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2019 | Buch

Learning Technology for Education Challenges

8th International Workshop, LTEC 2019, Zamora, Spain, July 15–18, 2019, Proceedings

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Über dieses Buch

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Learning Technology for Education Challenges, LTEC 2019, held in Zamora, Spain, in July 2019.
The 41 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 83 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: learning technolgies; learning tools and environment; e-learning and MOOCs; learning practices; social media learning tools; machine learning and evaluation support programs. LTEC 2019 examines how these technologies and pedagogical advances can be used to change the way teachers teach and students learn, while giving special emphasis to the pedagogically effective ways we can harness these new technologies in education.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Learning Technologies

Frontmatter
The Use of Gamification Technique in Agile Development Methodology

Students motivation and engagement difficulties are present in higher education. Between many technologies to increase student motivation and engagement, we found that Gamification technique is the most suitable case. This paper presents our experiment of using Gamification in learning process and based on the use of the Agile methodology in-order to obtain the best results and engagements from the students.Applying Gamification in software engineering is not as straight to move as it may appear. Current research in the area has already recognized the possible use of Gamification in the context of software development. It is still an open area of research about how to design and use Gamification in this context.Higher education universities, especially in the Middle East are sometimes facing problems to get students engagement and motivation as a group structure.This paper supports the proposed idea; we presented a preliminary experiment that shows the effect of gamification on the performance of students involvement in a funded project from TRC (The Research Council) in Sultanate of Oman.

Rula Al-Azawi, Sebastin Antony Joe, Mohaned Al-Obaidy, Jonathan Westlake
Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence in Music Education to Enhance the Dyslexic Student’s Skills

This paper explores the impact of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) it the dyslexic student’s learning process in higher music education. Music involves almost every cognitive ability: not only the auditory and motor systems involved in perception and music production (performance), but also attention, memory and learning, language, social intelligence, creativity and (last but not least) emotions. It is important for teachers to understand the different cognitive abilities and challenges of each student to help him/her to reach the aims of the learning process. It is necessary to avoid over-fatigue and psychological distress of the student that can lead him/her to the loss of confidence and personal motivation. The paper investigates the educational implications of the use of the software CAMA (Computer Added Musical Analysis) designed with the explicit purpose of managing the student’s motivation in order to promote effective, active, efficient and satisfactory learning. Finally, some challenges for teachers of Musical High-Schools in the adoption of AI-technologies are identified and further directions for research are explored.

Michele Della Ventura
Otowik: Mining Text from Wikis to Mind Maps

The impact of the Internet on education has been recognized for decades in which learners or students are able to access educational resources cross borders and languages. However, exposure to or provision of too much information or data will lead to information overload, which dampens understanding and effective decision making. In this paper, we share a software named Otowik that is able to extract keywords and keyphrases from wiki pages and automatically construct a mind map based on the keywords and keyphrases extracted. Otowik was evaluated via a User Acceptance Test and was highly recommended by the participating respondents.

Vinothini Kasinathan, Aida Mustapha, Mohamad Firdaus Che Abdul Rani
Exploring the Potential of Using Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality for STEM Education

The purpose of this article is to focus on the potential of using new technologies such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in science education in general and in STEM education in particular. Although Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality as a technology have strength and weaknesses, this article focus to show how those technologies may facilitate STEM education and how to improve the area of weaknesses. In this research, we address the need for STEM education and training, which is currently either limited or not interested for students. It is also overcome the distance limitation that students face in STEM education. Furthermore, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality environments are an effective platform to encourage and attracting the new generation technology to STEM field. Technology virtualization has been used in a various way in STEM classroom to encourage creatively and innovation. However, it is also important to take in our consideration that students learning in this environment can be difficult in many directions.

Rula Al-Azawi, Ali Albadi, Raziyeh Moghaddas, Jonathan Westlake
Boosting Motivation Through Process Gamification: Evidence from Higher Education

Boosting motivation is a challenging task on the way of additional productivity, especially considering new generations Y and Z. In this paper we combine set of methods from process management, pedagogics and psychology to develop an interactive gamification process and test it for generations Y and Z currently studying in the leading Russian university. The efficiency of approach is demonstrated on several models and authors suggest ways how to implement them.

Julia Bilinkis, Alexander Gromoff, Yaroslav Gorchakov
Health Student Using Google Classroom: Satisfaction Analysis

Currently, the expressive growth of educational technologies has made health education institutions discuss new pedagogical forms with the reorientation and reorganization of teaching, being considered of utmost importance the presence of information technology in the course of student training and pedagogical practices. In this context, Google Classroom has emerged as an educational platform that can be used as a technology innovation to make academic activities more dynamic and effective. The objective of this study was to evaluate the usability and user satisfaction of Classroom as a tool to support the process of teaching learning. The methodology used was based on a qualitative and quantitative approach through the method of usability analysis and user perception. The qualitative and quantitative variables used to analyze usability were the effectiveness, time of use and user perception through the Attrakdiff questionnaire. The sample used in the study was 110 students from a Faculty in the city of Recife, state of Pernambuco, Brasil, during the 2nd semester of 2017. From the results, we can noted that the platform is relevant to the learning process but improvements can be made to a greater identification and interaction of the user. The student satisfaction analysis showed that Classroom can be a great tool used in pedagogical practice as a support to the teaching learning process and also to evaluate the benefits of its use. This study can serve as a starting point for research in this area, and for the development of new technologies related to education.

Amadeu Sa de Campos Filho, Webber de Souza Fantini, Mirelly Atanázio Ciriaco, Joelton dos Santos, Fernando Moreira, Alex Sandro Gomes
Gamification Design Framework Based on Self Determination Theory for Adult Motivation

It is particularly important to understand the role of motivation in digital learning environments so that designers taking advantage of design principles can encourage trainee’s engagement and, by extension, the learning process and further contribute to reducing the drop-out rates. This study aims to add evidence to the context of e-learning motivational design, based on Gamification and motivational strategies of Self Determination Theory (SDT), by integrating them appropriately into Moodle Learning Management System. Judging from the initial positive results of the research conducted through an e-learning course for adult trainees and where the combination of SDT and Gamification played a key role, the proposed framework seems to have great impact on trainees’ motivation and satisfaction, leading us to describe it as a “well-designed” solution. However, a further rigorous analysis on the results is considered necessary in the future.

Stavroula Karra, Vasiliki Karampa, Foteini Paraskeva
Designing a Video Course. The Case of the Online Course of Mathematical Olympiads

Current secondary and university students use their technological devices not only in playtime but also in study time. Our proposal makes use of this fact to create educational content that can be viewed on any smartphone or computer. These videos can be used to teach new concepts, mathematical procedures or problem-solving resolutions. Although there is a wide variety of educational videos and MOOCs, on many occasions these videos do not fit in terms of content or notation. With this in mind, in this article, we define the detailed process that we should follow if we are interested in creating our own educational videos. We devote special attention to giving advice on video creation from a methodological point of view. This process is enhanced with an example of learning unit collection that we created at the University of La Rioja. The project that we present is a collection of math Olympiad problem-solving strategies that can be used as complementary learning materials.

Lucía Rotger, Juan M. Ribera

Learning Tools and Environment

Frontmatter
Evaluation of the Disciplinary Competences of the Students of the Bachelor’s Degree in Physiotherapy at “Sapienza” University of Rome Through the TECO: A Cross-Sectional Study

The objective of the study is to evaluate whether the TECO-D is a useful tool for measuring the skills acquired by students during three years of the physiotherapy bachelor’s degree course at the “Sapienza” University of Rome. The sample was recruited between October and December 2017. To be included in the study, the participants had to be enrolled in the bachelor’s degree course in physiotherapy at the “Sapienza” University of Rome and had to be on track with the course’s prescribed completion timeframe. The distribution of the scores for the TECO-D shows an increasing average (Standard Deviation) from 147.1 ± 34.5 in the first year up to 227.1 ± 17.8 for graduating students. Progress testing is a form of assessment in which groups of learners of different seniority (i.e., different classes in a curriculum) are given the same written test. The test is comprehensive by sampling all relevant disciplines in a curriculum, usually determined by a fixed blueprint. The total score of the TECO-D exponentially increased between the first and second years of the course. In fact, the score, at the first year of the course, was averaged at 147 ± 34.5 and increased up to 204 ± 23.2 in the second year. Regarding the third year of the course and the undergraduates, there was an increase, but the latter was less significant. Because of this, we can say that the TECO-D is a great tool for measuring student’s knowledge in order to evaluate study programs.

Giovanni Galeoto, Anna Berardi, Cecilia Pizzi, Ilaria Farina, Julita Sansoni
The Use of Digital Devices in the University Classroom: Exploring and Comparing Students’ Perceptions and Practices

Dealing with students’ use of digital devices and the resulting interruptions and distractions in university classrooms has become part of the daily challenges for teaching faculty in higher education. This exploratory study (N = 46) investigated first semester students’ perceptions, experiences, and time estimates regarding their use of digital devices for non-course-related activities. Questionnaire data were complemented with and compared to tracking data from the students’ laptop use in class through logs generated by the time management software RescueTime. Results indicate that approximately a quarter of class time is lost to non-course-related activities and that students underestimate their own laptop use in comparison to the tracking data. Nevertheless, they are aware of the distractive potential of digital devices, and this awareness increased over the ten-week research period. However, the study suggests that this awareness has little effect on the students’ actual behavior and that they give in to the digital temptations despite knowing the potential for distraction.

Maria Rabl, Juliana Pattermann, Stephan Schlögl, Niki Canham
A Preliminary Review of Blockchain-Based Solutions in Higher Education

Blockchain technology is showing its potential to disrupt established business processes. Four types of blockchain initiatives have been identified: Record keeper, efficiency play, digital asset market, and blockchain disruptor. Many different applications have also been emerging within the educational domain, following a student or institution-centric approach. Student-centric solutions simplify the validation process of received credentials, while institution-centric solutions facilitate mainly operational activities of educational institutions. In this paper, we present several use cases addressing different aspects within the educational domain, such as streamlining the process of diploma verification, virtual lifetime learning passport, securing the issued certificates permanently, verifying the accreditation process, automatic recognition of credits, etc. A preliminary review and analysis of identified projects and initiatives show that most of them follow a student-centric approach while facilitating record-keeping.

Aida Kamišalić, Muhamed Turkanović, Saša Mrdović, Marjan Heričko
EduBrowser: A Multimodal Automated Monitoring System for Co-located Collaborative Learning

Majority of learning analytics systems are designed to monitor and analyze students’ online interactions during collaborative learning. In the case of co-located collaborative learning, student interactions take place in the physical space as well as online. While existing learning management systems provide specific logs and snapshots of students’ online responses that are automatically captured, the potential of insights that can be derived from students’ non-digital face-to-face interactions during collaborative discourse remains untapped. In this paper, we propose an architecture for data acquisition and processing from co-located face-to-face collaborative learning, designed to be scalable beyond dyadic and triadic collaborative learning and across different curricula. We outline the system design, current experience of deployment across 4 sessions of co-located collaborative learning sessions, as well as brief examples of acquired data.

Yi Han Victoria Chua, Preman Rajalingam, Seng Chee Tan, Justin Dauwels
Internet-Based Immersive Learning (IIL): Applying Ubiquitous Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 Resources in EFL Learning

Authentic language materials are always considered ideal language acquisition resources. Today’s generation lives with the Internet, surfing over Internet resources every day. Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 provide authentic and learner-directed resources and platforms with accessible and ubiquitous features, which greatly benefits English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners living in non-English speaking countries. Despite abundant English resources available, most EFL learners usually still rely on the Internet resources of their first language. Therefore, this study aimed to devise a course adopting an immersive approach guiding students to live in an authentic English Internet life as native speakers do, thereby promoting EFL acquisition in real life. This study involved 62 college students around low intermediate levels in Taiwan, simulating a realistic English Internet life. Nine theme-based Internet resources were selected and task-based learning was employed. A survey was conducted at class end. Results show that four out of the five thematic websites considered the easiest to navigate and comprehend were presented via Web 1.0. Regarding the top five thematic websites that the students reported to browse after taking this course were related to recreation (music, movie, and travel), living consumption (shopping), and online community interaction (social media). Usefulness and interest are two major reasons motivating them to browse English websites. 61.3% and 38.7% of the students reported that they would “Strongly recommend” and “Recommend” this course respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of the course. Qualitative results and implications were elaborated in the study.

Yun-Hsuan Huang
Towards Successful Implementation of a Virtual Classroom for Vocational Higher Education in Indonesia

The virtual classroom continues to grow, but it is becoming more and more the norm, and it is fundamentally different from the vocational students at the Indonesian university. With the promised benefits of the virtual classroom, many challenges and difficulties come in the implementation. Although there are already successful design principles for virtual classrooms that support organizations in overcoming the challenges, the approach to implementing the design principles of virtual classroom at the vocational higher education in Indonesia is still lacking. In this study, we aim to answer the research gap and used the design sciences research by interviewing the lecturers to design the solutions. The proposed design approaches were implemented in a course and evaluated with students from two different groups. Overall, the evaluation of the proposed approaches shows 1 significant results as an indicator of the benefits of the implementation of a virtual classroom for vocational students in Indonesia.

Bayu Rima Aditya, Irawan Nurhas, Jan Pawlowski
Computer Application for the Evaluation of Mathematical Competence in Secondary Education: A Case Study

The main purpose of this work is the development of an application that allows compulsory secondary education teachers the assessment of the students’ maths competence. An equation of prediction is obtained in a pilot study through the multivariate technique of multiple regression using for its analysis, by means of SPSS, the results gathered throughout speaking tasks, tests and works done by students in 2nd, 3rd and 4th course of compulsory Secondary Education of a state school in Spain. This equation of prediction is introduced in the program in order to make the calculation that provides the result of the assessment. The software is set up by means of interfaces. The source of information consists of a series of activities designed on the basis of liberated, national and international diagnostic tests taking into account the three key dimensions related to the maths competence: procedures, contents and context.

Lara Orcos, Rosario Arias, Alberto Magreñán, Juan Antonio Sicilia, Íñigo Sarría

E-learning and MOOCS

Frontmatter
Teachers' Beliefs Towards Blended Learning in Higher Education: A Mixed-Methods Study

The objective of this paper is to analyse the main beliefs, expectations and attitudes of university teachers regarding the acceptance and adoption of blended learning (BL) methodologies using a quantitative and qualitative approach. A mixed-method design (DEXPLIS sequential explanatory model) was applied to lead the empirical analysis. A total of 982 teachers from different Spanish universities (quantitative part) and a subsample of 86 (for the qualitative study) participated in the study. The results identify a series of beliefs (advantages and disadvantages), as well as the main demands of these teachers related to the implementation of BL.

María Cruz Sánchez-Gómez, Antonio V. Martín-García, Juanjo Mena
Motivating Engineer Students in E-learning Courses with Problem Based Learning and Self-Regulated Learning on the apT2CLE4‘Research Methods’ Environment

More and more university programs try to establish an understanding of research methodology with relevant courses at undergraduate schools. Engineer students should have adequate academic training and experience to gain knowledge on such research content, should be able to thrive in research, to source valid and credible information by sorting out the best solution of a problem. Due to their complexity, these courses are usually unpopular with students. To this end, we propose an educational well-designed conceptual framework based on PBL and SRL, as an orchestrated educational scenario with the design, the development and the evaluation of the learning process, customized on Moodle for engineer students to motivate them in the field of scientific research. The analysis of the results reveals that our proprosed scenario fosters motivation, equips students with learning strategies, supports them to understand and apply the principles of PBL method as they acquire concepts of research methodology.

Foteini Paraskeva, Aikaterini Alexiou, Hara Bouta, Sofia Mysirlaki, Dimitrios J. Sotiropoulos, Aikaterini-Maria Souki
Developing a MOOC to Foster Information Literacy (IL) by Means of a Conjecture Map

Teachers feel often insecure when handling digital media pedagogically and therefore need tools to support them. The present contribution shows how to develop an easy-to-use digital learning design to foster information literacy [IL] – the development of a Massive Open Online Course [MOOC]. This open form of digital learning setting is necessary to foster IL effectively as the handling of digital information is the main concern of IL at present. The Educational Design Research is conducted by means of conjecture mapping, what allows for a combined study of learning and teaching and its interdependence in a given learning setting. Derived from our high level conjectures, (I): IL consists of several interdependent competences, (II): a digital learning environment is crucial to foster IL, (III): an open and learner centered design is necessary, and (IV): a good MOOC follows defined principles, the MOOC has been developed. The MOOC lays ground for the yet to follow measure and improvement of the learning design.

Sabine Seufert, Josef Guggemos, Luca Moser, Stefan Sonderegger
Variations in Self-Regulation of Learning On-Line Versus On-Campus

This paper describes the results of a study that compared self- and co-regulation perceived strategy use of Master’s in Education students learning in two distinct learning environments. One cohort of students was studying predominantly face-to-face on-campus while the other studied predominantly on-line. Comparing the two cohorts enabled to contrast perceived regulation of learning strategy use. Subjects were postgraduate students in Educational Sciences studying in a French university during the academic year 2017–18. Data was collected using ERICA [12] which is a scale intended for measurement of six macro-level strategies of regulation of learning. The study found that two strategies differed in perceived frequency of use by students. The strategies were Individual Anticipation of materials and References (IAR) and Individual Tracking and Monitoring (ITM). Environmental conditions, instructional cues and group characteristics are discussed as potential explanations for the found similarities and differences. Future research directions are suggested to further explore the interplay between the ways students learn and environmental characteristics.

Jonathan Kaplan
Let’s Digitize It: Investigating Challenges of Online Education

This paper focuses on the challenges education providers face when trying to offer different types of online education formats as an extension to their already existing course portfolio. We investigated generic challenges concerning both small and closed as well as big and open online courses, where challenges include the development as well as the integration of new online content into course structures. Our analysis is based on an interview study with representatives of 14 Universities in the German speaking area. Results yield six concrete problem areas education providers have to deal with. Those include cost, and increasing student base, drop-out rates, teaching quality, certifications and legal challenges. While the penetration of online education in the investigated area is surely too small to realistically construct best practice examples, the presented work represents a snapshot of today’s challenges in offering online education, and therefore may be seen as a valuable starting point to work on future improvements.

Stephan Schlögl, Christian Ploder, Teresa Spieß, Franziska Schöffer
Implementing Blended Learning in Mathematics Classrooms: Perspectives of Two South African Educators Working in an International School in Saudi Arabia

Blended learning is one of the modalities used to enhance students’ learning experiences in the 21st century. South African educators who migrate to countries overseas have mixed feelings about their teaching using technology in schools. This paper presents findings on implementation of blended learning in mathematics classrooms from the perspectives of two South African educators working in an international school in Saudi Arabia. The study was done using a qualitative case study within an interpretivist paradigm and it was guided by the Technology Acceptance Model. Two South African educators teaching at an international school in Saudi Arabia were purposively selected to participate in the study. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and document analysis. A significant contribution of the study was the development of a model which shows that perspectives of the educators on blended learning hinges on two entities: technology acceptance and educators’ self-efficacy.

Ilhaam Abrahams, Lawrence Meda, Eunice Ivala

Learning Practices

Frontmatter
Context Analysis of Teachers’ Learning Design Practice Through Activity Theory, Distributed Cognition, and Situated Cognition

The objective of this work was to analyze how different theoretical frameworks encompass the teachers’ learning design practice. We compared the use of Activity Theory, Distributed Cognition, and Situated Cognition theoretical frameworks to deal with data analysis and interpretations and compared them. The Activity Theory is useful to study technology in activities since the unit of analysis is an activity, and it is always instrumentally mediated. The use of Distributed Cognition framework lies in exploring how mental schemas of the mind can represent structures outside the mind. Finally, Situated Cognition is focused on analyzing the continuous relationship integrating teachers and environmental instruments to act on class planning to understand the flow of the activities involved in this real scenario. The analysis from different theoretical points of view gave the designers a better understanding of the activity structure, how the artifacts support distributed cognitive activities and finally how the artifact is embodied in the planning activities. The present work aims to have contributed to a better understanding of teachers’ planning practices to influence the design of lessons planning software services to be integrated into teaching practice.

Leandro M. Queiros, Carlos J. P. Silva, Alex S. Gomes, Fernando Moreira
Opening Spaces for the Development of Human Agency with Problem Based Learning in Palestinian Higher Education

This paper appraises the impact of Problem Based Learning (PBL) implementations within the (2016-19) Erasmus Plus “Methods” Project (Modernization of Teaching Methodologies in Higher Education: EU experience for Jordan and Palestinian territory) which introduced a range of learning modalities into formal learning contexts in higher education settings in Jordan (4 Universities) and Palestine (4 Universities). The project was jointly led by the Universities of Jordan and Birzeit, Palestine and there were six European partner universities. The paper focuses on the impact of PBL approaches on learners and university teachers through an analysis of semi-structured group interviews with students and individual staff interviews across a range of courses in the arts and sciences within the Palestinian context. The results of this small-scale research study are presented within a thematic framework focusing on participation, collaboration, agency, knowledge creation, problem solving and identity modification. It explores how far the adoption of student-centred PBL designs can open spaces for the development of human agency and capabilities within an existing orthodoxy of practice in Higher Education Settings in Palestine. It locates these student-centred practices within the context of higher education under occupation and examines what contribution they make to developing individuals’ capacity to act effectively for change within the power dynamics and limits of their context.

Karl Royle
Facing a Digital Challenge at a Traditional University

This article presents the challenges that teachers of the youngest Slovenian public university are facing in introducing ICT into the pedagogical process. The introduction of ICT into pedagogical practice requires the support of the school management and also impacts on the quality of education. Thus, within the framework of the InoTeZ project, we conducted group interviews with representatives of the faculty management and those responsible for the quality assurance system. The analysis of the group interviews content revealed that the differences in faculties’ development are also evident in the fields of e-learning understanding and in the processes of ICT implementation into the pedagogical process. Some faculties are more systematic, and changes are planned accurately, while others leave it to individual enthusiasts. The interviewees showed support for the establishment of unified technical and pedagogical-didactic support at the university level with the desire to retain partial local support. The support needs to be set up as an infrastructure center, taking into account the specificities of the study programs and the needs of individual faculties and teachers.

Viktorija Florjančič
Math Anxiety Analysis in Indonesian Elementary School

The starting point of the research was the fact that the math results in the region were low according to the international evaluation. The paper also aims to make new math anxiety questionnaire since the existing math anxiety inquiries focus mainly on feelings of learners and we wanted to study psychological, physiological and social elements of math anxiety using the viewpoints of Dacey and Fiore (2000). This questionnaire is compared to existing ones and the comparison shows that the questionnaire has new viewpoints. The results show that the anxiety level of the 1–6 graders was mostly low. The developed math anxiety tool needs further development.

Nurhayati, Dina Anika Marhayani, Chih-Hung Chang, Marja Naaranoja
Co-creation Workshops for Work Life Oriented ICT Education

ICT Companies in Finland today are facing problems in recruiting the right skilled workforce to meet their needs [1]. There is particular shortage of application developers, application designers, web professionals and coders in the South Ostrobothnia area of Finland [2]. Typical degree courses offered by universities would not work because there is a mismatch between the university degrees offered and the needs of these companies. There is a need to develop a new approach to address this shortage. In response to this, local University of Applied Sciences has developed a new ICT education programme using co-creation methods. The new approach is based on the concepts of co-creation of value from service science. This paper discusses the importance of this new approach in education and how it can be implemented. Empirical data is gathered through observation of and reflection on the development of the ICT programme which follows the principles of co-creation.

Anne-Maria Aho, Jane Sinclair
Developing Entrepreneurship Education: Case of the University of Žilina

The recent growth and development in the curricula and programs devoted to entrepreneurship have been remarkable. Nowadays, there is more than thousand courses all over the world related to entrepreneurship. It is because innovativeness and entrepreneurship are seen as key factors to achieve economic growth. European Union as well as Slovak government recognized this importance of an entrepreneurial education and prepared Action plans to support it. However, a restricting factor is on one hand the implementation of the proposed Action plans and on the other hand the availability of competent individuals to generate innovative ideas, establish and grow their business based on those ideas. Universities can help by increasing competences of young entrepreneurs so they are able to uncover untapped opportunities and establish profiting businesses. This paper describes the development of an entrepreneurship education at the University of Zilina, Slovakia. There was used a case study method for describing experiences with building an entrepreneurship program at the University of Zilina. The case study shows that entrepreneurship education focuses less on traditional lecture-based teaching of individuals and more on experiential learning activities. Learning-by-doing was analysed as best approach to entrepreneurial education in contrary with traditional development of business plans. However, the study also showed that continuous modification of the curriculum is required. Therefore, recommendations how to develop entrepreneurship programs were proposed.

Anna Závodská, Veronika Šramová, Vladimír Konečný
The Digital Literacy of Business Students with Evidence from Poland and Slovenia

The purpose of this article is to explore digital literacy levels and better understand the main differences in ICT competences among business students from Slovenia (n = 229) and Poland (n = 258). Our research was divided into three steps: a literature review, quantitative research based on an online survey for young business students and a statistical analysis in SPSS. In exploring ICT literacy, we identified the types of IT tools used, the frequency of their use, and the main differences in ICT literacy between Polish and Slovenian business students. We also investigated the relationships between time spent online, one’s study year and the level of competencies in the area of using basic tools (text editors, spreadsheets, presentation tools) and more advanced computer applications used for business purposes like database management systems and graphics editors. Our analysis shows that business students mainly use their mobile devices for education and communication. The developed normalized index of usage skills (NIUS) indicates that the students involved had the highest level of knowledge and skills in the area of using word processors, business presentation tools and mail services. The lowest index value was measured for database management systems, photo editors and spreadsheet applications. In our opinion, growing up with ICT is not enough to develop the digital skills necessary for the digital economy in the field of business and, therefore, the ICT curricula (even basic level courses) offered by business schools should be revised in order to better prepare future business graduates for the needs of a digital society.

Viktorija Florjančič, Łukasz Wiechetek
Using Digital Resources to Boost English Writing Development

Official documents from the Brazilian Government stress the importance of including technological issues for teacher training. Also, programmes to promote teachers’ digital literacy were created. Yet, recent surveys in the country show low relevance of the pedagogical use of ICTs in classrooms. This research describes a practice developed with undergraduates being prepared to become teachers of English as a Second Language in the south of Brazil. The practices were developed in a subject aimed to develop the students’ proficiency in English. The experiment proposed the use of educational digital resources to develop the writing skill. The main objective was to develop pedagogical practices, which include digital educational resources for students preparing themselves to become English teachers and to verify their influence in the linguistic knowledge of the students. According to the theories of Second Language Learning, interaction, meaningfulness and task-essential form must be considered to achieve success. These features were explored through the digital resources. It is possible to state that there was an improvement in the writing skill of the participants.

Ângela Musskopf, Débora Nice Ferrari Barbosa, Patrícia Brandalise Scherer Bassani, Amanda Jefferies

Social Media Learning Tools

Frontmatter
Using Social Media to Enhance Learning and Motivate Students in the Higher Education Classroom

Since the advent of the Internet and the web 2.0 technologies, the world has changed profoundly. While academics and professionals call for a deeper integration of social media technologies in the classroom, millennials and generation z students come to university. These students are social, mobile, global, digital and visual in nature, so it is imperative to establish digital mechanisms in the classroom that enhance learning by helping students to co-create, collaborate and participate using technology. This research explores the challenges of facing digital native students in the classroom by conducting a practical experiment using social networks in different universities, courses and subjects. Results show that students enjoy integrating social network practices in the classroom, as they perceived them as a tool to increase collaboration, active student participation and collaborative learning. The findings of the paper can be used to propose effective teaching-learning strategies to improve students’ performance and satisfaction in higher education.

Eva Lahuerta-Otero, Rebeca Cordero-Gutiérrez, Vanessa Izquierdo-Álvarez
Fostering Foreign Language Learning Through a Telecollaborative Social Media-Based Tandem Language Learning Approach

Traditional tandem language learning (involving two students learning each other’s mother tongue) is not a new concept. In fact, it has long been practiced in foreign language classrooms. However, a tandem approach involving learners of different countries using social media is something that has not been fully understood. Theoretically speaking, language acquisition occurs when rich comprehensible input is provided to language learners. Unfortunately, not all language learning contexts can provide this vital input, primarily owing to an inadequate language proficiency level of both teachers and students. In fact, this situation is not uncommon in the English as a Foreign Language (hereafter EFL) context. As a result, foreign language learning is hampered or impeded and little learning can occur, if at all. This paper argues that employing a telecollaborative social media-based tandem language learning approach could help to provide the missing input. With this approach, language learners of different linguistic backgrounds (i.e. native English speakers learning Indonesian and native Indonesian speakers learning English) work collaboratively using social media and assist one another in their learning - following the principle of mutual benefit and reciprocity. Teachers of both groups work together to design learning activities for the students with the aim being to provide ample opportunity for language learners to interact with native speakers of the target language and receive comprehensible input accordingly. Thus, a tandem approach by means of social media, such as Facebook, could help provide input critical to foreign language learning at times when input from the language learning environment is so inadequate. More importantly, a tandem language learning approach is compatible with and attuned to contemporary language learning theories such as Language Acquisition Theory and Constructivism. Finally, a tandem approach also promotes a fruitful collaboration among a wide array of educational institutions worldwide which, in turn, foster an international collaboration and networking.

Alberth, Yun Wang, William Yu Chjung Wang
Social Media Services Ecosystem for Marginalized Youth to Access Adult Education

This paper discusses the development of the reference interaction model for enhancing young marginalized adults (16–30) from various vulnerability backgrounds to access adult education opportunities by social media-based services’ ecosystem. The paper drives from H2020 project EduMap case studies’ data conducted with young people in different European countries: with migrant background (Turkey, Germany, Austria, UK), NEET and special education background (Estonia, UK, Finland, Austria), prison education background (Finland), roma background (Romania, Spain) and homeless youth (Greece). The qualitative reports were analysed for interaction patterns using concept mapping approach, and the reference model of interactions was developed. Based on the reference model, six interaction scenarios were developed as comics, which were evaluated formatively by focus group and 15 stakeholders. The design guidelines for social media services ecosystem were developed, to support using the reference interaction model and the scenarios for developing supportive social media ecosystems in countries that support the access to adult education for marginalized adults.

Kai Pata, Sille Paas
The Effect of Social Media on the Emotional Intelligence of Teachers in Indonesia

The purpose of this study was to present information and an overview of the influence of social media on the emotional intelligence of prospective teachers in Indonesia with aspects of competence to understand: (1) The use of by social media prospective teacher, (2) Emotional intelligence of prospective teacher and (3) The relationship between social media activity and the emotional intelligence of prospective teacher in Indonesia. The research method used in this study is Ex Post Facto with correlational forms and theoretical discussions. The sampling technique is used in this study is the quota sampling area intended for prospective teachers. The technique of data collection is indirect communication and documentation. The data analysis technique used is the analysis prerequisite testing which consists of a normality test and continued with a product trial hypothesis test, a coefficient of determination and influence to see the agreement between variables. Based on the results of research obtained that the use of social media has a significant relationship to emotional intelligence with a contribution of 53.63%, as for specific conclusions in this study as follows: The use of social media and intelligence of prospective researchers obtained average teachers of 3.14 and 3, 28 with good categories; There are a significant influence and relationship between the use of social media and the emotional intelligence of prospective student teachers; and facilitation of online learning and teaching spaces in the industrial revolution era 4.0 requires technology synergy and human society.

Andi Mursidi, Yudi Darma, Rustam, Suherdiyanto, T. Yani Achmad, I-Hsien Ting

Machine Learning and Evaluation Support Programs

Frontmatter
Design for System Change: Developing Digital Competences of Vocational Teachers

Digital transformation shapes the educational system in many ways. It has also far-reaching implications for teachers as their job description may fundamentally change in the future. In this light, it is important (1) to identify necessary digital competences of teachers and (2) to find ways to foster those competences in an efficient way. By means of a literature review and expert interviews, we developed a framework of teachers’ digital competences. In line with Baumert and Kunter (2006) as well as Koehler and Mishra (2009), it comprises content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. However, these facets have extended meaning in the context of digital transformation. Moreover, our framework considers the official EU competence framework (Carretero et al., 2017) and hence covers instrumental skills and knowledge in handling digital media. We successfully validated our framework by means of structural equation modelling with a sample of 215 Swiss teachers. Utilising an Importance Performance Map Analysis, we identified competence facets that show the highest effects on the (self-reported) use of digital media and content. For efficiently fostering those facets, we established a webinar series in order to provide further education service regarding topics like digital teaching and learning.

Sabine Seufert, Josef Guggemos, Eric Tarantini
Teaching Data Analytics to Sport Management Majors: A Practical Approach

The growing sector of sport industry increases the demand of sport management specialists capable of using digital technologies in their work. Among the most important fields, in which they need to gain proficiency is data analytics, which is expected to revolutionize the sports in near future. This suggests developing and offering of relevant technology courses to sport management students. Various factors (briefly discussed in the sequel) make the design of such courses a challenging task. In this paper we share our experience of how one can overcome the possible obstacles. We present the main aspects and components of a course on Data Analytics in Sport Management at a small liberal arts college and explain how the educational process is organized. The course is offered by using mostly Open Educational Resources (OER) and other free sources which are described in the paper. This complies with the aspiration of many universities to achieve reduction of textbook cost for their students.

Reneta P. Barneva, Valentin E. Brimkov
A Teaching-Learning Model of Collaborative Assessment in Computer Engineering Studies

The aim of this article is to highlight the benefits of implementing an active learning methodology in classes delivered to engineering degree students in Spain. The proposed teaching methodology has been designed for subjects with assessable practices and a high number of students in Computer Engineering degrees. The methodology is based on the redefinition of roles in the work assessment process where collaborative learning methods are incorporated. The idea of this approach is that students work closely together to learn from each other and that they are responsible for their own learning and that of fellow classmates. Moreover, they learn from participating in the process of assessing the work of their peers. This research describes the implementation of this technology and its promising results. Students increase their activity because they assume the role of solver of the proposed assignment in pair programming and also as evaluator of those of others due peers’ protocol. The proposed methodology gives them a more enriching understanding of the contents of the subjects as well as the need for greater intensity in the acquisition of such knowledge in the subject.

Ana B. Gil-González, Ana de Luis Reboredo, Sara Rodríguez González, Fernando de la Prieta Pintado
Students Performance Analysis Based on Machine Learning Techniques

One of the main concerns of educational entities is improving the quality of teaching and the academic performance of students. As a result of this concern, countless studies have been performed to identify the factors that affect student’s learning. These have helped to guide students in the correct direction and to change for the better their students’ habits and personal situation. Since the appearance of virtual classrooms, the monitoring of the students’ use of online resources has allowed teachers to identify their learning habits, analysing some of the reasons for their academic progress or the lack thereof.This research analyses different machine learning techniques, including tree based models and different types of Neural Networks. The objective is to apply those models to a dataset containing data from a virtual environment and construct performance models that will allow to predict if a student is going to fail or pass the academic year. Finally, the factors that have a greatest influence on the performance of a student are identified and suggestions for the improvement of those factors are proposed in order to achieve an increase the pass rate among students.

Alberto Rivas, Jesús M. Fraile, Pablo Chamoso, Alfonso González-Briones, Sara Rodríguez, Juan M. Corchado
A Report on the Application of Adaptive Testing in a First Year University Course

Assessment in education is a crucial task. The adoption of adaptive instead of classical testing poses questions from both a teacher and student perspective. According to the literature, teachers should experience shorter times to complete the assessment and obtain more precise evaluations, albeit at the cost of calibrating their questions. As for the students, adaptive testing does not allow to revise the already given questions, which is usually seen as a detrimental characteristic. On the other hand, adaptation seems to increase their engagement. Given these premises, the paper describes the system for online assessment currently under development in the University of L’Aquila and reports on the research questions mentioned above. The results are positive (i.e., no particular usability issues, no problems for the item calibration process), inline with the literature (i.e., FIT is considered easier than CAT, CAT is more efficient than FIT) even if we cannot confirm that CAT is more engaging than FIT. These results, in summary, show that CAT should not introduce issues in the assessment process and could be experimented by professors and students with reasonable safety.

Anna Maria Angelone, Pierpaolo Vittorini
Teaching Effectiveness: An Innovative Evaluation Model

The evaluation of teaching effectiveness is an important process of higher educational institutions. Having regulations, policies and procedures that guide the teaching activity strengthens the quality of teaching. There are several teaching effectiveness evaluation models that have been applied, each one with their own particularities, objectives and supporting tools. Furthermore, there are numerous studies about their validity, metrics, weighting, properties collection, among others. One of the main inputs for teaching evaluation is the student’s achievement, in addition to the qualitative assessment done by expert peers. With this baseline, we intend to design a new evaluation model capable of evaluating teaching quality. The model focuses on the instructor’s educational capacities that include innovative metrics that will allow the evaluation of his/her competences from a nonobjective perspective. To support the application of the model, we have designed an architecture where we integrate Semantic Technologies and Machine Learning algorithms for knowledge representation and information processing. As a result, we expect that the final system will be able to measure the effectiveness of the teaching activity of each professor and to identify potential problems in the applied teaching method.

Walter Orozco, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez-García, Alberto Fernández
Machine Learning for the Identification of Students at Risk of Academic Desertion

In Latin America, desertion rates in higher education range between 40% and 75%. There are many reasons for a student to deserted of their studies. However, the importance of identifying the level of risk related to such desertion is reflected in the socio-economic impact for the institutions as well as for the country. Technological advancements in database management and artificial intelligence have led to the development of techniques such as Machine Learning, which supports decision-making when facing a problem and adapts accordingly to the required conditions. The following article shows a case study of the identification of students in Industrial Engineering at risk of dropping out in the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas from the 2003-1 to 2018-1 academic semesters. The algorithm is selected based on which is more suitable to the nature of data, through the comparison of automated learning techniques in Azure Machine Learning Studio.

Leidy Daniela Forero Zea, Yudy Fernanda Piñeros Reina, José Ignacio Rodríguez Molano
Evaluation of Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) Applied to Research

The recent increase in qualitative research has led to the production of software packages that help researchers process enormous amounts of data. Currently, several types of software are available depending on what they are intended for: data processing, text management, coding and recovery of data, building of theories or conceptual networks. This research introduces the different software allowing researchers to get an understanding of currently available tools. Moreover, it provides some guidelines to help researchers choose the most adequate tool. These programs offer valuable support in routine tasks, and conceptual and theoretical development. Nevertheless, no tool is ever going to substitute prior knowledge of methodological research.

M. C. Sánchez-Gómez, M. V. Martín-Cilleros, G. Sánchez Sánchez
Backmatter
Metadaten
Titel
Learning Technology for Education Challenges
herausgegeben von
Prof. Lorna Uden
Dario Liberona
Galo Sanchez
Sara Rodríguez-González
Copyright-Jahr
2019
Electronic ISBN
978-3-030-20798-4
Print ISBN
978-3-030-20797-7
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20798-4