bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Re - A hidden agenda for educational technology in Australia
Authors: McNamara Sue
Published: April 2016

EdTech'88, the biennial conference of the Australian Society for Educational Technology witnessed numerous demonstrations of the applications of technology to instruction. Predominantly attention focused on the mechanisms of the technology and their attributes applied to a wide range of instructional problems. Underlying the practical implementation of the technology however were concerns which might best be described as a 'hidden agenda'. Garth Boomer alluded to a series of non-technology based considerations from which items for this agenda might be derived. This article discusses those items and suggests that they may provide a parallel working model (to design considerations) for the future development of educational technology in Australia.
CD-ROM: Expanding and shrinking resource based learning
Authors: Hedberg John
Published: April 2016

Over the past few years there has been a rapid development in the integration and sophistication of technologies that can be used for learning. One of the more interesting delivery technologies is the Compact Disk-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM)(1), which can provide for the individual learner, a vast range of resources. As the learner sits at his or her personal work station, retrieval software can allow access to encyclopedias, research databases, sound libraries, newspaper clippings, picture collections, photographic collections, software libraries, and computer-based instruction including animated sequences. Major publishers are releasing important works through this medium and are thus providing a unique resource for the individual learner. Already the availability of research collections such as the ERIC database has enabled reduced search costs and faster turnaround for investigators who wish to browse through citations and their abstracts. The bibliography which follows this paper was produced using this technology - a CD-ROM of the ERIC database.
The use of telecommunications in continuing education in Australia
Authors: Scriven Bruce
Published: April 2016

The article attempts to identify the extent and use of telecommunications in the provision of continuing education courses in Australian Higher Education. Some interesting approaches have been used but future expansion is likely to be restricted by the costs involved.
Using computers in education: A concerns-based approach to professional development for teachers
Authors: McKinnon David H. , Nolan Patrick C. J.
Published: April 2016

During 1987, 1988 and 1989 a secondary schools curriculum research and development project, called the Freyberg Integrated Studies Project was conducted in New Zealand. The project progressively developed and field tested new types of integrated curricula across Grades 8 to 11 as an alternative to the traditional approach. Within these curricula out of class activities, integrated curriculum materials and computer applications all play a key role.
The paper reports on the computer aspect of the professional development programme. Specific topics include: contextual information regarding computers and staffing; early professional development endeavours; the reasons for and the results of applying the Concerns-Based Adoption Model; factors that inhibit and support innovation adoption, and; implications and conclusions. Involvement in the Project presented the teachers with a complexity of demands. The CBAM provided diagnostic information for the structuring of professional development activities. Interventions were designed to reduce teachers' Self Concerns so that higher order Impact Concerns would emerge enabling teachers to develop and implement practices which would lead to more effective educational uses of computers. Results indicate that Self Concerns have progressively diminished and teachers appear willing to investigate and experiment with computer applications in education. Implications for providers of computer inservice programmes are discussed.
ASET response to Higher Education: A policy discussion paper
Authors: Steele James , Greig Andrew , Hedberg John , Kelly Patricia , Millar Alex , McNamara Sue
Published: April 2016

This submission was prepared by James Steele with the assistance of Andrew Greig, John Hedberg, Patricia Kelly, Alex Millar and Sue McNamara.
PACE in Europe - delivering for advanced continuing education
Authors: Longworth Norman
Published: April 2016

The continuing education of European Engineers and Scientists at an advanced level is crucial to the competitiveness and technical vitality of European industry. This paper describes a satellite education delivery facility with terrestrial computer conferencing feedback to provide advanced education from European Centres of Expertise, usually based in Universities, to engineers in industry, at their own workplace.
Education talkback: Television for interactive learning
Authors: Dean Tony
Published: April 2016

The unique partnership between the Ministry of Education in Western Australia and the Golden West Network enables educational broadcasts to be transmitted live from Perth via satellite to the whole State. Using telephone talkback techniques, the Ministry is able to emulate the satellite-based communication systems of such agencies as the Knowledge Network in Canada, but with the important distinction of using the public airwaves rather than a private network. This paper reports on the first series of live, interactive programs broadcast by the Ministry in 1987.
Review of "Distance education and the mainstream: Convergence in education"
Authors: Singh Kenneth
Published: April 2016

Book Review: Distance Education and the Mainstream: Convergence in Education. Peter Smith and Mavis Kelly (eds) (1987). London: Croom Helm. ISBN 0-7099-4499-3.
The impact of computer based training on technical training in industry*
Authors: Goldsmith David M.
Published: April 2016

There is growing acceptance in industry of Computer Based Training (CBT) as an appropriate medium for technical training. Few CBT systems are designed to meet the flexible instructional design needs or simulation requirements of such training, or are capable in the longer term of adaption to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) principles, Serious trainers and educators have had to re-examine system specifications and capabilities before embarking further on the path to automated training.
New look video in vocational education: What factors contribute to its success?*
Authors: Lewis Justus H. , Blanksby Vivienne
Published: April 2016

As knowledge expands exponentially, so does the need for industry to keep pace with new information, techniques and theories. Video learning has the potential to contribute speedily and effectively to meeting this need. What factors should be taken into account to ensure the success of video learning? Recent developments at RMIT and in the UK are used as illustrative examples.
CAL and videodisc for lecturers and technophobes*
Authors: Parslow Graham R. , Haynes T. Robert
Published: April 2016

Good computer software lets a novice produce results quickly. The "Q" Instruction package was conceived at Adelaide University as a means to allow teachers without programming experience to generate Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) materials, or even allow lecturers to delegate this chore to their secretaries. It has keen a successful approach and found ready application at TAFE and CAE campuses as well as Universities. The "Q" instruction package which we have developed is now published Internationally by Elsevier-Biosoft (Cambridge UK).
AECT's Technology in Instruction: Standards for college and university Learning Resources Programs... How viable for Australian institutions of higher education?
Authors: Cornell Richard
Published: April 2016

In the autumn of 1988 AECT (the Association for Educational Communications and Technology) will publish the second edition of a document which provides American colleges and universities with definitive standards to be applied to their learning resources programs and centres. The author, having spent eighteen months in Australia, is also one of the co-authors of the document, and in this article raises the question of applicability of the Standards to Australian institutions of higher education.
Media centre administration: An alternative for success
Authors: Russel Thomas L.
Published: April 2016

Many media centre administrators worldwide regularly experience budget cutbacks or, at least, the threat of cutbacks. If you have not been threatened by the budget slashers, or if you are satisfied by the level of support your media operation is enjoying, your time might be better spent in reading the other articles in this journal: you have likely discovered your alternative for success.
This paper will challenge the usual ways of thinking about managing media centres I intend to attack some of the sacred cows of media and media centre management, and to offer alternatives to the commonly accepted operational procedures which have resulted in media centre closings and cutbacks during unfavourable economic times. There may be times when I over state my case, but usually it will only seem so. There are, of course, media centres managed in the commonly accepted ways that are succeeding these days. But is it possible to run a centre in such a way that it is practically assured of flourishing when the economy and support for education in general declines? The answer is, "yes", but it requires change - drastic change - from the traditional ways media are perceived. I would like to share with you some successes and failures in media management and the lessons they have taught.
Editorial 30(6)
Authors: Dalgarno Barney , Bennett Sue , Henderson Michael , Kennedy Gregor
Published: April 2016

In this editorial we discuss the challenges in identifying suitable literature to include in the literature review for an article describing an educational technology innovation involving leading edge technology. Authors new to publishing in the educational technology field have sometimes found this difficult because their searches for articles relating specifically to the particular innovation they are focussing on locate very few examples. We suggest some ways of thinking about what kinds of literature might be relevant and, consequently, some useful literature searching strategies.
Lessons from EdTech'86
Authors: Hosie Peter
Published: April 2016

The Australian Society for Educational Technology holds a biennial Conference to allow members and others interested in education and technology to get together, discuss issues and share experiences. The 1986 Conference, EdTech'86, was held on the campus of the University of Western Australia in December 1986. Peter Hosie summarises an evaluation of the Conference, with special reference to the next ASET Conference - EdTech '88 - to be held in Canberra in September 1988.
Talk-back television: The Western Australian experience
Authors: Lange James C.
Published: April 2016

Educational television has only just begun in Western Australia, despite having been around for nearly thirty years. The Golden West Network offers free access to a satellite television system that covers the entire state. Coupled with a telephone return, it allows an interactive method of increasing educational productivity both for on-campus instruction and distance education. The main barriers to success are lack of budget, along with the old standbys of ignorance, fear, apathy and lack of encouragement.
The Supertext Superdisc Project
Authors: Steele James
Published: April 2016

The Australian Caption Centre has just completed the production of the supertext superdisc: Ask the Workers ...., Australia's first laser videodisc produced specifically for use in schools. During the latter half of 1986 the materials produced during the Project were evaluated independently in Western Australia with funding from the Australian Government's Commonwealth Schools Commission under its Projects of National Significance scheme. This paper provides some background information about the Project.
Effects of using mobile devices on English listening diversity and speaking for EFL elementary students
Authors: Hwang Wu-Yuin , Huang Yueh-Min , Shadiev Rustam , Wu Sheng-Yi , Chen Shu-Lin
Published: April 2016

This study designed learning activities supported by a mobile learning system for students to develop listening and speaking skills in English as a foreign language (EFL). How students perceive learning activities and a mobile learning system were examined in this study. Additionally, how different practices relate to students’ language proficiency was also explored. It was found that students had positive perceptions and intentions toward learning activities; thus, students were motivated to practice English skills more when using a mobile learning system. The results demonstrated how students’ speaking and listening skills practices using mobile devices had different correlations depending on their proficiency levels. For example, listening diversity, defined as the number of other classmates a student listened to, was found to have an inverse correlation with speaking and listening proficiency. This finding does not support previous research and indicates that students who carefully selected their listening partners performed better than those who did not. It was further found that the better students performed in English learning, the fewer partners they would choose. EFL instructors can use the insights of this study to design more effective language learning activities for students using mobile devices.

 
Educational technology and education in technology
Authors: Paine Nigel
Published: April 2016

This paper discusses the impact of new technology on education. It is concerned with new technology as a method of delivery, a subject and an object of education. Nigel Paine argues that, if the educational world does not respond to the new networks being established and the new curriculum areas being developed, then alternative means of formal and informal learning will develop. The whole issue of innovation in education is discussed looking at centralist or devolved models for educational development.
Special keyboards for special needs
Authors: Brown Ian C.
Published: April 2016

This paper stresses the importance of good design at the child-computer interface. The Concept Keyboard is discussed as an example of a useful input device. It has a touch-sensitive surface overlaid by a rectangular sheet of paper. This "overlay" may be designed to meet the requirements of each individual program. Examples are given of various applications, including a project in which the Concept Keyboard has been used to develop the curriculum in environmental studies for children with moderate learning difficulties. Nature walks in various environments are simulated and the computer is integrated with other indoor and outdoor resources.
New technology and educational television
Authors: Murray J. F.
Published: April 2016

This paper discusses several factors related to the development and use of educational television. Areas covered are: the impact of technological development on Educational Television, and the opportunities created for more widespread production and use; the frequent failure of the educational system to exploit fully new technologies; and the need to reconcile the tensions between the traditional educational technology approach and the drives behind much new technology.
AOLIN: A meeting place for Australian technology researchers
Authors: Castro Angela
Published: April 2016

.
Aussat and all that! Reaching the Australian outback
Authors: Fowler Brian
Published: April 2016

.
Australia, academia and the airwaves
Authors: Greig Andrew
Published: April 2016

Although Radio and Television have been used extensively in School level Education in Australia, relatively little use has been made in Tertiary and Continuing Education. In recent times the Tertiary sector has increasingly employed video in teaching and a number of successful Public Educational radio stations have been set up by consortiums of Tertiary institutions. It is suggested that these stations should receive greater encouragement. With Television, a full broadcast Educational Television Network should be established in addition to the ABC/SBS and Commercial Networks and it should be run in a similar fashion to the Public Radio stations.
Desktop publishing: A case study
Authors: Jolliffe Alan
Published: April 2016

.
Introducing a teleconferencing network to the most remote region of New Zealand. Or forgiveness is easier to achieve than permission
Authors: Hansen Jens J.
Published: April 2016

A few points need to be made about this paper for it is no ordinary paper. Instead it is a script for an audio visual. Thus, it does not read like an academic work. Despite this 'stylistic' aspect of the paper it is none the less a serious attempt to do a number of things. First the backdrop of New Zealand is briefly sketched. Second, some more detailed features of the West Coast are outlined. Thirdly, the paper outlines the political conception, the gestation and finally the delivery of a unique educational package known as the Rural Education Activities Programme (REAP). From this picture a series of educational problems emerge which relate to the West Coast. Probably the most important issue which this paper discusses is the "how to" and "how not to" go about installing a teleconferencing network. And to that extent what emerges is an overall need for educators to adopt a deliberate stance of "political awareness".
The introduction of a new technology within one discipline
Authors: Allan Margaret
Published: April 2016

.
Educational technology - A recipe for change?
Authors: Latchem Colin R.
Published: April 2016

While not everyone shares the same perception of what educational technology is, the past two decades have witnessed the implementation of many technological and educational changes which have been to some degree stimulated by educational technologists in their diverse roles. Future progress is more likely to be dependent upon attitudinal change and political will than technical advancement and there is a growing awareness of a need for an Australian Council for Educational Technology. Such a Council could develop information and contact networks between existing agencies and production and delivery consortia which transcended institutional or State boundaries and served cross-sectoral needs.
Reflections on educational technology in Victorian State post-primary schools
Authors: Rey William
Published: April 2016

This article presents a brief account of the current role of educational technology in Victorian secondary schools. Examples and discussion are drawn from the authors own experience and those of two colleagues (Paul Chevchuk and Andrew Lecky), all of whom are practising educational technologists in Victorian Post-Primary Schools.
Directions for educational computing and implications for professional skilling requirements
Authors: Ausburn Floyd B. , Ausburn Lynna J.
Published: April 2016

The rise of the personal computer has resulted in significant changes in the way education is using computing. It has also expanded dramatically the range of users of educational computing. This paper discusses the trend away from the old CAI-style computing based on centralised mainframe architecture, specialist staff, and drill or tutorial programming. New directions discussed include decentralised systems based on PCs rather than mainframes, spread of computing expertise throughout staff, and proliferation of higher-order uses for computers such as simulation, problem solving, and training in real-life applications based on business and commercial software packages. Implications for training needs for education professionals are pointed out, including the need for professionals to assume significant responsibility for their own continuing personal development of current computing skills.
Television in higher education - past, present and future
Authors: Greig Andrew
Published: April 2016

A light hearted look at the role of television in higher education and the problems facing practitioners in this field.
Electronic communication for distance education: A comparison of AUSTPAC, MINERVA, TELEMEMO and VIATEL
Authors: Kember David
Published: April 2016

Distance education has at its disposal new technologies such as the telecommunications data bases. In this article a comparison of these alternatives is presented.
Educational radio in its third decade: Redefining the concept of educational broadcasting in terms of new expectations and financial restraint
Authors: McGinnis W. K.
Published: April 2016

.
After the Review ...
Authors: Lambert Jill
Published: April 2016

.
The role of the ABC in educational radio broadcasting
Authors: Patrick John
Published: April 2016

.
Twenty five years of educational radio: VL2UV and its world
Authors: Hedberg John G.
Published: April 2016

.
The role of radio broadcasting in TAFE
Authors: Holmes Brenton
Published: April 2016

.
Using the TPACK framework to unite disciplines in online learning
Authors: Anderson Alan , Barham Nicholas , Northcote Maria
Published: April 2016

This paper builds on a previous case study in which a group of lecturers from various disciplines were interviewed about their practice as facilitators of online learning. The lecturers' comments about their teaching practices revealed their awareness of specific types of teacher knowledge about online teaching. This was an unintended outcome of the previous study. Subsequently, as reported in this paper, the data were interrogated further using a new lens to investigate the extent to which these elements of teacher knowledge were evident throughout their practices. The technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) theoretical framework enabled the researchers to identify the lecturers' views about the content taught in online and blended environments, the pedagogy which guided teaching and course design, and the technology selected to facilitate students' learning. This paper also considers practical issues about using the TPACK framework as a research tool as a lens through which to view online teachers' knowledge about pedagogy, technology and content.

 
Telephones, teaching and technical trickery
Authors: Anderson Graham
Published: April 2016

Project brief.
EdTech and the Review of Efficiency and Effectiveness in Higher Education
Authors: Steele James
Published: April 2016

Just before going to press with this edition of the Australian Journal of Educational Technology, the Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission released its Review of Efficiency and Effectiveness in Higher Education. This article looks at the Review in terms of what it says about external studies and about the use of technology in higher education.
Microcomputers and education
Authors: Maggs Alex , Ray Elaine
Published: April 2016

.
Computer videodisc education systems
Authors: Dunbar Raden
Published: April 2016

.
Promises, promises - Viatel and education
Authors: Hosie Peter
Published: April 2016

.
ATS-1 in perspective
Authors: Davies N. Georges , Seumahu E. Steve
Published: April 2016

.
The efficiency of educational communications networks: ATS-1 as a quasi-mass medium
Authors: Lange James C.
Published: April 2016

The ATS-1 satellite has been used for educational teleconferencing networks in the Pacific Islands for the past decade. It has been criticised as inefficient, but these criticisms are largely based on a misunderstanding of the limitations of the satellite, which make it what Regan (1978) calls a "quasi-mass medium". This study analyses the content of ATS-1 traffic to examine both the strengths and weaknesses of its networks, and suggests ways to improve their operation.
Human factors in telecommunications research
Authors: Lindgaard Gitte
Published: April 2016

.
Distance education - education's new frontier
Authors: Millar Alex
Published: April 2016

.
The Broken Hill distance education trial in nursing education
Authors: Cochran June , Conoby Ian , Jones Ingrid
Published: April 2016

.
Designing interactive videodisc learning materials
Authors: Hedberg John G.
Published: April 2016

This paper chronicles a design project which developed interactive videodisc learning materials. Examples are taken from a project which was funded to examine the particular problems of designing for this medium. Some suggestions are made for design consideration in using this technology in education and training.
Students' self-regulated learning, online information evaluative standards and online academic searching strategies
Authors: Tseng Sheng-Chau , Liang Jyh-Chong , Tsai Chin-Chung
Published: April 2016

Online information searching strategies (OISS) used by students can be viewed as a key indicator in online learning environments. Therefore, developments in their OISS may also involve variables such as self-regulated learning (SRL) and online information evaluative standards (OIES). Three instruments, an OISS, a SRL and an OIES were used to investigate the roles of SRL (including basic and advanced SRL) and OIES (including naive and advanced standards) in the OISS of 307 high school students in Taiwan. The results of a structural equation model confirmed that both students' SRL and OIES have positive predictions on their OISS. In addition, students' advanced OIES mediated the relationships between basic SRL and OISS. However, when the students took advantage of the advanced SRL in employing OISS, the significance of the OIES was not shown. This study contributes to the understanding of students' online academic information searching strategies.
Connected teaching and learning: The uses and implications of connectivism in an online class
Authors: Barnett John , McPherson Vance , Sandieson Rachel M
Published: April 2016

An instructor tried using connectivism to teach an online graduate Education course called Teaching in a Virtual World. As a way to embody the many connections inherent in the group, all members of the class created and taught modules of their own choosing to each other. The instructor and two former students reflected together online in depth about their experience and coded their joint understandings. Schwab's commonplaces of curriculum emerged in the data, demonstrating that it is still current. They found that the course, however, was not completely connectivist due to limitations emanating from its operation within a traditional university setting.
The rhizome: A problematic metaphor for teaching and learning in a MOOC
Authors: Mackness Jenny , Bell Frances , Funes Mariana
Published: April 2016

Deleuze and Guattari’s principles of the rhizome were used to inform the design of a massive open online course (MOOC), Rhizomatic Learning: The Community is the Curriculum, which came to be known as Rhizo14. In a previous paper about learner experiences in this course our reported findings from a qualitative survey (which enabled anonymous responses) raised concerns about the ethics of using experimental pedagogies in designing MOOCs. In this paper, we continue this research and report learners’ understandings of the rhizome as applied in Rhizo14, from what participants have told us in email interviews and from our own reflections on participation in the course. Our findings reveal that many participants could relate to and welcomed the anti-authoritarian, anti-hierarchical characteristics of the rhizome, but that knowledge and understanding of Deleuze and Guattari’s conceptual principles of the rhizome was more difficult. Lack of engagement with theory and lack of appreciation of the incompleteness and complexities of the rhizome metaphor can result in negative consequences, such as imbalances in power relations and increased vulnerability for some learners.
Exploring college students’ online help-seeking behavior in a flipped classroom with a web-based help-seeking tool
Authors: Er Erkan , Kopcha Theodore J. , Orey Michael , Dustman Wendy
Published: April 2016

Today’s generation often seeks help from each other in online environments; however, only a few have investigated the role of Internet technologies and the nature of online help-seeking behaviour in collaborative learning environments. This paper presents an educational design research project that examines college students’ online help-seeking behaviour. The context was a large-enrollment science course that implemented a form of blended instruction – the flipped classroom. This paper proposes design guidelines for promoting help-seeking and discusses the application of these principles in the design of a web-based help-seeking tool (EchoLu). The study involved three iterations of implementation to continuously refine the web-based tool, and therefore to better address the help-seeking needs of students in the context. The revisions incorporated between iterations helped improve the embodiment of design principles and led to positive changes in students’ perceptions. The triangulated data revealed students’ interest in information-seeking as an additional form of help-seeking. The results of this study provide insight into the theories that informed the design of EchoLu and the design principles themselves. A new model illustrating processes involved in online help-seeking is discussed, and an emergent principle for online help-seeking is suggested.
R-NEST: Design-based research for technology-enhanced reflective practice in initial teacher education
Authors: Thompson Long Bonnie , Hall Tony
Published: April 2016

This paper reports research into developing digital storytelling (DST) to enhance reflection within a specific professional learning context – that of a programme of teacher education - while concomitantly producing a transferrable design framework for adaption into other, similar post-secondary educational contexts. There has been limited substantive, evaluative design-based research investigating empirically the potential of digital storytelling for reflection in professional, post-secondary education. Consequently, there has also been a lack of robust and reusable models to guide and inform design-based research in this context. This paper illustrates the development of a repeated study, undertaken on a longitudinal basis, over 3 years, and on a large scale, involving 323 pre-service teachers. The design-based research developed at the three key stages along the triadic spectrum of maturity: from (1) analysis and exploration, through (2) design and construction, to (3) evaluation and reflection (Kopcha, Schmidt, & McKenney, 2015).The innovation reported here is now a mature intervention, constituting a core part of the professional educational formation of pre-service teachers within a two-year, graduate teacher education programme. Further, the R-NEST design framework, which emerged from this longitudinal design-based research, enumerates key criteria and principles for designing, implementing and evaluating DST to enhance reflective practice in post-secondary professional education.
Potential of digital teaching portfolios for establishing a professional learning community in higher education
Authors: Lai Ming , Lim Cher Ping , Wang Lixun
Published: April 2016

Digital teaching portfolios (DTPs) are increasingly adopted in higher education for various purposes such as assessment, learning, and showcasing. This paper reports on a collective case study of four teaching staff who have developed DTPs with an emphasis on building a professional learning community at a higher education institution. A number of themes emerged from the cross-case data analysis: the teaching staff used DTPs for both personal and social benefits; they found it important to link their DTPs with students’ learning; they developed DTPs at different levels (individual and group level); they aligned their DTPs with their underlying teaching and learning beliefs; and they found that technical and conceptual supports, as well as opportunities to discuss and share with colleagues, were necessary for the successful implementation of DTPs. The study suggests that DTPs could significantly enhance higher education teaching and learning, and through sharing of DTPs, teaching staff could build a professional learning community that enhances their capacity for teaching and professional learning.
Open access journals in educational technology: Results of a survey of experienced users
Authors: Perkins Ross A. , Lowenthal Patrick R.
Published: April 2016

As the academic publishing industry evolves, there has been an unprecedented growth of open access journals (OAJs). In educational technology alone, with an estimated 270 associated journals, nearly one-third are designated as open. Though OAJs are lauded for what their availability can contribute to social justice issues (reduction of subscription requirement barriers), some remain suspicious of the content found in them and question the legitimacy of publishing in them. In this study, we sought to discover the opinions of educational technology scholars about OAJs in their own field. We were able to learn which OAJs were deemed to be most valuable, as well as the characteristics of OAJs thought to be particularly important.
Major barriers for participating in online teaching in developing countries from Iranian faculty members' perspectives
Authors: Zamani Bibi Eshrat , Esfijani Azam , Abdellahi Damaneh Sayed Majid
Published: April 2016

Although higher education systems in developing countries such as Iran have embraced the online education approach, they are confronted with significant challenges in this transition, one of which is lack of instructors' participation in online teaching. Therefore, this research is aimed at exploring barriers and influential factors for this lack of participation. The researchers developed their theoretical framework based on a thorough review of the existing body of knowledge while considering the cultural features of Iran as a developing country. A tailored questionnaire asking about the existence of three groups of barriers, namely personal, attitudinal and contextual inhibitors, was distributed among all faculty members who were candidates for delivering online courses in one of the top universities in the country. Data was analysed using the descriptive and inferential tests of Friedman, t-Test and ANOVA. The results were in line with research findings in other developing countries in which the contextual barriers had the most inhibition effect against faculty members’ participation in online teaching. Certain cultural barriers also are highlighted by participants, pertaining to the context of Iranian online education systems.
Editorial 31(2)
Authors: Dalgarno Barney , Bennett Sue , Henderson Michael
Published: April 2016

In this editorial we reveal updated bibliometric data providing a snapshot of information about the current citation performance of the journal and about the articles attracting the most interest over the past year.
EDITORIAL 31(3)
Authors: Bennett Sue , Dalgarno Barney , Henderson Michael
Published: April 2016

In this editorial we discuss the increasing interest in mixed methods approaches to educational research generally, including educational technology. In recent years AJET has seen an increase in the submission of research using mixed methods approaches. Mixed methods are attractive to many researchers because they have the potential to provide both breadth and depth in the same study. However, combining qualitative and quantitative methods does pose some specific challenges to researchers that need to be considered, and should be reported.
Enhancing L2 interaction in avatar-based virtual worlds: Student teachers' perceptions
Authors: Tseng Jun-Jie , Tsai Ya-Hsun , Chao Rih-Chang
Published: April 2016

Three-dimensional (3-D) multi-user virtual environments (3-D MUVEs) have been used to provide language learners with realistic scenarios in which verbal and non-verbal interactions are simulated. However, little is known of the underlying factors that shape interaction in avatar-based virtual worlds. This study examined the perceptions of 38 student teachers of second language (L2) interaction in relation to the learning and teaching of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) by using 3-D MUVEs. The data that were collected through reflection reports and interviews revealed that the key to the success of promoting L2 interaction may be contingent on the access to realistic scenarios and the presence of non-verbal cues. The participating teachers also offered suggestions regarding the future use of 3-D MUVEs to foster L2 interaction in the learning and teaching of CFL. Overall, the teachers considered this unique platform to be a promising venue where enhanced interaction may contribute to the understanding of target linguistic input, as well as the communication of the learners. This study has provided insight into the dynamic forces that mediate L2 interaction in 3-D MUVEs from the viewpoints of CFL teachers.
A structural equation model to analyse the antecedents to students’ web-based problem-solving performance
Authors: Kuo Fan-Ray , Hwang Gwo-Jen
Published: April 2016

Web-based problem-solving, a compound ability of critical thinking, creative thinking, reasoning thinking and information-searching abilities, has been recognised as an important competence for elementary school students. Some researchers have reported the possible correlations between problem-solving competence and information searching ability; however, few studies have proposed what factors might affect students’ web-based problem-solving performance. In this study, a five-phase web-based learning approach is proposed; moreover, a web-based problem-solving model was developed to investigate the factors that might affect students’ web-based problem-solving performance. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an experiment was conducted by engaging 201 fifth- and sixth-graders from three elementary schools in a series of web-based problem-solving activities. Structural equation modelling was employed to analyse the antecedents affecting the students’ web-based problem-solving performance. From the analysis results, it was found that task-technology fit could be the major factor affecting the students’ intention to learn on the Web, as it highly affected their web-based problem-solving performance.
EDITORIAL 31(4)
Authors: Dalgarno Barney , Bennett Sue , Henderson Michael
Published: April 2016

In this editorial we report on a workshop of editors of educational technology and open and distance education journals held in Barcelona, Spain in June of this year, attended by Barney Dalgarno on behalf of the AJET editorial team. Some of the key issues discussed during the workshop included editorial processes, author services, sustainability of business models, and emerging impact metrics. Overall the workshop was a valuable opportunity to compare the processes used by AJET with those used by other journals. An online network of participating editors has now been established and a commitment has been made to come together for similar events in the future.
Editorial 31(5): Special issue on educational design research (EDR) in post-secondary learning environments
Authors: Kopcha Theodore J , Schmidt Matthew M , McKenney Susan
Published: April 2016

Along with many ASCILITE members, we have grown increasingly concerned that current approaches to educational technology research lack value and practical application in the field. Educational design research (EDR) is an emerging approach that bridges the demand for rigorous research with the development of relevant solutions to educational problems. EDR is an intervention and process-oriented approach that uses a variety of methods to examine the development and implementation of instructional solutions to current educational problems. As evidence about the inner workings of interventions accumulates over time, design principles and learning theories are derived from work in local contexts, and their limits can be tested in other settings. This genre of research is currently underrepresented in the literature. To advance scholarship through the execution and reporting of EDR, we identified an urgent need for examples across fields, and especially related to educational technology in higher education.

The purpose of this special issue is to advance the field by showcasing exemplars of high quality EDR in post-secondary educational settings. We have sought manuscripts that detail EDR projects involving the use and/or development of educational technology in tertiary education (higher and further), lifelong learning, and training. This manuscript set therefore promotes research and scholarship on innovative instructional designs that integrate technology in those settings, promote effective practice, and help inform policy.
The influence of students' ICT skills and their adoption of mobile learning
Authors: Mac Callum Kathryn , Jeffrey Lynn
Published: April 2016

Mobile technology has gained increased focus in academic circles as a way to enable learning that is not confined by time and place. As the benefits of mobile learning are being clarified so too will researchers need to understand the factors that influence its future use. The adoption of mobile technology will largely depend on whether students believe that mobile technology fits their particular needs. However despite the interest in the potential of mobile learning, researchers have only a limited knowledge of the factors that may influence student adoption. To address this gap in the literature, the present study was undertaken to determine how ICT skills impact students' adoption of mobile learning. The study posited that the perceived ease of use and usefulness of mobile technology would mediate the relationship between ICT skills and the intention of students to adopt mobile learning. A survey of 446 students from three tertiary institutions found that students' intention to adopt mobile learning was influenced by specific types of ICT skills. In particular, it was found that advanced skill in mobile technology and basic ICT skills both played significant roles in the intention to adopt mobile learning. No evidence was found to support the assertion that advanced ICT skills influenced their adoption of mobile learning.

 
Surveying in-service preschool teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge
Authors: Liang Jyh-Chong , Chai Ching Sing , Koh Joyce Hwee Ling , Yang Ching-Ju , Tsai Chin-Chung
Published: April 2016

Many teachers are reporting that they need to develop more subject-specific applications of educational technology. However, there seems to have been a lack of theoretical frameworks to guide educators in preparing and developing in-service preschool teacher education in the area of educational technology until the recent emergence of the notion of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). This study utilizes the TPACK survey to explore 366 Taiwanese in-service preschool teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge. Exploratory factor analyses of the TPACK survey used in this study yielded six scales: Content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), technological knowledge (TK), a combined factor of technological pedagogical knowledge and technological content knowledge (TPTCK) and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK), respectively. The exploratory factor analyses indicated adequate reliability and validity of the TPACK survey. The correlation analyses revealed that more senior preschool teachers might show a certain degree of resistance toward technology-integrated teaching environments. Further analyses also showed that the preschool teachers with higher education qualifications tended to have more knowledge of technology use and ICT integration in their teaching environment.
Augmentation of information in educational objects: Effectiveness of arrows and pictures as information for actions in instructional objects
Authors: Pekerti Andre A.
Published: April 2016

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education is now central to facilitating links between learners, resources and instructors. Regardless of whether it is used in distance education or educational objects, ICT enables educators to package education opportunities in an increasing number of alternative ways so as best to meet the varying needs of the end user. Currently, one of the challenges that face instructors is to develop materials that enhance the learner-content interaction by reducing extraneous cognitive load while at the same time facilitating learning. This study explored the effectiveness of pictorial information and augmentation in instructions and educational objects. Dual coding theory is used to suggest that information that can be processed via separate but interconnected systems will facilitate faster processing and deeper learning of the information. University students were randomly assigned to six experimental conditions to perform a novel task using six different instruction manuals. A 3 (text, text-pictorial, text-pictorial-arrows) X 2 (picture of object vs. no picture of object) design was used to test whether augmenting text with pictorial information provided additional valuable information in instructional settings. Results partially support this multimedia effect; participants exhibited superior performance in a Text-Pictorial and Text-Pictorial-Arrows format over Text format. A picture of the object also facilitated superior performance on both the assembly and operating tasks, especially in a text format. Overall, combinations of text-pictorial and text-pictorial-arrows facilitated faster assembly and operation; they reduced errors, extra procedures, and unsuccessful assemblies (uncorrected errors). Results also support the idea that arrows convey unique types of information and function. In particular, arrows may attune people to important information and/or convey information movement that guides actions during tasks. Practical implications are discussed in relation to the type of information combinations that may lead to superior instructional design of instructional objects and research, including how to reduce errors of omission.

 
Central practitioners’ developing legitimate peripheral participation in a community of practice for changing schools
Authors: Woo David
Published: April 2016

As new technologies continue to shape society, there has been a greater need for communities of practice to facilitate changing teaching and learning practices through technology in schools. Legitimate peripheral participation through these communities of practice has become an essential means to spread and support this technology integration movement, but understanding this participation in communities has been limited. This paper reports on a study of how central practitioners developed legitimate peripheral participation episodes in an inter-organisational, international community of practice. It describes the qualitative, case study approach to the study, and outlines the community of practice, its central practitioners and the legitimate peripheral participation episodes in which they participated. The paper presents and discusses essential central practitioner individual and organisational factors which enabled the continuity and change of legitimate peripheral participation episodes in the community. Individual factors to emerge from the study include central practitioners’ desire for continuous professional development and individual agency. Organisational factors include an organisation’s distinctive mission, its distinctive roles, and constant negotiation, including conflicts of interest, between organisations and their members. The paper concludes with considerations of the value and relevance of legitimate peripheral participation in an inter-organisational community of practice for changing practices.

 
 