Introduction
The education system is attributed to divergent technological aspects in the world. There are factors of technology that require changes in teaching practices to facilitate efficient and effective learning. Perceptions of students have been evaluated by researchers throughout the world. It has been identified that the students have different capacities in understanding (Simon and Karen 2012).
However, each learner has a strategy in which s/he attains information. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have advanced the delivery of ideas learners in diversities of techniques. However, these areas have not been accepted fully into the current teaching mechanism.
Probably, there are some factors that prevent exploitation of this fast growing area in other sectors. For this reason, I decided to search for two articles that could give ideas and clues about exploitation of ICT in education systems. Consequently, I identified two articles with the following titles.
- The value of ICT from a learning game-playing perspective (McNeill and Joan 2012).
- Integrating traditional learning and games on large displays: An experimental study (Ardito et al. 2013).
These were the articles that I used to review and evaluate the contents. This report will, therefore, lay the basis on reviewing the two articles and summarizing the key elements in their contents.
McNeill and Joan (2012) performed a research to evaluate ICT case of PETE (physical education teacher education). They paid attention to the influences of vodcasts on teaching learners. Their research extended to the playing techniques and game teaching strategies.
Their research was an extension of another research performed in 2010. For instance, the discoveries of McNeill et al. (2010) were referred in the relations existing between vodcasts and podcasts.
They were trying to investigate whether the potentials of podcasts could apply in vodcasts. In achieving their research goals, McNeill and Joan (2012) collected data through social media, questionnaires, emails, face to face survey and e-portfolio.
The methodology of this research is rooted in the comparisons of podcasts and vodcasts effectiveness. Initially, students had high perception on learning and teaching through podcast. Consequently, the investigations performed through post-graduates ideas targeted on investigating their uses when playing and teaching. This section was divided into pedagogical context and research procedures.
The pedagogical context incorporated narration of a case involving a coordinator and instructor (Mike). Mike applied podcasts and vodcasts in his teaching. Class meetings were held two times every week for twelve weeks. On research procedures, a list on data evaluation strategies was taken. For instance, Mike adopted the reflections of teaching applied in the vodcasts.
They met with another author where they discussed the behaviors and views of students. Other forms of replies were collected from the smart phone sessions. In fact, encouragement systems were invented to improve the chances of feedbacks. Joan created vigor on the students to reply in the adopted system.
Different participants were involved in this research. First, there was teacher-researcher who involved the authors of the articles. Mike and Joan were the authors. Mike was experienced since he had interacted with PETE for twenty five years and had participated in secondary school P.E for eighteen years. Secondly, they involved the PETE students who were aware about the objectives of the study and processes.
Students used cameras to take videos during class time. This was a source of data that could be used for research review. Also, Joan took notes from field work for reference purposes and as a record for future use. Another strategy applied when collecting data is survey.
Joan applied survey strategies that involved questionnaires. Also, all students were invited after completing assessments to give their view on the application of vodcasts in teaching. This survey was similar to another performed initially by McNeill et al. (2010).
The questionnaires had 29 questions that evaluated the ideas and retrieved data for research. The other strategy was applied when returning the questionnaires. Every sixth students on class register were selected to participate on focus group interview. Other sources of the data taken were through instant message reflective prompts, emails and e-portfolio reflections.
The research was presented under results on two partitions. The sections relate ICT and learning to play or teach games. The discussion alleged that commercial learning materials are similar to teacher-made references. Cost of initiating the digital studies was a challenge for students at personal and administrative level.
Ardito et al. (2013) indicated that ICT has a credible opportunity to make changes in the education system. They suggested that researchers should identify strategies to exploit the current technological advances. The researchers presented a research report that tried to support the application a new education strategies. This research presented integration of educational games through multi-touch presentation for classes.
It was performed on six primary schools where its potentiality was identified. This research managed to reveal that the games involve pupils, constrict their knowhow and facilitate collaboration. According to this research, it is not possible to eliminate teachers from class.
However, they could be applied to facilitate proper learning paths of pupils in education. Additionally, the research described how the traditional learning techniques can be fused with educational games to improve the perception of pupils. Bruner (1990) presented Discovery Learning strategies that he believes to be effective in enhancing perception.
To affirm their research, they conducted a study on one hundred and seven pupils from 2 grade 5 classes. Pupils showed interest and participated remarkably in the education system under test. The basis of this research was earlier researches performed by Sluis et al. (2004). According to Sluis et al. (2004) children of around 6 years are assisted by these games during development.
This rooted the basis for research testing to either approve or disapprove the postulation. Additionally, the researcher reviewed the work performed by Bruner (1990) and identified that learning perception is partitioned into 3 parts. A pupil attends lessons, acts in practical functions or interacts with tools of technology.
The research presented the ideas of learning when using the large multi-touch screens. It described that these screens were visible for many pupil, easy to carry and facilitated interactions between pupils.
Field research took a period of 4 weeks that were partitioned in accordance to the phases of action. The symbolic phase involved a basic introduction of Egnathia. An active phase incorporated taking pupils to Egnathia archeological park. Finally, pupils were grouped into 4 or 5 for iconic phase. They went to school laboratory with multi-touch displays for 15 minutes and filled the distinguished puzzles.
Evaluation was, then, performed through a true/false test that pupils took in the school. The results were categorized into learning, behavior, performance and perception. 27 questions were administered to pupil after the study that targeted to measure learning. It was, therefore, applied after using the history puzzle.
An average of 7.12 scores was attained in the questions. It was determined that most time was lost on wading across the puzzles and watching multimedia. Although some groups complete the puzzle well, there were fearsome disputes on 5 of the 13 groups. Performance rate ascended due to familiarity with the puzzles. The first puzzle was the hardest while the others became easy and enlightening with time.
However, pupils were not able to express their idea on questionnaire. Consequently, focus group data was collected and defined. It implied that trip and multi-touch display had the highest tally of positive feedbacks. Conclusively, the researcher identified that use of multi-touch displays plays a vital role in the learning of students. It approved the appropriateness of the proposed education system in learning.
Comparing Findings
It is apparent that there are elements of similarities, contradictions, and deviations in the finding of this research. First, the two articles are setting on advancing the learning techniques through technology. The first article had a target to evaluate the application of vodcasts in learning and teaching methods. Similarly, a technique that is quite similar to vodcasts has been recommended in the second articles.
It was identified that instruction is a vital element. The technology advancements cannot be used as a substitute for a teacher. Instead, the advances are applied to facilitate better and efficient instruction strategies than those existing today. Researchers of the two articles have considered student level of satisfaction with the new ideas. They assumed that students’ appreciation marked better learning mechanisms.
Data collections assumed an identical strategy that incorporated note taking, surveys, focus groups and facial behaviors. Results portrayed that learner had an interest in the new educational systems understudy in each article.
However, there is more capture deviation than similarities. The two researches are about learner with different capacities for logical analysis. The first article presented postgraduate while the other presented pupils between the age of 5 and 7 years. Consequently, the categories of information substantiation could be imperative and divergent for the two groups.
Probably, this could explain why postgraduates rated low on video-clips while pupils enjoy the puzzles. Collection of data portrayed differences in decision making between the two groups. In the article 1, students managed to fill the questionnaires because they could evaluate them and decide answer. However, pupils had not attained a level to make such decision.
For this reason, they left the questionnaires unanswered. Consequently, it could be established that they cannot be made responsible for the decisions made in the education system. Otherwise, they should not be incorporated in the idea processes. Postgraduates appreciated game-pedagogy in a similar manner as instructors’ methods. However, pupils do not recognize the class time in teaching.
Instead, they remembered about the trip and puzzles. Probably, these were jovial but not entirely educational. However, since their understanding and enlightenment improved with time, the techniques could have credible potentials in mitigating perception basis on practice.
Key Elements for Education Practice
The articles have many identifiable elements of educational practices. A well reviewed article usually has a strategic arrangement of idea. For instance, there must be well supported postulations under conclusion. This implies that a research must be done to prove these allegations. In the following paragraphs, I will explain the strategies in which the two articles aligned with the education practices.
Vision and Values
Introductions used in the two articles played vital roles of initiation on the causes and necessities of the researches. Apparently, it is vital to state and declare the directions of a research before making other plans. The articles had the abstracts and introduction to satisfy these educational necessities.
Exploration and Challenge
The reports laid their basis on previous researches. For instance, each article had a review on previous literatures. They retrieved idea and evaluated them to raise the research that was performed. This arose due to challenges such as unanswered questions or unresolved problems.
Procedures and Applications
The researchers identified different strategies of finding data. The method involved most available people such as students and pupils. Random and non random techniques were applied to retrieve data. For instance, data was collected through focus data that involve non-randomized data collection techniques. The available knowledge was applied adequately to perform a viable test.
Outcomes
This is a part that records the results of research for a learner after publication. Every research report must incorporate this section. The two articles managed to exploit these parts explicitly. Data was recorded, explained and presented in tables.
Discussion and conclusions
These parts were assessed through a technique of evaluating the results. It tried to determine the relationships of the collected data. After making a discussion on the research results, the supported points were presented in the conclusions.
Apart from these issues, it has been identified that the two recommendations supports the teacher performances in class. The articles need to be implemented in the teaching mechanism to improve the level of perception.
Consequently, there is room for incorporation since this does not fight with the current education system. However, since the research on children portrayed loss of time at the initial stages, it must be evaluated comprehensively before approval.
This is not in line with educational practices. Educational practices recommended proper and strict time allocation and obedience. Therefore, if this system could waste the time of pupils learning, proper managerial standard must be implemented to discuss the viability of the multi-touch display in learning.
Education practices have, also, been applied when using the 3 phases in the article 2. Practical and technological teaching strategies included the needs on observation and practices. Learning was tested in pupils after performing the puzzles task. This is an educational practice that facilitates in measuring of learning. In the article 1, focus group method and questionnaires were given to student after exams.
This prevented distraction during exam time. Distractions lead to failure in exams. Consequently, the researchers applied proper education practices to avoid deviating the mind setting of the students.
However, disputes and loss of time implied that an instructor was absent when the pupils were filling the puzzles. This is inappropriate since it deviates from the proper education practices recommended for close pupil-teacher intervention when giving instructions.
Conclusion
This research has raised the capacities and potential of technology in learning. Two reviewed articles had strong capacities of enacting the need of technology in learning. If these researches progress, ideas will be raised to approve electronic education in the globe. This will facilitate fast learning and form an integrated system of education. In this way, student will learn without attend class at one place.
Works Cited
Ardito, Carmelo, Lanzilotti Rosa, Costabile Maria and Desolda Giuseppe. “Integrating Traditional Learning and Games on Large Displays: An Experimental Study.” Educational Technology & Society 16.1 (2013): 44-56. Print.
Bruner, Jerome. Acts of meaning. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1990. Print.
McNeill, Michael, and Joan Fry. “The Value of ICT from a Learning Game-playing Perspective.” Journal of Research 7.1 (2012): 45-52. Print.
McNeill, Michael, Mukherjee S, and G. Singh. “The Value of ICT from a Learning Game-playing Perspective.” Journal of Research 5.1 (2010): 16-19. Print.
Simon, Fran, and Karen N. Nemeth. Podcasting in physical education teacher education. Journal of Research Lewisville, NC: Gryphon House, 2012. Print.
Sluis, Mill, Illoc Weevers, Haiders Schijndel and Salius Fitrianie. Designing a Museum Multi-Touch Table for Children. Canada: Vancouver, 2004. Print.