Situated Language and Learning

Tapping into students' digital literacy and designing negotiated learning to promote learner autonomy

MyScience is a primary science education initiative in which being in a community of practice is integral to the learning process. One component of this initiative involves professional scientists interacting with primary school communities which are navigating their way towards sustainable ‘communities of practice’ around the ‘domain’ of ‘investigating scientifically’. This paper describes the ongoing journey to date of eleven scientists (six astronomers and five engineers) who actively participated in MyScience over an extended period. Their views of interactions with teachers and students were analysed using attributes associated with both ‘communities of practice’ and the ‘nature of science’. Findings reveal new understandings about the evolving characteristics associated with the development of such school-community collaborations as well as affordances and barriers that may influence their further growth. The influence of these scientists’ own ‘community of science practices’ may account for some of the findings. Implications for science teaching and learning in primary school community of practice settings are discussed.

In the digital era, the rapid growth of information and the increasing reliance on technology in education and research have made digital libraries and information literacy essential areas of study. This paper aims to identify trends and map the landscape of research on digital libraries and information literacy using the VOSviewer application. A qualitative research method with a literature review approach was employed. A total of 59 documents were retrieved from the Scopus database, converted to CSV format, and analyzed using bibliometric techniques. The findings indicate research trends indexed in Scopus from 2014 to 2023, reflecting a growing interest in these topics. The analysis shows that the United States is the leading contributor, with 15 documents exploring various aspects of digital libraries and information literacy. Visualization mapping reveals that research in this field primarily focuses on topics such as information services, digital literacies, academic libraries, library services, university libraries, curricula, and education. These trends underscore the importance of digital libraries and information literacy in supporting learning and research processes in the digital age. A robust digital repository, combined with strong information literacy skills, enhances users’ ability to access, evaluate, and apply information effectively, thereby promoting the acquisition of comprehensive and in-depth knowledge. This study not only analyzes current research patterns and thematic focuses but also introduces a computer-assisted bibliometric method as an alternative approach for conducting literature reviews.

The article is devoted to a comprehensive interdisciplinary study of the term «game» and its relatively new variety – computer game. The need to use an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the term is explained by the versatility and multi-aspect nature of the phenomenon under study. The article reveals the meaning of the concept «game» in the philosophical, aesthetic, historical, cultural, linguistic, psychological, technological and legal dimensions. The research methodology includes historical, systematic methods, as well as the method of formal legal analysis. The author emphasizes the influence of the development of forms of game activity on the development of social evolution, as well as the interaction of the game and the achievements of scientific and technological progress. The relevance of studying the term «computer game» lies in the fact that computer games have become the most popular type of gaming activity and the most profitable commercial product on the modern market. In this regard, terminological certainty is necessary due to the economic feasibility and effective legal regulation of the development, implementation and use of computer games. The authors propose to identify the main features of the concept «game», in general, and the specific features of the term «computer game», in particular. Based on the set of features, the author's definition of the concept «computer game» is proposed. In order to distinguish the studied concept from related categories, the analysis of the terms «electronic game» and «video game» is carried out. In conclusion, the authors assess the approaches to the legal regulation of computer games from the point of view of domestic legislation. As a result of the analysis of the possibility of attributing a computer game to a variety of programs for electronic computers or a variety of multimedia products, the choice was made in favor of the latter. Thus, at present, in order to solve legal problems related to the development and use of a computer game, the authors propose the application of the law analogy.

Settler Stories

Aim/Purpose: This paper investigates three key aspects of metaverse-based platforms in English language teaching: (1) their effectiveness in enhancing language learning outcomes, (2) their impact on digital literacy development in higher education, and (3) their accessibility and inclusivity implications for diverse student populations. Background: Despite growing interest in digital language learning, research gaps exist in understanding the long-term effectiveness of immersive technologies, particularly in resource-constrained settings. The metaverse – an integrated platform combining augmented reality (AR) for real-world digital overlays and virtual reality (VR) for immersive experiences – remains little studied in language education. While existing research examines AR or VR separately, this study investigates their combined impact through metaverse technology, addressing the unexplored intersection of language proficiency, digital literacy, and learning sustainability in higher education. Methodology: A mixed-methods study was conducted with 60 undergraduate students divided equally between experimental (metaverse-based) and control (traditional online) groups for an 8-week English course. The experimental group used an integrated metaverse platform combining AR and VR technologies for one hour daily. Quantitative assessment included pre-test, post-test, and six-month retention measurements of language proficiency (reading, writing, speaking; 10-point scale each) and digital literacy (36-item standardized scale). Semi-structured interviews with 15 participants from resource-limited environments explored accessibility and inclusivity challenges. Contribution: This research contributes to understanding technology-enhanced language learning in immersive environments, challenging assumptions about digital literacy’s impact on academic performance and providing insights into the long-term effects of metaverse-based learning on language skills. Findings: The results revealed significant improvements in reading, writing, and speaking skills among the experimental group, with reading and writing gains maintained over six months. While participants showed substantial improvement in digital literacy, no significant relationship was found between digital literacy and academic performance. Qualitative analysis uncovered two key themes: inclusive social interaction opportunities and technical barriers in the learning process. Recommendations for Practitioners: To maximize the effectiveness of metaverse-based language learning, three key recommendations emerge: institutions should prioritize robust technological infrastructure alongside comprehensive training for both educators and students, educational platforms should be developed with greater inclusivity and customization options, and regular practice sessions or hybrid learning models should be implemented to maintain speaking skills over time. Recommendation for Researchers: Future research directions should focus on three critical areas: conducting longer-term studies to better understand how metaverse-based learning affects academic performance and language proficiency, exploring the complex relationship between digital literacy and academic achievement through alternative success measures, and investigating how adaptive learning systems within metaverse environments can effectively address diverse learner needs. Impact on Society: The findings suggest that metaverse technology has the potential to revolutionize language education, making it more engaging and effective. However, they also highlight the need to address technical challenges and ensure inclusivity to prevent new forms of educational inequality. Future Research: Future investigation should address three key areas: examining how digital skills gained in metaverse environments transfer to real-world contexts and other academic disciplines, developing standardized assessment tools for evaluating language proficiency and digital literacy in immersive virtual settings, and studying the long-term impact of metaverse-based learning across different age groups and educational levels.

Digital literacy is an ability to understand and use information in multiple formats and sources while presented through computers. The research purposes have analysed the influence of the electronic Invertebrate book on students’ digital literacy and learning outcomes, as well as describe student responses upon learning process using electronic Invertebrate book. This research used mixed-method. The research samples selected using purposive sampling. Student’s digital literacy and learning outcomes, in the form of pre-test and post-test, were analysed quantitively using normalised gain scores (g). The difference between pre-test and post-test in treatment or control class calculated using Wilcoxon test. Meanwhile, the post-test score and normalised gain score between treatment and control class calculated using Mann-Whitney test. The student’s responses through the learning process were analysed descriptive-quantitatively using questionnaire. The result revealed that about 57% of students completed the digital literacy test and 100% of them enhanced in the category of medium to high on digital literacy skills.

Video Games and the Future of Learning

We present a computational model that allows us to study the interplay of different processes involved in first language acquisition. We build on the assumption that language acquisition is usage-driven and assume that there are different processes in language acquisition operating at different levels. Bottom-up processing allows a learner to identify regularities in the linguistic input received, while top-down processing exploits prior experience and previous knowledge to guide choices made during bottom-up processing. To shed light on the interplay between top-down and bottom-up processing in language acquisition, we present a computational model of language acquisition that is based on bootstrapping mechanisms and is usage-based in that it relies on discovered regularities to segment speech into word-like units. Based on this initial segmentation, our model induces a construction grammar that in turn acts as a top-down prior that guides the segmentation of new sentences into words. We spell out in detail these processes and their interplay, showing that top-down processing increases both understanding performance and segmentation accuracy. Our model thus contributes to a better understanding of the interplay between bottom-up and top-down processes in first language acquisition and thus to a better understanding of the mechanisms and architecture involved in language acquisition.

What happens when a group of public school superintendents comes together to form a community of practice for the improvement of teaching and learning? Can the members identify questions of practice and then collect, analyze, and interpret data from practice in order to improve it? Those who have taken part in the Connecticut Superintendents' Network have shown the collective will and persistence to do exactly that. (1) Established and facilitated by the Connecticut Center for School Change, a school reform organization, the Network is grounded in a theory of action concerning professional development for administrators. All participating superintendents agree with Andrew Lachman, executive director of the Center, and Jane Tedder, its education program officer, that learning is both situated and social. That is, professional adults learn not through workshops but through multiple opportunities to examine real problems with peers. (2) And capitalizing on this social nature of learning is the concept of a community of practice--a professional group engaged in the sustained pursuit of a shared enterprise (3) for the purpose of learning and building capacity. Members work together to test out ideas, critique one another's work, offer alternative conceptualizations, and provide both emotional and intellectual support. (4) The Network's goals are: * to develop superintendents' knowledge and skills to lead large-scale instructional improvement; * to assist superintendents in developing distributed leadership (5) throughout their districts--that is, building a cadre of knowledgeable and skilled leaders who assume responsibility for developing their own practice around the pursuit of improvement; and * to enable superintendents to build an infrastructure that supports the work of improvement--evaluation, professional growth, networks, and opportunities for collaboration. As of its fourth year, the Network consisted of 12 superintendents who had been wrestling with establishing high quality teaching and improving student learning in classrooms throughout their districts. Six of the members had participated for three years; three, for two years; and three, for one year. Six of the superintendents were women; two were African American. Their districts were geographically and demographically diverse, serving more than 57,000 students and operating in locales ranging from postindustrial cities to affluent suburbs and less wealthy towns. In addition to the practicing superintendents, Lachman and Tedder are members of the Network, as are Richard Elmore of Harvard; David Nee, executive director of the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund; and Sharon Rallis of the University of Massachusetts. This blended network of practitioners, professors, and change agents is committed to a process in which members go into schools to observe teaching and learning directly and then support one another in solving problems that they have identified through what they have seen in practice. The group meets monthly and focuses on a problem related to student learning in a particular school identified by a member superintendent. We visit that school, conducting 20-minute observations in several classrooms and collecting data to address the problem. After the observations, we meet with the school leaders to talk about what we saw. During the following month, we meet to analyze the instructional issues raised by our observations, to consider the implications and potential solutions, and to make sense of what we have learned. Elmore helps focus the sessions and connects theory and research to practice; Rallis documents the discourse. Here we tell the story of how the Network developed and how it operates. We also discuss what we have learned, both about the process of creating the community and about the role of leadership in improving teaching and learning in schools. …

While it is often argued that technology could act as a change agent and transform educational practices, individuals, communities, government and society holding their own ideological beliefs limit such a liberalisation of the educational system. To show that the use of educational technology is part of a dialectical struggle this article explores the: current use of technology in the classroom; development of standards and approaches to learning technology; and the use of computer and video games. The design, development, integration and use of technology in the classroom is driven by individual and institutional ideologies that support current hegemonic constructions maintained through observation and control systems. The development of standards for learning management systems (for example the Sharable Content Object Reference Model and the associated Learning Object Metadata Standard) underpin the concept of Reusable Learning Objects (RLO). The conceptualization, development, deployment and use of RLOs is ideologically driven and has little to do with contemporary ideas of learning and everything to do with fundamental and totalitarian ideologies of instruction. The blended approach to learning, where technology is introduced into existing courses where appropriate, sees technological objects (such as digital information, discussion boards, and chat sessions) as an additional component to existing courses. The use of technology in such a way does not allow for the re-conceptualisation of existing ideological practices and therefore limits educational transformation. Computer game technology could be used as a powerful tool to support learning. However, many supporters of the use of games in education argue for the use of simulations that are either ideologically suspect (for example the use of game software used to train military personal as a useful educational device) or based on model-using rather that model-building. An analysis of successful computer games shows that players are presented with either realistic environments that include complex multifaceted characters involved in richly textured narratives or are designed to support male fantasies (both erotic and authoritarian), inculcate self-discipline (especially through reflex), include control-and-monitoring (preparing workers for a global economy) and are gender exclusive. This article argues that technology can only be used within specific idiosyncratic, homological and inclusive ideologies that in most cases reproduce the past into the future, which is making real a neo-liberal dream. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol. 21 (6) 2008: pp. 655-671

Computer and video games have grown to be a major industry but, until recently, have largely been ignored by academia. The last couple of years, however, have seen the emergence of new academic programs, conferences, and journals dedicated to games studies. For the past three years we have used computer games as projects in our introductory software engineering course. Small teams of students build three games across the semester. In this paper we describe the course and discuss its success.

Racing Berlin

General Background: The integration of digital technology in education requires learning approaches that support digital literacy and critical thinking development in science education. Physics learning in junior high schools often remains teacher-centered, resulting in limited student participation and shallow conceptual understanding. Specific Background: Web-based simulations provide interactive environments that enable students to explore scientific concepts and digital resources, while the Guided Discovery Learning model encourages active investigation and conceptual discovery during instruction. Knowledge Gap: Despite the potential of these approaches, physics learning frequently focuses on content delivery and problem solving without optimally integrating digital exploration and guided discovery processes. Aims: This study aims to analyze the implementation of Guided Discovery Learning assisted by Web-Based Simulation in improving digital literacy and critical thinking skills among Grade IX junior high school students studying magnetism and its applications. Results: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design involving two classes demonstrated significant differences between experimental and control groups (Sig. < 0.001). The experimental class showed higher improvements with N-gain values of 0.66 for digital literacy (moderate category) and 0.71 for critical thinking (high category). Novelty: The study presents empirical evidence on the integration of guided discovery learning with web-based simulation to support technology-mediated physics learning and student engagement. Implications: The findings indicate that contextual learning designs combining discovery-based instruction and digital simulations can support the development of digital literacy and critical thinking in junior high school physics learning, although implementation also depends on student readiness, digital competence, and environmental support. Highlights • Guided discovery learning with web simulations produced higher learning gains in experimental classes.• Digital literacy improvement reached moderate category with N-gain score of 0.66.• Critical thinking achievement reached high category with N-gain value of 0.71. Keywords Guided Discovery Learning; Web-Based Simulation; Digital Literacy; Critical Thinking; Physics Education

User-generated FAQ collections are a common aspect of the Internet culture that integrates knowledge of particular practices, thus playing the role of technology-based conceptual artifacts. However, FAQs are seldom used when specific knowledge or help is needed, thus raising the question, which factors influence FAQ acceptance in a community of practice (CoP). This paper proposes a conceptual model explaining conceptual artifacts' acceptance, based on the CoP and academic help-seeking approaches. Both are extensively covered by psychological and educational research literature, however their combination is not yet sufficiently investigated. A correlational study conducted in an academic software users' CoP, and involving structural equations modeling, validates the model, suggesting thus a research line that is worth further pursuing. For educational practice, the study suggests three ways of supporting knowledge sharing in CoPs, i.e. availability of technology-based conceptual artifacts, role definitions and division of labor, and purposeful communication in CoPs.