The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology

Publisher:: Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Publication date:: 2021-02-01

ISBN:: 2056-4880

Issue Number

Latest documents

Guest editorial
Learning inclusion through makerspace: a curriculum approach in Italy to share powerful ideas in a meaningful context
Purpose: Learning by making is being recognized as an efficient technique for students to develop knowledge and skills simultaneously. However, one of the most urgent challenges that schools are facing nowadays is to reach every student in their individual profile and potential. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to offer an integrated approach for re-thinking the role of Makerspace in a context of inclusion: the characteristics of this learning strategy, in contrast to the traditional currents, can offer promising paths to successfully build shared ideas. Design/methodology/approach: This paper critically analyses a Makerspace workshop implemented during a whole academic year in an Italian state primary school. This exploratory and instrumental qualitative approach (Baxter and Jack, 2008) included two channels that have been developed simultaneously, namely, technological skills and social competences. Findings: Stemming from a long tradition of inclusion of children with various educational needs in the mainstream school system, the authors aim to share a success story of academic and social achievements: all the participants were able to develop at their own pace, sharing tools, reaching a balance between the demands of the task and their planning and negotiation skills. Research limitations/implications: Small group size and the reiterated daily interactions with differences embodied in students with special needs, immigration background, low SES, gifted. Practical implications: Through ad-hoc training, relatively marginalized pedagogical components (such as the ability to work in low-control situations, flexibility, student-centered learning environments) should be given a more prominent role and can be introduced in the desirable professional development. In addition, national and school policies are prompted to consider its inclusion as a slow-process that cannot be fully achieved in the presence of time and space constraints. Social implications: The curricular approach discussed above has shown the importance of inclusion of all students within mainstream schools. Pupils with atypical development can interact with other children, and in this way, they can have first-hand experience of how social dynamics unfold in a real environment. Moreover, they can act in a challenging context where, more often than not, they are pushed to achieve goals exceeding their supposed cognitive abilities. The other pupils are also gaining from these interactions: they can understand different points of view, thus developing empathy, and they can appreciate original ways to approach a task, with cognitive and emotional benefits. In addition, the constant relationship helps them to control their reactions to behavioral problems that sometimes classmates with special needs display and so they deepen their knowledge of and tolerance for others’ peculiarities. Originality/value: Based on the foundational principles of Papert’s powerful ideas and meaningful context, this paper describes the design principles of a successful makerspace, its integration in the school curriculum, and the achieved inclusion of children with Special Education Needs in a group of peers where adults became observers. Recommendations are discussed on how school practitioners can promote young children’s learning through making.
A critical approach to humanizing pedagogies in online teaching and learning
Purpose: In this paper, the authors draw on theories of critical pedagogy to interrogate recent trends in online education scholarship, calling for more humanizing pedagogies. By using vignettes from their own teaching experiences, the paper illustrates tensions between autonomous and ideological visions of humanizing approaches, particularly how they apply to issues of inclusion in online teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach: The authors draw on critical theory to interrogate the framings of humanizing online teaching. Sharing three illustrative vignettes from their own reflexive teaching practice, the authors demonstrate how a critically framed approach to humanizing digital pedagogies can promote the design and enactment of more inclusive learning environments across online contexts. Findings: Based on the pedagogical cases presented, the authors demonstrate (1) how methods promoted in autonomous models of humanizing pedagogy can present challenges for inclusive design, (2) how participatory media production activities can still intersect with issues of racialization, and (3) how humanizing pedagogical commitments by individual instructors can be constrained by material, structural, and institutional realities. Practical implications: While critical framings of pedagogy necessarily resist prescriptive recommendations, the authors conclude the article by underscoring the importance of critically interrogating the ideological dimensions of humanizing pedagogies, the need to grapple with social inequities even as educational contexts are increasingly digitized; the importance of considering structural issues of power and privilege that produce and constrain pedagogical possibilities. Originality/value: The authors offer a critical framing of humanizing pedagogies in online education that runs counter to the often-autonomous framings of these approaches, highlighting issues of power, privilege, and ideology that can be overlooked in online educational contexts, especially at the level of institutional, instructional design and support.
Intention to adopt online learning. The effects of perceived value and moderating roles of personality traits
Purpose: Personality traits and perceived value have been the focus for research in online learning adoption. However, there is a lack of understanding of how the effects of perceived value on online learning adoption vary according to the different personality traits and the levels of a personality trait. This study explores the moderating roles of the Big Five personality traits (i.e. neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience, and agreeableness) in the relationships between the perceived value (i.e. value for money, quality, emotional value, and social value) and intention to study online courses. Design/methodology/approach: A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from university students. This study used the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method to measure the quality of the formative and reflective constructs and examine the moderating effects of the five personality traits in four models. The regression of intention to study online courses on the perceived value at the different levels of a personality trait was analyzed by the simple slope analysis approach. Findings: The study found that particular personality traits moderate the relationships between the perceived value and intention to study online courses. Neuroticism and openness to experience have the moderating effects on the relationship between perceived value for money and intention to study online courses. Neuroticism is the only personality trait that moderates the effect of perceived emotional value on intention to study online courses. In addition, the different levels of a personality trait differentially moderate the effects of the perceived value on intention to study online courses. Originality/value: This study is considered among the first research attempting to explore the moderating roles of the Big Five personality traits in the context of online learning adoption. It bridges the research gap in online learning literature and generalizes the impacts of perceived value on online learning adoption to the different personality traits and the levels of a personality trait. The results provide guidance for educational institutions to develop an effective online learning strategy by creating and communicating the right value propositions to the right group of students based on their personality traits.
Designing with care. Towards a care-centered model for online learning design
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how care theory and the ethics of care are explained by students in the online environment to clarify the factors that are more relevant in establishing and maintaining caring relations in online learning context. Design/methodology/approach: Utilizing naturalistic inquiry, the researchers interviewed online students and coded transcripts using multiple coding methods within two phases of analysis. Noddings' framework for ethics of care was utilized to identify strategies and practices that enhance each of Noddings' elements in an online course experience. Findings: The findings of this exploratory study provide evidence on how learners perceive being cared for and highlight specific instructor behaviors and course design elements that support the emergence and maintenance of a climate of care in an online learning environment. Indicators of all four elements of Noddings' framework were present in the interviews. Within the themes of each element, strategies and practices to enhance each element in an online course experience are further explained. Research limitations/implications: Establishing a climate of care, whether in traditional or online learning, leads to more inclusive learning experiences that are responsive to the needs of all learners. This study brought to light some of the factors that are more relevant in establishing and maintaining caring relations in online learning context. Originality/value: The findings of this study add to the literature on the role of emotions in an online learning as viewed through the lens of care theory. The findings highlight some strategies and behaviors that promote a climate of care in an online environment from a learner's perspective.
Remote teaching for equal and inclusive education in rural areas? An analysis of teachers’ perspectives on remote teaching
Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore equality and inclusion as an aspect of remote teaching in rural areas. Moreover, the aim is to explore teachers' pedagogical digital competence (PDC) and school organizational support as conditions for developing remote teaching. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed method approach with both qualitative and quantitative data was used. Findings: According to this study, remote teaching can solve many problems for school organizations and offer pupils new opportunities to learn in rural areas. Remote teaching expands the learning environment and provides pupils with equal access to qualified teachers and a wider range of learning solutions for different needs. However, the learning context needs to be redesigned with flexibility to meet the needs of individual pupils, whereas the remote teaching format itself can contribute to difficulties in teachers' flexibility. In meeting these challenges teachers' PDC and digital relational competencies are becoming increasingly important. Moreover, teachers' access to communities and school contexts where remote teaching is collaboratively discussed and elaborated on. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited to a region in Sweden, with ten participants. Practical implications: The practical implications are that equal and inclusive remote teaching is dependent on technological as well as pedagogical competence from teachers as well as from organizations. Social implications: If sufficient professional development for teachers is provided as well as organizational structure are in place, remote teaching is an option for equal access to education in sparsely populated areas. This means inclusive education can be provided to areas otherwise lacking in teacher competence. Originality/value: The study is one of few that investigates how remote teaching teachers perceive the teaching form and the competencies and support required to develop and use it in rural areas.
Online learning for social justice and inclusion. The role of technological tools in graduate student learning
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the online pedagogical practices and technological tools that influenced the attainment of skills and knowledge associated with professional multicultural competence in a graduate student online course focused on social justice and inclusion. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative case study includes a total of ten student participants. Two theoretical orientations guide the study. Mishra and Koehler’s (2006) model of technological pedagogical content knowledge is provided to understand the reciprocal relationship between content, pedagogy, knowledge and technology in online learning environments. Critical digital pedagogy (Morris and Stommel, 2018) provides insights into challenging the neutrality of technological tools and focuses on relational capacities of online learning environments. Initial coding by each researcher was reduced to thematic codes focused on technological tools, course content delivery, asynchronous and synchronous pedagogical strategies. Findings: Data analysis revealed technological tools such as discussion boards, video, video conferencing and synchronous opportunities influence student engagement and learning. Further, findings reveal that the nature of online education itself – specifically asynchronocity – functions as both a distraction and possibility for online learning in multicultural education courses. Students in this study revealed the value of opportunities to engage synchronously in online learning environments. Instruction without such opportunities was disadvantageous to the learning of skills and knowledge associated with multicultural competence. Research limitations/implications: The study is not generalizable to the experiences of all online students and only provides a small cross-section of online graduate students enrolled in a required diversity course at one institution. Originality/value: There is a dearth of research focused on teaching courses in diversity, equity, social justice and inclusion in fully online environments, a gap this study begins to fill. The study also enhances the authors’ understanding of graduate student education.
Engagement in peer review, learner-content interaction and learning outcomes
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose a reciprocal peer review approach that resembled the scholarly peer review process using the Moodle e-learning system. The authors investigated interrelations among engagement in providing peer feedback, engagement in responding to peer feedback, learner-content interaction and learning outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: An experimental intervention study was designed. A total of 45 students who enroled in an undergraduate research methods course completed the assigned project. Reciprocal peer review was adopted, in which the participants provided a peer review report on a randomly assigned peer’s research proposal. Subsequently, participants revised and submitted their proposal along with a response letter that highlighted the revisions. Findings: This study highlights that the engagement in providing peer feedback exerts an indirect effect on learning outcomes through learner-content interaction. Learner-content interaction fully mediates the causal relationship between engagement in providing peer feedback and learning outcomes. Practical implications: Learner-content interaction fully mediates the causal relationship between engagement in providing peer feedback and learning outcomes. Thus, e-learning practitioners who engage in peer review should first construct high-quality course materials to enhance learning outcomes. Originality/value: Learning outcomes can be enhanced if there is a high level of engagement in providing peer feedback among learners. However, learner-content interaction fully mediates the positive effect of engagement in providing peer feedback on learning outcomes. Furthermore, engagement in providing peer feedback will enhance the learner’s motivation to intensify his or her learning from the course material.
Shifting preservice teachers’ beliefs: toward critical connected learning
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how preservice teacher’s beliefs change over time in a literacy methods elementary licensure course that encourages critical literacy and connects learning. The authors were interested in the interplay among identity, agency and structure within this process and how this connected with other literature on teacher beliefs and technology use. Design/methodology/approach: Utilizing data from a larger ethnographic study and mediated discourse analysis (Scollon and Scollon, 2004), this paper follows preservice teacher’s use of digital tools and beliefs about using digital tools in the classroom over a semester-long hybrid course. Findings: Findings show changes in preservice teacher’s beliefs about technology use, interest-driven learning and her own agency. These changes were influenced by the framework of the course and course practices. Research limitations/implications: This research study offers practical ways to support preservice teachers’ implementation of digital tools with an emphasis on equity. Ultimately, preservice teachers’ experience shapes the opportunities students have with digital tools in schools. Practical implications: Recognizing the competing discourses and pressures preservice teachers’ experience, the results of this study offer tools to support preservice teachers’ agency through the implementation of connected learning principles and critical literacy theories in preservice education courses, leading to the potential to expand equity in school settings. Originality/value: While there is research around connected learning in classrooms, there is limited research on a connected learning framework in preservice education programs. Additionally, this paper brings a new perspective on how pairing an emphasis of equity to a connected learning framework supports teachers’ implementation of digital tools.
Investigating technology and organizational performance of private higher learning institutions in Malaysia
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of technology on organizational performance of private higher learning institutions (HLIs) in Malaysia and to determine the area of focus for private HLIs in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: Data collection was carried out over two months through an online self-administered questionnaire and yielded 155 samples. Subsequently, the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the reflective measurement model and the structural model for validity, reliability and hypotheses, respectively. Findings: This paper discovered that between the two constructs of technology tested (technology management and technology usage), only technology management influenced organizational performance. Originality/value: As Industry 4.0 is disrupting the existing business environment, inquiring into the influence of technology is of critical importance for the organizational performance of private HLIs in Malaysia. This paper provides a different perspective of how technology affects the overall organizational performance of private HLIs which differs from past studies which focused more on the effects of technology on individuals such as teachers/instructors and learners.