Solving the inert knowledge problem. A central goal of education is for students to transfer what they learn to new contexts or problems. Indeed, expert reasoning is often characterised by seeing the deep structural commonalities across seemingly disparate situations. However, the knowledge students acquire is notoriously inert, tied to the specifics of the learning examples. This project aims to move towards solving 'the inert knowledge problem' by investigating how humans learn concepts define ....Solving the inert knowledge problem. A central goal of education is for students to transfer what they learn to new contexts or problems. Indeed, expert reasoning is often characterised by seeing the deep structural commonalities across seemingly disparate situations. However, the knowledge students acquire is notoriously inert, tied to the specifics of the learning examples. This project aims to move towards solving 'the inert knowledge problem' by investigating how humans learn concepts defined by abstract relational structure, and by designing educational applications that enhance the use of relational learning mechanisms in students with a wide range of cognitive abilities.Read moreRead less
Transforming primary teachers' representational practices: effects on students' scientific reasoning and discourse within contemporary sciences. Training teachers to appropriately represent and communicate scientific information is critically important for promoting scientific thinking and learning in students. This research is critical to securing Australia's future interests in developing new and emerging frontier science and technologies through the engagement and retention of students.
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL100100203
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,744,127.00
Summary
Learning, technology and design: architectures for productive networked learning. Learning how to tackle new challenges is more important today than ever before, yet learning is also becoming much more complicated. This project will investigate better ways of supporting people in learning what they need to learn. It will provide ways of analysing and improving the increasingly complex systems in which learning takes place, especially those where computer technology plays a strong role. This proj ....Learning, technology and design: architectures for productive networked learning. Learning how to tackle new challenges is more important today than ever before, yet learning is also becoming much more complicated. This project will investigate better ways of supporting people in learning what they need to learn. It will provide ways of analysing and improving the increasingly complex systems in which learning takes place, especially those where computer technology plays a strong role. This project will focus on networked learning - where people learn through collaboration that is wholly or partially online. It will explain how better tools and resources for networked learning can be designed, and how everyone can play a significant role in improving how, where and what they learn.Read moreRead less
Multiliteracy testing: a criterion-referenced tool to assess secondary students’ multiliteracy learning within a technology-rich, multimodal domain. Evidence shows that while multimodal learning in schools is occurring, a valid measurement and diagnostic tool to provide reliable scores and accurate diagnostic information does not exist. This project aims to develop a criterion-referenced tool to measure students' multiliteracy learning within technology-rich, multimodal domains.
Agent-based virtual learning environments for understanding science. It is vital that students understand science given its relevance in important economic and professional areas as well as for an informed democratic citizenry. This project aims to conduct classroom-based research in which students learn content in the Australian Curriculum - Science through the use of an innovative agent-based virtual learning environment that supports authentic science inquiry activities to enhance learning o ....Agent-based virtual learning environments for understanding science. It is vital that students understand science given its relevance in important economic and professional areas as well as for an informed democratic citizenry. This project aims to conduct classroom-based research in which students learn content in the Australian Curriculum - Science through the use of an innovative agent-based virtual learning environment that supports authentic science inquiry activities to enhance learning of difficult scientific knowledge and skills. The project also aims to develop teacher professional development materials for teachers to enhance teacher capacity to use innovative pedagogies and learning technologies in Australian schools.Read moreRead less
Improving numeracy outcomes for young Indigenous children through the Patterns and Early Algebra Preschool (PEAP) professional development program. The study aims to improve mathematics outcomes for young Indigenous children and advance the pedagogical content knowledge of early childhood educators and working towards closing the gap in numeracy achievements for Indigenous children. The study will add to the research literature on early algebraic thinking and mathematical reasoning.
Conceptualising digital play: The role of tablet technologies in the development of imaginative play of young children. Interacting with digital technologies is no longer restricted to the desktop. Portable devices have become more affordable and accessible resulting in their increased use by young children. How to optimise the influence of interactions with the devices in ways that they enrich rather than hinder child development becomes critical. The aim of this study is to investigate the int ....Conceptualising digital play: The role of tablet technologies in the development of imaginative play of young children. Interacting with digital technologies is no longer restricted to the desktop. Portable devices have become more affordable and accessible resulting in their increased use by young children. How to optimise the influence of interactions with the devices in ways that they enrich rather than hinder child development becomes critical. The aim of this study is to investigate the inter-relationship between the technologies and imaginative play - the renowned developmental force in the early years. By utilising theoretically based criteria, and considering the perspectives of children and their families, this study will develop principles for developmentally sound use of tablet technologies in children's digital play.Read moreRead less
The online future of Science and Engineering education: The essential elements of laboratory-based learning for remote-access implementation. Laboratory classes are a critical part of science and engineering degree programs, but there has been little research into what actually takes place within them. Remote laboratories, in which students control equipment via the internet, are one potential solution for accommodating rising numbers of students, but the interfaces must be developed to effectiv ....The online future of Science and Engineering education: The essential elements of laboratory-based learning for remote-access implementation. Laboratory classes are a critical part of science and engineering degree programs, but there has been little research into what actually takes place within them. Remote laboratories, in which students control equipment via the internet, are one potential solution for accommodating rising numbers of students, but the interfaces must be developed to effectively support student learning. This project will investigate how students interact with equipment, each other, and with laboratory demonstrators in order to determine the crucial components of effective laboratory learning experiences. It will identify and characterise the interactions of students in laboratory classes, and develop mechanisms to support these interactions remotely.Read moreRead less
New play pedagogies for teaching and learning in the early years. Traditional play-based learning in early childhood education cannot account for new play: very young children's everyday play with technologies, digital media and popular culture. This project uses a recently developed web-mapping tool to create a pedagogical approach to new play. The pedagogical approach to new play comprises teaching practices and learning outcomes that capitalise on the educational potential of children's every ....New play pedagogies for teaching and learning in the early years. Traditional play-based learning in early childhood education cannot account for new play: very young children's everyday play with technologies, digital media and popular culture. This project uses a recently developed web-mapping tool to create a pedagogical approach to new play. The pedagogical approach to new play comprises teaching practices and learning outcomes that capitalise on the educational potential of children's everyday play with technologies, digital media and popular culture. It aims to enable teachers to work from a theorised and empirically validated perspective for connecting young children's everyday play with technologies, digital media and popular culture artefacts to their 21st century learning needs.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100531
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$369,996.00
Summary
Caregiver learning about play in community playgroups and social media. This project aims to investigate how caregivers learn about the provision of children’s play in the home and community. The Project will conceptualise and explore learning as an activity enacted within the social context of community playgroups and affiliated social media. Expected outcomes include new theorised knowledge for integrating community playgroups and social media for caregiver learning about play. This will provi ....Caregiver learning about play in community playgroups and social media. This project aims to investigate how caregivers learn about the provision of children’s play in the home and community. The Project will conceptualise and explore learning as an activity enacted within the social context of community playgroups and affiliated social media. Expected outcomes include new theorised knowledge for integrating community playgroups and social media for caregiver learning about play. This will provide significant benefits for caregivers in the provision of play for the betterment of children’s educational outcomes.Read moreRead less