William Cain

What is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)

This paper describes a teacher knowledge framework for technology integration called technological pedagogical content knowledge (originally TPCK, now known as TPACK, or technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge). This framework builds on Lee Shulmans (1986, 1987) construct of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to include technology knowledge. The development of TPACK by teachers is critical to effective teaching with technology. The paper begins with a brief introduction to the complex, ill-structured nature of teaching. The nature of technologies (both analog and digital) is considered, as well as how the inclusion of technology in pedagogy further complicates teaching. The TPACK framework for teacher knowledge is described in detail as a complex interaction among three bodies of knowledge: content, pedagogy, and technology. The interaction of these bodies of knowledge, both theoretically and in practice, produces the types of flexible knowledge needed to successfully integrate technology use into teaching.

Bridging the Gulfs: Modifying an Educational Augmented Reality App to Account for Target Users’ Age Differences

This case study describes our process of modifying an augmented reality (AR) application called Spartan SR for spatial reasoning training for a different, younger user group. Originally designed for undergraduate college students, the application was modified for use by middle school students. Our modifications were designed to bridge certain gulfs of execution and evaluation in interactions with the application in ways that accounted for differences between college and middle-school students. Differences in age groups included reduced relevant prior knowledge and developmental differences in concrete versus abstract reasoning and problem solving as well as self-regulation and motivation. Using direct observation and focus group interviews, we identified modifications that seemed effective and others that needed additional refinement. Learned lessons include the need to redesign interface elements to help students navigate the Spartan SR environment; the value of introducing “real world” objects to scaffold the transition to more abstract shapes; the power of introducing elements of gamification; and the effects of various difficulty levels. These lessons led to iterative redesigns that have promise for improved user experiences at various age and learner levels.

Navigating between Different Forms of Embodiment in a Synchronous Hybrid Doctoral Course

This case study describes how we used a mix of robots and other modes of telepresence to help remote students enrolled in an on-campus doctoral level course stay connected with both people and content during synchronous hybrid class sessions. Overall, we learned that while robotic telepresence and video telepresence each had significant merit for class interaction, navigating robots during transitions was a real drawback. We also learned that quick and seamless transitions were ideal from the point of view of both students and instructors. We also learned it can be challenging to design a system for quick transitions between modes of telepresence that is easy for students and instructors to master while they are focused on the content of the course.