Making Sense of Data: AI-based NLP Tools for Education Research

Making Sense of Data: AI-based NLP Tools for Education Research

by | NW 16 ICT in Education and Training, NW 9 Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement

For most researchers—even those with some experience in data analysis or who have taken statistics courses—deciding on and applying appropriate statistical methods is still challenging (Pallant, 2020).

 When you must analyze your data and you are not sure how to proceed, what do you do? Do you open a statistics book? Ask your supervisor or experienced colleagues? Search social media and the web? Or, if it is available, do you try artificial intelligence? Would you use AI just for guidance, or let it run the whole analysis?

This blog post looks at why researchers need support in data analysis, why many turn to AI-based Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools, how these tools can help at different stages of analysis, and what skills researchers should build to work with AI effectively.

Why researchers need support in data analysis

Data analysis is a complex task that requires both technical knowledge and methodological thinking (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Even simple datasets may include missing values, errors, or outliers that require careful preparation (Field, 2018). Many researchers do not have strong training in statistics, which often creates anxiety and a lack of confidence (Onwuegbuzie & Wilson, 2003). Time restrictions and limited access to expert consultants make this harder, especially in smaller or less-funded institutions (Cabrera & McDougall, 2013). Some researchers also see statistics as a secondary part of research, which reduces their motivation to engage with it (Gal & Ginsburg, 1994). These challenges explain why accessible support in data analysis is so important.

Why researchers turn to AI-based NLP tools

There are many sources of support for data analysis, such as books, tutorials, social media or web resources, academic advisors or colleagues. Most recently, AI-based NLP tools are becoming very popular. NLP is a branch of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) that focuses on enabling computers to understand, generate, and interact through human language (Hirschberg & Manning, 2015). Well-known examples include chat-based systems such as ChatGPT, which allow researchers to ask questions in plain language and receive immediate feedback.

These tools provide fast, on-demand help that fits tight research schedules. They allow researchers to interact in natural language, without needing advanced software or coding skills. Many are low-cost or free, which makes them more accessible than professional consultants. AI systems are also improving quickly, which increases their usefulness in different types of research tasks (Floridi & Chiriatti, 2020). Another reason might be that some researchers prefer using AI to avoid the discomfort of asking for help from others (Bohns & Flynn, 2010). For a short introduction to the distinctions between AI, ML, and NLP, see this overview. For these reasons, AI tools are now widely used as an easy and convenient support system.

Capabilities and limits of AI-based NLP tools

AI-based NLP tools can support many parts of data analysis. They can clean and organize data, identify patterns, and summarize large sets of text. They can also suggest interpretations or help draft parts of research reports (Gale, 1987; Žižka et al., 2019; Young et al., 2018). However, they have clear limits. AI usually lacks deep contextual understanding and domain expertise. It can reflect biases in its training data (Shah & Sureja, 2025).It cannot judge ethical issues such as deep meaning, privacy and consent (Bankins& Formosa, 2023). The quality of AI output depends on clear input, and poor prompts often lead to poor results. Finally, many AI systems work like a “black box,” offering little transparency about how answers are produced (von Eschenbach, 2021). For this reason, AI should not replace human expertise but rather complement it.

AI support across data analysis steps

The process of data analysis usually follows a series of steps, moving from collecting raw information to reporting results. Classic frameworks describe these stages as data collection, cleaning and preparation, exploration, hypothesis building, modeling and analysis, interpretation, and reporting (Tukey, 1977; Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Each step requires different skills and decisions, and mistakes at one stage can affect the quality of the entire study. AI can assist in these steps, but human oversight remains essential (Shneiderman, 2022). Furthermore, this shared approach combines AI’s efficiency with human judgment and expertise.

Data collection: AI plays a key role in the data revolution by enhancing data collection within big data, open data, and evolving infrastructures. It automates gathering information from digital sources, sensors, and databases, making large-scale data more accessible for research. Still, researchers must ensure ethical use and data quality when relying on AI-driven collection (Kitchin, 2014).

Data cleaning and preparation: Detecting errors or missing values is one of AI’s strengths, but researchers should always confirm corrections (De Waal et al., 2012).

Exploratory analysis: In this stage, AI’s ability to summarize and visualize data helps detect patterns or anomalies. It can interpret tables, graphs, and outputs from analysis, providing summaries and potential insights, but final interpretation should be validated by the researcher ( Amant & Cohen, 1998).

Hypothesis building: Instead of providing answers, AI may highlight possible patterns that inspire new hypotheses, but researchers decide which are meaningful (Yao et al., 2025).

Deciding the appropriate method: Suggestions for statistical methods can be generated by AI based on the data type and research questions. However, evaluating appropriateness and assumptions remains the researcher’s responsibility (Schwarz, 2025).

Modeling and analysis: Support for replicating models or tuning parameters shows the usefulness of AI at this stage. Yet its limits become clear with more complex tasks – tools like ChatGPT may produce repetitive or incomplete solutions, making human judgment and verification essential (Prander et al., 2025; Schwarz, 2025).

Interpretation: While outputs may be accurate, meaningful interpretation still requires human insight. Even advanced tools such as ChatGPT-4 often lack precision and contextual understanding, so theoretical conclusions must come from the researcher (Sporek& Konieczny, 2025).

Reporting: Drafting, formatting, and revising reports can be streamlined by AI, but it cannot take full responsibility for accuracy, interpretation, or compliance with research standards. Human researchers must review and finalize all outputs to ensure correct and meaningful reporting  (Anderson et al., 2025).

Skills for working effectively with AI

To use AI responsibly, researchers need certain skills. Data literacy is key for understanding data types, quality, and methods (Carlson et al., 2011). Basic statistical knowledge helps them check analysis outputs even when provided by AI (Garfield et al., 2008). Methodological proficiency is also important; researchers should understand research design, data collection strategies, and how analysis decisions relate to research questions and hypotheses (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).

Some literacy skills—such as statistical literacy, digital literacy, and AI literacy—are essential for understanding methods, navigating tools, and using AI effectively. Critical thinking and problem solving allow researchers to question and refine AI-generated results (Saddhono et al., 2024). Ethical awareness ensures responsible handling of privacy, bias, and transparency issues (Jobin et al., 2019). Finally, clear prompt writing is important to guide AI effectively (Federiakin et al., 2024). These skills help researchers combine AI tools with scientific rigor. Importantly, becoming proficient with these tools takes practice. While the learning curve may initially reduce efficiency, familiarity with AI over time can significantly increase the net benefits of its use.

Ethical considerations

In addition to the limits mentioned earlier, using AI in research comes with ethical risks. AI may increase existing biases in data (Mehrabi et al., 2021; Shah & Sureja, 2025). Furthermore, it might lead to some fairness issues (Barocas et al., 2023). Its “black box” nature makes transparency and accountability difficult. Sensitive data may not be fully protected by AI systems (von Eschenbach, 2021). Over-reliance on AI may also reduce human skills or allow mistakes to go unnoticed (Karamuk, 2025). Reproducibility may suffer if AI use is not well documented. Researchers, therefore, need to apply ethical standards carefully when working with AI.

Conclusion and recommendations

AI-based NLP tools can make data analysis more accessible and efficient. But they cannot replace human expertise and ethical responsibility. Researchers need skills in data literacy, statistics, critical thinking, problem solving, AI literacy, prompt writing, and ethics to use AI effectively.

At the same time, researchers should carefully weigh whether using NLP tools provides a net benefit. While these tools can accelerate tasks, effective use still requires time for accurate prompting, checking outputs, filtering hypotheses, and reviewing conclusions. In some cases, this effort may equal or even exceed the time saved. Therefore, choosing to use AI should be a conscious decision, guided by the nature of the task, the researcher’s skills, and the standards of the research community.

A hybrid model that combines AI’s speed with human insight can improve both quality and trust in research. With thoughtful use, AI can help researchers manage data analysis while keeping high scientific standards.

Key messages

  • Researchers need support in data analysis because the process is complex, often stressful, and requires both technical knowledge and methodological skills that many researchers lack.
  • Common solutions for support include consulting statistics books, online resources, supervisors, or colleagues—but recently, many researchers have increasingly turned to AI-based NLP tools for quick, accessible guidance.
  • AI offers valuable help across different stages of data analysis, from data collection to reporting. However, its limitations in context, accuracy, and ethical judgment mean it cannot replace human expertise.
  • The most effective approach is human–AI collaboration, where AI provides efficiency and automation while researchers contribute interpretation, ethical oversight, and scientific rigor—supported by skills in data literacy, statistics, critical thinking, AI literacy, and ethics, as well as clear institutional guidelines.

ECER 2025 –

Prof. Dr. Ergul Demir

Prof. Dr. Ergul Demir

Department of Measurement and Evaluation, Ankara University

Prof. Dr. Ergul Demir currently works at the Department of Measurement and Evaluation, Ankara University, as a professor and a senior researcher. His focus is on psychometric modelling, including Item Response Theory and its applications, multivariate data analysis, and advanced research methods. Most recently, he has been working on ‘Data Science in Psychology and Education’ and ‘AI integration into psychometrics and educational assessment’.

Academic profiles:

ECER Belgrade 2025

Since the first ECER in 1992, the conference has grown into one of the largest annual educational research conferences in Europe. In 2025, the EERA family heads to Serbia for ECER and ERC.

08 - 09 September 2025 - Emerging Researchers' Conference
09 - 12 September 2025 - European Conference on Educational Research

Find out about fees and registration here.

Since the first ECER in 1992, the conference has grown into one of the largest annual educational research conferences in Europe. In 2025, the EERA family heads to Serbia for ECER and ERC.

In Belgrade, the conference theme is Charting the Way Forward: Education, Research, Potentials and Perspectives

No doubt that education has a central role in society, but what it is destined to do is contested politically as well as scientifically. Yet more debate is had concerning the question of the way in which educational research should shape the future of educational practice. The important, but sensitive role educational research occupies in that regard should be the promotion of a better understanding of the contemporary and future world of education, as is expressed in EERA’s aim.

Emerging Researchers' Conference - Belgrade 2025

The Emerging Researchers' Conference (ERC) precedes ECER and is organised by EERA's Emerging Researchers' Group. Emerging researchers are uniquely supported to discuss and debate topical and thought-provoking research projects in relation to the ECER themes, trends and current practices in educational research year after year. The high-quality academic presentations during the ERC are evidence of the significant participation and contributions of emerging researchers to the European educational research community.

By participating in the ERC, emerging researchers have the opportunity to engage with world class educational research and to learn the priorities and developments from notable regional and international researchers and academics. The ERC is purposefully organised to include special activities and workshops that provide emerging researchers varied opportunities for networking, creating global connections and knowledge exchange, sharing the latest groundbreaking insights on topics of their interest. Submissions to the ERC are handed in via the standard submission procedure.

Prepare yourself to be challenged, excited and inspired.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and further reading

Andersen, J. P., Degn, L., Fishberg, R., Graversen, E. K., Horbach, S. P., Schmidt, E. K., Schneider, J. W., & Sørensen, M. P. (2025). Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in the research process–A survey of researchers’ practices and perceptions. Technology in Society, 81, 102813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.102813

Bankins, S., & Formosa, P. (2023). The ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for meaningful work. Journal of Business Ethics, 185, 725–740. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05339-7

Barocas, S., Hardt, M., & Narayanan, A. (2023). Fairness and machine learning: Limitations and opportunities. MIT press. https://fairmlbook.org/

Bohns, V. K., & Flynn, F. J. (2010). “Why didn’t you just ask?” Underestimating the discomfort of help-seeking. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46(2), 402–409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2009.12.015

Cabrera, J., & McDougall, A. (2013). Statistical consulting. Springer New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3663-2

Carlson, J., Fosmire, M., Miller, C. C., & Nelson, M. S. (2011). Determining data information literacy needs: A study of students and research faculty. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 11(2), 629–657. Doi: 10.1353/pla.2011.0022

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, California, SAGE Publications, Inc.

De Waal, T., Pannekoek, J. & Scholtus, S. (2012), The editing of statistical data: methods and techniques for the efficient detection and correction of errors and missing values†. WIREs Computational Statistics, 4(2), 204-210. https://doi.org/10.1002/wics.1194

Federiakin, D., Molerov, D., Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, O., & Maur, A. (2024) Prompt engineering as a new 21st century skill. Frontiers in Education,9, 1366434. Doi:10.3389/feduc.2024.1366434

Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). Sage.

Floridi, L., &Chiriatti, M. (2020). GPT-3: Its nature, scope, limits, and consequences. Minds and Machines, 30(4), 681–694. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11023-020-09548-1

Gal, I., & Ginsburg, L. (1994). The role of beliefs and attitudes in learning statistics: Towards an assessment framework. Journal of Statistics Education, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/10691898.1994.11910471

Gale, W. A. (1987). Statistical applications of artificial intelligence and knowledge engineering. The Knowledge Engineering Review, 2(4), 227-247. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0269888900004136

Garfield, J., Ben-Zvi, D., Chance, B., Medina, E., Roseth, C., &Zieffler, A. (2008). Developing students’ statistical reasoning: Connecting research and teaching practice. Springer Science & Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8383-9

Hirschberg, J. & Manning , C.D. (2015). Advances in natural language processing. Science, 349, 261-266. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaa8685

Jobin, A., Ienca, M., &Vayena, E. (2019). The global landscape of AI ethics guidelines. Nature Machine Intelligence, 1(9), 389–399. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-019-0088-2

Karamuk, E. (2025). The Automation Trap: Unpacking the Consequences of Over-Reliance on AI in Education and Its Hidden Costs. In Pitfalls of AI Integration in Education: Skill Obsolescence, Misuse, and Bias (pp. 151-174). IGI Global Scientific Publishing

Kitchin, R. (2014). The data revolution: Big data, open data, data infrastructures & their consequences. SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473909472

Mehrabi, N., Morstatter, F., Saxena, N., Lerman, K., & Galstyan, A. (2021). A survey on bias and fairness in machine learning. ACM Computing Surveys, 54(6), 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1145/3457607

Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Wilson, V. A. (2003). Statistics anxiety: Nature, etiology, antecedents, effects, and treatments. Teaching in Higher Education, 8(2), 195–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/1356251032000052447

Pallant, J. (2020). SPSS survival manual (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003117452

Prandner, D., Wetzelhütter, D., & Hese, S. (2025). ChatGPT as a data analyst: An exploratory study on AI-supported quantitative data analysis in empirical research. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1417900. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1417900

Saddhono, K., Suhita, R., Rakhmawati, A., Rohmadi, M., &Sukmono, I.K. (2024). AI and literacy: Developing critical thinking and analytical skills in the digital era. International Conference on IoT, Communication and Automation Technology (ICICAT), Gorakhpur, India, pp. 360-365. Doi:10.1109/ICICAT62666.2024.10922871

Schwarz, J. (2025). The use of generative AI in statistical data analysis and its impact on teaching statistics at universities of applied sciences, Teaching Statistics, 47(2), 118–128. https://doi.org/10.1111/test.12398

Shah, M., &Sureja, N. A. (2025). Comprehensive review of bias in deep learning models: Methods, impacts, and future directions. Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering, 32, 255–267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11831-024-10134-2

Shneiderman, B. (2022). Human-centered AI. Oxford University Press.

Sporek, P., & Konieczny, M. (2025). Artificial intelligence versus human analysis: Interpreting data in elderly fat reduction study. Advances in Integrative Medicine, 12(1), 13-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aimed.2024.12.011

St. Amant, R., & Cohen, P. R. (1998). Intelligent support for exploratory data analysis. Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics, 7(4), 545–558. https://doi.org/10.1080/10618600.1998.10474794

Tukey, J. W. (1977). Exploratory data analysis (Vol. 2, pp. 131-160). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

von Eschenbach, W.J. (2021). Transparency and the black box problem: Why we do not trust AI. Philosophy & Technology, 34, 1607–1622. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-021-00477-0

Yao, L., Yin, H., Yang, C., Han, S., Ma, J., Graff, J. C., Wang, C.-Y., Jiao, Y., Ji, J., Gu, W. & Wang, G. (2025). Generating research hypotheses to overcome key challenges in the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer-Future application of AI. Cancer Letters, 620, 217632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2025.217632

Young, T., Hazarika, D., Poria, S., & Cambria, E. (2018). Recent trends in deep learning based natural language processing. IEEE Computational Intelligence Magazine, 13(3), 55–75. Doi: 10.1109/MCI.2018.2840738

Žižka, J., Dařena, F., & Svoboda, A. (2019). Text Mining with Machine Learning: Principles and Techniques (1st ed.). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429469275

Researching education in troubled times: Reflections ahead of ECER 2025 in Belgrade

Researching education in troubled times: Reflections ahead of ECER 2025 in Belgrade

by | AECSE, NW 16 ICT in Education and Training

As we prepare to gather in Belgrade for ECER 2025, I find myself reflecting on what it means today to be a researcher in education. ECER has always been a powerful space of convergence — a moment when ideas circulate freely across borders, when educational issues are discussed in their complexity, and when we are reminded that research is, in essence, a public act.

This year’s theme, “Charting the Way Forward: Education, Research, Potentials and Perspectives”, resonates deeply in the moment in which we are living. Across Europe and beyond, we are witnessing social and political tensions that question not only the role of education, but also the very conditions under which we produce knowledge. In Serbia, where the conference is taking place, students are rising — peacefully and courageously — to demand accountability, transparency, and the respect for democratic values. Their actions, which have earned them a nomination for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, have been acknowledged in an open letter published by EERA in June, expressing solidarity with their commitment to democratic ideals and civic engagement. Their mobilisation has been exemplary, and it reminds us that the university can still be a place of critical hope and civic engagement.

In such a context, our research in education cannot remain indifferent. Whether we are exploring how students learn, how teachers adapt, or how systems evolve, we are also implicitly — and sometimes explicitly — questioning how education contributes to democracy, justice, and human dignity.

My own work, focused on educators’ professional development and digital literacy, has been shaped by this conviction. For instance, I have been involved in the development and implementation of the French national certification platform écri+, which supports students’ academic writing skills across universities. I also contributed to the organisation and facilitation of a hackathon held in Lyon in early July 2025. This event brought together researchers, students, and digital practitioners to explore how generative AI is reshaping scientific writing and academic literacies. These initiatives reflect a core belief: writing is not merely a technical skill, but a deeply reflexive and formative practice. It is a way of thinking, of situating oneself, and of constructing meaning in a changing world. At ECER, I will be presenting research that links writing practices to reflexivity and social engagement — drawing on collaborative work conducted in France and beyond.

I look forward to sharing this work and, more importantly, to engaging in the conversations that will undoubtedly emerge in Belgrade — with fellow researchers, students, and all those who believe that education is more than a field of study — it is a force for transformation.

Dr Philippe Gabriel

Dr Philippe Gabriel

Université d’Avignon

Philippe Gabriel is Associate Professor (Maître de conférences hors classe) in Educational Sciences at Avignon Université, and researcher at LIRDEF (Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Didactique, Éducation et Formation), jointly supported by the universities of Montpellier and Montpellier Paul-Valéry. His research focuses on academic literacies, digital learning environments, AI in education, and adult education. He has coordinated several national and European projects and co-leads the EERA Network 16 on ICT in Education and Training.

ORCID: 0000-0002-9337-572X

Research Lab: https://lirdef.edu.umontpellier.fr

OpenEdition (editorial role): Éducation et Socialisation (https://journals.openedition.org/edso/)

ECER Belgrade 2025

Since the first ECER in 1992, the conference has grown into one of the largest annual educational research conferences in Europe. In 2025, the EERA family heads to Serbia for ECER and ERC.

08 - 09 September 2025 - Emerging Researchers' Conference
09 - 12 September 2025 - European Conference on Educational Research

Find out about fees and registration here.

Since the first ECER in 1992, the conference has grown into one of the largest annual educational research conferences in Europe. In 2025, the EERA family heads to Serbia for ECER and ERC.

In Belgrade, the conference theme is Charting the Way Forward: Education, Research, Potentials and Perspectives

No doubt that education has a central role in society, but what it is destined to do is contested politically as well as scientifically. Yet more debate is had concerning the question of the way in which educational research should shape the future of educational practice. The important, but sensitive role educational research occupies in that regard should be the promotion of a better understanding of the contemporary and future world of education, as is expressed in EERA’s aim.

Emerging Researchers' Conference - Belgrade 2025

The Emerging Researchers' Conference (ERC) precedes ECER and is organised by EERA's Emerging Researchers' Group. Emerging researchers are uniquely supported to discuss and debate topical and thought-provoking research projects in relation to the ECER themes, trends and current practices in educational research year after year. The high-quality academic presentations during the ERC are evidence of the significant participation and contributions of emerging researchers to the European educational research community.

By participating in the ERC, emerging researchers have the opportunity to engage with world class educational research and to learn the priorities and developments from notable regional and international researchers and academics. The ERC is purposefully organised to include special activities and workshops that provide emerging researchers varied opportunities for networking, creating global connections and knowledge exchange, sharing the latest groundbreaking insights on topics of their interest. Submissions to the ERC are handed in via the standard submission procedure.

Prepare yourself to be challenged, excited and inspired.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

GenZ – the new generation of university students and implications for academic practice

GenZ – the new generation of university students and implications for academic practice

by | NW 16 ICT in Education and Training, NW 22 Research in Higher Education

In order to enhance university students’ experiences, there is a real need to have a better understanding of the new generation of students, particularly in the higher education context, and to explore the implications for academic practice. Our research and experiences of working in higher education have shown that there are ways to support and enhance the diverse range of university students’ learning needs, such as flexible learning models, work-based and community-based learning approaches, prioritising relationships in learning and teaching, and engaging students as partners in the learning process.

In this article, we offer a critique of the concept of ‘Generation Z’ learners in higher education and assumptions about their learning needs. ‘Generation Z’, or GenZ,  is a term used to refer to young people born between 1997 and 2012, which includes a significant proportion of the university student body today. ‘Generation Z’ was born into a very different world from many of their educators in terms of access to information and life experience. This has deeply affected the way they seek, access, learn, and live information (Thomas, 2011).

Beyond the stereotype of GenZ

While it is true that they were born into the digital world, making them adept at using digital tools and accessing information online (Taslibeyaz, 2019), it would be unfair to limit them solely to the digital realm. It seems timely to revisit the implications for academic practice of the learning needs of the diverse student population in higher education today including but not limited to ‘Generation Z’.

Some researchers have suggested that ‘Generation Z’ has a particular set of characteristics of which academics need to be mindful in order to respond to their needs accordingly (Seemiller & Grace, 2016). The idea of assigning particular notional shared characteristics to these learners appears to be based on assumptions of collective experience and homogeneity. Arguably, this idea is, at best, of limited value. In fact, without more nuance and reference to diverse student contexts and individual experiences, it may be considered too widely drawn and of limited value to the educator in the development of inclusive practice.

Understanding the new generation of university students

Due to the massification of higher education, the university student body is now more diverse than ever. In addition, students in some countries are more affected by the marketisation of higher education than others. As a result, they have different expectations from higher education depending on their context. In their study, Gupta et al. (2023) found that many university students in Denmark, England, and Spain would like to see education as a right rather than a service or a product. However, at the same time, students recognise the implications of consumerist discourse on their university experiences. So, for example, as more students pay for their higher education, it is perhaps not surprising for them to expect certain returns on the ‘investment’.

Massification is a term used to describe the rapid increase in university student enrolment in many countries that was witnessed towards the end of the twentieth century. It is rooted in the shift from an élite to a mass higher education (Scott, 1995). The effect of massification in higher education is not only about student numbers but also about student body composition, character and aspirations. Rather than labelling the new generation of university students against assumed characteristics of a particular age group, massification of higher education also brings to the fore the importance of a better understanding of the student community we work with. So, we consider how to adjust our academic practice to be inclusive to facilitate students’ learning and support their learning needs. Rather than relying on generalised notions, we draw on our collective experience to identify some of the principles which guide our practice across the different geographical and cultural contexts we have encountered.

Flexible learning models

It is important to offer students flexible ways to engage with learning. For example, universities often structure learning and teaching with a rigid and linear time frame. Berg & Seeber (2016, p.xviii) note how ‘corporatization has compromised academic life and sped up the clock. The administrative university is concerned above all with efficiency’, and the result is a ‘time-crunch’ and a sense of ‘powerlessness’ for those subjected to it. This kind of timescape (time and space for learning) and organisation may not serve the distinct and particular needs of each student. Among other legacies, one thing we have learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic is that students appreciate the flexibility of learning modes, such as blended learning, rather than traditional classroom-based learning. Flexibility to engage with learning may be particularly important in times of economic hardship and cost of living pressures. Financial pressures and the need for some students to work whilst studying was examined by Henry (2023), who noted examples of strategies adopted by some UK universities to enable this:

Compact teaching timetables, where lectures and seminars are scheduled over two or three days rather than dotted throughout the week, are being introduced by a number of institutions. The move makes it easier for the growing number of undergraduates who must take on part-time jobs to make ends meet. More than half of students now work alongside their studies, up from 45% in 2022 and 34% in 2021.

Relationships

We argue for the priority of relational pedagogic approaches within academic practice. Relationships matter for everyone, especially for those students who are traditionally marginalised in higher education (Su & Wood, 2023). As Bovill (2020:24) has argued, ‘Time spent building trust and relationships is time well spent, because relationships form the foundation of good teaching’. In their study in America, Felten & Lambert (2020:17) uncovered four interlocking relationship-rich principles that guide both effective programmes and generative cultures at colleges and universities: 

  • Every student must experience genuine welcome and deep care
  • Every student must be inspired to learn
  • Every student must develop a web of significant relationships
  • Every student must explore questions of meaning and purpose.

Students are primary actors in all four of these principles, but it is also essential for higher education institutions to ensure the learning climate and conditions that nurture these ‘relationship-rich’ principles, which we suggest can influence student motivation and engagement with the learning process.

Engaging students

In addition, we suggest it is crucial that academic and higher education institutions explore different teaching and learning strategies that encourage students to see the relevance of specific learning to experiences in the real world. In addition, we propose that using innovative digital technology can be advantageous for students, for example, combining real and virtual environments to maximise students’ conceptual understanding (Wörner & Scheiter, 2022).

Whilst higher education serves wider purposes than solely the development of employability, students expect that a university course of study will be useful and relevant to their career prospects after graduation. Embedding work-based and community-based learning as part of the curriculum may not only develop employability but also civic-mindedness and community engagement. In addition, there are benefits of engaging students as partners in the learning process and as co-designers of the curriculum (Bovill, 2000). For example, when higher education institutions design and review the curriculum, we argue that students have an important part to play in the process.

Summary

Our research and collective experiences of working in higher education suggest to us that generalised notions considered to represent common experiences of a section of the student body may be of limited value. In the development of academic practice to support the diverse range of university students’ learning needs, we suggest that educators reflect on the principles which guide the development of inclusive practice to recognise the rich experience and diverse learning needs represented by the student body.

In addition, we suggest that digital environments such as virtual applications and blended learning solutions should be utilised for the advantages and flexibility they offer, whilst also being mindful of equity issues in terms of student access to technologies. Reflection on our collective experience suggests to us the importance of flexible modes of learning, the role of work and community-based learning approaches, the priority and importance of relationships in learning and teaching, and ways to engage students as partners in the learning process by tutor guiding. Colleagues might like to add or substitute their own to these four principles as they reflect on the learning needs of the new generation of university students in their contexts.

Key Messages

  • The expectations of ‘Generation Z’ of higher education are not limited to the digital world.
  • A better understanding of the diverse student body in a particular higher education context is needed to support the development of inclusive practice.
  • There are ways to support and enhance the diverse range of university students’ learning needs, such as
    • flexible learning models
    • work and community-based learning
    • relationships in learning and teaching
    • engaging students as partners in the learning process.

Blog Authors

Elif Taslibeyaz

Associate Professor in the Education Faculty at Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University, Türkiye

Elif Taslibeyaz is an Associate Professor in the Education Faculty at Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University, Turkey. Her research interests revolve around various areas, including technology integration in the educational context, and the development of learning in higher education settings. 

Feng Su

Associate Professor and Head of Education Studies at Liverpool Hope University, UK

Feng Su is an Associate Professor and Head of Education Studies at Liverpool Hope University, UK. His main research interests and writings are located within the following areas: education policy, the development of the learner in higher education settings, academic practice and professional learning. 

Margaret Wood

Senior Lecturer in Education at York St John University, UK

Margaret Wood is a Senior Lecturer in Education at York St John University, UK. Her recent research and publications have explored: the centralizing tendencies of much current education policy and its relation to community and democracy at the local level; and the development of academic practice in higher education.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Berg, M. & Seeber, K. (2016) The Slow Professor: Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy. University of Toronto Press. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-19419-000 

Bovill, C. (2020) Co-creating Learning and Teaching: Towards Relational Pedagogy in Higher Education. St Albans: Critical Publishing. https://www.criticalpublishing.com/co-creating-learning-and-teaching

Felten, P. & Lambert, L. M. (2020). Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12146/relationship-rich-education

Gupta, A., Brooks, R. & J. Abrahams (2023) Higher education students as consumers: a cross-country comparative analysis of students’ views. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, DOI:10.1080/03057925.2023.2234283 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03057925.2023.2234283

Henry, J.  (2023) ‘UK universities offer three-day-week to let students find part-time work’, The Observer. 26th August 2023. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/26/uk-universities-offer-three-day-week-to-let-students-find-part-time-work

Prensky, M. (2001) Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5): 1-6. DOI: 10.1108/10748120110424816

Scott, P. (1995). The meanings of mass higher education. Buckingham: SHRE and Open University Press. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED410817. 

Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2016) Generation Z Goes to College. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Generation+Z+Goes+to+College-p-9781119143451 

Su, F. & Wood, M. (2023). Relational pedagogy in higher education: what might it look like in practice and how do we develop it? International Journal for Academic Development, 28 (2): 230-233. DOI: 10.1080/1360144X.2023.2164859 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366988042_Relational_pedagogy_in_higher_education_what_might_it_look_like_in_practice_and_how_do_we_develop_it

Taslibeyaz, E. (2019). Analysis of research trends related to generation z and their contributions to education. Dokuz Eylul University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 21(3), 715-729. https://www.academia.edu/40391757/ANALYSIS_OF_RESEARCH_TRENDS_ABOUT_GENERATION_Z_AND_THEIR_CONTRIBUTIONS_TO_EDUCATION

Thomas, M. (ed.) (2011). Deconstructing digital natives: Young people, technology, and the new literacies. Taylor & Francis. https://www.routledge.com/Deconstructing-Digital-Natives-Young-People-Technology-and-the-New-Literacies/Thomas/p/book/9780415889964

Wörner, S., Kuhn, J., & Scheiter, K. (2022). The best of two worlds: A systematic review on combining real and virtual experiments in science education. Review of Educational Research, 92(6), 911-952.  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/00346543221079417

Fostering Creativity in the Classroom  – developing a cross-curricular module in ITE

Fostering Creativity in the Classroom  – developing a cross-curricular module in ITE

by | ESAI, NW 16 ICT in Education and Training

Outside of the core curricular content that makes up initial teacher education (ITE) programmes, there are increasing callsfor input on a variety of pedagogical, social, cultural, and competence-based issues that impact future teaching practice (MacPhail et al., 2022). Most higher education institutions possess expertise in a range of innovative areas, but the practicalities of timetables, student availability, and academic structures often mean students must choose one or two five-credit, level nine modules from a range of electives. This blog outlines an effort to combat this through an integrated module on the Professional Masters in Education PME (Post-Primary) at Dublin City University, Ireland, which combines Digital Competencies, English as an Additional Language, and Drama-based learning under the umbrella of ‘Fostering Creativity in the Classroom’.

Fostering creativity in the classroom  – developing the module

We know that cross-curricular and integrated teaching can facilitate students in making creative connections and solving complex problems (Harris & de Bruin, 2017). Motivated by this, we began examining our content, values and teaching approaches and quickly realised a common thread of creativity ran through our work. Our module, ‘Fostering Creativity in the Classroom’ places explicit focus on the role of the teacher in fostering creativity and innovation in the post-primary classroom. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we allowed students to explore and experience a range of creative, collaborative and playful approaches to fostering creativity in teaching and learning. This was achieved through lectures, workshops, and a range of strategies from the Digital Learning(e.g. digital storytelling), Drama (e.g. soundscapes), and Linguistic Responsiveness (e.g. multilingualism) domains.

Underpinned by theories of creativity in education (e.g. Gilhooly & Gilhooly, 2021), our students, who are pre-service teachers, worked together to experiment with creative approaches, reflect on their experiences, and plan their practical implementation in the future. In order to draw the different strands together under the theme of creativity, we designed an innovative assignment. The assignments tasked students (in small groups) with creating a digital story on the theme of ‘fostering creativity and innovation in the post-primary classroom’. Their target audience was future PME students and practising teachers. Videos considered how digital media, drama and linguistically responsive strategies can enhance practice and encourage pupil creativity. Groups reflected on the strategies explored during the module and considered their application across curricular subjects. Videos were to be presented as a cohesive narrative or story and include a variety of audio-visual content.

Our reflections

Reflecting on the process, we were pleased it did not result in merely fitting our ‘pieces’ together, but in creating something unique that was enriched by our individual curricular areas. As academic staff, collaborating on the design and delivery provided us with opportunities to learn from each other’s curriculum design and facilitation approaches while demonstrating to students the connections that exist between subject areas. Our challenges were primarily around articulating our vision and structuring the delivery. While, as academic staff, our initial vision for the module was clear, our individual ‘flavours’ of that vision came through at first. It wasn’t until the second iteration of the module that we began to speak in one voice. The structure of the module delivery was another aspect that we found challenging initially and that we improved over time. In the first iteration of the module, we split the content into ‘blocks’, where each team member delivered their content in sequence after one another. We found that this meant students saw the module as three separate parts, and while that made sense in terms of the coherence of each aspect, it took away from the overall flow and interconnected nature of the work we were trying to achieve. Rectifying this was more than the simple act of moving lectures from one week to another. Instead, it necessitated the alteration of certain aspects of content so they more naturally connected to the other areas of study. We also spent more time ‘in’ each other’s lectures in order to display a unified voice.

Students’ impressions

Feedback from students on the experience of participating in this integrated module contained positives and potential areas for improvement. Students commented on the module’s ambitious and forward-thinking nature, saying it was ‘pretty ambitious’ and ‘very relevant in modern education’. They noted that they learned a lot from each strand and, perhaps most importantly, they learned more from how the strands linked together. Comments included: ‘Lovely to have different strands (E.g., Digital Media, Drama-based learning) each week. Helped the creativity’ and ‘It helps shift your focus from the ways in which you were taught at school and to focus on all of the possibilities that exist for enhancing your lessons and making them more meaningful’.

 On the other hand, students also found areas challenging. For example, they found that the three strands meant there was a lot to take in. Comments included ‘There was a lot of information in each module[strand] and not enough time to get to grips with all of it’. Some also found it difficult to see how everything aligned under the umbrella of developing pupils’ creativity in the classroom. Comments included ‘personally felt that there was a bit of a disconnect between the three strands’ and that they ‘did not find the necessarily all aligned under the umbrella of creativity’.

Fin

Our efforts to combine three elective strands into one coherent module were not without their challenges. However, as lecturers, we found that the process not only allowed us to examine connections across curricular areas but facilitated the development of a more nuanced version of ‘creativity’ than we had delivered before. Students also recognised the value of our integrated approach, which is encouraging. However, their comments also provide scope for improvements in the future. For example, further work may be needed to increase the connection between strands so that students see the module as a cohesive approach to develop pupils’ creativity in the classroom.

Key Messages

  • The practicalities of ITE programmes often make the provision of additional pedagogical, social, cultural, and competence-based initiatives challenging
  • We document the development of a cross-curricular, integrated module “Fostering Creativity in the Classroom”
  • The module integrates Digital Learning, Drama-based Learning, and Linguistic Responsiveness
  • The process provided us, as academic staff, with the opportunity to enrich our individual curricular areas and practice by learning from each other’s design and facilitation approaches.
  • Students found the module to be ambitious and forward-thinking, and learned more from how the curricular areas fitted together to ‘foster creativity in the classroom’.
Dr Peter Tiernan

Dr Peter Tiernan

Associate Professor in Digital Learning and Research Convenor for the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies in the Institute of Education at Dublin City University.

Peter is an Associate Professor in Digital Learning and Research Convenor for the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies in the Institute of Education at Dublin City University. He lectures in the areas of digital learning, digital literacy and entrepreneurship education. His current research focuses on digital literacy at post-primary and further education level as well as entrepreneurship education for third level lecturers and pre-service teachers.

Peter was shortlisted for the DCU President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in 2021.

Find Peter on Twitter.

Dr Fiona Gallacher

Dr Fiona Gallacher

Assistant professor in the School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies (SALIS) at Dublin City University

Fiona Gallagher is an assistant professor in the School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies (SALIS) at Dublin City University. Before this, she worked as a teacher and CELTA teacher educator in Sudan, Italy, Spain, Ireland, the US, Australia and Portugal.  Her research interests lie primarily in the fields of second language acquisition, TESOL and bi/multilingual education with particular reference to: L1 use in language learning and teaching; translanguaging and plurilingual pedagogies; and teaching and learning in the linguistically and culturally diverse primary and secondary school classroom. 

She has published widely in her field, both as the author/co-author of various EFL textbooks and teacher guides and in high-ranking peer reviewed journals and edited volumes. 

Dr Irene White

Dr Irene White

Assistant professor in English and Drama Education in the School of Human Development at the Institute of Education, Dublin City University.

Dr Irene White is an Assistant Professor in English and Drama Education in the School of Human Development at the Institute of Education, Dublin City University. She is the Programme Chair of the Professional Master of Education and teaches across a range of initial teacher education programmes. Irene taught English and Drama at the post-primary level for twelve years, during which time she was a mentor for initial teacher education students and a State Exams Commission examiner for the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme.

Irene’s research straddles the arts and education sectors, with a particular focus on creative mindsets, creative learning environments and creative activity for health and wellbeing. Her PhD examined creativity in participatory arts initiatives and articulated a Participatory Arts for Creativity in Education (PACE) model, an applied participatory arts model aimed at fostering creativity in education.

Irene is Chair of the Board of Directors for Upstate Theatre Project, a community-engaged participatory arts organisation funded by the Arts Council of Ireland. Her work in the field of participatory arts includes her role as artist and director with Upstate Theatre Project on The Crossover Project, a cross-border, cross-community participative drama programme, and her work with students from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, New York University on the study abroad programme. Irene has also worked with Smashing Times Theatre and Film Company on the ‘Acting for the Future’ programme using drama and theatre performance to promote positive mental health and the ‘Acting for Change’ programme using drama to explore cultural diversity and identity and promote anti-racism, anti-sectarianism and equality.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Gilhooly, K. J., & Gilhooly, M. L. M. (2021). Aging and creativity. Academic Press.

Harris, A., & de Bruin, L. (2017). Steam education: Fostering creativity in and beyond secondary schools. Australian Art Education, 38(1), 54–75.

MacPhail, A., Seleznyov, S., O’Donnell, C., & Czerniawski, G. (2022). Supporting the Continuum of Teacher Education Through Policy and Practice: The Inter-Relationships Between Initial, Induction, and Continuing Professional Development. In Reconstructing the Work of Teacher Educators: Finding Spaces in Policy Through Agentic Approaches—Insights from a Research Collective (pp. 135–154). Nature.

Using ChatGPT in an educational technology course for maths teacher candidates

Using ChatGPT in an educational technology course for maths teacher candidates

by | Emerging Researchers' Group, NW 10 Teacher Education Research, NW 16 ICT in Education and Training

There has been a lot of discussion in educational research circles about the use of AI in education, in particular, ChatGPT. We asked doctoral research assistant, Bengi Birgili to tell us about how she is using (and teaching the use of) ChatGPT in the classroom. Dr Birgili introduced a fully flipped university context from the view of a researcher instructor. In this post, she explains how she and her students used ChatGPT in an instructional technology course offered in the Spring 2023 semester. This blog post includes not only her ideas and experiences but also those of 30 pre-service teachers studying in the mathematics education department in the faculty of education in Istanbul, Türkiye.

I have been teaching an educational sciences course at the intersection of Instructional Design and Instructional Technologies and Materials Design (EDS 206) at the Department of Mathematics Education (Grade 5-8), MEF University, Istanbul, Türkiye for 2 years. MEF University is known as the first fully flipped university in the world. You can find out more about the course at the end of this blog post.

This semester, additionally, we had a new visitor to this course. ChatGPT! Yes. Let’s share our experiences in this course.

 

Using ChatGPT in an educational technology course

I heard that ChatGPT, developed by Artificial Intelligence Developer Open AI, was released as a prototype on November 30th, 2022. I noticed that it attracted people’s attention in a short period of time with its detailed justifications and understandable answers in many fields of information. Many instructional technologists, educational scientists, and even linguists from Türkiye have started using it. It has become popular in our country as well as all over the world.

As a Ph.D. holder of educational sciences and a mathematics teacher; based on my limited experience, I can describe ChatGPT as a companion. Although the database has kept its information until the last updated date, it provides us with companionship in terms of sharing basic,  responding fact-based prompts, and comprehensive information. Users must, of course, be aware of the issues that have been raised about the accuracy of the AI too (or see the impact of AI for more information).

Despite this caveat, when I look at it from the perspective of an educator, I believe that teacher candidates can benefit from ChatGPT, when used for the right purposes.

In the EDS 206 course, I demonstrated ChatGPT for a week. Then, I allowed the teacher candidates to experience it for themselves. Some of them asked ChatGPT to talk about common misconceptions made by middle school students in fractions in mathematics, and some of them asked for sample questions of their lesson plan preparation. While discovering ChatGPT, they also learned new instructional design models. They put into practice what they learned in our course while interacting with it. For the accuracy of the information, they had to compare what they learned in the course with the information provided by ChatGPT. At this level, they also started to use their high-level cognitive skills. In their article writing assignments, they were free to use ChatGPT, as long as they referenced appropriately.

To sum up, by following the correct instructions, we teacher educators, can admit ChatGPT as a mentor somewhere in a teacher education program. Nevertheless, it should be used as a means, not an end.

Students’ experiences using ChatGPT

After the ChatGPT experience, I asked my students: “Can you share with me in a paragraph your first experience with ChatGPT in the EDS 206 course, and explain whether it is useful and how your learning experiences in the faculty can get benefit from it?” I made a thematic analysis of their general ideas and initial thoughts. According to the findings of the thematic analysis, I inferenced the following categories.

  1. Junior-year teacher candidates, studying in the faculty of education and a flipped university, were introduced to ChatGPT for the first time in this course. They were aware that ChatGPT is an up-to-date, innovative, and popular AI-based tool and they gained the specific awareness.

“I think #ChatGPT is a nice artificial intelligence application for people who are researchers and curious. As a teacher candidate, I was introduced to ChatGPT for the first time in EDS206 class and I saw the benefits of the application. During the lesson, my group mates and I experienced that ChatGPT can translate between languages, solve mathematical equations, and offer various suggestions on the subject….”

“I was introduced to the ChatGPT application in the EDS 206 course. In the lesson, we sought an answer to the question of how to use the ChatGPT application in education. We asked the ChatGPT application to develop a training model.”

  1. All of them found ChatGPT useful for their learning. They see it as a privileged step of being an innovative teacher. When they asked questions regarding maths education, lesson planning, teaching methods etc, ChatGPT provided them with creative and useful examples. For instance:

“…We got surprising results. We discussed these results in class. I think the answers will be useful and effective. I think the most useful feature of the ChatGPT application is that it gives creative and useful examples for desired situations….”

“…While we were experiencing ChatGPT, when we asked “What is the most appropriate teaching model that can be applied on the subject of fractions in mathematics?”, it brought out various models. Although the question we asked was very specific, it brought out more than one model and, most importantly, it explained the focus points of these models with them….”

“…. I wanted to develop a material on “Factors and Multiples” within the scope of the EDS206 course. I wanted to add examples from daily life to my material. I asked ChatGPT to provide me with examples, and source books/sites on this subject. I was redirected to many pages. When we want to make a study by analyzing many sources in education and synthesizing these sources; I can say that ChatGPT is very useful to work step by step.…” (Female, senior year teacher candidate)

 

  1. Almost all of the teacher candidates emphasized that ChatGPT encouraged them to use higher-order thinking skills. For example, they stated that they used cognitive skills such as analysis, synthesis, interpretation, and discussion together in the flipped class.

“….When we want to make a study by analyzing many sources in education and synthesizing these sources, I can say that ChatGPT is very useful to work step by step. On the other hand, I can say that it provides ease of learning and analyzing many pieces of literature for students. I can say that individuals who will produce a new study will have the chance to design a roadmap for basic errors, to access the materials to be used here, and to design a synthesized version of many sources if they wish. For this reason, I can say that it also provides a lot of convenience in the production of new works.”

“…. When we further advanced our question and asked it to choose one of these models and create a lesson plan that suited us, its answer really impressed me. Determining the necessary materials, which sections we will divide the lesson into, how many minutes these sections will take, and what we will do in them were explained in detail…”

  1. On the other hand, only a few of them asserted the possible negative aspects of ChatGPT. Since it depends on machine learning and Artificial Intelligence, the accuracy and validity of the information given by ChatGPT must be tested and controlled from other scientific sources.

“…. Thanks to the information data in ChatGPT, it is a very useful application that allows us to save time by extracting logical answers in the context of cause and effect. If I take a negative aspect, it should not be forgotten that this is an artificial intelligence, if important information research is being conducted, ChatGPT’s responses should definitely be verified with other sources.” (Female, senior year teacher candidate)

Final thoughts

Last but not least, according to my short-term and unique experience regarding ChatGPT, I feel that the contribution of ChatGPT to teacher education is emerging. However, ethical issues should always keep the minds occupied. While discussing the benefits, the critical points and probable negative aspects should be paid attention by the instructors and teacher candidates. We think that ChatGPT will continue to be like a companion that provides motivation during individual learning or unguided instruction, and saves time  – as long as it comes from the primary right academic source.

Key Messages

  • Teacher candidates can benefit from ChatGPT, when used for the right purposes
  • Teaching students reported that they found ChatGPT useful for learning, and saw it as evidence of being an innovative teacher
  • ChatGPT encouraged teacher candidates to use higher order thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, interpretation, and discussion
  • Students should be aware of the limitations of tools such as AI and the importance of verifying the information provided with other sources
  • The use of AI tools in teacher education is still emerging, and critical points should be considered by instructors and teacher candidates

References and Further Reading

About the educational science course

The educational sciences course sits at the intersection of Instructional Design and Instructional Technologies and Materials Design (EDS 206) at the Department of Mathematics Education (Grade 5-8), MEF University, Istanbul, Türkiye.

Upon successful completion of this course, students [aka teacher candidates]  are expected to be able to:

  1. explore various ways of thinking about the use of technology in education
  2. demonstrate how to use a variety of multimedia tools to enrich learning opportunities
  3.  identify appropriate teaching methods and electronic media to support objective-based lessons
  4. design learning experiences that engage learners in individual and collaborative learning activities
  5. create electronic multimedia to support specific learning objectives
  6. use technology to represent topics or concepts in a static or interactive format.

I have been offering the course with an active learning environment both in COVID-19 pandemic times and now in a hybrid format. Teacher candidates apply what they have learned about weekly instructional technological tools, participate in pre-class/individual space and in-class/group space experiences, share their experiences and thoughts during flipped class activities, sometimes evaluate themselves, collaborate, and reflect while learning instructional design theories and practicum with material design.

 At the beginning of the semester, the teacher candidates are assigned middle school mathematics content from the national mathematics education curriculum. They learn to design digital materials in order to improve their digital competencies. For example, Bubbl.us, Kahoot, Desmos, Geogebra. They prepare teaching materials for 6th grade students using the digital tools they learn about in the EDS206 related to the mathematics topic they were assigned. However, they design not only independent teaching and learning materials, but also instructional design models and so learn to integrate their digital materials into their ID models.

For more information about EDS 206 please do not hesitate to contact me.

On AI and accuracy 

The field of Artificial Intelligence is changing rapidly, and it can be difficult to keep up with the current situation. Here are some articles that we found when this blog post was published.

ChatGPT: Everything you need to know about OpenAI’s GPT-4 tool

ChatGPT and facts (January 2023)

The impact of AI on content accuracy (October 2023)

ChatGPT accuracy getting worse (June 2023) 

 

Dr Bengi Birgili

Dr Bengi Birgili

Research Assistant in the Mathematics Education Department at MEF University, Istanbul.

Dr Bengi Birgili is a research assistant in the Mathematics Education Department at MEF University, Istanbul. She experienced in research at the University of Vienna. In 2022, she received her PhD from the Department of Educational Sciences Curriculum and Instruction Program at Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara. Her research interests focus on curriculum development and evaluation, instructional design, in-class assessment. She received the Emerging Researchers Bursary Winners award at ECER 2017 for her paper titled “A Metacognitive Perspective to Open-Ended Questions vs. Multiple-Choice.”

In 2020, a co-authored research became one of the 4 accepted studies among Early-Career Scholars awarded by the International Testing Commission (ITC) Young Scholar Committee in the UK [Postponed to 2021 Colloquium due to COVID-19].

In Jan 2020, she completed the Elements of AI certification offered by the University of Helsinki.

Researchgate:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bengi-Birgili-2

Twitter: @bengibirgili

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengibirgili/

ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2990-6717

Medium: https://bengibirgili.medium.com

Other blog posts on similar topics:

You’ve been hired! Exploring the future of learning design using speculative methods

You’ve been hired! Exploring the future of learning design using speculative methods

by | ESAI, NW 13 Philosophy of Education, NW 16 ICT in Education and Training

The latest annual survey from the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) highlights the changes in the profession of those who work in the spaces where technology, teaching, and learning intersect. The brokers who work in these vital in-between places of education have been referred to as “third space professionals”.

A range of titles is reported in the ALT annual survey by respondents, with the most common being “learning technologist”. For real, paid work, people apply for more prosaic-sounding jobs than that of a “third space professional”. There may be gaps, if not tensions, between academic parlance and how we speak in the real world.

If this resonates with you, and you are a pragmatic person who seeks tangible, real-world solutions, rather than abstract academic notions, then stop reading now. If, however, you would like to work at a more-than-real posthuman University – in an entanglement of technology, plants, animals, emotions, gods, and demons, where you would write learning designs directly onto other people’s hearts – then read on.

Key Messages

  • Learning designer/technologist roles continue to increase greatly both in number and their scope.
  • The roles of learning designers/academic developers/learning technologists/heads of teaching and learning centres are vitally important but complex.
  • Speculative methods are being increasingly used in both teaching and educational research.
  • Speculative methods (specifically speculative fiction) can be used to think about the impact of learning design roles and imagine strange but bright university futures for and of them.

Conceptualising learning design roles

A recent exercise conducted with learning designers in Ireland aimed to creatively analyse, conceptualise and represent the role of learning designer. It proceeded from the contention that a digital learning consultant, or an academic developer, or a head of digital education, are more than their titles. And they are more than their skills. Indeed, they are more than human. We do not live as job titles, as bunches of disembodied skills and competencies, nor even as perfectly differentiated individual human beings. Rather, we live deeply entangled in the language that describes us, in the tools we use [1], in each other, and in the non-human beings of this world [2].

To make sense of this provocation, and to learn how learning designers actually feel and live this entanglement, we adopted a more-than-real speculative approach. Speculative methods are not premised on measurement or “what works” but rather on “not-yetness”. They attempt to create or leave space for dreaming about what is yet to come. They are approaches “aimed at envisioning or crafting futures or conditions which may not yet currently exist, to provoke new ways of thinking and to bring particular ideas or issues into focus” (Ross, 2007).

In our study, we analysed a collection of job postings for learning technology roles advertised in Ireland during the pandemic. Based on these, we interviewed several fictional learning designers. These people had just been hired into a strange university that exists in the near future. Below is an excerpt from one such fictional interview, adapted from the preprint version of our article, the full version of which you can read in the journal Learning Media and Technology. 

Christine:

What was your last question? My learning design super-power? Ha ha, I like it! Well, we took this Info Lit class one time on posthumanism and speciesism. Also, that year we were editing Wikipedia, to fill in gaps on famous women, so I did Frances Power Cobbe. She campaigned for animal rights and the rights of women to vote and attend university. I went down a bit of a rabbit hole then, and read all about the Brown Dog affair, but I had to stop after a while because it was just so horrible that someone could be cutting up a dog who was clearly in distress. When I read about the medical students taking down the statue that commemorated the dog, I just felt my body shaking and I took both hands off my iPad and let it drop to the ground.

 Anyway, long story short, I pick the ability to speak to animals as my superpower. I look after all the animals here in the Animal Aid Division of the Learning Design Deck. Me, and my friend Pema.

It all started with Isha. As a blind student, she had to fight for literally everything during her time in the University and for her dog Sandy too. But one time we were doing all this big data stuff, trying to catch people cheating in exam halls. An algorithm checked the similarity of students who sat close together and triangulated with sweat levels the system could see on their skin. We were looking at all these mood maps and I noticed that people sitting near Sandy in the exams seemed calmer. So that’s how the project of allowing dogs in exam halls started, because they had such a positive effect on people. And then we were loaning dogs out to students to take walks with. That evolved into our Library Dogs initiative. Later, I went back and looked at the data and realised that there was some uplifting effect for students in exams sitting near windows. Turns out, just seeing some plant life is good for you, a little bit of green. So, we started working connecting students with trees. The researchers were all excited and talking about oxytocin levels and so on, but it just seems like basic sense to me. It’s like something I heard once about how you need connection but you don’t need another person necessarily, just one tendril of love to something, and that could be looking in a dog’s eyes or touching a tree [3].

And the whole thing grew from there really, and we are rewilding parts of the University now. I look after all the animals, primarily the dogs, but also the ones that are part of other projects: cats, monkeys, snails, kites, buzzards, crows. And the sand martins who do this like hunting ballet over the lake in the evening when I’m walking home – sweeping through invisible clouds of insects. There was some dispute I think, a student protest, as the University wanted to build something where the lake is – maybe a carpark.

How does that one go? University (noun): A set of warring fiefdoms united around a common cause of parking. That’s the biggest threat to the plant and animal projects – new university buildings and developments. But my favourite part of the Uni is a patch of old scrub out back of the library. It must be earmarked for a building because it’s not landscaped or mowed or anything. It’s just thistles and poppies and stones but sometimes I go in and lie down there. I try to feel the world under me to see if I’m still here or maybe if it’s still there.

Conclusion

This blog post attempts to give a flavour of how speculative methods, in this case, design fiction, can be used to represent and explore evolving educational roles. The next step of the research involved analysing the above persona, along with two others, by presenting them to real-life learning designers to seek their feedback on the fictions’ validity, and resonance or otherwise, with their own lived experience.

We drew on literature related to ethics of care in education and the philosopher and theorist Simone Weil to help frame this analysis. You can read about what happened next in the full version of the associated article. Our work tried to show people with complex embodied existences that spread beyond the formal boundaries of their work in educational settings. We attempted to counter the neoliberal construction of identities of workers that are comprised of disembodied skills. Instead, we tried to problematise this question of who and what people do in particular roles, not according to their skills alone, but as people who have bodies that experience joy and suffering.

We attempted to show learning designers as existing in a tangled web of objects, people, and experience. In this way, we hopefully shone some light on the complex roles these people play in the messy territories of contemporary, and near future, education.

Acknowledgements

A wonderful team of learning design and learning design-adjacent superheroes contributed to the published article (Costello et al, 2022): Steve Welsh, Fiona Concannon, Tom Farrelly, Clare Thompson and Lily/Prajakta Grime (who is doubly acknowledged as the creator of the beautiful images).

Dr Eamon Costello

Dr Eamon Costello

Associate Professor of Digital Learning

Dr Costello has worked in industry and university settings for over 25 years. He is deeply curious about how we learn in different environments. He is also concerned with how we actively shape our world so that we can have better and more humane places in which to think, work, live, and learn. He has taught and researched a wide range of topics in the places where people and technology mingle. He is an advocate of using the right tool for the job or sometimes none at all, for not everything can be fixed or should be built.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/eam0 RG: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eamon-Costello Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eamoncostello?originalSubdomain=ie Website: https://www.dcu.ie/stemeducationinnovationglobalstudies/people/eamon-costello

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

[1] Fawns, T. (2022). An Entangled Pedagogy: Looking Beyond the Pedagogy—Technology Dichotomy. Postdigital Science and Education, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-022-00302-7

[2] Gourlay, L., Littlejohn, A., Oliver, M., & Potter, J. (2021). Lockdown literacies and semiotic assemblages: academic boundary work in the Covid-19 crisis. Learning, Media and Technology, 46(4), 377-389. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2021.1900242

[3] Brach, T. (2012). Radical Acceptance: Awakening the Love that Heals Fear and Shame. London: Random House.

Costello, E., Welsh, S., Girme, P., Concannon, F., Farrelly, T., & Thompson, C. (2022). Who cares about learning design? Near future superheroes and villains of an educational ethics of care. Learning, Media and Technology, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2022.2074452

Experiences on digital literacy and collegial learning in a Swedish preschool

Experiences on digital literacy and collegial learning in a Swedish preschool

by | NW 16 ICT in Education and Training, NW 6 Open Learning: Media, Environments and Cultures

At a time when developing digital literacy is high on the agenda, an interdisciplinary starting-point may provide opportunities for daily activities at preschool. This approach may involve the preschool teachers’ own digital literacy, their ability to lead activities, integration of digital tools and resources, as well as their approach to using digital tools critically and responsibly. In addition, it involves extended teaching skills. Timperley (2019) argued that collegial learning is extremely valuable for successful practice in preschool. Research shows that personal and professional development go hand in hand and that development is closely related to how knowledge is put into practice at the preschool, for instance in relation to scaffolding  – to build on what a child already knows to provide a strong support base (cf. Hernwall, 2016; Letnes, 2017).

A study on the effect of digital tools on learning situations in preschool

The aim of the study presented here was to investigate how preschool teachers understood, changed, and improved learning situations when digital tools were used under the supervision of a film educator, a preschool colleague, and a researcher. Two preschools, situated in a small Swedish town, participated. One of the teachers, Mia, was engaged as a co-researcher. In total four teachers, two from each preschool, and 25 children aged four to five participated. Design-based experiment (DBE) method was used to collect data. The data collection was built as a spiral, starting with a teacher-led photo activity with the children. I, as a researcher, filmed the activities and the film sequences were then used as discussion material in the later reflection session together with the participating teachers. The insights were forwarded and discussed by the staff at a pedagogical meeting, to be the base for the teachers’ next photo activity, and so on. The experimental aspect lay in the researchers, the co-researchers, and the teachers’ receptivity to the unexpected and their didactic flexibility.

The film educator initially introduced a predetermined photo activity model to the participating teachers:

  1. Photo assignment
  2. Show-and-tell (each child chose one of their photos to talk about)
  3. New assignment

Development of didactic flexibility and digital literacy

In the analysis, it turned out, that he teachers assumed active roles as designers of digital learning situations. This form of agency was intimately linked to flexibility and collegial learning. The teachers expressed that they had undergone professional development during the study. This involved handling tablets, and understanding their usefulness as pedagogical tools.

The teachers pointed out that the new insights surprised them. The important question: What did you think here? was put more often to both children and adults. When the teachers discussed preschool goals, they emphasized teaching and guiding and creating wonder. ”It is important to guide, control, and challenge”, one of the teachers said. ”We have been exploring,” said another. Being conscious and confident in the learning situation were qualities often mentioned in the interviews.

New insights related to transparency and structure, gave confidence as well as freedom to explore and develop. They talked a lot about taking an interest in children’s thoughts and reflections.

We caught the children’s interest: what will happen? The tasks were important. Important to show each other. What did you think here? That children understand that they have understood something in a different way from their friend. It was also a good training waiting for their turn.

— Ulla

The cultural and educational environment at the preschools improved. The teachers testified to being inspired and having new ideas and said that they wanted to continue using tablets in the preschool:

Based on the tasks we have given, I feel more comfortable in conveying to them what they should do. New ideas and how develop them further. And how to use this [tablet] as a tool.

— Helena

We are in the process of developing our own reflection sessions based on the children’s pictures and thoughts. We have really implemented it. 

— Mia

Role of the reflection sessions

Collegial processes of learning took place during the reflection sessions. In turn, this affected confidence, approaches, and concrete work in the team and in the groups of children. Self-reflection and reflection on the actions of colleagues in the video sequences created a greater sense of agreement in the team. The teachers talked about benefitting from each other’s competences and the importance of being present as teachers.

We complement each other, pool our knowledge, get to know each other’s approaches and view of children. We know how our colleagues think in different situations and then it’s easy to support and push each other. Thanks to the reflections, learning is good. 

— Kajsa

The teachers at one of the preschools started to video record each other and themselves to study and reflect on their actions in different learning situations. They described reflection sessions as the basis for development in a safe and sound environment. One of the teachers talked about how reflection opportunities had been an asset in team development and how they had been challenged and forced to express their thoughts and actions in words.

We clearly see what the children do from their perspective, how we can build on that the next time. How we should think. It is also the way this creates consensus and a sense of safety in the team.

— Mia

Collegial Learning and digital literacy– some reflections

Success factors for providing digital literacy to children in preschool are the teachers’ competence and ability to lead activities, integrate digital tools and resources in teaching, and give children clear and attainable challenges. This further requires that preschool teachers and other staff are familiar with the use of digital tools. This study shows how five committed teachers with no particular digital habits or interest in digital tools used tablets in preschool as a teaching tool to reach curricular goals relating to communication. The use of digital tools affected the interaction between individuals and between individuals and artefacts. The teachers learned from each other and were inspired by modelling, good examples, reflecting together and on their own. 

A meeting-place for collegial learning emerged in the intersection between activities, reflection sessions, and staff discussions. There were opportunities for the participants to evaluate and continuously reflect, which also Thomas (2011) emphasizes as important factors in developing digital literacy. The teachers’ reflections on their teaching practice are prominent in the study. They remarked on their discovery of their professionalism. Furthermore, the study shows the importance of internal as well as external agents in development work.

Initially, it involves individuals who want to and can make a difference. The teachers described how the persons with more knowledge, the film teacher, the co-researcher and the researcher, could support their learning. Modelling by the film educator added structure and practical exercises and the reflection sessions in connection with exercises provided conditions for collegial learning, which resulted in understanding and explorative development of possible digital practices in the preschools.

My role as a researcher was to document sequences of learning in practice, not for the sake of displaying learning per se, but sequences demonstrating the process of learning. Discovering and reflecting on learning was the task of the teachers. The experimental community was central and I acted as a sounding board without reducing the teachers’ agency.

As a design-based researcher, my purpose was to draw attention to preconceived notions in order to let the participants in the conversation become aware of how their way of thinking and working in the team could change (cf. Åsén Nordström, 2017). It is possible, though, that the co-researcher Mia—was the most important factor in relation to the aim that preschool teachers should get tools to understand, change, and improve learning environments and situations where digital tools are used.

Key Messages

Success factors for providing digital literacy in preschool (“The experimental community”): 

  • teachers’ motivation and intrepidity
  • familiarity with the use of digital tools
  • progressive challenges
  • continuously opportunities for collegial reflection
  • cooperation with other preschools

Other blog posts on similar topics:

Dr Karin Forsling

Dr Karin Forsling

Senior lecturer at Karlstad University, Sweden

Karin Forsling, born 1953, works as a lecturer in Special Needs Education at Karlstad University, Sweden. Her research focuses on pupils´ literacy in digital learning environments in preschool and school. After her defense, 2017, Karin has written a number of articles and book chapters. She is a member of Nationella Literacynätverket, Nordic Literacy Research Network, Undervisningens digitalisering, Nationella forskarnavet Digitalisering i förskolan, and Excellent Teaching for Literacy.

She can be found on Researchgate, Linkedin and Scopus. orcid.org/0000-0003-1489-700X

References and Further Reading

Hernwall, P. (2016). ‘We have to be professional’—Swedish preschool teachers’ conceptualisation of digital media. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 11(1), 5–23. https://www.idunn.no/doi/10.18261/issn.1891-943x-2016-01-01 

Larsson, P. (2018). Kollegialt lärande och konsten att navigera bland begrepp [Collegial learning and the art of navigating through concepts]. In N. Rönnström & O. Johansson (Eds.), Att leda skolor med stöd i forskning—exempel, analyser och utmaningar. Natur och kultur.

Letnes, M. A. (2017). Legende Læring med Digitale Medier [Playful Learning with Digital Media], Akademisk Forlag. https://www.akademisk.dk/legende-laering-med-digitale-medier

Lpfö18, Läroplan för förskolan. [Curriculum for the preschool]. Skolverket.

Thomas, A. (2011). Towards a transformative digital literacies pedagogy. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 6(1–2), 89–102. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Towards-a-Transformative-Digital-Literacies-Thomas/6cf9b2ea264ab068783ed84bc666d82732814bab

Timperley, H. (2019). Det professionella lärandets inneboende kraft [The inner force of professional learning]. Studentlitteratur. https://www.studentlitteratur.se/kompetensutveckling/skola-f-6/ledarskap-och-skolutveckling/det-professionella-larandets-inneboende-kraft

Åsén Nordström, E. (2017). Kollegialt lärande genom pedagogisk handledning (Collegial learning through pedagogical supervision). Liber.

 

The full article:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-021-01289-9

 

 

Gently down the stream(ing): Can digital literacy help turn the tide on the climate crisis? 

Gently down the stream(ing): Can digital literacy help turn the tide on the climate crisis? 

by | ESAI, NW 16 ICT in Education and Training, NW 30 Environmental and Sustainability Education Research, ESER, NW 6 Open Learning: Media, Environments and Cultures

The ubiquitous availability of digital content and web services has transformed the way we live, work, and learn (List et al., 2020). Technology provides us with tools to manage and accomplish work, content to entertain us, and applications to document, store and share our lives online. It is within this context that digital literacy features prominently in policy documentation and educational literature, recognising digital literacy as an essential skill for 21st-century living (Pérez-Escoda et al., 2019). However, as we stand on the precipice of climate disaster, is it time for digital literacy to focus its attention on the impact our increasing digital activity has on the environment?

Environmental impact of users’ digital lives

In education circles, conversations around the impact of educational technology on our environment have begun in earnest (Facer & Selwyn, 2021), however, this is less evident regarding the use of digital content and tools in our day-to-day lives. The usage of streaming services, for example, has soared in recent years and while providers such as Netflix have improved efficiencies in these services, their carbon footprint is still significant (Stephens et al., 2021).

Our music consumption habits have also shifted away from physical media, but overall greenhouse gas emissions from storing and distributing music online have doubled since 2000 (Brennan, 2019). Social media activity continues to increase at a remarkable pace, and a significant carbon cost (Perrin, 2015), and popular apps like TikTok and Reddit have a disproportionately large carbon footprint. Our regular scrolling of ‘news feeds’ contributes carbon emissions equivalent to a short light vehicle journey, per person, per day (Derudder, 2021).

This online activity, coupled with our desire to store data in the cloud, means data centres account for 1% of the global energy demand (Obringer et al., 2021). The continued desire for the latest phone is also costing more than our wallets, with the environmental impact of the device lifecycle being well documented (MacGilchrist et al., 2021). Current figures suggest that over half of consumers in many EU countries renew their devices every 18 – 24 months.

In our work environment, too, our digital impact must be acknowledged. While conferencing platforms such as Zoom come with great environmental benefits when compared with face-to-face meetings and conferences, further efficiencies can be achieved by challenging ‘camera on’ policies. A seemingly innocuous task like sending 65 text emails can cost as much carbon as a short car journey, and when factors such as attachments are considered, the cost is even higher (Duncan, 2022). This snapshot reveals just some of the impacts of our digital lives, some of which our students are unaware of.

Current focus of digital literacy and digital literacy frameworks

An acknowledgment of the need to develop our students’ digital literacy has existed since Gilster (1997) first coined the term and defined it as “the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of [digital] sources”.

Definitions of digital literacy have remained remarkably consistent in the decades that followed, focusing on the ability to source, evaluate and use digital information. In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis on content creation and communicating using digital channels. However, academic definitions of digital literacy lack any real focus on the environmental cost of our digital activities. In fact, there is little evidence of this aspect of digital literacy being discussed in academic literature.

There are many digital literacy frameworks available to help academics and other users understand digital literacy and its competencies. Only the UNESCO and DigiComp frameworks refer to the environmental impact of technologies and their use, and this is nestled under the ’digital safety’ strand. The range of digital literacy frameworks (e.g. DigiComp, UNESCO, JISC) and volume of journal publications suggests that academics and policymakers are committed to the development of digital literacy, however, it appears that the impact of our digital lives on the environment has been largely left out of the debate. 

Shifting our focus

Calls for action to avert a climate catastrophe are becoming more strident. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report (2022) paints a very troubling picture regarding the widespread and severe impacts of climate change. We must act now. We must adapt our practices and become more sustainable in everything we do.

I believe we can refocus our attention on digital literacy to guide our students to being more critical users of technology and understanding its impact on our world. Using familiar language and strategies, we might encourage students to identify their current digital activities and analyse their carbon footprint, before evaluating areas where improvements can be made. Students could be encouraged to construct new meaning from their investigations by capturing trends associated with work, study and social practices, and communicating these findings with a wider audience.

This shift in focus is essentially a repurposing of what we already ask our students to do with regard to digital content, but targeted at addressing the authentic and urgent issue of climate change. While frameworks such as DigiComp and UNESCO should be commended for including environmental impact, further development of this area should be encouraged.

Digital literacy frameworks should provide a detailed scaffold which encourages a multidimensional understanding of digital tools, their impact on the environment, and consideration of actions that can be taken to affect change. Developing this aspect of digital literacy would increase students’ awareness of the ‘cost’ of technology and promote a more critical use of the tools and services they use in their day-to-day lives.

Conclusion

The coming years present major challenges for society to tackle the climate emergency. It is crucial that we shift our mindset and begin to understand the impact our actions have on the environment, and make the necessary changes to recalibrate our relationship with nature.

Changes are required in all aspects of our lives, from energy and waste, to the provision and rewilding of natural spaces. While a refocussing of digital literacy and digital competencies in this way is not the panacea to the situation, it can act as a move in the right direction, one more component of our lives where we begin to understand and address our toll on the environment.

The post is an abridged version of an article in the upcoming (October 2022) issue of the Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy

Key Messages

Society’s use of digital and online content is increasing

Digital literacy is recognised as a set of competencies for this digital world

Our day-to-day use of technology has an environmental impact

Digital literacy definitions and frameworks largely ignore the environmental impact

We should begin including environmental impact in our digital literacy definitions, frameworks, and discussions

Other blog posts on similar topics:

Dr Peter Tiernan

Dr Peter Tiernan

Assistant Professor in Digital Learning and Research Convenor for the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies in the Institute of Education at Dublin City University.

Peter is an Assistant Professor in Digital Learning and Research Convenor for the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies in the Institute of Education at Dublin City University. He lectures in the areas of digital learning, digital literacy and entrepreneurship education. His current research focuses on digital literacy at post-primary and further education level as well as entrepreneurship education for third level lecturers and pre-service teachers.

Peter was shortlisted for the DCU President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in 2021.

Find Peter on Twitter.

References and Further Reading

A framework of pre-service teachers’ conceptions about digital literacy: Comparing the United States and Sweden https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360131519303380

Dimensions of digital literacy based on five models of development (Pérez-Escoda et al., 2019) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/11356405.2019.1603274

Digital technology and the futures of education – towards ‘non-stupid’ optimism (Facer & Selwyn, 2021) https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377071″>https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377071

Carbon impact of video streaming (Stephens et al., 2021), https://prod-drupal-files.storage.googleapis.com/documents/resource/public/Carbon-impact-of-video-streaming.pdf

MUSIC CONSUMPTION HAS UNINTENDED ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS (Brennan, 2019) https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archiveofnews/2019/april/headline_643297_en.html

Social Media Usage: 2005-2015
65% of adults now use social networking sites – a nearly tenfold jump in the past decade (Perrin, 2015) https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/10/08/social-networking-usage-2005-2015/

What is the environmental footprint for social media applications? 2021 Edition (Derudder, 2021) https://greenspector.com/en/social-media-2021/

The overlooked environmental footprint of increasing Internet use (Olbringer et al., 2021) ​https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344920307072?via%3Dihub

Shifting scales of research on learning, media and technology, (Mcgilchrist, et al, 2021) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439884.2021.1994418

Text Messaging & Emails Generate Carbon Emissions (Carbon Footprint), (Duncan, 2021) https://8billiontrees.com/carbon-offsets-credits/reduce-carbon-footprint/texts-emails/

A Global Framework of Reference on Digital Literacy Skills for Indicator 4.4.2 http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/ip51-global-framework-reference-digital-literacy-skills-2018-en.pdf

Digicomp https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/digcomp_en

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report https://www.ipcc.ch

Featured Image Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash