Informal Learning Environments Research Articles

Making the Invisible Visible: Illuminating the Hidden Histories of the World War I Tunnels at Vauquois Through a Hybridized Virtual Reality Exhibition

Visualizing History: Tunnels of Vauquois is an educational immersive virtual reality exhibit that makes the invisible history of World War I soldiers' experiences in the tunnels of Vauquois, France visible to contemporary audiences. Using a head-mounted display, a virtual environment recreated from scanned data of the original site, redirected walking, passive haptics, aligned physical and virtual environments, interactive tracked props, and narration, the exhibit presents the visitor with both discrete knowledge and the opportunity for emotional awareness. In this paper, we describe the motivation and rationale for creating an immersive exhibit for informal learning environments such as museums, libraries, and school virtual reality labs. We also describe how the current exhibit functions and our iterative design process informed by observational feedback from pilot testing.

Improving perceptions of STEM careers through informal learning environments

PurposeThis paper investigated the impact a camp on informal science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) had on students' perceptions of STEM fields and careers.Design/methodology/approachA quasiexperimental design was used to assess students' perceptions toward STEM fields and careers. Secondary students (n = 57) who participated in the STEM summer camp completed STEM projects, went on lab tours and attended panels during the one- or two-week residential camps. Students completed a STEM Semantics survey to assess their perceptions prior to and after attending the camp. Descriptive statistics, Cohen'sdeffect sizes, paired samplet-tests and Pearson's correlation were conducted to analyze the data.FindingsResults suggested that although there was no significant change in students' dispositions toward each individual STEM field, there was a statistically significant improvement of students' perceptions of STEM careers (p = 0.04;d = 0.25). Furthermore, the results of the Pearson's correlation indicated that there was a statistically significant positive association between perceptions of a STEM career and perceptions in science, mathematics and engineering.Research limitations/implicationsThis suggests that various components of the informal learning environment positively contributed to students' perceptions toward STEM careers. Implications from the study indicate that when students are engaged in hands-on science or STEM PBL activities and have opportunities to be exposed to various STEM careers, their perceptions of STEM pathways will improve.Originality/valueThese results may influence future curriculum and the organization of future STEM camps by encouraging teachers and camp directors to integrate practical hands-on STEM projects and expose students to potential STEM pathways through lab tours and panels of STEM professionals.

Utilizing Interactive Surfaces to Enhance Learning, Collaboration and Engagement: Insights from Learners' Gaze and Speech.

Interactive displays are becoming increasingly popular in informal learning environments as an educational technology for improving students’ learning and enhancing their engagement. Interactive displays have the potential to reinforce and maintain collaboration and rich-interaction with the content in a natural and engaging manner. Despite the increased prevalence of interactive displays for learning, there is limited knowledge about how students collaborate in informal settings and how their collaboration around the interactive surfaces influences their learning and engagement. We present a dual eye-tracking study, involving 36 participants, a two-staged within-group experiment was conducted following single-group time series design, involving repeated measurement of participants’ gaze, voice, game-logs and learning gain tests. Various correlation, regression and covariance analyses employed to investigate students’ collaboration, engagement and learning gains during the activity. The results show that collaboratively, pairs who have high gaze similarity have high learning outcomes. Individually, participants spending high proportions of time in acquiring the complementary information from images and textual parts of the learning material attain high learning outcomes. Moreover, the results show that the speech could be an interesting covariate while analyzing the relation between the gaze variables and the learning gains (and task-based performance). We also show that the gaze is an effective proxy to cognitive mechanisms underlying collaboration not only in formal settings but also in informal learning scenarios.

Grassroots entrepreneurial program: developing best practices

Entrepreneurial programs often do not address the needs of Millennial learners nor do they offer students an opportunity to enhance skills that companies want most. We examined high recognition programs and present a framework that incorporates their positive attributes and addresses their gaps. Top entrepreneurship programs employ professors with entrepreneurial backgrounds, and offer experiential classes that are supplemented by well-financed extra-curricular activities like pitch contests. The gaps in current top programs include a lack of a full entrepreneurial experience for students and a need for students to gain skill sets most desired by organizations. We present a framework for transferring best practice attributes to a start-up program that also addresses the gaps outlined. This framework includes having professors with entrepreneurial experience who teach a selection of courses comparable to those offered by top programs, activities where students learn teamwork, communication, and other skills desired most by companies, and an immersive component such as a practicum or internship where students are fully immersed in an entrepreneurial experience. Teaching methods that utilize active learning, immediate application of concepts, informal learning environments, and a strong interpersonal relationship with faculty combine to enhance the Millennial students’ learning experiences and produce positive stakeholder outcomes.

"LEARN HOW TO FALL, STAND UP AND DEMAND" A BOOK ON A STRUCTURED INCLUSIVE JUDO PROGRAM AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE INCLUSION OF AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDER CHILDREN

The book presents the method and results of the Structured Inclusive Judo Program (SI _Judo) specifically designed to include children or adults with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in basic Gokyo Judo lessons. It is important to note that Senpai of ASD children in Judo lessons were members of therapeutic community who were practicing in Judo during their therapy. The SI_ Judo has been implemented for 6 months, at a once weekly frequency, in the informal learning environment of “School for All: Tokei Maru” of Include in Thessaloniki Greece, with positive effects on specific psychosocial and psychomotor skills for ASD participants. The effects of SI_Judo ​​ascertained after SI-Judo educational intervention to two ASD children. According to the research methodology, the effects of SI_Judo ​​had been investigated by interviews and questionnaires of parents of ASD children, Senpai calendars and independent and participating observation protocols. According to parents interviews “SI_Judo was a window in their children world” or Si _Judo supported the ASD child to find his position in family and local community”. According the results of Si_Judo the program ​​is suggested as an alternative intervention not only for ASD children or adults but for people of vulnerable groups. Judo is categorized as a sport that exercises the mind along with the body. As it has been defined by Jigoro Kano, Judo is based on the principle of maximum efficiency and as such, functions positively at many levels at the same time. According to results of the SI_judo, Judo could be approached as a kind of intervention to enhance ASD children psychosocial and psychomotor skills. The SI_Judo program “Learn How to fall, Stand Up and Demand” were funded by “Support Points” of big Foundations in Greece.

Adult-child science language during informal science learning at an aquarium

ABSTRACT This pilot study explored whether and how adult science language was related to the science language that children used during informal science learning at an aquarium and tested a methodological approach to assess informal learning in biological science contexts. We observed and audio recorded children and their parents while exploring a live animal aquarium exhibit. Verbatim language transcripts were coded for science, technology, mathematics, and biological (STMB) language. Results confirmed a methodological procedure that can be applied reliably to identify and categorize adult-child science talk that includes biological language. Findings also revealed that science process and biological-environmental science talk occurred most frequently in parent-child conversations; math and technology talk, while present, was much less prevalent. Results showed that parents who used more science language while talking in the aquarium had children who also used more science language (p = .009). This study contributes much needed insight into young children’s experiences in aquaria and how such experiences expose children to scientific processes and facilitate families’ informal participation in doing science and thinking scientifically. Implications for designing informal learning environments (ILEs) to promote children’s STMB learning are discussed.

Design of a Mobile Augmented Reality Platform with Game-Based Learning Purposes

Augmented reality (AR) is an emergent technology that overlays virtual objects into the real environment. Lately, AR is gaining prominence in education because of its increasing affordability through computers or mobile technologies. In addition, research sustaining the benefits of AR to promote student’s engagement to learn is increasing every day. However, the literature identifies lack of studies about the use of AR in education, namely, studies focused on the development of AR games designed over specific learning objectives (game-based learning). This paper presents a mobile augmented reality platform with learning purposes. The platform includes a mobile application that consists of a location-based game targeted to promote learning about the universe. Furthermore, it includes a back-office that allows teachers to introduce information about celestial bodies and also develop a set of multiple-choice questions to assess student’s learning about the subject matters they teach. The mobile application provides the users with physical movement and social interaction in the real world, while playing the game and for this reason it is included in the pervasive games’ paradigm. Besides engaging the students to play the game, we argue that this platform may be used as a resource to be implemented in informal and formal learning environments.

Informal STEM: learning with robotics and game design in an urban context

This mixed methods study examined how engagement in robotics and game design influenced students’ self-efficacy, STEM attitudes, and computational thinking (CT) skills. Predominantly African-American students engaged in engineering and computer science tasks during informal learning environments. Results revealed students’ self-efficacy scores on computer gaming increased significantly. Focus group data supported these findings, revealing that computer programing was challenging, but students enjoyed the tasks, added elements of culture in some cases, and valued the agency the tasks provided. Focal students were also able to make connections to STEM-related careers. Observational data demonstrated that focal students exhibited substantive CT during robotics and moderate CT during game design. Results support the idea that robotics and game design may be used to broaden underrepresented students’ participation in STEM.

Situated Tangible Gamification of Heritage for Supporting Collaborative Learning of Young Museum Visitors

Museums offer an ideal environment for informal cultural learning on heritage artifacts, where visitors get engaged in learning due to an intrinsic motivation. Sharing the museum space among visitors allows for collective learning experiences and socializing with each other. Museums aim to design and deploy Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) in order to embrace the physical materialities of artifacts in the visiting experience. TUIs are believed to be more collaborative, attract more visitors, and persuade them to explore further. Cultural learning on heritage artifacts is particularly meaningful from the early age when opinions and attitudes are shaped. Museums accordingly follow a gamification approach (i.e., using game elements in a non-game context) to provide a collaborative and entertaining learning experience to young visitors. In this study, we investigate the implications of merging these two approaches in order to take advantage of the qualities of both TUIs and gamification in an educational museum context. Accordingly, we present TouchTomb and its evaluation in a real-world museum environment. TouchTomb is a situated tangible gamification installation that aims to enhance informal cultural learning for young visitors and to foster engagement and collaboration among them. The basis of the installation is a shared progress bar and three games with different spatial configurations, embedded into a custom fabricated replica of an original ancient Egyptian tomb-chapel wall on a 1:1 scale. Our field study involved 14 school visits with a total number of 190 school pupils (from 10 to 14 years old). We deployed a mixed-method evaluation to investigate how such a tangible gamification approach entertains and educates 15 pupils collectively for a maximum of 15 minutes, including the evaluation procedures. We particularly investigated how the different spatial configurations of the game setups influenced the stages of pupils’ cultural learning, and the levels of engagement and collaboration among them. We conclude the article by discussing the qualities of tangible gamification and its role in facilitating cultural learning. For instance, cultural learning is enhanced by situating heritage artifacts in the experience, and embedding learning in the reward system. Engagement and collaboration among visitors are fostered by creating a sense of ownership and designing a diversity of goals.

Mining Web Analytics Data for Information Wikis to Evaluate Informal Learning

Information wikis and especially Wikipedia have become one of the most attractive environments for informal learning. The nature of wikis enables learners to freely navigate the learning environment and independently con-struct knowledge without being required to follow a predefined learning path in line with the constructivist learning theory. Link-based navigation and keyword-based search methods used on Wikipedia and similar information wikis suffer from many limitations. In our paper, we present an effective recommendation system that provides easier and faster access to relevant content on Wikipedia to support informal learning. In addition, we evaluate the impact of personalized content recommendations on informal learning from Wikipedia and show how web analytics data can be used to get an in-sight on informal learning in similar environments.

Informal Learning Environments and Impact on Interest in STEM Careers

Little research has been done to examine the impact of informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning on middle school students’ career aspirations. Participants included 507 incoming fifth through eighth graders from underrepresented populations in STEM fields, which were recruited at three sites. Data collected included semi-structured interviews, session reflection forms, and surveys administered before and at the end of the STEM summer learning experience. Social Cognitive Career Theory was used to examine the extent middle school students’ experiences at a STEM summer learning experience influenced their interest in STEM careers. Quantitative data were examined related to self-efficacy. Self-efficacy scores after the STEM learning experience were significantly higher than initial self-efficacy scores and justified further qualitative analyses. A deductive approach was used to analyze the qualitative data. The themes of role models, influence of the STEM summer learning experience, applicability of STEM, and empathy were revealed. Many students reported they were drawn to a specific STEM career because they wanted to help a person for whom they care about, such as a sibling with an illness or a family member battling cancer. This study demonstrates the need to provide all students the access and opportunity to engage in authentic, hands-on learning experiences that connect STEM to their daily lives, increase their interest in STEM, and introduce them to different STEM careers so they make more informed decisions about future STEM career choices and suggests that the role empathy plays in fostering students’ interest in STEM be further examined.

Understanding K-12 students' information literacy in informal learning environments: a literature review

Information literacy has long been considered as a set of decontextualised skills from behaviourist perspective, or as a learning process from the constructivist perspective. With both conceptualisations, information literacy research has primarily emphasised formal learning environments. This literature review relies upon socio-cultural theory to expand understanding of K-12 students' information literacy within the under-represented perspective of informal learning environments, such as homes, public properties, and online spaces. Guided by the research questions, the inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified to select the related literatures for review. The literature review shows that K-12 students engage in a range of digital meaning-making practices in informal learning environments. It is recommended that the evaluation standards and approaches for students' information literacy should be changed, and a collaborative relationship should be established among schools, families, and the communities for promoting information literacy.

Understanding K-12 students' information literacy in informal learning environments: a literature review

Understanding K-12 students' information literacy in informal learning environments: a literature review

Learning ecologies in online language learning social networks: a netnographic study of EFL learners using italki

This netnographic study explored EFL learning ecologies in language learning social network platforms by exploring the experience and perceptions of international non-traditional learners of EFL utilising the italki platform. Analysis of italki tools and two in-depth interviews revealed that the learners were self-disciplined and proactive in this informal learning environment and they felt positive about the platform itself. In italki individual EFL learners were able to personalise their learning ecologies utilising its affordances to satisfy their learning needs, interests, and curiosity in the absence of formal instructional materials. The findings suggest that integration of online language learning platforms such as italki in foreign language education could provide positive pedagogical changes that empower learners to cultivate personal ecologies for lifelong and lifewide adult learning.

SM-ILE: a framework for intrusion detection in an informal social environment based on users' traces

Social media is a novel technology, which uses internet and Web 2.0. It allows users to create and participate to several communities through different functionalities such as communication, collaboration, sharing, updating and interaction. The use of social media in learning field has been increased. Therefore, most educational institutions nowadays are using these technologies to enhance users' engagement. We propose in this paper an informal learning environment called SM-ILE (a trace-based framework for social media as an informal learning environment). This model aims at detecting intrusion learners to improve their learning by recommending to them good collaborators and relevant resources. Moreover, we analyse and qualitatively compare social media and informal learning related works. The proposed algorithm was applied to an informal social environment (http://sncl.ga). An experiment was conducted in a group of students in an Algerian university. The obtained results from this experiment were good and very efficient.

Chemistry outreach as a community of practice: investigating the relationship between student-facilitators’ experiences and boundary processes in a student-run organization

Previous work on chemistry outreach has mainly focused on designing and implementing demonstrations for outreach. Recent studies indicate student organizations are at the forefront of chemistry outreach and described their outreach practices and conceptual understanding of demonstrations. However, more research is needed regarding the experiences of facilitators leading outreach events to understand their motivation, what they are gaining from participating, how they are contributing to the community,etc.By providing this information, we can give more structure to outreach initiatives as an informal learning environment. This work is part of a larger study that explores the relationship between leadership in student organizations and chemistry outreach events. Here, we present how diversity plays a role in chemistry outreach, as informed by interviews involving nine graduate students who actively participated in outreach. Communities of practice (CoP) has been used as a framework to describe learning environments and student organizations participating in outreach can be thought of as a CoP. The findings suggest diversity and inclusion influence boundary processes of the student organization as a CoP. Specifically, students’ prior experiences related to gender, race/ethnicity, education and other outreach events play a role in their purpose for doing chemistry outreach, how they contribute to planning of events and how they interact with the audience of outreach events.

Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL): An innovation aimed at engaged learning for undergraduate medical students.

To evaluate the effectiveness of Peer Assisted Learning in teaching at undergraduate level and to assess its effects on Peer Leaders and Peer Learners. The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, from May to October 2017, and comprised Peer Learners who were trained by faculty members in workshops and pre-run of experiments. Students were divided into two groups; Group A had Peer Learners taught by Peer Leaders, and Group B had those taught by trained lab technologists. Knowledge of the groups was assessed by a quiz using Kahoot. Post-session feedback questionnaires were also filled by the participants. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. There were 10 Peer Leaders with a mean age of 19.5±0.85 years, and 62 Peer Learners with a mean age of 19.08±0.81 years. Among the learners, there were 35(56.5%) males and 27(43.5%) females. Post-session assessment showed a significant difference in the test performance by the two groups (p<0.05). Feedback indicated that the learners found Peer Leaders more accessible than lab staff, leading to enhanced understanding of the subject. Peer-Assisted Learning was found to promote learning by creating an informal student-friendly learning environment.

형평성 관련 비형식 과학 학습 및 교육 연구 경향 탐색 : 네트워크 분석법의 다학제적 적용

형평성 관련 비형식 과학 학습 및 교육 연구 경향 탐색 : 네트워크 분석법의 다학제적 적용

Determination of the opinions of prospective science teachers about the planned trip to the sugar factory

In this study, it was aimed to determine the opinions of pre-service science teachers about the planned trip to the sugar factory. This study was carried on phenomenology method which is one of the qualitative research methods. The study was carried out with the fourth year students of pre-service science teaching in Erciyes University in 2018-2019 academic year.The data were obtained with semi-structured open-ended questions. The document analysis used in the research was controlled by a science teacher and a science education expert. Codes were generated from the pre-service science teachers' views using content analysis. In the study, it was concluded that out-of-school learning environments have positive effects on science learning and these trips provide permanent and meaningful learning when included in the program. In addition, it was found that out-of-school learning environments concretize knowledge, and discovering new places increases students' desire for science. As students gain experience and make inferences by making observations in out-of-school learning environments, excursions related to courses should be organized.&#x0D; Keywords: Informal learning environments, Kayseri Sugar factory, phenomenology, pre-service science teacher

Roles of Educational Technology in Consideration of Learner Irrationality

지금까지 학습자는 학습의 과정에서 늘 바람직하며 논리적으로 타당한 의사결정을 하는 합리적인 존재라는 가정하에서 교수학습이 설계되었다. 그러나 현실의 학습자는 비합리적으로 사고하고 자신이 하고 싶은 것을 선택하는 일상의 휴먼일 뿐이다. 미래교육에서 테크놀로지의 역할은 보다 강화될 것인데 이때 학습자 비합리성에 대해 수용하는 입장에서 테크놀로지가 어떠한 역할을 해야 할지 탐색해 볼 필요성이 있다. 이를 위해 본 연구에서는 먼저 인간의 비합리적 의사결정에 대한 두 입장을 고찰하였다. 그 결과 인간의 비합리성은 인공지능이 모사할 수 없는 인간만이 가진 강점이며 상상력과 창의성의 원동력이 되므로 존중되어야 한다는 입장과 이와는 반대로 인간의 비합리성은 오류를 유발하므로 신뢰하기 어렵다는 입장으로 나뉘어 있었다. 다음으로 테크놀로지의 본래적 속성과 학습자의 비합리성을 고려한 교육 테크놀로지의 역할을 탐색하였다. 그 결과 학습자 비합리성을 고려한 교육 테크놀로지는 예술로서의 학습을 지원하는 역할, 이질적 요소들의 연결자 역할, 학습자 신체감각과 정서반응을 해석하는 역할, 합리적 학습주체 역할, 일상 속 무형식학습 환경의 역할을 할 것으로 예상되었다. 이러한 측면에서 테크놀로지는 학습의 주체 또는 비인간 학습자로서의 역할과 비형식적이고 자연스러운 일상학습 환경으로서의 역할이 강화될 것으로 예상된다.So far, the teaching methods have been designed with the assumption that learners have been reasonable people who have always made desirable and logical decisions in their learning process. However, learners in real world have been only human beings who have chosen what they have wanted to do. The role of technology in future education are supposed to be further strengthened. At this point, it is necessary to explore what role technology would play in accepting learners’ irrationality. To this end, this author has initially examined two positions on human irrational decision making. As a result, human irrationality has been divided into two opinions. The one is that artificial intelligence cannot simulate the human irrationality, so that it would be the strength that only humans may have. Thus, it should be respected because it could be the driving force of human imagination and creativity. The other is that human irrationality would not be trustworthy because it has caused errors. Secondly, this author has explored the role of educational technology in considering the nature of techne and the irrationality of learners. As a result, education technology considering learners’ irrationality would be expected to play many roles: a role of supporting art learning, a role of connecting heterogeneous elements, a role of interpreting learners’ physical senses & emotional responses, a role of rational learning subject, and a role of doing formless learning environment. In this respect, technology is expected to strengthen the role as the subject of learning or as a non-human learner and the role as an informal and natural daily learning environment.