Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 

About: Journal of Computer Assisted Learning is an academic journal published by Wiley-Blackwell. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Educational technology & Computer science. It has an ISSN identifier of 0266-4909. Over the lifetime, 1732 publications have been published receiving 81889 citations.

The Effect of Twitter on College Student Engagement and Grades

Abstract: Despite the widespread use of social media by students and its increased use by instructors, very little empirical evidence is available concerning the impact of social media use on student learning and engagement. This paper describes our semester-long experimental study to determine if using Twitter – the microblogging and social networking platform most amenable to ongoing, public dialogue – for educationally relevant purposes can impact college student engagement and grades. A total of 125 students taking a first year seminar course for pre-health professional majors participated in this study (70 in the experimental group and 55 in the control group). With the experimental group, Twitter was used for various types of academic and co-curricular discussions. Engagement was quantified by using a 19-item scale based on the National Survey of Student Engagement. To assess differences in engagement and grades, we used mixed effects analysis of variance (ANOVA) models, with class sections nested within treatment groups. We also conducted content analyses of samples of Twitter exchanges. The ANOVA results showed that the experimental group had a significantly greater increase in engagement than the control group, as well as higher semester grade point averages. Analyses of Twitter communications showed that students and faculty were both highly engaged in the learning process in ways that transcended traditional classroom activities. This study provides experimental evidence that Twitter can be used as an educational tool to help engage students and to mobilize faculty into a more active and participatory role.

Why is science difficult to learn? Things are seldom what they seem

Abstract: The difficulties of learning science are related to the nature of science itself and to the methods by which science is customarily taught without regard to what is known about children's learning. An information processing model is proposed to guide thinking and research in this area.

Using mobile phones in English education in Japan

Abstract: We present three studies in mobile learning First, we polled 333 Japanese university students regarding their use of mobile devices One hundred percent reported owning a mobile phone Ninety-nine percent send e-mail on their mobile phones, exchanging some 200 e-mail messages each week Sixty-six percent e-mail peers about classes; 44% e-mail for studying In contrast, only 43% e-mail on PCs, exchanging an average of only two messages per week Only 20% had used a personal digital assistant Second, we e-mailed 100-word English vocabulary lessons at timed intervals to the mobile phones of 44 Japanese university students, hoping to promote regular study Compared with students urged to regularly study identical materials on paper or Web, students receiving mobile e-mail learned more (P<005) Seventy-one percent of the subjects preferred receiving these lessons on mobile phones rather than PCs Ninety-three percent felt this a valuable teaching method Third, we created a Web site explaining English idioms Student-produced animation shows each idiom's literal meaning; a video shows the idiomatic meaning Textual materials include an explanation, script, and quiz Thirty-one Japanese college sophomores evaluated the site using video-capable mobile phones, finding few technical difficulties, and rating highly its educational effectiveness

Technological pedagogical content knowledge – a review of the literature

Abstract: Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) has been introduced as a conceptual framework for the knowledge base teachers need to effectively teach with technology. The framework stems from the notion that technology integration in a specific educational context benefits from a careful alignment of content, pedagogy and the potential of technology, and that teachers who want to integrate technology in their teaching practice therefore need to be competent in all three domains. This study is a systematic literature review about TPACK of 55 peer-reviewed journal articles (and one book chapter), published between 2005 and 2011. The purpose of the review was to investigate the theoretical basis and the practical use of TPACK. Findings showed different understandings of TPACK and of technological knowledge. Implications of these different views impacted the way TPACK was measured. Notions about TPACK in subject domains were hardly found in the studies selected for this review. Teacher knowledge (TPACK) and beliefs about pedagogy and technology are intertwined. Both determine whether a teacher decides to teach with technology. Active involvement in (re)design and enactment of technology-enhanced lessons was found as a promising strategy for the development of TPACK in (student-)teachers. Future directions for research are discussed

Beyond the ‘digital natives’ debate: Towards a more nuanced understanding of students' technology experiences

Abstract: The idea of the ‘digital natives’, a generation of tech-savvy young people immersed in digital technologies for which current education systems cannot cater, has gained widespread popularity on the basis of claims rather than evidence. Recent research has shown flaws in the argument that there is an identifiable generation or even a single type of highly adept technology user. For educators, the diversity revealed by these studies provides valuable insights into students’ experiences of technology inside and outside formal education. While this body of work provides a preliminary understanding, it also highlights subtleties and complexities that require further investigation. It suggests, for example, that we must go beyond simple dichotomies evident in the digital natives debate to develop a more sophisticated understanding of our students’ experiences of technology. Using a review of recent research findings as a starting point, this paper identifies some key issues for educational researchers, offers new ways of conceptualizing key ideas using theoretical constructs from Castells, Bourdieu and Bernstein, and makes a case for how we need to develop the debate in order to advance our understanding.