growth in the development of virtual campuses (VCs) across the EU ... more ABSTRACT Despite a significant growth in the development of virtual campuses (VCs) across the EU in recent years, the findings from a European Commission DG Education and Culture workshop in 2005 on VCs highlighted a number of concerns relating to VC projects and initiatives across the EU. It was felt that many VCs suffered from a low profile resulting in little support at senior levels, thus hampering their development, as well as having very little contact and interoperability with each other. If eLearning and VC initiatives are to be sustainable within the European Union, then it is vital that stakeholders understand how new models of teaching and learning transform the institution and how they can be used to enhance the flexibility and inclusiveness of the European education system. This paper reports on the work of a European Commission DG Education and Culture co-financed project PBP-VC Promoting Best Practice in Virtual Campuses which is aimed at providing a deeper understanding of the key issues and critical success factors underlying the implementation of VCs. The paper will outline a tentative model of issues underpinning best practice in VCs derived from an initial literature based investigation of existing VC initiatives within Europe. In addition, the project is working towards developing a practical framework to help guide the process of creating best practice in VCs, as well as raising awareness of issues and approaches to creating sustainable VCs.
ESREA Network on Adult Educators, Trainers and their Professional Development (pp. 837-844). Thessaloniki: University of Macedonia. ISBN: 978-960-243-668-4.
As part of a larger research project investigating adult teaching and learning of ICT, in the con... more As part of a larger research project investigating adult teaching and learning of ICT, in the context of a lifelong learning programme for social inclusion in Greece, the aim of this study is to highlight a number of emerged factors determining the profile of the ICT adult educator. The main objective is to sketch out the education, training, role, competences, competencies and challenges faced by a particular cohort of ICT educators participated in the study, in order to further understand how they conceptualize themselves and their role in this specific educational context, and the ways in which their educational praxis has been shaped as a result. The analysis presented draws upon the findings from interviews with eight adult educators teaching ICT in the context of four case study Second Chance Schools (SCS) in Greece, a project funded by the European Commission and the Greek government aimed at combating social exclusion of individual adults through education. The latter consist of a population with special characteristics and traits regarding the teaching and learning of ICT.
The study reported, harnessing a qualitative case study approach within an interpretative paradigm, focuses on the ICT educators’ beliefs, experiences and perceptions. From the analysis, a number of themes have emerged that proved to have shaped the profile of the ICT educators in SCS; a) the lack of adequate education and effective preparation and training· b) educators’ undefined role along with their competences, skills, personal characteristics and abilities, and the impact of the above on their educational praxis· c) their previous experiences at typical secondary schools· and d) the need for lifelong training and professional development. The issues raised and the implications of the study might be helpful in future attempts to develop an integrated national framework for the specification of the education, training, competences and competencies of the ICT adult educator aimed at improving learning and teaching in SCS.