The Squares Family is a game developed as a learning aid in mathematics. With its graphical representation of the decimal system, the four basic arithmetic operations and positive and negative numbers together with a learning agent as pedagogical approach, the game’s primary purpose is to motivate students in their learning of mathematics. Although the game is strictly based on mathematical rules it attempts to encourage students to play and work with math without experiencing it as mathematics as this is initially not obvious. The game being internationally tested on normal performing students, this project introduced the game to six Swedish students who experience low motivation for and/or difficulties in mathematics. The students from fifth up to seventh grade participated therefore in a three weeks’ study. The ultimate goal of this project is to make suggestions on the integration of the game in the students’ learning environment and on the adaptation of it to fit their needs. In order to be able to make such recommendations, following question was raised: How does the learning situation look like for students experiencing difficulties in mathematics? An attempt to understand the complexity of their learning situation was made through several tests in students’ attitude, self-efficacy and understanding of mathematics, through observations of their game playing, interview with their pedagogue and through a questionnaire on their attitude towards the game and their special education in mathematics and in their understanding of traditionally vs. graphically represented mathematical problems. Despite the time limited study it is obvious that the students’ difficulties in mathematics are not independent of other factors, as the majority of these students display a negative attitude, a low self-efficacy and a sensibility for disturbances and reactions from their social network. / Räkna med Rutiga Familjen är ett spel utvecklat som läromedel i matematik. Spelets huvudmål är att motivera elever i sitt lärande genom sin grafiska representation av decimalsystemet, de fyra räknesätten, positiva och negativa tal samt genom sin pedagogiska ansats av en lärande agent. För att motivera elever att spela och arbeta med matematik utan att initialt vara medveten om det, är matematiken i spelet trots sin matematiska grund, nedtonad. Spelet som testas internationellt mot normaltpresterande elever, introducerades i detta projekt till sex svenska elever med låg motivation för och/eller svårigheter i matematik. Eleverna som är från femte till sjunde klass deltog i denna undersökning under en tre veckors period. Projektets huvudmål är att föreslå rekommendationer för matematikspelets integration i undervisningen av elever med matematiksvårigheter och för anpassning av spelet till deras behov. Som utgångspunkt för framtagning av rekommendationerna ställdes följande fråga: Hur ser lärsituationen ut för elever som upplever svårigheter i matematik? I ett försök att förstå komplexiteten av elevernas lärsituation genomfördes flera tester i deras attityd, självvärdering och matematikförståelse, observationer av deras spelande, intervju med specialpedagogen samt enkät kring deras attityd gentemot spelet och specialundervisningen och kring deras förståelse för traditionellt vs grafiskt representerade matematikuppgifter. Trots studiens tidsbegränsning är det uppenbart att elevernas svårigheter i matematik hänger samman med andra faktorer, då majoriteten av eleverna uppvisar en negativ inställning, en låg självvärdering samt känslighet för störningar och reaktioner från sitt sociala nätverk.

The purpose of this paper was to analyse how the ISLE method and the TV-show theMythbusters correspond to one another, to the Swedish upper secondary physics curriculum andPopper’s philosophy about research methods.The study aims to respond to the following research questions: 1. How do the structures of the Mythbusters and ISLE relate to one another? 2. What are the possibilities and potential benefits and drawbacks of implementingISLE with a Mythbusters approach in physics education? 3. To what extent do the Mythbusters and ISLE approaches present natural sciencepractices that are in line with Popper’s view of the nature of science? The paper shows that the structures of the Mythbusters and ISLE approaches to teaching andproblem solving relate via their focus upon scientific methods. Both give, to some degree, thepeople that interact with them confidence and tools to be able to analyse events they observe.The analysis found some isolated parts of correspondence between the Mythbusters andPopper’s view of nature and science. ISLE, however, is pervaded by Popper’s ideas of scientificmethods, where the main assumption is that you cannot prove anything, you may only try tofalsify it and thereby give the hypothesis a higher corroboration.Even though the creator of ISLE motivates the reasoning of choosing the falsification andcorroboration as main ingredients in a way that differs from Popper’s arguments, its essence ofthe concepts is still there.If an instructor were to include the Mythbusters, with for example using myths that the showtreated as an hypothesis, when implementing ISLE in a physics education course, the coursewould correspond quite well will Karl Popper’s idea of falsification and corroboration. It is alsogiven an implication that the students perform better when the TV-show is used as tool to learnabout scientific methods. The inclusion of Mythbusters as a resource for learning can serve as abridge between popular culture, everyday phenomena and school physics, which can potentiallyhave a positive impact on student motivation.

Source criticism is an important part of the national curriculum in the history subject in middle grade schools. This master thesis presents the development of a digital learning activity for teaching students about source criticism concepts. The learning activity was developed by first researching the history curriculum and how source criticism is taught within the subject. A conceptual design was drafted based on these findings and the design of an existing framework for teaching students within the history subject. The existing framework, and the developed learning activity, is based on learning-by-teaching implemented in the form of a teachable agent. The teachable agent act as a tutee that students have to teach themselves, increasing students' motivation and learning. By teaching the agent, students improve their own learning. The final implementation of the activity is integrated into both the technical framework and the narrative of the existing environment.

This paper provides a report on the experimental collaborative and distributed development of a prototypic Widget-based PLE. The development process is described and detailed taking into account the requirements of a language learning scenario. First results are presented, and developer experiences are discussed critically with a focus on the development process as well as problems with current Widget technologies and interoperability.

Abstract This research thesis aimed to deepen understanding about the nature of technology and its possible correspondence to the constructivist notion of learning. Since technology education is a relatively new subject area in general education and still in an emerging phase in various countries, it provided some interesting opportunities to take into account the latest developments in educational psychology in relation to the development of teaching technology. Moreover, this thesis aimed at finding ways for technology education to provide possibilities to learning environments where the nature of technology could be integrated effectively into the current notion of children as active agents in their learning processes. The thesis was based on two Case Studies. Both of the Case Studies were carried out on the primary school level. The overall purpose of Case Study I was to consider automation technology and its teaching as a subject-matter area in developing technology education in Finland. In Case Study II the purpose was to explore the influences of socio-cultural interaction on children's thinking and actions in prescribed and open problem-solving situations while they were technologically creating a particular product which used sound for a chosen purpose. Case Study II also involved English schoolchildren. Teaching methods throughout the thesis were based on the assumption that constructivist-driven, open, and creative problem solving, as well as children-centered approaches, are especially suitable for technology education. This assumption arises from the notions that innovation and problem solving are important in technological processes and that technology has usually emerged as a response to human needs and wants. Consequently, design briefs were developed to provide open, children-centered problem solving based on the acute needs found in the children's own living environment. In both of the Case Studies multiple data collection procedures were applied. In Case Study I data were collected by means of group observations documented in videotaped recordings, written field notes and project files saved by the students. Moreover, In Case Study II data were collected in terms of photographs of the pupils' final outcomes, including pupils' design folders and product evaluations, the teacher's teaching notes, teacher's lesson evaluation notes, the researcher's field notes based on observations and a questionnaire. The methodological perspective in both of the Case Studies was qualitative in nature and grounded on inductive and interpretative data-based analysis. The analysis employed an open search for categories, concepts and patterns emerging from the data. The inductive interpretative analysis process enabled the results to be framed as empirical assertions. In addition to the assertions the results of Case Study I detailed content classifications of the substance in the focus were included as well. The assertions and the classifications were supported by evidentiary examples taken from the data. The supporting examples were interpreted from the viewpoint of the research problems. The results of the thesis suggested that in technology education it is important for children to be able to work and learn in a way that fosters open problem solving with innovation and divergent thinking. In technology education the design briefs and task allocations should be open enough to allow the children to explore their own living environment in order to find problems that need to be solved. Actually, in technology education, according to the nature of technology, there should not be right answers to the posed questions, but rather appropriate solutions to emerging problems. Moreover, teaching methods adjusted according to the nature of technology ensure naturally that the children are treated as active, intentional and goal-directed humans whose activities are driven by human volition. / Tiivistelmä Tämä tutkimus pyrki syventämään ymmärtämystä teknologian luonteesta ja sen mahdollisesta vastaavuudesta konstruktivistiseen oppimiskäsitykseen. Teknologiakasvatus on suhteellisen uusi ala yleissivistävässä koulutuksessa ja se on edelleen sukeutuvassa vaiheessa useissa maissa. Tällainen tilanne antoi mielenkiintoisia mahdollisuuksia ottaa huomioon viimeisimpiä oppimispsykologisia virtauksia suhteessa teknologian opetuksen kehittämiseen. Lisäksi tutkimus pyrki etsimään teknologiakasvatukselle mahdollisuuksia sellaisten oppimisympäristöjen luomiseen, joissa teknologian luonne voitaisiin tehokkaasti integroida nykyiseen käsitykseen lapsista oppimisprosessiensa aktiivisina tekijöinä. Tämä tutkimus perustui kahteen tapaustutkimukseen (Case Studies). Kummatkin tapaukset toteutettiin peruskoulun ala-asteella. Ensimmäiseen tapauksen (Case Study I) yleisenä tarkoituksena oli tarkastella automaatioteknologiaa ja sen opetusta sisältöalueena osana teknologiakasvatuksen kehittämispyrkimyksiä. Toisessa tapauksessa (Case Study II) tarkoituksena oli tutkia sosio-kulttuurillisen vuorovaikutuksen vaikutusta lasten ajatteluun ja toimintaan avoimissa ja suljetuissa ongelmanratkaisutilanteissa. Tässä tapauksessa lapset tekivät valittavaan tarkoitukseen ääntä tuottavia laitteita ja siihen osallistui myös englantilaisia koululaisia. Tutkimuksessa käytetyt opetusmetodit perustuivat oletukseen, että konstruktivismiin pohjautuvat, avointa ja luovaa ongelmanratkaisua sekä oppilaskeskeisyyttä korostavat lähestymistavat ovat erityisen soveliaita teknologiakasvatuksessa käytettäviksi. Tämä oletus nousee käsityksestä, jossa innovatiivisuus ja ongelmanratkaisu ovat tärkeitä teknologisille prosesseille ja että teknologia esiintyy vastauksena ihmisen tarpeisiin. Oppilaille annetut tehtävät määriteltiinkin sellaisiksi, että ne mahdollistivat avoimen, oppilaskeskeisen ongelmanratkaisun perustuen lasten omasta elinpiiristään esiin nousevien tarpeiden tyydyttämiseen. Molemmissa tapauksissa tutkimusaineistoa kerättiin usealla eri tavalla. Ensimmäisessä tapauksessa tutkimusaineistoa kerättiin oppilasryhmiä havainnoimalla mm. videonauhoituksin ja kenttäpäiväkirjaa kirjoittamalla sekä tallentamalla levykkeelle ryhmien projektissa luomat tiedostot. Tämän lisäksi toisessa tapauksessa tutkimusaineistoa kerättiin valokuvaamalla oppilaiden suunnittelukansiot tuotteen itse arviointeineen ja heidän valmistamansa työt. Tässä tapauksessa tallennettiin myös opettajan opetuksestaan tekemiä havaintoja ja arviointeja, tutkimuspäiväkirjaan tehdyt observointimuistiinpanot sekä oppilaille järjestetyn kyselyn tulokset. Molemmat tapaukset olivat metodologisesti laadullisia tutkimuksia ja perustuivat induktiiviseen ja tulkitsevaan aineistopohjaiseen analyysiin. Analyysissä kiinnitettiin huomiota nimenomaan tutkimusaineistosta esiin nouseviin käsitteisiin, lainalaisuuksiin ja säännönmukaisuuksiin. Tutkimuksen metodologinen valinta mahdollisti tulosten esittämisen empiirisinä väittäminä, joita tuettiin tutkimusaineistosta otetuilla esimerkeillä. Empiiristen väittämien lisäksi ensimmäisen tapauksen tulokset sisältävät tutkimusaineistosta esiin nousseita luokituksia analyysin kohteena olevista painotuksista. Sekä empiirisiä väittämiä, että luokituksia tuettiin tutkimusaineistosta otetuilla esimerkeillä. Esimerkit myös tulkittiin tutkimusongelmien näkökulmasta katsottuna. Tutkimuksen tuloksista voidaan päätellä, että teknologiakasvatuksessa on tärkeää antaa lapsille mahdollisuuksia työskennellä ja oppia tavalla, joka kehittää innovatiivista avointa ongelmanratkaisua ja divergenttiä ajattelua. Tässä mielessä annetut tehtävät tulisi olla niin avoimia, että lapsien olisi mahdollista löytää omasta elinpiiristään ratkaisua vaativia ongelmia. Itse asiassa teknologiakasvatuksessa, teknologian perusolemuksen mukaisesti, ei tulisi ollakaan vastauksia esitettyihin kysymyksiin, vaan tarkoituksemukaisia ratkaisuja esiintyviin ongelmiin. Lisäksi teknologian perusluonteen mukaiset opetusmenetelmät huomioivat lapsen sisäisesti toimintaan halukkaaksi motivoituneena ja aktiivisena sekä tarkoitus-ja päämäärähakuisena ihmisenä.

M.Phil. Information management) / A great deal of research has been conducted on mobile technology globally, however very little research has been conducted on the role of mobile technology in the customisation of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) within higher education institutions (HEIs) and in specific within the University of Johannesburg (UJ). This study focuses specifically on the current trends and possible implementation of mobile technology within the learning process of students at HEIs. To date, existing research mostly focuses on the effectiveness of the VLE; very little of the research is dedicated towards asynchronous learning and even less to the possibility of enhancing or customising the VLE towards being available and accessible via mobile devices to end-users who are 'learners on the move'. With its focus on learners on the move, this study follows the Mixed Methods Research (MMR) approach in its research design to investigate the current trends and effectiveness of the VLE within HEIs and in particular at the UJ. It is also aimed at displaying the need for mobile technology to be developed and implemented at UJ. The research findings of this study are important as they provide HEIs generally, and the UJ specifically, a guide as to what appeals to digitally minded students in support of their learning experience through the possibility of mobile technology implementation. The UJ, as with all other HEIs, has a large responsibility in making this happen. HEIs must move forward in customising the VLE and act now to ensure a large acceptance from its end-users to engage in learning through collaboration. HEIs have to meet end-users' needs in order to make the mobile technology venture and m-learning enhancements in the near future successful. In summary, the v findings of this study show a clear demand for all modes of mobile access and learning from HEI students as end-users. M-learning is a new phenomenon; and universities that do not embrace it will soon be left behind if m-technology is not implemented. Keywords Virtual learning environment, higher education institutions, e-learning, mlearning, mobile technology, learning management systems, Blackboard, customisation

Clinical learning is regarded as a vital component in nursing programmes and students need to work in various clinical environments. In the emergency nursing programme presented at a tertiary nursing education institution, the pre-hospital environment is used as a clinical learning environment in which students rotate for approximately eight weeks. The clinical experience that they gain may assist in them developing the necessary knowledge and skills. It also assists in theory-practice correlation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of the pre-hospital environment utilised as part of the clinical learning component of the emergency nursing programme. A qualitative approach was utilised since the researcher wanted to study a particular phenomenon, namely the pre-hospital learning environment. Therefore, the research design was a descriptive design whereby the researcher could describe the real life situation in the pre-hospital learning environment as experienced by the emergency nurse students. The target population for the study was emergency nurses who had already obtained their qualification as a registered emergency nurse, as well as emergency nurse students that had completed their rotational period in the pre-hospital learning environment. For the purpose of this study the identified sample consisted of students enrolled for the emergency nursing programme at a tertiary nursing education institution in Gauteng. The sample was adequate to provide the researcher with sufficient in-depth data and was also representative of the accessible population. The final sample size was 45 emergency nurse students who had completed the pre-hospital rotational period between 2008 and 2011. Data collection was done by means of Appreciative Inquiry, a method used that not only focuses on the positive, but which is also a stimulating way of looking at organisational change. Stories (narratives) were shared by the emergency nurse students pertaining to their real life experiences. Initially stories were shared in writing on an Appreciative Inquiry interview schedule. For the purpose of data saturation, individual Appreciative interviews were conducted by an independent interviewer, utilising the Appreciative Inquiry interview schedule as a guide. Data analysis was conducted by the interviewer, supervisors and an independent data analyser to ensure trustworthiness. Four themes were identified, namely clinical exposure, competencies, team work and future recommendations. From the data analysis and the four themes recommendations could be made with regard to programme refinement. Copyright / Dissertation (MCur)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Nursing Science / unrestricted

The concept ‘mentoring’ in nursing is not a new concept as such and has probably been used in a variety of situations and given many interpretations. In healthcare, mentoring is aimed at facilitating professional learning and it enables a student nurse to gain clinical skills during practice placements (Gopee 2008:7). In the psychiatric clinical learning environment, unit managers play a vital role regarding student nurses’ attainment of clinical skills during their practical placements. Lack of mentoring can adversely affect the student nurses’ ability to achieve clinical learning outcomes and this will affect their competency as professional nurses at the end of their training. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions of the student nurses and unit managers in a specific public psychiatric hospital regarding the mentoring role of unit managers within a psychiatric clinical learning environment. The objectives of the study were to explore and describe the perceptions of student nurses regarding the mentoring role of unit managers within the psychiatric clinical learning environment, to explore and describe the perceptions of unit managers regarding their mentoring role within the psychiatric clinical learning environment and to make recommendations to enhance the mentoring of student nurses by unit managers in a psychiatric clinical learning environment. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research design was utilized to address the aim and objectives outlined. Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted separately with a purposefully selected sample of unit managers and student nurses. The data analysis was guided by the constant comparative method of qualitative data analysis of Tesch (1990:113). The process of transforming data into research results led to the emergence of the following themes for student nurses and unit managers: mentoring as a concept, expectations of the mentoring role, enabling factors of mentoring, disabling factors of mentoring and plans to enhance mentoring. Though the two groups of participants were interviewed separately common perceptions emerged in relation to the themes identified. Mentoring as a concept was viewed as a process of teaching, guiding, supporting, leading, supervision, role-modeling and assistance by an experienced, knowledgeable unit manager. Regarding expectations of the mentoring role, participants were of the opinion that unit managers were not prepared for this role through specific training, but used their experience, to guide student nurses. Furthermore, they perceived it as one of the unit manager’s responsibilities. Disabling factors of mentoring encompassed lack of student nurses’ theoretical background knowledge in psychiatric nursing science, unit managers’ lack of knowledge of advancement in the educational arena, the attitudes of student nurses and unit managers, lack of unit managers’ preparation for mentoring, organizational problems and lack of communication between nurse educators and unit managers. Enabling plans for mentoring encompassed training of unit managers for the mentoring role, theoretical preparation of student nurses prior to placement for psychiatric clinical learning experience, student nurses and unit managers to change their attitude addressing organisational problems and enhanced collaboration between educational and clinical facilities. Recommendations were made regarding nursing practice, nursing education and nursing research for future improvements on the mentoring role of unit managers in the psychiatric clinical learning environment. / Dissertation (MCur)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Nursing Science / unrestricted

In this study the stressors of Grade 1 learners in their learning environment were explored and described. Data was collected through interviews with 32 Grade 1 learners, observation, field notes, as well as member checking with the Grade 1 learners in the end. The data analysis process included familiarisation and immersion, coding, interpretation and checking, as well as elaboration. Positive and negative stressors were seperated as stressors that Grade 1 learners experience in their learning environment. The positive stressors were the educator’s disposition, the learners’ need to learn and to get educated, as well as the importance of friends on the playground. The negative stressors that emerged were a fear for physical pain on the playground, teasing and conflict among the Grade 1 learners, noise and chaos in the classroom, as well as a fear for the older children in the school. Even though the findings from this study cannot be generalised to other groups it can contribute towards a deeper understanding of factors that may cause stress for Grade 1 learners. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Educational Psychology / MEd / unrestricted

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