This research paper’s focus is to portray and analyse different ways of how participants of the educational system in the Republic of Croatia have reacted to the pandemic caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 Pupils’ right to education, as one of their basic rights, was enabled by the Government of the Republic of Croatia’s decision to organise distance learning The part of the system which encountered most challenges during transitioning to online education was in classes first to fourth due to the pupils, because of chronological age and digital and computer literacy level, requiring parents' assistance in order to successfully accomplish educational outcomes The involvement of parents, who because of child's impossibility to independently carry out duties, have taken on a role of a substitute teacher overnight which consequentially resulted in their overload The key element in distance learning is independence of pupils which is questionable in the chosen segment of the educational system In addition to independence of pupils, this paper distinguishes two other important factors: pupils’ spatial-material-technical learning conditions necessary to undertake distance learning and cooperative relationship between parents (as substitute teachers) and “real” teachers which takes on a new dimension in the newly emerged situation The empirical research's goal was an inquiry intoparents’ attitudes and experiences in three categories (independence of pupils, spatial-material-technical conditions and teachers’ requirements) Research results show the existence of difference in parents’ attitudes considering their structural characteristics (age, sex, educational status) Furthermore, research participants show mostly positive feedback information in relation to general attributes of distance learning, and results confirm the existence of differences in attitudes in questioned categories Based on research results we can conclude that distance learning asks of parents, whose children are pupils of classes first to fourth, for a new level of investment for which they require pedagogical support and guidance
Social media networks offering the opportunity of communication on a global scale help individual of any age to build their own worlds as part of participatory online culture. The intense use of social media networks and the global affection power on public opinion lead the researchers to investigate the effects of social media networks on Baby Boomer, X, Y, Z generations. So, the levels of acceptance of diversity of these generations are investigated in “Acceptance of Diverse Religions/Ethnicities” and “Acceptance of Diverse Appearances” and “Acceptance of Diverse Ideas/Values” dimensions of “Acceptance of Diversity Scale” developed by Deniz and Tutgun - Ünal (2019). The research was carried out in a general survey model and the sample of the research consisted of 516 individuals of different generations. Some of the major results are as follows: (a) The levels of acceptance of diversity of generations are moderate level; (b) Females’ levels of acceptance of diversity are found higher than males; (c) Levels of acceptance of diversity of those using social media for a longer time are higher than those using for a shorter time; (d) Those using social media more than four hours daily have a higher level of acceptance of diverse appearances; (e) The generation Y has the highest tolerance level of the acceptance of diverse appearances whereas generation Z has the lowest tolerance level.
Media freedom and independence are the pillars of a given democratic society. Since the media makes up the bridge between the political authority and the public opinion, its independence is crucial for the survival of democracy. However, the history of the media has always been paved with obstacles of different kinds. This paper examines the obstacles to the freedom and independence of the media in the world in general and Turkey in particular. The critical political economy of the media was used as the theoretical framework for the study and, as for the method, a qualitative analysis of secondary data was performed. The existing literature showed that media concentration ownership, commercial stakes, and political interference make up the main obstacles to media freedom and independence in the world. Also, the literature revealed that political interference, economic stakes, and the legal framework in which the media operate consist of the main obstacle to media freedom and independence in Turkey. It was revealed that even in countries where freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Constitution, the media still struggle to maintain a completely independent editorial policy. he negative world trends in media freedom and independence consequently imply a negative trend in democracy in the world. The rise of electronic journalism contributed significantly to the freedom and independence of the media. However, political power and digital capital control the media content, which often leads to censorship.
The aim of this study is to put forth the opinions of mathematics teachers about distance education carried out using the Educational Informatics Network known as EBA (Egitim Bilisim Agi) which is a new practice in Turkey. In accordance with this objective, 10 Mathematics teachers who work in institutions affiliated to Ministry of National Education in Giresun Province form the sample group of the study. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview technique consisting of eight open-ended questions developed by the researcher in this study where the special case method was used. Themes were created based on the data and the frequencies of the themes were determined and presented in tables. In line with the data obtained, it is seen that distance education using EBA prevents students from losing their ties with the school while they stay at home and provides them the experience that education can continue under all circumstances. That being said, students who did not have internet or computer at home were not able to benefit from the education since they could not attend the classes. Additionally, since the live courses held in EBA are not being recorded, students cannot find the opportunity to watch the lessons later on if they cannot attend them. For these reasons, it is suggested that live courses be recorded and made accessible to students and every student should be provided with free internet service in order to ensure equal opportunities in education.
In the current scenario of the fast-developing area of Software Engineering and Development and considerably more rapidly developing division of games, what is yet to come, is difficult to predict. In simpler terms, a project is an attempt concentrating on the making of programming. In a game undertaking, the item is a game. Be that as it may, a game is substantially more than simply its product. It needs to give substance to get charming. The product portion of the project isn't the one and only one and it must be considered in association with every single other part – the story, the characters, interactive experiences, fine art, etc. Twisted – 2.0 is a multiplayer endurance game, developed in a low-poly 3D environment, that is prepared to do all the while supporting 20 online players.
This paper deals with the pros and cons in relation to the teaching strategy imposed specifically in Italy by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has involved and continues to involve significant changes in the setting in which students and teachers interact. The approach is multidisciplinary, in that the perspective advanced is both historical and epistemological in nature. Particular attention is paid to the possibility of erecting an argumentative framework within the operational educational context as it takes place in the temporal and spatial dimensions of the school. Suggestions are provided regarding the set of “tools” useful for the constructive and creative management of didactic-pedagogical modalities inherent to DAD (acronym for the Italian “Didattica A Distanza”, i.e., distance/remote teaching and learning), including combining the quantitative facets with the necessary qualitative facets, which are expressed in the category of the “bello” (beautiful), thus introducing the aesthetic value. Therefore, the concept of “benessere” (well-being) and that of “malessere” (malaise) are associated with the concept of “bellessere” (beautiful-being).
The massive open online courses (MOOCs) movement has gained its popularity during the COVID-19 Pandemic The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of the instructors on teaching MOOCs during the pandemic A case study design as one of the qualitative research approaches was used and content analysis was conducted to analyze the findings Total 41 volunteer instructors have participated the study In the present study, what the instructors think about MOOC practices, their motives for teaching, to what extent they could transfer the experiences they gained while teaching MOOCs to their regular courses during the pandemic, which materials and practices they have used more frequently, favorite features of their MOOCs, and what they suggest for the improvement of the MOOC portal they used were sought for The analyses shown that the instructors found the MOOC quite useful, and they think that more resources should be allocated to improve and extent these courses The primary motivations of the instructors to launch MOOCs were sharing their knowledge and experience, financial income, gaining experiences that will increase their effectiveness in face-to-face courses, and strengthening their professional visibility in the field It was also emphasized that they used their experiences in MOOCs while they transfer to the emergency remote teaching during the pandemic The instructors mostly used self-prepared online reading resources, self-recorded videos and self-prepared visuals Instructors pointed out the gathering of learners with diverse characteristics, flexibility of time offered by the system and system’s ease of use as their favorite features of the platform thorugh which they offered their MOOCs, Namely, AKADEMA of Anadolu University Their suggestions for the improvement of AKADEMA portal concentrated on the need for better promotion of the portal, and provision of ETCS equivalence and certification
Universities skipped from face-to-face education on campuses to online education worldwide due to the outbreak of COVID-19 started in December 2019 But it remains unclear how effective online education was, given that most instructors and students had little experience with online education and with lack of technological resources This study aimed to evaluate the online education offered by the universities during Pandemic COVID-19 Mixed research was conducted with randomly selected 500 university students and 24 instructors from various universities in North Cyprus between April 2020–August 2020 Students agreed with the 30 benefits of online education, and they stated serious obstacles that they faced during online lectures Instructors mentioned their online teaching experiencesand the obstacles they faced during the pandemic Also, participant instructors made some suggestions for the government, universities, and instructors to improve and ensure the effectiveness of online education This type of in-depth research can be carried out by all universities globally and the data will help all education leaders and management of the universities to determine the weak and strong points of their online education and re-manage and redesign their online education to meet the needs of students Universities can produce solutions to mitigate their problems in online education and increase the quality of online education which can be accessed by all students
The authors present a case study, where digital technologies were implemented for online education (particularly, mathematics education) at Italian primary school level Results of this study confirm that the quick transition to the online form of education, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was successful and provided experience which may be useful in future didactic activities
For many years, microteaching has been acknowledged as one the best training techniques in teacher education. It is a useful tool to apply theory into practice and to help teacher trainees develop their teaching skills. Yet there are some constraints observed in traditional microteaching. The two most important and common restrictions are limited opportunities of microteaching due to time constraints and lack self-reflection on microteaching performances. A mixed method research seemed to well suit to investigate this problem. The researcher conducted a video aided supplementary task, an out-of-class videorecorded microteaching session (OCVMT) for English language teacher trainees (n=55), to cope with the two common problems she faced in her microteaching sessions while teaching methodology classes. At the end of the semester, in addition to the portfolios including their self-evaluation reports and opinions of the OCVMT task, a survey was used to collect data about the teacher trainees opinions of the OCVMT sessions. The findings showed that the video-recorded microteaching sessions worked well in teacher education programs. The OCVMT sessions were found to solve the two most common problems faced in microteaching. INTRODUCTION Microteaching is a very effective teacher training technique that has been implemented since the 1960s in teacher education. It was first designed and used in Stratford University by Dwight Allen and his colleagues (Kochhar, 1997) with the intention of increasing the quality of teacher education. Microteaching sessions are mini lessons where teachers trainees (hereafter TTs) teach a lesson to their peers in front of a supervisor. After their teaching performance, the TTs get immediate feedback from the supervisor. At times, the peers are also asked to give feedback on the micro lesson.This is usually done via an evaluation form. The aim of both types of critical analysis is to help the TTs improve their teaching skills by correcting any weak points or deficiencies. As seen, microteaching is an indispensible part of teacher education as it helps teacher candidates to apply theory into practice. In order to improve microteaching lessons, the lessons are supported with different technological devices. One of the most effective technological devices is the video. A number of researchers have investigated the use and impact of videos in teacher education, and discussed the affordances of video technology in the professional development of teachers. Copious research supports the view that videos are effective and beneficial tools used in microteaching to help TSs improve their teaching skills (Dymond & Bentz, 2006; Joshi, 1996; Hung, 2009; Kpanja, 2001; Olivero, 1970; Savaş, 2012; Wu & Kao 2008; Zein, 1976). Therefore, video has been valued as a beneficial technology in teacher education for connecting theory with practice and enabling TTs to access their teaching performances (Sherin, 2004). In this sense, researchers and scholars have recommended that video technology should be used to promote TTs’ progress in teaching (Borko, Jacobs, Eiteljang, & Pittman, 2008; Sherin & Han, 2004). According to Eddie (2001), videorecording of microteaching sessions is a necessary tool for the microteacher to reflect on his or her performance. In her study upon video in microteaching training to improve the TTs’ performance, Kpanja (2001) designed a supplementary video task to be performed by a group of students, hoping that group members would motivate each other. She revealed that TTs who used video-recordings had significant improvement over those who did not. It was also observed that the TTs who used video-recordings in microteaching training had more positive attitudes towards the microteaching session. In this sense, Kpanja’s (2001) research confirmed the importance of video-recordings in microteaching sessions. Besides, several researchers have suggested that using video facilitates teacher reflection and gives TTs the opportunity to reflect on their teaching and explore their strengths and weaknesses (Akcan, 2010; Fuller & Manning, 1973; Grossman, 2005; Schön, 1983; Penny & Coe, 2004; Wang & Hartley 2003; Kourieos, 2016; Tuluce & Cecen, 2018). Video technologies are considered to be the most effective and the richest of ways to reflect on one’s teaching (Wang & Hartley, 2003). Videotapes are also known to be means to help TTs reflect on their teaching performance (Dymond & Bentz, 2006). TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – April 2020, volume 19 issue 2 Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology 25 Having analyzed 17 studies on the effects of video on teachers’ self-reflection, Tripp and Rich (2012) stated that teachers achieved optimal learning when they reflected on their teaching by discussing their teaching videos with their supervisors, and they valued evaluating their videotaped teaching performance as one of the most important means of their professional development. Similarly, Rogers and Tucker (1993) conducted a study on TTs to find out whether videotaping their lessons contributed to their self-reflection or not. The 10 kindergarten teachers were videotaped while they were teaching, and later the teachers watched their videotaped teaching. The results showed that the TTs gained teaching knowledge, self-confidence, and professionalism from their video portfolio experiences. The teachers also decided to use this reflection procedure for their future teaching careers. Additionally, Lee and Wu (2006) investigated the effects of using videos on the teaching experience of TTs on web-based computer mediated communication. Their data showed that using videos in microteaching enabled better self-reflection and provided more concrete feedback. In order to investigate the effectiveness of microteaching videos Savas (2012) conducted a similar study on 40 TTs and found that those microteaching videos in teacher education methodology courses contributed not only to participants’ skills of teaching English but also to their English proficiency. In another study, Esiobu and Maduekwe (2008) assert that the use of video-recordings of microteaching performances is one of the best strategies to encourage interaction and enhance reflection by allowing TTs and instructors to review their performance and make constructive criticism. In the study of Deary et al. (in Lee & Wu, 2006), video-based reflection was considered by the participating teachers to be more objective, efficient, and effective than peer or teacher feedback. A relevant study by Kuter, Gazi and Aksal (2012) demonstrated that video-recorded microteaching contributed to TTs’ lesson planning and helped them gain awareness concerning their teaching that they were not aware at the beginning of microteaching. Similarly, Kourieos (2016) investigated the effectiveness of video as a means of reflective practice and found data that videorecording microteaching sessions promoted trainees’ awareness of classroom language, error correction and their ability for self reflection. In a recent study, Tuluce and Cecen (2018) also investigated the affordances and constraints of videorecording in microteaching sessions in a teacher training program. They found the affordances of videorecording as being “a resource for recall, for noticing, for critical reflection and for progression” and found being “a resource of anxiety” as the only constraint of videorecording. Research has provided plenty of evidence to show the effectiveness of videorecordings in microteaching and its function as a stimulus for reflection. Besides its potential as a reflective practice, using videorecordings in microteaching may contribute to some other limitations faced in classical microteaching sessions. The constraints of classical microteaching sessions Despite many strengths having been put forth, microteachings are not free from some constraints. As microteaching requires the application of theory into practice, some difficulties and constraints exist in microteaching sessions. According to Lee and Wu (2006), a traditional microteaching session has two constraints. First, TTs have limited time during sessions as they are limited to 10 to 15 minutes. Because of this time constraint, TTs in the program can perform only one mini lesson which lasts a maximum of 15 minutes. This is a common problem of teacher education programs (Enginarlar, 1996; Seferoğlu, 2006; Struyk & McCoy, 1993). Secondly, TTs can seldom find opportunities to reflect on their own performances. Yet the importance of self-reflection in learning is unquestionable as reflection is crucial for professional development (Dewey 1993; Schön 1983;), and thus is encouraged in teacher education programs. This situation is almost the same in many teacher education programs in Turkey. Seferoğlu (2006) conducted research on TTs who were enrolled in an English teacher training program and concluded that the TTS didn’t have enough opportunities for microteaching during their pre-service education. Similarly, the researcher of this study teaches ELT Methodology I and ELT Methodology II courses to third year undergraduate students. These methodology classes of the ELT teacher preparation program at a state university in Turkey take two semesters and help TTs prepare themselves for actual teaching by providing them settings in which to apply pedagogical theories. These courses are partly theory and partly practice in nature. During the courses, TTs both receive theoretical information and apply the learnt theory into practice during their microteaching by presenting their teaching in front of their peers and the instructor, who is an expert mentor. At the end of the second semester, during a class discussion, the participants of this study also stated that they did not have enough opportunities to develop their teaching skills during the 15 minutes of class time allocated to TOJET: The Turki
Advances in information and communication technologies have been influenced on the learning-teaching practices that fostered development of new learning environments and implementations. The Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are one of these new learning environments. Although it is believed that MOOCs have a great protentional in formal and informal education, high drop-out and low completion rates are considered as a major issue about MOOCs. This study examined the factors that effected the MOOC participants’ noncompletion in the MOOCs Platform, entitled as AKADEMA, of Anadolu University, and their recommendations for improvement of these MOOCs. During this case study, data were collected by using an online questionnaire that included openended questions. A content analysis process was employed to reach the themes about noncompletion reasons. Three themes were drawn personal reasons, platform (program)-based reasons, and design-based reasons. Among personal reasons, the ‘other responsibilities’ was the most often cited reasons of noncompletion. Meanwhile, length of the courses (too long) among platform (program)-based reasons, and insufficient timely feedback from the instructors among the content design-based reasons were noted the most. In terms of recommendations for improvement, better announcements about start and end dates of the courses, quality of the videos, more userfriendly interface, and variety in course contents are listed as the major ones.
Education for sustainable development is an emerging concept that encompasses a new vision in physics education that empowers the learner to assume responsibility for creating a sustainable future. Physics education is still struggling to adapt to the personalized approach in learning. Personalized learning thrives in this technology-rich environment, but it is not enough to revolutionize the learning experience. Physics is a challenging subject to learn at higher education level due to its heavy emphasis on problem-solving. Technologies in learning physics create a learner-centered learning environment that is individualized and interactive. The authors attempted to develop the software using database technology for assisting learners to keep their learning materials for learning physics step by step. Database tools are primarily used for storing, modifying, extracting and searching for information within the database. The tool used for this research was the Database software (CVLP) which was made available on the cloud platform. This tool was designed by using the relational database model. The researcher has used the experimental method in studying its effectiveness in learning physics. The samples selected for this study comprised of the students studying an undergraduate course in four colleges at Tamilnadu, India. In this study, t-Test was the statistical technique applied to draw conclusion. The higher difference in mean scores between the experimental group and control group indicates that the database software was effectively utilized by the learners. The results revealed that the database software developed by the researcher helped the learners in learning physics concepts and solving physics problems.
