Group items tagged

"While gamification is gaining ground in business, marketing, corporate management, health insurance,ecology and wellness initiatives, its application in education is still an emerging trend. This article presents a study of the published empirical research on the application of gamification to education.The study is limited to papers that discuss explicitly the effects of use of game elements in specificeducational contexts. It employs a systematic mapping design. Accordingly, a categorical structure forclassifying the research results is proposed based on the extracted topics discussed in the reviewed papers. The categories include gamification design principles, game mechanics, context of applyinggamification, consisting of type of application, educational level, and academic subject,implementation and evaluation. By mapping the published work to the classification criteria andanalyzing them, the study highlights the directions of the currently conducted empirical research onapplying gamification to education. It also indicates some major obstacles and needs, such as the needfor a proper technological support, the need for controlled studies demonstrating reliable positive ornegative results of using specific game elements in particular educational contexts, etc. Although mostof the reviewed papers report promising results, more substantial empirical research is needed todetermine whether both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation of the learners can be influenced bygamification"

The University of Minnesota Center for Reading Research conducts applied research on reading and research on teaching approaches that facilitate reading instruction.

Many schemes of professional development for teachers, as well as advanced teaching certificates, include an element of 'Action Research' (AR). In my work as a team leader of EFL tutors, I've come to see just how important AR is for teachers to continue to develop and professionalise their teaching practices. And I'm so enthusiastic about teachers doing research that I want to share some introductory thoughts with a wider audience - with you, my dear blog readers! I hope I can inspire you to start your own AR projects, and would love to hear what you get up to...

Action research is a great solution teachers' questions  I highly recommend learning about it. .. By collecting data and analyzing the results, teachers can change their practices in the classroom as needed. The principle of action research is to plan a change, implement the change, collect any necessary information, and analyze what happened. Action research can make use of data already being collected or needed for classroom practice."

The high volume of research on different programs, products, practices, and policies in education can make it difficult to interpret and apply the results. We review the research. Then, by focusing on the results from high-quality research, we try to answer the question "What works in education?"  Our goal is to provide educators with the information they need to make evidence-based decisions.

What do we actually mean by research and how does it help inform our understanding of things? Understanding what's being said in any new research can be challenging and there are some common mistakes that people make.

The Institute of Making is a multidisciplinary research club for those interested in the made world: from makers of molecules to makers of buildings, synthetic skin to spacecraft, soup to diamonds, socks to cities. Annual membership of the institute is available to all UCL staff and students. Our programme of symposia, masterclasses and public events explores the links between academic research and hands-on experience, and celebrates the sheer joy of stuff. Its mission is to provide all makers with a creative home in which to innovate, contemplate and understand all aspects of materials and an inspiring place to explore their relationship to making. At the heart of the Institute of Making is the Materials Library - a growing repository of some of the most extraordinary materials on earth, gathered together for their ability to fire the imagination and advance conceptualisation. A place in which makers from all disciplines can see, touch, research and discuss, so that they can apply the knowledge and experience gained to their own practice. Alongside the collection is the MakeSpace - a workshop where members and guests can make, break, design and combine both advanced and traditional tools, techniques and materials."

A new study from the Stanford Graduate School of Education flips upside down the notion that students learn best by first independently reading texts or watching online videos before coming to class to engage in hands-on projects. Studying a particular lesson, the Stanford researchers showed that when the order was reversed, students' performances improved substantially.

A new study from the Stanford Graduate School of Education flips upside down the notion that students learn best by first independently reading texts or watching online videos before coming to class to engage in hands-on projects. Studying a particular lesson, the Stanford researchers showed that when the order was reversed, students' performances improved substantially.

"The dreaded question. "So, what's your Ph.D. research about?" You could bore them with an explanation. Or you could dance. That's the idea behind "Dance Your Ph.D." Over the past 3 years, scientists from around the world have teamed up to create dance videos based on their graduate research. This year's contest, launched in June by Science, received 45 brave submissions. "

What a great idea, to dance your way to new understandings and thinking :-)

One New Hampshire high school student fell in love with accounting while working at a local business. Another attended the recent Democratic National Convention as a campaign volunteer. And a third, whose relative worked in the state immigration office, researched challenges facing newcomers to the state. All earned high school credit for their work outside school, an opportunity available under a burgeoning high school redesign effort in New Hampshire that sets its sights beyond simply stiffening course requirements and graduation standards.

For this week's 'Find It Friday' installment, I pose the following question - Are wiki sites now reliable enough to be used as research tools by lawyers?

.An American Education Research Association SIG for educators, scholars, and practitioners researching computer-mediated 3D communities.

Cool bioethics/genetics webquest/project. "In this WebQuest you will work with a team of three other students to form a consensus on how funding for genetics research should be distributed. Each member of your team will choose one of the given aspects of genetics to research. Upon finishing your research, you will discuss your findings and decide the team's stance on funding allocation. Your team will then create a persuasive presentation, arguing your consensus."

Electronic Resource, Legal Research, Legal Research Instruction

"IRA offers members new approaches to teaching literacy, easy ways to stay up to date on the latest research, and opportunities to connect with local literacy leaders. The mission of the International Reading Association (IRA) is to promote reading by continuously advancing the quality of literacy instruction and research worldwide. The Association provides outstanding professional development and supports excellent teaching, critical research, and promotion of the lifetime reading habit."