This book is an investigation into the role which social presence and identity play in online learning environments. Scholars across disciplines have grappled with the questions of what it means for a person to be and to interact online. In the context of online learning, these questions reflect specific concerns related to how well people can learn in a setting limited to mediated interactions and lacking various communication cues. For example, how can a teacher and students come to know each other if they cannot see each other? How can they effectively understand and communicate with each other if they are separated by space and, in many instances, time? These concerns are related to social presence and identity, both of which are complex, multi-faceted, and closely interrelated constructs. The chapters in this book consider how online learning has developed and changed over time in terms of technology, pedagogy, and familiarity. Collectively these chapters show the diverse ways that educational researchers have explored social presence and identity. They also highlight some of the nuanced concerns online educators might have in these areas. This book was originally published as a special issue of Distance Education.

Education and Its Discontents: Teaching, the Humanities, and the Importance of a Liberal Education in the Age of Mass Information, by Mark Moss, is an exploration of how the traditional educational environment, particularly in the post-secondary world, is changing as a consequence of the influx of new technology. Students come to the classroom or lecture hall expecting to have their habits and tastes, gleaned from the online world, replicated in an Educational environment. Faculty who do not adapt face enormous obstacles, and faculty that do adapt run the risk of eroding the integrity of what they have been trained to teach. Students now have access to myriad of technologies that instead of supplementing the educational process, have actually taken it over. Issues that run from plagiarism to the erosion of the humanities are now rampant concerns in the post secondary world. Behavior issues, YouTube videos, cell phones, and the incessant clicking of the computer keys are just a few of the technologies altering the educational landscape. Moss discusses that it is now not only how we learn, but what we continue to teach, and how that enormously important legacy is protected. Education and Its Discontents: Teaching, the Humanities, and the Importance of a Liberal Education in the Age of Mass Information, by Mark Moss, argues that education has changed and the supremacy of the book and the lecture is now open for debate. What has been gained over the last five hundred years is now susceptible to the vagaries of technology, which compel us to question their continuing relevance.

The monograph Social Clustering: Paradigm of Trust combines smart education strategies, social clustering and innovative educational practices. Networking and intersectoral empowerment help leaders operate the multifunctional, multicriterion, multisector approach and develop trust-based family, community, and regional and national prosperity. Aspiration for common objective; consensus on the most important priorities of the public interest; successful social partnership between the public, private, civic (NGO) sector; and scientific organizations and stakeholders help us create a modern and sustainable society. Trust-based social economy, smart education and social partnership research, and services models have been developed by university researchers together with social partners.

This book takes as its starting point the assumption that interpersonal communication is a crucial aspect of successful language learning. Following an examination of different communicative models, the authors focus on traditional face-to-face (F2F) interactions, before going on to compare these with the forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC) enabled by recent developments in educational technology. They also address the question of individual differences, particularly learners' preferred participation styles, and explore how F2F and CMC formats might impact learners differently. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of computer-mediated communication (CMC), computer-assisted language learning (CALL), technology-enhanced language learning (TELL), language acquisition and language education more broadly.

As we have come to accept the duality of physical and virtual learning spaces as a permanent feature of our educational landscape, we begin to question its validity. Is this really a dichotomy, or is it a continuum? Should this be the primary dimension around which we cluster educational experiences - how does it intersect and interact with other axes, such as formal-informal, vocational-recreational, open-closed, teacher-student? How do we adapt, as teachers, learners, designers, policy makers, to this changing landscape? How do we shape it to offer an optimal learning experience? Such questions led us to conduct a series of academic and professional events on the theme of Hybrid Learning Spaces (HLS) - spaces which challenge and defy the dichotomies above. This edited book collates some of the products of that endeavor, offering a multi-vocal, interdisciplinary approach to hybridity in education. It connects practical examples, design directives and theoretical analysis, combining perspectives from technology research and development, educational theory and practice, architecture and space and product design. This book addresses researchers, practitioners, innovators and policy makers in education, technology and design, offering broad perspectives and then distilling practical insights in the form of design principles and patterns, pedagogical models, and predictions of future trends.

This book discusses three important, hot research issues: social networking-based learning, machine learning-based user modeling and sentiment analysis. Although these three technologies have been widely used by researchers around the globe by academic disciplines and by R&D departments in the IT industry, they have not yet been used extensively for the purposes of education. The authors present a novel approach that uses adaptive hypermedia in e-learning models to personalize educational content and learning resources based on the needs and preferences of individual learners. According to reports, in 2018 the vast majority of internet users worldwide are active on social networks, and the global average social network penetration rate as of 2018 is close to half the population. Employing social networking technologies in the field of education allows the latest technological advances to be used to create interactive educational environments where students can learn, collaborate with peers and communicate with tutors while benefiting from a social and pedagogical structure similar to a real class. The book first discusses in detail the current trend of social networking-based learning. It then provides a novel framework that moves further away from digital learning technologies while incorporating a wide range of recent advances to provide solutions to future challenges. This approach incorporates machine learning to the student-modeling component, which also uses conceptual frameworks and pedagogical theories in order to further promote individualization and adaptivity in e-learning environments. Moreover, it examines error diagnosis, misconceptions, tailored testing and collaboration between students are examined and proposes new approaches for these modules. Sentiment analysis is also incorporated into the general framework, supporting personalized learning by considering the user's emotional state, and creating a user-friendly learning environment tailored to students' needs. Support for students, in the form of motivation, completes the framework. This book helps researchers in the field of knowledge-based software engineering to build more sophisticated personalized educational software, while retaining a high level of adaptivity and user-friendliness within human-computer interactions. Furthermore, it is a valuable resource for educators and software developers designing and implementing intelligent tutoring systems and adaptive educational hypermedia systems.

This book includes more than twenty computer games and simulations for use in teacher training. Each of these simulations is innovative and presents an opportunity for pre-service teachers to have hands-on experience in an area of need prior to teaching in the classroom. Information on the simulation origins, including theoretical underpinnings, goals, characteristics, relevant research/program evaluation results, discussion of benefits and limitations as well as dissemination, recommended use, scope of practice, etc. of each game or simulation are included. Pre-service and new teachers will gain a number of useful skills through completion of these simulations and higher education faculty and administrators will gain a plethora of research-based and effective training tools for use in their teacher training programs.

Make the most of today's technology to give your students a more interactive, authentic, global learning experience! Connecting Your Students with the Virtual World shows you how to plan themed projects for every season, embark on virtual field trips, and get students in touch with other classrooms worldwide. This updated edition includes a key new chapter on taking video conferencing to the next level for optimal student engagement and collaboration, as well as new chapters on connecting through games and esports and connecting with parents. The book includes a wide variety of standards-based, step-by-step activities you can implement immediately.

Make the most of today's technology to give your students a more interactive, authentic, global learning experience! Connecting Your Students with the Virtual World shows you how to plan themed projects for every season, embark on virtual field trips, and get students in touch with other classrooms worldwide. This updated edition includes a key new chapter on taking video conferencing to the next level for optimal student engagement and collaboration, as well as new chapters on connecting through games and esports and connecting with parents. The book includes a wide variety of standards-based, step-by-step activities you can implement immediately.

Technology is constantly evolving and can now aid society with the quest for knowledge in education systems. It is important to integrate the most recent technological advances into curriculums and classrooms, so the learning process can evolve just as technology has done. The Handbook of Research on Transformative Digital Content and Learning Technologies provides fresh insight into the most recent advancements and issues regarding educational technologies in contemporary classroom environments. Featuring detailed coverage on a variety of topics, such as mobile technology integration, ICT literacy integration, digital wellness, online group counseling, and distance learning, this publication will appeal to researchers and practitioners who are interested in discovering more about technological integration in education.

This second edition is a practical, easy-to-read resource on web-based learning. The book ably and clearly equips readers with strategies for designing effective online courses, creating communities of web-based learners, and implementing and evaluating based on an instructional design framework. Case example, case studies, and discussion questions extend readers skills, inspire discussion, and encourage readers to explore the trends and issues related to online instructional design and delivery.

The field of Games is rapidly expanding, prompting institutions throughout the world to create game development programs and courses focusing on educational games. As a result, games have also become a hot topic in the area of educational technology research. This increased interest is due to the technological advancement of digital games and the fact that a new, digital generation is emerging with a strong gaming background. Games: Purpose and Potential in Education focuses on the issues of incorporating games into education and instructional design. Ideas of identity development, gender diversity, motivation, and integrating instructional design within game development are addressed since each of these areas is important in the field of instructional design and can have a significant impact on learning. This volume brings together leading experts, researchers, and instructors in the field of gaming and explores current topics in gaming and simulations, available resources, and the future of the field.

In both education and training, teachers are faced with many and varied problems relating to their teaching and their students' learning. Educational technology, in its widest sense, provides teachers with methods and tools which, if properly used, can alleviate some of these problems. The computer is one such tool, offering, within certain limitations, some possible solutions. Originally published in 1979, this book describes the use of the computer as a resource and as a manager in education and training. It discusses the use, potential and limitations of this technology in helping the teacher and trainer. Beginning with a consideration of the role of the computer as a mediator in the flow of information between the student and his learning environment, the book goes on to look at Computer Assisted Learning from an educational viewpoint, the strength and weaknesses of a number of different media, and the problems of managing modular courses and course structures and handling information on students' performance and progress. A chapter on informatics and education addresses the problem of what both teachers and students should know about computers, while the final chapter examines the practical problems of prompting and organising the appropriate use of this technology.

This book illustrates the latest developments in literacy and language assessment in the digital context, and subsequently presents a rigorous validation study on a newly proposed form of assessment (scenario-based assessment, SBA) that seeks to respond to the contextual change of literacy activities. It combines theories and innovative practices in both the literacy and language assessment sectors. The empirical validation study on SBA, presented here, can help readers understand how digital scenarios can be realized in assessment practices with the aid of computer technology, and how the scenario settings in the digital context can affect EFL learners' reading-to-writing performance. In this way, it can facilitate the reconceptualization of L2 literacy in the digital context. Moreover, the evidence and critical examination presented here can offer readers more comprehensive insights into the value or validity of a given innovative approach before it is adopted in their contexts.

This book gathers work from over a decade of study, and seeks to better understand and support how learners become tradespeople. The research programme applies recent concepts from neuroscience, educational psychology and technology-enhanced learning to explain and help overcome the challenges of learning in trades-learning contexts. Due to the complex and multifarious nature of the work characterising trade occupations, learning how to become a tradesperson requires a significant commitment in terms of time, along with physical and cognitive effort. All modalities (visual, aural, haptic etc.) and literacies (text, numerical, spatial etc.) are required when undertaking trade work. Manual dexterity and strength, coupled with the technical and tacit knowledge required for complex problem solving, not to mention suitable dispositional approaches, must all be learnt and focused on becoming a tradesperson. However, there is a substantial gap in the literature on 'how people learn a trade' and 'how to teach a trade'. In this book, contemporary teaching and learning approaches and strategies, as derived through practice-based participatory research, are used to highlight and discuss pragmatic solutions to facilitate the learning and teaching of trade skills, knowledge and dispositions. The approaches and strategies discussed include the implementation of technology-enhanced learning; project-based inquiry/problem-based learning; and recommendations to ensure learners are prepared for the future of work.

The progress of ubiquitous information technologies has led to the arrival of entirely new environments where interaction amongst its users takes place. The means of communication, learning environments and methods of enhancing students' competence have changed in both academic and professional settings. The book aims to investigate if the implementation of a virtual learning environment into regular foreign language instruction, as an augmentation of the regular classroom practice, has an impact on adult learners' speaking (productive skills), listening (receptive skills) and grammatical competence. However, what was meant as a localised study became the new normal and a global reality as the coronavirus impacted all aspects of education.

The Media-Savvy Middle School Classroom is a practical guide for teachers of Grades 5-8 who want to help their students achieve mastery of media literacy skills. Today's fake news, alternative facts, and digital manipulations are compromising the critical thinking and well-being of middle grade learners already going through significant personal changes. This actionable book prepares teachers to help their students become informed consumers of online resources. Spanning correct source use, personal versus expert opinions, deliberate disinformation, social media, and more, these ready-to-use activities can be integrated directly into existing language arts and mathematics lesson plans.

Virtual Humans provides a much-needed definition of what constitutes a 'virtual human' and places virtual humans within the wider context of Artificial Intelligence development. It explores the technical approaches to creating a virtual human, as well as emergent issues such as embodiment, identity, agency and digital immortality, and the resulting ethical challenges. The book presents an overview of current research and practice in this area, and outlines the major challenges faced by today's developers and researchers. The book examines the possibility for using virtual humans in a variety of roles, from personal assistants to teaching, coaching and knowledge management, and the book situates these discussions around familiar applications (e.g. Siri, Cortana, Alexa) and the portrayal of virtual humans within Science Fiction. Features Presents a comprehensive overview of this rapidly developing field Provides an array of relevant, real-life examples from expert practitioners and researchers from around the globe in how to create the avatar body, mind, senses and ability to communicate Intends to be broad in scope yet practical in approach, so that it can serve the needs of several different audiences, including researchers, teachers, developers and anyone with an interest in where these technologies might take us Covers a wide variety of issues which have been neglected in other research texts; for example, definitions and taxonomies, the ethical challenges of virtual humans and issues around digital immortality Includes numerous examples and extensive references

E-learning has brought an enormous change to instruction, in terms of both rules and tools. Contemporary education requires diverse and creative uses of media technology to keep students engaged and to keep up with rapid developments in the ways they learn and teachers teach. Media Rich Instruction addresses these requirements with up-to-date learning theory and practices that incorporate innovative platforms for information delivery into traditional areas such as learning skills and learner characteristics. Experts in media rich classroom experiences and online instruction delve into the latest findings on student cognitive processes and motivation to learn while offering multimedia classroom strategies geared to specific curriculum areas. Advances such as personal learning environments, gamification, and the Massive Open Online Course are analyzed in the context of their potential for collaborative and transformative learning. And each chapter features key questions and application activities to make coverage especially practical across grade levels and learner populations. Among the topics included: Building successful learning experiences online. Language and literacy, reading and writing. Mathematics teaching and learning with and through education technology. Learning science through experiment and practice. Social studies teaching for learner engagement. The arts and Technology. Connecting school to community. At a time when many are pondering the future of academic standards and student capacity to learn, Media Rich Instruction is a unique source of concrete knowledge and useful ideas for current and future researchers and practitioners in media rich instructional strategies and practices.

Coding as a Playground, Second Edition focuses on how young children (aged 7 and under) can engage in computational thinking and be taught to become computer programmers, a process that can increase both their cognitive and social-emotional skills. Learn how coding can engage children as producers-and not merely consumers-of technology in a playful way. You will come away from this groundbreaking work with an understanding of how coding promotes developmentally appropriate experiences such as problem-solving, imagination, cognitive challenges, social interactions, motor skills development, emotional exploration, and making different choices. Featuring all-new case studies, vignettes, and projects, as well as an expanded focus on teaching coding as a new literacy, this second edition helps you learn how to integrate coding into different curricular areas to promote literacy, math, science, engineering, and the arts through a project-based approach and a positive attitude to learning.

This book discusses the development of the next generation learning spaces with emerging technologies. These spaces result from the combined needs of classroom stakeholders, such as instructors and learners, with classroom elements, such as tools and technologies, pedagogy and content. The book presents discussions and studies on issues, possibilities and implications of these changes for next generation education. Novel ideas, and studies on these all-encompassing, blended roles of technologies in next generation learning spaces are clearly presented. Suggestions on how the benefits they offer can be maximized are also discussed. Engaging learning technologies have remained central in education for assisting instructors to teach and learners to learn, more effectively. However, recent technological growth is creating a system in which previous divides between key classroom concepts and stakeholders are getting progressively blurred. This is giving rise to next generation learning spaces where elements and stakeholders are blended into one. The book addresses the future of learning environments based on these perspectives.

Learn how to keep the rigor and motivation alive in a remote learning or hybrid K-12 classroom. In this essential book, bestselling author Barbara R. Blackburn shares frameworks and tools to help you move online without compromising the rigor of your instruction. You'll learn... how to create a remote culture of high expectations; how to scaffold so students reach higher levels of learning; how to have students collaborate in different settings; and how to provide virtual feedback and deliver effective assessments. You'll also discover how common activities, such as virtual field trips, can lack rigor without critical thinking prompts. The book provides practical strategies you can implement immediately to help all students reach higher levels of success.

This book illustrates approaches for implementing ICT in primary education. Through different initiatives and case studies, the book shows different approaches for successful implementation of ICT. While it gives details of theoretical concepts related to ICT, it also provides live examples from different initiatives as to how literacy can be achieved through customized implementation strategy. The book illustrates different ICT policies that have been implemented with varying degree of success. It also demonstrates different approaches that would be of interest to practitioners.

This book consists of a collection of selected papers presented at the TARC International Conference 2016 held from 17 to 18 October, 2016. It offers a tool for empowering schools and teachers as a way forward for transforming education.

This book explores the implications of technology-mediated project-based language learning for CALL teacher development, focusing on the role of video-based instruction in elucidating challenges and opportunities to promote learner creativity in the language classroom. The volume builds on existing literature on project-based language learning by extending the focus on the affordances of machinima, digital video created by teachers and learners to capture experience in 3D immersive games or virtual worlds. Drawing on data from a large-scale research project featuring case studies that examine different facets of CALL teacher education, the book calls attention to language learning and teaching strategies that encourage both learners and teachers to develop innovative approaches in the language classroom and how such approaches promote the integration of lifelong learning skills alongside traditional linguistic competencies. Offering a dynamic contribution to the growing literature on the interface of language learning and teaching and technology, this book will appeal to students and researchers in applied linguistics and language and education, as well as those interested in the latest developments in CALL.