The aim of the study was to examine the effects of augmented reality technology on stories in terms of narrative skill, story length and creativity and also to examine correlations between these ...variables. Posttest-only design with a nonequivalent group model was used. In this study, the sample consisted of 100 fifth-grade elementary students, comprising 46 boys and 54 girls. Purposive and convenience sampling methods were applied. For purposive sampling, the group’s ages, education levels, and experiences in storytelling activities were gathered, and for convenience sampling, easy access to schools was considered. As data collection tools, a suitable narrative scale was used which was found in the literature and creative story form was developed by the researcher. According to the findings, mean scores for all variables for the experimental group were higher than those for the control group. Also, a statistically significant mean difference was found between the experimental and control groups with regard to narrative skill, length of stories, and creativity in stories. In fact, a positive correlation was found between all variables. It is important to recognize when a technology is found to contribute positively to narrative skill and creativity in telling stories, and to ensure this technology is used. Determining correlation between these variables may provide a contribution to studies about evaluating the effect of the new technologies.
This study aims to determine the cognitive, social, physical, and affective barriers that prevent academics from publishing and the enablers suggested to overcome these barriers. The study, using the ...phenomenological research method, involved semi-structured interviews conducted with 41 academicians differing in gender, branch, age, and experience. The deductive analysis of the obtained data showed that the academicians had cognitive difficulties especially in writing the IMRAD sections and writing in English. Their social barriers were found to include the difficulty of journal evaluation processes, the problems experienced in carrying out collaborative studies, and educational, administrative, and family responsibilities. The physical barriers included problems about time management, data collection process, and infrastructure. Lastly, the main affective barriers were not being in the right mood for writing, thinking that studies do not contribute to real life, fear of rejection, lack of self-confidence, and perfectionism. The academicians suggested various enablers, such as finding a good research topic, improving one’s English language skills, cooperating, and insisting on acceptance.
Cartoons are undoubtedly the TV programmes children most prefer watching. This study uses cartoons - which have significant effects on children's learning - for concept teaching. Within the scope of ...the study, four cartoons were developed for teaching position-related concepts (in-out, in front of-behind, under-above) pre-school teachers noted difficulty in teaching. The study was conducted with a sample of 83 pre-school children in the age range of 48-60 months. This study used Solomon four-group experimental research design. The data were collected with a concept development test developed by the researchers, to determine children's levels of conceptual development. The findings demonstrated that cartoons had statistically significant effects on pre-school children's levels of conceptual development. In other words, education conducted through cartoons had more positive effects on children's conceptual development than education in traditional method which is play-based. It was also found that pre-tests had effects on conceptual development.
In this mixed method research study, the effect of gamification strategies on students’ cognitive load levels and achievements was examined along with student opinions about gamification. The topic ...of spreadsheets was covered for six weeks in a sixth grade information technologies and software course. The sample consisted of a control group of 48 students who were trained via traditional procedures and an experimental group of 46 students who were trained using gamification strategies. Independent sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and descriptive analysis were applied to the data. A significant difference was found between the two groups that indicated higher achievement in the experimental group. When comparing cognitive load levels, the experimental group also scored higher than the control group. Interviews indicated that the students had positive views about gamification strategies.
This research aims to investigate the impact of three different training methods (digital game, drill, and traditional education) on the motivation of the students to teach earthquake preparedness ...and earthquake prevention knowledge to primary school students. The explanatory design from the mixed-methods research was used in the study. The sample of the study consists of 294 students at the fourth-grade level in three different elementary schools in one of Turkey’s easternmost provinces. At the end of different educational methods, the motivation scale about the course was used to determine the motivations of the students. Focus group interviews were conducted with students randomly selected from each study group to examine in depth the reasons for the differentiation of motivation levels of the students. The findings showed that students who participated in the traditional education method were more motivated than the other methods of teaching. Besides, students who study with the digital game were found to be less motivated. In this study, the limitations and advantages of educational methods in terms of motivation were examined in-depth, and the reasons affecting motivation were discussed. The results can provide important insights to educators, educational game designers, and educational politicians.
One of the most important reasons for deaths and injuries caused by earthquakes is that society does not have sufficient knowledge of appropriate protective behaviors during an earthquake. The ...purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of different educational practices in providing primary school students with the knowledge of earthquake preparedness and protection from potential hazards of an earthquake. Considering the quasi-experimental research, the pretest–posttest control/comparison group design was used, and a total of 401 students from the fourth grade in four different schools constituted the sampling of the study. Within the study, three types of educational activities were applied: digital games evaluating smart learning environments, earthquake drills, and traditional education. Findings show that the most effective way to teach students what to do during an earthquake is the earthquake drill. This study also indicates that the design elements in the three-dimensional earthquake game developed in the scope of the research played an effective role in earthquake education. This study is of importance as it provides significant results on how to determine the most appropriate educational method for primary school students and how digital games can be used more effectively in the learning process.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the main barriers and possible enablers for integrating information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Turkey's pre-service teacher education ...programs. The data were collected by means of questionnaires from 53 deans in schools of teacher education (STE), 111 teacher educators, and 1,330 prospective teachers, and additionally from interviews of six teacher educators and six prospective teachers. The findings indicate that the majority of the stakeholders believe that lack of in-service training, lack of appropriate software and materials, and lack of hardware are the main barriers for integrating ICTs in pre-service teacher education programs. There was also agreement on the possible enablers; “having technology plans” was the strategy most strongly agreed upon in that category. Based on these findings, we propose the use of several strategies that should enhance successful ICTs integration.
Creating digital educational materials, individualized and customized, for students with special needs is necessary; these individuals need materials that are developed especially for them. When ...materials are created for students with disability, it is vital to consider their disability situation, age, interest, and level of skills. There are some studies that implemented these types of materials, but these are not development studies. They focused on the effects of the material but not how it should be. There is a lack of study in the literature focusing on design considerations when developing interactive multimedia materials for students with special needs. Thus, there is a need for creating digital educational materials for students with special needs and an investigation of analyzing, developing, and integrating materials into special education. The present study aims to reveal what should be considered when developing interactive multimedia materials for students with special needs. This designed-based research was conducted with four students, three males and one female, two of whom have an intellectual disability, one has Down syndrome, and one is autistic. In addition, data were collected from two special education teachers and five experts during the material development phase. The study had four phases, and the fourth phase lasted six weeks. Results show that materials for students with special needs should be interactive, flexible, individualized, and simple; the design should not be tiered; sounds and effects should be dynamic, and if possible, concepts can be arranged by the teacher.
In this study, the literature is reviewed on using augmented reality (AR) in education. How AR is a technology, its history, display systems and AR softwares are examined. In addition, which AR used ...any educational field and its providing educational gains are determined. AR can be used in natural sciences, computer and information sciences, mathematics, engineering, humanities and education. AR has been also used in medical, physics, chemistry, biology, astrology and geometry education, museums, storytelling activities, teaching cultural knowledge, engineering and special education. Especially, AR has been used for phenomena impossible to see by naked eye, simulation of potentially dangerous situations, visualization of abstract concepts and complexity phenomena. AR provides edutainment, rich interaction, natural experience and it improves attention and motivation.