Pedro F. Hernández-Ramos

If Not Here, Where? Understanding Teachers' Use of Technology in Silicon Valley Schools.

Abstract This article presents results of a survey conducted in the spring of 2004 of practicing teachers in K–12 schools in Santa Clara County, California, also known as “Silicon Valley.” Exposure to technology in teaching preparation programs, knowledge of software applications, and constructivist beliefs were found to be positively related to more frequent use of technology by teachers, both for themselves and their students. Other factors such as availability of technical support also seem to affect frequency of technology use. It is argued that the individual teachers do not mainly determine technology integration in K–12 classrooms, even in technology-centric regions such as Silicon Valley, but that other technology-specific and contextual factors also play critical roles.

Learning History in Middle School by Designing Multimedia in a Project-Based Learning Experience.

Abstract This article describes a study in which eighth grade students in one school learned to create multimedia mini-documentaries in a six-week history unit on early 19th-century U.S. history. The authors examined content knowledge tests, group projects, and attitude and opinion surveys to determine relative benefits for students who participated in a technology-assisted project-based learning experience, and contrasted their experiences to those of students who received a more Traditional form of instruction. Results from content knowledge measures showed significant gains for students in the project-based learning condition as compared to students in the comparison school. Students’ work in the intervention condition also revealed growth in their historical thinking skills, as many were able to grasp a fundamental understanding that history is more than presenting facts. Implications and suggestions for technology-enhanced project-based learning experiences are indicated.

Simulating REAL LIVES: Promoting Global Empathy and Interest in Learning Through Simulation Games

In response to an increasingly interdependent world, educators are demonstrating a growing interest in educating for global citizenship. Many definitions of the “good global citizen” value empathy as an especially important disposition for understanding others across national borders and cultural divides. Yet it may be difficult for people to achieve empathy with others who are perceived as psychologically and geographically distant. Can computerized simulation games help foster global empathy and interest in global civic learning? This quasiexperimental classroom study of 301 Northern California high school students in three schools examined the effects of playing REAL LIVES, a simulation game that allows players to inhabit the lives of individuals around the world. Compared with a control group, students who played the simulation game as part of their curriculum expressed more global empathy and greater interest in learning about other countries. Identification with REAL LIVES characters was also positively related to global empathy. These findings support claims that computerized simulations can cultivate important dispositions for global learning and citizenship.

Aim, Shoot, Ready! Future Teachers Learn to Do Video.

This paper describes an intensive 2-hr workshop designed to introduce preservice teachers to digital video in the context of an instructional technology course or as a stand-alone activity. Acknowledging time constraints in most real-life instructional situations, this format takes novices with no or very limited knowledge of video making to the point where they have experienced most of the steps involved in crafting a finished (though almost certainly unpolished) digital video. Conversations introduce project-based collaborative learning as the pedagogical context for digital video production, the value of supporting a sense of creativity in students to promote deeper engagement with subject matter through hands-on activities, and how to involve a variety of learning modalities as opposed to predominantly passive reading and listening. Possible extensions like time-lapsed video are discussed.

How do presence, flow, and character identification affect players’ empathy and interest in learning from a serious computer game?

This study develops and tests an integrated model of how three psychological variablespresence, flow, and character identificationcontribute to interest in learning and empathy with people from other cultures through a simulation game. U.S. college students played one of two roles (an American journalist or Haitian survivor) in the game that dealt with the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Presence was a powerful predictor of flow, character identification, and empathy felt during the games. Furthermore, empathy experienced by game play significantly predicted interest in learning more about the game topics. Flow and identification made secondary contributions to learning outcomes, with flow mediating the effect of presence on males empathy and identification contributing to females interest in learning. While the proposed model was generally successful at predicting outcomes, it did a better job of accounting for the experience of participants who played a role rooted in their own culture (the journalist) than in a different culture (the survivor), and for female than male players. Our results suggest that serious game designers should prioritize inducing empathy and immersive presence in players, giving secondary attention to designing for flow and character identification. Display Omitted We tested a model of the psychology of computer game play and learning outcomes.Immersive presence predicted flow, character identification, and in-game empathy.In-game empathy predicted interest in learning more about the game topics.Flow and identification made secondary contributions to learning outcomes.Learning games should focus on empathy and presence, then flow and identification.

Situating teacher education: From the university classroom to the real classroom

Abstract This article presents a descriptive case study on the first experience moving a required teacher preparation instructional technology course from the university classroom into an elementary school setting. The key motivation was to help future teachers become more adept at integrating technology into their practice by learning about commonly used applications and best practices in an authentic setting, framed within a constructivist approach. In addition to lab time focused on the acquisition of computer skills, the course design included classrooms visits and observations, conversations with teachers and the principal, and development of a lesson or unit plan. The format was an intense one-week workshop, meeting for six hours each day and co-taught by two university faculty and a school-based coordinator, instead of a quarter-long course meeting once or twice a week for two hours or less with a single instructor. Students reacted very favorably to the course format and location. Detailed analysis of the curriculum and future plans are described.