Baek, Y., & Whitton, N. (2013). Cases on Digital Game-Based Learning: Methods, Models, and Strategies. IGI Global.

This book is dedicated to case studies on using digital games in learning models from grade K-12. The incorporation of digital games, both video and computer games, has made an impact on the educational system. There are tons of games available that have been designed and implemented for the classroom with positive results with the education system. The book analyses how the games were implanted for learning and what each one’s pro’s and con’s are. The book provides strategies and advice about using the games in your own classroom and how essential it is for teachers to use game-based learning to increase motivation and technological engagement.

The book is useful for suggesting various digital games that are available and what their uses are in terms of subject matter and grade level. However the shortcoming of a book like this does also mean it is outdated quickly. Currently the book is very useful for sourcing games and ideas around implanting technology and game based learning in the classroom. There wasn’t a ton of description around what the learning outcomes are for the games, it would have been more useful then just the implementation strategies. The book does discuss studies and the results, both pros and cons, which is useful when looking what game you would like to implement into your class.

Horton, L., Liu, M., Olmanson, J., & Toprac, P. (2011). Engaging Learners through Interactive Media: Findings and Implications from a Technology Enhanced Problem-Based Learning Environment. Online Submission, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (New Orleans, LA, Apr 8-12, 2011).

This paper looks into students’ engagement with media in enhanced problem-based learning environments. It investigates the environments that encourage and facilitate learning and what element students found necessary to their learning. The study was with 180 sixth grade students and the students were given a task of saving aliens as the role of a scientist (Horten, 2011). The problem engaged the students with the subject and highlighted the problem solving elements of the game. There was eleven key elements that described increased student motivation: authenticity, challenge, cognitive engagement, competence, choice, fantasy, identity, interactivity, novelty, sensory engagement, and social relations (Horten, 2011). These all grouped into sources of intrinsic motivation – problem solving, socializing, playing, information processing, and voluntary acting (Horten, 2011). This study works with other articles using video or computer games to engage student with material. The responses of the students after playing the game were insightful and knowledgeable about planets, the solar system, atmosphere, and other scientific concepts. Teachers can have access to these types of games in the classroom to help engage students with the material.

I thought this article was useful in the breakdown of the key elements that are engaged when using the technology in the class. This is directly relevant to teachers looking to use similar methods in their class and helps to create assessment options around those elements. I think the article would have been more useful if it had gone into more specifics around the software used but it was useful to have an article that focused more on the benefits in terms of engagement. I think that teachers could use this article in combination with one of the others to combine to help create an assessment method for using this type of technology in the classroom.

Hakverdi-Can, M., & Sonmez, D. (2012). Learning How to Design a Technology Supported Inquiry-Based Learning Environment. Science Education International, 23(4), 338-352.

The article was a review of a study that focused on pre-service teachers and their experiences of designing technology supported inquiry based learning environments. Science teachers were asked to use WebQuest to create an environment targeting middle school students with inquiry lesson format. The class was entirely web based and all the content for the class was accessible through the WebQuest site. The study was examining the students experience using the program and it showed that WebQuest is an effective teaching tool. The participating teachers had a positive experience with the program and increased the students’ content knowledge and understanding of technology. All the teachers indicated they would use WebQuest in future classes. WebQuest was developed in 1995 and is used to create inquiry based learning environments online where knowledge is obtained partially or completely online (Hakverdi, 2012). It has a scenario-based structure and presents environments where students are expected to solve a problem using six components: introduction, task, process, resources, evaluation, and conclusion. It is a student-centered approach and enables students to analyze problems and synthesize knowledge and therefore teaching them to become active learners (Hakverdi, 2012). I personally have worked with a similar program, it can present digital environments that seem removed from the learning outcomes but the process and content leads students through each outcome while still keeping a fun and interesting environment. It is interesting and engaging for students and they can achieve the learning outcomes while interacting with the technology.

Technology and especially game-based technology is a great way to incorporate the inquiry-based learning strategy. The article is useful is suggesting software to use in the class and ways that it can be used. I would have liked to see the article go into more depth about what goes into creating this digital environment, such as creating the right kind of questions once using the software. I feel that for English as a subject area game-based learning is a huge asset for incorporating inquiry into the classroom.

Godzicki, L., Godzicki, N., Krofel, M, & Micheals. R. (2013, May 1). Increasing Motivation and Engagement in Elementary and Middle School Students through Technology-Supported Learning Environments. Online Submission.

The article concluded that students are motivated and actively engaged in the learning process when using technology and improved student motivation by nine percent (Godzicki, 2013). Students responded to the question around what technology tools to actually implant into the classroom with 116 of 246 responding with laptops (Godzicki, 2013). The study was looking to see the effect that integrating technology had on student motivation. They also looked into what specifically students wanted to use in the classroom. Although the laptop was the top choice for use in the classroom it isn’t necessarily feasible in many schools, instead what the teachers brings to class and booking more days using the library or computer lab computers is a great way to still use technology in a way realistic to your school situation. The use of technology in the class also raised class participation, so students found different ways to contribute to the class and could engage outside of discussion. The study had the teachers teaching a variety of lessons using technology, primarily online sites. For example a class website where they can go to do their weekly spelling test. The benefit to incorporating these online classes or an online option into the classroom is often they can do the work on their own time. These days we can assume all students have access to a computer at some point in their day. Although many may not have laptops or tablets, by making sure any online material is mobile friendly then students can use their phones to check over class work online. Most families have at least one computer per household (Godzicki, 2013) if students need access or there are school computers.

I thought this article was helpful in having test results that are explicitly saying the benefits of technology in the classroom although we could already assume this there was interesting results that can help streamline what students want to see involving technology. I found that the discussion of the study was already fairly general knowledge and that it would have been more useful to discuss what actual technology was used to design these online classes and how teachers would go about actually designing online classes.

Watts, L., Brennan, S., & Phelps, R. (2012). iPadiCan: Trialling iPads to Support Primary and Secondary Students with Disabilities. Australian Educational Computing, 27(2), 4-12.

This article looks to areas in which technology can enhance the personalization of learning, primarily for those of learning disabilities. The capacity for individualizing learning through technology, specifically mobile technology has huge implications for the learning system. This article focused on the use of iPad and its superiority for the task over other tablet features as well as what the iPad offers to students and teachers working with disabilities. There was a study in Australia, it produced research into this topic, and article outlines the process and results. The study focused on both macro and micro levels (Watts, 2012). The macro focused on planning, acting, and observing the set-up and use of the iPads in the school (Watts, 2012). A team of teachers with the help of technical staff learned to use the iPads and the first two weeks of the trial were primarily a learning process for the teachers. The school had a $300 budget for app purchases and they purchased a variety of apps, the most expensive being Prolouquo2Go that is a communication support system for children unable to communicate verbally. The teachers evaluated all the apps, their comments mostly positive but for the Prolouquo2Go they did say that it was difficult to use TA’s or students would need time or instruction on it. Ninety percent of the apps that the teachers used and evaluated were either free or under $15 dollars (Watts, 2012). The iPads were a remarkable success, they enabled disabled students to interact easily and communicate in other methods. The study was very useful and especially the assessment of apps that are available and affordable. It was also very useful to read in what context the teachers used the apps so that even with the constant development of new and better apps you can search for the uses.

This article is useful in a ways to use iPads with students with disabilities. I think what the article needed to discuss more in-depth is the use for different types of disabilities. What the most useful section of the article is what apps they chose to buy. There was a list of all the apps they chose and most were under $10. This is super important for educators as it is low cost option to help students who may be struggling in the classroom. Depending on the hardware available not all apps are accessible but most apps can be used on regular laptops, not just iPads. I agree with the article that iPads are huge assets for students with disabilities but not always accessible. We as educators need to find ways to use technology and software to help students learn and not dismiss the ability to do so just because there is not access to the right hardware.

Chee, Y.S., Mehrotra, S., & Liu, Q. (2013). Effective Game Based Citizenship Education in the Age of New Media. Electronic Journal of E-Learning, 11(1), 16-28.

This article goes into the educational reform that is necessary with the implication of technology and learning in the 21^st century. Education needs to become more open and support a flexible structure that equips students with the skills to adapt and succeed in the technological world. Game-based learning is a form of educational reform that puts an emphasis on performance. The article focused in on the Statecraft X game-based learning program that includes both performance learning with dialogic pedagogy in the context of citizenship education. The Statecraft X curriculum was designed beyond the purposes of just a video game; it was created to educate citizenship. Students and teachers use the game to make use of the game experience and connect with the experience in real world situations. The goal of the game was to address the shortcomings of citizenship education and give students the opportunity with first person experience in governance and acting as governors and all the duties that come with the role. The most important aspect of the game is that it allows teachers to facilitate conversations with the students to advance their understanding of citizenship and government. The assessment for the activity was an essay at the end. The results from the study indicated that the Statecraft X curriculum effectively taught the desired learning outcomes more effectively then the students on the regular program. I think this is a great example of ways we can integrate new tools into our teaching program.

There are tons of similar like computer games or apps that students can do on their own time or in class, which engage them more with the material. They will also be surprised about all the indirect skills that they learned through video games, even ones not specifically designed for education purposes. This article is really important because game-based learning is huge in the area of education and technology. I thought the article was useful in outlining research done around particular game and what the positives and negatives were. I personally would love to be involved in designing games around school curriculum. Students dedicate hours to games already, why not find a way for the games to be more relevant to their school education. The article is really helpful as there have been lots of studies around game-based learning but it is more specific to what the actually learning goals were and what the students came out of the study having learned more successfully in regards to the learning outcomes. I also really appreciated that the article discussed assessment around this type of learning as that is the struggle as we move into these new technology based learning options. I think it’s really important to discuss the indirect skills as well as the intended outcomes when looking at these types of assessments.

Levin, B.B., & Schrum, L. (2013). Technology-Rich Schools Up Close. Educational Leadership, 70(6), 51-55.

This article looks into what schools that are already integrating technology are doing and what makes it work. The key commonalities in the technology rich schools are a project-based curriculum and supportive, distributed leadership. These schools have practices such as 1:1 laptop use and flipped classrooms (Levin, 2013). Although this is just not possible for some schools it is worth seeing what other practices are realistic as to best to look into at least using in the classroom. The study was with eight secondary schools and what the researchers found was that using technology was not the goal, instead the schools focused on learning-centered goals such as making learning relevant, providing new opportunities, and improving graduation rates. In other words, the same goals that we as teachers all want to work towards. The ultimate goal is to educate students for the 21^st century and that is where the technology aspect because important. This article goes on the focus in on the study results and what the schools did to have such successful technology integration.

The article is very useful when considering the big picture of goals to educate but not always directly relevant as reality for many teachers is lack of resources, but it can provide insight into what the school may aim to obtain in the future to work towards more technology integration. What I dislike about the article is the title, the use of ‘rich’ suggests that finances are key to successful technology integration and I disagree. Financial options make it easier, but are not necessary. With the vast amount of software available, especially things such as free or under $5 apps. There is no excuse as to why technology cannot be integrated into the school. I think the biggest barriers are teachers and time. Finding time to research and learn the apps and software to use in the classroom is just not always realistic for today’s teachers. That is why I am completing this inquiry as I hope to provide a one-stop-shop for teachers looking to find easy accessible software that can be used to help with engagement and efficiency in the classroom.

Cubukcuoglu, B. (2013). Factors enabling the use of technology in subject teaching. International Journal of Education & Development Using Information & Communication Technology, 9(3), 50-60.

In this article, the focus is on the information and communication technology in the teaching process. The study used seven volunteer teachers of varied subject areas to find what factors influence teacher’s use of technology. The study found that using technology is an effective way of supporting learning in the classroom but certain factors work either with it or against it. The factors that go into teachers integrating technology were varied and could depend on their subject area. The findings indicate that there needs to be an environment where technology is used frequently and effectively, that barriers hinder the use of frequent technology used must be removed and teachers given enablers to promote the idea. With the help of this study, the teachers can continue to use technology to support learning even from beyond the classroom walls. The use of technology can be helpful to teachers in supporting students beyond the classroom time limits. However, a factor in the limited use of technology is due to teachers’ own lack of knowledge around the technology and that there needs to be more education in technology for teachers. Another factor in the study was just purely lack of resources, which can be a difficult problem to overcome. Instead teachers need to find ways that they can use technology themselves within the classroom or on their own time to improve their own practice, even if students are not directly working with the technology itself. A suggestion that the article made was that schools need to actually have a policy on technology use and that everyone is committed to improving effective use of technology in the classroom.

The article has useful suggestions and support options for overcoming these and other factors as well as discussing enablers and what can happen within the school for making technology a common normality in the school setting. This article is realistic and helpful for teachers that are hindered with technology integration for financial or opportunity reasons. The article outlines factors that hinder the use of technology in the classroom as well as suggests alternatives and ways to overcome the hinderances. I think the most important point for this article and integrating technology as a whole, is that we don’t need class sets of iPads, we don’t need fancy SmartBoards in every classroom, there is tons of software and websites that are free and useful. New apps are being designed everyday and getting cheaper as well. We have so much available to use for education that cost should not be a factor. As an educator you have access to a laptop and/or computer that should be all you need to work with these students. You can buy a projector for $250 and go through these apps and websites as a class if the students don’t have their own computers. There are tons of options for integrating technology and this article does a good job of outlining factors with solutions.

Yael Kali Technion-Israel Institute of Technology

Marcia C. Linn University of California, Berkeley, California

In this article, there are eight design principles that synthesize the best uses for technology in support learning. The article discusses the advantages and limitations to the certain design principles in relation to inquiry learning. One focus of the article is how to make thinking visible using technology. The article suggests programs to utilize technology to provide students with templates to organize their ideas, provide tools that shape their knowledge, and enable three-dimensional manipulation. Software that can help with reaching these goals include, Principle Maker in WISE, design a rule-of-thumb template in SMILE, Model-It, Causal Mapper, three dimensional illustrations in Geo3D. The article illustrates the use of all of these programs with detailed instructions. I think that this article is useful and important because we want to integrate various technologies into the classroom to have students engaging with the material. In a science class if they can create a 3D model of a molecule then they are more likely to remember it that way then if the elements are just written in a notebook. With English or social studies classes, you can use map programs to show the plot development or history movement.

As teachers, we can educate ourselves on the technology available to bring into the classroom. I found that this article was also very helpful in clearly outlining the software available to fit with the learning strategies described. The article specifically goes into creating three-dimensional images to help with visualization in the classroom. This is really useful and something I hadn’t thought of. We can use the discussed software’s to progress our teaching and give students more visualization options in the classroom. Students love to work with technology, it not only makes your lessons more interesting and engaging but because of the increased interest it also increases the understanding for the material. The article was helpful in providing examples and software to implicate the strategies it discussed.

Bryan L. Chapman

Brandon Hall Research/Chapman Alliance, Sunnyvale , California
Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology

This article is helpful and directly relevant to technology in the classroom and breaks down the four types of technology tools that are available to teachers. The article discusses what technology is available to education and how to use in a school setting. The four categories are: standard authoring tools, front end design and automated instructional design, simulation and gaming tools, and team development or publishing tools can all come together to create a technology based classroom and also help streamline the process for teachers to best utilize time and methods. Standard authoring tools include programs such as Dreamweaver, Flash, Captivate, Breeze, and other programs that allow non-programmers to easy assemble media and code to build learning applications. For example Dreamweaver is a website design tool that does not require knowledge of code, instead the program creates the code itself with your directions. Front-end design and automated instructional design tools (AID) are designed to create high level instructional design documents or just the production phases of a document. Some of the most useful tools include: The Designer’s Edge, GAIDA, CourseWriter,etc. CourseWriter was created for commercial use to focus on front-end design, objective writing, and course organization. Similar is The Designer’s Edge which designs, develops, and implements the model of instructional design in the primary interface. The system is user friendly and walks the user through the objectives to create a course map and tools for scripts, storyboards, and multimedia for creating online learning. Learning-Activity focused design tools are a classification of tools used of designers that consist of simulation and gaming tools. These tools are successful in instruction and include business skills, role-playing, business modeling, and story-problem/scenario-based learning. There are tons of software options available, even particular video games offer these learning styles, for example Gameshow Pro, Games2Train, and Composica Enterprise. Tools that are useful for the classroom include: OnDemand, Firefly, STT Trainer, SoftSim, and RapidBuilder. There are three classifications of tools in this category: software simulation tools, soft-skills simulation tools, and hard-skills/technical simulation tools. They range in difficulty as well as prior knowledge requirement. Team development/publishing tools are a new classification based on groupware projects and online learning development using multiple content contributors. The group works together to add content and exercises to the larger course. Tools available include: Evolution, TotalLCMS, ForceTen, Learn.com, and TopClass. All of these tools come together to provide teachers with tons of resources for creating online support.

Whether it be online courses or just useful tools for integrating technology into the classroom, it is important for teachers to utilize the tools available. This article is the most directly relevant as to providing apps and software that can be used in the classroom. I found that this article did a good job of outlining the different categories of software, what they are used for, and what software is available in those categories. Personally I think that the scenario-based learning is the most interesting and something I hope to work with more directly in the future. From an English teacher perspective there is a lot of opportunity to get students involved directly with the literature through scenario-based learning, especially Shakespeare. We can create games based in Shakespeare’s plays and students can take themselves through the game to learn about the play. The article was really helpful for creating a list of resources available to teachers for integrating particular software and technology in the classroom.