Glenn Finger

Measuring the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the Classroom

Abstract In 2003, the “ICT Curriculum Integration Performance Measurement Instrument” was developed froman extensive review ofthe contemporary international and Australian research pertaining to the definition and measurement of ICT curriculum integration in classrooms (Proctor, Watson, & Finger, 2003). The 45-item instrument that resulted was based on theories and methodologies identified by the literature review. This paper describes psychometric results from a large-scale evaluation of the instrument subsequently conducted, as recommended by Proctor, Watson, and Finger (2003). The resultant 20-item, two-factor instrument, now called “Learning with ICTs: Measuring ICT Use in the Curriculum,” is both statistically and theoretically robust. This paper should be read in association with the original paper published in Computers in the Schools(Proctor, Watson, & Finger, 2003) that described in detail the theoretical framework underpinning the development of the instrument.

Measuring Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Curriculum Integration

Abstract There is currently a trend toward the development of methodologies to measure Information and Communication Technology (ICT) curriculum integration and its resultant impact on student learning outcomes. Simplistic, negative correlations between numbers of classroom computers and standardized literacy and numeracy test results provide headlines for the media but do little to illuminate the full impact of ICT on teaching and learning. However, attempts at more sophisticated analyses are not problem free and raise issues of methodology and definition. From a review of the recent international and Australian research on the definition and measurement of ICT curriculum integration, this paper describes the development and initial validation of a new ICT curriculum integration measurement instrument conceptualized from the Productive Pedagogies framework (Education Queensland, 2000). This instrument is envisaged as one of a suite of methodologies for validly and reliably measuring ICT curriculum integration in classrooms.

Beyond Pedagogical Content Knowledge: The Importance of TPACK for Informing Preservice Teacher Education in Australia

Since the emergence of computers in schools during the 1980’s, there have been considerable developments by education systems and schools to develop policies and expectations for the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance learning and teaching. These have not always translated into practice, which has resulted in a focus on the need for improvements in preservice teacher education programs and professional development of practising teachers. This paper starts from the premise that most teacher education have been constrained by using Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) developed by Shulman [1] [2] prior to the dynamic technological changes enabled by the Internet. The authors present the case for the importance of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) [3] [4]. Subsequently, the paper provides guidance for auditing the TPACK capabilities of teacher education students through the presentation of an instrument developed, and provides a summary of some of the findings of a study undertaken using that instrument.

Students' Everyday Engagement with Digital Technology in University: Exploring Patterns of Use and "Usefulness"

The much-discussed potential of ‘technology-enhanced learning’ is not always apparent in the day-to-day use of digital technology throughout higher education. Against this background, the present paper considers the digital devices and resources that students engage most frequently with during their university studies, what these technologies are being used for, and perceptions of ‘usefulness’ attached to these uses. The paper draws upon data gathered from a survey of undergraduate students (n = 1658) from two Australian universities. Having explored a variety of factors shaping student engagement with digital technology within these university settings, the paper considers how ongoing discussions about digital technology and higher education might better balance enthusiasms for the ‘state of the art’ (i.e. what we know might be achieved through technology-enabled learning) with an acknowledgement of the ‘state of the actual’ (i.e. the realities of technology use within contemporary university contexts).

TPACK and Pre-Service Teacher Mathematics Education: Defining a Signature Pedagogy for Mathematics Education Using ICT and Based on the Metaphor “Mathematics Is a Language”

National professional standards for teachers in Australia (AITSL, 2011) expect teacher education graduates to demonstrate technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). Those standards have emerged concurrently with the development of a new Australian mathematics curriculum. Thus, the expectation is that graduates can demonstrate the use of information and communication technologies in mathematics teaching and learning. The authors argue that “signature pedagogy” (Shulman, 2005) is the use of a key metaphor which views mathematics as a language and suggests that mathematics should be taught and learned as any other language. This article provides a summary of the findings of an action research project involving two cohorts of undergraduate mathematics education students in an Australian university. Data collected was used to inform targeted changes to improve the technological pedagogical approach employed by the course team across two offers of the course to enhance student learning and align the course with the expectations for graduate teachers. The implications of this action research are provided to inform the design and implementation of pre-service teacher education courses with respect to the development of TPACK capabilities specifically in mathematics education.

Assessment Issues and New Technologies: ePortfolio Possibilities

The emergence of new information and communication technologies(ICTs) call for new ways of learning and teaching, and integral to this call is new ways of assessing. This chapter provides insights into how ICT offers educators valuable assessment tools with which to more appropriately assess 21st-century lifelong learnerswho increasingly experience learning in digital, networked learning contexts in which learning involves collaboration and constructing new knowledge. This chapter explores how the interests of learning improvement and accountability can be served using online resources, particularly ePortfolios, and how they can be enhanced by the use of Web 2.0 technologies. Issues and insights are provided through an exploration into how ICT can provide valuable assessment tools for diverse stakeholders, including students, parents, administrators and policy officers.

eLearning and Sport Management: Hyperpedagogy Possibilities

Whilst we have seen a proliferation of eLearning applications, there remains a limited understanding of eLearning possibilities in the discipline of sport management. Following an introduction to ICT and sport management, and discussion of eLearning and sport management, new eLearning roles are explored through presenting hyperpedagogy which extends concepts of poststructural theory into digital pedagogies. Research on hypertext and poststructuralism and the relationship between cultural studies, technology and popular culture has led to the assembly of theories of hyperpedagogy that seek a more informed and critical engagement with technology. This paper argues that sport management scholars need to engage with hyperpedagogy as a means of moving beyond social efficiency approaches to eLearning. Second Life (SL), a 3-D virtual world, is attracting interest because of its potential use in eLearning applications such as 3D virtual delivery of seminars and lectures, collaborative exercises, tutorials and discussions. By utilising the principles of hyperpedagogy, SL and similar platforms provide exciting possibilities for sport management eLearning.

Insights into the Web presence, online marketing, and the use of social media by tourism operators in Dunedin, New Zealand

This research study focused on online marketing and the use of social media by a sample of tourism operators from Dunedin, New Zealand. The aim was to identify the level of online marketing that tourism operators are currently implementing, and to inform improvements in relation to their design and implementation of strategies to enable effective online marketing and use of social media. Data were obtained from tourism operators through face-to-face interviews, online surveys, and Web presence analysis. The research study confirmed that, although they have a Web presence, there is potential for substantially improved use of online marketing and social media to increase awareness of their products and services online.

Introducing SMART Table Technology in Saudi Arabia Education System

Education remains one of the most important economic development indicators in Saudi Arabia. This is evident in the continuous priority of the development and enhancement of education. The application of technology is crucial to the growth and improvement of the educational system in Saudi Arabia. Introducing SMART Table technology in the Saudi Arabian education system is argued in this paper as being able to assist teachers and students in the process of accommodating both technological changes and new knowledge. SMART Tables also can enhance the level of flexibility in the educational system, thus improving the quality of education within a modern Saudi Arabia. It is crucial to integrate technology effectively and efficiently within the educational system to improve the quality of student outcomes. This study will consider the potential benefits and recommendations associated with the adoption of SMART Tables in Saudi Arabian education system.

Digital Technologies and Junior Secondary: Learning with and About Digital Technologies

This chapter focuses on digital technologies within STEM, referred to in this book as an integrated study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. A distinction is made between learning with and learning about digital technologies. As well as acknowledging the importance of digital technologies assisting with teaching and learning in Junior Secondary schools in STEM subjects, it makes the case for digital technologies to be seen as a study in its own right. This is evidenced through, for example, identification of some schooling systems making coding and robotics mandatory areas of study in primary and secondary schools. Key trends, challenges and developments in technology are discussed. An implication for teachers is for them to develop technological knowledge (TK) so that they have the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) capabilities to effectively teach with and about digital technologies. Given that future teachers need these capabilities, there are implications for initial teacher education programmes preparing the next generation of Junior Secondary teachers. The chapter concludes with a summary of the 2016 Queensland Digital Technologies Summit: Initial Teacher Education, including the co-constructed philosophy and strategies for action for future teachers developed at that Summit.