ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Use of Social Media in Uncovering Information Services for People with Disabilities in China
Author: Wang, Wenke
Date: 2017-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Social Media,Disabilities,Access to Information,Internet,Foreign Countries,Electronic Publishing,Collaborative Writing,Questionnaires,Adults

The tangible and intangible needs of people with disabilities have been neglected in research agendas over the past decades, particularly in China. Bringing more benefits to people with disabilities and combining information delivery with Internet technology to improve their quality of life is impossible if their special needs are ignored. This study employed the crowdsourcing through social media method to investigate information needs of people who are disabled. The results indicate that using the popular social media platforms WeChat and QQ can be an effective means of reaching out to this group. Information needs can be mainly divided into internal and external needs. Leisure, tourism, and entertainment as well as assistive devices are major internal information needs, whereas work, entrepreneurship, and living services are the main external information needs.
Using Social Learning Networks (SLNs) in Higher Education: Edmodo through the Lenses of Academics
Author: Durak, Gürhan
Date: 2017-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Technology Uses in Education,College Faculty,Educational Technology,Mixed Methods Research,Online Surveys,Questionnaires,Cooperative Learning,Educational Innovation,Teacher Attitudes,Higher Education,Social Media,Integrated Learning Systems,Internet,Semi Structured Interviews

With its total number of users (around 62 million) throughout the world, it is important to determine the views of academics who use Edmodo (the leading SLN). In this respect in the first part of this two-part research, the purpose was to examine academics' (n = 50) use of technology and social networks. As for the purpose of the second part, it was to determine the views of 12 academics--selected from the academics participating in the first part--who had experience in Edmodo about the basic features of Edmodo and about its use in education. In the study carried out with the mixed method, the qualitative and quantitative data were collected with an online questionnaire. The findings obtained were interpreted within the framework of cooperative learning and the theories of &quot;Diffusion of Innovations&quot; and &quot;Uses and Gratifications,&quot; and the related themes were formed. As a result, the academics with experience in Edmodo reported their views about the benefits of use of the Edmodo in education. Regarding the differences between Edmodo and social networks, the results suggested that the former was used completely for educational purposes and that it did not involve any unnecessary components.
Developing an Aquaponics System to Learn Sustainability and Social Compromise Skills
Author: Duarte, Abel J.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Natural Resources,Water,Electronics,Efficiency,Teamwork,Cultural Pluralism,Computer Software,Design,Budgets,Sustainability,Marketing,Interdisciplinary Approach,Intercultural Communication,Communication Skills,Engineering,Engineering Education,Program Descriptions,College Students,Ethics,Ecology

The goal of this project, one of the proposals of the EPS@ISEP Spring 2014, was to develop an Aquaponics System. Over recent years Aquaponics systems have received increased attention since they contribute to reduce the strain on resources within 1st and 3rd world countries. Aquaponics is the combination of Hydroponics and Aquaculture, mimicking a natural environment in order to successfully apply and enhance the understanding of natural cycles within an indoor process. Using this knowledge of natural cycles, it was possible to create a system with capabilities similar to that of a natural environment with the support of electronics, enhancing the overall efficiency of the system. The multinational team involved in the development of this system was composed of five students from five countries and fields of study. This paper describes their solution, including the overall design, the technology involved and the benefits it can bring to the current market. The team was able to design and render the Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawings of the prototype, assemble all components, successfully test the electronics and comply with the budget. Furthermore, the designed solution was supported by a product sustainability study and included a specific marketing plan. Last but not least, the students enrolled in this project obtained new multidisciplinary knowledge and increased their team work and cross-cultural communication skills.
Properties of Teacher Networks in Twitter: Are They Related to Community-Based Peer Production?
Author: Macià, Maria
Date: 2017-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Social Media,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Communities of Practice,Teacher Collaboration,Teacher Characteristics,Interpersonal Communication,Foreign Countries

Teachers participate in social networking sites to share knowledge and collaborate with other teachers to create education-related content. In this study we selected several communities in order to better understand the networks that these participants establish in Twitter and the role that the social network plays in their activity within the community, especially related with peer production. We analyzed the topology of these networks in two ways: a) the indirect relations by counting &quot;followers&quot; and &quot;followed&quot; people; and b) the conversational networks by counting mentions in &quot;tweets.&quot; We also analyzed the communities' websites in order to elucidate whether their production was lightweight or heavyweight peer production. Results indicate that teacher networks adopt a community clusters archetype in which some teachers act as bridges between several groups. Although these networks do not form a tight crowd, their degree of tightness is superior to that of the general networks established in Twitter. Our results also indicate that the degree of tightness is important for sustaining heavyweight peer production and strong leadership can play a crucial role in establishing long-term commitment to a collective task.
The Effects of Integrating Social Learning Environment with Online Learning
Author: Raspopovic, Miroslava
Date: 2017-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Cooperative Learning,Socialization,Student Attitudes,Interaction,Higher Education,Social Networks,Computer Software,Teaching Methods,Blended Learning,Online Courses,Learning Activities,Student Surveys,Likert Scales,Social Media

The aim of this paper is to present the learning and teaching styles using the Social Learning Environment (SLE), which was developed based on the computer supported collaborative learning approach. To avoid burdening learners with multiple platforms and tools, SLE was designed and developed in order to integrate existing systems, institutional learning, management systems, and Facebook. With SLE, a learner is exposed to instructional learning material, problem-based, project-based, and social learning. This work focuses on presenting and analyzing effectiveness of implemented teaching and learning scenarios that are used by means of SLE. This study investigates the use of SLE as a learning environment and it examines student satisfaction and online activity while using it. The aim is to evaluate the overall effectiveness of integrating SLE with online learning and to determine how using SLE effects student learning. This analysis points out the advantages and disadvantages of using SLE in online learning and provides recommendations for future improvements.
Instance-Based Ontology Matching for Open and Distance Learning Materials
Author: Cerón-Figueroa, Sergio
Date: 2017-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Open Education,Distance Education,Classification,Metadata,Course Content,Models,Electronic Learning,Pattern Recognition

The present work describes an original associative model of pattern classification and its application to align different ontologies containing Learning Objects (LOs), which are in turn related to Open and Distance Learning (ODL) educative content. The problem of aligning ontologies is known as Ontology Matching Problem (OMP), whose solution is modeled in this paper as a binary pattern classification problem. The latter problem is then solved through the application of our new proposed associative model. The solution proposed here allows the alignment of two different ontologies--both in the Learning Objects Metadata (LOM) format--into a single ontology of LOs for ODL in LOM format, without redundant objects and with all inherent advantages for handling ODL LOs. The proposed model of pattern classification was validated through experiments, which were done on data taken from the Ontology Alignment Evaluation Initiative (OAEI) 2014 campaign, as well as on data taken from two known educative content repositories: ADRIADNE and MERLOT. The obtained results show a high performance when compared against some of the classifier algorithms present in the state of the art.
A Multicultural Approach to Teach Sustainability
Author: Caetano, Nídia
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reputation,Sustainable Development,Global Approach,Student Mobility,Study Abroad,International Education,Universities,Cultural Differences,Foreign Students,Multicultural Education,Problem Based Learning,Portuguese,Teaching Methods,Summer Programs,Course Descriptions,Foreign Countries

Globalization is a trend that covers all society perspectives in general, and higher education in particular. The main traditional objective of higher education institutions has been to prepare domestic students with a given set of skills. Research competition and University's rankings, as well as the need to reach other publics, pushed them towards internationalization. The exchange of students across the EU is a well-known reality which success is largely due to cultural similarities. However, a set of issues raises in importance when students from different cultures are involved. ISEP proposed a Summer Course aiming both to increase its level of internationalization and to verify how the institution is able to host foreign students. Therefore was organized, in July 2014, ISEP's first Engineering for Sustainable Development Summer Course, with a layout specifically designed to address those questions. In our study, and in order to gain from an intensive and multicultural experience, the class included equal number of Korean and Portuguese students to develop work under the framework of sustainability, a theme chosen in order to foster consensus. This work reports some results from this experience, which included a Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach, and points out new directions: PBL revealed to be a promoting integration way; the inclusion of multiple cultures allowed the analysis of different perspectives which otherwise would not have been succeed; institutional academic/social services need to be adapted in order to receive non-Portuguese speaking students; there is a need for further adequate accommodation able to receive a larger number of international students.
Public School Librarians and Academic Librarians Join Together to Promote Diversity and Reading
Author: Jackson-Brown, Grace M.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Public Schools,School Libraries,College Libraries,Librarians,College School Cooperation,Reading Programs,African American Students,Cultural Pluralism,Elementary Secondary Education,Outreach Programs

This article shares the story of the author's involvement in a national literacy initiative known as the African American Read-In (AARI) in Springfield, Missouri. The article highlights successes that public school librarians and university librarians are experiencing as they work together to promote diversity and reading through a community-wide effort. Their collaborative efforts may inspire other educators to learn more about the AARI and to become involved.
Color Coded Cards for Student Behavior Management in Higher Education Environments
Author: Alhalabi, Wadee
Date: 2017-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Color,Visual Stimuli,Behavior Modification,Student Behavior,Program Effectiveness,Questionnaires,Qualitative Research,Foreign Countries,College Students,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Classroom Techniques

The Color Coded Cards system as a possibly effective class management tool is the focus of this research. The Color Coded Cards system involves each student being given a card with a specific color based on his or her behavior. The main objective of the research is to find out whether this system effectively improves students' behavior, thus leading to better class management. The research was conducted with 350 students as subjects, and the data were gathered by means of a questionnaire administered over a period of three years. A qualitative method was applied to analyze the results and draw precise conclusions. The results were interesting and promising.
Enriching the Web of Data with Educational Information Using We-Share
Author: Ruiz-Calleja, Adolfo
Date: 2017-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Information Dissemination,Web Sites,Shared Resources and Services,Program Effectiveness,Program Evaluation,Mixed Methods Research,Questionnaires,College Faculty,Satisfaction

This paper presents We-Share, a social annotation application that enables educators to publish and retrieve information about educational ICT tools. As a distinctive characteristic, We-Share provides educators data about educational tools already available on the Web of Data while allowing them to enrich such data with their experience using technology in the classroom. We-Share evaluation entails an empirical study where 23 educators enriched tool descriptions available on the Web of Data out of their own experience. The results suggest that experiential annotations published by educators using We-Share improve the satisfaction and confidence of other educators when discovering and selecting ICT tools. Further, most educators found We-Share an easy-to-use application suitable to share and retrieve information about educational ICT tools.
Teachers' Reflections on Distributive Leadership in Public Primary Schools in Soweto
Author: Naicker, Suraiya R.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Leadership Styles,Primary Education,Elementary Schools,Teacher Attitudes,Blacks,Power Structure,Decision Making,Teacher Leadership,Qualitative Research,School Culture,Teacher Morale,Interpersonal Communication,Barriers,Focus Groups,Semi Structured Interviews

Schooling has become increasingly complex in purpose and structure and therefore requires appropriate forms of leadership to address this challenge. One current leadership approach that is receiving national and global attention is distributive leadership. A qualitative approach was employed to investigate teachers' experiences and perceptions of the practice of distributive leadership in public primary schools in Soweto. Soweto is a township in Johannesburg, South Africa, which comprises predominantly black African residents. The findings revealed that leadership in Soweto primary schools is rooted in classical leadership practices and that any potential for the practice of distributive leadership is hindered by autocratic styles of leadership, hierarchical structures, and non-participative decision-making.
Enriching Higher Education with Social Media: Development and Evaluation of a Social Media Toolkit
Author: Gülbahar, Yasemin
Date: 2017-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Social Media,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,College Students,College Faculty,Foreign Countries,Cross Cultural Studies,Barriers,Teaching Methods,Technological Literacy,Guides,Attitude Measures,Feedback (Response),Program Effectiveness

While ubiquitous in everyday use, in reality, social media usage within higher education teaching has expanded quite slowly. Analysis of social media usage of students and instructors for teaching, learning, and research purposes across four countries (Russia, Turkey, Germany, and Switzerland) showed that many higher education instructors actively use social media for private purposes. However, although they understand that their students also use it for learning purposes, and instructors sense the potential of social media in teaching, they mostly refrain from doing so due to various barriers. In response, an openly accessible trilingual Social Media Toolkit was developed which analyzes the teaching scenario with several questions, before suggesting, based on an algorithm, the best matching class of social media, complete with advice on how to use it for teaching purposes. This paper explains the rationale behind the toolkit, its development process, and examines instructors' perceptions towards it.
The Effect of Technology on Learner Attention and Achievement in the Classroom
Author: Bester, G.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Technological Literacy,Attention,Academic Achievement,Foreign Countries,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Comparative Analysis,Correlation,Motivation,Technology Uses in Education,Questionnaires,Grade 8,Statistical Analysis

The objective of this investigation was to determine the effect of technology on attention and achievement within a classroom context, taking motivation and concentration into account as well. Lessons in Geography, English and Mathematics were presented to an experimental and a control group consisting of 23 and 22 Grade 8 learners, respectively. Technology was implemented for the experimental group but not for the control group. Significant differences were found between the average achievements of a group of learners, exposed to technology during a lesson, compared to a group not exposed to technology. Significant differences were also found between the average attention of a group of learners, exposed to technology during a lesson, compared to a group not exposed to technology. A high positive relationship was obtained between motivation and concentration and moderate to high positive correlations were obtained between attention, concentration and motivation, taken jointly as independent variables and achievement as the dependent variable.
Learning Sustainability by Developing a Solar Dryer for Microalgae Retrieval
Author: Malheiro, Benedita
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Sustainability,Energy Conservation,Equipment,Science Laboratories,Fuels,Water,Agriculture,Heat,College Students,Engineering Education,Foreign Countries

The development of nations depends on energy consumption, which is generally based on fossil fuels. This dependency produces irreversible and dramatic effects on the environment, e.g. large greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn cause global warming and climate changes, responsible for the rise of the sea level, floods, and other extreme weather events. Transportation is one of the main uses of energy, and its excessive fossil fuel dependency is driving the search for alternative and sustainable sources of energy such as microalgae, from which biodiesel, among other useful compounds, can be obtained. The process includes harvesting and drying, two energy consuming steps, which are, therefore, expensive and unsustainable. The goal of this EPS@ISEP Spring 2013 project was to develop a solar microalgae dryer for the microalgae laboratory of ISEP. A multinational team of five students from distinct fields of study was responsible for designing and building the solar microalgae dryer prototype. The prototype includes a control system to ensure that the microalgae are not destroyed during the drying process. The solar microalgae dryer works as a distiller, extracting the excess water from the microalgae suspension. This paper details the design steps, the building technologies, the ethical and sustainable concerns and compares the prototype with existing solutions. The proposed sustainable microalgae drying process is competitive as far as energy usage is concerned. Finally, the project contributed to increase the deontological ethics, social compromise skills and sustainable development awareness of the students.
An Exploratory Study on the Utilisation of Resilience by Middle Adolescents in Reconstituted Families Following Divorce
Author: Ebersohn, Suzette
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adolescents,Divorce,Foreign Countries,Family Structure,Family Environment,Resilience (Psychology),Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Coping,Observation,Risk,Individual Characteristics

Every year thousands of core families disintegrate through divorce, and in the ensuing restructuring of the family system the child has to cope with various development challenges, such as divided membership of two micro family systems and complexities that result at the mesosystemic level. Achieving positive development outcomes in the presence of challenging living circumstances entails complex interactive processes. The aim of the study was to understand the concomitant, reciprocal and/or responsive dynamics of middle adolescents' use of their inherent resilience potential in their movement back and forth between their two reconstituted family systems after the parents' divorce. The study was grounded in the qualitative interpretivist paradigm, and used a multiple case study as research design and a narrative format for description. A purposive sample of four white Afrikaans-speaking middle adolescents participated in the research. Findings revealed that middle adolescents of divorced parents utilise their resilience potential in a systemic manner, which requires a solid base provided by the meso system. Hence the utilisation of resilience relies at the very minimum on a functional relationship of cooperation between the biological parents.
Geography Teachers' Interpretation of a Curriculum Reform Initiative: The Case of the Lesotho Environmental Education Support Project (LEESP)
Author: Raselimo, Mohaeka
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Geography Instruction,Secondary School Teachers,Knowledge Level,Educational Change,Curriculum Development,Environmental Education,Sustainable Development,Curriculum Implementation,Epistemology,Context Effect,Student Centered Curriculum,Teacher Role,Educational Policy,Qualitative Research,Observation,Interviews

This article addresses how teachers in a specific developing world context interpreted a curriculum reform initiative. It is located within a broader interpretive study that investigated the integration of Environmental Education into the formal education system of Lesotho with particular reference to secondary school geography. More specifically the focus was on a Danish donor-funded project, known as the Lesotho Environmental Education Support Project (LEESP). Driven by a sustainable development imperative, the project was intended to assist Lesotho with the implementation of local action for &quot;Agenda 21&quot; by introducing environmental education into the formal education system. It is widely accepted that teachers play an important role in implementing curriculum change. Using a previous framework, we generate insights for understanding how teachers' epistemologies interact with contextual factors to impede the process of curriculum sense-making. Furthermore, guided by the notion of curriculum as a contextualised social process, we present the findings on the contextual/structural factors enabling or constraining implementation of the LEESP curriculum policy intentions as perceived by the teachers.