Topics for Group Literature Review by Calin

Is digital technology beneficial or harmful for young learner?

cwalmsley3 — 2024-02-29 03:11:24 UTC

I work at a kindergarten and primary school. We have embraced technology in our classrooms, sparking a thoughtful debate on its impact on young learners. At the primary level, we integrate various digital tools, such as iPads and smart TVs, to enhance learning. However, in kindergarten, we take a different approach by excluding all digital technology, including projectors, with the sole exception being digital speakers for music. This policy is actually a selling point for our school, appealing to parents who are concerned about the negative effects of screen time on young children's education. Through conversations with parents, it's clear many opt to limit or entirely eliminate screen time for their children, often overlooking the potential advantages it might offer in areas like language development.

This leads me to ponder whether digital technology and screen time are beneficial or harmful to academic achievement in young learners.

Primary > Secondary > Higher

jordansmith4_ — 2024-03-03 14:31:50 UTC

We seem to work across the different education levels. Much of the provided literature focuses on higher education, specifically learning environments. What if we could see how well this could be applied to secondary and perhaps introduced in primary. I'd imagine Higher education is the first time many students are asked to independently manage their online resources to learn. What can be done to foster positive attitudes towards collaborative learning environments prior to University?

Digital divide

katiehart123 — 2024-03-03 14:59:53 UTC

This is something that has been highlighted during and since the pandemic. Many institutions within primary, secondary and higher education have embraced the use of digital technology with the aim to enhance the learning and teaching experiences of the learners. More resources are becoming available online and institutions are engaging in a more blended approach. However in what cases can the use of digital technology act as a barrier to learning? These could have many connections such as affordances, accessibility, affordability, training and I’m sure you can think of many more.

Student interaction in online learning

2024-03-04 06:33:30 UTC

I’m interested in what literature is saying about how student interaction can be fostered through emerging technologies in online and distance learning (Belderrain 2006, see 2.1). Particularly, how students can learn through a feeling of belonging and 'social presence'. In this literature review I would like to focus on interaction between students, including "vicarious interaction” (Sutton 2001, see 5.1). For example, what might the literature say about discussion threads (Wise et al 2013, see 5.1); but also using other emerging technologies, e.g. Knowledge Forum, instant messaging, audio/video recordings of conversations between students, gamified interactions, etc.