Leigh Disney

Investigation of technical support provided by educational websites

The purpose of the paper was to identify how useful was the technical support provided by educational websites in relation to the interaction between students and educational websites, and the findings showed that students reported that all the identified technical support helped them achieve more productive usage of educational websites. Website designers and online teachers may find these results useful in enhancing the effectiveness of online teaching as well as designing and using instructional programs.

Reflective narration: Impact of Observing Young children's use of iPad on Lecturers' Teaching Approaches in Higher education

People conduct learning for our knowledge, and learning can be undertaken outside learning institutions, between different people among social communities. Learning can be done not only publicly but also through private and reflection time. Education cannot be conducted within certain hours or certain places. It can happen anytime, with anyone and by any culture. This paper was based upon the perception and experience of the two high education lecturers in teacher education, made observations of pedagogical practices and philosophies of two young children playing iPad. Based upon the importance of reflective practice, this paper uses reflective narration to illustrate the influence from observing two young children’s use of iPad on two lecturers’ own teaching approaches in higher education settings. This paper uses the method of narrative inquiries and examples of observations of two children’s playing were demonstrated. This paper provides several future research interests into use of gestural interface technology in teaching strategies, and lecturers in higher education, particularly educators in information technologies and early childhood education will find this paper interesting in their own reflection and therefore improve their own teaching outcomes.

A Need of Technology-Assisted Physical Activity in Young Indigenous Children's Health and Physical Education

This paper examines the issues of health and physical education among Indigenous young children in remote communities in Australia and the need for the implementation of technology-assisted physical activity. It was found that although these children were assumed to be very fit, they have higher rates of diseases than non-Indigenous young children, such as Type 2 diabetes. Technology assisted physical activity (Exergame) has been examined in relation to the Indigenous young children’s health and physical education in remote communities. It was also found that there is a need to implement the technology-assisted physical activities into Indigenous young children’s health and physical education classroom. Physical and health educators including general teachers and/or PE specialists in remote communities may find the investigation useful in promoting health and physical education through the use of technology-assisted physical activities among Indigenous children in remote communities.