This book introduces state-of-the-art research on virtual reality, simulation and serious games for education and its chapters presented the best papers from the 4th Asia-Europe Symposium on Simulation and Serious Games (4th AESSSG) held in Turku, Finland, December 2018. The chapters of the book present a multi-facet view on different approaches to deal with challenges that surround the uptake of educational applications of virtual reality, simulations and serious games in school practices. The different approaches highlight challenges and potential solutions and provide future directions for virtual reality, simulation and serious games research, for the design of learning material and for implementation in classrooms. By doing so, the book is a useful resource for both students and scholars interested in research in this field, for designers of learning material, and for practitioners that want to embrace virtual reality, simulation and/or serious games in their education.

Today's ever-changing learning environment is characterised by the fast pace of technology that drives our society to move forward, and causes our knowledge to increase at an exponential rate. The need for in-depth research that is bound to generate new knowledge about curriculum and program development is becoming ever more relevant. Andragogical and Pedagogical Methods for Curriculum and Program Development offers an in-depth description of key terms and concepts related to curriculum and programme development for both faculty and students, as well as programme designers, instructional programme developers, trainers, and librarians.

In the digital age, numerous technological tools are available to enhance educational practices. When used effectively, student engagement and mobile learning are significantly increased. Social Media in Education: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice contains a compendium of the latest academic material on the usage, strategies, and applications of social media in education today. Including innovative studies on online networks, social constructivism, and collaborative learning, this publication is an ideal source for educators, professionals, school administrators, researchers, and practitioners in the field of education.

As education continues to integrate technological advancements into learning and instruction, a resource dedicated to the latest findings and implications becomes necessary. The Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in E-Learning: Issues and Trends provides academicians, researchers, and practitioners with a comprehensive view of the historical, conceptual, theoretical, and practical perspectives of conventional e-learning and innovative e-learning 2.0. Presenting cutting-edge research, case studies, best practices, and pedagogical approaches and strategies, this defining reference source incorporates the latest and most discussed Web 2.0 technologies in educational learning and practice.

The emerging knowledge society places new requirements on the educational sector to support the needs of individuals and organizations. In the discipline of lifelong learning, which is one of the most important forces driving education in the 21st century, e-learning has become a collaborative and community-based process. This necessitates tools to support the autonomous and dynamic creation of lifelong learning communities and new distributed e-learning services. E-Infrastructures and Technologies for Lifelong Learning: Next Generation Environments provides a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art technologies for e-learning and lifelong learning, examining theoretical approaches, models, architectures, systems and applications. It addresses critical issues in the field, providing readers with insight on the various stages of the technological life cycle, as well as applications in real world settings. As a one-stop reference, this book provides a holistic view of the various issues in the area of advanced technologies for lifelong learning ranging from organizational issues to lifelong learning delivery issues.

Many urban areas around the world suffer from similar problems: heavily congested traffic, lack of effective public transportation, exploding populations, insufficient housing, overwhelming pollution, rampant corruption, and other issues. Ineffective government exacerbates these problems. The city of Curitiba, in the Parana State of Brazil, found creative ways to transform a small town into a thriving metropolis. Exactly how did Curibita achieve this success? Which policies and programs were effective and which ones weren't? What roles did the public play in the transformation process? Using interviews with urban planners, politicians, scholars, and residents, and analyzing hundreds of policy documents, pieces of legislation and scholarly studies, this book offers an analytical model based on the idea that public entrepreneurs are powerful catalysts for change in the urban arena. The chronicles of Curitiba's journey provide a guide for urban planners and administrators worldwide. "This book should be a must for anyone interested in Latin American urbanization and urban planning/administration. If you are a professor who teaches Latin America or urban planning, this book should be placed on your reading list for your students. It should become a guidebook for those involved in the governing of Latin American cities and other cities in middle-income economies, which share many similar problems." - Michael McAdams, Professor of Geography, Fatih University, Istanbul, Turkey

Over the last few years, second generation Internet-based services, or Web 2.0 technologies, have emerged as the new buzzwords in information communication technologies. ""The Handbook of Research on Web 2.0 and Second Language Learning"" investigates how those involved in education - teachers, students, and administrators - can respond to the opportunities offered by Web 2.0 technology, within existing institutional and pedagogical frameworks. Containing nearly 30 chapters by experts from across the globe, this defining body of research is the first of its kind to focus on second language learning in relation to the history of computer assisted language learning.This book features 28 authoritative contributions by over 40 of the world's leading experts on second language learning from 13 countries. It features: a comprehensive coverage of each specific topic, highlighting recent trends and describing the latest advances in the field; more than 1,200 references to existing literature and research on second language learning; and a compendium of over 200 key terms with detailed definitions. It is organized by topic and indexed, making it a convenient method of reference for all IT/IS scholars and professionals. It also features cross-referencing of key terms, figures, and information pertinent to second language learning.

For many years, there has been a quest to discover the best teaching and learning methods in order to strengthen the classroom and the mind. Researchers now know more than ever before about the brain's impact on learning, historical triggers that lead to deep learning, and how to scale education with technology. Yet much of what is known is under-utilized in the classrooms of today, if leveraged at all. Education 3.0 and eLearning Across Modalities showcases effective practices based on innovative initiatives, research, and practitioner experiences from the past two decades. The effective practices of multi-modal learning, which are well known to practitioners but largely unknown to the general academic, are explained in detail while making each technique approachable and attainable regardless of institution, size, or modality. Covering topics such as distance learning, modern learning technologies, and learning innovation, this book is essential for teachers, educational software developers, IT consultants, instructional designers, curriculum developers, graduate students, undergraduate students, academicians, administrators, higher education faculty, and researchers.

This book brings together contributions on learner autonomy from a myriad of contexts to advance our understanding of what autonomous language learning looks like with digital tools, and how this understanding is shaped by and can shape different socio-institutional, curricular, and instructional support. To this end, the individual contributions in the book highlight practice-oriented, empirically-based research on technology-mediated learner autonomy and its pedagogical implications. They address how technology can support learner autonomy as process by leveraging the affordances available in social media, virtual exchange, self-access, or learning in the wild (Hutchins, 1995). The rapid evolution and adoption of technology in all aspects of our lives has pushed issues related to learner and teacher autonomy centre stage in the language education landscape. This book tackles emergent challenges from different perspectives and diverse learning ecologies with a focus on social and educational (in)equality. Specifically, to this effect, the chapters consider digital affordances of virtual exchange, gaming, and apps in technology-mediated language learning and teaching ranging from instructed and semi-instructed to self-instructed contexts. The volume foregrounds the concepts of critical digital literacy and social justice in relation to language learner and teacher autonomy and illustrates how this approach may contribute to institutional objectives for equality, diversity and inclusion in higher education around the world and will be useful for researchers and teachers alike.

This book is jointly compiled by Chinese Academy of Sciences, Cyberspace Administration of China, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Over the past several years, Chinese scholars have contributed numerous research works on the development of Chinese scientific information and technology, and produced a range of outstanding achievements. Focusing on the main topic of e-Science, this book explores the forefront of science and technology around the globe, the major demands in China and the main fields in China's economic development. Furthermore, it reviews the major achievements and the typical cases in China's e-Science research. It provides a valuable reference source for future technological innovations and will introduce researchers and students in the area of e-Science to the latest results in China.

During the last decade, the Internet has driven some of the most significant changes in higher education. Since information and communication technologies (ICTs) impact how we educate, teach, and learn, researchers, teachers, and other stakeholders in higher education must be prepared to meet students with uses of educational technology that are designed with reflection and research. Informed Design of Educational Technologies in Higher Education: Enhanced Learning and Teaching presents recent and important theoretical and practical advances in educational technology design in higher education, examining their possibilities for enhancing teaching and learning. This volume includes discussions of technologies and applications grounded in legitimate learning theories and from an ethical perspective that emphasizes mutual understanding.

The constant creation of internet technologies has contributed to growing trends of scenario-based virtual environments and serious games in education. Along with these new technologies, there is an increasing interest in how students can be effectively assessed when using such virtual environments. Cases on the Assessment of Scenario and Game-Based Virtual Worlds in Higher Education is a comprehensive collection that provides aspects of assessment in virtual worlds combined with lessons learned from critical reflection. These case studies present successes, challenges, and innovations to be utilised as a framework for practitioners and researchers to base their own effective forms of scenario-based learning. This publication would be of particular interest to practice-based disciplines such as education, nursing, medicine, and social work.

In the digital age, the integration of technology has become a ubiquitous aspect of modern society. These advancements have significantly enhanced the field of education, allowing students to receive a better learning experience. The Handbook of Research on Educational Design and Cloud Computing in Modern Classroom Settings is a pivotal reference source for the latest research findings on the strategic role of cloud computing in education, teaching, and the learning process. Featuring extensive coverage on relevant areas such as personal learning environment, cloud-based learning, and educational models, this publication is an ideal resource for educators, professionals, school administrators, researchers, and practitioners in the field of education.

Perception plays a key role in numerous aspects of life in contemporary society. By developing tools to effectively measure perception and spatial recognition, a range of relevant applications can be utilized. A Simplex Approach to Learning, Cognition, and Spatial Navigation: Emerging Research and Opportunities is an innovative source of scholarly material that presents a unique perspective on the convergence of game-based learning, empathy, cognition, and spatial understanding. Including a range of pertinent topics such as gender considerations, space representation, and user interfaces, this book is an ideal reference publication for academics, researchers, students, and educators interested in the role of spatial reference systems in education.

During the past two decades, telecommunication technologies combined with Web-enabled technologies have created a new technology-based focus-Web-based learning and teaching. This new area has changed the concept of education around the world, creating new challenges and opportunities offered by this new technology-based concept. Web-Based Learning and Teaching Technologies: Opportunities and Challenges addresses many issues, trends, opportunities and problems facing colleges and universities in the effective utilization and management of Web-based learning and teaching technologies.

Understanding cybersecurity principles and practices is vital to all users of IT systems and services, and is particularly relevant in an organizational setting where the lack of security awareness and compliance amongst staff is the root cause of many incidents and breaches. If these are to be addressed, there needs to be adequate support and provision for related training and education in order to ensure that staff know what is expected of them and have the necessary skills to follow through. Cybersecurity Education for Awareness and Compliance explores frameworks and models for teaching cybersecurity literacy in order to deliver effective training and compliance to organizational staff so that they have a clear understanding of what security education is, the elements required to achieve it, and the means by which to link it to the wider goal of good security behavior. Split across four thematic sections (considering the needs of users, organizations, academia, and the profession, respectively), the chapters will collectively identify and address the multiple perspectives from which action is required. This book is ideally designed for IT consultants and specialist staff including chief information security officers, managers, trainers, and organizations.

The Encyclopedia of Terminology for Educational Communications and Technology is a volume of scholarly definitions and short discussions of approximately 180 key terms of the field. Each 200-500 word entry includes material such as the salient attributes of the term, any alternative views and interpretations of the term, and future trends. The definition discussions are supported with relevant literature from educational communications and technology and related fields, such as communications or educational psychology. Individual signed entries are written by over 50 established scholars from throughout the field and throughout the world. The terms included in the encyclopedia cover the many topics addressed by the field s practitioners and scholars. They encompass six general categories of educational technology content foundational subjects, instructional design, technology and media, analysis and evaluation, management and organizational improvement, and research and theory. "

Higher education spaces are undergoing radical transformations in an attempt to respond to the needs of 21st-century learners and a renewed interest in collaboration that spans beyond the walls of departments, colleges, and libraries. Cases on Higher Education Spaces: Innovation, Collaboration, and Technology highlights key innovations and collaborative ventures in space design from across campuses and institutions. Including writing and communication centers, studios, libraries, digital media labs, learning commons, and academic learning spaces, this collection is ideally suited for university and professional administrators.

This book presents how to keep working on education in contexts of crisis, such as emergencies, zones of conflict, wars and health pandemics such as COVID-19. Specifically, this work shows a number of strategies to support global learning and teaching in online settings. Particularly, it first presents how to facilitate knowledge sharing and raising awareness about a specific crisis, to increase people's safety, including educators and learners. The book then discusses various techniques, mechanisms and services that could be implemented to provide effective learning support for learners, especially in learning environments that they do not daily use, such as physical classrooms. Further, the work presents how to teach and support online educators, no matter if they are school teachers, university lecturers, youth social workers, vocational training facilitators or of any other kind. Finally, it describes worldwide case studies that have applied practical steps to keep education running during a crisis. This book provides readers with insights and guidelines on how to maintain learning undisrupted during contexts of crisis. It also provides basic and practical recommendations to the various stakeholders in educational contexts (students, content providers, technology services, policy makers, school teachers, university lecturers, academic managers, and others) about flexible, personalised and effective education in the context of crisis.

As today's teachers prepare to instruct a new generation of students, the question is no longer whether technology should be integrated into the classroom, but only "how?" Forced to combat shorter attention spans and an excess of stimuli, teachers sometimes see technology as a threat rather than a potential enhancement to traditional teaching methods. The Handbook of Research on Educational Technology Integration and Active Learning explores the need for new professional development opportunities for teachers and educators as they utilize emerging technologies to enhance the learning experience. Highlighting the advancements of ubiquitous computing, authentic learning, and student-centered instruction, this book is an essential reference source for educators, academics, students, researchers, and librarians.

Communication technology provides new opportunities for individuals with special needs, facilitating assistive communication, increasing mobility, offering a different model of engagement, and allowing new forms of exploration. However, many people learn about these new technologies haphazardly through teachers, social workers, therapists, and networks of people who have similar needs. Communication Technology for Students in Special Education and Gifted Programs collects ideas about new communication technologies and innovative ways of using them to enhance education for students with exceptionalities. These case studies are based on the experiences and expertise of the teachers, researchers, and other professionals who have used them. By learning about the experiences of professionals with diverse specialties, others will gain information and ideas for how to better serve individuals with special needs across the educational spectrum.

With the rapid availability of information, it becomes essential to keep pace with this availability as well as process the information into knowledge that has real-world applications. Neuroscientific methods allow an approach to this problem based on the way that the human brain already operates. Over the centuries and through observation and trial and error, we already know a great deal about how we can teach and learn, but now we can verify this with scientific fact and discover previously unknown aspects of brain physiology. These observations of brain functioning have produced many learning theories, all of which have varying degrees of validity. These theories, in turn, give birth to theories and models of instructional design, which also have varying degrees of validity. A Conceptual Framework for SMART Applications in Higher Education: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a critical scholarly publication that explores how the brain acquires and processes information to turn information into knowledge and the role of SMART technology and how it combines and integrates visual and aural data to facilitate learning. The book also discusses ways to apply what is known about teaching to how the brain operates and how to incorporate instructional design models into the teaching and learning process. Highlighting various topics such as neurogenesis, smart technologies, and behaviorism, this book is essential for instructional designers, online instruction managers, teachers, academicians, administrators, researchers, knowledge managers, and students.

While the creation and adoption of new technologies has increased in recent years, the educational sector often limits technology use. Despite this, many researchers are convinced of the vital role that technologies can play in learning and teaching. Student Reactions to Learning with Technologies: Perceptions and Outcomes brings together recent research findings about the views and expectations of students when including technologies in their studies. The chapters in this book suggest that the use of technologies in teaching not only makes learning more interesting but also offers possibilities for variations in the learning processes. While this book does not offer irrevocable opinions and definitive views or insights, it provides a useful lens for viewing the world of students and providing insights into the possibilities for accessing and conducting similar research.