Despite the novelty and excitement of the promise that technology will revolutionize education, as it has revolutionized many other fields (medicine, industries), programs in recent years have shown that technology alone does not have the power to change education for the better (Blackwell et al., 2014, para.4). Still, people can do this, if they are willing to learn how, why and when. In other words, first, the devices were introduced and the infrastructure created, then administrators and teachers began to learn how to use it, with support in some countries, without support in others. Would a reverse approach have been more useful? For instance, specializing teachers and subsequently equipping schools with the necessary infrastructure? We are in a situation where there are sometimes early education institutions where there is equipment, but education managers and teachers do not have the full picture of how and when to use it, and what are the implications of this usage.
Given observations and studies carried out in the school environment, we wonder how equipping kindergartens with tablets and other screen devices would work? What makes digital technology really useful in early childhood education? What should be the motivation for the introduction of digital technologies in early education?
This paper provides psychological and educational benchmarks for the use of digital technologies in preschool educational institutions, as well as in the context of family education.
Navigating Learning Paths with EDSense: An AI-Powered Learning Platform
In the realm of contemporary education, the integration of advanced technology is not just a trend but a necessity. ”EDSense” emerges as a cutting-edge platform at the intersection of educational needs and technological innovation. This paper focuses on the development of a social educational platform, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) uniquely designed to support the official educational curriculum, catering to a wide range of users from students and teachers in grades I-XII in Romania, to adult learners. Central to EDSense is the use of AI for personalized learning experiences. This includes the implementation of sophisticated recommending systems that adapt to individual learning styles and progress. Personalized quizzes, crafted using AI algorithms, offer a tailored approach to assess and reinforce learning. Furthermore, EDSense employs sentiment analysis to gauge and respond to the emotional and cognitive states of learners, thereby enhancing the overall learning experience. The platform stands as a testament to the potential of AI in revolutionizing education. By combining educational content with state-of-the-art technology, EDSense aims to provide an engaging, effective, and highly personalized learning journey, setting a new standard in educational technology.
Preconditions for the development of the integrated learning analytics and action research model for Lithuanian general education schools: theoretical insights and research design
The integration of technology in education holds promise for revolutionizing learning experiences by improving efficiency, enriching content, and empowering educators and learners alike. Learning analytics (LA) emerges as a crucial tool, utilizing data within virtual learning environments to scrutinize and refine the teaching/ learning process. However, despite the abundance of data, educators often lack the expertise to effectively utilize this information, impeding its potential to enhance teaching methods and student outcomes. Furthermore, the ethical and practical boundaries of employing learning analytics remain undefined.
This article endeavours to explore the foundational prerequisites for devising an integrated Learning analytics and Action research (LAAR) model. This model seeks to equip educators in general education institutions with the tools to monitor learners and teaching/ learning dynamics in digital settings, facilitating data-driven decision-making for pedagogical improvements. Employing the Design science research methodology, particularly focusing on cognitive artifacts like human-computer interfaces, this research aims to address existing methodological limitations and propose novel solutions. By aligning with the socio-technical nature of learning analytics systems, involving diverse stakeholders and technology, this approach aims to foster the interpretation and application of analytics data in educational contexts.
Instruments of Learning: Know the Worth of Educational Tools
Have you ever wondered why some musical instruments cost millions of dollars? What could make an instrument worth that much money, and how is it different from other instruments that are more affordable? But does this difference in value and quality extend beyond the world of music? Can we apply similar principles to educational tools and instruments?
Perhaps. Whether it is a digital tool that engages students with interactive content, a hands-on activity that encourages critical thinking and problem-solving, or a traditional tool like a textbook or chalkboard that forms the backbone of classroom instruction, the quality and effectiveness of educational instruments can have a significant impact on student outcomes. In this article we will explore (I) a short history of educational instruments and (II) how teachers should differentiate between these.
Ariadna Experiment. The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Education Sciences
The role of AI in shaping and re-shaping scientific content is notable in several scientific areas. Ariadna (Artificial intelligence advancement to nurture social sciences areas) is a longitudinal study initiated in 2022 with the aim to estimate the added value of the artificial intelligence in social sciences area; a certain part of education sciences was chosen, in order to benefit from the large amount of new and freely available source content: digital pedagogy, further narrowed down to a series of 27 theoretical and practical themes.
Ariadna experiment is trying to reveal the contribution of AI to the development of social sciences. (1) An AI chat app was used for a guided conversation, in order to estimate the ability of AI to produce scientific innovative content. (2) A number of 27 texts on education sciences topics were generated using the most advanced freely available AI tools, in December 2022. The same requests will be used in 2023 to re-generate content. A side-by-side comparison of the outputs will be made in the next phases of Ariadna experiment. (3) Some of the generated articles were compared with scientific texts elaborated by researchers on the same theme, in the same period.
Essay on the Role of Video Games in Teaching Literature
In an era of continuous digitalization, teachers turn to new technology in order to adapt to the universe of their students, to remain relevant in this constant change of interests. Students are motivated by elements of popular culture, being constantly exposed to an environment that is rich in information and textual patterns. And yet, what is the connection between literature and video games? Is there such a connection in the first place?
Students need guidance when it comes to developing their literary skills of analysis and communication, as well as literary thinking. Hours dedicated to integrating video games in our educational environment corresponds to students’ passions, highlighting one of their major interest, represented by entertainment in a virtual environment. We can all see this happening when it comes to our students. They can be easily absorbed by any kind of virtual reality that may encounter, but it is so hard to get the same reaction from them when it comes to a classical way of teaching. Until now, reading competences and literary skills were applied to books. But the same skills can be applied to many other mediums in which storytelling plays out the main role, such as comics, movies, and video games.
Video games have evolved from a simple means of entertainment to a tool of deep quality learning. Often, students feel that they are a more significant part of a story within a video game that in the environment created by books. Let’s face it! Students love to play, but sometimes they hate to read, especially when they feel forced to do so. The need for teachers to examine video games as literature starts from students’ lack of interest in reading, which comes from the way they lived their lives until now, growing up spending more time playing video games than reading books. This is a reality that we do not only need to accept, but also to adapt to it and to make the best out of it.
But how can we use video games to teach literature and develop the analytical skills of our students?
Digital Pedagogy. Definition and Conceptual Area
Is there a digital pedagogy, as a distinct domain, different from general pedagogy and from any other pedagogy? If so, what are the aims, object of study, specific methods and principles of digital pedagogy? What is digital pedagogy and how does it articulate with education sciences? These are the questions of the beginning stage of an emerging area within the education sciences, where practice challenges us to expand the existing body of knowledge corpus and pedagogical methods.
The article contributes to the contextualization of the set of information, experiences and scientific knowledge, conditions, relationships, meanings orbiting the phrase “digital pedagogy”. The term itself has been used for over 10 years – the first dedicated articles being from 2011, with elements of digital proto-pedagogy in 2004: Latham, apud Fyfe – but absorbing a series of much older concepts and practices, sometimes in a new way.