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A serious game, which is designed for learning purposes rather than recreational purposes, has been applied for digital game-based Learning. This study investigated the effects of graphic organizers in a serious game, "The Transistor", on learning outcomes and attitudinal perceptions. A total of 99 participants were randomly assigned to three groups: non-organizer group, advance organizer group, and post organizer group. The results revealed that participants using a post organizer, which was presented after the game for review, outperformed those using a non-organizer and an advance organizer on both learning outcomes (recall test scores and recycling intention) and attitudinal perceptions (perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, and satisfaction). These findings implied that a post-graphic organizer could enhance the instructional value of a serious game. More detailed implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Since the complex and transient information in instructional animations requires more cognitive resources, the segmenting principle has been proposed to reduce cognitive overload by providing smaller chunks with pauses between segments. This study examined the effects of different types of activities during pauses in a segmented animation. Four groups were asked to do different tasks in system-controlled pauses after each segment of an instructional animation: passive pauses (i.e., no-reflection vs. reflection), and active pauses (i.e., free-recall vs. short-answer). The results showed that active pause with free-recall group outperformed the two passive pause groups on both recall and transfer tests. However, no significant differences in mental effort for the instruction or the tests were found. The findings of this study provide valuable implications for effective ways of using pauses between segments in instructional animations.

The purpose of this study was to use text mining analysis of early adolescents' online essays to determine their knowledge of global lunar patterns. Australian and American students in grades five to seven wrote about global lunar patterns they had discovered by sharing observations with each other via the Internet. These essays were analyzed for the students' inclusion of words associated with the shape (i.e., phase), orientation and location of the Moon along with words about similarities and differences. Almost all students wrote about shape but fewer wrote about orientation or location. Students infrequently included words about similarities or differences in the same sentence with shape, orientation or location. Similar to studies about children's and adults' lunar misconceptions, it was found that male and female early adolescents also lacked a robust understanding of global lunar patterns.

This study investigated the current state of college students' perceptions toward mobile learning in higher education. Mobile learning is a new form of learning utilizing the unique capabilities of mobile devices. Although mobile devices are ubiquitous on college campuses, student readiness for mobile learning has yet to be fully explored in the United States. The paper describes a conceptual model, based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), which explains how college students' beliefs influence their intention to adopt mobile devices in their coursework. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze self-report data from 177 college students. The findings showed that the TPB explained college students' acceptance of m-learning reasonably well. More specifically, attitude, subjective norm, and behavioral control positively influenced their intention to adopt mobile learning. The results provide valuable implications for ways to increase college students' acceptance of mobile learning. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.)

Classrooms full of "digital natives" represent the norm in U. S. schools, but like their predecessors, they mostly inhabit spaces characterized by a traditional view of teaching and learning. Understanding contributors to this mismatch, and especially teachers' role, is especially critical as Web 2.0 technologies enable greater learner autonomy. This study used Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict preservice teachers' (n = 172) intention to use new web-based technologies for instruction. The participants were from 7 sections of a technology application course, and all of them were selected via a convenience sampling. Self-reported data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling method, Partial Least Squares (PLS). Results revealed that the attitude and perceived control components of the theory predicted intention to use Web 2.0 technology to a statistically and practically significant degree, but subjective norm did not. Antecedent predictors of the TPB constructs were all predictive. Discussion focuses on the utility of TPB to examine how pre-service and in-service preparation might use the model to create situations where technologies might be more widely applied in the classroom.

This study investigates preservice teachers' intention to adopt Web 2.0 services in their future classrooms. Web 2.0 services have the potential to enhance student-centered learning by facilitating collaboration and communication at little cost. As previous studies have found a significant positive relationship between inservice teachers' beliefs and their actual use of technology, it is worthwhile to investigate antecedents of preservice teachers' intentions to use Web 2.0 services in order to provide practical implications for teacher education. By drawing on expectancy-value theory, we develop a conceptual model of the linkage from preservice teachers' beliefs to their behavioral intentions and expectations regarding Web 2.0 technology integration. The findings indicate that the reinforcement of salient beliefs, such as ease of use, usefulness, and facilitation, will enhance preservice teachers' intention to adopt new technologies. This study provides teacher education programs with practical implications to reinforce preservice teachers' beliefs regarding Web 2.0 service integration. (Keywords: Web 2.0, preservice teacher, technology integration, expectancy-value theory), Web 2.0 (O'Reilley, 2005) is a new paradigm that exploits various Web-based applications to provide communication, contribution, and communication capabilities, which enable users to produce and share information with other [...]