Diana Andone

Inter-University Co-operation by Using ViCaDiS Virtual Campus

This paper describes the results of piloting an online - mobile phone environment -ViCaDiS – Virtual Campus for Digital Students, as a co-operation between 6 universities from European Union to develop a common online learning environment enhanced with web 2.0 tools for supporting the online international co-operation at academic level. Digital students are young adults who have grown up with digital technologies integrated as an everyday feature of their lives. It presents the evaluation of this new learning environment for digital students.

Building a Virtual Campus for digital students

This paper describes the results of a study undertaken on Master of Science students in order to analyse their characteristics as digital students and how this can influence their use of the “Politehnica” University of Timisoara Virtual Campus. The students most used and important tools are search engines, online instant messenger and mobile phones, with direct implications on the development of their online learning environment. Their preferred communication method for educational activities in also instant, synchronous communication while online document sharing scores surprisingly high in their preferences.

Ideas and Concepts of ViCaDiS – A Virtual Learning Environment for Digital Students

The main purpose of the Virtual Campus for Digital Students – ViCaDiS Project (2007–2009) is to assist international cooperation in learning by using social media and open source applications. ViCaDiS facilitates a shift from Institutional Learning Environments towards Personal Learning Environments. Digital students are young adults who have grown up with digital technologies integrated as an everyday feature of their lives. The chapter describes the development of an online – mobile phone environment -ViCaDiS – Virtual Campus for Digital Students, as a co-operation between 6 universities from European Union to develop a common online learning environment enhanced with web 2.0 tools for supporting the online international co-operation at academic level. It presents also the evaluation of this new learning environment for digital students.

Creating micro-videos to demonstrate technology learning and digital literacy

Purpose Short videos, also known as micro-videos, have emerged as a platform for sharing ideas, experiences and life events via online social networks. This paper aims to share preliminary results of a study, involving students from two universities who created six-second videos using the Vine mobile app to explain or illustrate technological concepts. Design/methodology/approach Students were assigned the task of creating a Vine video to demonstrate their understanding of an assigned technological concept. A survey, performed after creating their micro-videos, asked students about the technology tools they use that allow them to be creative, their current personal digital literacy skills and the extent to which they are able to express a complex concept in a simple way. The study categorizes the students’ micro-videos to determine which formats might be most effective in demonstrating technology learning. Findings An analysis of their videos shows that the six-second constraint often inspires creativity and critical thinking, as students need to carefully consider the message they wish to convey, and how they can do so effectively in a compelling micro-video. The creation of such videos provides an effective way to demonstrate student learning and digital literacy skills. Research limitations/implications The study presents preliminary results gathered during one semester, with 68 videos created by 75 students. Practical implications Micro-video platforms are popular among today’s students, whose increased use of social media, dependence on mobile devices and desire for constant connectivity enable new outlets for creativity and communication. This study examines the introduction of a micro-video platform, which many students already use in their personal lives, in an educational context to develop their technology and digital literacy skills. Social implications Students learn to use an emerging social media platform as a vehicle to inspire creativity and learning. Originality/value This study explores and shares preliminary results related to the use of micro-videos for demonstrating technology learning and developing digital literacy skills in the information technology classroom.

Devising ICT in Engineering Education Based on the University Academia Expectations

This paper describes the research results of a training needs analysis for university academia in 12 universities, within the aim of designing a training course for improving the use of ICT in 12 universities. The results indicates that even if some tools are widely used in universities, they are not fully implemented in delivering education and there is also a digital divide between the different academia generations.

MOOCs in Higher Education—Flipped Classroom or a New Smart Learning Model?

This paper presents concepts and experiences of the flipped classroom method based on integrating OER and massive open online course (MOOCs) into traditional higher education in Romania. A study case on integrating MOOCs in courses at master level is presented and discussed within the flipped classroom method. MOOCs are becoming a way of responding to the actual trends in education and learning: increase in the use of online learning, delivery of shorter courses, creation of new awarding schemes, and increase of partnership in building new curricula. The new teaching opportunities and instructional challenges on integrating OER and MOOCs in technical higher education are examined from tutors and students perspectives. These activities require the acquisition of new skills by students and teachers. Advantages and limitations on using this educational model from concepts to management and technology indicate the challenges that lay ahead of educators who are willing to include MOOCs in their everyday teaching activities.

Piloting a multi-regional Master programme in eActivities

In recent years the higher education system in Romania has been through a series of transformations. These transformations reflects European tendencies but also the changes due to the new Romanian Education Law. The universities involved in this project, described here, are at the avant-garde of these changes and promote innovation in post-graduate education. But are the prospective students and the universities ready to take the challenge? And is it the eLearning environment going to be a viable model for a multi-regional Masters degree? A study, which focuses on the first semester of piloting, was conducted recently in order to answer these questions.

The use of social media tools in ViCaDiS Virtual Campus

This paper describes the results of piloting an online — mobile phone environment -ViCaDiS — Virtual Campus for Digital Students, as a co-operation between 6 universities from European Union to develop a common online learning environment enhanced with web 2.0 tools for supporting the online international co-operation at academic level. ViCaDiS facilitates a shift from Institutional Learning Environments towards Personal Learning Environments. Digital students are young adults who have grown up with digital technologies integrated as an everyday feature of their lives. It presents the evaluation of this new learning environment for digital students.

Zero-Programming Augmented Reality Authoring Tools for Educators: Status and Recommendations

Augmented reality technologies are being used in education to create engaging and memorable learning experiences for the students. To boost the adoption of such technologies even further, educators need access to augmented reality authoring tools that do not require programming skills, are under constant maintenance and development, are easy to use, are free and whose outputs can reach a wide range of students. Over the recent years, several such products have been launched on the market and have been used successfully in creating learning activities. In this paper we look at the current options, with a focus on what features have yet to be implemented in order to expand the possibilities of augmented reality in education.

Collaborative Learning about Augmented Reality from Technology and Business Perspectives

Augmented reality technologies are becoming widely used in educational and business contexts. This paper shares results of the TalkTech project, in which first-year introductory technology students from a university in the United States and fourth-year multimedia students from a university in Romania research applications of augmented reality in various industries, develop original augmented reality artifacts, and share their findings with international partners. Based on a project-based and collaborative learning approach, students communicate, research, develop together with the main goal to improve their digital literacy skills. By creating augmented reality artifacts, students better understand the impact of this technology and its business applications, and express their technological creativity in an innovative way.