Abstract needed

Στην παρούσα εργασία, στα πλαίσια της συζήτησης για την ένταξη των νέων τεχνολογιών στην εκπαίδευση, αναδεικνύουμε τα οφέλη από τη χρήση εκπαιδευτικών λογισμικών πακέτων στη διδασκαλία των μαθηματικών στα σχολεία. Γίνεται αναφορά στα Λογισμικά Δυναμικής Γεωμετρίας (Dynamic Geometry Software) και στα Υπολογιστικά Συστήματα Άλγεβρας (Computer Algebra Systems) και τονίζεται η χρηστικότητα του ελεύθερου λογισμικού Geogebra στη διδασκαλία του Απειροστικού Λογισμού. Επιχειρούμε, τέλος, να περιγράψουμε την πρόσθετη παιδαγωγική αξία που μπορεί να προκύψει κατά τη διδασκαλία των εννοιών της παραγώγου, της εφαπτομένης, του ορισμένου ολοκληρώματος και του Θεμελιώδους Θεωρήματος του Λογισμού με τη χρήση κατάλληλων εκπαιδευτικών λογισμικών. / This paper is refered at the incorporation of digital technology in education of mathematics and emphasized at the capability that digital technology provides for investigated learning. At this level there is a reference at Dynamic Geometry Software and at Computer Algebra Systems and emphasized the facility of the free software Geoebra in teaching of Calculus. In particular it’s investigated the additional pedagogic value that could arise during the teaching procedure of the derivative, the tangent, the definite integral and the Fundamental theorem of calculus by the use of suitable educational software.

Στόχος της εργασίας είναι να δείξει ότι ένα Σύστημα Σύγχρονης Λήψης και Απεικόνισης [ΣΣΛΑ] ή αλλιώς Microcomputer Based Laboratory [MBL] είναι ευνοϊκό για την μάθηση εννοιών των φυσικών επιστημών, μέσω δημιουργικής διερεύνησης και συνδυάζοντας τον πειραματισμό με αντικείμενα του πραγματικού κόσμου. Αυτό πραγματοποιείται με την παρατήρηση ενδείξεων, με τη λήψη μετρήσεων και με την καταγραφή των μεγεθών που εξελίσσονται, σε πραγματικό χρόνο στην οθόνη του υπολογιστή με τη χρήση αισθητήρων και κατάλληλου λογισμικού, προσφέροντας έτσι μια καλή σύνδεση μεταξύ των φαινομένων και πολλαπλών αναπαραστάσεων τους. / -

Στην εργασία αυτή προσπαθήσαμε να διερευνήσουμε τις μαθησιακές επιδράσεις κατάλληλα κατασκευασμένου λογισμικού με χώρο αναφοράς το Δυαδικό Σύστημα. Το λογισμικό κατασκευάστηκε σε HTML και για τις ασκήσεις χρησιμοποιήθηκε το λογισμικό ProProfs. Παράλληλα εξετάσαμε τις δυνατότητες που προσφέρουν σύγχρονα διαδικτυακά εργαλεία στη δημιουργία λογισμικού και ιδιαίτερα ασκήσεων συνδεδεμένων με ιστοσελίδες πληροφοριών. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι το λογισμικό βοήθησε το δείγμα των 31 μαθητών, που χρησιμοποιήθηκε στην έρευνα, να μάθουν καλύτερα τις έννοιες του περιεχομένου. Σε αυτό βοήθησαν διάφοροι παράγοντες, οι οποίοι αναλύονται στην εργασία. / In this study we tried to investigate the learning effects of a properly engineered software based on binary system. The software built into HTML and for the exercises ProProfs software was used. Furthermore, we examined the potential of modern online tools to create software and specially exercises linked to information pages. The results showed that the software helped the sample of 31 students that was used in the study, to learn better the concepts of the content. In this helped a number of factors that are analyzed in the study.

Στην παρούσα Διπλωματική Εργασία μελετώνται οι Θεωρίες Μάθησης συσχετιζόμενες με την ενσωμάτωση τους στο Εκπαιδευτικό Λογισμικό. Η διαπραγμάτευση των Θεωριών Μάθησης γίνεται σύμφωνα με την εξελικτική πορεία των διαφόρων θέσεων της Παιδαγωγικής Ψυχολογίας. Παρουσιάζονται οι κυριότερες Θεωρίες Μάθησης ως προς την αξιοποίησή τους στα εκπαιδευτικά προγράμματα, προσδιορίζονται τα χαρακτηριστικά τους και γίνεται προσπάθεια εξαγωγής κριτηρίων ώστε να κατηγοριοποιηθούν με βάση τη Θεωρία ή τις Θεωρίες που έχουν εφαρμοστεί κατά την ανάπτυξή τους. Κύριο ερευνητικό ερώτημα της εργασίας είναι το πώς οι Θεωρίες της Συμπεριφοράς, οι Γνωστικές Θεωρίες και οι Θεωρίες Οικοδόμησης της Γνώσης μπορούν να αξιοποιηθούν στην ανάπτυξη των Εκπαιδευτικού Λογισμικού. Επίσης, με βάση διακριτά κριτήρια να ανιχνευτούν οι Θεωρίες Μάθησης που είναι ενσωματωμένες στα κυριότερα εκπαιδευτικά προγράμματα, τα οποία προσφέρονται για χρήση από το ΥΠΔΒΜΘ και το Παιδαγωγικό Ινστιτούτο. Στην εργασία έγινε αρχικά μία προσπάθεια, με βάση την υπάρχουσα βιβλιογραφία, να δημιουργηθούν κριτήρια μέσα από τα οποία ανιχνεύεται η ενσωμάτωση των Θεωριών Μάθησης στο Εκπαιδευτικό Λογισμικό. Κατόπιν, πραγματοποιήθηκε μία κυρίως ποσοτική αλλά και ποιοτική έρευνα η οποία επιτρέπει στην ομάδα – στόχο, όπου στην παρούσα εργασία αποτελείται από εκπαιδευτικούς δευτεροβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης θετικών επιστημών, οι οποίοι επιμορφώνονται στο Β’ επίπεδο για την αξιοποίηση και εφαρμογή των ΤΠΕ στη διδακτική πράξη, να εκφράσουν τις απόψεις τους για τα υπό μελέτη εκπαιδευτικά προγράμματα, απαντώντας σε συγκεκριμένο μέσο συλλογής δεδομένων για την κατάταξή τους με βάση τη Θεωρία Μάθησης ή τις Θεωρίες Μάθησης που αξιοποιούν. Τα εκπαιδευτικά προγράμματα του ΥΠΔΒΜΘ - Παιδαγωγικού Ινστιτούτου τα οποία μελετήθηκαν ως προς τις Θεωρίες Μάθησης που αξιοποιούν, πραγματεύονται την ύλη των βασικών μαθημάτων Δευτεροβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης: των Μαθηματικών, της Φυσικής και της Χημείας. Η επιλογή τους βασίστηκε στο γεγονός ότι τα περισσότερα από αυτά αποτελούν το βασικό εκπαιδευτικό λογισμικό, που το Υπουργείο Παιδείας Δια Βίου Μάθησης και Θρησκευμάτων και το Παιδαγωγικό Ινστιτούτο προτείνει για χρήση στα σχολεία και τα οποία χρησιμοποιούνται στην Επιμόρφωση των Εκπαιδευτικών για την Αξιοποίηση και την Εφαρμογή των ΤΠΕ στην Διδακτική Πράξη (Β’ επίπεδο). Μέσα από την εργασία αυτή καταβλήθηκε προσπάθεια να δημιουργήσουμε λειτουργικά κριτήρια, δηλαδή εργαλεία, μέσα από τα οποία θα μπορεί να κατηγοριοποιηθεί το Εκπαιδευτικό Λογισμικό με βάση τις εμπεριεχόμενες Θεωρίες Μάθησης και αφετέρου να διαπιστωθεί το ποιες από τις Θεωρίες Μάθησης εμπεριέχονται στα υπό εξέταση Εκπαιδευτικά Λογισμικά. / In the present thesis Learning Theories are studied in relation to their integration to the Educational Software. Learning theories are viewed from the perspective of the evolution of the various theories of Pedagogical Psychology. The most prominent learning theories are presented according to their utilization in the educational programs, their characteristics are specified and criteria are extracted in order for them to be classified according to the Theory or Theories that have been used during their development. The main research topic of the thesis is how Behavioral Theories, Cognitive Theories, and Knowledge Construction Theories can be exploited in the development of Educational Software. Furthermore, based on precise criteria, an attempt is made to detect the learning theories which are integrated in the most important educational programs offered by the Department of Education and Skills and the Pedagogical Institute. In the present thesis an attempt was made, based on the existing bibliography, to create the criteria through which the integration of learning theories in the educational software is detected. Afterwards, a quantitative and qualitative research was carried out, which allows the target group, including secondary education Science teachers, who are on the second level of training, as far as the exploitation and application of Information and Communications Technology in the act of teaching is concerned, to express their opinion on the educational software under discussion by replying to a specific means of data collection in order for them to be classified on the basis of the learning theory or theories they adopt. The educational software of the Department of Education and Skills and the Pedagogical Institute, which was the object of study according to the Learning Theories they exploit, treats the syllabus of the basic Secondary Education courses: Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. Their choice was based on the fact that most of them constitute the basic educational software which the Department of Education and Skills and the Pedagogical Institute suggest to be used at school and which are utilized in the Teacher Training Course concerning the exploitation and application of Information and Communications Technology in the Act of Teaching (second level). This thesis was an effort to create the operational criteria, that is the tools, by means of which the educational software can be classified on the basis of the encapsulated Learning Theories and an effort, as well, to ascertain which ones of the Learning Theories are encapsulated in the Educational Software under review

A AplicaÃÃo do Software GeoGebra no ensino da Geometria Plana consiste em uma alternativa para o professor de MatemÃtica ou Ãreas afins, que deseja implementar em suas aulas, uma metodologia dinÃmica de ensino. O objetivo à levar aos alunos do ensino bÃsico, uma ferramenta tecnolÃgica contemporÃnea e educativa, que auxilia no ensino de Geometria Plana, fomentando os alunos na retiradas de possÃveis dÃvidas quanto visualizar desenhos geomÃtricos, acompanhado de sua Ãlgebra relacionada. Todo o trabalho, foi desenvolvido principalmente com o auxilio do software GeoGebra (versÃo 4.2.30) e do livro MatemÃtica Elementar (vol. 9 - 1999, de Osvaldo Dolce e Josà Nicolau Pompeo), e em geral, tem caracterÃsticas de aÃÃo, ou seja, busca novos mÃtodos de ensino e aprendizagem a serem implementados no ensino bÃsico, com o propÃsito de melhorar o nÃvel de aprendizagem dos alunos. / The Application Software GeoGebra in teaching plane geometry consists of an alternative to the teacher of Mathematics or related fields who wish to implement in their classes, dynamic methodology of teaching. The goal is to bring basic education students a contemporary technological and educational tool that assists in teaching plane geometry, encouraging students withdrawn in view of possible doubt as geometric designs, accompanied by his algebra related. All work was mainly developed with the help of GeoGebra software (version 4.2.30) and the book Elementary Mathematics (vol. 9-1999, Osvaldo Dolce and Joseph Nicholas Pompeo), and generally have characteristics of action, or is, seeking new methods of teaching and learning to be implemented in basic education, in order to improve the level of student learning.

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) can provide individualized instruction in problem-solving skills, a kind of instruction that until recently only humans could perform. While ITS have been an active area of research for nearly twenty-five years and researchers have convincingly demonstrated that ITS can instruct in various ways, few ITS are in actual use and their potential benefit to learners is unrealized. This research is predicated on the notion that ITS research has three closely related but distinct foci: artificial intelligence research in tutoring, instructional research in tutoring, and research on practical tutoring; and on the notion that investigation and evaluation in the latter two areas has been lacking. With respect to instructional research in tutoring, this work examines the extent to which conventional instructional design theory can usefully inform the design of intelligent tutors, the means of incorporating instructional methods into an intelligent tutor, and the range of instructional skills necessary in a practical intelligent tutor. It examines how ITSs push instructional design theory in the area of computational instructional design and presents a new instructional method: Focused Practice. Evaluation of tutoring skills focused on trainees' usage of the tutor and the resulting learning, and on measuring the extent to which the tutor was capable of individualizing instruction. With respect to research on practical tutoring, this work examines the extent to which it is feasible to simulate a work environment, represent the expertise of a non-formal domain, construct a large knowledge base, build a functional student model, supply a shell and authoring tools, incorporate a variety of instructional skills, instructional activities, and instructional materials into a cohesive tutoring package that integrates well into a training program; and gain support from the variety of stakeholders affected by the tutor. Evaluation of practicality focused on trainees' and instructors' affective responses toward the tutor, their perceptions of usability and instructional value; and on other stakeholders' (instructional designers, managers from research, production and training) perceptions of value.

Geographic Information System (GIS) technology is revolutionizing spatial data visualization, handling, manipulation and analysis in planning and related disciplines. The objective of this dissertation was to document the infiltration of GIS and other information technologies into planning schools; to clarify the difference between the GIS Revolution, and the Quantitative Revolution of the sixties; and to highlight and address the theoretical-technological disparities in planning school curricula. A comparison of the GIS Revolution with the Quantitative Revolution confirmed that unlike the large scale models and techniques that emerged in academia during the sixties, GIS technology is not an academic venture. It is a big business, with the software products of commercial vendors driving the teaching and research agendas at U.S. planning schools. The GIS profession has emerged, and there is a high demand for schools to turn out planners with relevant knowledge and experience. The soaring popularity of GIS courses and GIS specialties in planning schools was documented, and the implications of GIS technology for computer and human resources, and for the nature and style of instruction, assignments, studios, research projects, theses and dissertations, is discussed. It was noted that, despite the impact of GIS technology on course offerings, the planning pedagogic model has changed little. In particular, planning theory has remained a core course since its inception in the planning curriculum. A review of course outlines, course content and literature revealed that GIS and planning theory courses do not complement each other. In fact, academic criticism of GIS and related information technologies has further intensified with the barrage of post-positivist philosophies, advanced by many theorists. Given the importance of both types of courses, it was concluded that the theorist-technician dichotomy is counterproductive, and that viable methods of integration must be researched. The concept of links was introduced and exemplified to demonstrate the contexts within which planning theory topics can be integrated with GIS topics.

There is a need to solidify the common folklore understanding of what acceptable behaviors are for computer network users. The process of solidification should provide for the development of a paradigm that will be utilized in the formulation of computer use policy. Those who craft computer use policy should move away from the model of a network as a superhighway to a model of a network as a commonly shared resource. The current process for formulating and reviewing an Acceptable Use Policy--an AUP--has generally not evolved as quickly as the rapidly expanding user base and changing demographics. Given the changes in user demographics on computer networks, there is a rapidly growing need to better understand the computer network and to create AUP's based upon questions of social interaction. Such questions might attempt to address the issues of cooperation and sharing of resources. For example, faced with the temptation to behave selfishly--to overuse the resources, how can a group of people (through its AUP) establish and maintain cooperative behavior? To begin the process of answering such questions, this dissertation suggests focusing on the question: "How do privacy aspects of the First and Fourth Amendments impact the formulation of Acceptable Use Policy for an on-line computer network?" This dissertation suggests that privacy is a foundational concept in developing an understanding of the nature of the social activities which are growing in cyberspace. This dissertation also chronicles the transition from informal gentleman's agreement AUP's toward more formalized ones. The research in this dissertation was accomplished by accessing a number of legal resources such as Lexis/Nexis, Westlaw, Web sites on the Internet, a law library, and several Mailing Lists involved in discussions of online legal issues. Other sources, such as government documents, existing and out of date Acceptable Use Policies, and legislative testimony, were reviewed. Personal communication with a number of eminent legal scholars also provided a valuable resource. This dissertation concludes that an Acceptable Use Policy should be in place to govern use of computer networks. The Acceptable Use Policy should become much more of a social contract in the manner of many campus faculty and student handbooks, and, even in the manner that the U.S. Constitution is a social contract for the U.S. population. AUP's should be locally developed by those who have a foundational understanding of: (1) legal principles of privacy, search and seizure, and due process, and, (2) management theory involving the use of commonly shared resources.

In this dissertation I will depend on Likert-scale questionnaires, open-ended interviews and my observation journals to investigate the effectiveness of semi-interactive video (as opposed to (semi)-communicative methods) as a teaching tool in second/foreign language acquisition/learning. The participants in this study will comprise of an experimental group (traditional and non-traditional college students) whose attitudes will be measured by means of Likert-scale questionnaires, once at the beginning (before they undergo (semi)-communicative methods of teaching), once after they undergo the above method, and once at the end of undergoing teaching methods based entirely on the use of semi-interactive video In order to have a more accurate picture of the participants' attitudes and opinions regarding the above pedagogical methods, and to cover any missing and/or misinterpreted information, the learners will be also interviewed at the end of the research project. In addition, observational journals will be kept to maximize precision. In order to account for any outside (i.e., out of classroom) variables affecting the project, research will be also conducted on a control group, i.e., a comparable group residing (working or staying home) in the U.S. but not undergoing any language training. This group will be asked to fill out questionnaires once at the beginning of the project, once two months later, and finally four months later. Just as with the experimental group, the control group will be interviewed at the end of the project in order to cover any missing information and/or for data confirmation purposes. My hope is that the results of this scientific endeavor would shed light on the following: (1) the usefulness (or lack thereof) of the interactive video in language pedagogy, (2) the application of communicative theories of second language acquisition, and theories of situated learning to semi-interactive video software design, and (3) the effectiveness of the semi-interactive video as opposed to other (semi)-interactive methods in second/foreign language education.