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In 2021, data on Internet usage for those aged 75 years and older in Ireland indicated that almost half of this cohort (46%) had never accessed the Internet (Central Statistics Office, 2021b). This study examines the role of intergenerational and peer relationships in the digital lives of older adults in Ireland, first, to explore perspectives on lifelong learning, and second, to understand the perceived impacts of digital engagement on personal quality of life in later years. A case study was employed as the overarching methodological approach. Data from participants were collected using a mixed methods approach through an online survey, and interviews with participants, representing two cases as units of analysis - onliners and offliners. These data were collected and analysed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. My findings indicate that intergenerational relationships support the development of digital skills of older adults in this study. The generations, however, are largely adjacent (sons and daughters) rather than non-adjacent (grandchildren) and these learning exchanges are informal. While the study did not set out to examine learning between members of the same generation, it found that questions surrounding digital technologies were best addressed on an individual level, often from a same generation peer, whether household member, family or other relative, friend or member of one’s social environment. There was evidence of indirect reciprocity from these learning exchanges to a participant’s peers. Lifelong learning is important to perceived positive quality of life amongst many older adults. Research into peer learning in informal social and community environments for older adults has been scarcely addressed up to now. This thesis highlights that it is here that much later-life learning relating to digital skills takes place. Building on Rogoff’s model (Rogoff, 1994), a community-of-peer learners that would involve informal intentional and in

Studies report that children’s digital technology use tends to increase as they grow older. Other studies indicate that learner engagement tends to decline as children progress through their time in school, notably at the transition from primary to secondary school. This indicates that at the stage when they are susceptible to declining school engagement, they are increasingly engaged with technology and networked activity. This paradox is the focus of this multiple case study which explores six 10- to 16-year-olds’ engagement in their personal learning networks, highlighting the contextual factors supporting this selfdirected, technology-mediated engagement. This study questions current understandings of networked learning, extending the approach to include under 18-year-olds. It proposes a typology of networked learning for children and young people in line with the trajectories of their psychological development. Undergirded by networked learning and student engagement theory, this study employs 8 methods – a semi-structured questionnaire, semi-structured interview, Draw and Talk, historical online records, field notes and memos, diagrams of participants’ networks, emails, as well as Mime and Tell, a childcentred method developed for this study, capturing children’s embodied, nonverbal communication. Reflexive thematic analysis has been used to unpack the data. Participants’ adolescent psychological needs, chiefly for selfefficacy, connectedness, and autonomy, were seen to influence the construction of, and participation in, their networks. The uniquely structured networked environment was then seen to support participants’ psychological needs. This cycle of support is akin to Stage-Environment Fit, known to support engagement. Insights from this study will be of interest to academics and scholars in networked learning and to teachers, school leaders, local education authority leaders, policy makers and all interested in student wellbeing and school engagement.

This report is concerned with detailing the processes involved in teaching; this was accomplished through an analysis of existing research literature. It was recognised at the outset of the study that teachers engage with teaching and learning in three related but different ways. They are concerned with processes involving: pedagogic principles (how they think about the background philosophies and objectives of their teaching); teaching practices (how they might plan for their teaching and their students’ learning); and instructional approaches (how they might construct specific lessons and activities, who is involved in doing what, and what outcomes are desired).

As the world undergoes significant digital technological advancements, many believe that traditional education systems are not providing the essential competencies learners require for the future (Istance & Kools, 2013; Joynes et al., 2019). With an ever-increasing critical digital skills gap (Meechan, 2021; S. Wright, 2018), today's learners must be encouraged to develop their digital prowess (Skills Development Scotland, 2018; S. Wright, 2018) and develop the meta-competencies required for the world they are to inhabit (Beetham & Sharpe, 2013; The Scottish Government, 2020; Trilling & Fadel, 2009). Many feel compulsory education fails to provide learners with the requisite digital computing competencies (Istance & Kools, 2013; Joynes et al., 2019). Therefore, more engaging and effective alternatives to our current curriculum content delivery and high-stake examinations must be examined. This proposal and research study examine an alternative method of developing digital computing competencies by employing a social constructivist (SC) approach using a design thinking (DT) model, also purported to develop the much-needed meta-competencies (MC) learners need in the future (Fairburn, 2010; Goldman & Kabayadondo, 2016; Koh et al., 2015). Internationally renowned universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford, and Berkeley use DT to develop MC; however, there is little research into DT studios in a compulsory educational setting (Carroll, 2015). This opportunistic, single-case study details a school's journey to develop outcomes from a digitally focused design thinking studio integrated into its curriculum, examining the perceptions and experiences of outcomes from learners and educators immersed in a two-week digital DT studio. This study should be of interest to educators, policymakers, and parents.

This report is concerned with detailing the processes involved in teaching; this was accomplished through an analysis of existing research literature. It was recognised at the outset of the study that teachers engage with teaching and learning in three related but different ways. They are concerned with processes involving: pedagogic principles (how they think about the background philosophies and objectives of their teaching); teaching practices (how they might plan for their teaching and their students’ learning); and instructional approaches (how they might construct specific lessons and activities, who is involved in doing what, and what outcomes are desired).

The rapid development of online distance programmes has increased the popularity of higher education among adult students. Despite the suggested benefits of online higher education (OHE), adults may experience various challenges and barriers when adapting to it. Yet, research tends to oversimplify adults’ learning experiences to fit historical assumptions. This study examines qualitatively different ways of experiencing online learning and conceptualising success by adult students. A detailed picture of these variations was drawn from primary interviews made with the participants of two online postgraduate programmes. The chosen phenomenographic research design embeds a principle of diversity, assisting in uncovering qualitative variations in students’ accounts and leading to two hierarchically structured models. In response to research question one, the analysis demonstrated three ways of experiencing online learning: as an investment, as a process that brings structure, and as a process that enables and empowers. The context in which learning is conceptualised is proposed to explain the identified variations. The second research question uncovered the structure of the concept of success, in which a more complex perspective on success - success as self-actualisation - embraced the features of more simplistic ones. To highlight the nature of identified variations and situatedness of adult students’ learning aspirations, I provide an analysis of contextual backgrounds within which the notions of success has been discussed. Research question three hypothesises relationships between two phenomena under question. Within the confines of levels of evidence collected in this study, generalisations cannot be made, but it provides a more detailed empirically grounded picture of the phenomenon of online learning as experienced by adult students than it has been previously offered. Furthermore, it offers a holistic view of students’ diverse conceptualisations of success. In th

Doctoral studies can be daunting and arguably even more daunting when studied from a distance away from the university. In this context, the relevancy of questions surrounding how a sense of belonging is built via interacting from a distance becomes more salient as well as how the student is viewed by members of the doctoral community (peers and staff members). This study aims at exploring how distance doctoral students interact towards building their belongingness and identity within their doctoral community. Through the lenses of Hodgins’s (2018) Psychological Construct of Belonging, the study explored the data collected from semi-structured interviews using a narrative inquiry approach. The interviews involved 25 distance doctoral students across six higher education institutions in the United Kingdom (UK). The students were studying in various doctoral programmes and at various stages of their programmes. The results contribute significantly to the existing body of knowledge, but also highlight some relevant issues that can enable or constrain the development of a sense of belonging and identity from a distance. Key recommendations are offered that oscillate between those that are within the control of the institutions and those that are not.

MOOCs, Massive Open Online Courses. This form of scalable education has gained a reputation for providing anytime, anywhere access to knowledge across the globe. Through the ubiquitous presence of the internet as the mechanism by which to deliver courses, MOOCs are primed to break down barriers of access to education between nations and population segments. However, is the ecosystem of MOOCs really developed for anyone, anywhere? With wars, national conflicts and natural disasters setting a record for the largest number of refugees and displaced populations ever recorded along with millions of people around the globe who continue to live in conditions of poverty, are indeed “MOOCs without borders” and can they provide much needed educational opportunities to transform the lives of these less privileged populations? This research investigates the plight for these populations by reflecting on the concept it has termed as “MOOCs without borders”. It examines the contexts of such populations and their nations which are heavily tasked to minimise gaps in the attainment of knowledge, through providing inclusive, adaptable and therefore contextualised education at scale. Reflecting on this, this thesis investigates the dynamics of contextualised education through the lens of MOOCs for such marginalised populations, and uses Knowledge Gap Theory as its theoretical framework whilst implementing Grounded Theory as its methodological approach. The findings gathered identifies 5 key factors which can contribute to the contextualisation of MOOCs for nations faced with poverty and the influx of displaced populations. In the identification of these 5 key factors, this thesis presents the generation of theory in the form of the “Contextualised MOOCs Model”. This model provides a how to framework for MOOCs to provide accessible educational opportunities, as it illustrates the interconnections and the impact which the 5 contextualised factors have upon each other, and thus upon the d

This thesis describes a qualitative single exploratory case study whose purpose was to explore the potential transition of an introductory computer module of College X to a blended learning mode; this was implemented by investigating the perceptions of instructors and students regarding this potential transition, analysing these perceptions using thematic analysis, and framing these within the conceptual framework suggested by Passey (2019). In this respect, integrating ‘new’ ways of teaching and learning for implementing blended learning provision for higher education followed the steps suggested by Passey (2019). The process involved: (1) identifying the elements of the module under investigation that need to remain on-site; (2) associate the remaining elements to suitable ‘new’ ways of learning; (3) associate these elements to appropriate forms of interaction; (4) match these elements to relevant educator modes; and (5) identify the appropriate technology resources to support these elements. This process produced a set of tools that may serve as conceptual frameworks related to the relationships between online elements, educator modes, ‘new’ ways of learning, and interaction forms. Finally, the study’s findings include identified benefits and challenges related to blended learning provisions, as perceived by this study’s participants, aligned with evidence from the prevailing literature. The findings will be used to inform the eventual implementation of a blended learning provision for the said module.

My research aims to explore how students perceive the usability and enjoyment of visual/block-based programming environments (VPEs), to what extent their learning styles relate to these perceptions and finally to what extent these tools facilitate student understanding of basic programming constructs and impact their motivation to learn programming.

This research investigates how organisations where e-learning is already firmly established experience the adoption of mobile learning. Drawing on responses from training managers and sales and service staff, it investigates key aspects of mobile learning, as understood in organisations; how they perceive the relationship between mobile learning and e-learning provision; their key objectives for deploying mobile learning; and the dynamics of mobile learning practice as it is emerging. The project uses a multi-case study methodology with data collected from three corporate organisations in different sectors (healthcare, computing, and financial services). In each case, data is drawn from interviews with training managers and questionnaire responses from sales and service staff. Sharples’ framework for mobile learning, which focuses on the mobility of learners and learning as ‘conversations’, forms the analytical basis for the study. Three case reports are first presented, and then a cross-case analysis is conducted to draw out points of commonality and difference between the cases. My findings show that mobile learning is understood in the organisations through the lens of e-learning: while the two are not perceived as the same thing, the relationship is perceived to be close. While some barriers to adoption are technological, most concern social factors (stakeholder resistance and lack of leadership support). There is also a lack of use of collaborative aspects of mobile learning in emerging practices, even though respondents were aware that such possibilities existed. Most importantly, actual practices of mobile learning are driven more by the organisations’ business needs and how they have previously used e-learning, rather than their specific perceptions of mobile learning. The work contributes to existing research on mobile learning in the corporate sector (especially the perceived advantages and effectiveness of mobile learning, and challenges in adopting it)

This research addresses the need for change in higher education pedagogy due to developments in technology and the proliferation of digital devices. Three main directions are identified as having the potential of instigating an educational paradigm shift; flexible pedagogy (Ryan and Tilbury, 2013); ubiquitous learning (Cope and Kalantzis, 2010) and agnostic instructional design as represented in the practical set of strategies for creating device neutral assignments (DNA) (Campo, 2013). All three have been combined to formulate the Flexible Ubiquitous Agnostic Design (FUAD) framework for instructional design. The principles of the framework have been expanded and modified based on the findings of empirical data collection. In this theory-driven evaluation research, FUAD was used to evaluate learning designs using the FUAD principles as evaluation criteria. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with lecturers to discuss learning experiences from a variety of universities in different countries. The purpose of the evaluation was twofold: assessing learning designs as well as informing the FUAD framework. Findings are presented by providing example assignments for each FUAD principle. An additional category was added for technical and procedural assignments to show how they relate to the FUAD principles. Findings show that FUAD is a useful evaluation tool. It enabled the identification of successful elements as well as the diagnosis of problem areas in learning experiences. Through the use of the seven FUAD principles and the enablers iii and inhibitors of each learning experience, suggestions were presented to develop assignments and to overcome problem areas. Inhibitors are discussed collectively as pointers to possible issues that can restrict the adoption of the FUAD framework. The FUAD framework is significant because it supports agnostic and inclusive instructional design. It translates the theoretical concepts of new pedagogies into practical principles or p

The purpose of this two cycles design-based research study is to explore the approaches with response to and perceptions of teachers towards a professional development programme (PDP) for enabling them to design, develop, and implement technology enhanced learning (TEL) activities for teaching Arabic as a foreign language (AFL). The PDP was designed with reference to Laurillard’s (2002) conversational framework and Passey’s (2011) learning elements framework. Semi-structured interviews, online open-ended questionnaires, and observations are used for data collection. The results are analysed and presented visually and in text to show different levels of detail. The findings identified teachers’ positive and negative perceptions towards the support elements provided throughout the PDP in addition to: 1) their pedagogical outcomes in relation to the different types of support provided; 2) the positive influencers and barriers that affected them throughout the PDP; 3) their produced outcomes (artefacts); and 4) their students’ responses from their perspectives. The design principles of a successful implementation of a PDP were also included based on findings. Finally, this study attempts to assist PDP designers by referring to the theoretical and practical implications that can help them in designing similar programmes. In addition, originality in terms of the design, development, and implementation of the PDP are highlighted, so adding to the learning design body of knowledge with respect to foreign language learning.

This working paper provides a background context to the uses of a specific software resource, Learning by Questions (LbQ), piloted in 6 schools across Northern Ireland, from October 2017 to July 2018. There has been continued use in those schools since the end of the pilot. The LbQ resource has similarities with previous software resources used in schools in the 1990s, called Integrated Learning Systems (ILSs). This paper compares the contemporary LbQ resource with these previous ILS resources, highlighting some fundamental differences that the LbQ resource offers. Case vignettes from four schools provide evidence of outcomes arising in practice. It is clear that uses are affecting and shifting both teacher and pupil behaviours. Importantly, some of these behavioural shifts are not only positively affecting learning and teaching, but also teacher wellbeing. Implications are considered.

How do students, who have been identified as gifted and talented, experience their time at secondary school? What elements of their school's culture help or hinder their personal and academic development? This longitudinal study focuses on the lives of five students in an English secondary school, who had been identified as gifted and talented, and on how they developed personally and academically during the 4 years I observed them. Their interviews tell a compelling story about what it meant for them to be labelled as gifted and what aspects of their schooling either helped or hindered their personal and academic development. One of the key findings of my research is that a Formal school culture, which is mainly concerned with examination grades and progress, seems to discourage students from being enthusiastic about learning and thus fully engaging in lessons. Further, this academic disengagement hindered some students to learn how to study independently and how to revise for tests and examinations effectively. Influenced by the work of Dweck (2000) this study explores how self-theories of gifted students develop in the setting of an English secondary school in connection with the school culture and how this influences their academic engagement. My research is based on a typology of school cultures developed by Hargreaves (1999) which embraces academic as well as social-emotional aspects of schooling thus complementing my research questions well. The study follows a mixed methods approach and includes data from semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and informal observations. To track the educational journey of the students I used a visual tool called the Blobs which enabled me to illustrate changes in students' perceptions of their personal as well as academic situation in school. The main findings of this study centre around the difficulties some of the observed students had in developing a positive self-theory in respect to learning and academic engagement

Diese Fallstudie gehört zu einer Reihe von Forschungsberichten, die die Nutzung von digitalen Technologien in Schulen untersuchen. Für das hier beschriebene Element der Forschungsreihe wurde die Form der Fallstudie gewählt, weil ihr die Daten und Ergebnisse einer einzelnen Lerngruppe an einer Schule in Nordrhein-Westfalen in Deutschland zugrunde liegen. Eine Lerngruppe von 17- und 18-Jährigen nutzte eine integrierte Lernumgebung aus verschiedenen digitalen Technologien (bestehend aus einem interaktiven SMART Display Serie 7000, einem interaktiven SMART Whiteboard 800, zwölf Samsung Galaxy Tab A Tablet PCs sowie einer virtuellen Lernumgebung) für den Unterricht im Leistungskurs Englisch im zweiten Jahr der Qualifikationsphase (Q2). Die integrierte digitale Lernumgebung unterstützte eine Reihe von Lernszenarien, mit Hilfe derer die Lernenden ein besseres Verständnis für die von ihnen erwarteten Examensleistungen im Hinblick auf die Durchdringung der Aufgabenstellung, die Textanalyse und die Strukturierung ihrer Antworten auf Englisch aufbauen sollten.

This case study is one of a number of research reports investigating uses of digital technologies in schools. A case study has been selected for this element of the wider research study, as it provides evidence about uses and outcomes with a single class of pupils in one school, in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. An ecology of technologies (a SMART interactive flat panel, a SMART interactive whiteboard, twelve Samsung Galaxy Tab A tablets, and an associated VLE) were linked and used with a class of 17-18-year-old final year Abitur pupils in an English major course. The technologies supported a number of learning activities that were designed by the teacher to help pupils develop more effective answering of test and examination questions, analysing text and structuring answers in English. The technologies were shown to support individual and small group work, class discussions, collating detail, structuring writing and answers, reviewing notes that were saved online, and accessing notes for revision for tests and examinations. The teacher reported that the technologies supported these activities, and that they had a positive influence on some pupils in test and final Abitur examination results. Those pupils not influenced to the same extent were not negatively affected; their scores remained more constant. Statistical tests showed that for ‘influenced’ pupils, their increased results were statistically significantly different from those pupils ‘not influenced’, both at p<0.05 and p<0.01 levels.

“The students do not have research skills although we are trying to imbibe it through term papers, minor projects, major projects, capstone projects, etc. As stated, the quality of graduates in India is not up to the mark. We could probably say that our curriculum and instructional pedagogies are not focused towards imbibing such skills. Hence, the skills remain superficial and rudimentary. The faculty primarily focus on imparting subject knowledge and ensure that the students pass the examinations but fail to understand the importance of research skills and do not focus on inculcating those skills.” This reflection from a tutor in a higher education institution in India was our starting point. We wanted to find out the extent of understanding of research skills by students in India, and what their views were about the importance and place of research skills in their curriculum. This document reports our findings, from students of engineering in the Delhi National Capital Region of India. So far, these findings support the view expressed by the tutor in the statement above. We argue that there is an urgent need to reconsider the position of research skills in the curriculum. We offer some initial recommendations, and outline the next stages of our research, which will bring forward more fundamental understanding of this important topic.

Getting Ahead offers ‘a series of interventions taking place outside of the school environment’ . Getting Ahead is one of the delivery elements of HeadStart Wolverhampton , which has developed and provided programmes to develop stronger resilience in young people. An initial pilot programme was run in 2016. Evidence provided by the Learning Technologies Services, from project personnel, teachers and pupils involved in the programme, highlighted a number of key points about their experiences. Overall, the outcomes reported in this evidence were strongly positive; both pupils and teachers recognised ways in which the programme had developed their resilience, and this evidence was strongly aligned by reports from both pupils and teachers. Findings from the pilot programme enabled an identification of 21 attributes that were crucial elements of resilience. It was felt that to explore the development of resilience more carefully, these could be measured at specific times, as they were developed over the period of the programme. To enable project personnel, teachers and pupils to report on these attributes at specific times during a programme, to measure the changes occurring, and to provide means to support the development of resilience, it was proposed that four tools could be developed. This report defines these tools, but more specifically shows how the first two of those four tools were developed, indicates how they might be used by tutors, teachers and pupils, illustrates how results might be presented and analysed, and details how the profiling tool was tested by the Learning Technologies Service with a trial group and how analyses of data provided allowed findings to be identified.

The development of digital capabilities has received significant attention in higher education (HE) in recent years, with numerous attempts made to develop digital frameworks to support curriculum design. However, few studies have articulated these generic capabilities in terms of specific disciplines. This thesis addresses the gap of disciplinary conceptualisations of digital capabilities by exploring how they are planned and experienced in HE curricula in two professional disciplines at two UK universities. Originality of the study is achieved in part through a conceptual framework that weaves together a theoretical perspective - Shulman’s signature pedagogies, with JISC’s Digital Capability Framework. Underpinned by a human capabilities approach, the study employed a multiple-case study methodology with each discipline as a case, and four undergraduate/postgraduate modules as the units of analysis, drawing on documentary sources, and academic, professional and student perspectives via interviews, focus groups and observation. My findings indicate that the development of digital capabilities is aligned with the respective discipline’s signature pedagogy. In engineering, digital problem-solving and collaboration/communication, followed by data and information literacy, appear to be most prominent. In management, data and information literacy overlap with problem-solving, and, together with digital content communication, form its signature digital capabilities. The thesis highlights similarities, differences and gaps in the way digital capabilities are developed in engineering and management curricula. In addition, the research process itself offers a major theoretical contribution, together with the identification of management’s overarching signature pedagogy. Practical and theoretical implications of the study include the need to extend signature pedagogies to ‘signature assessments’, and articulating a link between signature digital capabilities and authentic as

This thesis discusses a qualitative investigation into the impact of mobile learning interventions designed to promote learner engagement in primary-aged children working on science topics in outdoor settings, for three cohorts of pupils at a north-of-England primary school. Adopting a design-based methodological approach and underpinned by a pragmatist epistemological position, the research responds to calls to address nature deficit disorder (Louv, 2009), drawing on a theoretical framework which combines contemporary learning theories including place-based learning (Zimmerman & Land, 2014), contextualised learning (Rikala & Kankaanranta , 2014), kinaesthetic learning (Pruet et al., 2016), constructionist learning (Papert, 1980; Zimmerman & Land, 2014), experiential learning (Lai, Yang, Chen, Ho & Chan, 2007), child-centred learning (Dewey, 1938) and cross-contextual learning (Nouri, Cerratto-Pargman, Rossitto & Ramberg, 2014), with theorisations around learner engagement (Fredricks, Blumenfeld & Paris, 2004), flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997), and Digital Capital (Park, 2017). Drawing together two research activity streams, a series of mobile learning interventions designed for use in outdoor settings were developed, evaluated and refined over the course of eight research cycles. The discovery-based learning activity stream aimed to encourage learners to explore particular themes within an outdoor setting, while the production-focused learning stream saw learners generate video-clips and eBooks in response to a directed activity. Employing qualitative methods, data were collected from a variety of sources, including video-recorded observations, semi-structured interviews with teachers, focus groups with children and learner-generated digital artefacts, while analysis was conducted using thematic analysis and direct interpretation within a grounded theory approach (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). The thesis concludes that appropriately-designed mobile learning in

This study examined the uses of Facebook by lecturers and students in classrooms and their outcomes and impacts for teaching and learning practices in Malaysian higher education. The research objectives were to identify how and why lecturers and students use Facebook as a teaching and learning platform in a formal classroom environment, and to evaluate how lecturers and students perceive the outcomes and impacts of Facebook for teaching and learning practices. A multiple-methodology design using a number of qualitative methods was adopted. Empirical data were collected through: (1) semi-structured interviews with eight lecturers and 12 students from seven Malaysian universities; (2) participant virtual observation of two Facebook closed-group pages; and (3) content analysis of 38 students’ reflection journals. Findings revealed that the use of Facebook by Malaysian lecturers and students of this study arises due to its affordances for teaching and learning in classroom education, including ease of use and usefulness for reaching out to students, supporting online discussions, and interactivity. However, participants felt that disadvantages and challenges of using Facebook in formal learning environments do exist. This study provides in-depth insights about the adoption of Facebook by students and lecturers in formal classroom education for enhancing learning experiences as well as supporting and improving teaching practices. The study contributes to current understanding about how and why lecturers and students leverage social media technologies as teaching and learning tools as well as how Facebook enhances engagement and communication among students and with their lecturers. Original contributions from this study are: the identification of similarities of and differences between lecturers’ and students’ uses and perspectives on Facebook in formal learning environments; the presentation of theoretical frameworks related to factors that affect uses and impacts of Fa

Diese Fallstudie gehört zu einer Reihe von Forschungsberichten, die die Nutzung von digitalen Technologien in Schulen untersuchen. Für das hier beschriebene Element der Forschungsreihe wurde die Form der Fallstudie gewählt, weil ihr die Daten und Ergebnisse einer einzelnen Lerngruppe an einer Schule in Nordrhein-Westfalen in Deutschland zugrunde liegen. Eine Lerngruppe von 17- und 18-Jährigen nutzte eine integrierte Lernumgebung aus verschiedenen digitalen Technologien (bestehend aus einem interaktiven SMART Display Serie 7000, einem interaktiven SMART Whiteboard 800, zwölf Samsung Galaxy Tab A Tablet PCs sowie einer virtuellen Lernumgebung) für den Unterricht im Leistungskurs Englisch im zweiten Jahr der Qualifikationsphase (Q2). Die integrierte digitale Lernumgebung unterstützte eine Reihe von Lernszenarien, mit Hilfe derer die Lernenden ein besseres Verständnis für die von ihnen erwarteten Examensleistungen im Hinblick auf die Durchdringung der Aufgabenstellung, die Textanalyse und die Strukturierung ihrer Antworten auf Englisch aufbauen sollten.

The present research study aimed to describe the nature of peer-feedback in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) offered by a German University. The MOOC was team-based, it offered the support of different actors, and allowed learners to participate in two different roles: students or supporters. Considering participants’ diversity and voluntary participation in the MOOC, three aspects of feedback were explored: 1) the quantity and quality of feedback provided throughout the course; 2) the feedback provided by students and supporters; and 3) the feedback provided by females and males in their roles as students and supporters. For this purpose, the method of content analysis and a regression model with a Poisson distribution were employed. Findings from the research study indicate a positive trend in the quantity of peer-feedback provided throughout the course, a constant use of those types of feedback expected to support the formative function of assessment, and an alternate use in other types of feedback identified as quality feedback. A statistically significant difference could be established between both roles. Supporters used a set of types of feedback more often than students. Finally, although no statistically significant differences could be established between both genders, differences could be established in relation to the types of feedback used in the role they had performed. The study concludes that the purpose and value of assessment were not threatened by the peer-feedback offered by its participants, despite their diversity and voluntary participation. Additionally, it recommends to present assessment criteria principally as a suggestion. Lastly, it encourages researchers on the field to inquire into a) mechanisms that motivate learners to engage in the voluntary activity of peer-assessment, thereby contributing to a sustainable participation throughout a complete course; and b) understanding participants’ commonalities, needs and expectations by anal

This research investigates how customer experience (CX) professionals experience learning through their use of digital technologies in organisations, and considers the implications for organisational learning. A phenomenographic methodology was used to compare the variation in employees’ experiences of learning, and the research employed a conceptual framework of post-structuralism and complexity to investigate how digital technologies affect organisational learning and knowledge management. Complexity Leadership Theory was used as a way to interpret the complexity dynamics that occur through digitally mediated interactions in organisations, and provided a way to conceptualise these interactions as taking place in ‘adaptive spaces’. The research found that a lack of etiquette regarding the use of digital tools can adversely affect processes of meaning-creation during the technology-mediated work of CX professionals. The findings indicate that a more intentional use of technology – a ‘digital etiquette’ – can be viewed as a dynamic capability, and has the potential to improve the way in which CX professionals contribute to organisational learning. The findings also demonstrate that improving digital etiquette in adaptive spaces is an appropriate response to problems of knowledge management under conditions of complexity. The research will be of interest to those seeking a clearer understanding of the potential of the CX function to contribute to organisational learning, and also to those aiming to design programmes of learning that prepare students effectively for complex environments.

“The students do not have research skills although we are trying to imbibe it through term papers, minor projects, major projects, capstone projects, etc. As stated, the quality of graduates in India is not up to the mark. We could probably say that our curriculum and instructional pedagogies are not focused towards imbibing such skills. Hence, the skills remain superficial and rudimentary. The faculty primarily focus on imparting subject knowledge and ensure that the students pass the examinations but fail to understand the importance of research skills and do not focus on inculcating those skills.” This reflection from a tutor in a higher education institution in India was our starting point. We wanted to find out the extent of understanding of research skills by students in India, and what their views were about the importance and place of research skills in their curriculum. This document reports our findings, from students of engineering in the Delhi National Capital Region of India. So far, these findings support the view expressed by the tutor in the statement above. We argue that there is an urgent need to reconsider the position of research skills in the curriculum. We offer some initial recommendations, and outline the next stages of our research, which will bring forward more fundamental understanding of this important topic.

This qualitative, interpretive study uses a triad of theoretical lenses - affordance theory, hermeneutic phenomenology and the social barriers model of disability - through which to gain an understanding of how people with mobility impairments use digital technologies in their work practices. A hermeneutic phenomenological methodology is used to reveal the phenomena, then to interpret the subsequent text through understandings of accessibility and use-potential which derive from the social barriers model and from affordance theory respectively. The significance of the study for policy, practice and research is a better understanding of how mobility impairment impacts workers who have historically and currently, been and remain, un- and under-employed. Eleven participants, all with mobility impairments, some self-employed and others employed, but all white-collar professionals or management-level ‘knowledge workers’, constitute the purposive sample used in the study. The participants all work in a variety of configurations of ‘flexible work arrangements’. What was found was that the primacy of space, place and the objects and technologies in that space has heightened significance for people with mobility impairments. When confronted with negative affordances which amount to potential or actual barriers to access and participation in workplaces, people consciously set about finding specific, unique and personal solutions in order to participate. What they learn, through metacognitive processes and in response to potential or actual barriers, is how to manipulate negative and non-affordances of space, place and technologies into positive affordances, by doing things differently, by doing things better, or by doing different things, in order to participate in work practices.

The Wolverhampton Area Prospectus is an online provision identifying and displaying activities, courses and opportunities of potential interest not only for the 14-19-year old age group across Wolverhampton, but also for younger learners.

This report has been produced by the Department of Educational Research at Lancaster University for the MLEARN project, to support the development of a training programme for in-service teachers focusing on mobile learning through appropriate pedagogic uses of mobile or handheld technologies. The MLEARN project, a European Union (EU)-funded project, will explore and promote teacher development of mobile learning practices in four member states – The Netherlands, the UK (England), Greece and Italy. To support this development, a training needs analysis has been conducted and completed by the Department of Educational Research at Lancaster University. For this training needs analysis, two target groups were involved: 1) trainers and partners in each country; and 2) teachers to be involved in the training. Four countries were involved, where there were known to be substantial differences in terms of handheld devices’ acceptance within teaching practices, and resources in place to implement mobile learning initiatives and other activities. The survey was devised, using findings from the previous background report (Passey & Zozimo, 2014).

This report has been produced by the Department of Educational Research at Lancaster University for the MLEARN project, to support the development of a training programme for in-service teachers focusing on mobile learning through appropriate pedagogic uses of mobile or handheld technologies. The MLEARN project, a European Union (EU)-funded project, will explore and promote teacher development of mobile learning practices in four member states – The Netherlands, the UK (England), Greece and Italy.

This working paper has been developed and created as a part of a study visit to the Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning in the Department of Educational Research at Lancaster University. This joint paper, written by the visiting researcher, Slaviša Radović, from the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Belgrade, and Don Passey, the Director of the Centre of Technology Enhanced Learning, was made possible through an award from The British Scholarship Trust. This award enabled the researchers to work together over a month-long period, during October to November 2014. The focus of this paper is concerned with mathematics education – its practice for the 11- to 14-year-old-age range, how technology can be used to support teaching and learning for this age group, and the roles of homework in this context. There have been few studies that have explored homework practices in depth, few that have explored these practices within the context of mathematics education and for 11 to 14 year old pupils. This paper takes this exploration further, looking at these areas but also where technologies are being used. Findings indicate that ICT may well in this context be providing a more neutral medium, allowing pupils to reflect more ‘coldly’ on issues and challenges, which they might otherwise have difficulty in discussing in a face-to-face way. This medium takes an important step in moving concerns of pupils from ‘the need to produce right answers’ to ‘a focus on processes of working, enabling them to describe their issues to support their future learning’.

This report has been produced by the Department of Educational Research at Lancaster University for the MLEARN project, to support the development of a training programme for in-service teachers focusing on mobile learning through appropriate pedagogic uses of mobile or handheld technologies. The MLEARN project, a European Union (EU)-funded project, will explore and promote teacher development of mobile learning practices in four member states – The Netherlands, the UK (England), Greece and Italy. To support this development, a training needs analysis has been conducted and completed by the Department of Educational Research at Lancaster University. For this training needs analysis, two target groups were involved: 1) trainers and partners in each country; and 2) teachers to be involved in the training. Four countries were involved, where there were known to be substantial differences in terms of handheld devices’ acceptance within teaching practices, and resources in place to implement mobile learning initiatives and other activities. The survey was devised, using findings from the previous background report (Passey & Zozimo, 2014).

The Titan Partnership piloted uses of iPads in four schools (10 iPads in each of two primary and two secondary schools) in 2012. The Titan Partnership provided training sessions for teachers involved in the pilot, prior to their main uses of the iPads, between May and December 2012. The Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning at Lancaster University was commissioned to evaluate this pilot, and this report presents evidence gathered, findings and conclusions.

This research study has gathered evidence to support the Educational Recording Agency (ERA) in exploring possible ways to develop policies and approaches that could enhance teacher access to digital online resources. Existing studies show that many teachers across the United Kingdom (UK) already use video and audio clips with learners to support teaching and learning. Increasingly, however, use of these resources is encouraged and needed for learning purposes in home as well as in school situations; there are clear implications concerned with the management of these resources. Online audio-visual resources to support teachers are becoming increasingly accessible, not just in the UK, but in other countries worldwide. Audio-visual (AV) resources offer particular qualities and affordances that support teaching and learning, but it should be recognised that different resources can offer different values and qualities to meet more specific teacher needs.

inspire, Wolverhampton’s Local Education Partnership (LEP), set up a student digital leader project late in 2011. inspire managed this digital leader project, which aimed to develop a range of skills and outcomes for both the digital leaders themselves and for a potentially wide variety of personnel within the schools. By the 2012 to 2013 school year, five schools were involved in the project. In this initiative, it was intended that the student digital leaders would share their digital technology expertise with others with less developed skills in that area, including teachers and managers in schools. Research literature indicates that learning through such intergenerational practices (where young people are more expert than older adults) is happening already in some contexts, and that practices such as this digital leader initiative could not be implemented but could also lead to benefits for student, teacher and other personnel involved. However, it is clear also from the research literature that background strategy, planning and support are all necessary if educational benefits are to be fully realised. This study explored ways that the digital leader initiative was implemented, and attempted to identify outcomes arising. Evidence gathered is reported here as case studies and vignettes of practice.

From existing research, we know little about possible relationships between individual characteristics of young people who are not in education, training or employment (NEET) and how they interact with specific technologies to communicate and interact with support agencies. This key issue was the main focus of this study. The study was supported by Prospects and Connexions Bradford. At the time the study was undertaken, Connexions Bradford supported uses of mobile telephone, texting, email and Facebook to maintain contacts between their personal assistants (PAs) and their clients.

This research study has gathered evidence to support the Educational Recording Agency (ERA) in exploring possible ways to develop policies and approaches that could enhance teacher access to digital online resources. Existing studies show that many teachers across the United Kingdom (UK) already use video and audio clips with learners to support teaching and learning. Increasingly, however, use of these resources is encouraged and needed for learning purposes in home as well as in school situations; there are clear implications concerned with the management of these resources. Online audio-visual resources to support teachers are becoming increasingly accessible, not just in the UK, but in other countries worldwide. Audio-visual (AV) resources offer particular qualities and affordances that support teaching and learning, but it should be recognised that different resources can offer different values and qualities to meet more specific teacher needs.

inspire, Wolverhampton’s Local Education Partnership (LEP), set up a student digital leader project late in 2011. inspire managed this digital leader project, which aimed to develop a range of skills and outcomes for both the digital leaders themselves and for a potentially wide variety of personnel within the schools. By the 2012 to 2013 school year, five schools were involved in the project. In this initiative, it was intended that the student digital leaders would share their digital technology expertise with others with less developed skills in that area, including teachers and managers in schools. Research literature indicates that learning through such intergenerational practices (where young people are more expert than older adults) is happening already in some contexts, and that practices such as this digital leader initiative could not be implemented but could also lead to benefits for student, teacher and other personnel involved. However, it is clear also from the research literature that background strategy, planning and support are all necessary if educational benefits are to be fully realised. This study explored ways that the digital leader initiative was implemented, and attempted to identify outcomes arising. Evidence gathered is reported here as case studies and vignettes of practice.

The Titan Partnership piloted uses of iPads in four schools (10 iPads in each of two primary and two secondary schools) in 2012. The Titan Partnership provided training sessions for teachers involved in the pilot, prior to their main uses of the iPads, between May and December 2012. The Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning at Lancaster University was commissioned to evaluate this pilot, and this report presents evidence gathered, findings and conclusions.