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2. New Communication Technologies: A Challenge for Press Freedom. No. 106. Reports and Papers on Mass Communication.
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United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France)., Sparks, Colin, Sparks, Colin, and United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).
- Abstract
This volume enlarges upon questions concerning censorship and self-censorship and provides case studies as well as theoretical reflection on the relationship between new technology and media freedom. The seven essays included in this collection deal with two central contemporary problems of the mass media--freedom and democracy. The papers are: "Exit the Censor, Enter the Regulator" (Leonard R. Sussman); "Impact of New Information and Communication Technologies on Information Diversity in North America and Western Europe" (Nicholas Garnham); "The Impact of Electronic Mass Media in Sweden" (Charly Hulten); "Video-Cassette Recorders in Ghana: Impact on Press Freedom in Sub-Saharan Africa" (S. T. Kwame Boafo); "New Communication Technologies and Information Freedom in Latin America" (Rafael Roncagliolo); "New Communication Technologies and Press Freedom: A Chilean Case Study" (Fernando Reyes Matta); and "The Media as Fourth Estate: A Survey of Journalism Educators' Views" (Colin Sparks and Slavko Splichal). The first three papers are concerned with the larger picture and the larger media; the second three are concerned with the "marginal" rather than the dominant media; and the final paper deals with some of the problems of the media and democracy in terms of their staff and resources. (TMK)
- Published
- 1991
3. Internet Administration of Three Commonly Used Questionnaires in Panic Research: Equivalence to Paper Administration in Australian and Swedish Samples of People With Panic Disorder
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Austin, David W., Carlbring, Per, Richards, Jeffrey C., and Andersson, Gerhard
- Abstract
This study assessed the degree of equivalence between paper and Internet administration of three measures of panic and agoraphobia-related cognition and behavior: Body Sensations Questionnaire (BSQ), Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire (ACQ), and Mobility Inventory (MI). Participants were 110 people with panic disorder who had registered for an Internet-based treatment program in Sweden (n = 54) or Australia (n = 56). Participants were randomly assigned to complete the questionnaires via the differing administration formats in a counterbalanced order. Results showed broadly equivalent psychometric properties across administrations, with strong significant intraclass correlations between them, and comparable Cronbach's alpha coefficients. A significant mean difference between administration formats was found for the BSQ only. In contrast to previous research, Internet administration did not generate higher scores than paper administration. No effect was found for order of administration. The findings suggest that each questionnaire can be validly administered via the Internet and used with confidence.
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- 2006
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4. Publishers' Responses to the E-Book Phenomenon: Survey Results from Three 'Small Language' Markets
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Wilson, T. D. and Maceviciute, Elena
- Abstract
Introduction: This paper reports on a study of publishers' attitudes towards e-books in the context of the global situation of e-book publishing. Comparative data are drawn from a replication of a survey carried out in Sweden, in Lithuania and in Croatia. Method: A self-completed questionnaire survey was undertaken, offering respondents the choice of a printed questionnaire or a response through an online SurveyMonkey alternative. Analysis: Quantitative analysis was performed using the descriptive statistics capability of SurveyMonkey. Results: The three country survey reveals a number of similar responses from publishers on several key issues, i.e., self-publishing, the future role of bookshops, and relationships with public libraries. The results also reveal that publishers have a certain ambivalence on these issues. Conclusion: In "small language" markets, the take-up of e-books represents a much smaller proportion of total sales than in the English language market. Responses to questions on publishers' relationships with authors, booksellers and libraries show a high degree of unanimity of opinion. [Paper presented at the Information Seeking in Context (ISIC): The Information Behaviour Conference, Part 1 (11th, Zadar, Croatia, September 20-23, 2016).]
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- 2016
5. Proceedings of the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS) International Conference on Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age (CELDA) (15th, Budapest, Hungary, October 21-23, 2018)
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International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS), Sampson, Demetrios G., Ifenthaler, Dirk, and Isaías, Pedro
- Abstract
The aim of the 2018 International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS) Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age (CELDA) conference was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There have been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a fast pace and affecting academia and professional practice in many ways. Paradigms such as just-in-time learning, constructivism, student-centered learning and collaborative approaches have emerged and are being supported by technological advancements such as simulations, virtual reality and multi-agent systems. These developments have created both opportunities and areas of serious concerns. This conference aims to cover both technological as well as pedagogical issues related to these developments. Main tracks have been identified. However innovative contributions that do not easily fit into these areas will also be considered as long as they are directly related to the overall theme of the conference -- cognition and exploratory learning in the digital age. The CELDA 2018 Conference received 85 submissions from more than 31 countries. Each submission was reviewed in a double-blind review process by at least two independent reviewers to ensure quality and maintain high standards. Out of the papers submitted, 37 were accepted as full papers, 20 were accepted as short papers, and 5 were accepted as reflection papers. In addition to the presentation of full, short and reflection papers, the conference also includes one keynote presentation from internationally distinguished researcher, Professor Tobias Ley, Professor for Learning Analytics and Educational Innovation, Head of the Center of Excellence in Educational Innovation, Tallinn University, Estonia. Individual papers contain figures, tables, and references. An author index is provided.
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- 2018
6. Self-Evaluation Using iPads in EFL Teaching Practice
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Allen, Christopher, Hadjistassou, Stella K., and Richardson, David
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The relentlessly accelerating global educational demands for teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) in multiple, diverse, and often remote geographic locations constitute new challenges for academic institutions, teacher training and preparation programs, and teachers themselves. This study describes a novel approach where five elementary school preservice teachers teaching ESL/EFL borrowed an iPad mini from their teacher training institution customized with specific apps to record a series of five teaching sequences during their teaching practice placement in elementary schools in Tanzania and Kenya. All recorded sessions were uploaded to a Moodle Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) site specially constructed for the purpose of the teaching practice course. Results indicate that, apart from their experienced instructors' feedback on their teaching practice, the recorded sessions formed constructive tools for self-reflection, self-evaluation and the pursuit of possible paths for improvement. [For the complete volume of short papers, see ED572005.]
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- 2016
7. Social Media as an Alternative to Moodle in EFL Teaching Practice Forums
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Allen, Christopher
- Abstract
This paper reports on the preferences among a group of pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher trainees for social media rather than "Moodle," an institutional Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), as a forum for support during a recent five week teaching practice in southern Sweden. The teacher trainees responded to a questionnaire relating to preferences for their own "Facebook" group as opposed to the "Moodle" forum set up specifically by the course tutor for the purpose of sharing observations and discussing lesson planning, aspects of reflective practice and resources while on teaching practice. Their reflections shed interesting light on the importance of student EFL teacher ownership and "student centricity" in the learning space. These concepts emerge from a consideration of the learning space at the intersection of pedagogical, technological and content knowledge and the nature of forum discussions when faced with the alternative between social media and institutionalized learning platforms under the direction of teacher trainers and course managers. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
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- 2015
8. Metric Equivalence in International Surveys: Cultural Edges
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Andersson, Annica and Österling, Lisa
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This is a critical methodological paper concerning the translation and cultural adaptation processes of an international mathematics education survey questionnaire. Metric equivalence concerns not only language, but also content and activities chosen as indicators in the survey. We here focus the challenges when making cultural, historical and societal considerations when adapting a survey to a new language and cultural context. We conclude that the recommended back translation is not enough to ensure metric equivalence when adapting surveys to a new country. Therefore, we suggest an elaborated method for cultural adaptation. Regarding our survey, this resulted in a survey translation that is better culturally adapted for respondents. [For the complete proceedings, see ED597799.]
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- 2014
9. Predicting Directly Measured Trunk and Upper Arm Postures in Paper Mill Work From Administrative Data, Workers' Ratings and Posture Observations.
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Heiden, Marina, Garza, Jennifer, Trask, Catherine, and Mathiassen, Svend Erik
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POSTURE , *ARM , *BLUE collar workers , *FATIGUE (Physiology) , *ERGONOMICS , *DIGITAL image processing , *INDUSTRIAL hygiene , *LONGITUDINAL method , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *RESEARCH funding , *VIDEO recording , *MANUFACTURING industries , *TASK performance , *PAIN measurement , *TORSO , *VISUAL analog scale , *DATA analysis software , *STATISTICAL models - Abstract
Objectives: A cost-efficient approach for assessing working postures could be to build statistical models for predicting results of direct measurements from cheaper data, and apply these models to samples in which only the latter data are available. The present study aimed to build and assess the performance of statistical models predicting inclinometer-assessed trunk and arm posture among paper mill workers. Separate models were built using administrative data, workers' ratings of their exposure, and observations of the work from video recordings as predictors. Methods: Trunk and upper arm postures were measured using inclinometry on 28 paper mill workers during three work shifts each. Simultaneously, the workers were video filmed, and their postures were assessed by observation of the videos afterwards. Workers' ratings of exposure, and administrative data on staff and production during the shifts were also collected. Linear mixed models were fitted for predicting inclinometer-assessed exposure variables (median trunk and upper arm angle, proportion of time with neutral trunk and upper arm posture, and frequency of periods in neutral trunk and upper arm inclination) from administrative data, workers' ratings, and observations, respectively. Performance was evaluated in terms of Akaike information criterion, proportion of variance explained (R²), and standard error (SE) of the model estimate. For models performing well, validity was assessed by bootstrap resampling. Results: Models based on administrative data performed poorly (R² ≤ 15%) and would not be useful for assessing posture in this population. Models using workers' ratings of exposure performed slightly better (8% < R² ≤ 27% for trunk posture; 14% < R² ≤ 36% for arm posture). The best model was obtained when using observational data for predicting frequency of periods with neutral arm inclination. It explained 56% of the variance in the postural exposure, and its SE was 5.6. Bootstrap validation of this model showed similar expected performance in other samples (5th-95th percentile: R² = 45-63%; SE = 5.1-6.2). Conclusions: Observational data had a better ability to predict inclinometer-assessed upper arm exposures than workers' ratings or administrative data. However, observational measurements are typically more expensive to obtain. The results encourage analyses of the cost-efficiency of modeling based on administrative data, workers' ratings, and observation, compared to the performance and cost of measuring exposure directly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2017
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10. Conceptions of Personal Learning Environments among EFL Teachers at Upper Secondary Level in Sweden
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Allen, Christopher
- Abstract
In recent years, virtual learning environments (VLEs) or course management systems (CMSs) have become commonplace in European higher education as well as making inroads into primary and secondary schools. VLEs such as "Moodle," "Blackboard" and "It's Learning" offer educational institutions standardised packages in the form of a range of administrative, pedagogical and communicative tools. Teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) at secondary and tertiary levels are certainly no exception to this trend, employing VLEs as learning platforms to support a variety of ICT-based learning activities and tasks. VLEs have however attracted criticism from some quarters in that they may sometimes be seen merely as virtual embodiments of the classroom with all the restrictions which the "physical" classroom has traditionally entailed. Furthermore it has been argued that VLEs have failed to embrace the full advantages of Web 2.0 technologies or acknowledge trends towards informal learning afforded by social media. The response to this criticism has been the envisioning of personal learning environments (PLEs) which utilise the plethora of free, often collaborative online resources and tools now available to teachers and learners. This paper explores the conceptualisation of PLEs among upper secondary school teachers of English in Sweden on the basis of Dabbagh and Reo's (2009) model of social collaboration and interactivity in the educational workplace. [For full proceedings, see ED565044.]
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- 2013
11. Categorization of Digital Games in English Language Learning Studies: Introducing the SSI Model
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Sundqvist, Pia
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The main aim of the present paper is to introduce a model for digital game categorization suitable for use in English language learning studies: the Scale of Social Interaction (SSI) Model (original idea published as Sundqvist, 2013). The SSI Model proposes a classification of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) digital games into three categories: singleplayer (the smallest scale), multiplayer, and massively multiplayer online games (MMOs, the largest scale). The potential for naturalistic learning (Benson, 2011) of English is hypothesized to be greater the larger the scale of in-game social interaction. A secondary aim is to present preliminary findings regarding the validation of the SSI Model based on data collected from Swedish learners (9th grade) in an ongoing 3-year study about the relation between out-of-school digital gameplay and vocabulary acquisition. The results reveal, for example, that it is more common that learners who play games frequently play multiplayer games and/or MMOs than singleplayer games. Moreover, the results provide partial evidence of the validity of the SSI Model in that the learners who are categorized as playing multiplayer games and MMOs score higher on two vocabulary tests than the learners categorized as playing singleplayer games. [For full proceedings, see ED565044.]
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- 2013
12. Computer-Assisted L2 English Language-Related Activities among Swedish 10-Year-Olds
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Sundqvist, Pia and Sylvén, Liss Kerstin
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This paper presents findings from a study investigating young Swedish learners' extramural (out-of-school) contact with English. In contemporary Sweden, the influx of English is great and research has shown that extramural contact with English correlates positively with students' proficiency in English (Olsson, 2011; Sundqvist, 2009; Sylvén, 2004). While Sylvén (2004) investigates type and amount of involvement in extramural English activities among upper secondary students and Sundqvist (2009) as well as Olsson (2011) among 9th graders, little on the same topic is known about younger learners. However, in a nationwide survey, more than half of Swedish 5th graders indicate that they have learned English as much or more outside of school than in school (Skolverket, 2004), but empirical studies on the topic remain scarce. Based on data collected from young learners (N = 112; grade 4; age 10), this paper presents results regarding their type and amount of extramural language activities in English as well as in Swedish and other languages. Previous research has shown that digital gaming may contribute to L2 English learning, in particular with regard to vocabulary (Cobb & Horst, 2011; Miller & Hegelheimer, 2006; Ranalli, 2008; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2012). Therefore, the first focus of our presentation is on these young learners' L2 English language-related use of computers, for instance in playing digital games. A comparison is made between digital gaming habits in English and Swedish. The second focus is on analyses of playing digital games from the perspectives of gender and the learners' first languages. The final focus is on learner motivation and self-assessed L2 English proficiency. [For the complete volume, see ED574893.]
- Published
- 2012
13. Patients Reading Their Medical Records: Differences in Experiences and Attitudes between Regular and Inexperienced Readers
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Huvila, Isto, Daniels, Mats, Cajander, Åsa, and Åhlfeldt, Rose-Mharie
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Introduction: We report results of a study of how ordering and reading of printouts of medical records by regular and inexperienced readers relate to how the records are used, to the health information practices of patients, and to their expectations of the usefulness of new e-Health services and online access to medical records. Method: The study is based on a combined postal- and Web-survey of a simple random sample of 1,000 patients who ordered a paper copy of their medical records from the Uppsala county council (Sweden) with a final analysed sample of 354 returned questionnaires. Analysis: The data were analysed using SPSS 21.0 using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variation (ANOVA) using Tamhane's T2 test, chi-squared tests and logistic regression analysis. Results: The analysis shows that individuals who had ordered a copy of their medical records in the past perceive their usefulness in broader terms than first-timers. The regular readers are also most concerned about their health and the quality of care. Conclusions: It seems that in addition to certain demographic factors, many of the variations in the data can be explained in terms of adaptive structuration theory. This is a result of a parallel structuration of patients, medical records and the paper-based and online technologies of access, and consequently how patients perceive records and the different methods of accessing and using them.
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- 2016
14. Effects of Online Translation on Morphosyntactic and Lexical-Pragmatic Accuracy in Essay Writing in Spanish as a Foreign Language
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Fredholm, Kent
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The use of online translation (OT) is increasing as more pupils receive laptops from their schools. This study investigates OT use in two groups of Swedish pupils (ages 17-18) studying Spanish as an L3: one group (A) having free Internet access and the spelling and grammar checker of Microsoft Word, the other group (B) using printed dictionaries without Internet access. 112 Spanish essays were collected from the groups. Screencasts of 60 essay writings were recorded, and accompanied by a questionnaire and interviews to 13 pupils. The essays were analysed for morphological, syntactical and lexical accuracy. Significant differences between groups A and B were found for only a few error categories. Group B made a higher percentage of errors all-in-all, committed more mistakes regarding noun/adjective and noun/article agreement, whereas group A made more mistakes concerning verb mood, personal pronouns, and conjunctions. Many errors in group B can be explained by the fact that the pupils had no access to automatic corrective suggestions or automatic translation, as did group A. Flaws in OT can account for pronoun and syntactic errors in group A essays. The differences in correct use of verb mood and conjunctions are more difficult to explain and deserve further investigation. [For full proceedings, see ED565087.]
- Published
- 2014
15. Developing Swedish Spelling Exercises on the ICALL Platform Lärka
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Pijetlovic, Dijana and Volodina, Elena
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In this project we developed web services on the ICALL platform Lärka for automatic generation of Swedish spelling exercises using Text-To-Speech (TTS) technology which allows L2 learners to train their spelling and listening individually at home. The spelling exercises contain five different linguistic levels, whereby the language learner has the choice between word, inflected word, phrase, sentence and performance based levels. The embedded avatar pronounces a random item of the desired level, which the user has to spell. Furthermore, the users have the possibility to train their own words for different linguistic levels. A result tracker containing a total and correct answer score keeps track of the language learner's performance. In order to analyse typical spelling errors and provide better feedback, misspellings are collected in a database. The usability of the spelling exercises, concerning the different linguistic levels and the quality of speech, has been evaluated through a questionnaire with 10 participants. [For full proceedings, see ED565044.]
- Published
- 2013
16. Treading Old Paths in New Ways: Upper Secondary Students Using a Digital Tool of the Professional Historian
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Nygren, Thomas and Vikström, Lotta
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This article presents problems and possibilities associated with incorporating into history teaching a digital demographic database made for professional historians. We detect and discuss the outcome of how students in Swedish upper secondary schools respond to a teaching approach involving digitized registers comprising 19th century individuals and populations. Even though our results demonstrate that students experience the use of this digital database as messy, stressful, complicated, even meaningless and frustrating, they also perceive working with it as most interesting. We discuss this twofold outcome, its reasons and lessons to learn from it. When technology is functioning and the task is specialized and sufficiently guided by the teacher, which is not always the case, our results propose that digital databases can stimulate young people's interest and historical thinking. Knowledge construction based upon historical thinking is evident in the students' examination papers in which they present and debate their findings. These papers indicate that students can use a digital database and write history based upon empirical evidence, source criticism and historical empathy, just as professional historians do.
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- 2013
17. Socio-Scientific Issues--A Way to Improve Students' Interest and Learning?
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Lindahl, Britt, Rosberg, Maria, Ekborg, Margareta, Ideland, Malin, Malmberg, Claes, Rehn, Agneta, Ottander, Christina, Silfver, Eva, and Winberg, Mikael
- Abstract
According to many documents, there is a strong need to renew science education. One way could be to work with SSI (socio-scientific issues). This paper reports on both students' and teachers' experiences and learning when working with socio-scientific issues in science education in secondary school (aged from 13 to 16). The approach is multidimensional, as factors that influence cognition as well as motivation and the forming of attitudes are complex. Results suggest that SSI work forms are more important than personal factors for explaining outcomes. Relevant issues, autonomy and functioning group work seem to be important aspects of successful SSI work together with structure provided by the teacher, and information that challenges previous knowledge. In general, SSI seems to be most efficient for students, who believe that they learn from presenting and discussing their knowledge, focus on "the large picture", acknowledge own responsibility for learning, find school science personally relevant and are self-efficacious. It seems that the outcomes from SSI work are much in the hands of the teacher. This paper is a short summary of the first year and quantitative part of the project. Further results from the project will later be found in our homepage (http://www.sisc.se).
- Published
- 2011
18. Headache prevalence and characteristics among school children as assessed by prospective paper diary recordings.
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Larsson, Bo and Fichtel, Åsa
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ANALYSIS of variance , *CHI-squared test , *STATISTICAL correlation , *HEADACHE , *LONGITUDINAL method , *MULTIVARIATE analysis , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *REGRESSION analysis , *RESEARCH funding , *STATISTICS , *T-test (Statistics) , *DATA analysis , *REPEATED measures design , *SEVERITY of illness index , *DATA analysis software , *DIARY (Literary form) , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *ADOLESCENCE - Abstract
In the present school-based study, a convenience sample of 477 students in grades 6-9 and second year in high school from a city and a smaller town recorded daily occurrence and intensity of headaches in a standard paper diary during a 3-week period. Total headache activity (headache sum), number of headache days, intensity level and duration for weekly headaches were estimated. Approximately 85% of the adolescents had experienced headache of any intensity level during the 3-week recording period. On the average, they reported 2.5 headache days per week and a mean intensity level for headache episodes of 1.7. Our estimates for headache of any intensity level (1-5) occurring at least once a week was surprisingly high (73.8%). For the highest intensity level across the whole 3-week period, almost identical proportions of mild and moderate headaches were reported by students (22.3-22.5%), while about twice as many (40.7%) had experienced severe headaches. Girls consistently reported more headaches than boys, in particular of the moderate and severe intensity types. Students in the city also reported more frequent and intense headaches than those in the town. Peak headache activity was observed at noon and in the afternoon and in the days from the middle of the week until weekend. The use of prospective recordings in diaries will further advance our knowledge on the prevalence and characteristics of recurrent headaches among children and adolescents in community samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2012
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19. Effects of Whole Language on EFL Students' Motivation.
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Norstrom, Bjorn
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This paper reviews the history, definitions, descriptions, and current trends in whole language, an alternative language teaching philosophy. The entire construct of motivation is reviewed and defined. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the implementation of the whole language approach affects student motivation in an English as a foreign language (EFL) university setting. Results show that the whole language approach had two effects on EFL university students' motivation: (1) all subjects were able to achieve their goals; and (2) 65 percent put in greater effort than in previous EFL studies, whereas 30 percent put in equal effort. The whole language approach had a positive influence on the students' motivation. The subjects reported several possible reasons for the positive results, including the following: the continuity of the course, being able to learn new material, enjoyment of the course and class activities, being able to keep up with the rest of the class, few opportunities to get off-task, higher expectations, interesting content, and improvement of language skills. The role of teachers and the attitudes of students were also held to be important factors. (Contains 25 references.) (KFT)
- Published
- 1999
20. Sustainability Consciousness of Pre-Service Teachers in Pakistan
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Kalsoom, Qudsia, Khanam, Afifa, and Quraishi, Uzma
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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to draw attention towards sustainability consciousness (SC) of pre-service teachers (student teachers) as their role is central in teaching for sustainable development. This paper investigated SC of the pre-service teachers in Pakistan and compared it with other undergraduate students in the country and with that of Swedish upper secondary students. Design/methodology/approach: The paper used survey method using a tool developed by a group of Canadian researchers to measure knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards sustainable development. The instrument was later adapted by a group of Swedish researchers to measure SC. Study data came from 207 pre-service teachers and 154 undergraduate students studying humanities. Findings: The paper reports that SC of the pre-service teachers in Pakistan is much lower than that of Swedish upper secondary students. Moreover, the paper indicates that the SC of pre-service teachers is not different from other undergraduate students in the country. Practical implications: This paper establishes a baseline of SC of the final-year pre-service teachers enrolled in BEd (Honours) programme in Pakistan. Such a study is critical in the context when ESD is a missing element in teacher education in Pakistan. In the presence of such a baseline study, teacher education institutes and departments might review their curricula in terms of their focus on ESD and plan for initiatives to educate pre-service teachers for sustainability. Originality/value: The paper contributes to a broader debate on measuring SC of university students.
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- 2017
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21. Motivating Students with Authentic Science Experiences: Changes in Motivation for School Science
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Hellgren, Jenny M. and Lindberg, Stina
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Background: Students' motivation for science declines over the early teenage years, and students often find school science difficult and irrelevant to their everyday lives. This paper asks whether creating opportunities to connect school science to authentic science can have positive effects on student motivation. Purpose: To understand how authentic science experiences can affect students' motivation for science and students' goals, values, beliefs and attitudes towards science. Programme description: The Medicine Hunt brought scientists and students together to find bacteria that produce secondary metabolites with antibiotic effects. Scientists received help with collecting soil samples and teachers and students took an active role in research and worked with solving an authentic problem as a part of their ordinary school science over a course of six months. Sample: About 388 students from 18 lower-secondary school classes participating in the Medicine Hunt. Students were enrolled in grade seven to nine (13-15 years old). At this stage, science is compulsory, and all students follow the same science course. The classes represented different geographical regions of Sweden. Design and methods: Students filled in motivation questionnaires before and after the Medicine Hunt. Paired t-tests were used to evaluate how students' intrinsic motivation, goals, values, beliefs and attitudes towards science changed over the project period. Results: Students' intrinsic motivation for school science and plans for future participation in science remained unchanged during the period they participated in the Medicine Hunt, and students' goals, values and attitudes followed the well-documented pattern of decline. Thus, the authentic experience can arrest the well-described decline for some motivation-related factors. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the authentic experience can arrest some aspects of the decline in motivation for science in the teenage years. The paper discusses the processes around students' motivation in relation to authentic experiences.
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- 2017
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22. Enhancing Students' Entrepreneurial Mindset: A Swedish Experience
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Lindberg, Erik, Bohman, Håkan, Hulten, Peter, and Wilson, Timothy
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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on the test of a pedagogical intervention to enhance students' entrepreneurial mindset on a university course. Design/methodology/approach: The course where the authors tested the new course design is a mandatory one in the business school's undergraduate business program. Pre- and post-evaluations of the students' opportunity recognition (OR) and individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) were carried out to measure the effects of an intervention aimed at enhancing these capabilities. Findings: The results from paired-samples t-tests indicate significant positive changes (enhancements) of the students' OR and IEO. The positive effects of the intervention methods are accounted for as evidence of the benefits of applying pedagogical methods that fit the learning style of young adults. Practical implications: The findings suggest that students' mindsets can be positively affected by an intervention tailored to enhance their OR and IEO capabilities. The findings have implications for curriculum development because the strengthening of these capabilities is a precondition for further development of the participants' innovative and creative thinking, as well as their entrepreneurial orientation. Since innovative and entrepreneurial activities have a positive impact on economies worldwide, the authors encourage the adaption of the intervention methods applied in this study in other settings. Originality/value: This paper reports the results of a pedagogical intervention aimed at enhancing students' entrepreneurial mindset. The findings from the study demonstrate that the applied intervention method supports the development of functional skills, which complement the conceptual knowledge gained from other courses in the undergraduate program.
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- 2017
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23. E-Books in Academic Libraries: Results of a Survey Carried out in Sweden and Lithuania
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Maceviciute, Elena, Wilson, T. D., Gudinavicius, Arunas, and Šuminas, Andrius
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Introduction: This paper reports on a study of e-books issues in academic libraries in two European countries representative of small language markets--Sweden and Lithuania. Method: Questionnaire surveys, using the same instrument, were carried out in Swedish and Lithuanian academic libraries. Analysis: Quantitative analysis was performed using the descriptive statistics capability of SurveyMonkey. Results: The survey's results reveal some interesting similarities and differences in the two countries. Business models for e-book acquisition in both countries show similarities--the most popular additional model is purchase for perpetual ownership. One significant difference is that some of the Lithuanian academic librarians appear to have less direct knowledge of e-book acquisition, relying upon the Lithuanian Research Library Consortium to effect licence agreements with publishers and aggregators. Another significant difference is that academic libraries in Lithuania have a higher degree of access to e-books in the national language than is the case in Sweden. Conclusion: The findings show that the factors driving adoption of e-books, is composed of somewhat different elements in the two countries. Swedish librarians regard the need to keep up with technology and access and availability as the two main forces driving adoption of e-books in academic libraries. Lithuanian librarians see economics as the main factor, together with technology and demand from students.
- Published
- 2017
24. Students' Collaborative Peer Reviewing in an Online Writing Environment
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Bradley, Linda and Thouësny, Sylvie
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Peer review is applied as a powerful tool to enhance student collaboration online writing. The purpose of this paper is to analyse learners' mechanisms of peer reviewing in the nature of student interventions and interactions in written online peer reviewing and how categorization of student comments can be used as a means for analysing student peer reviewing. The study is an in-depth investigation of computer science students participating in a technical writing course, using Google Drive as their joint work space. While writing their group text, the students were participating in peer reviewing work. Results show combining analysis models provide a better understanding of the implication of commenting in both scrutinizing the progressive scale of assistance, as well as area, nature, and type of commenting, together with what themes evolve. Further, taking turns providing feedback is an enriching activity.
- Published
- 2017
25. The Use of Verbo-Visual Information in the Teaching of Geography--Views from Teachers.
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Pettersson, Rune
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A study examined teachers' actual use of media and pictures in their teaching of geography in the secondary schools of five countries (a previous study focused on representations). About 180 teachers from Australia, Greece, Japan, Sweden, and the United States responded to a questionnaire concerning how often they used various types of media or equipment, what kinds of pictures they used, and the reasons for using the pictures. Results indicated that: (1) there was a substantial difference in media use by individual teachers; (2) the blackboard and geography textbooks were used often by teachers in most countries; (3) wall maps are most used in Japan, used weekly in Australia, Sweden, and the United States, and monthly in Greece; and (4) geographical or print media was used much more than audio-visual media. Findings suggest that geography teaching is still very much an oral activity with very little media support. (Six tables of data are included; the questionnaire is attached.) (RS)
- Published
- 1991
26. Teachers in School Sports: Between the Fields of Education and Sport?
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Ferry, Magnus
- Abstract
According to the cultural sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, gaining access to a social space or a position within a social space requires a specific capital. For teachers, this is normally indicated by a valid teaching certificate with relevant subject knowledge. However, when no qualified teachers are available, which is the case for the subject of school sports in Sweden, other assets gain recognition. Drawing on Bourdieu's conceptual framework, this paper examined the conditions for school sports in Sweden, and based on questionnaires answered by 109 teachers, explored the competencies, education and backgrounds teachers in upper secondary school sports possess. The paper address the question: what valuable resources are required to become a teacher of school sports and gain recognition as symbolic capital? The results show that while school sports in Sweden are carried out through a school subject and thus regulated by the government, it is influenced by both the fields of education and sport. Furthermore, the questionnaire results show that a majority of the teachers are employed as coaches instead of teachers and that less than half of them (45%) have a teacher education background, while 95% have a coaching education background. However, the results also show that teachers assessed their competencies for teaching school sports as high, especially with regard to competencies in specific sport skills. In conclusion, this paper shows how coaching education and experience in competitive sports are an important resource required to become a teacher in school sports and is thus recognized as symbolic capital. Therefore, school sports cannot be viewed as a legitimate part of the field of education but can be viewed as a part of the field of sport.
- Published
- 2016
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27. 'Smart Students Get Perfect Scores in Tests without Studying Much': Why Is an Effortless Achiever Identity Attractive, and for Whom Is It Possible?
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Jackson, Carolyn and Nyström, Anne-Sofie
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Discourses about the value of effort and hard work are prevalent and powerful in many western societies and educational contexts. Yet, paradoxically, in these same contexts effortless achievement is often lauded, and in certain discourses is heralded as the pinnacle of success and a sign of genius. In this paper we interrogate discourses about effort and especially "effortlessness" in Swedish and English educational contexts. Informed, in particular, by interview data generated in upper secondary schools in Sweden and secondary schools in England, we address the questions: why is effortless achievement attractive, and for whom is it possible to be discursively positioned as an effortless achiever? We argue that the subject position of "effortless achiever" is not available to all categories of students equally, and for some it would be almost impossible to attain; the intersections of gender, social class, ethnicity and institutional setting are influential. We end by considering the problematic implications of effortless achievement discourses.
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- 2015
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28. Student Decision-Making about a Globally Familiar Socioscientific Issue: The Value of Sharing and Comparing Views with International Counterparts
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Grace, Marcus, Lee, Yeung Chung, Asshoff, Roman, and Wallin, Anita
- Abstract
This paper focuses on the views of 16-17-year-old science students from England, Germany, Hong Kong and Sweden on whale hunting, and their perceptions of the views of their international counterparts. The students were all provided with the same decision-making task, discussed the issue in small groups and then presented their views on video, which were shared with their counterparts. The findings show that the decision-making task served to deepen and modify students' views across all nationalities, and the students generally valued and learned from the sharing of views with students of the same age from around the world. However, an important discovery was that the German students' opinions often ran counter to those from the other 3 locations, and the paper cautions against making broad-sweeping generalisations about students' views on socioscientific issues.
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- 2015
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29. Voices of Special Educators in Sweden: A Total-Population Study
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Göransson, Kerstin, Lindqvist, Gunilla, and Nilholm, Claes
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Background: There are two occupational groups in Sweden that are expected to have significant impact on educational work related to children in need of special support. These two groups are special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) and special education teachers. In this paper, we use the collective name "special educators" to refer to both groups. Special educators are expected to have specific knowledge regarding the identification of, and work with, school difficulties. However, there is noticeably little research concerning these occupational groups. This study was undertaken in order to further our knowledge about special educators' work. Purpose: The overall purpose of the present paper is to provide a first overview of special educators' work. The paper investigates these special educators' perceptions of their occupational role, of their preparedness for the role and of how their role is practised. The paper also illuminates questions about SENCOs' and special education teachers' knowledge and values as well as the grounds for the occupational groups to claim special expertise related to the identification of, and work with, school difficulties. Design and method: A questionnaire was sent out in 2012 to "all" SENCOs and special education teachers in Sweden who received their degree from 2001 onwards and in accordance with the Swedish examination acts of 2001, 2007 and 2008 (N = 4252, 75% response rate). Results: According to the results, special educators state that they are well prepared to work with some tasks, such as counselling, leading development work and teaching children/pupils individually or in groups. Concurrently, there are tasks that the groups are educated for (e.g. school-development work), which they seldom practise in their daily work. Conclusions: Primarily using reasoning concerning jurisdictional control, we discuss SENCOs' and special education teachers' authority to claim special expertise in relation to certain kinds of work, clients and knowledge and thus, their chances of gaining full jurisdictional control in the field of special education.
- Published
- 2015
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30. Visualisation and Gamification of e-Learning and Programming Education
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Olsson, Marie, Mozelius, Peter, and Collin, Jonas
- Abstract
Courses in virtual learning environments can leave recently enrolled participants in a state of loneliness, confusion and boredom. What course content is essential in the course, where can more information be found and which assignments are mandatory? Research has stated that learner control and motivation are crucial issues for successful online education. This paper presents and discusses visualisation as a channel to improve learner's control and understanding of programming concepts and gamification as a way to increase study motivation in virtual learning environments. Data has been collected by evaluation questionnaires and group discussions in two courses partly given in the Moodle virtual learning environment. One course is on Game based learning for Bachelor's programmes, the other is a course on e-learning for university teachers. Both the courses have used progress bars to visualise students' study paths and digital badges for gamification. Results have also been discussed with teachers and pedagogues at a department for computer and systems sciences. Furthermore, two visualisation prototypes have been designed, developed and evaluated in programming lectures. Findings indicate that visualisation by progress bars is a good way to improve course participants' overview in online environments with rich and multifaceted content. To what degree the visualisation facilitates the course completion is hard to estimate, and like students have different learning styles, they also seem to have different visualisation needs. Gamification by digital badges seems to have various motivational impacts in different study groups and in traditional university programmes the traditional grades seem to be the main carrots. Finally, it seems that software visualisation might be a promising path to enhance programming education in the 21st century
- Published
- 2015
31. Managing Student Participation: Teacher Strategies in a Virtual EFL Course
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Wang, Airong
- Abstract
This paper aims to explore teacher strategies for managing student participation in a complex Multi-user Virtual Environment. Data include transcribed recordings from a task-based EFL course in Second Life. Conversational Analysis is adopted to analyze the teacher's verbal language output in the transcript, and a student questionnaire is used to complement the findings from the transcript. The results suggest that teacher strategies are influenced by task phases and also by the specific nature of Second Life.
- Published
- 2014
32. 'I Prefer to Think for Myself': Upper Secondary School Pupils' Attitudes Towards Computer-Based Spanish Grammar Exercises
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Fredholm, Kent
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There is an increasing pressure from school leaders in many countries for teaching to be based solely on ICT tools. The present study is interested in what this does to pupils' attitudes towards ICT in language classrooms. Is a digital monopoly a good way for pupils to learn languages? Is it what they want? To understand for which tasks students feel that computers are an appropriate tool, a qualitative survey mapping upper secondary school pupils' attitudes towards the ICT use for learning Spanish has been conducted. The study looks at ICT use for grammar practice. A group of pupils have completed lesson diaries, reflecting upon web-based grammar exercises, comparing them to paper-based exercises, and a questionnaire survey on general attitudes towards ICT in language learning. The results indicate that the majority of participating pupils ask for a greater variety of tasks and see a need also for traditional forms of grammar practice, especially written exercises which give time to reflect upon grammar, syntax and vocabulary. They want ICT use to be an option, not a constraint. Many complain on flaws in the design of web-based grammar exercises. This shows a need for more research into the effects of different designs of web-based tools. It also becomes clearer that decision-makers and teachers must focus more on the pedagogical purpose of learning tasks and that the first question to ask is: "How can I teach this in a way that suits my pupils?" rather than: "How can I add more ICT to my teaching?".
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- 2014
33. Local School Ideologies and Inclusion: The Case of Swedish Independent Schools
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Goransson, Kerstin, Malmqvist, Johan, and Nilholm, Claes
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This paper reports on the development of a framework for the classification of local school ideologies in relation to inclusion that provides a tool for classifying the general educational direction as well as work with pupils in need of special support of individual schools. The framework defines different aspects of local school ideology in terms of values related to the societal level, school level and individual level of the education system. The paper also reports on a study exploring variations among Swedish independent schools, concerning local school ideology using the framework as a theoretical tool. In this qualitative analysis, eight schools were selected from results of a questionnaire to all Swedish independent schools (return rate 79.5%) for further analysis based on interviews with different categories of school personnel, parents and pupils. Five different patterns of local school ideologies were found more or less in line with values of inclusion, e.g. the holistic-inclusive and the market-oriented-exclusive. Results are discussed in relation to the multiple and sometimes competing objectives that every school has to deal with and make priorities between. Implications for pupils in need of special support in a school system rapidly undergoing marketisation are finally discussed. (Contains 2 tables and 1 note.)
- Published
- 2013
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34. Opportunities for a Democratic Pedagogy: A Comparative Study of South African and Swedish Teachers' Attitudes to Inclusive Education
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Helldin, Rolf, Backman, Orjan, Dwyer, Helen, Skarlind, Anders, Hugo, Anna J., Nel, Norma, and Muller, Helene
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This paper is based upon the collaboration between two research groups from Stockholm University and the University of South Africa. The main objective is to compare attitudes between South African (SA) and Swedish teachers regarding inclusive education (IE). IE in this paper is examined as a distinct part of the Swedish welfare system. The method used can be characterised as a combined, quantitative and qualitative research design with a purposive sampling. A similar adapted questionnaire was distributed in the two countries. The Swedish teachers in our data are more pro-inclusion and more hesitating to accommodate learners with barriers in special schools. However, both the Swedish and the SA teachers in the study are hesitating towards the feasibility to implement IE practically. A team approach is concluded to be an adequate pedagogy for supporting IE both in South Africa and Sweden.
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- 2011
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35. An Organic View of Students' Want Formation: Pragmatic Rationality, Habitus and Reflexivity
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Daoud, Adel and Puaca, Goran
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Based on interviews with and questionnaires completed by upper secondary school pupils (n = 27) from academic and vocational programmes, respectively, the present paper focuses on some of the social and individual conditions that precede the individual decision-making process in education transitions. The paper shows that an organic view of decision-making is in better accordance with observations than is a hierarchical view, and thus supports previous research claiming that pragmatic rationality (based on habitus and reflexivity) plays a more important role in students' decision-making processes than does instrumental rationally. (Contains 12 notes, 6 tables, and 3 figures.)
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- 2011
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36. Reflections of Design-Oriented Pedagogy for Sustainable Learning: An International Perspective
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Vartiainen, Henriikka and Enkenberg, Jorma
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This paper focuses on the expansion of design-oriented pedagogy that encourages approaching global phenomena such as sustainable development from the perspective of local environments, cultures and associated ways of doing things. It aims to determine how project members and teachers from eight different European countries (n = 221) who had participated in the project "Case Forest--pedagogy towards sustainable development" experienced the pedagogical model and evaluated its usability from the perspectives of their own educational cultures. The main sources of both theory and data-driven qualitative content analysis are the reports obtained from each country and transcripts of the oral presentations and collaborative discussions. The results indicate that the teachers find current school practices, belief systems and traditional teaching models problematic and see the model as one way to change their schools' practices towards sustainable learning.
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- 2013
37. Mapping What Young Students Understand and Value Regarding Sustainable Development
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Manni, Annika, Sporre, Karin, and Ottander, Christina
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This paper presents the results of a study carried out to investigate how 10-12 year old Swedish students understand and value the issue of sustainable development. The responses from open-ended questions in a questionnaire have been analyzed through a content analysis based on a phenomenographic approach. The results show that there are considerable variations in the level of understandings and the values related to the three aspects of sustainable development. Understanding within as well as between the aspects is noted, with students having the most difficulty in seeing the relationships between all three aspects, i.e. a holistic understanding. Furthermore, students' understanding and values are often expressed in an integrated way i.e. expressed in the same sentence. The variations, complex understandings, and expressions of understandings and values are discussed in relation to earlier research with a focus on ethical issues and systems thinking.
- Published
- 2013
38. Searching Reference Databases: What Students Experience and What Teachers Believe that Students Experience
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Avdic, Anders and Eklund, Anders
- Abstract
The Internet has made it possible for students to access a vast amount of high-quality references when writing papers. Yet research has shown that the use of reference databases is poor and the quality of student papers is consequently often below expectation. The objective of this article is twofold. First, it aims to describe the problems students experience when they search for information using a university reference database. Second, it aims to compare the perspective of students of the problems of searching with that of their teachers. As a basis for the study, we used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. A web-based survey was carried out. A total of 150 students at Orebro University in Sweden participated in the survey. The results were analysed by comparison of median values. Results show that students experience problems mostly in the category of efforts expectancy. Differences between the two groups are most significant in the category of effort expectancy and students' patience in searching. Teachers are more pessimistic about students' capacity in information searching than the students themselves. (Contains 7 tables and 2 figures.)
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- 2010
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39. E-Portfolios in Teacher Education 2002-2009: The Social Construction of Discourse, Design and Dissemination
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Granberg, Carina
- Abstract
This paper reports on a study of the experiences of teacher educators in the introduction and development of e-portfolios over an eight-year period from 2002 to 2009 at a Swedish university. The study was conducted with 67 teacher educators in order to investigate how e-portfolios have been discussed, designed, used and disseminated during this period. Research methods involved 25 narrative interviews and a questionnaire that was completed by 42 participants. The theoretical framework of Basil Bernstein, particularly his concepts of classification, framing, educational codes and pedagogical devices, was used to analyse the data. The paper presents a discussion of the contextual circumstances in relation to classification, framing and codes that affect the social construction of e-portfolios. The results point to parallel processes resulting in a variety of discourses and designs of e-portfolios and highlighting the importance of the social construction of e-portfolios across the teacher education faculty, rather than merely their implementation. (Contains 5 figures.)
- Published
- 2010
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40. Learning Cultures in Small to Medium-Size Enterprises and Their Role in Supporting the Learning Region
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Fitzpatrick, Maeve, O'Connell, Janice, and Murphy, Eamonn
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The role of work-based learning is a pivotal part of developing the learning region. With rates of employment at their highest for many years across Europe, the need for up-skilling the workforce in many areas will be essential to retain competitiveness and employability. This paper will focus on quality management up-skilling in small to medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in five European countries. Recent statistics indicate that the role of quality management has become critical to the SME if they are to survive in the current economic climate. Results have shown time and again that a result of successful application of quality tools in any company is an increase in productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction. Key to the successful delivery of these quality management systems are the skills and aptitudes of the person responsible for their deployment, the quality manager. However it remains to be determined what makes up the key behaviors and characteristics that indicate an individual is at the level of "expert" practitioner and, if there are differences in opinion, to what extent. Also investigated are attitudes to requisite levels of education attainment for expert denomination and finally, whether the importance of expertise in other domains of practice is comparable between countries participating in the study (Ireland, Spain, Greece, Poland, and Sweden). The method of research chosen was qualitative interviews with senior management in SMEs in 20 companies across five countries. The rationale for the research design, method, and dissemination are discussed and an inventory of the characteristics deemed to qualify the practitioner as expert was then taken from the results. This was then compared across the participating countries. The paper concludes with recommendations for how educational institutions can facilitate full-time employees in achieving and maintaining the status of "domain expert" and also recommends a strategy for future research into the effects of culture on attribution of key behaviors and characteristics on the novice-to-expert trajectory deemed critical to fluid mobility of highly skilled employees, a critical component in support of the learning region. (Contains 1 figure, 1 table, and 3 notes.)
- Published
- 2010
41. Student-Student Online Coaching as a Relationship of Inquiry: An Exploratory Study from the Coach Perspective
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Stenbom, Stefan, Hrastinski, Stefan, and Cleveland-Innes, Martha
- Abstract
There are comparatively few studies on one-to-one tutoring in online settings, even though it has been found to be an effective model. This paper explores student-student online coaching from the coach perspective. The empirical case is the project Math Coach, where K-12 students are coached by teacher students using instant messaging. This research is an adaptation of the community of inquiry model to an online coaching setting, which we refer to as a relationship of inquiry. The adapted model was used to gain a better understanding of the practice of online coaching by exploring the extent to which cognitive, social, and teaching presence exists in this case of online coaching. A relationship of inquiry survey was distributed to and answered by all active coaches (N = 41). The adapted cognitive, social and teaching presence measures achieved an acceptable level of reliability. Differences between three presences, and their respective sub-categories, demonstrate a unique pattern of interaction between coaches and coachees in the online coaching environment. Findings suggest the online inquiry model fits as well for a relationship of inquiry as it does for a community of inquiry. The model provides valuable information for better understanding of online coaching. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.)
- Published
- 2012
42. Role and Justification of Web Archiving by National Libraries: A Questionnaire Survey
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Shiozaki, Ryo and Eisenschitz, Tamara
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This paper reports on a questionnaire survey of 16 national libraries designed to clarify how national libraries attempt to justify their web archiving activities. Results indicate they envisage that a) the benefits brought about by their initiatives are greater than the overall costs, b) the costs imposed on libraries are greater than the costs imposed on stakeholders, and c) all of them are making efforts to respond to legal risks in various ways (e.g. legislation, contracting and opt-out policies) although there are trade-off relations in terms of costs for negotiation, scope of access and size and scope of the web archive. The paper discusses whether a basic logic for justification of their web archiving is valid from the perspective of balancing cost-benefit. Further, it highlights the potential, underlying premises of the logic that motivates the intervention of national libraries as public sector organizations. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)
- Published
- 2009
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43. Summer Entrepreneur an Activity for Stimulating Entrepreneurship among Youths: A Case Study in a Swedish County
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Karlsson, Hakan
- Abstract
This paper aims to outline findings from a research project that has investigated an initiative to stimulate youths to become more entrepreneurial. The concept of summer entrepreneur has been developed in the last decade in a Swedish county. It was developed out of the idea that youths should have a possibility to run their own companies as alternative to traditional summer vacation employments. The study of the summer entrepreneur activity was conducted as a case study. The main findings showed that the concept developed as a project now needs an organization that can take the development further. It also shows that the participating youths express that they have archived the expected abilities from the activity, but any long time effects of changed attitudes towards entrepreneurship is hard to establish. (Contains 1 table and 5 footnotes.)
- Published
- 2011
44. Course Evaluation in Sweden--When, How, What and Why
- Author
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Cronholm, Stefan
- Abstract
This study is about course evaluation in Swedish higher education. Performing course evaluation is regulated in Swedish law. Despite this, only half of the courses are evaluated. The aim of this study is to understand why satisfactory course evaluations not are performed. Problems are identified from a student perspective and the paper provides proposals for reducing the problems. In order to tackle the problems an evaluation process model consisting of five phases is proposed. A main message is that there is need for an increased government from the university's management levels to revise the incentives for performing a satisfactory course evaluation.
- Published
- 2010
45. Perspectives of Play in Three Nations: A Comparative Study in Japan, the United States, and Sweden
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Izumi-Taylor, Satomi, Samuelsson, Ingrid Pramling, and Rogers, Cosby Steele
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This reflective paper discusses findings about differences and similarities in perspectives on play among early childhood educators in Japan, the United States, and Sweden. Analysis of survey data collected from educators in those nations yielded six themes regarding the meanings and uses of play: (1) process of learning, (2) source of possibilities, (3) empowerment, (4) creativity, (5) child's work, and (6) fun activities. Processes of learning, fun activities, and creativity were the universal themes of play that emerged during analysis. Japanese and Swedish teachers related play to the theme source of possibilities, but American teachers did not. The theme play as child's work was represented in the American and Swedish teachers' notions of play but not in those of the Japanese teachers. The theme of play as empowerment differentiated Japanese teachers from the others. Japanese and Swedish teachers reported offering unstructured play to children, while their American counterparts did not. Two themes emerged in the participants' responses regarding adult play: "state of heart" (state of mind) and positive feelings. Although American and Japanese teachers associated playfulness with a "state of the heart/mind," their Swedish counterparts did not indicate such associations. Teachers from all three nations did, however, agree that playfulness involves and promotes positive feelings.
- Published
- 2010
46. Balancing Theory and Practical Work in a Humanoid Robotics Course
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Wolff, Krister and Wahde, Mattias
- Abstract
In this paper, we summarize our experiences from teaching a course in humanoid robotics at Chalmers University of Technology in Goteborg, Sweden. We describe the robotic platform used in the course and we propose the use of a custom-built robot consisting of standard electronic and mechanical components. In our experience, by using standard components, the students obtain a deeper understanding of robotics hardware than would be possible with the use of (some) commercially available robot kits such as e.g. Boe-Bot or Lego Mindstorms. Furthermore, we propose a division between time spent on teaching the theoretical background and time spent on robot assembly and programming, which, in our view, provides the optimal balance between theory and practical work. Summarizing briefly, for a seven-week course, we propose two weeks of theoretical background lectures, followed by five weeks of practical work, in which each practical session starts with a brief theory demonstration. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)
- Published
- 2010
47. Assumptions about Participating in Teacher Education through the Use of ICT
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Olofsson, Anders D. and Lindberg, J. Ola
- Abstract
Purpose: With a philosophical stance in relation to education, this paper aims to discuss different understandings of participation in an information and communication technology (ICT)-supported distance-based teacher education program in Sweden. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on early results from two studies, both of which involved a group of teacher-trainees, with one interview and one questionnaire. Findings: The findings indicate that there is a need to be explicit about the ontological assumptions inherent in the intended use of ICT. The conclusion is that the program in question is built on assumptions of realism and that ICT lays the ground for individual participation and works to tell the students apart. Originality/value: Helps in understanding how ICT, and its use, can have different effects on different groups.
- Published
- 2005
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48. Improving the Comparability and Local Usefulness of International Assessments: A Look Back and a Way Forward
- Author
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Rutkowski, Leslie and Rutkowski, David
- Abstract
Over time international large-scale assessments have grown in terms of number of studies, cycles, and participating countries, many of which are a heterogeneous mix of economies, languages, cultures, and geography. This heterogeneity has meaningful consequences for comparably measuring both achievement and non-achievement constructs, such as social and emotional skills. In this paper we propose one way to directly incorporate country-specific differences into the methods used to construct background scales. We use research that demonstrates data quality issues in international assessment and the degree to which these issues can impact inferences. Our proposed solution incorporates innovations that have been developed for achievement measures but have not been applied to background scales. We demonstrate this possible solution with PISA 2012 data.
- Published
- 2018
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49. Understanding Initial Undergraduate Expectations and Identity in Computing Studies
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Kinnunen, Päivi, Butler, Matthew, Morgan, Michael, Nylen, Aletta, Peters, Anne-Kathrin, Sinclair, Jane, Kalvala, Sara, and Pesonen, Erkki
- Abstract
There is growing appreciation of the importance of understanding the student perspective in Higher Education (HE) at both institutional and international levels. This is particularly important in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects such as Computer Science (CS) and Engineering in which industry needs are high but so are student dropout rates. An important factor to consider is the management of students' initial expectations of university study and career. This paper reports on a study of CS first-year students' expectations across three European countries using qualitative data from student surveys and essays. Expectation is examined from both short-term (topics to be studied) and long-term (career goals) perspectives. Tackling these issues will help paint a picture of computing education through students' eyes and explore their vision of its and their role in society. It will also help educators prepare students more effectively for university study and to improve the student experience.
- Published
- 2018
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50. Victim Prevalence in Bullying and Its Association with Teacher-Student and Student-Student Relationships and Class Moral Disengagement: A Class-Level Path Analysis
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Thornberg, Robert, Wänström, Linda, Pozzoli, Tiziana, and Gini, Gianluca
- Abstract
The aim of the present study was to test whether teacher-student relationship (TSR) quality and student-student relationship (SSR) quality at class level and class moral disengagement (CMD), considered together in a single model, were related to class prevalence of victims (CPV) of bullying. A sample of 899 Swedish children was recruited from 43 elementary school classes. The participants filled out a questionnaire. Because the focus of the present study was on class behaviours, all analyses were conducted on aggregated class-level data. A path analysis revealed that the prevalence of victims was likely to be lower in classes with more positive teacher-student and SSRs and lower levels of CMD. TSR quality was not directly linked to CPV, but indirectly through its direct association with SSR quality. SSR quality was negatively associated with CMD and both were directly related to CPV. Results suggest that caring, supportive and warm SSRs in the class should be considered as a crucial protective factor against bullying victimisation. Further, the findings suggest that CMD has to be addressed in bullying prevention.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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