How Does Literacy Transform the Human Brain?

Dehaene, Stanislas. “Inside the Letterbox: How Literacy Transforms the Human Brain.” Cerebrum (2013).

Learning to read is a major event in a child’s life. Cognitive neuroscience shows why: compared to the brain of an illiterate person, the literate brain is massively changed, mostly for the better—through the enhancement of the brain’s visual and phonological areas and their interconnections—but also slightly for the worse, as the displacement of the brain’s face-recognition circuits reduces the capacity for mirror invariance. Once children learn to read, their brains are literally different. Now that we understand exactly which circuits are changed by reading education, we may start thinking about how to optimize this process, particularly for children who struggle in school. Training preschoolers with just a few hours of GraphoGame—fun software that links graphemes and phonemes—is enough to enhance the representation of letters in the cortex. By monitoring children’s progress by their behavior as well as by brain imaging, we now have all the necessary tools to better understand what schools do and facilitate enhanced learning strategies.

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What Do Students Use Their Laptops for During Teacher Instruction?

Blikstad-Balas, Marte. “Digital Literacy in Upper Secondary School-What Do Students Use Their Laptops for During Teacher Instruction.” Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy 2 (2012): 2012.

The present study uses video recordings and qualitative interviews to examine the digital literacy practices of Norwegian students who have a personal laptop for school use. It uses the dichotomy between dominant school texts and vernacular out-of-school texts to examine the new school literacy practices. Findings indicate that the teachers’ use of visual technologies such as Power Point presentations in whole-class settings generates a variety of individual digital literacy practices among the students.

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What kinds of digital didactical designs do teachers apply in their iPad- classes in schools?

Jahnke, Isa, Lars Norqvist, and Andreas Olsson. “Designing for iPad-classrooms.” ECSCW 2013 Adjunct Proceedings (2013).

Our study explores Digital Didactics Designs using mobile technology in co- located settings. Classroom observations and qualitative data were collected in a Danish community where 200 teachers and 2,000 students aged 6-16 use iPads in classrooms implemented in 2012. Based on the theoretical framework called Digital Didactics (DD), five patterns of Digital Didactical Designs and following the innovative designs, three key aspects could be explored: The teachers’ digital didactical designs embrace a) new learning goals where more than one correct answer exists, b) focus on learning as a process in informal-in-formal learning spaces, c) making learning visible in different products (e.g., text, comics, podcasts). The study informs system developers for mobile learning applications in schools and teachers as workplace designers.

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How can Google Blogs (Blogger) Promote Interactive Learning Communities in K-6 Language Arts Classes?

Beatty, Mia. “Integrating Google Blogs into the K-6 Language Arts Classroom To Promote Interactive Learning Communities.” (2013).

Bringing literacies into a classroom is not an easy task for a teacher, especially when two-thirds of teachers feel underprepared to use technology in the classroom (Barone & Wright, 2008). This online instructional module was designed to introduce K-6 educators to using Google Blogs (Blogger) in the classroom to promote interactive learning communities. Google Blogs was selected because of its enormous user base, ease of use, free access, and privacy features. Graduate students and educators voluntarily participated in this web-based module by taking pre- and post-assessments, and attitudinal surveys. The module engaged participants using short quizzes, videos, and images. The results indicate that after the module, participants felt more comfortable integrating an online tool such as Google Blogs into their classroom to promote interactive learning communities.

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Can Early Years Students Independently Create Music With iPads?

Hodgson, Sarah. “Early Years students can use higher order thinking skills to independently create content in music using touch interface technology.” (2013).

This action research project was initiated to examine the use of touch interface technology,  namely tablet computers, with students in the Early Years. It was an attempt to discover how tablets could best be utilized with young learners. The research indicates that young learners are capable of using higher order thinking skills to create their own content, in this case musical compositions, using tablet technology. It proposes that Early Years students should take active and independent roles in the creation of their own works in order to demonstrate a more powerful understanding of their world.

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Could a right to be forgotten in Argentina threaten free-speech?

Carter, Edward L. “ARGENTINA’S RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN.” Emory Int’l L. Rev. 27 (2013): 23-661.

The twentieth century Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges wrote a fictional short story about a boy named Ireneo Funes who suffered the curse of remembering everything. For Funes, the present was worthless because it was consumed by his memories of the past. One contemporary author has described the lesson of Funes: “Borges suggests that forgetting—that is, forgetting ceaselessly—is essential and necessary for thought and language and literature, for simply being a human being.” The struggle between remembering and forgetting is not unique to Borges or Argentina, but that struggle has manifested itself in Argentina in poignant ways, even outside the writings of Borges. In recent years, the battle has played out in Argentina’s courts in the form of lawsuits by celebrities against the Internet search engines Google and Yahoo.

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Is privacy socially retrograde?

Cohen, Julie. “What Privacy Is For.” Harvard Law Review 126 (2013).

Privacy has an image problem. Over and over again, regardless of the forum in which it is debated, it is cast as old-fashioned at best and downright harmful at worst – antiprogressive, overly costly, and inimical to the welfare of the body politic. The consequences of privacy’s bad reputation are predictable: when privacy and its purportedly outdated values must be balanced against the cutting-edge imperatives of national security, efficiency, and entrepreneurship, privacy comes up the loser. The list of privacy’s counterweights is long and growing. The recent additions of social media, mobile platforms, cloud computing, data mining, and predictive analytics now threaten to tip the scales entirely, placing privacy in permanent opposition to the progress of knowledge. Yet the perception of privacy as antiquated and socially retrograde is wrong…

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Do the benefits of children using social networking services outweigh the risks?

Livingstone, Sonia, Kjartan Ólafsson, and Elisabeth Staksrud. “Risky Social Networking Practices Among “Underage” Users: Lessons for Evidence‐Based Policy.” Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication (2013).

There are growing public calls for social networking services (SNS) providers to remove age restrictions and to recognize that children want – and have the right to – use these services. Facebook’s CEO recently announced his wish to remove age restrictions. Also, some child welfare organizations argue that if children can be accurately identified by age on registration, then providers could be required to and would be able to deliver targeted age-appropriate protective advice/measures including upgraded control features, child-friendly user tools and safety information, privacy settings by default, and easy-to-use reporting mechanisms. If age restrictions are removed, the numbers of young children using SNS would likely rise substantially, passing regulatory responsibility to parents who, based on the evidence from this survey, might find this difficult. About half of parents want to restrict their children’s use of SNS. More fundamentally, this conclusion implies that it is in children’s best interests that younger ones do not use SNSs (or at least, those used also by adults) unless appropriate safety features are in place. In other words, we suggest that the risk (to privacy, safety and self-esteem of children) is likely to outweigh the benefits of SNS use. Although the evidence for this claim is sparse, we would call for qualitative research to explore the unfolding interaction among children’s desires, parental concerns, technological affordances, and observable outcomes. There is scope also for further research into the effectiveness and legitimacy of self-regulation for child protection on the internet.

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Could users be empowered to auction their information online?

Kamleitner, Bernadette, et al. “Information bazaar: a contextual evaluation.”ACM HotPlanet workshop. 2013.

The rise in the number of smart devices has created a large  ecosystem centred on users’ personal information and online activities. Numerous smartphone applications and social networking sites harvest and catalogue users’ personal information, enabling brokers such as Google and Facebook to provide a platform for advertisers to use this information for targeted advertising. Despite the fact that the users of these services are at the heart of this ecosystem, there has been little effort in understanding individuals’ perception of the value of their personal data in different contexts and situations. In this work, we present the results of our large-scale, contextual study over ten days that used smartphones to collect data on user activities, location, and companionship, as well as the amount of money that individuals attach to such information. Our results indicate that people can be remarkably sensitive to situational cues and also be prone to valuation biases. This study represents a first step towards providing insights into the usefulness of a marketplace for information, where users, or their agents, can freely decide to auction off various pieces of their information within established contexts.

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How does trading online privacy lead to self-coercion?

Hermstrüwer, Yoan, and Stephan Dickert (2013) Tearing the Veil of Privacy Law: An Experiment on Chilling Effects and the Right to Be Forgotten. No. 2013_15. Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, 2013.

Privacy law relies on the argument that consent does not entail any relevant impediments for the liberty of the consenting individual. Challenging this argument, we experimentally investigate whether consent to the publication of personal information in cyberspace entails self-coercion on a social norm level. Our results suggest that the monetary benefits from consent constitute a price that people are willing to accept for increased compliance with social norms.

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How does the Digital Dimension of Cultural Capital influence student achievement?

Maria Paino and Linda A. Renzulli (2012)  Digital Dimension of Cultural Capital: The (In)Visible Advantages for Students Who Exhibit Computer Skills, Sociology of Education 2013 86: 124 

In this article we draw on insights from the study of information technology and teacher expectations to examine how computer usage may influence student achievement both directly and indirectly. Specifically, we suggest that Bourdieu’s theoretically robust idea of cultural capital may include a digital dimension. Computer proficiency may influence academic achievement directly because of the skills it develops, but it may also influence achievement indirectly through teachers’ evaluation. We explore the following questions: How does computer proficiency affect academic achievement? How does computer proficiency affect teachers’ evaluations of students? And finally, to what extent do teachers’ evaluations mediate the relationship between computer proficiency and academic achievement?

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Are Information Technology Outsourcing Alliances (ITOA) viable options?

Theophanis C. Stratopoulos, Mihir A. Parikh, Peter Lane (2009) Information Technology Outsourcing Alliances: A Strategic Alternative for IT-Capable Companies

While previous research has focused on choosing between insourcing or outsourcing, no systematic attempt has been made to find a viable alternative for IT-capable companies, which need to realize optimum value from their IT capabilities. This study identifies information technology outsourcing alliances (ITOA) as a strategic alternative to generate additional value from the capabilities of internal IT organizations. By building an ITOA with complementing partners, an IT-capable company can go beyond its internal market for IT services to provide similar and, even new, IT services to third parties. Grounded in transaction cost economics, relational theory, production theory and reciprocal learning alliances view, this study suggests that the IT-capable company can earn the collaboration-, transaction-, and firm-specific quasi rents through ITOA.

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How does the client-vendor relationship determine the success of Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO)?

Jorg Verbaas (2010)  “It takes two to tango”.  A Review of the Empirical Literature on Information Technology Outsourcing Relationship Satisfaction. Ph.D. dissertation, Tilburg University, Draft Paper

There is growing recognition that the overall client-vendor relationship, and not only the contract, plays a critical role in Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) success. However, our understanding of how ITO relationships function is limited. This paper contributes to this understanding by reviewing empirical literature on ITO success in terms of relationship satisfaction. A key finding is that the majority of reviewed studies concentrates on client satisfaction, thus neglecting the vendor perspective. We argue that this raises questions about the construct validity of these studies. Consequently, concerns exist about the validity and reliability of their empirical findings. Some scholars have acknowledged the problem and use a dyadic perspective. However, a review of these studies reveals that the authors have underestimated their contributions and do not explain why there is a problem. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to highlight their contributions by comparing the findings of the dyadic perspective studies with those of the “client perspective” research. In doing so, we assess whether the dyadic studies produce better explanations for ITO success than the client-oriented studies. We argue that this is indeed the case, by producing a better view on how underlying mechanisms of ITO relationships work.

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When is IT outsourcing profitable?

Chang, Young Bong, and Vijay Gurbaxani (2012) “Information technology outsourcing, knowledge transfer, and firm productivity: An empirical analysis.”MIS Quarterly 36.4 (2012): 1043-1053.

Our study has important implications for practice. We demonstrate that IT outsourcing does lead to productivity gains for firms that select this mode of service delivery. Our results also suggest that IT-related knowledge held by IT services vendors enables these productivity gains, the magnitude of which is moderated by a firm’s IT intensity. Moreover, the value of outsourcing to a client firm increases with its propensity for outsourcing, which in turn depends on firm-specific attributes including efficiency level, financial leverage, and variability in business conditions. We show that IT outsourcing is a valuable delivery option, but not for all firms. Client firms must assess potential service providers not just using the traditional criteria of price and service levels, but also their knowledge capabilities. In addition, client firms must focus on building in-house assets that complement the provider’s capabilities.

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Why should outsourcing school technology be about learning more than technology?

Benoit A. Aubert, Jean-François Houde, Michel Patrya, Suzanne Rivarda (2012) A multi-level investigation of information technology outsourcing, Journal of Strategic Information Systems 21 (2012) 233–244

This paper presents a model explaining the IT outsourcing decision. Some findings highlight unique characteristics of IT outsourcing. For instance, firms in knowledge intensive industries using less outsourcing than firms in less knowledge intensive ones suggests that information processing activities might be treated somewhat differently from other activities. In addition, results show that the activities are not totally independent. Any outsourcing decision has to take into account activities within an ensemble. Managing these activities without acknowledging this would lead to coordination problems and inefficiencies. This might explain why some activities that seem perfect candidates for outsourcing are actually better managed inside the firm. Finally, the results suggest practitioners to consider their unique situation (notably the demand uncertainty and the knowledge intensity of the domain in which their firm operates). Recipes that have worked in one organization might not work in the other. Managers have to be aware of these influences that are independent from the activities themselves.

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What kind of language support should we provide our EAL learners?

Coffin, Caroline (2010). Language support in EAL contexts. Why systemic functional linguistics? (Special Issue of NALDIC Quarterly). NALDIC, Reading, UK.

Language can stand between a student and success in school learning. However, questions concerning the kind of language support to provide, the extent and timing of that support and who should provide it are vexed questions. In particular the first question (what kind of language support should be provided) has many implications for curriculum development, departmental strategy, classroom pedagogy, text book design and approaches to assessment. One major issue is how explicitly or implicitly the language support should be, and related to this, what kind of language for talking about language (what kind of meta-language) is needed – both by teachers and by students.

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Is research on violent video games methodologically flawed?

Ferguson, Christopher J. (2013) Violent video games and the Supreme Court: Lessons for the scientific community in the wake of Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, American Psychologist, Vol 68(2), Feb-Mar 2013, 57-74

In June 2011 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that video games enjoy full free speech protections and that the regulation of violent game sales to minors is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court also referred to psychological research on violent video games as “unpersuasive” and noted that such research contains many methodological flaws. Recent reviews in many scholarly journals have come to similar conclusions, although much debate continues. Given past statements by the American Psychological Association linking video game and media violence with aggression, the Supreme Court ruling, particularly its critique of the science, is likely to be shocking and disappointing to some psychologists. In this article the author argues that the psychological community would be better served by reflecting on this research and considering whether the scientific process failed by permitting and even encouraging statements about video game violence that exceeded the data or ignored conflicting data. Although it is likely that debates on this issue will continue, a move toward caution and conservatism as well as increased dialogue between scholars on opposing sides of this debate will be necessary to restore scientific credibility. The current article reviews the involvement of the psychological science community in the Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association case and suggests that it might learn from some of the errors in this case for the future.

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What is the relationship between teacher beliefs and technology integration practices?

Peggy A. Ertmer, Anne T. Ottenbreit-Leftwichb, Olgun Sadik, Emine Sendurur, Polat Sendurur (2012) Teacher beliefs and technology integration practices: A critical relationship, Computers & Education 59 (2012) 423–435

Although efforts are still needed to provide ubiquitous technology access to teachers and their students, little will be gained if second-order barriers (knowledge and skills, attitudes and beliefs) are not addressed.  We are still woefully short of classroom environments that permit students to engage with technology in a way that prepares them to use technology in the real world. The results of this study suggest we should be utilizing the same technology tools for professional development that teachers are able to use in their classrooms: “It is time for our education workforce to engage in learning the way other professionals do continually, collaboratively, and on the job to address common problems and crucial challenges where they work”.  Web 2.0 technologies, such as blogs and wikis, enabled many of the teachers in this study to develop new ideas for their classrooms. Teachers should be introduced to the idea of joining and/or developing their own professional learning networks. PLNs allow teachers to select one or multiple Web 2.0 technologies by which they can “follow” individual teachers or organizations. This method of professional development is effective due to the “individualized focus, context-based learning, and empowerment of teachers”.

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How could Stimulated Recall Interviews increase authentic understandings of technology integration?

Tondeur, J.; L. H. Kershaw; R. Vanderlinde; J. van Braak (2013) Changing Assessment — Towards a New Assessment Paradigm Using ICT, European Journal of Education, Vol. 48, No. 1, 2013

This study explored the black box of technology integration through the stimulated recall of teachers who showed proficiency in the use of technology to support teaching and learning. More particularly, the aim of the study was to examine how these teachers use technology in their lessons and to gain deeper insights into the multifaceted influences affecting their current practices. In order to explore this black box, observations and stimulated recall interviews with primary school teachers were conducted in schools which were selected by the inspectorate on the basis of advances they had made in educational technology use. Stimulated recall interviews – a verbal reporting technique in which the teachers were asked to verbalize their thoughts while looking at their own classroom practice on video – seemed to be a promising approach to increase authentic understandings of technology integration. The results emphasize that (a) the teachers involved in this study were pedagogically proficient and flexible enough to fit technology in with the varying demands of their educational practices, (b) the teachers’ ongoing learning experiences rather than training affected the development of the quality of their practices, and (c) the role of the school and the broader context of teachers’ personal lives played an important role. By interpreting the results of the study, recommendations are discussed for teacher technology integration and future research.

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How is ICT making us rethink the way we assess Understanding?

Christine Redecker & Øystein Johannessen (2013) Changing Assessment — Towards a New Assessment Paradigm Using ICT, European Journal of Education, Vol. 48, No. 1, 2013

This article argues for a paradigm shift in the use and deployment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in assessment. While there is still a need to advance in the development of emerging technological solutions to support embedded assessment, such as Learning Analytics, and integrated assessment formats, the more pressing task is to make the conceptual shift between traditional and 21st century testing and develop (e-)Assessment pedagogies, frameworks, formats and approaches that reflect the core competences needed for life in the 21st century, supported by coherent policies for embedding and implementing eAssessment in daily educational practice.

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How can Augmented Reality Support Interactive Learning in Education?

D.Abhishekh, B.Ramakantha Reddy, R.Raja Kumar, G.Rajeswarappa (2013) Interactive Learning in Education Using Augmented Reality, International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 4, Issue 1, January-2013

In this paper we describe the use of advance technologies in field of education. Augmented reality is such technology which opens a new interactive way of teaching style. It is a technology which adds virtual objects in real world and these objects interacts with real environment. It combines virtual world and real world in 3-dimensional. Recent trends in these technologies enables it use in field of education. Here the tough concepts in engineering and other fields can be explained using these technologies by creating virtual object of  the subject and made an interactive presentation of its working using animation.

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What can we learn from the adoption of iPads in Western Australian independent schools?

Mark Pegrum, Grace Oakley and Robert Faulkner (2013) Schools going mobile: A study of the adoption of mobile handheld technologies in Western Australian independent schools, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2013, 29(1).

This paper reports on the adoption of mobile handheld technologies in ten Western Australian independent schools, based on interviews with staff conducted in 2011. iPads were the most popular device, followed by iPod Touches and iPhones. Class sets were common at lower levels, with 1:1 models becoming increasingly common at higher levels. Mobile learning, or m-learning, was still at an experimental stage in most schools, but common themes were already emerging around the need to integrate mobile devices into a broader learning ecology. Key discussions focused on their role in promoting consumption or production, collaboration or personalisation, and creating seamless learning spaces. Used for both organisational and pedagogical purposes, mobile devices were seen as enhancing student motivation, with empirical evidence of improved student learning also emerging in small-scale studies conducted by two schools. Challenges included the need to carefully manage the technology, ethical issues in its use, and staff roles in its deployment. Pedagogically grounded and adequately contextualised professional development (PD) was seen as vital for time-poor staff, while a desire to set up a professional community of practice was widely expressed. All the schools surveyed planned to extend their use of mobile handheld technologies in the future.

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How can we cope with the ever-changing face of plagiarism?

Wendy Sutherland-Smith (2008) Plagiarism, the Internet, and Student Learning: Improving Academic Integrity, Routledge

Sutherland-Smith presents a model of plagiarism, called the plagiarism continuum, which usefully informs discussion and direction of plagiarism management in most educational settings. The model was developed from a cross-disciplinary examination of plagiarism with a particular focus on understanding how educators and students perceive and respond to issues of plagiarism. The evolution of plagiarism, from its birth in Law, to a global issue, poses challenges to international educators in diverse cultural settings. The case studies included are the voices of educators and students discussing the complexity of plagiarism in policy and practice, as well as the tensions between institutional and individual responses. A review of international studies plus qualitative empirical research on plagiarism, conducted in Australia between 2004-2006, explain why it has emerged as a major issue. The book examines current teaching approaches in light of issues surrounding plagiarism, particularly Internet plagiarism. The model affords insight into ways in which teaching and learning approaches can be enhanced to cope with the ever-changing face of plagiarism. This book challenges Higher Education educators, managers and policy-makers to examine their own beliefs and practices in managing the phenomenon of plagiarism in academic writing.

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How can Public Digital Backchannels Augment Classroom Participation?

Honglu Du, Mary Beth Rosson, John M. Carroll (2012) Augmenting Classroom Participation through Public Digital Backchannels, College of Information Sciences & Technology, University Park, PA, USA

As part of this research thread, we have been investigating the potential of public digital backchannels for building feelings of community among students in university courses. We designed, deployed and evaluated such a tool in a 15-week field study of two undergraduate classes. We found students found using public backchannel during the class is of little distraction, that teachers’ attention to the content posted on the channel influence students’ tendency to use tools of this kind. These feelings in turn are related to students’ perceptions of self efficacy, collective efficacy and course-specific social support.

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How can Live Feedback with Smartphones Improve Participants’ Involvement?

Jaime Teevan, Daniel J. Liebling, Ann Paradiso, Carlos Garcia Jurado Suarez, Curtis von Veh, Darren Gehring (2012) Displaying Mobile Feedback during a Presentation, Microsoft Research

Smartphone use in presentations is often seen as distracting to the audience and speaker. However, phones can encourage people participate more fully in what is going on around them and build stronger ties with their companions. In this paper, we describe a smartphone interface designed to help audience members engage fully in a presentation by providing real-time mobile feedback. This feedback is then aggregated and reflected back to the group via a projected visualization, with notifications provided to the presenter and the audience on interesting feedback events. We deployed this system in a large enterprise meeting, and collected information about the attendees’ experiences with it via surveys and interaction logs. Participants report that providing mobile feedback was convenient, helped them pay close attention to the presentation, and enabled them to feel connected with other audience members.

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Does Twittering in the Classroom Increase Student Engagement?

Bridget K. Welch, Jess Bonnan-White (2012) Twittering to increase student engagement in the university classroom, Knowledge Management & E-Learning: An International Journal, Vol.4, No.3.

We found that in the experimental condition, there was a significant affect of Twitter enjoyment on student engagement with those saying they enjoyed Twitter being significantly more engaged than those who did not enjoy Twitter. This was the case across four large lecture courses across two disciplines (Anthropology and Sociology). Following the work of Krause and Coates (2008), engagement consisted of four dimensions: academic, intellectual, peer, and beyond-class. We discuss our problematic findings in terms of engagement in general and academic engagement in particular. We then discuss our enjoyment findings and provide student comments that help contextualize these results.  

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How do game making projects influence learners’ attitudes to computing?

Judy Robertson (2013) The influence of a game making project on male and female learners’ attitudes to computing, Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK

There is a pressing need for gender inclusive approaches to engage young people in computer science. A recent popular approach has been to harness learners’ enthusiasm for computer games to motivate them to learn computer science concepts through game authoring. The results of this study indicate that both boys and girls in the early years of high school have positive attitudes to computing and want to find out more about it. Boys are more likely to be more strongly positive than girls. The pupils thought that the game making project was fun and around half of them would recommend it to a friend. Their teachers believed that the project was a highly positive experience for their pupils in terms of motivation, and that it benefited pupils right across the ability spectrum.

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What factors affect the Implementation of a 1:1 Learning Environment in a Primary School?

Lee Yong Tay, Siew Khiaw Lim, & Cher Ping Lim  (2013) Factors Affecting the ICT Integration and Implementation of One-To-One Computing Learning Environment in a Primary School – a Sociocultural Perspective in L.Y. Tay & C.P. Lim (eds.), Creating Holistic Technology-Enhanced Learning Experiences, 1–18.

Even with an elaborate technological infrastructure, teaching and learning would not be possible without committed and skilful teachers who are on the ground implementing the day-to-day lessons in their respective classrooms. In addition, directions for the school leadership and channelling of the necessary resources are all critical factors to be considered. A good curriculum plan also provides the necessary structure and procedure on how to integrate ICT in a more seamless and pervasive manner.

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What are the necessary conditions for ICT to support teaching and learning in primary schools?

Cher Ping Lim & Grace Oakley (2013) Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Primary Education: Opportunities and Supporting Conditions in L.Y. Tay & C.P. Lim (eds.), Creating Holistic Technology-Enhanced Learning Experiences, 1–18.

The authors highlight the opportunities and potentials of ICT for teaching and learning in primary (elementary) education. However, they also acknowledge that ICT in the primary classrooms do not guarantee enhanced learning, though they do outline how ICT could be used to facilitate the learning of 21st century skills, literacy, numeracy and science. In addition, they also listed the necessary and sufficient conditions to support ICT for teaching and learning in primary schools. These necessary and sufficient conditions are: (1) policy and school leadership; (2) physical and technological infrastructure; (3) curriculum and assessment; and (4) professional development for teachers.

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Do e-readers make any difference to comprehension?

Wright, S., Fugett, A., & Caputa, F. (2013). Using E-readers and Internet Resources to Support Comprehension. Educational Technology & Society, 16 (1), 367–379.

The advancements of technology have led to the use of electronic reading systems for digital text. Research indicates similarities and differences in reading performance and comprehension in digital formats compared to paper formats. This study compared vocabulary understanding and reading comprehension scores from two reading sources (electronic story book and paper-based book). This study also evaluated the use of reading resources available (dictionary, thesaurus, word pronunciation) between the two reading methods.  The results of this study conclude that although vocabulary and reading comprehension is consistent between the two reading methods, students are more likely to utilize reading resources when engaged with digital text. This article supports that comprehension of written materials remains unchanged for students regardless of presentation method (print versus digital).

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What could an iPad Professional Development Program look like?

Rebecca J. Hogue (2013) iPad Professional Development Program (iPDP), Proceedings of the 11th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning.

Scholars who have studied the adoption of technology in educational settings, believe that professional development is necessary for its successful adoption. This paper addresses a need for an iPad Professional Development Program (iPDP) to support the adoption of iPad tablet computers in higher education teaching and learning. The proposed iPDP is a hybrid program involving both face-to-face learner interventions and online resources. The program is made up of three interrelated components: (a) an online resource that supports the entire program, (b) an introductory workshop (iPadogogy) targeted at pre-adoption learners; and, (c) a knowledge-sharing event targeted at all learners. This paper describes: the components of an iPDP; the design considerations for each of the components; and, the limitation of the proposed iPDP.

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Are e-devices hindering Chinese children’s reading development?

Tan, L. H., Xu, M., Chang, C. Q., & Siok, W. T. (2013). China’s language input system in the digital age affects children’s reading development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(3), 1119-1123.

Written Chinese as a logographic system was developed over 3,000 years ago. Historically, Chinese children have learned to read by learning to associate the visuo-graphic properties of Chinese characters with lexical meaning, typically through handwriting. In recent years, however, many Chinese children have learned to use electronic communication devices based on the pinyin input method, which associates phonemes and English letters with characters. When children use pinyin to key in letters, their spelling no longer depends on reproducing the visuo-graphic properties of characters that are indispensable to Chinese reading, and, thus, typing in pinyin may conflict with the traditional learning processes for written Chinese.  We found that the overall incidence rate of severe reading difficulty appears to be much higher than ever reported on Chinese reading. Crucially, we found that children’s reading scores were significantly negatively correlated with their use of the pinyin input method, suggesting that pinyin typing on e-devices hinders Chinese reading development. The Chinese language has survived the technological challenges of the digital era, but the benefits of communicating digitally may come with a cost in proficient learning of written Chinese.

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How Do Teachers Use Twitter for Professional Development?

Andrea Forte, Melissa Humphreys, Thomas Park (2012) Grassroots Professional Development: How Teachers Use Twitter, College of Information Science and Technology (iSchool), Drexel University

In an exploratory study, we used survey, interviews and content analysis techniques to understand how educators appropriate Twitter and other social media in their practice. We report on teachers’ use of Twitter, structural features of their on and offline professional networks, and the institutional policies that shape their appropriation of social media for professional use. Most importantly, our analysis suggests teachers on Twitter tend to be eager adopters of technologies and well positioned to broker information as bridges between members of their local communities of practice and other networks of educators. Based on these findings, we discuss teachers on Twitter as participants in grassroots professional development efforts and the potential for them to be powerful fomenters and enactors of reform in educational communities.

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What factors influence professionals in their use of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn?

Alexander Sjöberg (2012) Making Sense of a Technology, A study of how professionals use, understand and create a sense of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and what factor’s that might influence these processes, University of Gothenburg

The social media technology has during the last years been increasingly introduced into many professionals’ practices, which might place new demands on how individuals and organizations use, perceive, understand and structure this technology in relation to their professional practices. This paper aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of aspects that might influence professionals in their use of, capability to adapt to and ability to create a sense of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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What does research say about iPads in the classroom?

Wilma Clark and Rosemary Luckin (2013) What the research says, iPads in classrooms, London Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education University of London

The adoption and integration of tablet devices into school systems is not without its controversies, and the purpose of this report is to explore if we know enough to demonstrate if, how and when iPads support learning. Our aim is to identify key ideas from the literature on the effective use of iPads and other ‘Post-PC’ tablet devices, to discuss the implications of tablet technologies for school leaders, network managers, teachers, learners and their parents, and to set this within the wider global context.

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Does Using Digital Readers rather than Print Readers Effect Performance in Editing Text?

Sigal Eden, Yoram Eshet-Alkalai (2012) Print Versus Digital: The Effect of Format on Performance in Editing Text, Proceedings of the Chais conference on instructional technologies research 2012: Learning in the technological era Y. Eshet-Alkalai, A. Caspi, S. Eden, N. Geri, Y. Yair, Y. Kalman (Eds.), Raanana: The Open University of Israel

In this pioneering study, we examined the active-reading abilities of students, who were asked to read, edit, recognize errors and improve the quality of short articles, in a print and in a digital format. Surprisingly, and in contrast to the common reported findings from print versus digital reading studies, no significant differences were found between the performances of participants in the two formats. A similar no-difference was found for all text-errors categories, as well as for gender differences. We found that digital readers completed their tasks earlier than the print readers, but their performance was not lower. We suggest that the absence of significant differences between print and digital formats indicates that digital reading becomes an everyday practice among users, who gain digital reading proficiency. This process, of closing the gap between print and digital readers is reported in recent literature.

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Does the Socioeconomic Status of Parents Effect their Views on the Integration of Computers in Preschool Classrooms?

Triantafillia Natsiopoulou, Chrisoula Melissa-Halikiopoulou, Chrysanthi Lioliou (2013) Effects of Family Socioeconomic Status on Parents’ Views Concerning the Integration of Computers into Preschool Classrooms, International   Journal  of   Caring   Sciences  2013   January – April  Vol 6  Issue 1

The upper socioeconomic level parents thought that the use of computers was appropriate for preschool children more than parents of lower socioeconomic status and that its inclusion in the preschool center’s program would work in favor for children who have no computer at home. Parents with higher socioeconomic status felt more than the others that such a program can support the provision of knowledge, the development of mathematical and linguistic skills and entertain children. Furthermore, the upper socioeconomic level parents as opposed to the other group do not consider that the computer will remove preschool educators from their leading and teaching role or reduce their communication with the preschoolers.

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What does an integrated research-based model of technology planning in schools look like?

Ruben Vanderlinde and Johan van Braak (2013) Technology planning in schools: An integrated research-based model, British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol 44 No 1 2013

In this colloquium, an integrated research-based model on technology planning in schools (TPS) is described. This model integrates research results of several studies conducted during the past years on technology planning in primary schools. While all of these studies have their individual scientific merit, this colloquium brings them together in a well-organised and holistic model on technology planning. This overall model is intended for teachers and school leaders when developing their school technology plan, for researchers when investigating technology planning and for policy makers and educational developers when designing initiatives to support schools in the technology planning process.

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Does reading from a screen harm our eyes? A medical myth… if you are older than 10

Harrison Weisinger (2013) Monday’s medical myth: reading from a screen harms your eyes, The Conversation Latest ideas form Research, posted 1 October 2012, 2.33pm AEST

Once we reach the age of ten years or so, it is practically impossible to injure the eyes by looking at something – the exception, of course, being staring at the sun or similarly bright objects. Earlier in life, what we look at – or rather, how clearly we see – can affect our vision because the neural pathways between the eye and brain are still developing.

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When do we choose to monotask rather than multitask?

Dario D. Salvucci and Peter Bogunovich (2010) Multitasking and Monotasking: The Effects of Mental Workload on Deferred Task Interruptions, CHI 2010: Multitasking

Recent research has found that forced interruptions at points of higher mental workload are more disruptive than at points of lower workload. This paper investigates a complementary idea: when users experience deferrable interruptions at points of higher workload, they may tend to defer processing of the interruption until times of lower workload. In an experiment, users performed a mail-browser primary task while being occasionally interrupted by a secondary chat task, evenly distributed between points of higher and lower workload. Analysis showed that 94% of the time, users switched to the interrupting task during periods of lower workload, versus only 6% during periods of higher workload. The results suggest that when interruptions can be deferred, users have a strong tendency to “monotask” until primary-task mental workload has been minimized.

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Why Do We Keep Interrupting Ourselves? Observation of multitasking in context

Laura Dabbish, Gloria Mark, Victor Gonzalez (2011) Why Do I Keep Interrupting Myself?: Environment, Habit and Self-Interruption, Association for Computing Machinery — May 7, 2011

Self-interruptions account for a significant portion of task switching in information-centric work contexts. However, most of the research to date has focused on understanding, analyzing and designing for external interruptions. The causes of self-interruptions are not well understood. In this paper we present an analysis of 889 hours of observed task switching behavior from 36 individuals across three high technology information work organizations. Our analysis suggests that self-interruption is a function of organizational environment and individual differences, but also external interruptions experienced. We find that people in open office environments interrupt themselves at a higher rate. We also find that people are significantly more likely to interrupt themselves to return to solitary work associated with central working spheres, suggesting that self interruption occurs largely as a function of prospective memory events. The research presented contributes substantially to our understanding of attention and multitasking in context.

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How and Why Do Teenagers Use Video Chat?

Tatiana Buhler, Carman Neustaedter, and Serena Hillman (2013) How and Why Teenagers Use Video Chat, Proceedings of the Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, ACM Press

Teenagers are increasingly using video chat systems to communicate with others, however, little research has been conducted to explore how and why they use the technology. To better understand this design space, we present the results of a study of twenty teenagers and their use of video chat systems such as Skype, FaceTime, and Google Hangouts. Our results show that video chat plays an important role in helping teenagers socialize with their friends after school and on weekends where it allows them to see emotional reactions and participate in activities like shared homework sessions, show and tell, and performances over distance.

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What do ICT teachers think about the introduction of ICT in Primary Education in Greece?

Tziafetas Konstantinos, Avgerinos Andreas, Tsampika Karakiza (2013) Views of ICT teachers about the introduction of ICT in Primary Education in Greece, The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology

The difficulties in the effective integration of ICT in the classroom make the subject a constant challenge for modern educational systems. The “New School”, an innovative new curriculum applied experimentally in Greek schools, introduces the full and effective use of ICT in all aspects of school reality. Prominent in this effort is the role of ICT teachers. Given the vague framework which describes the integration of ICT in primary schools with reformed curriculum, it is important to investigate the views of ICT teachers in relation to the aims of the Ministry of Education and the obstacles they encounter in their teaching process. The research results reveal that on one hand, there is a considerable confusion among teachers with regard to their role and on the other hand, there are several external and internal barriers to effective teaching

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New Media Use in Brazil: Digital Inclusion or Digital Divide?

Sueila Pedrozo, University of Turku, Finland (2013) New Media Use in Brazil: Digital Inclusion or Digital Divide?, Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, Volume: 3 – Issue: 1 – January – 2013

The emergence of ICTs brought economic growth and development for many countries, but brought the digital divide as well. In Brazil, there was a democratization effect with the adoption of mobile phones reaching all social classes but the internet still lags behind. No doubt there is a correlation between digital exclusion and other forms of inequalities – social, economic, educational, and demographic. Technology access is just the first step to digital inclusion but digital literacy is even more important and has to follow it; the full inclusion for all depend not only on public policies but mainly on quality education and teachers’ training, to enable underprivileged youth to learn and use ICT resources and potential.

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What evidence influences how teachers use technology for teaching and learning?

Price, Linda and Kirkwood, Adrian (2013). Using technology for teaching and learning in higher education: a critical review of the role of evidence in informing practice. Higher Education Research and Development (in press).

The use of technology for teaching and learning is now widespread, but its educational effectiveness is still open to question. This mixed-method study explores educational practices with technology in higher education. It examines what forms of evidence (if any) have influenced teachers’ practices. It comprises a literature review, a questionnaire and interviews. A framework was used to analyse a wide range of literature. The questionnaires were analysed using content analysis and the interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Findings suggest that evidence has partial influence upon practice with practitioners preferring to consult colleagues and academic developers. The study underscored the difficulty in defining and evaluating evidence, highlighting ontological and epistemological issues. The academic developer’s role appears to be key in mediating evidence for practitioners.

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How can self-regulated learning (SRL) foster student-centred lifelong mobile learning?

L. Sha,  C.-K. Looi, W. Chen, & B.H. Zhang (2012) Understanding mobile learning from the perspective of self-regulated learning, Institute of Education, Nanjing University

This paper is an initial effort to expand and enrich the knowledge about mobile learning within the framework of self-regulated learning. One of the largest challenges will be how self-regulated learning (SRL) can be systematically and institutionally applied to curriculum development, instructional design, teacher professional development, and teaching and assessment practices in classrooms that foster student-centred lifelong learning. We propose an analytic SRL model of mobile learning as a conceptual framework for understanding mobile learning, in which the notion of self-regulation as agency is at the core. We draw on work in a 3-year research project in developing and implementing a mobile learning environment in elementary science classes in Singapore to illustrate the application of SRL theories and methodology to understand and analyse mobile learning.

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How do iPads impact language learning in Kindergarten?

Margareth Sandvik, Ole Smørdal & Svein Østerud (2012) Exploring iPads in Practitioners’ Repertoires for Language Learning and Literacy Practices in Kindergarten, Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 03/2012

We have explored the role of a tablet computer (the Apple iPad) and a shared display as extensions of a practitioner’s repertoire for language learning and literacy practices in a multicultural kindergarten. In collaboration with a practitioner, an intervention was designed that included the use of two iPad apps in a language learning and literacy practice session with a group of 5 children aged 5. We have analysed the conversations around the tablet computers and in front of a shared display, trying to identify types of talk. The roles of the iPads, the apps and the shared display are discussed in relation to the types of talk, engagement and playfulness observed in the activities. We argue that the intervention led to valuable activities for language learning and literacy practices. The two selected apps differ in their levels of structure (directed vs. open) and genre (show and tell vs. fairy tale), and this difference will be discussed in relation to the types of conversation they initiate, and the extent to which they enable the children to transfer experiences from books and hence develop their literacy to include digital and multimodal resources.

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What are the best policies from around the world to close the digital divide?

Kim Andreasson, Jason Sumner (2012) Smart policies to close the digital divide – Best practices from around the world, A report from the Economist Intelligence Unit

This report, based on extensive desk research and wide-ranging interviews with experts from more than ten developed and emerging-market countries, presents best practices that have been adopted by governments and the private sector globally to bridge digital divides. To seize the full economic and social potential of the information society, this report identifies six areas in which smart policies can improve online take-up. Case studies from the developed world and emerging markets highlighting smart policies are provided in separate sidebars throughout the report.

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Computers in Education: What for?

Eevi E. Beck (2011) Computers in Education: What for? Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy / 2011 / Special Issue

The assumption that increased use of computing technologies is beneficial per se has been questioned in research on workplace computing since the early 1970ies. The intention of this paper is to encourage stopping and pausing to consider what is happening (an empirical question), and whether what is seen is desirable (a normative question). The paper calls for more debate (among researchers, teachers, parents, school leaders, governmental bodies, and other interested parties) as to what we would want computers for and how to get there. Points of view would differ; possibly never fully settling on agreement. This would constitute an ideal and a practice of attempting to bring Bildung and democracy to computing use in education, and would be a worthwhile lead to equip the young for participation in a technology-intensive society.

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What Do Students Use Their Laptops for During Teacher Instruction?

Marte Blikstad-Balas (2012) Digital Literacy in Upper Secondary School – What Do Students Use Their Laptops for During Teacher Instruction? Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, Vol 7, 2012, Nr 02, 81-96

Many schools assume that the technology will fit into school practices, and thus use the computer as a supplement to the “regular” instruction. However, the students have their own vernacular practices concerning the use of the same technology, which they bring to school and wherever they go. This means that if schools fail to create the need of relevant educational Internet-based practices, the students will continue to use the Internet mainly for their personal vernacular practices, even at school. It goes without saying that banning Internet activity will not contribute to developing students’ literacy skills. What might need more explicit attention, is that neither will allowing unlimited Internet access without any guidance or clear educational purpose.

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How do Teachers Experience the Importance of ICT-Supportive School Leaders?

Ove Edvard Hatlevik & Hans Christian Arnseth (2012) ICT, Teaching and Leadership: How do Teachers Experience the Importance of ICT-Supportive School Leaders? Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy / 2012 / Nr 01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relations between teachers’ experiences with ICT-supportive school leaders, perceived usefulness of computers, perceived learning outcomes for students and teachers’ use of computers in their teaching. A total of 386 teachers from a nationwide sample of primary and lower secondary schools participated in the study. The correlation analysis revealed that teachers with higher levels of ICT-supportive leaders reported higher levels of perceived usefulness of computers, perceived learning outcomes for students and more frequent use of computers compared with teachers reporting lower levels of ICT-supportive leaders. Regression analysis indicated that two factors, ICT-supportive school leaders and perceived learning outcomes for students using computers, explained 25 percent of the variation in perceived usefulness of computers.

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What is the role of ICT in the PYP?

IBO (2011) The role of ICT in the PYP, International Baccalaureate Organization

The emergence of educational technologies has transformed how IB World Schools achieve
this mission. In particular, the internet, one of the greatest technological innovations in the last 50 years, facilitates the finding and creating of information, as well as building and maintaining relationships and communities. Students of today are raised in a connected world and their immersion in wired technologies contributes to the evolution of learning in digital spaces. A new dynamic educational landscape has emerged. It is, therefore, critical that students’ awareness, use and appreciation of different kinds of information, skills and platforms should be developed both at school and at home. The school community should be engaged in a dialogue to ensure a positive educational experience by understanding how to use the internet and web-based devices safely, responsibly and smartly.

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How can digital devices be used more effectively for the learning of second language vocabulary?

Jock Boyd (2011) The role of digital devices in vocabulary acquisition, Cambridge ESOL : Research Notes : Issue 44 / May 2011

With the advent of social networks, cloud computing and digital devices, the landscape of learning is changing rapidly. Students are using digital devices, in the form of smart phones and iPads in the classroom but, from my observations, they have been using them as mere reference materials, looking up words and translating them into their own languages. These powerful devices are capable of much more; they can be used as learning tools if they are incorporated into classroom teaching practice. The present action research investigates how students normally use their digital devices for vocabulary acquisition and shows how digital devices could be used more fully and creatively to enhance learning of second language (L2) vocabulary, both general and specialised (discipline-specific).

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How are Mobile Technologies supporting the Teaching of Literacy in Western Australia?

Grace Oakley, Mark Pegrum, Robert Faulkner & Michelle Striepe (2012) Exploring the Pedagogical Applications of Mobile Technologies for Teaching Literacy, Report for the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia

Using a multiple case study strategy, this project set out to explore how independent schools in Western Australia were using mobile technologies such as iPads and iPod Touches to support, enhance and transform teaching and learning in the English learning area as well as, more broadly, the area of literacy as a ‘general capability’ across the curriculum.

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Can Cultural Capital help explain Digital Divide?

Matthew Damon Wright (2012) The Digital Divide and Cultural Capital, A Thesis Presented to the faculty of the Department of Sociology California State University, Sacramento, Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology

The digital divide, the concept of an inequality in computer and Internet access and skills, has been a political and social scientific topic of research and debate. The prior analyses of Internet use grouped people based on “haves” and “have-nots” and did not specifically address who these people were and what kind of demographic, individual, and family characteristics might promote digital literacy. By combining the ideas of the digital divide in the usage of the Internet and the concept of cultural capital as a marker of socioeconomic status, this study used data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project 2008 to test whether higher socioeconomic status (using measures of education and income) is associated with more frequent use of the Internet. An exploratory subsample analysis by gender was also conducted. As previous studies have found, education plays a significant role in predicting higher Internet use. Counter to previous studies, income was the only significant predictor for overall frequency of Internet use and of specific types of Internet activities. The study also found that gender conditioned the effects of socioeconomic status, family, and work on Internet use.

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What is the relationship between multitasking and academic performance?

Reynol Junco, Shelia R. Cotten (2012) No A 4 U: The relationship between multitasking and academic performance, Computers & Education 59 (2012) 505–514

The proliferation and ease of access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as Facebook, text messaging, and instant messaging has resulted in ICT users being presented with more real-time streaming data than ever before. Unfortunately, this has also resulted in individuals increasingly engaging in multitasking as an information management strategy. The purpose of this study was to examine how college students multitask with ICTs and to determine the impacts of this multitasking on their college grade point average (GPA). Using web survey data from a large sample of college students at one university (N ¼ 1839), we found that students reported spending a large amount of time using ICTs on a daily basis. Students reported frequently searching for content not related to courses, using Facebook, emailing, talking on their cell phones, and texting while doing schoolwork. Hierarchical (blocked) linear regression analyses revealed that using Facebook and texting while doing schoolwork were negatively associated with overall college GPA. Engaging in Facebook use or texting while trying to complete schoolwork may tax students’ capacity for cognitive processing and preclude deeper learning. Our research indicates that the type and purpose of ICT use matters in terms of the educational impacts of multitasking.

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What are the Security and Privacy Concerns raised by BYOD?

Keith W. Miller, Jeffrey Voas, George F. Hurlburt (2012) BYOD: Security and Privacy Considerations, Published by the IEEE Computer Society

Clearly, there are several important advantages for employees and employers when employees bring their own devices to work. But there are also significant concerns about security (where the employers have more to lose) and privacy (where the employees have more to lose). Companies and individuals involved—or thinking about getting involved—with BYOD should think carefully about the risks as well as the rewards. At the same time, there must be realization that the next generations of “digital natives” will likely have strong BYOT expectations.

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Is a second grade student’s silent reading comprehension affected by the use of electronic texts?

Stewart, Shannon M. (2012) Reading in a Technological World: Comparing the iPad to Print, Master of Education (MEd), Bowling Green State University, Reading, 2012

The key to improving reading education is to continually asses the most effective methods and strategies. Since the beginning of reading education, paper-based texts have been the focus of, and the tools used with, instruction. However, technological advances could possibly alter the world of reading instruction—and much more quickly than previously thought. In the past years, the electronic book has emerged and poses drastic changes to the paper-based text’s place in the school. In an ever-evolving technological world, more and more schools are choosing to adopt solely electronic texts. Instead of heavy textbooks and full classroom libraries students are now experiencing iPads and iBooks. Due to the fact many schools are moving toward an electronic curriculum, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of these new literacies. Therefore, this study was developed to answer the following questions: Is a second grade student’s silent reading comprehension affected when using an electronic reader? Also, how do these students feel about the electronic reader and its use? Data was collected through a short experience survey and comprehension quizzes administered in a second grade classroom of 18 students. The results of this study demonstrated no significant statistical difference between the comprehension of students using the iPad and those reading from a printed text. However, surveys and observations demonstrated an increase in engagement when using the electronic reader in the classroom.

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Is the Right to be Forgotten a threat to free speech?

Jeffrey Rosen (2012) The Right to Be Forgotten, Stanford Law Review February 13, 2012

At the end of January, the European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights, and Citizenship, Viviane Reding, announced the European Commission’s proposal to create a sweeping new privacy right—the “right to be forgotten.” Although Reding depicted the new right as a modest expansion of existing data privacy rights, in fact it represents the biggest threat to free speech on the Internet in the coming decade. The right to be forgotten could make Facebook and Google, for example, liable for up to two percent of their global income if they fail to remove photos that people post about themselves and later regret, even if the photos have been widely distributed already. Unless the right is defined more precisely when it is promulgated over the next year or so, it could precipitate a dramatic clash between European and American conceptions of the proper balance between privacy and free speech, leading to a far less open Internet.

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Should we have the digital Right to Be Forgotten?

Rolf H. Weber (2011) The Right to Be Forgotten, More Than a Pandora’s Box?, JIPITEC – Journal of Intellectual Property, Information Technology and E-Commerce Law

Recently, political voices have stressed the need to introduce a right to be forgotten as new human right. Individuals should have the right to make potentially damaging information disappear after a certain time has elapsed. Such new right, however, can come in conflict with the principle of free speech. Therefore, its scope needs to be evaluated in the light of appropriate data protection rules. Insofar, a more user-centered approach is to be realized. “Delete” can not be a value as such, but must be balanced within a new legal framework.

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How can iPads empower and enrich students’ authentic learning experiences?

Ilene R. Berson, Michael J. Berson, and Meghan McGlinn Manfra (2012) Touch, Type, and Transform: iPads in the Social Studies Classroom, Social Education 76(2), pp 88–91, National Council for the Social Studies

If iPads are retrofitted to traditional teaching activities their full potential will go unrealized. The presence of iPads alone will not generate transformative educational experiences; however, the appropriation of the device into school settings may help redefine learning spaces. Teachers who creatively integrate the iPad into instruction to foster communication with the global community and design intentional and purposeful collaborative learning experiences with the device may take learning to new levels of engagement. The functionality offered by the iPad, with its mobility and ubiquitous applications, may be the spark to ignite a movement toward innovation that empowers and enriches students’ authentic, high quality learning experiences.

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Does Physical Activity Make a Difference in School Performances?

Amika Singh; Le´onie Uijtdewilligen; Jos W. R. Twisk; Willem van Mechelen; Mai J. M. Chinapaw (2012) Physical Activity and Performance at School, A Systematic Review of the Literature Including a Methodological Quality Assessment, ARCH PEDIATR ADOLESC MED/ VOL 166 (NO. 1), JAN 2012

Prospective studies were identified from searches in PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central, and Sportdiscus from 1990 through 2010. In conclusion, relatively few studies of high methodological quality have explored the relationship between physical activity and academic performance. However, we found evidence that besides the physiological effects, regular participation in sport activities may improve children’s behavior in the classroom, increasing the odds of better concentration on the academic content of these lessons.

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How can Elementary School Children be better supported in their Web Searches at School?

Eickhoff, C., P. Dekker, and A. P. de Vries (2012) Supporting Children’s Web Search in School Environments, 4th Conference on Information Interaction in Context (IIiX)

Nowadays, the Internet represents a ubiquitous source of information and communication. Its central role in everyday life is reflected in the curricula of modern schools. Already in early grades, children are encouraged to search for information on-line. However, the way in which they interact with state-of-the-art search interfaces and how they explore and interpret the presented information, differs greatly from adult user behaviour. This work describes a qualitative user study in which the Web search behaviour of Dutch elementary school children was observed and classified into roles motivated by prior research in cognitive science. Building on the findings of this survey, we propose an automatic method of identifying struggling searchers in order to enable teaching personnel to provide appropriate and targeted guidance where needed.

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Is Grassroot Communication a Modern Myth? A critical perspective on social media use in land conflicts in Cambodia

Tomas Hultman Tessan Nordeman (2012) A modern myth of grassroot communication, A critical perspective on social media use in land conflicts in Cambodia, Linnaeus University, School of Social Sciences

The results showed that the organizations were using social media in many different ways, and on different levels in their communications work. We could however not see any clear interlinkage between the usage of social media and a success in neither agenda setting, social mobilization nor advocacy work; even though there are success stories we could not see consistent patterns in them. Our conclusion is therefore that a more objective and rational picture of social media is needed, that acknowledges the potentials but also shows the obstacles. Our hope is that this study can give a more balanced approach to social media’s place in developing countries in general and Cambodia in particular, helping actors to understand the different factors that need to be addressed to make it a successful tool of communication.

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iPad: A New Classroom Technology?

Alma L. Culén, Andrea Gasparini (2012) iPad: A New Classroom Technology? A Report From Two Pilot Studies, INFuture2011: “Information Sciences and e-Society”

In this paper we discuss two pilot studies involving the use of iPads for active reading in a teaching/learning situation. This is part of a broader study of how introducing tablet PCs may transform the work and learning practices of learners. One of the pilot studies was conducted in a graduate level course, involving 40 university students. The other study involved 26 fourth grade elementary schoolchildren. The results concerning acceptance of the technology were vastly different in the two studies. We find the comparison to be very interesting in several aspects, most notably on the issue of ownership and perceived useful- ness. We hope that our experience with these pilot studies may be of use and interest for a wider community. Our research method is based on ethnography (in-class observations), enriched by workshops, questionnaires, group and individual interviews involving students, faculty and, in the case of elementary schoolchildren, families. The data from interviews has been consolidated and mapped out into an affinity diagram. The resulting diagram shows clearly issues that should be further addressed, as well as areas where changes in study- related work practices may occur. This paper offers some reflections on differences and similarities observed in the two study situations.

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How does the coolness of the iPad affect its value and usefulness: in education and banking?

Alma Leora Culén, Andrea Gasparini, Roni Hercz (2012) iPad – the space between the cool and the useful, Oslo university

It is generally agreed that the iPhone and the iPad were Apple’s truly cool products that have permanently changed some things about mobile phones and finally made a tablet into a marketing success. In this paper we discuss the space between iPad’s coolness and its value and usefulness to users in two quite different settings: education and banking. In the first example, we consider the product ecology of an iPad in the classroom setting and try to capture something about how the coolness of the product affects individuals and groups as they take it into action. Our reflections are based on several studies that we have conducted related to the introduction of the iPad as an educational tool in elementary and high schools as well as the university. In the classroom setting, students, both individually and as a group, have quite a large degree of autonomy in defining the use (including production and consumption of information, communications, gaming etc) of the iPad. In the banking example, iPads are used individually and privately. It is the bank that decides which services are made available and what constitutes the best way of interacting with their services. Cool service design is still not a goal in itself. Rather, solid interaction design should make users perceive the service as really good and subsequently, cool. The boundaries between cool design, hype and trend-following are still blurry in the race for competitive advantage.

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Can the use of blogs and e-mail enhance writing skills at primary school level?

Sofia Funenga (2012) Developing Writing Skills in English Language Teaching Through the Use of Blogs and Email at Primary School Level,

After reflecting on the findings of this action research cycle, with the purpose of providing an answer to the research question Can the use of blogs and e-mail enhance writing skills at primary school level?, it is possible to conclude that, throughout the writing workshop sessions, young students not only improved the content and language used in their texts, but also adopted a better attitude towards writing.

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Integrating Digital Technology: What Are Students Really Learning?

Tara L. Evans (2012) Integrating Digital Technology: What Are Students Really Learning? Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

The present study investigated the learning that occurred as students interacted with teacher-planned lessons which included digital technologies (DTs). An Activity Theory (AT) framework was utilised to analyze the data collected and to make sense of the complex environment that teachers and students work within to identify factors within the sociocultural setting affected student learning when DTs were utilized. Results indicated that students gained technical skills, reinforced and developed conceptual understandings, built cooperative skills, thought critically and creatively, learned to troubleshoot when technical errors occurred, developed a sense of autonomy and agency in the classroom, and engaged in self-regulated learning through the use of DTs. A number of factors impacted on these outcomes including aspects of the school environment, teachers’ knowledge and beliefs, and teaching methods used when DTs were included in classroom activities.

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What are the constraints of technology integration in the elementary school?

Mrs. M. Taylor (2012) School Improvement : Supporting Research for Technology Implementation, School Reform, & Teaching and Learning, University of NC at Greensboro

The purpose of this study was to investigate what facilitated and what hindered technology integration at a public elementary school. The school was chosen for study due to its excellent work with integrating technology. Using the constructs of school culture, institutional change, and teacher beliefs as lenses, this study found that a student-centered culture, the principal’s belief in what he called “freedom to fail” and a plethora of resources, including human resources, facilitated integration.

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Does Digitalk build a Community?

Kristen Hawley Turner (2012) Digitalk as Community, English Journal 101.4 (2012): 37–42

With the increasing popularity among today’s teens of email, texting, and instant messaging, a recognizable change has occurred in the language that students use in their writing. “Audience, Purpose, and Language Use in Electronic Messages” explores the language of electronic messages and how it affects other writing. Further, it explores the freedom and creativity for using Internet abbreviations for specific purposes and examines the impor- tance of a more formal style of writing based on audience.

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What is the Value of Green IT?

Murray Scott, Robert Watson (2012) The Value of Green IT: a Theoretical Framework and Exploratory Assessment of Cloud Computing, 25th Bled eConference eDependability: Reliable and Trustworthy eStructures, eProcesses, eOperations and eServices for the Future, June 17, 2012 – June 20, 2012; Bled, Slovenia

This paper contributes to the area of Cloud computing and Green IT research through the development of a framework that measures the value of Green IT. The framework expands on the work of Corbett (2010) and is developed as a result of a comprehensive literature review of both seminal works in the IT value field and also the most recent studies in Green IT. This paper demonstrates the efficacy of the value framework by reporting from a series of case studies involving Cloud computing. Using exploratory case studies, this study highlights the utility of the model and its applicability to multiple contexts. Although the framework can be applied in multiple settings, the findings highlight a number of areas that are prominent in SMEs and those in need of further attention.

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How can Online Technologies Engage Learning?

Lee Revere, Jamison V. Kovach (2011) Online Technologies for Engaged Learning, A Meaningful Synthesis for Educators, The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, Volume 12(2), 2011, pp. 113–124

Online education is well established in academia; however, the effectiveness of course design and student engagement remains uncertain. To deliver the highest quality online education, students should be engaged in learning exercises. Appropriately integrated technology can be used to foster student engagement, build a learner-centered environment, and make course content come alive. This article synthesizes information about well-established and relatively new technologies, such as discussion boards, chat sessions, blogs, Twitter, Skype, YouTube, and so on, to provide guidance for educators interested in integrating these tools within their online learning environment. Instructors who effectively incorporate technology as learning tools in their online courses can expect to achieve enhanced student engagement as well as higher levels of learning and more efficient classroom management.

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What are the opportunities and challenges raised by the move to an online learning environment?

Terry Anderson & Fathi Elloumi (2008) Theory and Practice of Online Learning, Athabasca University

During the last ten years, the Internet and the Wide World Web have fundamentally altered the practice of distance teaching and learning. Nowhere is this fact more evident than in the transformation undergone by single-mode distance universities as they seek to apply the benefits of emerging information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure to their core business, with a view to improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of the learning experience afforded their students.

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How are Chinese Elementary Schools fostering the country’s Digital Divide?

YIHUA YANG, LINXIU ZHANG, XIAO HU, QINGHE QU, FANG LAI, YAOJIANG SHI, MATTHEW BOSWELL, SCOTT ROZELLE (2012) The Roots of Tomorrow’s Digital Divide: Documenting Computer Use and Internet Access in China’s Elementary Schools Today

The goal of this paper is to explore the nature of China’s digital divide with a focus on differences in access to computers, learning software, and internet at school and home among different groups of elementary school-aged children in China. Using data from a set of large scale surveys in schools in different parts of the country, we find the gap between computer and internet access of students in rural areas and urban public school students is extremely wide. The gap widens further when comparing urban students to students from minority areas. The gap is less wide when comparing computer access and access to teaching of the most basic computer skills across urban and rural public schools. However, the divide is still large between urban and rural schools when examining the quality of computer instruction and access to learning software. Migration itself does not appear to eliminate the digital divide. Only when migrant families are able to enroll their children into urban schools does the divide substantially narrow. If the digital divide in elementary schools today is a harbinger of employment, education, and income inequality tomorrow, China needs to seriously address this issue in the near future.

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Can language arts be the place to introduce programming to the classroom?

Quinn Burke (2012) The Markings of a New Pencil: Introducing Programming-as-Writing in the Middle School Classroom, Journal of Media Literacy Education 4:2 (2012) 121-135    

Using the setting of a writing workshop to facilitate a deliberate process to learn computer programming, this exploratory study investigates where there is a natural overlap between programming and writing through the storytelling motif, and to what extent existing language arts coursework and pedagogy can be leveraged to introduce this new form of digital composition to middle-school children. Whereas previous studies linking children’s programming with storytelling did so within the informal afterschool clubs, this study focuses on integrating computer science into the classroom, aligning curricula to core-content English language arts instruction. 

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How can 5th graders’ science content knowledge and self-efficacy be enhanced through game-based learning?

Angela Meluso, Meixun Zheng, Hiller A. Spires, James Lester (2012) Enhancing 5th graders’ science content knowledge and self-efficacy through game-based learning, Computers & Education 59 (2012) 497–504

Many argue that games can positively impact learning by providing an intrinsically motivating and engaging learning environment for students in ways that traditional school cannot. Recent research demonstrates that games have the potential to impact student learning in STEM content areas and that collaborative gameplay may be of particular importance for learning gains. This study investigated the effects of collaborative and single game player conditions on science content learning and science self- efficacy. Results indicated that there were no differences between the two playing conditions; however, when conditions were collapsed, science content learning and self-efficacy significantly increased. Future research should focus on the composition of collaboration interaction among game players to assess what types of collaborative tasks may yield positive learning gains.

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What are the sharing behaviors and perceptions of G+ users?

Jason Watson, Andrew Besmer, Heather Richter Lipford (2012) +Your Circles: Sharing Behavior on Google+ , Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS) 2012, July 11-13

Users are sharing and consuming enormous amounts of information through online social network interaction every day. Yet, many users struggle to control what they share to their overlapping social spheres. Google+ introduces circles, a mechanism that enables users to group friends and use these groups to control their social network feeds and posts. We present the results of a qualitative interview study on the sharing perceptions and behavior of 27 Google+ users. These results indicate that many users have a clear understanding of circles, using them to target information to those most interested in it. Yet, despite these positive perceptions, there is only moderate use of circles to control information flow. We explore reasons and risks associated with these behaviors and provide insight on the impact and open questions of this privacy mechanism.

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What is the Ideology of Serious Gaming?

Edouard Pignot (2012) An Exploration of the Ideology of the Virtual and the Practice of Serious Gaming, 20TH EDAMBA Summer Academy, WARWICK BUSINESS SCHOOL

Are game-based ways of learning as innocent as they look like? Through an anthropologically-grounded study, the gamification of learning and knowing is here criticized. Objectives are threefold: (1) define SG and simulation as signifying practice involving social, political, fantasmatic logics: not merely technology. (2) Re- materialize and re-embody virtual practices. Finally, uncover (3) how fantasy and jouissance operate in hegemonic discourse of gamification. The core contribution is to analyze virtual reality utilizing a discursive approach derived from the psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan, including political theorists from the Essex School of Discourse Analysis and philosophers (Butler, Zizek) who argue in this circle.

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When are IT labs still valuable?

S. Movafaghi, S. Hojjati, H. Pournaghshband, T. Chan, J. S. Collins (2012) Impact of Virtualization Technology in the IT Classroom

In this paper virtualization technology, especially the virtual operating system, and its usage within an appropriate environment for the information technology (IT) classroom is discussed. We will categorize two types of environments using virtual technology, namely stable and unstable environments. Some universities are dismantling IT labs because of high cost to support and based on the assumption that all IT students have laptop computers. We agree with this assessment as long as the appropriate virtual lab is established for courses that require a stable environment. However, we continue to recommend that appropriate physical lab(s) be available also for courses that require an unstable environment. In this paper we will discuss the recommended number of guest operating systems for a specific number of students and resources.

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What is the Effect Of Digital Game Based Learning On Ninth Grade Students’ Math Achievement?

DIXIE K. SWEARINGEN (2011) Effect of Digital Game Based Learning on Ninth Grade Students’ Mathematics Achievement, A Dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

This experimental study examined the effect of an educational massive multiplayer online game (MMOG) on achievement on a standards- based mathematics exam. It also examined the interaction of student characteristics (gender and socioeconomic status) with digital game play on mathematics achievement. No statistically significant results were found in the mean posttest results between the control and treatment. Nor were statistically significant results found by gender. Statistically significant results were indicated on time (minutes of play) and the interaction of time and socioeconomic status. Results implied for every minute a student is engaged in playing an interdisciplinary MMOG, posttest scores may increase .11 points. However, if a student is low socioeconomically, posttest scores may decrease by 11.24 points if engaged in digital game play.

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How can Personal, Professional Coaching transform Professional Development for Teacher and Administrative Leaders?

Janet Patti, Allison A. Holzer,  Robin Stern, Marc A. Brackett (2012) Personal, Professional Coaching: Transforming Professional Development for Teacher and Administrative Leaders, Journal of Leadership Education, Volume 11, Issue 1 – Winter 2012

This article makes the case for a different approach to the professional development of teachers and school leaders called personal, professional coaching (PPC). Personal, professional coaching is grounded in reflective practices that cultivate self-awareness, emotion management, social awareness, and relationship management. Findings from two case studies support the benefits perceived by teachers and administrative leaders who participated in coaching to enhance their leadership potential and performance. A description of the content and process of coaching is provided.

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What is the Potential of iPad Used in Mobile-learning?

HongYing Zhang, J David Betts (2012) The Analysis of the Potential Capability of iPad Used in Mobile-learning, 2012 2nd International Conference on Future Computers in Education, Lecture Notes in Information Technology, Vols.23-24

Considering the hardware and software features of the iPad, we suggest that iPad is an ideal device for mobile learning (M-learning). The advantages of using iPad in M-learning are discussed on five aspects, i.e., access to digital learning sources, multiple communication channels for M-learning, multi-media learning environments, opportunities for personal learning, and new literacies in M-learning. Some practices of iPad use in M-learning are provided, as well as some suggestions.

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Can Technological Change Increase Gender Equity?

JACOBSEN, JOYCE P. (2011) “The Role of Technological Change in Increasing Gender Equity with a Focus on Information and Communications Technology,” ACSPL Working Paper Series: Vol. 1, Article 2.

This paper considers the potential role of various transformative general-purpose technologies in affecting gender equity. The particular technologies considered at length and contrasted are four network technologies: electricity and water provision on the one hand, and the newer information and communications technologies of the Internet and mobile phones on the other. Available evidence on the effects of transformative technologies, both historically and in recent developing country contexts, is surveyed. The results indicate difficulties in finding cleanly measurable factors due to the complex nature of the effects of the technologies, as well as the containment of many effects in the household/nonmarket sector rather than the market sector. However, there is some optimism regarding continued expansion of electrification and the use of mobile phones in particular for improving women’s empowerment.

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Can YouTube be an Effective Resource for Social Science Research?

Sun Hee Jang (2011) YouTube as an Innovative Resource for Social Science Research, AARE 2011 Conference Proceedings

This paper explains why YouTube can be used effectively as a research tool in the social sciences, and deals with challenges and uncertainties in Web 2.0 research as well as considering the potential benefits of investigations in this area. It concludes with a discussion of some of the key issues for ethical considerations, and as such will hopefully assist researchers, teachers and students who intend to use YouTube in their research work.

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How do users manage their privacy on social media sites?

Mary Madden (2012) Privacy management on social media sites, Pew Research Center

As social media use has become a mainstream activity, there has been an increasingly polarized public debate about whether or not “privacy” can be dismissed as a relic in the information age. On one side of the debate is what might be called the privacy-is-dead camp. On the other side, some advocates and scholars argue that the public still cares deeply about their privacy online but those sensitivities have been ill-served by technology companies that stand to profit from more widespread sharing and availability of personal information. Yet, social science researchers have long noted a major disconnect in attitudes and practices around information privacy online. When asked, people say that privacy is important to them; when observed, people’s actions seem to suggest otherwise. This report addresses several questions about the privacy settings people choose for their social networking profiles, and provides new data about the specific steps users take to control the flow of information to different people within their networks.

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How do online social networking skills condition the use of digital media for communication?

Yuli Patrick Hsieh (2012) Online social networking skills: The social affordances approach to digital inequality
by Yuli Patrick Hsieh, First Monday, Volume 17, Number 4 – 2 April 2012

This paper sets out to develop a theoretical framework for examining implications of digital media uses for digital inequality in the domain of social interaction. First, by drawing on the social affordances perspective, this paper seeks to establish an additional dimension of digital skills, namely, online social networking skills. Furthermore, to explore the implications of interactional ICT use for digital inequality, this paper theorizes how online social networking skills may condition uses of various digital media for communication (i.e., communication multiplexity) and proposes two propositions for future empirical examination.

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What do the OECD indicators tell us about education in 2012?

OECD (2012) Education at a Glance 2012 OECD Indicators, OECD 2012

Education at a Glance addresses the needs of a range of users, from governments seeking to learn policy lessons to academics requiring data for further analysis to the general public wanting to monitor how its country’s schools are progressing in producing world-class students. The publication examines the quality of learning outcomes, the policy levers and contextual factors that shape these outcomes, and the broader private and social returns that accrue to investments in education.

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What tools do teens use to communicate?

Amanda Lenhart (2012) Teens, Smartphones & Texting, Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project

Teens are fervent communicators. Straddling childhood and adulthood, they communicate frequently with a variety of important people in their lives: friends and peers, parents, teachers, coaches, bosses, and a myriad of other adults and institutions. This report examines the tools teens use to communicate, with a particular focus on mobile devices, and then places the use of those tools in the broader context of how teens choose to communicate with people in their lives.

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Is multitasking of technology a support or a distraction to learning?

Ajao, Peter Olayinka Oluwasegun (2012)  Multitasking-Impact of ICT on learning, Case Study (LUAS), Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Degree programme in Business Information Technology

The purpose of this paper is to use a questionnaire/survey, interview, and observations, and a test to examine how multitasking using various technologies impact or affects students. Multitasking of technology becomes a distraction when it is not managed well, such as when multitasking is heavily done, it leads to ineffectiveness, inefficiency, and affect productivity because the brain is subject to many things. Heavy multitasking is reported to cause even stress to the multitasker. In the case of students, more mental work is required since there is divided attention and concentration. So, it is possible that the education productivity goes on the dwindling side. On the other hand, multitasking that is done moderately, and that is controlled, is seen as a support.

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Does the use of Place Affect Learner Engagement? The Case of GeoStoryteller on the Streets of New York

Drs. Anthony Cocciolo and Debbie Rabina (2012) Does the use of Place Affect Learner Engagement? The Case of GeoStoryteller on the Streets of New York, Proceedings of the 2012 iConference

The aim of this research project is to uncover if place-based learning can increase learner engagement and understanding of historical topics. To study this, learners will use GeoStoryteller to learn about a historical topic on the places where those events occurred, and then be interviewed by the researchers. GeoStoryteller is a tool developed by the researchers that runs on smart phones such as Apple’s iPhone. It provides the user multimedia stories about the historical sites, delivered via the mobile web or through Layar, an augmented reality web browser. Place provides the learner with a meaningful entry point to the topic and one that increases the topic’s prominence within an information environment that is seemingly limitless. This environment—for those who have broadband connections to the Internet—is constantly growing in interesting facts and resources yet proves difficult for the user in determining what is worth knowing, creating what individuals often describe as information overload (e.g., Shirky, 2008). Whereas the Internet is seemingly unbounded, geographic space has the advantage of being finite and inherently understood. Providing users with meaningful entry points to information, such as through the use of already familiar places, is hypothesized to increase engagement and subsequent understanding.

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What is the Impact of Internet Access at Home and/or School on Students’ Academic Performance in Brazil?

Badasyan, Narine and Silva, Simone, (2012) The Impact of Internet Access at Home and/or School on Students’ Academic Performance in Brazil, Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2133609

This paper uses propensity scores matching techniques to examine the impact of Internet on 8th grade students’ academic achievement, as measured by their test scores in Portuguese and mathematics, for years 2007 and 2009. In both years, the results suggest that Internet access at home has a considerable positive impact on test scores of 8th graders in both mathematics and Portuguese. These paper’s findings have interesting implications from a policy perspective. In the past decade policymakers in many countries, including Brazil, have allocated substantial funds to increase Internet access at schools. Previous research suggest that the efforts to increase Internet access at schools can result in much higher magnitude of improvement of students’ academic performance if they are combined with policy initiatives to increase home Internet access. This paper provides further evidence to this view and argues that school internet access should be combined with policies to increase the instructors’ awareness of the importance of internet as a pedagogical tool.

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How does media multitasking impact children’s learning and development?

Wallis, C. (2010). The impacts of media multitasking on children’s learning and development: Report from a research seminar, New York, NY: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.

New technology sometimes brings change that is so swift and so sweeping, that the impact and implications are hard to grasp. So it is with the rapid expansion of media use by children and adults—at work and at play, alone and in groups, for ever larger portions of their waking hours. Media multitasking—engaging in more than one media activity at a time—has rapidly become a way of life for American youth, accord- ing to a 2005 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation (Roberts, Foehr, & Rideout, 2005), and yet little is known about how this behavior affects their learning and development, their ability to attend, to plan, to think, and to relate to other people. The same may be said for adults, many of whom have taken to media multitasking to the point of “crackBerry” obsession. Aside from the recent alarming reports about the dangers of cell phone use while driving1 or the impact of web surfing on worker productivity, little is known about the larger implications of this now ubiquitous behavior. To begin to address this gap in knowledge and to frame a coherent research agenda, a multidisciplinary group of scholars in the emerging field of multitasking assembled for a one-day seminar on media multitasking and its impact on children’s learning and development at Stanford University on July 15, 2009.

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How can Google Maps-based tools collect spatial responses during online surveys?

Bearman, N. and Appleton, K. (2012), Using Google Maps to collect spatial responses in a survey environment. Area, 44: 160–169.

This paper examines the use of Google Maps-based tools to collect spatial responses from participants during academic research surveys conducted via the Internet. Using two recent examples from the University of East Anglia it discusses the online survey context and how Google Maps was used, issues surrounding the technical implementation of these tools, processing and use of the collected data, and concludes with considerations for future research that might employ similar methods.

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How can Social Networking be a Vehicle for Teacher Professional Development?

Michael Sammartano (2011) Social Networking as a Vehicle for Teacher Professional Development, New York Institute of Technology, Masters of Science in Instructional Technology

Social networking has the potential to transform education-related professional development by connecting teachers quickly and inexpensively, regardless of the physical distance or other barriers that may seperate them. Incorporating these digital tools into teachers learning can expand and improve existing professional relationships, while fostering an environment in which new ones can be built. This study explores the extent to which K-12 teachers currently utilize a variety of social media tools to further their professional learning. (..) Overall, the research revealed that few educators utilize social networking tools for professional reasons. Data showed that there is a desire amongst the respondents to incorporate more digital media into future professional development activities, though a significant population wanted to maintain at least some level of face-to-face interaction. Implications suggest that increased integration of social media as a vehicle for professional development will better meet the needs of many educators.

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How can Competency in Visual Literacy Enhance Student Learning?

Anneliese Tillmann (2012) What We See and Why It Matters: How Competency in Visual Literacy can Enhance Student Learning,  Honors Projects, Educational Studies Department, Illinois Wesleyan University

In today’s world, we use more visuals than ever before. Research suggests that the balance between words and images has shifted considerably calling for new forms of literacy (Brumberger, 2011). Visual literacy goes above and beyond the traditional concepts of reading and writing, expanding literacy to include visuals. The analysis and review of current visual literacy research suggests teaching visual literacy is necessary for students to become capable of navigating the visually driven world in which we live. The research highlights the importance of incorporating visuals into the literacy curricula and explores practical uses of visual literacy in present day society. Findings suggest that developing the ability to create images will help students better learn to decipher, understand and communicate with images. If there is a better understanding of how and why visuals are developed, then the use of visuals can become more effective, ergo enhancing student learning.

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What is the Impact of Social Media in the Workplace?

Myrian Herlle and Vivian Astray-Caneda (2012) The Impact of Social Media in the Workplace, Florida International University, The 11th Annual College of Education and Graduate Student Network Research Conference Saturday, April 28, 2012

Today, individuals communicate easier and faster due to accessibility of the Internet. However, when employees are distracted with social media, it can become a concern for organizations. This paper reviews literature concerning social media and its implications at workplaces, and provides recommendations to control it, using Adams’ equity theory.

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What makes new literacies new?

Colin Lankshear and Michele Knobel (2012) ‘New’ literacies: technologies and values, article extracted and edited from the book “New Literacies” Third Edition, by Colin Lankshear and Michele Knobel. McGrawHill, Open University Press, 2011, chapter 3, pp. 51-92.

It is too easy to make light of ‘new literacies’ by saying things like: “Well, there are always newer ones coming along”. Such remarks suggest new literacies have a similar kind of life trajectory to an automobile: new in 2009, semi-new in 2010, and old hat by 2011. Against this kind of “that’s so yesterday” perspective, we suggest in this article that ‘new literacies’ are best understood in terms of an historical period of social, cultural, institutional, economic, and intellectual change that is likely to span many decades – some of which are already behind us. We associate new literacies with an historical conjuncture and an ascending social paradigm. From this perspective we suggest that the kinds of practices we currently identify as new literacies will cease to be ‘new’ once the social ways characterizing the ascending paradigm have become sufficiently established and grounded to be regarded as conventional. Furthermore we suggest that at the heart of the idea of new ethos stuff is the idea of technological change aligning with a range of increasingly popular values.

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How can can Multiliteracies be put into Practice?

D. Bruce Taylor, Lindsay Sheronick Yearta (2012) Putting Multiliteracies into Practice in Teacher Education: Tools for Teaching and Learning in a Flat World,  In Teacher Education Programs and Online Learning Tools: Innovations in Teacher Preparation,ed. Richard Hartshorne, Tina L. Heafner and Teresa Petty, 244-263 (2013)

While technology has always played a role in teaching and learning, with the advent of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), schools have struggled to keep pace with Web 2.0 tools available for teaching and learning. Multiliteracies, a term coined by scholars who published under the name The New London Group in 1996, has helped provide a theoretical foundation for applying new texts and tools to teaching and learning; however, much of the scholarship around Multiliteracies remains in the academic and theoretical domain. The authors suggest a pedagogic framework or metastructure for applying Multiliteracies to teacher education and by extension to P-12 classrooms. They document Web 2.0 tools and discuss how they have used them in undergraduate and graduate teacher education courses.

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How information literate are students in the mobile environment?

Yarmey, K. (2011) Student information literacy in the mobile environment, Educause Quarterly Magazine, 34(1).

The results of the Scranton Smartphone Survey indicate that, while students are interested in using their phones for academic purposes, they still require guidance from educators to choose the most appropriate mobile resource and to evaluate mobile websites and mobile apps. As Agnes Kukulska-Hulme noted, “Learners tend to move between using desktop computers and mobile devices, and maybe touch-screen displays in public areas, often for different parts of a learning task.” The information literacy world would benefit from a closer parsing of when and why users switch between devices. The existing data nonetheless permit a few generalizations and recommendations: Information literacy instructors should become familiar with new search methods (such as quick response codes) to help students use them effectively and efficiently; Students should be encouraged to review a range of search results, particularly when searching for academic information; Information literacy instructors should help students understand how to evaluate information, especially when it is presented in a nontraditional form, such as a native app; Students may need assistance from educators in applying information literacy skills they have learned while searching on a laptop or desktop to the mobile environment.

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Does digital immersion improve students digital literacy skills?

Land, J. (2012). Does digital immersion improve students digital literacy skills? Computers in New Zealand Schools: Vol. 24, No 1. pp. 4-20.

When introducing a 1:1 programme or similar, you need to allow time to teach the students how to use the tools. A study by Dunleavy, Dextert and Heinecket (2007) concluded by saying that, “In order to create effective learning environments, teachers need opportunities to learn what instruction and assessment practices, curricular resources, and classroom management skills work best in a 1:1 student to networked laptop classroom setting” (p. 450). We need to bear this in mind when introducing any programme, and allow time to teach the teachers as well as the students.

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