Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research

Educational robotics and STEAM in early childhood education

2021-07-19T12:33:29+08:00

The interest in the future configuration, focusing on the innovative technologies and more specifically on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math), is remarkably increased. The value of STEAM education is undeniable as a means of developing basic skills and competencies of young students improving the learning process, developing communication skills, and solving real-life difficulties. The current research study was completed in the context of an actual learning process, with the view to study educational robotics in kindergarten students to engage them with STEAM education, using the programmable robot Bee-Bot^® initially. The didactic intervention was held, which was developed in two phases. More specifically, a sample of 12 children (age range: 5–6 years old) took part in an intensive educational robotics lab for 16 sessions (4 weeks) by using a bee-shaped robot called Bee-Bot^®. The results of our current research study revealed that STEAM education could also take place in a speech therapy clinic using the appropriate educational robots. Our young students developed and mastered knowledge in programming and computerizing, and algorithmic thinking with playful mod using educational robots, and they also built their vocabulary and develop communication skills.

The management of Digital Learning Objects of Natural Sciences and Digital Experiment Simulation Tools by teachers

2021-06-29T12:24:04+08:00

In the present study, we tried to find possible obstacles that Primary and Secondary education teachers face when managing Digital Learning Objects (DLOs) and/or Digital Simulation Tools (DST) in Science. One hundred seventy-six teachers from all over Greece answered the questionnaire. The results showed that the main reason for refusing to deal with DLOs and DSTs is the technological equipment. Also, the lack of adequate training level B 'results in about 25% of teachers not knowing the DSTs and 30% not knowing the DLOs. Factors such as the teaching experience, the specialty, the Pan-Hellenic examinations, the classes they teach, and the number of students they have per class negatively affect the teachers' attitude to get involved with the DLOs the DSTs. Finally, the negative attitude seems to be related to the lack of trust in the curriculum content as teachers prefer to search DLOs and DSTs on the internet connection. Further research with mixed methods of analysis would help to obtain satisfactory results.

Implementation and evaluation of a remote seminar on the pedagogical use of educational robotics

2021-07-06T14:18:22+08:00

This article describes distance teacher training for educational robotics' pedagogical use, e.g., the planning, the implementation, and the evaluation by the teachers involved. The training seminars were organized as part of the Greek eTwinning community's seminars. They were based on a Teacher Practice Community of the South Aegean about using ICT in teaching practice. From 2018 we have included seminars on educational robotics. There is a growing interest in the use of educational robotics in teaching practice. Although the topic is such that face-to-face contact and experimentation with the subject is considered necessary, we tried to educate teachers using remote learning methodology. The project was successful, and the evaluation of the seminars was very positive.

A transformative educational framework in tourism higher education through digital technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021-06-25T15:34:18+08:00

The rapid development and the integration of emerging technologies are changing the perceptions in all aspects of education. As the current tourism education is considered traditional, changes in learning environments, educational methods, and curricula are required. Additionally, the latest COVID- 19 pandemic developments have led to a new perspective of education through digital technologies, changing how universities perceive the teaching and the learning process. As a result of these circumstances, the transformation of higher tourism education is more than ever a current issue preparing students to face the new challenges that arise. This paper proposes an educational framework using the Transformative Learning Theory and digital technologies, providing a contemporary learning design, and offering flexible use of many digital technologies and tools, leading to the development of tourism students according to the needs of modern society. It can also lead to the transformation of dysfunctional beliefs and assumptions of tourism students to be more functional and thrive. Implementing the educational framework can lead to the upgrade of the provided tourism education and its transformation, leading to a higher quality of the tourism services.

Reinforcing preschoolers’ phonemic awareness through the use of tablets

2021-06-25T15:35:29+08:00

This study aimed to implement an intervention program to examine whether tablets enhance kindergarten children’s phonemic awareness. Seventy-four (74) kindergarten children (40 boys and 34 girls) aged 4 to 6 years from 4 public kindergarten classrooms participated in the study, from which 38 children formed the experimental group while 36 children formed the control one. During the intervention program, children in the experimental group were trained through tablets in initial phoneme identification, initial phoneme deletion, and phoneme segmentation, while the control group trained in the same tasks without tablets. Results showed statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental group. In conclusion, the present research found that digital media help educational practice, but it is also how teachers use digital tools to facilitate learning.

Emergency remote teaching in Greece during the first period of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic

2021-06-25T15:33:49+08:00

During the first period of the covid-19 pandemic, schools in Greece suspended the face-to-face operation for about three months, and teachers were called in an emergency to adjust the teaching methods remotely. The educational community was called to deal with this emergency with the primary goal to maintain students’ contact with the educational process. The urgent use of distance communication and teaching forms was a project with many difficulties for teachers, students, and parents. In all this transition process, the practice and learning communities that teachers themselves organized were crucial. The Greek eTwinning community immediately implemented three MOOC seminars (Mass Open Online Courses), which were designed to assist them in the use and pedagogical utilization of distance education tools. More than 30,000 teachers participated in these seminars. In this paper, we present the results of a survey conducted on a sample of 1080 Greek teachers, members of the eTwinning community, and we describe how they dealt with remotely teaching. The research refers to tools used, the distance communication content, and the difficulties encountered to implement the whole project.

Teaching mathematics with mobile devices and the Realistic Mathematical Education (RME) approach in kindergarten

2021-06-25T15:36:30+08:00

Nowadays, smart mobile devices such as tablets and accompanying applications (apps) are a part of young children's daily lives. In kindergarten education, properly designed digital educational activities can become a potent educational tool for efficient and effective learning. These tools allow children to take advantage of new learning platforms and effectively reach new knowledge through activities related to their immediate interests and real-life scenarios in learning domains, such as mathematics. At the Department of Preschool Education, University of Crete, systematic research was carried out in the last years to investigate whether there are compelling benefits to using tablet-type devices in preschool education to implement teaching reform proposals to implement the Realistic Mathematical Education in kindergarten classrooms. The findings propose mobile devices' integration, running developmentally appropriate apps, in kindergarten classrooms. These apps were based on the three levels of Realistic Mathematics Education (RME), targeting fundamental mathematical concepts for the kindergarten level.

Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research (A.M.L.E.R.): Mobile learning as an educational reform

2021-06-25T15:36:00+08:00

The journal Advances in Educational Research and Evaluation is a peer-reviewed openaccess journal aimed to be a medium for discussing a wide range of international educational experiences and assessment techniques. The journal intends to publish high-quality articles, the scope of which includes but is not limited to topics mentioned in this editorial. With the support of an international team of educational scholars who kindly volunteered to serve on the editorial board, the journal is set to adhere to the highest publishing ethics standards.