A reflexive evaluation of technology-enhanced learning

Abstract

This article explores the lived experiences of two academics in a UK Higher Education Institution who have embedded digital learning approaches within their curriculum delivery. Achieving student excellence can be impeded by a lack of engagement and sense of identity on large courses. Digital learning strategies can offer opportunities to overcome these challenges by empowering students to engage self-confidently. Through an evaluation of the authors' own experiences of using social media, polling and web-conferencing software, the article shows how interacting with students via a range of learning technologies can create more inclusive and engaging learning environments. Including feedback from students within this article provides evidence that diversification of communication within teaching and learning practice gives students more choice and opportunity to interact with both their peers and teaching staff. The article concludes with recommendations for embedding technology, whilst acknowledging the well-established value of face-to-face interaction.

Assessing mobile mixed reality affordances as a comparative visualisation pedagogy for design communication

“…There is ever-increasing potential in considering how technologies can enhance classrooms and enable learning (Kirkwood and Price 2014) especially in higher education (Becker et al 2017), with a focus on increasing learner reflection (Roy and Chi 2005;Young and Nichols 2017), pedagogical awareness on using technology approaches to enhance learning (Englund, Olofsson, and Price 2017;Rodriguez Triana et al 2017) and perceptions of technology usefulness in higher education (Henderson, Selwyn, and Aston 2017;Mayer 2017).…”

Impact of Digital Media on Gifted Students’ Career Choices

“…Both the gifted education and the social media have become more focused for some researchers in recent years; therefore mass media and personal choice, technology enhanced learning and career goals of gifted students have been researched (Saleem et al 2014;Young & Nichols, 2017;Culross, 2015). There are some studies on gifted education, the use of social media for gifted students and gifted students' career maturity levels (Ozcan, 2017;Güzel, 2017).…”

“…One of the most important reasons for this collaboration is that students are now hesitantly using the computers that will come to schools in the middle of the 1990's, but nowadays, students now enter the digital world immediately, regardless of what the damage is (Graber & Mendoza, 2012, p.90). From this point of view, social media occupy an important place in education (Young & Nichols, 2017).…”

“…However, with digital media, the user is also active. We can see the emerging technologies and their use, as well as new methods developed for old technologies in digital media (Young & Nichols, 2017). For instance; Internet newspapers, e-book, digital animation and 3D movies (Bulunmaz, 2011, p.25).…”

Results of the use of Kahoot! gamification tool in a course of Chemistry

“…Thus, Kahoot! questionnaires could be seen as an alternative to the traditional way of reviewing a university lecture, whereby instead of the teacher telling students what they should have learnt, this quiz allows them to demonstrate what they have learnt (Young & Nichols, 2017). There are certain key benefits arising from the approach: i) students see it as an entertaining activity; ii) students have to reflect on what they have learnt in order to answer the questions; iii) teachers can get a sense of how well students have grasped the material from the lessons; iv) students are allowed to obtain immediate formative feedback on their learning without any risk of embarrassment (Hussein, 2015).…”