Charoula Angeli

Preservice elementary teachers as information and communication technology designers: an instructional systems design model based on an expanded view of pedagogical content knowledge

Abstract This study discusses the evolution of an instructional systems design (ISD) model that is based on an expanded view of Shulmans concept of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). An initial model was evaluated in the first iteration of a design experiment, and then it was changed and assessed in two other iterations that followed. The proposed ISD model can be used in educational technology courses, elementary teacher education method courses, and teacher professional development courses to develop information and communication technology (ICT)-related PCK. ICT-related PCK comprises a body of knowledge that educators need to be able to teach with ICT. Evidence from the present study, with preservice elementary teachers, indicates that the evolved model was effective in developing some aspects of ICT-related PCK. Based on the results of the study, more systematic efforts are needed to engage preservice teachers in technology-rich design activities, so that they can adequately develop all aspects of ICT-related PCK. Finally, this study provides baseline data that can be used for comparison purposes in future studies that may be conducted to further validate or modify the suggested ISD model.

Communication in a web-based conferencing system: the quality of computer-mediated interactions

Time constraints and teaching in crowded classrooms restrict in-depth dialogical interaction in teaching and learning. Electronic conferencing systems, however, have the potential to foster online discussions beyond class time. Case-based instruction also constitutes a promising approach in fostering learners’ participation and reflection. The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) the extent to which an electronic conferencing system, named COW (“Conferencing on the Web”), facilitates pre-service teachers’ communication outside their classroom, when discussing teaching cases from their field experiences, and (b) the potential of COW and case-based instruction to foster quality discourse and promote students’ critical-thinking skills. The results showed that students’ online discourse was mostly an exchange of personal experiences and did not reflect well-supported reasoning. Future research on the issue of interactivity should address motivational and affective variables related to the implementation of distance-education methods, variations in pedagogical activity and task structure, and the readiness of mentors and learners.

Critical Thinking Beyond Skill

The aim of this article is to investigate possibilities for conceptions of critical thinking beyond the established educational framework that emphasizes skills. Distancing ourselves from the older rationalist framework, we explain that what we think wrong with the skills perspective is, amongst other things, its absolutization of performativity and outcomes. In reviewing the relevant discourse, we accept that it is possible for the skills paradigm to be change‐friendly and context‐sensitive but we argue that it is oblivious to other, non‐purposive kinds of rationality that are indispensable to critical thought. Our suggestion is that there is an aporetic element in critical thought that is missing from contemporary educational positions. We consider some other efforts to redeem the surplus of criticality that performativity fails to take into account and conclude that the aporetic element that we highlight accommodates better than other theories do the significance of thematizing the taken‐for‐granted instead of focusing on problem solving.

Professional Development for Computer-Enhanced Learning: A Case Study with Science Teachers

The preparation of science teachers to integrate computers in their teaching seems to be a challenging task, and teacher educators need to undertake systematic and coordinated efforts for effectively preparing teachers to teach with computers. The present study implemented a professional development approach for in‐service science teachers regarding the pedagogical uses of computers in teaching and learning, and examined its effectiveness. The results showed that the approach was effective in adequately preparing science teachers to design computer‐enhanced learning with various computer applications. Specifically, the majority of the teachers who participated in the study selected appropriate science topics to be taught with computers, transformed science content with appropriate computer tools and computer‐supported representations, identified computer‐supported teaching tactics, and integrated their computer‐enhanced activities in the classroom with inquiry‐based pedagogy. The results of the study provide baseline data about the effectiveness of the approach, and they can be used for comparison purposes in future studies, which may be conducted with the intention of further validating or even improving the suggested professional development approach.

Examining the effects of text-only and text-and-visual instructional materials on the achievement of field-dependent and field-independent learners during problem-solving with modeling software

Sixty-five undergraduates were classified into field-dependent, field-mixed, and field-independent learners, and were randomly assigned to two groups: text-only and text-and-visual. Participants in the text-only group received a description of a model in textual format, whereas participants in the other group received the same description in textual-and-visual format. Participants were then asked to individually explore a computer model, test hypotheses, and solve a problem related to immigration policies. Their problem-solving performance was analyzed using a 3×2 analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results showed that the text-and-visual group outperformed the text-only group, that performance was significantly related to field-dependence-independence, and that there was a significant interaction effect. Specifically, field-independent learners in the text-and-visual group outperformed field-dependent and field-mixed learners in both groups, and field-independent learners in the text-only group. The findings indicate that adding visuals to textual explanations can enhance understanding, and that the functional role of visuals depends on cognitive differences.

Distributed Cognition in a Sixth-Grade Classroom: An Attempt to Overcome Alternative Conceptions about Light and Color.

Abstract In this study, we discuss the scaffolded design of ODRES (Observe, Discuss, and Reason with Evidence in Science), a computer tool that was designed to be used with elementary school children in science, and report on the effects of learning with ODRES on students’ conceptual understandings about light, color, and vision. Succinctly, dyads of sixth-grade students were engaged in distributed collaborative inquiry regarding the scientific concepts of light, vision, and color in order to solve a mystery problem about a stolen diamond. ODRES was employed to scaffold students’ collaborative inquiry with different tools, such as the simulator that simulates the effects of the color of a light source on an object, the magnifying glass that enables students to make careful observations, and the notebook that organizes the results of students’ investigations. Students performed two cycles of collaborative inquiry, and each cycle was followed by a classroom discussion where students could present their solutions, share information, reflect, raise questions, and get feedback about their proposed solutions. The results showed that learning with ODRES positively affected students’ understandings and promoted a lasting effect on their conceptions. Moreover, the results provide useful guidance about how ODRES can be used as a learning tool in collaborative inquiry, and explain the role of discussion and investigation of inquiry processes at the level of a distributed cognitive system. Implications for designing distributed educational systems for children are finally discussed.

Technology Mapping: An Approach for Developing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Technology mapping ™ is proposed as an approach for developing technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK). The study discusses in detail instructional design guidelines in relation to the enactment of TM, and reports on empirical findings from a study with 72 pre-service primary teachers within the context of teaching them how to teach with Excel. Repeated Measures MANOVA findings showed that TM was effective and efficient in developing TPCK competencies; however, development of TPCK competencies was directly related to the complexity of the design task, as this was determined by the educational affordances of Excel.

The Effect of Electronic Scaffolding for Technology Integration on Perceived Task Effort and Confidence of Primary Student Teachers

Abstract Forty-one primary student teachers were divided into two groups and were instructed how to integrate certain Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools in learning activities. Only one group was guided to use Filamentality, a fill-in-the-blank interactive Web site, and to organize Internet information in a Hotlist and a Scrapbook. Questionnaires were administered to collect data related to students’ perceived task effort (PTE) as a result of integrating ICT in the learning environment, and their confidence levels in using ICT tools, while their initial attitudes toward ICT and its integration in the classroom were taken into consideration. The results indicated that Filamentality effectively scaffolded particular aspects of ICT integration in learning and instruction, and significantly reduced learners’ amount of PTE, but there was not always a significant effect on learners’ self-reported confidence levels.

The impact of cognitive and affective aspects of cognitive conflict on learners’ conceptual change about floating and sinking

Background: Cognitive conflict has been identified as an important factor for bringing about students’ conceptual change. Researchers draw attention to the need to study not only cognitive factors related to cognitive conflict but affective factors as well. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of cognitive and non-cognitive aspects involved in cognitive conflict on students’ conceptual change. Sample: Fifteen students, five from each of fourth, sixth and eighth grades, participated in the study. Seven students were male, and the rest were female. All students had high academic performance and were good at explaining their reasoning. Design and method: The study focused on gaining in-depth information, using semi-structured clinical interviews, about students’ thinking when they were engaged in an inquiry process, which incorporated cognitive conflict using a scenario about floating and sinking. Students’ initial conceptions related to the phenomenon of floating and sinking were first diagnosed and, subsequently, discrepant events were presented to challenge their initial conceptions. The 15 interviews were qualitatively analyzed using the constant comparative analysis method. Results: The results of this study showed that students’ conceptual change was directly related to both cognitive and affective aspects of cognitive conflict. The results also showed that some students showed persistence on alternative frameworks even after their exposure to cognitive conflict. Conclusions: Cognitive conflict is an idiosyncratic, or personal event, that may not be experienced by all learners in the same way. Thus, the effect of cognitive conflict on learners’ conceptual change is directly related to learners’ ability to experience and feel the conflict when it is presented to them.

An Exploratory Study About the Role of Epistemological Beliefs and Dispositions on Learners’ Thinking About an III-defined Issue in Solo and Duo Problem-solving Contexts

This chapter examines the relationship between epistemological beliefs and dispositions and their role on ill-defined problem solving in solo and duo contexts. The results showed that different aspects of epistemological beliefs correlated significantly with some dispositions, and that solo and duo contexts triggered different aspects of the constructs, although both of them were important for illdefined problem solving. Lastly, the findings showed that emotions were associated with some aspects of epistemological beliefs and dispositions in the duo problemsolving context only.