Search Results (90)

Virtual Archaeology is defined as ‘the scientific discipline that seeks to research and develop ways of using computer-based visualizations for the comprehensive management of archaeological heritage’. In essence, it involves the creation of virtual models of various types whose purpose is to represent elements of the past based on historical data obtained from research. It is a discipline that has experienced a boom in recent years, thanks to the democratization of both technology and training, and has become one of the most fruitful branches of what is known as Digital Humanities. However, despite its name, it has applications beyond the field of archaeology, notably in Art History. In this sense, it allows recovering the original likeness of lost or altered works, the formulation of research hypotheses, or the generation of resources with great didactic and dissemination potential. This study aims to offer an overview of the fundamentals of the discipline and explore the possibilities it offers to Medieval Art History. Furthermore, this study serves as a starting point for new projects. Full article

There has been an increase in the number of users on digital platforms. Similarly, technology is prevalent in the daily lives of young people, therefore, it is crucial to address the topic of digital citizenship with them, ensuring they use technology in a responsible and healthy manner. The present study argues that the foreign language classroom constitutes a privileged space for the promotion of digital citizenship. To address this research gap, the present study examines digital citizenship within the context of foreign language education, with a particular focus on its articulation with the intercultural dimension, and explores its impact on participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and opinions. More specifically, this study aims to determine the effectiveness of a five-session didactic intervention in developing students’ knowledge, attitudes, and opinions regarding digital citizenship within an intercultural dimension in an EFL secondary classroom. The research question formulated is: how can digital citizenship be developed in conjunction with the intercultural dimension in the English language classroom in secondary education, namely concerning students’ knowledge, attitudes, and opinions? With the intention of addressing this question, an intervention project was implemented with a class of 11th-grade students at a school in the Aveiro district, Portugal. The didactic project consisted of five sessions conducted in the English classroom, in a total of 450 min. Through the content analysis conducted on the collected data, it revealed significant improvements in students’ understanding of online rights and responsibilities, and a positive shift in attitudes toward intercultural interaction. While some initial prejudices persisted, the project fostered increased awareness of diverse cultural perspectives in the digital world. These findings suggest that targeted interventions integrating intercultural awareness within digital citizenship education can be effective in promoting responsible digital engagement and intercultural sensitivity in EFL secondary education. Full article

This research investigates the challenges and opportunities rural elementary teachers perceive in using AI as a pedagogical tool to support student learning in rural schools. Using a convergent parallel mixed methods approach, we analyzed the responses from 45 rural teachers who participated in professional development on AI integration in rural education. Through both closed-ended and open-ended survey responses, we employed an adaptation of the TPACK framework (I-TPACK) and the AI literacy framework proposed by UNESCO to identify the primary challenges and opportunities in utilizing AI for pedagogical purposes in rural education. The results highlight resource accessibility and teacher professional development as critical challenges and opportunities to reduce the digital divide in rural communities. Teachers see the inclusion of AI as an opportunity to personalize learning, reduce workload, and facilitate teaching in multigrade classrooms without perceiving it as a job threat. At the same time, they emphasize the need for technological and didactic resources aligned with the specific characteristics of their contexts, such as offline resources and adaptable AI curricula to address the prevalent issue of limited or absent internet connectivity in many rural schools. Full article

This study proposes a novel approach for predicting the output behaviors of the Pepperl+Fuchs 3RG6232-3JS00-PF ultrasonic sensor. The sensor, integrated into the Festo MPS-PA Didactic System, serves to monitor the water level in a tank, facilitating water extraction to bottles delivered via a conveyor belt. This modeling approach represents the initial phase in the creation of a digital twin of the physical sensor, providing the capability for users to observe the sensor’s response and forecast its life cycle for maintenance objectives. This study utilizes the Festo MPS-PA Compact Didactic System and support vector regression (SVR) for data acquisition (DAQ), preprocessing, and model training with hyperparameter optimization. The objective of this modeling approach is to establish a digital framework for transition towards Industry 4.0. It holds the potential for creating a digital counterpart of the entire MPS-PA System when combining the proposed sensor modeling technique with computer-assisted design (CAD) software such as Siemens NX in the future. This would enable users to oversee the entire process in a three-dimensional visualization engine, such as Tecnomatix Plant Simulation. This research significantly contributes to the comprehension and application of digital twins in the realm of mechatronics and sensor systems technology. It also underscores the importance of digital twins in enhancing the efficiency and predictability of sensor systems. The method used in this paper involves predicting the rate of change (RoC) of the water level and then integrating this rate to estimate the actual water level, providing a robust approach for sensor data modeling and digital twin creation. The result shows a promising $6.99\%$ error percentage. Full article

This article concerns the analysis and strengthening of children’s emotional self-regulation as a key process in the sustainable and comprehensive educational development of students from 6 to 8 years of age. The objective of the present study was to design a didactic proposal for technological mediation (WhatsApp) that contributes to emotional self-regulation and underpins the sustainable education of children in the context of the prevalence of COVID-19. The research design involved documentation, field, and propositional work. Regarding the documentation design, the content analysis technique of the Institutional Educational Project and the Coexistence Project of an official educational institution located in Bogotá, Colombia, were used. Regarding the field design, the survey technique was applied through a structured questionnaire for populations made up of second grade primary school students, parents, and teachers of the institution. Among the main results, it stands out that the prevalence of COVID-19 and its post-pandemic implications have generated greater use of available technologies, such as the WhatsApp application, evidencing a positive relationship between the level of emotional self-regulation of children and its use as a didactic mediation agent. These findings serve as input for the design of the interactive TICSR-WA proposal. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a hot topic that presents new challenges and opportunities for the improvement of educational processes. The disruptive and transformative force of this new technological development implies the adaptation of educational ecosystems for its use and integration as a didactic and pedagogical resource. From this perspective, a systematic literature review has been conducted to analyze the didactic potential of generative AI tools in the field of promoting artistic creativity in music education. The research results confirm that the incorporation of AI in music education is paving the way for a more personalized, interactive and efficient learning experience. In addition, the analysis suggests nine fundamental fields of IA implementation in music education: virtual and augmented reality (VR; VA); learning personalization, intelligent tutoring systems; composition assistants; improved historical and contextual learning; assessment systems; interactive ear training and music theory systems; tools for music collaboration and performance; and assistive technologies. Furthermore, the challenges presented by the intersection of AI and digital didactics in the field of music education are discussed. Full article

New technologies are tools that are present in daily life on a regular basis. In order to improve the didactic process, education must take into account these new technologies. In the field of physical education, the significance of these technologies is reflected in the existence of applications that can be carried out within the field, both for educational purposes and for physical fitness and health. This is due to the potential presented by virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. The objective of this study was to examine the utilisation and impact of AR, VR and MR technologies in physical education at the compulsory stage. In order to achieve this objective, a design based on the PRISMA methodology for conducting systematic reviews was employed. The databases of WOS, Scopus, PubMed and Google Scholar were subjected to analysis. The results indicate that there has been a notable increase in research activity in this field in recent years. The analysis yielded four principal areas of focus, namely the utilisation of pedagogical methodologies, the enhancement of motor and health-related competencies, and moreover, the facilitation of optimal integration of students in physical education. The utilisation and consequences of novel technologies represent a suitable instrument for enhancing the educational experience of students enrolled in physical education programmes. Full article

Teaching/learning programming is complex, and conventional classes often fail to arouse students’ motivation in this discipline. Therefore, teachers should look for alternative methods for teaching programming. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be a valuable alternative, especially virtual worlds. This study measures the students’ motivation level when using virtual worlds to learn introductory programming skills. Moreover, a comparison is conducted regarding their motivation levels when students learn in a traditional teaching setting. In this study, first-semester university students participated in a pedagogical experiment regarding the learning of the programming subject employing virtual worlds. A pre-test-post-test design was carried out. In the pre-test, 102 students participated, and the motivation level when a professor taught in a traditional modality was measured. Then, a post-test was applied to 60 students learning in virtual worlds. With this research, we have found that the activity conducted with virtual worlds presents higher motivation levels than traditional learning with the teacher. Moreover, regarding gender, women present higher confidence than men. We recommend that teachers try this innovation with their students based on our findings. However, teachers must design a didactic model to integrate virtual worlds into daily teaching activities. Full article

Education is a constantly evolving field that encompasses various approaches to teaching and learning. In our paper, we focused on qualitative research conducted with future primary level teachers using a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) approach. The research involved classroom observation, analysis of the student work, and obtaining interpretations from the students via report protocols and focused interviews. We examined the students’ learning and problem-solving strategies within STEAM-based activities as well as their perspectives on its use in primary education. Students participated in the research activity in two stages. In the first stage, further referred to as Activity 1, they followed a predetermined algorithm, instructions to construct an electronic device. The instructions for this device were developed to serve as a resource for primary education and to prepare the students for the second stage. In the second stage, further known as Activity 2, the students were tasked with creating a new electronic device together with providing the instructions. The new device was required to have a practical application. Following the completion of these activities, we collected and analyzed the procedural reflections and didactic interpretations from students. Within these interpretations, we also sought their opinions on how STEAM projects like these could help develop various aspects of STEAM competencies in children such as technical skills and knowledge, algorithmic thinking, and device architecture as well as mathematical and scientific thinking. Full article

Different theories addressing the motivational process in educational practice highlight the importance of the teacher’s perspective in the effective integration of technologies as pedagogical–didactic tools in the classroom. The current study consists of a manifest content analysis applying a non-experimental, cross-sectional, qualitative research design. A longitudinal study was conducted through semi-structured individual interviews over three academic years (2020–2023) with a sample of 36 teacher-training students, including undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Valencian Community. The results obtained reveal the participants’ perceptions of the motivations for using technology in their self-learning process, highlighting the positive value they attribute to these tools as resources to motivate their future students. The narratives compiled highlight the relationship between the use of technology and improved academic performance in teacher training. Furthermore, they underline the need to incorporate educational models that not only foster digital skills but also provide solid pedagogical training in this area. Full article

This study aimed to examine the collaborative design of an interdisciplinary STEAM activity conducted by lower-secondary school teachers of different disciplines. We adopted an approach based on a case study involving four teachers (art, music, technology, and mathematics/science teachers) designing an activity focused on the concept of symmetry. We gathered data through oral, semi-structured interviews with the teachers and through schematic representations of resource systems provided by the teachers themselves. Data analysis aimed to identify the different kinds of resources the teachers relied on, their utilization schemes, and the overarching meta-didactical praxeology adopted by the teachers for their collaborative design work. The theoretical model adopted for data analysis was a combination of the Documentational Approach to Didactics and the Meta-Didactical Transposition frameworks, originally introduced to study the work of researchers in the context of teacher professional development. An application of this model to the collaborative design work of teachers can provide a fresh insight into the relationship between teachers’ documentation work for the design of a STEAM activity, the practices that they adopt to address this shared task (praxis), and the shared justifying discourses (logos) for their praxis. Full article

Digital transformation has become constant and has forced governments to reevaluate the validity of their educational models; therefore, regarding digital and information literacy, to train teachers to improve new digital skills becomes essential. For these reasons, this research will explore the instruction of teachers in digital and information literacy in basic education; likewise, there will be an observation of the research’s theoretical-methodological characteristics related to these variables, and, also, we will carry out an analysis of the most pertinent contributions on the impact of new literacies and competencies in the teaching–learning processes in basic education, with the purpose of obtaining a current state overview of its teacher training within the framework of the technologies’ usage linked to teaching. This review was based on the guidelines of the PRISMA protocol, and to select 56 documents, the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases were used. The results show that, in the Scopus database, Spain is the country with the most research on the subject, with 29% of the total, followed by Indonesia, with 6%, and the United States, with 4%, and that the articles focus mainly on the social sciences and computer science. Likewise, in WoS, the country with the most research on the subject is Spain, with 30%, followed by Russia, with 10%, and Norway, with 8%, and the articles mainly revolve around the categories of education and communication. The research related to this topic uses a quantitative approach in 68%, a qualitative approach in 25% and a mixed approach in 7%. It was shown that there is a direct relationship between digital and information literacy and digital competency. In addition, it is also emphasized that digital and information literacy are continuous and long-term processes. More didactic proposals on digital skills would be necessary, over government policies and efforts, to achieve a community with a high level of digital and information literacy. Full article

The formation of students is integral to education. Strengthening critical thinking and reasoning are essential for the professionals that today’s world needs. For this reason, the authors of this article applied Pólya’s methodology, an initiative based on observing students’ difficulties when facing mathematical problems. The present study is part of the qualitative and quantitative research paradigm and the action research methodology. In this study, the inquiry process was inductive, the sample is non-probabilistic, and the data interpretation strategy is descriptive. As a case study, six students were enrolled onto a differential equations course at the Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga. A didactic process was designed using information and communication technologies (ICTs) in five sequences that address first-order differential equation applications. As a result of the pedagogical intervention, problem-solving skills were strengthened. All this was based on asking the right questions, repeated reading, identifying and defining variables, mathematization, communication, and decomposing the problem into subproblems. This research study seeks to set a precedent in the Latin American region that will be the basis for future studies. Full article

The primary aim of this study is to introduce a didactic programme that incorporates gamification in geometry classes for high school students. The purpose of this programme is to boost students’ motivation towards learning. In the present educational scenario, the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) is paramount. Gamification has the potential to enhance the learning process by integrating game elements into non-game environments. This approach is deemed necessary as emotional factors in teaching may not lead to meaningful learning and improved academic performance. The research methodology employed a mixed approach and a pre-experimental design with pre- and post-test measurements. The sample comprised 45 10th grade students from a subsidised private high school in the Biobío Region of Chile. The study took 10 months and evaluated the factors of motivation, academic achievement, and lexical availability. Results showed a 23% increment in students’ knowledge, as proven by pre- and post-tests. The findings suggest an improvement in students’ perception regarding geometry and a significant improvement in academic performance. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that there is a noteworthy correlation between the group’s overall motivation and their academic performance, supporting gamification as an effective pedagogical strategy. Full article

While recognizing the vital role of teachers in augmented reality (AR) integration, a noticeable literature gap exists regarding how science educators address challenges related to technology, pedagogy, and content during AR instructional design and implementation. Conducted in a secondary school in Taiwan, this study addressed this gap by conducting a qualitative single-case analysis of a science teacher’s integration of AR technology into her biology lessons. The teacher’s pedagogical reasoning and action processes were observed and analyzed over 10 weeks, with a focus on micro-level exploration across two iterations of pedagogical analysis, design, implementation, reflection, and revision. The primary data collection includes teacher interviews, supplemented by teacher reflective notes, lesson plans, teaching materials, researcher observations and field notes taken during the weekly, one-hour teacher learning community meetings, and the AR-integrated lessons, student assessment results, and feedback. The study was informed by both the Technology Integration Planning model and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework. Data analysis techniques involved deductive coding and thematic analysis. The findings reveal the teacher’s developmental proficiency in AR, a reimagined depiction of AR-enhanced instructional content, a shift from didactic-based to inquiry-based teaching approaches, and an intertwined development of technological pedagogical knowledge, technological content knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge. This study provides valuable insights into how the educator became a pedagogical designer, overcame individual and contextual challenges, and leveraged reflective strategies to enhance biology lessons using AR technology, emphasizing technology’s potential to enrich pedagogy in science education. Full article