Este doutorado investigou as contribuições dos jogos digitais no desenvolvimento de conhecimentos matemáticos previstos nas competências curriculares em uma escola estadual de tempo integral, situada em Cotia - São Paulo. As análises realizadas foram fundamentadas a partir das categorias estudadas pelo psicólogo e educador Reuven Feuerstein quanto às mudanças na estrutura cognitiva (EAM) de alunos do Ensino Fundamental II. Esta investigação foi desenvolvida com 60 alunos e três professoras de Matemática em Oficinas Curriculares denominadas Experiências Matemáticas. Em sua trajetória metodológica contou com a participação da equipe gestora, professores de Matemática, alunos do Ensino Fundamental II e Grupo Alpha de Pesquisa - FEUSP durante dois anos. A investigação, de natureza qualitativa, caracterizou-se como pesquisa-ação e contou com a imersão total do pesquisador no campo amostral. Foram adotados técnicas e procedimento de pesquisa triangulados como a observação participante, entrevistas semiestruturadas, entrevistas informais, grupos focais, gravação de áudio e vídeos, fotos, diários de campo, atividades com os jogos digitais, um ambiente virtual (Moodle) e a combinação de duas redes sociais, FaceBook e WhatsApp. Os resultados apontaram que: i) o contexto escolar representa espaço privilegiado de sistematização e compreensão do complexo registro notacional da Matemática com a mediação dos jogos digitais; ii) o ensino da Matemática por meio de jogos digitais conferem sentido e significado às aprendizagens dos alunos; iii) os jogos digitais conferem ao desenvolvimento de competências e habilidades cognitivas com flexibilidade, autonomia, transcendência e construção de significados que são alguns critérios de mediação apontados por Feuerstein; iv) os jogos digitais favorecem a compreensão de conteúdos matemáticos de forma colaborativa e lúdica; v) os professores de Matemática necessitam de formação permanente que possa ampliar as transformações pedagógicas inovadoras de novos modos de aprender e de ensinar; vi) as abordagens pedagógicas podem se beneficiar de perspectivas contemporâneas como mobile-learning, Flipped-classroom e Bring Your Own Device como formas de reduzir os desafios e dificuldades das escolas públicas (políticas educacionais, infraestrutura, formação docente). / This thesis investigated the contributions of digital games in the development of mathematical knowledge foreseen in curricular competencies in a full-time state school located in Cotia - São Paulo. The analysis was based on the categories studied by the psychologist and educator Reuven Feuerstein regarding the Structural Cognitive Modifiability (SCM) of K-12 school. This research was developed with 60 students and three teachers of Mathematics in Curricular Workshops denominated Mathematical Experiences. The methodological approach has included with the participation of the management team, teachers of Mathematics, K-12 and Alpha Research Group of FE-USP for two years. The research approach was qualitative using action research in which the researcher was totally immersed in the field. Procedures and techniques were adopted in order to ensure triangulation with the observation of participants, semi-structured interviews, formal interviews, focus groups, recording of audio and video, photos, field diaries, digital games activities, a virtual learning environment (Moodle) and the combination of two social networks: FaceBook and WhatsApp. The results indicated that: i) the school context represented a privileged space for systematization and comprehension of the complex Notational register of Mathematics with the mediation of digital games; ii) teaching of mathematics through digital games resulting in a meaningful learning process to students; iii) Digital games enabled the development of cognitive skills and abilities with flexibility, autonomy, transcendence, and meaning, which are some mediation criteria pointed out by Feuerstein; iv) digital games facilitated the understanding of mathematical content in a collaborative and playful way; v) Teachers needed ongoing training that can enhance the innovative pedagogical transformations of new ways of learning and teaching; vi) Teaching approaches can benefit from contemporary perspectives such as mobile-learning, Flipped-classroom and Bring Your Own Device, the ways of reducing the challenges and difficulties of public schools(educational policies, infrastructure, and teacher training).

Learning analytics focuses on using existing accumulated learning data through analysis related techniques to provide appropriate information to learners and facilitating learners to adjust their learning strategies (personalization and adaptation) in improving learning effectiveness. Through learning analytics, activities of teaching, learning, and management processes will be significantly changed. Although learning analytics has been considered one of the six critical trends (ebook, mobile learning, augmented reality, game-based learning, natural user interface, and learning analytics) of high education in the near future, there are only few studies focusing on exploring learning analytics related issues. To address this void, this thesis aims for analyzing and designing a personalized mobile learning analytics system that is a mobile application prototyping system developed by incorporating concepts of learning analytics and mobile learning. User requirements of the prototyping system are collected by database analysis (LMS platform), focus groups (users of mobile learning), and expert interviews (experts and practitioners in e-learning domain). Those collected requirements have been translated into system functionalities and then they have been appropriately implemented through adequate system development tools. Finally, the implemented prototyping system has been tested and validated by experts and practitioners in e-learning domain. Therefore, this study has significant contributions on conducting an in-depth system analysis and design relating to mobile learning with learning analytics and validating the feasibility of learning analytics by the prototyping approach. We suggest that academics and practitioners can conduct more in-depth research on investigating learning analytics related issues based on the findings of this study.

Este doutorado investigou as contribuições dos jogos digitais no desenvolvimento de conhecimentos matemáticos previstos nas competências curriculares em uma escola estadual de tempo integral, situada em Cotia - São Paulo. As análises realizadas foram fundamentadas a partir das categorias estudadas pelo psicólogo e educador Reuven Feuerstein quanto às mudanças na estrutura cognitiva (EAM) de alunos do Ensino Fundamental II. Esta investigação foi desenvolvida com 60 alunos e três professoras de Matemática em Oficinas Curriculares denominadas Experiências Matemáticas. Em sua trajetória metodológica contou com a participação da equipe gestora, professores de Matemática, alunos do Ensino Fundamental II e Grupo Alpha de Pesquisa - FEUSP durante dois anos. A investigação, de natureza qualitativa, caracterizou-se como pesquisa-ação e contou com a imersão total do pesquisador no campo amostral. Foram adotados técnicas e procedimento de pesquisa triangulados como a observação participante, entrevistas semiestruturadas, entrevistas informais, grupos focais, gravação de áudio e vídeos, fotos, diários de campo, atividades com os jogos digitais, um ambiente virtual (Moodle) e a combinação de duas redes sociais, FaceBook e WhatsApp. Os resultados apontaram que: i) o contexto escolar representa espaço privilegiado de sistematização e compreensão do complexo registro notacional da Matemática com a mediação dos jogos digitais; ii) o ensino da Matemática por meio de jogos digitais conferem sentido e significado às aprendizagens dos alunos; iii) os jogos digitais conferem ao desenvolvimento de competências e habilidades cognitivas com flexibilidade, autonomia, transcendência e construção de significados que são alguns critérios de mediação apontados por Feuerstein; iv) os jogos digitais favorecem a compreensão de conteúdos matemáticos de forma colaborativa e lúdica; v) os professores de Matemática necessitam de formação permanente que possa ampliar as transformações pedagógicas inovadoras de novos modos de aprender e de ensinar; vi) as abordagens pedagógicas podem se beneficiar de perspectivas contemporâneas como mobile-learning, Flipped-classroom e Bring Your Own Device como formas de reduzir os desafios e dificuldades das escolas públicas (políticas educacionais, infraestrutura, formação docente). / This thesis investigated the contributions of digital games in the development of mathematical knowledge foreseen in curricular competencies in a full-time state school located in Cotia - São Paulo. The analysis was based on the categories studied by the psychologist and educator Reuven Feuerstein regarding the Structural Cognitive Modifiability (SCM) of K-12 school. This research was developed with 60 students and three teachers of Mathematics in Curricular Workshops denominated Mathematical Experiences. The methodological approach has included with the participation of the management team, teachers of Mathematics, K-12 and Alpha Research Group of FE-USP for two years. The research approach was qualitative using action research in which the researcher was totally immersed in the field. Procedures and techniques were adopted in order to ensure triangulation with the observation of participants, semi-structured interviews, formal interviews, focus groups, recording of audio and video, photos, field diaries, digital games activities, a virtual learning environment (Moodle) and the combination of two social networks: FaceBook and WhatsApp. The results indicated that: i) the school context represented a privileged space for systematization and comprehension of the complex Notational register of Mathematics with the mediation of digital games; ii) teaching of mathematics through digital games resulting in a meaningful learning process to students; iii) Digital games enabled the development of cognitive skills and abilities with flexibility, autonomy, transcendence, and meaning, which are some mediation criteria pointed out by Feuerstein; iv) digital games facilitated the understanding of mathematical content in a collaborative and playful way; v) Teachers needed ongoing training that can enhance the innovative pedagogical transformations of new ways of learning and teaching; vi) Teaching approaches can benefit from contemporary perspectives such as mobile-learning, Flipped-classroom and Bring Your Own Device, the ways of reducing the challenges and difficulties of public schools(educational policies, infrastructure, and teacher training).

Mobile technologies now afford unprecedented opportunities, resources, and possibilities for learning. Among them, is the opportunity for students to engage in hands-on, out-of-classroom learning activities such as Adventure Learning. Since 2007, Adventure Learning has developed as an educational framework for using information and communication technologies to connect learners with expeditionary teams where video-based communication provides a sense of adventure for learners. The study was conducted in a public high school where an Environmental Science teacher used mobile learning technologies to create Adventure Learning projects where students participated both fin the classroom and as members of an “expeditionary team.” It was also intended to examine both the benefits and challenges in implementing ubiquitous mobile technologies in the field, combined with the use of student-centered pedagogies in their classrooms. The major questions of the study asked how did a teacher leverage mobilized Adventure Learning to design learning activities? And how did active participation in a mobilized Adventure Learning project affect student interest in the subject of Environmental Science? The study involved examining the ways the teacher leveraged the affordances of mobile technologies to create a hands-on, collaborative, and Adventure Learning environments outside of the classroom. The hands-on learning activities were designed to enable students to gather first-hand information related to environmental science. Subjects in the study included a high school Environmental Science teacher along with 104 participating students. Using a mixed methods approach, qualitative data were gathered through observations of learning activities, interviews and focus groups and artifacts. Quantitative data were gathered through surveys administered to the students before and after the treatment. The results indicated that, contrary to the teacher’s expectations, students indicated a preference for learning through book and lecture rather than hands-on discovery of information in both pre and post treatment surveys. Results of the study also demonstrated differences in learning preference relating to percentage of students participating in field-based, hands-on learning activities or in lecture-book classroom learning activities. Recommendations for future research and for educational practice are offered. Limitations of the study include the small sample size and short time duration of the study. / text

In this thesis I address challenges related to the design, development anddeployment of web and mobile technologies used to support CollaborativeSeamless Learning (CSL) activities practiced across a variety of learningcontexts. The scientific publications at the core of this thesis offer adescription of the research I have performed over the last five years, andcomprise studies involving several hundred users.My research efforts included the elicitations of the requirements for and thedesign of a number of web and mobile tools to support collaborative seamlesslearning activities. A web-based environment called CeLS was developed tosupport the orchestration of CSL activities. It was then expanded to integratemobile solutions, aimed to extend the ability of CeLS to support educationalinteractions performed inside as well as outside physical classroom. Thesemobile solutions were designed to implement learning activities that supportdata collection, personal response systems and interaction with mobile videos.The main aim of the research was to investigate how best to design tools andsystems to support students during the enactment of collaborative seamlesslearning activities, and to provide teachers with artifacts to design and assessthose. Special emphasis has been given to the exploration of approaches thatenhance the flow, reusability and sharing of learner-generated content acrossdifferent learning activities. Several studies were conducted in order to validateand assess these ideas and concepts. Various data collection methods wereused to gather data from different stakeholders during the deployment of thedifferent CSL activities. The outcomes were processed and analyzed resultingin a set of recommendations concerning the design, development anddeployment of web and mobile applications to support collaborative seamlesslearning. A software architecture including various web and mobile integratedcomponents used to support innovative CSL activities is also proposed.

Technology acceptance in education has been and continues to be a central concern for researchers, application and platform developers, and educators. Rapid advancements in miniaturization along with the availability of fast, reliable, and affordable networks have sparked an increasing demand by students for better ways to complement their mobile lifestyles in support of their learning. Based on a review of the literature of technology acceptance and trends in mobile device usage in learning, this researcher tested the predictive power of the Mobile Learning Acceptance Model (MLAM) in an online higher education setting. MLAM is an extension of the technology acceptance model (TAM) inasmuch as it seeks to obtain user perceptions of usefulness and ease of use and their effect on user attitude and behavioral intention to use mobile devices for learning. For this research, users included students and faculty. Current literature indicates that student desire for access to a variety of learning resources anywhere anytime is growing yet little is known regarding faculty perceptions regarding mobile learning (m-learning) or on how institutions can position themselves to meet the growing demand. A web-based survey design was used to test MLAM using a previously developed and validated instrument, though updated to include and exclude what is now or no longer applicable and the wording modified to ensure relevancy to the target population studied. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to validate the factor structure. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine which factors had the greatest influence on m-learning acceptance. Group analyses revealed significant differences among faculty and students between age groups, mobile device experience levels, and desired academic uses of mobile devices. The results of this study enables administrators to make informed decisions regarding information technology (IT) investments, allocate scarce resources strategically, and implement appropriate technical support systems. Findings from this investigation may also be of interest to instructional designers, m-learning application developers, and mobile device manufacturers who will gain a better understanding of how to develop m-learning solutions that are both useful and easy to use.

<p> </p><p>An era of vast digital advancements has given way to emerging technologies capable of transforming the educational experience. Personal learning technologies are increasingly pervasive and becoming more central to human interaction. Among university students, these devices often include mobile phones and tablets. The ubiquity of these technologies among college students has caused researchers to study their effective use in the higher education environment. The upcoming field of mobile learning recognizes mobile devices as tools capable of putting students at the center of learning. Currently, a large body of mobile learning literature highlights how students perceive the adoption of mobile devices in their college courses. Factors such as student skill level, attitude, and practicality have been identified as critical elements to adoption. As a result, multiple studies suggest that students be trained in a way that impacts these factors. Yet, literature is silent on how this can be successfully done. The following research articles experiment with how training students impacts their skills and attitudes toward mobile learning. It also proposes how mobile learning can be used in a practical manner to improve a present issue, namely students’ lack of global competence.</p> <p> </p>

This thesis investigates whether the use of hand-held technology affects motivation and learning in science. An innovative mixed methods approach was used to provide new insights into an emerging area of research. First, two pilot observational studies were conducted, which aimed to establish how a school currently uses hand held dataloggers, and gain further insight into how learners respond to this technology. This was followed by a primarily quantitative experiment that was concerned with the role of data ownership and the impact of ‘seams’ on the transformation process of the collected data. The results indicated that a hands-on experience increased confidence among students in explaining their own data, as opposed to data collected by someone else. A third study was designed to compare how student motivation and learning were affected when carrying out the same inquiry task either with or without the support of dataloggers. The results revealed no difference in accuracy or motivation for learning. The final, fourth, study was a longitudinal study designed in collaboration with a secondary science teacher, comparing three conditions: the inclusion of cameras to support student reflection, the inclusion of both cameras and the use of dataloggers to support teaching, and a control condition where the lessons were not changed. This study found that inclusion of dataloggers into modules led to increased assessment scores, while the use of cameras indicated that students are adept at taking relevant photos, and did not suffer from an extensive novelty effect. The results highlighted the importance of using a range of methods and tools for teaching students. The thesis concludes with recommendations and future research ideas, including exploring how data is visualised and the role of physical context. Of key importance is that future work is conducted in collaboration with educators in the wild.

This review of the literature is third in a series of investigations into educational technology curriculum integration for the Tucson, Arizona office of the International Rescue Committee (IRC). It is a broad investigation into the theory, methods and delivery of supportive instructional materials to refugees via mobile learning. It examines current international program methods that will aid in design of U.S. mLearning programs to support the IRC’s mandated goal of promoting self-sufficiency for resettled refugees.

FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / A computaÃÃo mÃvel tem se destacado na Ãrea educacional como uma tecnologia inovadora. O termo Mobile Learning ou m-Learning tem sido empregado para tratar da utilizaÃÃo de dispositivos de comunicaÃÃo sem fio, de forma transparente e com alto grau de mobilidade, como parte de um modelo de aprendizado integrado. EducaÃÃo pode ser vista como um processo de exploraÃÃo, descoberta e construÃÃo de conhecimento, atravÃs de ambientes tridimensionais. Quando sÃo projetadas aplicaÃÃes educacionais para dispositivos mÃveis com recursos tridimensionais, uma sÃrie de questÃes desafiadoras emergem: Como produzir um cenÃrio 3D motivador, juntamente com imagens e informaÃÃes nas reduzidas telas dos telefones celulares? Como possibilitar formas de interaÃÃo eficientes? Como contornar a limitaÃÃo de memÃria e processamento dos dispositivos mÃveis? Nesta dissertaÃÃo, Ã apresentado um framework para construÃÃo de aplicaÃÃes educacionais em dispositivos mÃveis com recursos de realidade virtual: o VirTraM. Este framework facilita o desenvolvimento de aplicaÃÃes, ao permitir que o programador trabalhe com menos elementos e abstraia-se dos detalhes de implementaÃÃo para concentrar-se nos aspectos relacionados ao treinamento. Para a validaÃÃo do VirTraM, foram desenvolvidos dois estudos de caso que demonstram caracterÃsticas como interatividade, usabilidade e portabilidade, alÃm de possibilitar uma experimentaÃÃo da integraÃÃo das tecnologias de computaÃÃo mÃvel e realidade virtual. Uma aplicaÃÃo, construÃda a partir do VirTraM, fornece ao usuÃrio uma ferramenta inovadora e interativa para auxiliÃ-lo com informaÃÃes complementares no momento e no local em que ele precisar. Dentre os benefÃcios das aplicaÃÃes baseadas no VirTraM destacam-se: apoiar e motivar o aprendizado; melhorar a compreensÃo sobre determinados objetos; permitir a simulaÃÃo e a anÃlise de experiÃncias em campo; possibilitar a demonstraÃÃo do funcionamento de equipamentos; e fornecer meios para o desenvolvimento de mÃtodos inovadores de ensino e de treinamento. / Mobile computing has emerged as an innovative technology for education. For example, a new terminology, called Mobile Learning or m-Learning, has been introduced to designate the use, in a transparent way and with a high mobility degree, of devices with wireless communication, as part of a model of integrated learning, On the other hand, education can be also seen as a process of exploration, discovery and construction of knowledge, using three-dimensional environments. However, different challenges are faced when designing educational applications for mobile devices with three-dimensional resources, such as: How to produce a 3D scenario together with images and information in the reduced screens of cellular phones? How to make possible efficient ways of interaction? How to overcome the limitation of memory and processing of the mobile devices? In this master's thesis, a framework for the development of educational applications with virtual reality resources in mobile devices is introduced, called VirTraM. This framework facilitates the development of such applications, allowing a programmer to work with little elements, abstracting the implementation details and emphasing the aspects concerning the training. For the validation of VirTraM, two case studies have been developed. These case studies demonstrate such characteristics as interaction, usability and portability, besides making possible the integration of mobile computing and virtual reality technologies. An application, constructed from VirTraM, offers to the user an innovative and interactive tool to help with complementary information at the moment and place where his necessary. Amongst the benefits of the applications based on VirTraM, the following are distinguished: to support and to motivate the learning; to improve the understanding on definitive objects; to allow the simulation and analysis of experiences in the field; to make possible the demonstration of the equipment execution; and to provide ways for the development of innovative methods of education and training.