[publication] A Pedagogical Framework for Mixed Reality in Classrooms based on a Literature Review #VR #AR #tugraz #research

Our publication about „A Pedagogical Framework for Mixed Reality in Classrooms based on a Literature Review“ at this year ED-Media conference in Amsterdam is online available:

Virtual reality devices are not an invention of the previous years. In fact, those are applicable since the 60s and therefore many scholars have elaborated in the potential of virtual reality as a learning platform. There are many diverse ways to integrate these techniques into the classroom. Affordable devices in combination with concepts like making legitimate the usage for learning. Pedagogical motivation factors like collaborations and gamification amply justify the usage of modern VR technologies as a learning platform. A variety of application have been used already in classrooms but in higher education, there is a need to catch up. Those examples have been divided by the way they make use of virtual systems and how they provide supervision. This literature review describes the functional classification of virtual reality, how it typically applies to learning and how it represents the key features for a didactically valuable usage. As a result of the literature research, a framework for the use of mixed reality in education has been developed allowing to spot new capabilities for the implementation of future VR or AR applications. This paper will also clarify the proper direction of development and the potential impact on future educational domains.

[Draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Kommetter, C. & Ebner, M. (2019). A Pedagogical Framework for Mixed Reality in Classrooms based on a Literature Review. In J. Theo Bastiaens (Ed.), Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning (pp. 901-911). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)

[publication] Automatic Authentication of Students at an Interactive Learning-Video Platform #tugraz #edil19 #edmedia19 #research

Our publication about “Automatic Authentication of Students at an Interactive Learning-Video Platform” at this year ED-Media conference in Amsterdam is online available:

There are many reasons for the implementation of authentication on learning platforms. For instance, it is required for the teachers to identify individual students if the learning platform offers some kind of assessment. In addition, authentication is the base for a successful monitoring of the attendance of the students. Compulsory attendance is often applied because many positive effects have been reported by authors of several studies. To monitor the attendance at online videos interactive components can be applied. Another benefit of such interactive components is that they help retain the attention of the students. This study was carried out to examine how the students used a video learning platform which provides interactive components of the videos as part of a course offered at Graz University of Technology. Up until now, a major drawback of this platform has been that the students have been required to register manually on the platform. Now, students are able to use the platform without manual registration and authentication, because these steps happen automatically via the main learning platform that provides all of the course materials. Furthermore, the course design and the application of the interactive components, presenting multiple-choice questions, are evaluated. It is pointed out that the concept improves the performance of the students and equips the teacher with valuable feedback regarding the students’ interests.

[draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Wachtler, J., Scherz, M. & Ebner, M. (2019). Automatic Authentication of Students at an Interactive Learning-Video Platform. In J. Theo Bastiaens (Ed.), Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning (pp. 569-582). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)

[publication] Introducing Electrical Engineering to Children with an Open Workshop Station at a Maker Days for Kids Event #tugraz #research #makereducation

Our publication about “Introducing Electrical Engineering to Children with an Open Workshop Station at a Maker Days for Kids Event” at this year ED-Media conference in Amsterdam is online available:

The world is changing through the Digitalization trend such as Industry 4.0 where manufacturing transforms from quantity production to individual production. For enabling this transition, we need more skilled professionals in STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) related fields. For this reason, in the last years special STEAM projects have been introduced inside and outside the school environment to attract more children to these fields. One of them is the Maker-Days-for-Kids-concept where a temporary Maker Space is created based on open workshops. In this publication, we introduce a novel electrical engineering station concept for a temporary Maker Space for children. The station will contain basic and advanced workshops to introduce typical tools and methodologies of the electrical engineering domain. Furthermore, we also offer statistics about the station at the event, challenges the attendees had to struggle with as well as the lessons we learned during the event. The evaluation will be used to improve the current workshop concept for future events to increase the interests in electrical engineering.

[draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Strasser, A., Grandl, M. & Ebner, M. (2019). Introducing Electrical Engineering to Children with an Open Workshop Station at a Maker Days for Kids Event. In J. Theo Bastiaens (Ed.), Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning (pp. 790-799). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)

[presentation] A Pedagogical Framework for Mixed Reality in Classrooms based on a Literature Review #edil19 #edmedia19 #tugraz #research

Our second presentation at this year ED-Media 2019 conference in Amsterdam is about research work in Virtual Reality for education. This time we present a framework how we can cluster Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality scenarios for education. Find the slides here:

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[presentation] Business models for Open Educational Resources: how to exploit OER after a funded project? #edil19 #edmedia19 #tugraz #OER

DOIT is not only working on social innovation in makerspaces – the project also tries to spread the ideas and materials in a sustainable way. DOIT’s considerations include how the partner might use the open educational resources that are developed after the project. Guntram Geser and Sandra Schön (both Salzburg Research), together with me, – DOIT advisor – wrote a contribution on “Business models for Open Educational Resources: how to exploit OER after a funded project?“. I am going to present the paper at the EdMedia conference in Amsterdam today.

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And of course we are proud to share or business cards with all of you. If you want to think and co-create potential business models for your OER projects and future exploitation, use these as inspiration. You can e.g. decide which 3 cards fits best and then build your business model or you can force you to adapt business models which were selected by chance for your own case. Sounds weird, but the best ideas are not always developed in straight ways. Enjoy!

OER_BM_cards

[edmedia] Special Interest Group Emerging Technologies for Learning and Teaching #research

I am very happy to be again responsible for the Special Interest Group (SIG) about “Emerging Technologies for Learning and Teaching” at next year ED-Media Conference in Amsterdam. I also changed the program a little bit, from just a discussing part to a more interactive one. Our main goal will be to establish guided tours for those who are interested in emerging technologies.

Procedure of the SIG

  • June 2019: Scanning of research work within the conference program which might be from interest for SIG participants
  • June 25th: SIG meeting at the conference where SIG chair will introduce to those works and provide a possible conference guide to those presentations. Discussion about the chosen research work
  • Conference 2019: SIG participants will participate the suggested presentations and vote for them online from the perspective of an innovative and emerging technologies.

Anyway, I would love to see you in Amsterdam 🙂

[publication] Should You Go for Smartphones at School? How the Use of Modern Media in Class Influences IT-Competences #netgeneration #tugraz #digitalnatives

At this year Ed-Media conference in Amsterdam we published our research work about “Should You Go for Smartphones at School? How the Use of Modern Media in Class Influences IT-Competences”.

Abstract:

Since 2007, Graz University of Technology has been conducting an annual poll amongst its first-year students about their IT preferences and competence. On the basis of more than 8600 data records, this long-term survey reports the changes regarding students´ITstudents´IT device ownership, communicative behavior via IT devices, and use of apps as well as social media services over a time period of eleven years. Furthermore, this publication answers the question, whether the use of emerging technologies in classroom has an influence on these changes or not. It can be stated that an “IT-friendly” environment (most of all internet access) and teaching at secondary school level significantly promotes IT and coding skills but does not intensify the use of social media applications.

[Draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Nagler, W., Grandl, M., Haas, M., Schön, M. & Ebner, M. (2018). Should You Go for Smartphones at School? How the Use of Modern Media in Class Influences IT-Competences. In Proceedings of EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology (pp. 735-743). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)

[publication] From Refugee to Programmer? An Action-Based Learning Approach for Teaching Coding to Refugees #research #CodingForAll

At this year Ed-Media conference in Amsterdam we published our research work about “From Refugee to Programmer? An Action-Based Learning Approach for Teaching Coding to Refugees”.

Abstract:

Teaching coding is currently gaining momentum in classrooms and informal learning spaces (coding fairs, labs, challenges, etc.) all over the world. In Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, a number of organizations offering coding courses for refugees (e.g. Refugees on Rails, HackYourFuture, CodeYourFuture) have been created as a reaction to the “refugee crisis“ in 2015-16. Such civic initiatives are aiming far beyond simply creating a new generation of programmers in response to integration and the lack of software developers in the job market. They show great potential in terms of providing rapid, innovative, and adaptive kinds of educational support. Their work is done by rapid and iterative testing of ideas in a way that traditional education institutions are not able to, possibly because of factors such as regulations, internal processes or mere traditions. To evaluate the impact of such approaches for the educational sector, and to develop courses appropriate for the needs of heterogeneous and culturally diverse groups, the authors report on two programming courses for refugees based on an empirical technique called “action research” and seek to offer practical advice for the implementation of courses for cultural diverse groups in the educational system. This study was conducted at “refugees{code}”, an Austrian coding school for refugees.

[Draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Wolf, D. & Ebner, M. (2018). From Refugee to Programmer? An Action-Based Learning Approach for Teaching Coding to Refugees. In Proceedings of EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology (pp. 2042-2056). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)

[publication] Increasing Learning Efficiency and Quality of Students´ Homework by Attendance Monitoring and Polls at Interactive Learning Videos #video #videoanalyses #tugraz #research

At this year Ed-Media conference in Amsterdam we published our research work about “Increasing Learning Efficiency and Quality of Students´ Homework by Attendance Monitoring and Polls at Interactive Learning Videosn”.

Abstract:

Due to the fact that students are confronted with a growing amount of texts, colours, figures and shapes and due to their ability to process only a limited number of such information simultaneously, it seems to be obvious that efforts should be made to increase the students’ attention-levels. This is important because research results have indicated that selective attention is considered as the most valuable resource in the process of human learning. The application of interaction and communication to the process of learning is a useful strategy to direct the students’ attention. It seems to be obvious that this is also true for learning videos. Therefore, this work contains a description of how a video platform with interactive components can be used to support the students and teacher. The video platform is explained and evaluated by analysing its usage in a large teaching course at an institution of higher education. The application of this strategy improved the students’ performance and optimized the teacher’s workload.

[Draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Wachtler, J., Scherz, M. & Ebner, M. (2018). Increasing Learning Efficiency and Quality of Students´ Homework by Attendance Monitoring and Polls at Interactive Learning Videos. In Proceedings of EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology (pp. 1337-1347). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)