The Educational Software Gold Rush - How the Learning Sciences and Advanced Technology Can Lead the Way
Bruce M. McLaren, Carnegie Mellon University, United States
New Challenges in Engineering Education
Michael E. Auer, Carinthia Tech Institute, Austria
What Is: Pedagogy, Education, Intelligence, Knowledge, Learning, Teaching, Information, Etc. and Why Do We Care about What They Are, and How Do They Interact?
Rob Reilly, Independent Researcher, United States
Tech-Savvy Students? Maybe Not …
Susan Zvacek, SMZTeaching.com, United States
The Educational Software Gold Rush - How the Learning Sciences and Advanced Technology Can Lead the Way
Bruce M. McLaren
Carnegie Mellon University
United States
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~bmclaren
Brief Bio
Bruce McLaren is a associate research professor at Carnegie Mellon University (USA). He is passionate about how technology can support education and has dedicated his work and research to projects that explore how students can learn with Internet-based educational software. He is particularly interested in intelligent tutoring systems, e-learning principles and collaborative learning and technology for supporting and analyzing collaborative argumentation. He has approximatey 200 publications spanning peer-reviewed journals, conferences, workshops, symposiums and book chapters. He has a Ph.D. and M.S. in intelligent systems and an M.S. in computer science from the University Of Pittsburgh (USA), as well as a B.S. (cum laude) in computer science from Millersville University.
Abstract
In today's world, young people are immersed in technology and thus expect it to play a key role in their education. In tune with this trend, there has been a proliferation of internet-based learning software, educational games, and instructional technology, such as Cognitive Tutors (www.carnegielearning.com), Study Island (www.studyisland.com), BrainPop (www.brainpop.com), Civilization (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_IV) and the Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org). Many schools provide their students with tablet computers so they can access this ever-widening variety of online learning software. Yet, in the midst of this "gold rush" toward educational software, are we on a firm foundation? Important questions emerge: Can the Learning Sciences and advanced technology – most specifically artificial intelligence – lead us on a path toward the “gold”? What still needs to be done to "mine the gold" of educational technology? In this talk I will discuss how science and technology have and are coming together to support the educational software gold rush. Together, the Learning Sciences and advanced technology, I conjecture, can lead the way toward the design and development of the best possible learning environments for 21st century students.
New Challenges in Engineering Education
Michael E. Auer
Carinthia Tech Institute
Austria
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Brief Bio
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.sc. Dr. h.c. Michael E. Auer is with Systems Engineering Dept. of the CTI Villach, Austria and has also a teaching position at the University of Klagenfurt. Furthermore he works as a visiting professor at the Universities of Amman (Jordan), Brasov (Romania) and Patras (Greece).
He is a senior member of IEEE and member of IGIP, IAOE, etc., author or co-author of more than 180 publications and leading member of numerous national and international organizations in the field of online technologies.
Michael Auer is Founding-President and CEO of the "International Association of Online Engineering" (IAOE) since 2006, a non-governmental organization that promotes the vision of new engineering working environments worldwide.
In September 2010 he was elected as President of the "International Society of Engineering Education" (IGIP).
Michael Auer has experience in leading of several national and international projects in the fields of remote engineering and technology supported learning.
Abstract
Never has the speed of development in the area of engineering been as accelerated as it is today, as we observe the enormous and driven growth of the area of engineering. Today's tendencies require concerted new efforts in engineering education - or in other words, the importance of pedagogy in the field of engineering is growing enormously.
These changes strongly demand new didactic and pedagogic paradigms.
It is important to consider that humankind has never faced such a rapidly changing and dynamic global environment which requires so much of engineers as we are witnessing today. Never before have the challenges in education and pedagogy been as challenging as today. Never has so much been demanded of engineers.
Starting from actual tendencies in education the talk will highlight new requirements in engineering education.
What Is: Pedagogy, Education, Intelligence, Knowledge, Learning, Teaching, Information, Etc. and Why Do We Care about What They Are, and How Do They Interact?
Rob Reilly
Independent Researcher
United States
http://www.media.mit.edu/~reilly
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Brief Bio
Dr. Rob Reilly received a Doctoral degree and Bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (USA), as well as a Master's degree from Springfield College (Massachusetts USA).He has been a computer science teacher at various institutions for over 30 years. Some highlights of his career include: serving in the Office of Information Technologies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where his research dealt with the formulation of university wide policy for the integration and application of educational technology; serving as a researcher at the Institute of Intelligent Systems at the University of Memphis (Tennessee USA); and service as a researcher in the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).In the IEEE Education Society, Dr. Reilly is the 2011-2012 President; he is, oddly-enough, also its Vice President for Chapters Activity.He has received IGIP's Nikola Tesla Medal in 2012 for excellence in teaching pedagogy, the IEEE-MGA Leadership Award, the IEEE Larry K. Wilson Transnational Award, the IEEE Education Society's Edwin Jones Jr. Meritorious Service Award, the IEEE Computer Society's Contributions in a Pre-University Environment Award, and the Massachusetts Department of Educations Technology Pathfinder Award.
Abstract
As educators we are familiar with terms such as: education, learning, knowledge, wisdom, information, teaching, intelligence. These concepts are all important to us; but it seems that their meaning, how they are applied, and how we interpret them in light of evolving pedagogy is quickly evolving. Understanding these terms and understanding how they fit-into a model for delivering 'education' for a model based knowledge domain (e.g., science, engineering) is critically important. This presentation will shed some light on the definitions of terms that we use in 'education' and will provide an understanding how these various concepts (e.g., information, intelligence, learning, wisdom) fit into a model for effectively delivering content from a model-based knowledge domain.
Tech-Savvy Students? Maybe Not …
Susan Zvacek
SMZTeaching.com
United States
Brief Bio
Susan Zvacek is Associate Provost for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning at the University of Denver, where she oversees the Office of Teaching and Learning. She has worked in higher education as a faculty member, dissertation advisor, and administrator. Her publications are in the areas of distance education, instructional design, and faculty development and she is co-author of a distance education textbook (Teaching and Learning at a Distance, currently in its fifth edition) and Blackboard for Dummies. She was a Fulbright Senior Scholar in the Czech Republic and has also worked with the University of Porto (Portugal) to integrate higher order thinking skills into online and f2f engineering education.
Abstract
It’s easy to assume that our students are technologically adept and ready to take advantage of the many resources available online. Unfortunately, recent research suggests that growing up in a tech-enriched environment does not result in the ability to use digital tools effectively. Instead, many young people lack important conceptual and intellectual capabilities that would allow them to understand, apply, and evaluate online content. This presentation will address the skills that contribute to technological literacy, popular myths related to “digital natives,” and how we can help our students become critical consumers and users of digital tools and resources.