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Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The spring of 2020 will be remembered by the global educational community as a period of circumstances that sparked a series of outstanding changes in the way we teach but also raised questions about teachers' readiness to accomplish their educational tasks and deal with collective management situations and relationships among participants in the educational process. Schools in Greece closed in early March leaving the education world struggling to cope with the new situation. Teachers had to overcome certain obstacles such as the shortage of digital skills and equipment or the lack of communication protocols between the school and the families. Despite the difficulties, teachers responded to the call for emergency remote teaching. Yet, the question still remains: could school communities anticipate and be prepared to confront successfully situations like this one? Could they have taken initiatives relying on and making the most out of their internal power? The paper begins with a reference to the educational context in Greece and the investigation of the digital readiness of the teachers who were called to act in different conditions. Recently published articles and evidence describe a stress generating situation which intensified teachers' burn-out. And these findings coincide with colleagues' comments during discussions and online meetings. Nevertheless, researchers and education scholars reconfirm their confidence in the defense mechanisms each school community possesses. In this struggle, there are two potential allies: the use of digital media and the organizational structure suggested by the Democratic School model. This proposal includes a primary school's efforts to get out of the Covid-19 period digitally stronger and more resilient having capitalized the potential hidden within: school-based training on digital media use and collaborative action planning as evidence of a democratically structured community. After defining the different qualities of distance learning and emergency remote teaching and the main pillars of the Democratic School drawing from the relevant literature, the paper focuses on the initiatives taken by the school community during and after the end of schools lockdown. These included the construction and administration of two questionnaires and a short series of activities for pupils which were implemented with the help of School Psychologists. The first questionnaire which addressed the pupils' families was delivered online at the beginning of the remote teaching period with a view to collecting information about the problems families faced with the procedure or the lack of equipment. The second questionnaire addressed the teachers and it included questions which aimed at sketching their reaction and needs so that a series of training events is organized in the coming school year. The findings of both surveys resulted in the following: Parents responded to the invitation to complete the questionnaire at a level of 66,2%. They offered information about the available digital equipment and the problems they faced while trying to help their children attend the online classes. A percentage of 14,5% stated the lack of any type of digital device, a fact which received the school community's attention and certain initiatives were taken so that a number of tablets was provided to those in need. On the other hand, teachers managed to respond successfully by creating a large number of e-classes. The majority of the teachers managed to discern an opportunity to learn more about this new way of teaching and expressed their willingness to participate in school-based training workshops offered by members of staff with expertise in the area. Finally, pupils expressed their feelings about the new way of teaching in positive comments although the prevailing feeling when back at school was that of relief. All data collected are regarded as the pieces of a bigger puzzle, the one of a school community which aspires to make the most out of a painful situation and see it as a challenge capable of generating a new vision. The idea for taking the time to look for this information goes beyond the surface of any educational system. The teachers and administrative staff of the school have joined forces to tackle what at first looked difficult to achieve. They have taken the first steps towards the design and implementation of the coming educational landscape with all factors included. Issues like the professional development of teachers, the emotional health of all school community members, the quality of teaching under strenuous circumstances need to be handled with care. The re-shaping of education due to the new situation might be a reality which calls for joint efforts. Democratically organized schools should think ahead and pave the way for change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous progress of new technologies transforms rapidly the field of education and it offers the necessary functional and friendly infrastructure for the development of distance education in schools. School Distance Education (SDE) can support a wide range of learning needs and offer effective solutions to the problems of geomorphology, pandemics, lack of teachers, supplementary or differentiated teaching, etc. by supporting both teachers in their work and students to enhance their performances. Innovative and flexible forms of learning are encouraged in SDE such as individualized, collaborative, experiential and exploratory learning. The expansion of the autonomous and complementary SDE in the range of formal education is considered necessary in Greece in the context of supporting equal educational opportunities. Fragmentary initiatives had been launched in formal and non-formal education system or innovative actions in the SDE, till the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Then SDE evolves rapidly in the form of "Emergency Remote Teaching". This form was temporarily activated in response to the crisis, with the positive response and participation of teachers without a wide range of options and full management control. The complex conditions that are being faced require new roles for all stakeholders in school education. Educational systems are tested on the ways / methods of maintaining the educational practice outside of school in matters of pedagogical responsibility and technological readiness. With the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and the forced closure of schools, a project of Emergency Remote Teaching began in Greece with synchronous, asynchronous teaching methods and TV broadcasts. Educational RadioTelevision (EduTV) of the Ministry of Education today supports students and teachers, encouraging their participation in authentic learning environments, which can inspire and offer conditions for collaborative creativity and cultivation of 21st century skills. EduTV produces educational audiovisual content specially designed and developed based on the Distance Education principles, which can furthermore support interactive communication. In addition to production, EduTV contributes to SDE in the dimensions of mass broadcasting through public television, distribution in digital repositories with open licenses, enabling integration and interaction in online learning environments. The open source H5P software offers teachers a strongly powerful tool to create their own interactive videos as part of their educational plans and practices in classrooms, Web learning environments or combining them by inserting interactive elements. The paper first presents an introduction to Distance Education and its principles and then emphasizes in SDE and the concepts of autonomous and complementary SDE. The second section approaches the role of EduTV in SDE on the one hand in its traditional form with the production and dissemination of audiovisual material and on the other hand with the utilization of streaming media on the Internet. The third section focuses on the initiatives of the EduTV in both SDE and Emergency Remote Teaching. Moreover, it highlights the potential of video-lessons accessible by students with hearing problems, produced during the pandemic. The paper highlights the conclusions from the contribution of EduTV in front of the challenges that arise from the convergence of television and Internet technologies as well as from the complex conditions of 21st century education. The contribution of EduTV to SDE is highlighted as well as the ways in which it can support traditional school education and propose solutions to the complex pandemic situations or the geomorphological situations of the Greek school and moreover the special educational needs of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Nowadays, education needs to redefine its role and adapt to the developments and challenges of our time. More and more teachers are using Digital Learning Objects (DLOs) that can support the teaching of Science and facilitate the understanding of concepts and phenomena by providing students with the opportunity to interact with them. At the same time, students can choose from a variety of DLOs the ones which best meet their learning needs. Interactive DLOs help foster critical and mathematical thinking, adopt problemsolving strategies, and construct knowledge through active learning, promoting higher-level skills. What is more, they are an incentive for teachers to overcome their potential inhibitions against technological development and adopt alternative teaching methods. However, DLOs are only tools, and the selection of the most appropriate one for each occasion is left to the judgment of well-qualified teachers. The bibliographic research rendered numerous international references to the benefits and the dynamic status of the DLOs. However, although the educational use of ICT in general is widely discussed in the Greek bibliography, no reference is made to the attitudes of Primary Teachers towards DLOs, while the use of the Greek National Repository of DLOs, Photodendro is treated with distrust. The present paper aims at presenting and discussing the findings of an explanatory mixed methods study examining the attitudes of primary school Science teachers towards the use of Digital Learning Objects (DLOs), namely self-contained and reusable digital entities which can be employed for teaching and learning. More specifically, the following questions are investigated: 1. Which factors shape teachers' attitudes toward DLOs? 2. How are the attitudes of primary school Science teachers influenced by gender, age, educational background, teaching experience, training, school settings, grade, number of students per classroom and technological equipment? 3. Which factors lead to the willingness to use the DLOs in the Photodendro repository in Science teaching? 4. In what way is the teachers' willingness to use the DLOs in the Photodendro repository for Science teaching influenced by gender, age, educational background, teaching experience, training, school settings, grade, number of students per classroom and technological equipment and their attitudes towards DLOs in general? 5. Which teacher attitudes towards the DLOs in the Photodendro repository compose the picture of their generalized refusal to use them? More specifically, the significant role that B-Level teacher training in ICT, as well as the classroom environment, play in the development of positive attitudes towards DLOs for Science Education is demonstrated through quantitative analysis, while qualitative analysis has been employed to explore teachers' commonly negative attitudes towards Photodentro, that is, the Greek National Learning Object Repository. As illustrated in their responses, teachers' refusal to use Photodendro is due to the lack of teaching time for implementing alternative teaching methods that are enriched with DLOs, as well as due to the maze-like design of the repository, which discourages inexperienced users. In addition, teachers highlight various unsatisfactory technical characteristics of DLOs, the non-functional classification of DLOs in the repository and the incompatibility between the aims of authors and those of users. As teachers report, the factors discouraging them from employing Photodentro also include the significant lack of technical equipment at schools, which prevents them from engaging with digital teaching tools. Finally, the paper makes the case that there is an urgent need for further exploration of teachers' attitudes towards DLOs aiming, above all, at improving the quality of the education provided at schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores the aspects of Primary Education teachers in the Epirus Region from the application of distance - modern and asynchronous - education during the period of Covid-19. The research sample was made up of 116 Primary Education teachers of various specialties. The method which used was "cluster" random sampling. The questionnaire was used for the research and data collection. The questionnaire was contained 16 closed-ended five-point Likert questions. The main findings that emerged are that a large percentage of teachers were not ready for the application of asynchronous and modern distance education in the last school year (2019-20). However, this school year their readiness has increased significantly for the application of asynchronous distance education and to a lesser extent for the modern one. Regarding the degree of satisfaction of teachers for the training in the distance education, it was found that an extremely high percentage of teachers were not satisfied with their training. Finally, an extremely high percentage of teachers answered that distance education can not replace traditional education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research concerns the teaching of the Political Education of the A' High School with the distance education - synchronous and asynchronous, in the middle of a pandemic (CoV-19). The courses were conducted the digital environment Cisco Webex Meetings (synchronous teaching) and the e-class (asynchronous teaching). The issues that concerned us were current affairs related to political security, social sensitivity, digital citizenship and personal data-creative commons. Our main goal was to reconnect students with the learning process, to cultivate social skills of responsibility, interaction, cooperation, and the construction of social meaning by all students - future citizens. The importance of synchronous e-learning lies in enabling students with low learning motivation to be more active during the learning procedure. It utilizes learning strategies that promote responsibility, autonomy and at the same time the interaction between students and teacher as well as the evaluation of learning procedure. Asynchronous distance learning enables the collection and further processing of reference material, assignments and feedback. The scientific framework on which the research was based concerns the theories of a) social constructivism b) situated learning, (c) authentic learning d) discovery learning e) distributed cognition (f) activity theory. Furthermore, it was also based on the view that creativity can engage students and make the learning process more interesting and effective through teaching creativity and teaching actively. Our effort focused on the personality of the creator (person-oriented models), the process of creation (process-oriented models), the product (product-oriented models) in the social or general environment (place, press, pressure), in his persuasion student and teacher (persuasion), inherent momentum for creation (potential). The teacher emphasized more on the imagination, the divergent thinking, humor, "playing" and rewarding the "mistake". In the present paper, the stages of the creative process which were followed are preparation, activation, cogitation, illumination, verification, communication, validation. What is more, creative learning techniques were used such as six thinking hats of De Bono, brainstorming, reverse brainstorming, artful thinking, SCAMPER method in writing poems. The active participation of students was enhanced through creative writing workshops. Emphasis was placed on self-expression, their reading response and cultural critical approach, to include all identities and "conflicting" reasons produced in the social field. The process was enriched with representative experiences. Representations from theater, cinema and painting were selected that promote dialogue, pluralism of views and the cultivation of critical thinking. More specifically, in terms of the implementation of the intervention and the research process, the distance learning concerned the 16 students (8 boys, 8 girls) of the A2 department of the General Lyceum of Doxato Drama, the philologist and lasted 2 months (from 16-3 -2020 to 16-5-2020). The teaching period in the classroom lasted about one more month. The research effort took the form of qualitative research and was conducted in the context of action research - case study by an individual teacher. The organizational model was followed by planning, organization, application, evaluation, while its evolution was done in spiral circles. In synchronous distance education the lessons were implemented through dialogue, file sharing or audiovisual material (music, videos, presentations) and with "reason fights", with feedback, process and game evaluations. The material as well as the works were redesigned, in order to be more attractive and to encourage the participation and enhance the students' creativity. They were also posted in the e- class, so that they are accessible to all students before the lessons (flipped classroom). They were assigned reading lists, lesson plans, self-help tasks - individual and group and time-limited exercises. They had a playful character and could be used in more than one way. We worked collectively and in groups providing mutual feedback during the lesson, via chat rooms, e-mails and during breakout sessions. The teacher participated in all the assignments. The starting point was the official material of the Institute of Educational Policy, regarding the rights-obligations of the student. We formulated the rules of operation of our department and then digital "arguments" (1st marathon) was organized with the technique "six hats of thought" by De Bono. We focused on the issues of formal and informal control, self-control through material that acquired from free resources (images, poems, journalistic speech), in normal circumstances and in "extraordinary" data with the motivation "take a stand". Timeliness gave us the opportunity to talk about the responsibility of the student-citizen towards himself, the group, the vulnerable groups and to deconstruct conspiracy theories. The process was framed by a creative writing workshop. At the same time, the terms digital citizen, creative commons and fair use became the subject of elaboration. We positioned ourselves regarding the use of material from blogs, repositories, libraries, bibliographic or digital references. We did a drama workshop on "in the age of the coronavirus", "if we do not do it, who will do it?", "Don't become a racist...". The animation exercises at the beginning of the digital lessons started with the instruction "speak everyone in the group". Theatrical performances that were broadcast digitally gave us the opportunity to talk about utopia and the vision for a better world at the Reading Club. The 2nd Marathon concerned issues of social sensitivity (People with special needs, volunteering, social responsibility, blood donation, digital citizen, coronavirus protection, Global Book Day, anniversary events for Gianni Rondari) and was done with letters, verses, spots, limerick, paintings, poems, diaries, digital narratives. The students' creations were posted in the e-class and are hosted in an e-book edited by the students and in a padlet. Our artistic expression was supported by the coordinator of the educational project of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace for sustainability, Anna Afentoulidou, who "taught" us limerick techniques (With Rodari and a dice we build bridges and wherever he takes us). During May, the classes were conducted in the school. We discussed the concepts business-competitiveness-innovation-social responsibility and solidarity-respect for each other-tolerance-citizenship-poverty-unemployment. The students continued to submit their work digitally, but more subtly, because the year was coming to an end. The effort was evaluated by "observing" the students' participation in the "chat", a practice that served as an initial and formative evaluation (I like... I do not like because...). The evaluation was also conducted by a questionnaire provided to students after their return to their classes on 25/5 regarding the subjects taught up to that time and whether they were in favor of returning to school or continue digitally. The final evaluation was done with focus groups in the Reading Room of the school on the second and third of June and lasted about two hours in total. Mixed groups were formed and the students discussed about how they experienced the process, what they gained, what difficulties they faced, what part of the material or what exercises did or did not enjoy during the pandemic, what was their feeling about distance learning in relation to life, with what criteria they would like to be evaluated (participation, collaboration, effectiveness, interaction, creativity, scoring or descriptive). This method of discussion was selected because students are more open-minded and do not give standardized answers. The answers were recorded, after the consent of their guardians, and transcribed. The discourse analysis was done with hermeneutic phenomenology, which allows the interpretation of students' views, attitude and experiences through the subjectivity of the researcher. The students, in the beginning, faced difficulties due to the network overload and inequalities, as many attended the lessons via their mobile phones. In general, they found the process demanding, yet interesting and they considered that it supported them psychologically during the quarantine and made them more responsible. They actively participated in "teleconferences" and developed skills of literacy, academic, digital communication, "visual", social. Key values that emerged were responsibility - individual and collective, cooperation and empathy. They appreciated the fact that the educational material was framed, enriched with images, and motivated them to reflect, do research, take a stand and express their creativity. They responded to the learning process with a number of creative tasks, individually or in groups, depending on their personal interest and abilities (differentiated learning). The process made visible to us students, within the formal context of the classroom, who actively participated in the construction of meaning in the new condition while they did not use to. These students, mainly boys, had shown little interest and participation in traditional teaching. In general, the students showed more interest in the sections "Citizen Security", "Digital Citizen", personal data and work related to the pandemic. The boys showed a preference for "reason fights", while the girls showed a preference for creative work. However, they agreed that they would prefer the classroom with the support of distance learning. They also considered it worthwhile to evaluate such efforts and commented positively on the fact that their teacher constantly supported and encouraged them. Overall, we realized that designing a course in digital environments takes time and effort, but utilizes a variety of semiotic resources, representations, roles and "tools". In addition, there are possibilities to make the traditional lesson more "open" and creative and to provoke the interaction of the participants with each other, with the educational material and with the context. However, difficulties were the preparation "on the material before the lesson", the work within a certain time, which was difficult due to the use of mobile phones and the evaluation of the degree of participation in the groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The literature review of the field of Counselling and Professional Orientation highlights the research focus on scientific and technical issues related to the counselling process. This includes various stages of development of personal and decision-making skills -- from the moment of creation of an alliance between the counsellor and the counsellee, to the achievement of self-knowledge, self-confidence and self-esteem, to the presentation of new perspectives and guidelines towards a decision between alternatives, and finally to the implementation, that is the selection of techniques to achieving goals. Modern times is full of challenges for education, due to both the increased demand for studies, as they are linked to career building, and the specialization required by the market that is being intensified by scientific and technological evolution. Within the framework of Higher Education, these challenges are reflected in the educational, counselling and professional orientation needs of students and are mainly related to the use of a variety of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This paper discusses the use of ICT, giving emphasis on video as a tool to support educational and distance counselling practice in Higher Education. It focuses on the scientific field of Economics and Management and examines the degree of student motivation for further activity after watching a video. The methodology includes the design, implementation and evaluation of five counselling scenarios for student support based on their main concerns in the field of Economics and Management. The counselling intervention included the evaluation of the contribution of video to student motivation through an electronic questionnaire. The results confirm the power and attractiveness of the moving image in the production of meanings that increase the effectiveness of a counselling intervention and lead to the motivation of students for further study and activity in their field of concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feedback, constitutes an important procedure in every form of education and especially in the Open and Distance Education. One of its basic functions, concerns strategies of writing found by the professors in order to enforce the writing skills of the student and especially for the development of the academic written language in the third grade education. It is about a multiplex procedure which demands creation and ideas transformation in a text with cohesing language proficiency and length. Based on these above, it has been noticed that the academic writing incorporates a great number of procedures and strategies. The right way of using these defines the writing success. Moreover, the feedback encourages the learner and activates the internal motive and their self-efficacy about writing. According to Bandura (1993) in education field, self-efficacy constists determinant factor of predicting performance. To be more specific students with high self-efficacy will interact in a great deal with the learning object and will show satisfying results. Their high self-efficacy is related with the increased performance, enhanced self-confidence and the acquisition of new skills. In the contrary, students with low faith in their self-efficacy is possible to resign from their goals and their interaction with the object. Feeling disappointment and so their effort is likely to characterized as failure. The Feedback Intervention Theory by Kluger & DeNisi (1996) is focused on the results of feedback in student's performance and motivation. According to this theory, they claim that the contribution of feedback in the performance depends on the processes at which it directs attention. Central to their Feedback Intervention Theory (FIT) are three hierarchically organized control levels: meta-task processes, task-motivation processes and task-learning processes. Higher level processes can influence lower lever processes. The aim of this paper is to examine the opinion of postgraduate students of the programme 'Education Sciences' of Faculty of Humanities of the Hellenic Open University (HOU), with regard to the feedback and the way it contributes to the improvement of academic writing and the exploitation of writing strategies (meta-task), the enhancement of intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy (taskmotivation) as far as their written tasks is concerned. The research questions concern the features of the feedback that the Professors-Advisors of the Hellenic Open University offer, the connection among the feedback, the writing of written works and the writing strategies, the way that the feedback affects the intrinsic motivation of the postgraduates and their self-efficacy concerning the writing of their written works. Finally, the association, between the self-efficacy of the postgraduates and the writing strategies is examined. The methodological approach was the quantitive method and the collection tool of data, the questionnaire of 40 closed-ended questions. In order to answer the first research question, descriptive analysis was used. For the second and fourth research questions a non-parametric test spearman-rho was used. For the third research question two linear regression were used. The analysis of the data have shown that H.O.U postgraduate's students express their satisfaction as far as quality elements of feedback received are concerned. They also believe that further improvements are needed in order to enable the motivation in academic writing. Moreover, the positive correlation of middle-class between the feedback of the written tasks and the writing strategies has been noted. Generally, the feedback of Professors- Advisors of the H.O.U is addressed to the meta-task level due to Feedback Intervention Theory and this way contributes to the writing performance. Findings show that students know and use the strategies of writing concern in structure and processing of a text. Also, confirm findings of other researches that in third grade education, students use the same strategies in their writing tasks. Another evidence is that students are shown us neutral about the feedback with the professors-advisors and whether this includes useful strategies. In addition, the two linear regressions have indicated that the first one has been proved to predict the intrinsic motivation of the writing of written works and more specifically, the 24% of the observable fluctuation in the postgraduates' answers. Furthermore, in the second one, the feedback explained the 8% of the fluctuation in relation to the postgraduates' viewpoints for their selfefficacy at the writing of their written works. Finally, a low grade positive correlation has been observed between the self-efficacy of the postgraduates and the writing strategies. This indicates that as long postgraduate students make good use of writing strategies, a feeling of satisfaction and self-efficacy in academic writing is been created. However, the fact that students study and learn in the Open and Distance Education should be normally have positive correlations at a high grade. This evidence is been divided by Bandura's (1993) theory which claims that as the level of autonomy is increased the learners are going to increase more and more the internal motivation, their beliefs about their self-efficacy and their interest about academic writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important concept that characterizes distance and face to face educational environments is the concept of distance. This distance is not only geographical but also refers to the communicative and psychological distance between the students, the teachers, the educational material and the interface. This is the concept of transactional distance as defined by Graham Moore in 1993 and refers to "the psychological and communications gap, i.e. the distance of potential misunderstandings between the inputs of the instructor and those of the learner". According to Moore (1991), transactional distance is free from geographical restrictions, is unique for each individual and exists in any kind of educational organization. Also, transactional distance is a function of the structure of the educational programs, the interaction between all those involved in the learning process and their degree of self-regulation. These are the variables of dialogue, structure and autonomy. Dialogue refers to all possible ways of communication between teachers and learners. Thus, the media is a determining factor for the extent and production of quality dialogue. However, the effectiveness of communication in many cases depends on the effective user and not on the interactivity of the medium. Moore (1993), assumes that there is an inverse relationship between dialogue and transactional distance as the more constructive and quality the dialogue in the learning process, the shorter the transactional distance. The second factor refers to the structural elements of the educational program. In other words, the structure concerns the design of the courses, in such a way as to meet the needs of the trainees, to serve the learning goals and evaluation methods. Structure, like dialogue, is largely determined by the medium of communication, the individual characteristics as well as by the requirements of the educational institutions. According to Moore (1993) the stronger the structure of an educational program, less dialogue is required and transactional distance increases. However, the inverse relationship is not always a given as a less strong structure is not a prerequisite for increasing the dialogue and reducing the transactional distance between the instructor and the learner. The third dimension of transactional distance is the concept of autonomy which refers to the ability of the individual to take responsibility and control of his learning path, setting his own learning goals, choosing the right resources and evaluating the learning outcomes. These two concepts, according to Moore (1993), are characterized by a directly proportional relationship, as increasing the transactional distance leads to increased learner autonomy. Moore (1989) also made a distinction between three different types of interaction: a) the interaction between teachers and learners b) the interaction between the learners themselves and c) the interaction between the learners and the educational content. A few years later, due to the addition of high communication systems in education, Hillman, Willis and Gunawardena (1994) identified another type of interaction that refers to the interaction between learners and the interface. This paper focuses on the concept of transactional distance in distance, blended and face to face educational environments, based on the literature review of both Greek and international sources. In particular, this study aims to highlight and understand the factors that may lead to a change in transactional distance of educational environments in Greece and in other countries. Furthermore, the focuses on current trends and developments regarding the transactional distance perceived by teachers and learners, as it appears through international and Greek scientific journals and conference proceedings in Greece and abroad, during the period 2010 to 2020. A total of twenty-seven studies were collected, of which three were excluded as they were published before 2010. The aim of the present study is not to exhaust all the bibliographic references but mainly to highlight the factors that can improve the effectiveness of learning through the change of transactional distance. The research questions this bibliographic review tries to answer are: a) What factors can lead to a change in transactional distance perceived by teachers and learners participating in distance, blended and traditional learning environments? b) Are there any differences in the transactional distance perceived by teachers and learners who participate in different learning environments? c) What factors affect the variables of dialogue, structure and autonomy? The sample of the surveys included learners (undergraduate-postgraduate-doctoral) and teachers of higher education, in addition to a survey where participants were preparing for higher education, which was included due to the age of the students. The gender of the participants, as well as other demographic characteristics, have no restrictions. According to the research findings: a) For the teachers was found that the distance learning environment, the years of preservice and the small number of students per class, lead to reduction of the transactional distance (Wengrowicz & Offir, 2013· Wengrowicz, 2014). Factors related to reducing the transactional distance between learners and teachers and between students themselves are high level of dialogue and interaction (Forte et al., 2016·Kassandrinou et al., 2014·Uzun & Toprak, 2018), the use of mobile technology (Mafenya, 2014), the variety of technological mediums and the synchronicity of communication (Huang et al., 2016) as well as the participation of the learners in online discussions with assigned roles (Yilmaz, R. & Yilmaz, F., 2018). Regarding the interaction between the learners and the content, it was found that the use of the closed social networking platform Ning (Quonq et al, 2020), the use of mobile technology (Mafenya, 2014) and the participation of learners in online discussions by assigning specific roles (Yilmaz, R. & Yilmaz, F., 2018) reduce transactional distance. Transactional distance between learners and the interface, it was found that the simple and useful interface, the advanced information and the sharing of files in the forum, lead to an increase in the interaction of the learners and the interface (Kara, 2020). b) Regarding the teachers who participate in distance, blended and face to face learning environments, no statistically significant differences emerged for the dimension of communication. For all groups of teachers, it appears that years of prior service in education (Wengrowicz & Offir, 2013 · Wengrowicz, 2014) and the small number of learners per class contribute to reducing transactional distance. The distance learning environment was found to affect transactional distance in relation to face to face and blended environment. For face to face and distance learners it was found that the dimensions of structure and dialogue help to reduce the transactional distance (Forte et al., 2014), present similar levels of autonomy but different levels of transactional distance (Xalkidou, 2015). c) Regarding the dimensions of structure, dialogue and autonomy, it was found that various factors affect them. In distance education, dialogue was found to be positively affected by the use (Fallon, 2011) and variety (Huang et al., 2016) of technical and audiovisual media, by the relationship between technology and content (Goel et al, 2012) and varies by year and pre-existing experience in distance education (Uzun & Toprak, 2019).The structure variable was found to be affected by gender, age and year of study (Uzun & Toprak, 2019). Autonomy is positively correlated with the innovative action of the individual and negatively with group learning (Goel et al., 2012), is also affected by the dialogue and the structure of the course (Andrade, 2014· Quong et al, 2018). In blended learning environments, dialogue was found to be significantly affected by the autonomy and self-regulation of learners (Doo et al, 2020), the use of a social networking tool and the pre-existing experience in online education (Quonq et.al, 2018). Structure is affected by the use of a closed social networking platform, is positively correlated with depth learning approaches and does not show statistically significant differences during the learners' studies (Horzum, 2014). The autonomy variable was found to be affected by the low level of digital literacy (Zilka & Zeichner, 2019), is not affected by learning control and changes as the years of study increase (Horzum, 2014). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents an evaluation of a web based community of practice implemented using a wiki. The purpose of the community of practice was to offer and exchange materials and methods among computer science teachers. All the teachers teach the same subject to 11 to 13 year old students. The teachers are spread around the islands of the North and South Aegean Sea so they cannot meet in person. In their everyday teaching they face common problems for which they have to find solutions. These solutions are frequently innovative and, when shared, could be helpful to their colleagues who, in turn, could provide further suggestions. At the same time they create good quality material, the sharing of which could be done by using web 2.0 tools, such as a wiki page that has been created by two teacher trainers of Computer Science on the North and South Aegean islands. This paper evaluates the use of the wiki in order to improve it and gain better participation and ampler sharing among teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dissemination of the use of the video, as a synchronous form of communication, changed the data both in people's communication and in the applications in the Distance Education. The use of the video in the Distance Education highlights the need to develop new communication skills for online learning environments, both for instructors and learners. Videoconference is now a widespread mean of communication in the Distance Education and it is used at all levels of the Distance Education, like in Distance Education programs of primary, secondary, tertiary education or in Distance Education training programs. The bibliography, moreover, demonstrates the particular interest of researchers in its study. More specifically, videoconference refers to the way in which the participants communicate in real time through audio or video, or with both, having the possibility of exchanging data and applications, while they are in two or more different geographic locations. Videoconferencing can be interactive or not, while in the context of asynchronous tele-education it can be performed through recorded-video sharing. Through the technology of videoconferencing, the implementation of the virtual classrooms in which teaching becomes the whole, or most of it, online, with synchronous or asynchronous ways of communication, is done. Virtual classrooms are, also, considered to be the electronic classes in virtual learning environments or in virtual worlds environments, using (or not) avatars. Videoconference, offering a rich communication environment, is a form of teaching very close to "in person" teaching, since it provides visual, auditory and verbal stimuli, reducing the feeling of isolation of learners. Communication through audio, text, video and the expression of participants' sentiments increases the interaction in relation to other ways of online learning. Through the videoconferencing, the telepresence that depends on the curriculum, the collaboration and the teaching methods takes place. The purpose of this paper is to present the research interest to videoconferencing in the scientific field of the Distance Education. Through a focused bibliographic review of domestic and international bibliographical sources, the objects of the research activity are recorded, as well as the conclusions that emerged, in relation to the implementation of the videoconference and the synchronous form of communication in the Distance Education. Specifically, 58 articles and unpublished master theses related to the videoconferencing and the synchronous form of communication in the Distance Education were selected. The bibliographical sources relate to the last twelve years and they are geographically sourced from all the 5 continents. The implementations of the videoconferencing in primary and secondary education have been particularly concerned with researchers, whose efforts are in the presentation of innovative educational applications using the medium of videoconferencing. The researchers' efforts are, also, in the study of alternative approaches to the teaching utilization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), as well as in the evaluation of their effectiveness in the educational process. The research on the videoconference, related to higher education, includes the study of the ease of use of technology by modern people in relation to learning, the role of interaction, but also the creation of a learning community in virtual classrooms. Other researchers are involved in the role of specific pedagogical parameters and with the emotional aspects of learning in relation to videoconferencing. Videoconference as an educational tool appears in the bibliography and as an important element of the educational process in training programs. The findings of the research show that the research activity for videoconferencing in Greece is limited in relation to the international bibliography, and that the videoconference has not been specifically studied in the function of learning at individual and group level. The bibliographical review highlights both the use of videoconferencing in the Distance Education programs and the special interest of researchers in the study of its implementation. The research at both international and Greek level focuses on educational programs related to formal and non-formal education. The most frequent objects of research activity are the design, evaluation and effectiveness of educational applications that use videoconferencing. The majority of researchers agree that videoconferencing contributes to enhancing the interaction, communication and support of participants. On the other hand, it is noted that the implementation of the videoconferencing should have a correct and specific design, based on pedagogical criteria, in order to enhance the quality of both learning and teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initially, this research paper attempts a brief bibliographic review of the concept of augmented reality, which in combination with the use of smartphones and tablets can be much easier to apply to school reality, allowing students to gain multiple interactive experiences, always for the benefit of the educational and learning process, as well as its applications and their corresponding effects on the field of education, since the increase of the real environment with the digital information are considered to offer additional capabilities in teaching and learning. Utilizing the results of other literature reviews of this type of research to achieve a more centralized presentation and cross-section of individual results, we have a more complete picture of AR's use in education, its areas of application, its impact on learning and potential its limitations. Subsequently, it is designed, developed and implemented in the 5th class of Primary School, an original Augmented Reality (AR) educational textbook application in the "Physics" section of the "Physics - Explore and discover" course to explore the effect of Physics AR textbooks on learning outcomes and on students' interest and attitudes about the subject. Therefore, in this area, where traditional teaching often involves difficulties in understanding the concepts, misunderstandings and inability to construct mental representations, because of the ambiguity of the concepts and their distancing from the perceived reality, the use of AR applications seems to be more than necessary, but necessary. Interactive simulations and visualizations prove to be extremely important in this area, and the fact that they are connected to the real world contributes to a better understanding of knowledge. Next was the design and development of AR micro-applications aiming at enhancing the textbook, utilizing the Unity engine (https://unity3d.com) and the Vuforia library (https: // developer.vuforia.com), which allow them to be implemented quickly and easily, since Unity's overarching philosophy is that in order to develop games or other applications, a fully integrated graphical interface should be used and the use of programming minimized. Taking into account the above facts, it was decided to carry out the present research, given the difficulties faced by students in the field of science in understanding the concepts. The following research questions arose: 1st RQ: Does using a Physics AR textbook have better learning outcomes compared to conventional / classical teaching? 2nd RQ: Does the use of AR textbooks have an impact on the interest of students and their overall positive attitude towards the subject, compared to traditional textbooks? The method used for conducting the research was field research, which is considered suitable for exploring or applying innovative practices at the school or classroom level, so that they can then be disseminated to the wider educational community in case of positive results and observation. Specifically, it included educational intervention in two groups of students in a public Primary school of the city of Rhodes, which has two 5th classes, one of which was the experimental group and the other the control group. The intervention was implemented in the period from 20 to 28 September 2018, with a total of 44 students (22 per department or group). (Initially) Also, a short pre-test was implemented to check students' prior knowledge and to establish the same conditions regarding the level of students in both groups. The only point of difference between the teachings is that the students in the experimental group had additional information when using the student's book, since in addition to the written text contained therein, they had the opportunity to watch the corresponding videos or see additional pictures of each individual passage in the book. Throughout the above learning process both groups received the same information and used the same educational material. As far as the assessment is concerned, this was done in both groups in the same way, with the electronic Assessment Test, so that the only reason for their possible differentiation is their use of the AR textbook. Furthermore, through the literature review and then from the teaching process, observation of behaviors, utilization, analysis and comparison of the results from the research process, we attempted to draw conclusions and answers to the research questions that were initially asked. From the results of this application show a positive impact on learning outcomes and reinforce students' interest and positive attitude towards the Physics lesson, a desire derived towards the extension this type of application to other knowledge objects. In conclusion, from the data analysis, it was found that students who were taught using the AR book had better learning outcomes and final performance than those who were taught the same module in the conventional / classical way. These results are in agreement with the results of related research, which have been mentioned in the theoretical part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open and Distance Education makes use of the technology and is affected by it. It is supported by the Course Management Systems and Learning Management Systems, whose abilities are not satisfactorily utilized. Social Media could be used for the incorporation of formal and informal learning. They allow the creation of networks which favor the social interaction and communication, the collaboration, the support and the creativity while decreasing the feeling of loneliness. As the loneliness and the lack of support can be dealt with collaborative practice through lesson learning and as collaborative education leads to better learning results, a question is raised to what degree the use of Social Media can support better the interaction and the collaborative learning in Open and Distance Education and to what degree the academic performance of distance students is enhanced through interaction and student collaboration in the Social Media. The present study is important due to the fact that its results will broaden the knowledge on the use of social media in the higher education of Open and Distance Education to enhance the student interaction and collaborative learning through their participation in them and their effect on the students' performance. It will contribute to create and develop new education practices, according to the theories of constructivism and connectivism, and redesign programs with new teaching strategies. The use of social media in the higher education can be used for experimentation. In the present study, a combination of the "Framework for interaction and cognitive learning in connectivist learning contexts" of Wang, Chen & Anderson with the criteria posed by Dillembourg for the collaborative learning, through the use of Social Media, is attempted. 1) Operation interaction -- Collaborative situation 2) Wayfinding interaction -- Collaborative interaction 3) Sensemaking interaction -- Collaborative mechanisms 4) Innovation interaction -- Collaborative learning As a method, a mixed method was used. A combination of quantitative method (sample survey) and qualitative method (interview-participant observation) was used. The sample used in the quantitative research was the students of the Hellenic Open University who participated in the private group of Facebook "Thesis of the Hellenic Open University 2016-2017". For the qualitative research seven semi-structured interviews were held. Moreover, participant observation, posts and comments listing, student interaction of those participating in the group "Thesis of the Hellenic Open University 2016-2017" were held. For the collection of data, a digital questionnaire submitted online, semi-structured interviews and observation sheets from the social media (Facebook) were used. The observation sheets concern a period of five months, from November 2016 to March 2017. The statistic processing of the quantitative data of the questionnaire was done with the statistic tool SPSS 24.0 edition. Although the entire sample was called to answer, the participation was voluntary, so the sample can be considered adequate and convenient. Also, it should be taken into consideration that most interview scales consider the views not the actual students' performance. Because of the small sample number the results cannot be generalized. Another restrictive factor is the small deviation percentage, and as a result the error possibility is greater than 2%. A strong agreement is ascertained on the view that social media facilitate the connection and collaboration with peers as well as the connection of peers in groups with a common aim, facilitate the connection in groups, networks, the modern communication with peers, the interaction among the members of the group, the negotiation of views among peers. On the other hand, it is ascertained that the possibility of misunderstandings is present. Moreover, social media consist a very good tool for the finding, gathering and sharing of information and sources among the members of the group and the creation of Personal Learning Environments. The interaction developed through the social media, according to Wang, Chen & Anderson, affects accordingly the collaborative learning, based on the criteria by Dillenbourg. Through the analysis of the open questions, it is concluded that the majority of the student participants prefers working collaboratively (or combined with individual work) and expresses the willingness for collaborative learning through the social media. According to the students' views, as they are depicted in the questionnaire, the observation and the interviews, the use of social media in Open and Distance Education can enhance the interaction and collaboration among the students, can bring a better performance of individuals and teams and can support students psychologically diminishing the feeling of loneliness. The Universities should take into account the abilities offered through the social media and the willingness of students for collaborative learning through the social media, in order to proceed in structural changes which will include their use for better learning results. In the future, an experimental implementation of the framework for interaction by Wang et al. with the collaborative learning by Dillenbourg, in the framework of a written paper of a thematic unit in the Hellenic Open University using social media is suggested, so as to produce objective measurements for the effect of the use of social media in the interaction and collaboration in the Open and Distance Education as well as the students' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are open online courses offered by major universities, free to everyone, anywhere in the world. Hundreds or tens of thousands of learners enrollee in MOOCs but completion rate is extremely low, sometimes less than 10%. There is a need to explore new and more engaging forms of pedagogy to improve retention. According to the literature review Microlearning and Self-directed Learning (SDL) theories can be combined in an educational context. It was considered important, to study the possibility of designing and developing a MOOC based on both the principles of Microlearning and SDL. A MOOC was designed and an open online course was created. The online learning environment of the MOOC was hosted on a Drupal website. Microlearning is an emerging theory of learning that utilises web content, with activities of short duration. It offers a new way of designing and organising learning, like learning in small steps and small units of content, with structure and classification created by the learner. SDL, according to its best-known definition, given in 1975 by Malcolm Knowles: "... describes a process, in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating their learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies and evaluating learning outcomes ...". For the implementation of SDL, Garrison's SDL model was used. Garrison's model is an SDL model, which links external guidance (cognitive control), internal monitoring (cognitive responsibility) and motivation (input and work) within an educational context. Drupal is an open source content management system for the development of dynamic websites. The aim of this paper is to present the process of developing the above mentioned MOOC and to describe how Drupal CMS can be used to create an online educational environment that has the following characteristics: a) It can host a MOOC, an online course which is open to everyone who has an internet connection. b) It meets the requirements for the Microlearning theory to be implemented. c) It meets the requirements for the Self-Directed Learning (SDL) theory to be implemented. According to Microlearning Theory, Microlearning educational content has a short format (few minutes long) and consist of Microcontent and the corresponding Microlearning activity. Educational content can be created both by the educators and the learners. Microcontent should include an easy-to-follow theme in a sentence, text, or part of the text. Particular attention should be paid to the context of previous acquaintances. Each one has to be independent, can be understood without additional information, cannot be broken further without losing its meaning. Drupal content types were used to develop the Microlearning educational content. A new content type was created that had all the necessary fields according to theory for the Microcontent and the corresponding Microlearning activity. Educators are observing, participating, and evaluating individual and group activities within the learning environment. Teachers present their presence using environmental tools by providing personal information, participating in discussions, reacting immediately and providing feedback. Educator and learner communication forums created where learners can ask questions or discuss various topics. For the educator's immediate response to the learner's requests, an email notification was triggered for specific actions, such as login to the system, submitting a comment to the forum, publishing a new Microlearning, etc. via module Rules. The environment in which learning takes place should encourage learners to explore, use content and create new one. The environment must provide tools for active participation, such as writing text, commenting, adding tags. Learners' activities in the online learning environment are the following: a) Study Microlearning units to create their own Drupal website. Every Microlearning unit has a simple and specific learning goal and is completed in a short time. b) Create new Microlearning units, using the specific form of Microlearning content type. As users with this role, Learners are given the permission to create new content of the Microlearning content type. Microlearning content type leads learner to fill all the appropriate fields and create same structured Microlearning units. Published Microlearning units are visible to other learners. c) Each learner can add comments at Microlearning units and receive answers or other comments from learners or from the educator. d) When learners complete their website, submit it for evaluation by the other learners, using the submission content type "Website Submit". According to SDL theory, the educational context provides facilitators as well as educational resources. It sets the rules and educational standards (what and how it is worth learning). It publishes educational material and in each section it provides sources for further study. It helps the learner to set learning goals and manage educational content. Provides resources and ways of study, and lets learner to take responsibility for the completion of works and the construction of personal meaning. Different types of educational material, like texts, images, videos, as well as hyperlinks for further study was used to create the educational content. The basic Microlearning units for learners to start studying in a suggested order could be found at Microlearning Library. Beyond those basic Microlearning units, there are many more, which learners can study or not, in whatever order they would like. They are free to build their website their own way and apply what they learn. In order for learners to be responsible for their education, they need to have the willingness and the ability to self-monitor the learning process. This responsibility is not independent of the educational context. It is affected by the control of the education transaction. Internal feedback may not be clear and explicit. It is the teacher who can provide effective feedback for the quality (meaning and validity) of learning outcomes. In the online learning environment, the following features created a framework for educational exchange that promotes learner's independence and increases willingness to self-monitor the learning process: a) The freedom for learners to study Microlearning units in any order. b) The ability to create new Microlearning themselves. c) The freedom to use educational material from external resources. Motivation plays a very important role in initiating and sustaining the effort to learn and acquire cognitive goals. Motivation is distinguished in, motivation to start a course (commitment to a goal and willingness to action) and motivation to stay until the end (persistence in learning activities and goals). In order to have strong motivation for participation, learners should be involved in the choice of learning objectives. They should realise that the learning objectives will meet their needs and will be feasible. This depends on their personal values, their preferences, their self-confidence, their abilities and the sufficiency they think they have for achieving the goals. Motivation for participation is the value of the course for the learner. The knowledge of creating a Drupal website is of high value for anyone today. A strong incentive for participation is also the certification of the course. As a certification for the Drupal course was used a Mozilla Open Badge. An open digital certification for online courses. This digital certification corresponds to a set of learning outcomes. The proof that the learner had achieved these learning outcomes was found on the specific webpage where the learner had published the URL of the website he or she had created and submitted for evaluation. This webpage was accessible to all (proof page). For task motivation a point system was developed. Learner was automatically rewarded with points for actions that was small learning goals. The points system, required the Drupal modules Points, Tasks and Goals. Participation of the learner in the design and implementation of the learning process was achieved by enabling learners to create their own Microlearning units. MOOC hosted at: http://openeducation.gr/drupal and 254 learners were enrolled in three (independent) 6-week courses. Out of the 254 registered, 30 completed all the requirements and obtained the certification. The success rate (12%) can be considered quite high, since most of them were beginners and the subject of education was quite difficult for them. Finally, it was found that Drupal has the required capabilities to be used as a tool to develop an online learning environment that will meet the requirements of Microlearning and Self-directed Learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lexical databases are powerful and easily expandable learning tools in the field of terminology learning. Their usage can provide students with learning experiences in a friendly way, providing access to a variety of sources and information in authentic linguistic environments. This paper describes the design and implementation of a lexical database as a software application of the technological field of Computational Lexicography. The original purpose of creating such a tool was to facilitate the learning of technical terminology of the scientific field of Computational Linguistics, in which the phenomenon of polysemy often occurs, namely that the same term has at least two different meanings. This phenomenon is due both to the translation of English terms into the Greek language and to the combination of different disciplines (Informatics, Mathematics and Linguistics) in the same field of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic environments play an extremely important role in supporting life on Earth. However, aquatic ecosystems are directly at risk from increased pollution, climate change and loss of biodiversity, making it prominent to monitor constantly the status of water's quality. Young people's awareness and active involvement in environmental protection is crucial to maintain a sustainable planet. In this direction, this paper presents a STEM educational practice that uses Internet of Things (IoT) data, along with educational activities based on Design Learning method (DBL), so as to comprehend aquatic environments. The design and operation of an automated system is proposed, that exploits data from installed sensors in lakes and rivers, to monitor physicochemical water parameters. The collected data is used in several educational activities to influence students' environmental behavior. The article deals with the effort to raise students' awareness on water quality protection as a result of STEM educational activities in which science, technology, engineering and mathematics are applied, aiming at: a) knowledge and understanding of basic physical and chemical parameters of water in lakes and rivers, and (b) the ability to correlate, interpret and evaluate changes in water's physical and chemical parameters. Real data in STEM education: The approach of promoting citizens' sustainable behavior through educational activities falls within the scope of various research programs. The GAIA platform is among few IoT systems that focus on the educational community. The goal of GAIA is to include the users in the loop of monitoring the energy consumption in the buildings they use daily, connecting the educational activities carried out at schools with their activities at home. A real-world IoT deployment is spread in 3 countries, monitoring in real-time 18 school buildings in terms of electricity consumption and indoor and outdoor environmental conditions. GAIA's IoT devices are either open-design IoT nodes or off-the-shelf products acquired from IoT device manufacturers. The data collected is used as part of a series of education scenarios whose goal is to educate, influence and attempt to transform the energy consumption behavior of school students. In order to enrich STEM education, the National Science Foundation (NSF) - funded the SENSE-IT project. SENSE-IT use educational modules that teach students to construct, program, and test a series of sensors to monitor water quality, which readily provides a motivating context for a variety classroom curricula. Students gather a data set, in order to consider and research potential water quality issues in their region. The concept of users in the loop of monitoring is central in the area of participatory sensing as students are gaining deep domain-specific knowledge through their science campaign, as well as broad general STEM knowledge through data-collection best practices, data analysis, scientific methods, and other areas specific to their project. Educational approaches: As Caine notes, "children learn best if they are immersed in complex experiences and are given the opportunity to actively process what they have learned". This emphasis on application through design has been informed by research on the use of design for learning complex and interrelated ideas. Design Based Learning is a combination of problem learning method, based on small-scale research and design an artifact to solve a human-generated challenge. Students are involved in solving problems in a real context that make sense to them following the engineering design process. In the context of the proposed educational activities, students undertake to design an automatic device to monitor the environmental variables of a lake or river, to evaluate water quality. The requested construction aims to mobilize, engage and take responsibility of learners themselves to seek out and acquire knowledge, skills and practices through design challenge as well as practicing problem solving techniques. The IoT water sensor set up: The sensor unit used in our experiments is based on the open-source (hardware and software) Arduino platform. The Arduino platform was selected as it is well-established electronics prototyping platform and offers multiple variations that provide us with the appropriate core components for building sensing devices with the lowest cost and effort. Our goal has been to develop a small, relatively inexpensive, portable device that can easily be deployed and packed after the measurements are collected. Due to the area of our test, lakes and rivers, we wanted an easy way to collect measurements without the need of a deployed communications infrastructure (e.g., a mobile data network connection). Therefore, an Arduino device that is equipped with an SD card reader module was used. Using the SD card allows us to store the measurements collected in each session locally. After the data collection, the SD card can be removed from the Arduino and the measurements can be easily transferred to a laptop or a smartphone. In a future version of our device this could become a more automated process, by transmitting the data using Bluetooth or WiFi to a smartphone application, including geolocation and the local time, as this information is not available in our design. The Arduino program follows an extremely simplied approach to collect the measurements. As soon as the device is powered a file is created in the SD card to append new data. Each sensor is polled sequentially and once data are retrieved for all sensors, the collected data are appended to the file together with a relative timestamp. This timestamp shows the time since the device's power on time (as the device has no real time clock or battery to maintain a constant time reference). It is therefore important to store the measurements after each sampling session and properly tag them for location and time manually. Educational scenarios: Students create an independent water quality investigation by identifying the water body, the investigation questions and the water quality parameters are needed. Then design, construct and program the sensor device to monitor physicochemical water parameters. After that, they gather and analyze the data to determine the correlation between variables and create a final report or an action plan. Water quality depends on several different variables. Some of the most basic are water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, salinity, hardness and sedimentation. In the present study was chosen to study i) temperature, ii) dissolved solids, iii) dissolved oxygen and iv) pH, based mainly on economic criteria, considering that temperature and dissolved oxygen are the two most important factors affecting water ecosystems. Discussion: The dissemination of the IoT, and the use of various sensors in education, can help promote sustainable behavior. Using such an infrastructure and the data, it is easy to create tools that reflect the actual environmental conditions of different ecosystems and provide feedback. At the same time, recent technological developments allow us to expand our network infrastructure in order to monitor additional environmental parameters. To this end, we recommend the use of additional sensors and the operation of a network to collect real-time environmental variables that will help to understand the effects of man-pressures, and to take action to protect aquatic ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on a selection of international printed and electronic ODL-related journals that cover the domains of distance learning, e-learning and educational technology in order to point out certain problematic areas in the disciplinary constitution of Open and Distance Learning today. Attempting an application of discourse analysis and content analysis on the journals' scope, structure and content, the paper presents a critical discussion of four main issues: a) The formation of hegemonic and peripheral educational cultures, which reflect different educational needs and agendas; b) the issue of access to education, especially concentrating on social exclusion and the developing world; c) the concept of educational technology and its ambiguous uses, with reference to learning needs and pedagogical practices; and d) the epistemological and scientific identity of Open and Distance Learning and the necessity for careful theoretical and methodological reflection on its founding principles. Acknowledging that the future character of education is being shaped by contemporary strategic decisions, the present inspection seeks to demonstrate the analytic value of the study of ODL-related academic journals and its contribution to the field's reflective awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distance education is an educational environment with particular structure and goals in which the learners do not depend on the instructor's continuous presence. The latter does not directly imply the existence of autonomy in learning. The concept of autonomy refers to the learners' right to assume responsibility for their learning course, and more specifically, to define the goal, the content, the method and the assessment of their learning process. The aim of this paper is to study the issue of autonomy in the distance education framework. In particular, the paper examines the relationship between the concepts of autonomy and distance education, identifies the problems that arise in the attempt to apply autonomy in higher education, and puts forward a proposal for its attainment. It is proved that the "legacy" of the traditional educational systems is the biggest hindrance to the implementation of autonomy. Nevertheless there is noticeable optimism that distance education moves towards more learner-centered and autonomous educational approaches, both in theory and in practice. The above allow us to highlight future trends, reflections, conclusions as well as suggestions for improving the way the distance education system functions by implementing autonomy in learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Open Education: The Journal for Open & Distance Education & Educational Technology is the property of Hellenic Network of Open & Distance Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Open and Distance Education constitutes not only a simple teaching method, but also a self-sufficient education system, different from the conventional one. It is not based on 'face to face' knowledge communication, but on the 'individualization' of learning, mainly through the individual study of the educational material provided by the educational institute, in the present case by the HOU. Within this educational framework adult students are far apart from the instructor (tutor-counselor) and the educational institute. Their role is upgraded, as they are involved in an 'individualized learning' process, or otherwise 'self-learning' process, on the basis of which individual/personal diversities, needs, experiences, preferences and expectations are to be satisfied. Learning is experienced as an 'individual matter' presupposing and entailing adulthood enhancement and independence. This paper refers to the investigation of the postgraduate students' views attending the programme "Studies in Education" about distance individualized learning at the HOU. We have investigated six main aspects involved in the implementation of the individualized learning at the HOU: a. educational material, b. interpersonal communication, c. student support, d. instructor's role, e. use of new technologies and f. service provision (registration and library departments). Through the investigation of the students' views, the advantages and disadvantages of the individualized learning at the HOU have been recorded and analysed. Moreover, recommendations have been stated concerning the reinforcement of the advantages and the restriction of difficulties and problems that adult learners have to cope with during their distance individualized studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the concept of learning environment is discussed in terms of the situational approach as this is related with the new Media, which support the educational learning process. It consists of four parts: in the first part, a short conceptualization of ICT in education and its classification as Quaternary Media is presented. In the second part, the concept of learning environment is defined as "a frame of learning interaction" and the New Media are considered as a «frame of learning opportunity and interactional potential». In the third part, basic characteristics of a situational learning environment are being formulated. In conclusion it is stressed that within the framework of learning environment formulation, the pedagogical and didactic transformation of content is central. This position is substantiated by MacLuhan's theory and a model of six axes is proposed in terms of a holistic approach for every educator designing learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to highlight the role of the teacher in distance education and more specifically their support for the autonomy of student learning. The survey was conducted initially on a theoretical level with the help of the theoretical scientists of education and then on an empirical level through interviews of students and Teachers - Consultants of the EKP 65, to reflect and explore the following views on the role of Professor - Consultant and especially the skills needed to support the learner towards autonomy in learning. The thesis focuses on the positions and views of teachers and students to understand how they really understand the concept of autonomy in learning and how it really applied through the program of distance teaching EAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the notion of self-regulated learning in distance education. In particular, the paper examines the role of the self-regulated leaning in the learning process and the academic achievement in the context of distance education. The results of the literature review showed that self-regulated learning and, more specifically, its social-cognitive perspective, provides the appropriate theoretical framework for the understanding and analysis of the learning process in distance education. In addition, it is showed that self-regulated learning influences the learners' academic achievement in distance education and, consequently, the importance of its implement in the specific environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper elaborates on the revision of the Founding Act 2083/1992 and 2552/1997 of the Greek Open University. The Founding Act of the Greek Open University has changed over time, depending on the socio-economic conditions and labor market requirements. It should be noted that the proposed changes are directly related to the subjects of the faculties of the Greek Open University and are focused in three areas: 1. The self-administered of the Greek Open University, which means to modify Law 2252/1997, in order to set up and operate the following bodies: Rector's Council, General Assembly Department, Board and Chairman of that Department and to divide Schools into departments and sectors (eg. School of Science and Technology in 2 Departments, etc.) 2. The modernization of the Greek Open University to the needs and demands of society (making subjects contemporary, in order to respond to the needs of society, exploring the labor market for the employment of graduates of the Greek Open University, etc.) and 3. Support of the philosophy of Open Education (reduction or abolition of tuition fees for students so that more people can study etc.). With these proposed changes the Greek Open University will attract more people who either wish to start their studies or they wish to continue them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article psychological and pedagogical learning theories implicated in teaching with the use of computers are presented, critically examined, and compared. Behaviorism suggests hierarchically organized educational software, aim-centered, that points on content revision, unopened exercises, right answers, correction of mistakes, and that assesses students-computer users by injunctions, rewards-penalties, so that they would improve their knowledge. Cognitive contructivism's implications are the student-centered approach, de-inculpation of students' mistakes, modelization/simulation/microworlds, problem-solving, use and production of open inter-thematic software, utilization of previous learning, gradual spiral-learning, epagogic, experimental, self-directed, self-exploring learning. Sociocultural theory's implications are the group-collaborative environment, knowledge connection to praxis, holistic learning, interactive and authentic environments of apprenticeship and practice. Critical-emancipatory theorists' view across new technologies is objurgatory, as technologies are used by the dominant class for its own benefits and for increase of exploitation and subordination of non-privileged. Concerning that education is not socially neutral, the present paper is exploring questions, such as what are the pros and cons of every theory, how theories look alike or differ, what the profits are and who win from the new technologies today, how they are used for/against people. In conclusion, I shall try to prove that the future of new technologies that serve each human being belongs to socio-cultural and critical-emancipatory orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Distance Learning programs communication between students and tutors is a key factor contributing to the completion of studies and the success of the programme. By means of this communication the tutor can facilitate the interaction and active involvement of students with the learning material, and motivate their interest in deeper understanding. Thus, they contribute to students' effort towards discovery of knowledge. In addition, effective communication can act as support for the student through clear and adequate feedback, which informs the students of their progress and provides vital encouragement. In this paper we present the survey which was administered to tutors of the course module EDU65 (Open and Distance Education) of the Hellenic Open University. The objective of the survey was to study their views on the frequency, subject and ways of communication with the students. Through their answers we try to determine their perception of the dual role they play in H.O.U. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The teaching skills of the teacher in Distance Education are categorized in three main categories: organisational skills, social skills and pedagogic skills. These three categories of skills compose the role of the tutor counselor of Hellenic Open University which is to support to encourage and to evaluate the students, providing the suitable feedback and advisory in the training process. The evaluation in the educational process and particularly the evaluation of the Admissions Advisor of Hellenic Open University as factor of educational process is one of the most important activities that aims to the improvement of the tutor counselor himself and to the improvement of the educational process. The evaluation should be based on axes analyzed in criteria. Aim of this paper is to examine the opinions of postgraduate students of Hellenic Open University in the postgraduate module EKP 65 "Open and Distance Educations" referring to the assessment of the Admissions Advisor of Hellenic Open University. For the further success and improvement of the educational process, the opinions of the students should be taken into consideration during the process of the evaluation. According to this framework it is attempted to examine the opinions of postgraduate students of EKP 65 referring to the axes and the criteria on which evaluation of Admissions Advisor of Hellenic Open University should be based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tutorials are essential in Hellenic Open University's studies. They offer the opportunity for a 'face to face' communication between students and their tutors. In this paper we studied the views of postgraduate students and their tutors at the Hellenic Open University regarding the learning process of tutorials and the support they offer in distance education in order to study ways of improving their effectiveness. The survey was both quantitative and qualitative. Both questionnaire and interview were used as methodological tools. The survey showed that the majority of students and their tutors value positively the existence of tutorials in Hellenic Open University's studies and their contribution in supporting distance education. Both sides thought of tutorials as a learning process during which students can be energetic and autonomous. Results, also, showed that students are influenced by their earlier experience in traditional education and they, primarily, ask for academic support. In addition, students want to co-operate mainly with their tutors and with their fellow-students too. On the other hand, tutors focus on a friendly communication and co-operation with their students during tutorials. They, also, emphasize on supporting students in their academic effort. Finally, the survey showed that the problems concerning tutorials were relevant to the way they are organized, some aspects of their learning process and the quality of communication during the time period between two consecutive tutorials. Solutions are proposed for these kinds of problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two - way communication between students and tutors is one of the two key factors contributing to the success of a Distance Learning programme, the other being the complete and well-designed educational package. Both elements are essential to guide students' learning. By means of this communication the tutor can facilitate the interaction and active involvement of students with the learning material, and motivate their interest in deeper understanding. Thus, communication is a significant contributor to students' learning. In addition, effective communication can act as support for the student through clear and adequate feedback, which informs the students of their progress and provides vital encouragement. In this paper we present the survey which was administered to students of the course module EDU65 (Open and Distance Education) of the Hellenic Open University. The objective of the survey was to study their views on the frequency, subject and ways of communication between students and tutors as well as review their perceptions on the contribution of this communication to the successful course of studies. Through their answers we try to determine the elements of effective communication between tutor and student and compose the profile of the successful tutor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper refers to the pedagogical design of a complex instructional intervention with the creation of a hybrid collaborative learning environment involving distance teaching and distance collaboration among groups of students. Learning outcomes and processes have been investigated by qualitative research methods concerning: a) the psychosocial climate of the class b) the students' cognitive achievement and c) the participant teachers' critical reflection on their own educational experience. The students managed to get introduced normally to the new learning environment. This was achieved through the implementation of three phases: a) the virtual class, b) the distance collaboration and c) the distance learning communities and cooperative teaching. This innovative educational project has been based on a previous experience we gained as participants in the EU educational program called 'Odysseus' (Anastasiades, 2003). However, this particular intervention has been further developed, especially at the students' distance collaboration level through the initiation of some more open, student-centred and complex collaborative investigative learning activities. During this educational implementation the pedagogical principles of the cognitive and social constructivism have been adopted, together with some elements of the critical/transformative approach, while the method of a complex, exploratory project, with the use of ICT in a collaborative, learning environment (with or without teleconferencing) has been used as a main instructional approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]