computer-based educational tools
Extended Deadline for Abstracts Submission - International Conference The Future of Education
Extended Deadline for Abstracts Submission – 28 February 2013
The third edition of The Future of Education International Conference will take place in Florence, Italy, on 13 - 14 June 2013.
The objective of The Future of Education Conference is to promote transnational cooperation and share good practice in the field of innovation for education. The Future of Education Conference is also an excellent opportunity for the presentation of previous and current educational projects.
The Call for Papers, within the Future of Education Conference, is addressed to teachers, researchers and experts in the field of education as well as to coordinators of education and training projects.
Experts in the field of teaching and learning are therefore invited to submit an abstract of a paper to be presented during the Future of Education International Conference. The abstract should be written in English (between 200 and 500 words) and sent via e-mail to foe@pixel-online.net no later than 28 February 2013.
Important dates
- 28 February 2013: Deadline for submitting abstracts
- 08 March 2013: Notification of Acceptance / Rejection
- 25 March 2013: Deadline for final submission of papers
- 3 May 2013: Deadline for speakers registration
- 13-14 June 2013: Dates of the conference
There will be three presentation modalities: oral, poster and virtual presentations.
All papers presented during the conference will be published on an ISBN publication.
For further information, please contact us at the following address: foe@pixel-online.net or visit the Future of Education conference website: http://www.pixel-online.net/foe2013/.
Serious sports catalogue of digital sports games
The Serious Sports project aims to develop a digital sports game and reusable framework that will offer sports/fitness coaches the opportunity to simulate the physical conditioning, training content and structure in different (training) seasons for a European-wide sparring sport.
The project will seek to provide resources and self-assessment techniques as part of this digital sports game to support coaches, vocational teachers and others involved in sports through game based learning and reinforcement techniques.
The project also intends to research, enhance and promote the use of game based learning in all areas of sport and support the recognition and evaluation of social, communication and organizational skills acquired in all possible learning scenarios.
Lernen mit Computer-Spielen
Das österreichische Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft, Familie und Jugend veröffentlich das Lernbuch 'Lernen mit Computerspielen für Padagoginnen un Pädagogen.
Die primäre Zielgruppe dieses Buches sind Fachleute, also Pädagoginnen und Pädagogen, Lehrerinnen un Lehrer, Trainerinnen und Trainer, die Kinder im Alter von 6+ Jahren unterrichten und in ihren Klassen "Lernen duch Spiel" anwenden möchten. Das Buch wird ihnen helfen, das Lernpotential von digitalen Spielen zu entdecken, systematisch Spiele zu finden, in ihren Klassen einzuführen oder eigene Lernideen zu realisieren.
Lernspiele sollen einen eindeutigen Lerneffekt erzielen, und so verwendet, abgestimmt und eigestetzt werden, dass die Lernprozesse fördern, verbessern und pflegen.
EC-TEL 2013: Eighth European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning
The European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL) is a unique opportunity for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to address current challenges and advances in the field. Through EC-TEL, established and emerging researchers as well as practitioners, entrepreneurs, and technology developers explore new collaborations, strengthen networks, and complement their core experience. This year's theme is "Scaling Up Learning for Sustained Impact". We invite contributions for demonstrations, workshops and project meetings, as well as original research papers. A doctoral consortium will also be organized concurrently with the workshops. Please find all details at the EC-TEL 2013 website.
White Paper 3 Technological issues for computer-based assessment
This paper reviews the contribution of new information-communication technologies to the advancement of educational assessment. Improvements can be described in terms of precision in detecting the actual values of the observed variables, efficiency in collecting and processing information, and speed and frequency of feedback given for the participants and stakeholders.
The paper by Benő Csapó, John Ainley, Randy Bennett, Thibaud Latour, and Nancy Law reviews previous research and development in two ways, describing the main tendencies in four continents (Asia, Australia, Europe and the US) and summarizing research on how technology advances assessment in some crucial dimensions (assessment of established constructs, extension of assessment domains, assessment of new constructs and in dynamic situations). As there is a great variety of applications of assessment in education, each one requiring different technological solutions, the paper classifies assessment domains, purposes and contexts and identifies the technological needs and solutions for each.
The paper reviews the contribution of technology to the advancement of the entire educational evaluation process from authoring and automatic generation and storing items through delivery methods (Internet-based, local server, removable media, mini-computer labs) and forms of task presentation made possible with technology to response capture, scoring and automated feedback and reporting.
The paper also reviews some special cases for which new technologies have enabled significant advances (e.g. assessments of students with special educational needs, assessment of collaborative skills and group achievement) and discusses the validity issues raised by the application of the new technolgies (e.g. factors influencing achievements when working with technological tools, the question of transferability of skills measured in a virtual environment). Finally, the paper identifies areas where further research and development is needed (migration strategies, security, availability, accessibility, comparability, framework and instrument compliance) and lists themes for research projects feasible in the Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills project.
UOC continues to innovate in Educational Technologies
The Office of Learning Technologies publishes its 2001 Projects Report
Since 1994, the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) has led the way to online learning, making it possible to take education to a higher level, and further available to society. The Office of Learning Technologies (OLT) at the UOC designs and develops a number of immersive, open, accessible and engaging learning experiences for its more than 55.000 fully online students and teaching staff.
The UOC-OLT has just published its 2011 Projects Report, outlining a sample of its latest projects, building on information and experiences that facilitate and improve the experience of an extremely diverse group of students and faculty. For instance, some cases aim at the integration of social networks and cloud services within the Campus, while progress is also made in the area of inclusion of people with a wide range of disabilities, making UOC a more inclusive University.
Many projects have been made in collaboration with other partners such as universities (University of California at Berkeley, Dublin City University, University of Yaoundé I), companies (Orange) and networks (IMS Global Learning Consortium, New Media Consortium).
Summary of projects' list:
· Learning and Teaching Tools: class virtual DicWiki (generator of a dictionary for any field of knowledge), eAssessment, Google Apps (incorporating Google tools for virtual classes), PACPlagi (online tool to detect plagiarized studies of Internet), SimAula (simulation of a virtual classroom tool in teaching students who want to practice), SpeakApps (online platform for practicing speaking skills).
· Community Tools: Geolocation for Learning (Learning Geolocation 4, gives information on the location of other students of the UOC-phase pilot, iLike (application where students can give opinion about the operation of a subject), Questions and Answers (knowledge provided by students on the functioning of the UOC by means of a system of questions and answers), Technipedia (platform to promote entrepreneurship for youth in Africa)
· Mobile Tools: augmented reality (increases the vision of a landscape, a building, etc..; designed as a tourist application), content adaptation for iPad, Mobile Campus, MyUOC Mobile.
· Management Tools: Learning Apps (space where teachers and students can build their place of learning), tools to support the reading and writing applications for the UOC (checker, translator, etc...), project SOC (virtual training Employment Service of Catalonia).
· User-centered design and support projects: Cube-U (object connected to the Internet to communicate by changing color or visual icons, information on the campus, for example, when mail is received, how many students are connected, etc.), Laboratory Mobile Accessibility (to evaluate accessibility and usability of websites and mobile applications), Blogs Support (online spaces where teachers and students can answer questions about possible problems with class tools), and tools to support people with visual impairments.
About the Office of Learning Technologies:
The Office of Learning Technologies is headed by Llorenç Valverde (vice-rector for Technology, UOC) and Magi Almirall (OLT Director). The Office plays a main role in the application and creation of online learning design and development methodologies with the sole objective to help evolve online education, and ensure all learners have an engaging and effective experience.
Would like to receive a copy of the 2011 OLT Projects Report? Then, please, send your request at learningtechnologies@uoc.edu.
19e Salon Education
Le Salon Education est le salon belge des outils pédagogiques et de l’équipement pour l’enseignement.
Le Salon Education s’adresse à tous les métiers de l’éducation et de l’enseignement : directeurs/préfets, économes, enseignants, formateurs, inspecteurs, logopèdes, agents PMS, médiateurs, bibliothécaires, éducateurs, animateurs, … normaliens et autres futurs professionnels de l’éducation, ... mais aussi aux parents qui jouent, bien sûr, un rôle primordial dans l’éducation de leurs enfants.
Il réunit plus de 200 exposants spécialisés dans la fourniture de biens et la prestation de services au secteur de l’éducation au sens large. Il est une très large vitrine couvrant les domaines d’activité qui touchent de près ou de loin l’éducation, la formation et l’enseignement, et notamment : l’édition scolaire et pédagogique, le matériel et le mobilier scolaires, le mobilier de bureau, le matériel didactique et pédagogique, le matériel technique et professionnel, le matériel artistique, le mobilier de plein air, les voyages, l’alimentation, les langues, l’informatique, l’audiovisuel, le multimédia, la formation des maîtres, les spécialisations, la sécurité, l’hygiène, la psychomotricité, l’équipement de classes, d’auditoires, de bâtiments scolaires, le matériel scientifique, les transports, la culture, les loisirs, le spectacle pour jeunes, les activités extrascolaires, la gestion d’établissements scolaires, la prévention, la santé, l’éducation à l’environnement, le livre de jeunesse, la presse jeunesse, la gestion du personnel, les assurances,... mais aussi l’aide et le conseil aux enseignants et autres professionnels de l’éducation.
Le Salon propose chaque année près de 200 conférences, débats et ateliers.
Ce sont autant d'occasions pour chaque professionnel de rencontrer des confrères ou d’autres professionnels de l’éducation, de se renouveler, de redynamiser son cours, de glaner les idées, de découvrir toutes les nouveautés en matière d’enseignement, de partager des expériences, de confronter ses idées, de se ressourcer, quel que soit son domaine, pour apprendre encore et encore à mieux enseigner, encadrer, orienter, animer, etc.
Ce foisonnement de moyens, d’outils et de solutions contribue à motiver le secteur et à faciliter la tâche des professionnels de l’éducation qui profitent de ce grand rassemblement.
"Education is the way to reduce cyber risks"
October is the European Cyber Security Month. The goal is to raise awareness about cyber risks. Among all internet users, children are one of the most vulnerable groups. Phil Banyard, Reader in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, has been researching on how schools in UK deal with those risks.
What are the main cyber risks for children?
The main cyber risks for children are probably cyber bullying and sexual solicitation. There are also new risks in social networking because it encourages risky behaviours. And there are also the problems with excessive game playing or addiction.
Are these risks different from real-life dangers?
I think it’s hard to tell. I think the only that does seem to be different measurably is cyber bullying because it can be much more intrusive and you just can’t get away from it. Cyber bullying is different from playground bullying. But for the others, it’s actually hard to tell if they’re a new danger or a new media for old dangers.
Is technical control effective to avoid those risks?
No, I don’t think it is. I think that education is the way you reduce risks. If you just control things for people, then they don’t come to evaluate the risks themselves. They don’t adjust their behaviour and so they’re vulnerable to the occasion the control is not there. I think technology is able to reduce some of it, for example you can block off some web sites. But on the whole, the best way to reduce risk is by improving people’s knowledge of it.
Do you think the overprotection has to do with a less digital literacy among adults?
I think everybody has some digital literacy and some areas where they’re not very good at and children are better at it. But I don’t think adults are particularly bad. In every generation, children find a way to create their own world. In my generation, we foundways to have music and entertainment that adults didn’t like. And I think children will always do that, so they will exclude parents, so we shouldn’t worry about that.
Do adults underestimate the capacity of children to avoid those risks?
Yes, we try and keep children young, we overprotect them. Particularly in European countries, we’re very protective of children. Outside of Europe children are often required do all sorts of adult tasks. We have to encourage children to make their own choices and to take responsibility for them.
Should some educational effort be put on adults?
The educational effort would be better directed atteachers so that they would know what children are doing and also evaluate the risks better.
How can you educate children to avoid cyber risks?
The best way is to give them strategies to deal with problems that arise. I remember the case of a primary school, with children from 7 to 10 years old, and the school didn’t particularly have filters on but they just sat with the kids and encouraged them to report when there was a problem and to tell them what to do about it. So the best way is to treat them as intelligent creatures and let them maketheir own choices, also to encourage them to seek support from their peers.We have to encourage them to be self-sufficient.
Do you think about a specific methodology?
It should be a continuous effort. It’s about how you deal with life generally, how you deal with strangers, how you deal with the danger when you walk down the street, the general politenesses of life. We try and encourage them to grow up and make their own decisions and to be responsible citizens. We should transfer that learning to their dealings with the internet.