Developing Technology Mediation In Learning Environments

Most technologies have been harnessed to enable educators to conduct their business remotely. However, the social context of technology as a mediating factor needs to be examined to address the perceptions of barriers to learning due to the lack of social interaction between a teacher and a learner in such a setting. Developing Technology Mediation in Learning Environments is an essential reference source that widens the scene of STEM education with an all-encompassing approach to technology-mediated learning, establishing a context for technology as a mediating factor in education. Featuring research on topics such as distance education, digital storytelling, and mobile learning, this book is ideally designed for teachers, IT consultants, educational software developers, researchers, administrators, and professionals seeking coverage on developing digital skills and professional knowledge using technology.

Educators are finding that communication and interaction are at the core of a successful web-based classroom. This interactivity fosters community, which contributes to effective and meaningful learning. Positive online communities and the communication therein encourage students to interact with others’ views which not only grows one’s empathy, but is an integral part of constructivist learning theories. Because of this, the most important role of an educator in an online class is one that ensures student interactivity and engagement. Creating Teacher Immediacy in Online Learning Environments addresses the most effective models and strategies for nurturing teacher immediacy in web-based and virtual learning environments. A number of innovative methods for building an authentic, personalized online learning experience are outlined and discussed at length within this publication, providing solutions for pre-service as well as in-service educators. This book is a valuable compilation of research for course designers, faculty, students of education, administration, software designers, and higher education researchers.

Educational technologies have revolutionized the learning and teaching environments. Offline/online applications and social media have changed the conventional learning and teaching habits and competencies. In terms of learners, it has been empirically proven that the use of educational technologies in the classroom make learning easier and more enjoyable. On the other hand, it also poses threats to students such as cyberbullying and online addiction. While exploiting the opportunities of technological use in the classroom, educators must also remain vigilant and formulate ways to overcome the challenges and risks brought by technology. Enriching Teaching and Learning Environments With Contemporary Technologies is an essential research publication that aims to present exemplary practices of technology use and their management in pedagogical purposes in learning and teaching environments. The book also analyzes problems that may arise and develops policies on educational technologies and the exploitation of technology with pedagogical purposes as part of the discussion to solve these challenges. Featuring a wide range of topics such as augmented reality, mass media, and religious education, this book is ideal for educators who want to use technology in class, educational administrators who have responsibilities for developing policies on educational technologies and managing the use of them, and researchers who want to carry out a deep investigation into the subject. Additionally, educational software developers, academicians, instructional designers, curriculum developers, education professionals, and students will also benefit from the research contained within the book.

Although institutions of higher education have recognized the need for preparing their graduates for a digitalized, global workplace, these efforts have been sporadic, individualized, and varied from discipline to discipline. Nevertheless, over the past 10 years, trends such as “double classrooms,” “inverted classrooms,” and “collaborative online international learning” (COIL) have gained traction at universities across the globe. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, efforts to engage students in the use of digital tools and virtual collaborative teamwork increased tenfold. Creative and innovative virtual learning environments (VLEs) have emerged, and instructors have used them to connect with their students much more frequently. The holistic nature of virtual learning, its impact on employability, and the development of global citizenry have become prime areas of research amongst the digital education landscape. Now more than ever, it is essential to look at virtual learning environments and how they can be used to prepare students and employees for the opportunities and challenges of a global, digital workplace. Developments in Virtual Learning Environments and the Global Workplace provides readers with a rationale and tool kit for facilitating virtual learning in a wide variety of contexts in response to the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital global workplace. This book covers virtual learning practices, the value of virtual learning for professionals and employers, and the best practices in online learning in different settings. Additionally, the chapters dive into the future perspectives and trends within virtual learning environments and the creation/evaluation of virtual learning strategies. These insights range from diverse countries, education levels, industry sectors, and academic disciplines, making this book a comprehensive research tool. This book will greatly benefit e-learning and instructional designers, university senior managers, university staff responsible for mobility and exchange, researchers, professionals responsible for organizational development and further education, human resource directors, global company executives, managers, practitioners, stakeholders, academicians, and students looking for information on how virtual learning environments are preparing students for the global workplace.

The current learning environment is substantially different than what existed for most of the 20th century. Learners and teachers today must navigate in perpetually changing contexts where education is influenced by technological advancement and obsolescence, economic barriers, a changing employment landscape, and even international politics. Studies indicate that employers seek to hire graduates with strong skills in areas coalescing around international awareness, creativity, communication, leadership, and teamwork. Skills and experiences in these areas are necessary preparation for the current economy and to pursue jobs that do not exist yet, while providing some insulation against the obsolescence of industries that lack these characteristics. These interpersonal skills are not often the subject of students’ degrees, yet there are opportunities in online education to cultivate them. With increased interest in new career options comes the need to reconsider how to teach subjects in the increasingly online environment. Advancing Online Course Design and Pedagogy for the 21st Century Learning Environment is a critical reference book that navigates today’s dynamic education requirements and provides examples of how online learning can foster growth in skill areas necessary for career advancement through effective course design. Moreover, it helps educators gain insight into online pedagogy and course design for the 21st century learner and prepares them to convert traditional courses and enhance existing online courses, thereby supporting students’ growth and development in the highly dynamic online learning environment. Focusing on specific learning activities, assessments, engagement, communication techniques, and more, this book provides a valuable resource for those seeking to upgrade teaching and learning into the online environment, those that seek better employment outcomes for their students, and those seeking to explore contemporary online course design strategies or examples. This includes teachers, instructional designers, curriculum developers, academicians, researchers, and students.

There has been an evolution of the explanations on the results of research on human learning and how digital technologies have supported the design of more efficient learning environments. Previous theories such as Richard Mayer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning and John Sweller’s cognitive load theory have gained signification attention and remain the two main theories within the multimedia learning field. However, there has not yet been a book compiled of several investigations on the specific 4C-ID model that covers different domains of knowledge. The 4C-ID model combines the two main theories of Richard Mayer and John Sweller to advance the field of learning and instruction. 4C-ID Model and Cognitive Approaches to Instructional Design and Technology: Emerging Research and Opportunities explores the behavioral and constructivist approaches to learning and instruction and focuses mainly on the particular cognitive approach and resulting theories and insights of the 4C-ID model. The chapters present the results of three experimental studies applied to the teaching of electrical circuits, initiation to computer programming using the Alice microworld, and computer programming using Python textual language. This book is a valuable resource tool for computer programmers, computer scientists, teachers, educational psychologists, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in the various approaches to learning and instruction in terms of the 4C-ID instructional model.

Optimized linear algebra (LA) libraries that are able to exploit the underlying hardware are always of interest in the high-performance computing community. The implementation of LA software has evolved along with computer architecture, while the specification remains unaltered almost from the beginning. It is important to differentiate between the specification of LA libraries and their implementation. Because LA libraries pursue high performance, the implementation for a given architecture needs to be optimized for it specifically. However, the type of operations included in the libraries, the input/output parameters, and the data types to be handled are common to all of them. This is why, while the specification remains constant, the implementation evolves with the creation of new architectures. Developing Linear Algebra Codes on Modern Processors: Emerging Research and Opportunities presents the main characteristics of LA libraries, showing the differences between the standards for sparse and dense versions. It further explores relevant linear algebra problems and shows, in a clear and understandable way, how to solve them using different computer architectures. Covering topics such as programming models, batched computing, and distributed memory platforms, this premier reference source is an excellent resource for programmers, computer scientists, engineers, students and faculty of higher education, librarians, researchers, and academicians.

It is a great pleasure to share with you the Springer LNCS proceedings of the Second World Summit on the Knowledge Society, WSKS 2009, organized by the Open - search Society, Ngo, http://www.open-knowledge-society.org, and held in Samaria Hotel, in the beautiful city of Chania in Crete, Greece, September 16–18, 2009. The 2nd World Summit on the Knowledge Society (WSKS 2009) was an inter- tional scientific event devoted to promoting dialogue on the main aspects of the knowledge society towards a better world for all. The multidimensional economic and social crisis of the last couple of years has brought to the fore the need to discuss in depth new policies and strategies for a human centric developmental processes in the global context. This annual summit brings together key stakeholders involved in the worldwide development of the knowledge society, from academia, industry, and government, including policy makers and active citizens, to look at the impact and prospects of - formation technology, and the knowledge-based era it is creating, on key facets of l- ing, working, learning, innovating, and collaborating in today’s hyper-complex world. The summit provides a distinct, unique forum for cross-disciplinary fertilization of research, favoring the dissemination of research on new scientific ideas relevant to - ternational research agendas such as the EU (FP7), OECD, or UNESCO. We focus on the key aspects of a new sustainable deal for a bold response to the multidimensional crisis of our times.