Place-based education has been forwarded as a pedagogical approach that has the potential to contextualize learning, increase student engagement, and strengthen the relationship between schools and the broader community. Despite this promise, however, many teachers struggle to develop learning experiences that incorporate the key components of…

This dissertation studies how people describe emotions with language and how computers can simulate this descriptive behavior. Although many non-human animals can express their current emotions as social signals, only humans can communicate about emotions symbolically. This symbolic communication of emotion allows us to talk about emotions that we…

Virtual manipulatives as cognitive tools, dynamic/interactive, Web-based representations and/or technology-based renditions, allow users to engage in mathematical meaning making. This research investigated teacher candidates' perceptions of the mathematical, cognitive, and pedagogical fidelity of Fill and Pour virtual manipulative. Findings…

Among the unique affordances of digital simulations are changes in the possibilities for targets as well as the methods of assessment, most significantly, toward integration of thinking with action, embedding of tasks-as-performance of knowledge-in-action, and unobtrusive observational methods. This paper raises and briefly defines key data…

To ensure the quality of digital simulation game, we utilized the usability evaluation heuristic in the design and development processes of e-café operational management game-based learning material for students. The application of usability evaluations during this study is described. Additionally, participant selection, data collection and…

This paper describes the development of an aero control experiment apparatus (ACEA) for use in aerospace control practical courses. The ACEA incorporates a systematic multihierarchy learning and teaching method, and was designed to improve aerospace engineering students' understanding of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control systems. It offers a…

The use of 3D and Virtual Reality is gaining interest in the context of academic discussions on E-learning technologies. However, the use of 3D for learning environments also has drawbacks. One way to overcome these drawbacks is by having an adaptive learning environment, i.e., an environment that dynamically adapts to the learner and the…

In this study we analyze how 57 Spanish university students of Education developed a learning process in a virtual world by conducting activities that involved the skill of self-management. The learning experience comprised a serious game designed in a 3D simulation environment. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used in the…

This study investigates whether Virtual Manipulatives (VM) within a Physical Manipulatives (PM)-oriented curriculum affect conceptual understanding of electric circuits and related experimentation processes. A pre-post comparison study randomly assigned 194 undergraduates in an introductory physics course to one of five conditions: three…

"Second Life," a 3D online immersive virtual environment, emerged in 2003 and was predicted to become the predominant online course delivery platform by 2013. Educational institutions initially rushed to create a presence in the "Second Life;" however, after 2009 those same institutions were disappointed by their experiences…

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) faces a number of challenges, including technological and societal changes, exemplified by changes in demography, rapidly changing labour markets, persistent social inequalities and conflict. These changes require people to possess skills that are adaptable to the changing nature of work and…

"English Teaching and New Literacies Pedagogy: Interpreting and Authoring Digital Multimedia Narratives" is about the fusion of media and narrative, and explores theoretical and practical dimensions of young people's engagement with contemporary forms of text. It showcases a range of critical interpretative approaches for integrating…

The purpose of this study was to examine science teachers' level of using computers in teaching and the impact of a teacher professional development program (TPDP) on their views regarding utilizing computers in science education. Forty-three in-service science teachers from different regions of Turkey attended a 5 day TPDP. The TPDP was…

Although problem-based learning (PBL) has many advantages, it often fails to connect to the real world outside the classroom. The integration with the laboratory setting and the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been proposed to address this deficiency. Multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) like Second Life (SL) are…

The Speak Up National Research Project annually polls K-12 students, parents and educators about the role of technology for learning in and out of school. For the past thirteen years, Project Tomorrow's® annual Speak Up Research Project has provided schools and districts nationwide and throughout the globe with new insights into how today's…