Dr Zagami's primary research interest is in understanding and improving how people learn, with a particular focus on how new technologies can assist learning and how they can better enable us to understand the learning process. While he has a general interest in all educational technologies, his current studies include tracking innovations in educational technologies and identifying emerging trends in how they change educational processes, the uses of computer games in education (including virtual reality, augmented reality and virtual worlds), student co-creation of secondary worlds through computer games, and the measurement of neural activity to track cognitive development.

With an enduring interest in K12 Computer Science Education, Dr Zagami is involved in curriculum development and studying how schools are implementing curriculum changes, examining the tension between scripted instructional processes and higher order thinking skill development, how concept development can be improved using visualisation and manipulation approaches, supporting concept development through the use of manipulables (Robotics, Drones and IOT), and approaches to overcome the challenges for female participation in Computer Science education.

Thursday, 28 November 2024

Improving Teacher Preparation for Technologies Education in Australia

Zagami, J. (2024). Improving Teacher Preparation for Technologies Education in Australia. Paper presented at the Australian Technologies Education Research Conference (ATERC2024), Sydney, Australia.

This study critically examines how Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs in Australia prepare pre-service teachers to teach technologies subjects and teaching areas. Despite the national curriculum's introduction in 2015, many ITE programs remain misaligned with its objectives, leaving future educators underprepared to teach essential technological skills. Employing qualitative document analysis of program structures and course profiles from 41 Australian universities offering ITE programs, the research identifies significant inconsistencies and gaps in technologies education across states and territories. Key barriers include the application and inflexibility of program accreditations, hampering the responsiveness of ITE programs to rapid technological advancements like artificial intelligence, computational thinking, and modern manufacturing techniques, compounded by a mismatch between advocacy for technologies education and its practical implementation in ITE curricula. The study underscores the broader implications of these deficiencies for the education system and Australia's future STEM workforce. Recommendations advocate for strengthening accreditation processes to allow greater consistency and adaptability, ensuring minimum curriculum coverage for technologies education, increasing specialisation opportunities in secondary technologies, providing better career guidance for prospective teachers, and promoting national consistency in technologies education. Addressing these issues is imperative for equipping teachers to effectively educate students in a technology-driven world and for sustaining Australia's competitiveness in global STEM industries.

Keywords: Initial Teacher Education (ITE), Technologies Curriculum, Design and Technologies, Digital Technologies, ICT/Digital Literacy (ICT/DL), teacher accreditation, educational technology

Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Bridging Fairy Tales and Code Conversations in Technologies Education for Pre-Service Primary Teachers

Zagami, J. (2024). Bridging Fairy Tales and Code Conversations in Technologies Education for Pre-Service Primary Teachers. [Author Preprint]

This study bridges the domains of Critical Code Studies (CCS) and Code Conversations to reimagine programming education for pre-service primary teachers. With 120 participants engaging in a technologies education course, the research integrates fairy tale narratives to contextualize programming logic, using narrative structures to parallel coding constructs like variables, loops, and conditionals. By employing a mixed-methods approach—combining pre- and post-tests, concept mapping, think-aloud protocols, narrative analyses, and reflective journals—this study examines how storytelling mediates the cognitive and cultural dimensions of programming education. Results demonstrate that narrative-based instruction not only enhances comprehension and engagement but also reduces cognitive load, particularly for novices, by reframing programming as a dialogic and performative act. Furthermore, participants used culturally resonant narratives to craft code explanations, fostering inclusivity and reflective practice aligned with CCS principles. By situating programming within broader socio-cultural and pedagogical contexts, this research highlights how narrative integration can transform code education into a medium for critical inquiry, human-machine dialogue, and creative expression. These findings contribute to the discourse on computational thinking as a human-centred, culturally aware practice, advancing strategies to prepare educators to teach programming in ways that are both technically rigorous and culturally meaningful.

Keywords: Critical Code,  Code Conversations, Narrative-Based Learning, Fairy Tales Programming, Initial Teacher Education  

Sunday, 17 November 2024

Bridging Code and Culture: Examining Instructional Approaches, Cognitive Load, and Mental Model Development in Pre-Service Teacher Programming Education

Zagami, J. (2024). Bridging Code and Culture: Examining Instructional Approaches, Cognitive Load, and Mental Model Development in Pre-Service Teacher Programming Education. [Author Preprint]

This study examines how instructional approaches—visual programming (Ozobot), physical block-based programming (Ozmo), digital block-based programming (Blockly), and text-based programming (Python)—affect pre-service primary teachers' programming skills, mental models, and cognitive load. Grounded in the Critical Code Studies (CCS) and Code Conversations frameworks, the research explores programming as a performative and cultural act, highlighting its role in human-machine interaction. Using a mixed-methods design, 120 participants were assigned to one of four modalities for their first programming experience. Measures included concept mapping, think-aloud protocols, and code tracing to assess mental model complexity. Cognitive load dimensions (intrinsic, extraneous, germane, and affective) were evaluated via the NASA-TLX questionnaire and performance metrics, with prior programming experience also considered (24 participants were novices). Results show that text-based programming fosters the most sophisticated mental models and retention but imposes higher cognitive and affective demands on novices. Visual and block-based modalities reduce cognitive barriers, supporting foundational understanding and engagement, while hybrid approaches introduce dual-modality challenges. These findings highlight the need for scaffolded pathways transitioning learners from visual tools to text-based programming. By integrating CCS and Code Conversations insights, the study situates programming education within broader cultural and functional contexts, offering actionable recommendations for teacher education programs. It underscores reflective practices and tailored strategies to equip future educators with the technical and critical literacies essential for computational thinking.

Keywords: Programming Education, Cognitive Load, Mental Models, Critical Code Studies, Pre-Service Teachers

Friday, 15 November 2024

Virtual Maker Spaces: Enhancing Student Engagement through Extended Reality in the Co-Creation of Learning Spaces

Zagami, J. (2024). Virtual Maker Spaces: Enhancing Student Engagement through Extended Reality in the Co-Creation of Learning Spaces. [Author Preprint]

This study investigates the integration of virtual reality (VR) platforms, CoSpaces and Minecraft, and artificial intelligence (AI) tools into primary school technology education courses, focusing on their role in virtual maker spaces. With a quasi-experimental design, 140 pre-service teachers engaged in designing and using virtual classroom spaces, alternating between CoSpaces and Minecraft to examine the strengths of each platform. Virtual maker spaces served as collaborative environments where participants explored creative classroom layouts, instructional strategies, and the application of constructivist and situated learning theories. Findings revealed significant improvements in pedagogical confidence and understanding, with Minecraft excelling in fostering creativity and complex designs, while CoSpaces facilitated rapid prototyping and interactivity. High engagement and collaboration scores underscore the value of virtual maker spaces in simulating real-world teaching scenarios. Regression analysis identified self-efficacy as a key predictor of success, and rubric evaluations highlighted the educational relevance and innovation in virtual classroom designs. This research contributes to the growing discourse on immersive technologies in teacher education, providing actionable insights into the use of virtual maker spaces to prepare future educators for technology-rich classrooms.

Keywords: Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Initial Teacher Education (ITE), Constructivist Learning Theory, Situated Learning Theory, Virtual Makerspaces

Friday, 15 November 2024

AI Chatbot Influences on Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Student Diversity and Lesson Differentiation in Online Initial Teacher Education

Zagami, J. (2024). AI Chatbot Influences on Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Student Diversity and Lesson Differentiation in Online Initial Teacher Education. [Author Preprint]

This study investigates the role of AI chatbots in assisting preservice teachers with creating differentiated lesson plans that emphasise student diversity and inclusion within online and blended learning environments. By conducting a comparative analysis of preservice teachers utilising AI chatbots versus those who did not, the research examines how interactive exchanges with AI can deepen understanding of diverse learning needs. The findings underscore the benefits of AI tools in fostering reflective and inclusive teaching practices, offering accessible, patient, and adaptive guidance that enhances self-efficacy. These outcomes have significant implications for research, policy, and practice in digital pedagogy.

Keywords: AI Chatbots, Preservice Teachers, Inclusive Education, Blended Learning, Reflective Practice

Tuesday, 5 November 2024

Consensus building using an AI Enhanced Delphi Study

Zagami, J. (2024). Consensus building using an AI Enhanced Delphi Study. [Author Preprint]

This study investigates using a modified Delphi method, enhanced with Generative AI, to build consensus among master’s students on key topics within educational technology. Over three iterative rounds, participants reflected on the most impactful aspects of AI, the role of current influential technologies, and the potential of emerging tools in education. AI-driven summaries facilitated efficient synthesis of participant responses, enabling rapid identification of themes and minimising facilitator bias. Findings reveal a strong consensus on personalisation and data analytics as pivotal AI applications, a significant shift from Learning Management Systems (LMS) toward immersive and interactive tools, and high agreement on the future impact of AI-driven data analytics and VR/AR technologies. Cluster analysis highlighted subgroup preferences, showing diversity in perspectives on ethical considerations, interactive technologies, and future-oriented tools. The study underscores the utility of AI-enhanced Delphi methodology in supporting consensus-building and offers insights for institutions and policymakers seeking to prioritise technologies that align with pedagogical goals and ethical considerations.

Implications for practice or policy

• AI summarisation can enhance the efficiency of the Delphi methodology, enabling faster feedback loops and streamlined consensus-building in time-sensitive research contexts.

• Integrating AI into the Delphi process can reduce facilitator bias, allowing for more objective synthesis of participant responses across iterative rounds.

• Policies should address the ethical considerations of using AI in Delphi studies, particularly around data privacy, transparency, and the potential for algorithmic bias.

• Hybrid AI-human facilitation models within Delphi studies can improve both the accuracy of summaries and the depth of interpretation, supporting a more nuanced consensus process.

• AI-enhanced Delphi methods make it feasible to scale studies to larger participant groups, allowing for broader and more diverse input in consensus-building research.

Keywords: educational technology, delphi method, artificial intelligence, consensus-building

Tuesday, 5 November 2024

Technology Acceptance Model Application to Autonomous Artificial Intelligence

Zagami, J. (2024). Technology Acceptance Model Application to Autonomous Artificial Intelligence. [Author Preprint]

Technology Acceptance Models (TAMs) can be adapted to predict and analyse acceptance patterns for autonomous artificial intelligence (AI). The ongoing advances in AI, particularly towards autonomy, present unique challenges and opportunities for understanding user acceptance, and this paper aims to provide a theoretical basis for applying TAMs to autonomous AI by examining the evolution of TAMs and identifying the constructs most relevant to autonomous systems.

Implications for practice or policy

• Developers of autonomous AI systems should prioritise user-centred interfaces that enhance perceived ease of use, especially in high-stakes applications like healthcare and transportation.

• Autonomous AI developers should implement features that build user trust, such as transparent decision-making processes, fail-safe mechanisms, and clear communication of data security protocols.

• Policymakers could mandate ethical transparency in autonomous AI systems, requiring disclosures on how decisions are made, what ethical frameworks are used, and how potential biases are managed.

• For autonomous AI applications with significant public interaction, regulatory bodies should establish guidelines for testing, risk assessment, and user safety to address public concerns and perceived risks.

• Initiatives to educate the public on autonomous AI's capabilities, limitations, and ethical safeguards can help build informed acceptance and support responsible AI deployment.

Keywords: technology acceptance model (TAM), autonomous AI, perceived usefulness, ethical transparency, trust in AI, perceived risk, user acceptance

Tuesday, 23 October 2024

Implications of Applying Generative AI Privacy Restrictions to Human and Autonomous AI Learning

Zagami, J. (2024). Implications of Applying Generative AI Privacy Restrictions to Human and Autonomous AI Learning. [Author Preprint]

AI privacy policies - designed for generative AI systems - have implications for both human learning and the development of autonomous AI. Privacy principles, such as informed consent, data minimisation, and transparency, while useful for safeguarding personal information, their strict application in educational contexts could hinder intellectual curiosity, interdisciplinary exploration, and creativity. Similarly, as AI systems evolve from tools to autonomous entities, overly restrictive privacy policies could stifle their ability to learn, adapt, and function. The transition toward self-aware AI necessitates a careful balance between protecting privacy and allowing the freedom necessary for AI to engage in comprehensive, self-directed learning. In highlighting the consequences of applying rigid privacy frameworks to human education and AI development, the suggested response is to evolve current policies to support human and AI learners in a dynamic, interconnected future.

Implications for practice or policy

• Restrictions on Human Learning: AI privacy policies could limit educational freedom, reducing creativity, curiosity, and intellectual growth.

• Impacts on AI Development: Privacy restrictions might hinder AI’s ability to develop autonomy, ethical reasoning, and adaptability.

• Balancing Privacy and Learning: Striking a balance between privacy and freedom is essential for AI to achieve self-learning and ethical decision-making.

• The Future of Autonomous AI: AI’s integration into society depends on balancing privacy with flexibility for responsible, informed decision-making.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, generative AI, autonomous AI, privacy policies, human learning, AI learning, ethical AI development 

Tuesday, 20 August 2024

Enchanting Learning: Generative AI and Fairy Tale Interpretations in Teacher Education

Zagami, J. (2024). Enchanting Learning: Generative AI and Fairy Tale Interpretations in Teacher Education. In: Wang, T. & Keane, T. (eds)  Advances in Artificial Intelligence in Education. Artificial Intelligence for Advancing Education Quality and Inclusion: Practices across Educational Settings. Springer Nature.  [Author Preprint]

The rapid advancement of technology has significantly impacted educational practices, particularly in teacher education, where there is a growing need for innovative approaches to content delivery. This paper explores the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into technology education through the use of AI-generated fairy tales, aiming to present complex concepts in a more engaging and relatable manner. The study employs a mixed-methods approach to compare three instructional strategies: traditional content explanations, AI-generated fairy tales, and a combination of both. Findings indicate that the combination of traditional content with AI-generated narratives leads to the highest levels of student engagement and comprehension, with 89% of students responding positively to the use of fairy tales. Key outcomes include the importance of maintaining consistent character narratives, effectively summarising key concepts, offering alternative explanations, and building engaging story arcs. The results suggest that integrating AI-generated narratives into technology education enhances learning outcomes and provides a dynamic and inclusive approach to teaching abstract concepts. The study highlights the potential of AI to support educational practices while also addressing the challenges and ethical considerations associated with its use.

Keywords: Generative AI, Teacher Education, Fairy Tales, Technology Education, Narrative Learning, AI in Education

Thursday, 13 June 2024

Investigating the impact of mobile blended learning on history students’ academic achievement

Bonsu, N.O., Boadu, G., Bervell, B., & Zagami, J. (2024). Investigating the impact of mobile blended learning on history students’ academic achievement. Education and Information Technologies, 29(8),  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12822-9 

History teaching and learning can be improved through pedagogically innovative practices. In the face of technological advancement, this study examined the effectiveness of mobile blended learning on the academic performance of senior high school history students. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research approach using a pretest-posttest nonequivalent groups design. The study employed a teacher-made test to gather data from two intact senior high school final-year history classes in Central Region, Ghana. The two classes were grouped into control and experimental groups. The control group participants were taught using conventional instruction, while the experimental group participants were taught using mobile blended learning through WhatsApp Messenger and adapted YouTube videos. The study revealed that mobile blended learning had a significant effect on the academic performance of history students. The findings also demonstrated a gender gap in the academic performance of history students when taught through mobile blended learning, with female students outperforming their male counterparts. The study contributes new insights for pedagogical innovation in history teaching and learning in the under-researched context of Ghana. It further makes links between mobile blended learning and historical knowledge in Ghanaian schools and offers views on equitable access to and use of technologies in schools. The study implies that there should be a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to history teaching and learning, incorporating mobile blended learning, addressing gender disparities regarding mobile blended learning use, and ensuring equitable access and learning outcomes.

Wednesday, 22 November, 2023

Self-Study Methodology Applied to Research Practice

Zagami, J. (2023). Self-Study Methodology Applied to Research Practice  [Conference session] Education Research Conference. Brisbane, Australia. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cogoEVQ4GolTzORilrbkkUvW66FN0CaYirSlJQbYoJQ/edit?usp=sharing

Wednesday, 26 July 2023

Preschool children's engagement with a social robot compared to a human  instructor

Neumann, M., Koch, L., Zagami, J., Reilly, D., & Neumann, D. (2023). Preschool children's engagement with a social robot compared to a human  instructor. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 65, 332-341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.07.010 

Young children are exposed to new digital technologies, such as social robots. Limited research exists on how children engage with social robots and their role in the preschool classroom. This study observed 35 English-speaking children (M age = 4.60 years) participating in two tasks (Simon Says and iPad drawing) under the guidance of a social robot or human instructor. Children's engagement was measured across behavioural, emotional, and verbal domains. Results showed higher behavioural and positive emotional engagement with a human instructor than a social robot instructor across both tasks. Children uttered more words with the human instructor than the social robot instructor for the iPad drawing task, although there were no differences for the Simon Says task. Children's engagement and utterances were positively correlated during the social robot and human instructor conditions. The findings suggest that child engagement was overall higher with a human than with a social robot and such differences may be important for teachers to consider when using social robots in the preschool classroom.

Monday, 27 February, 2023

Cognitive Influences on Learning Programming

Zagami, J. (2023). Cognitive Influences on Learning Programming. In: Keane, T., Fluck, A.E. (eds) Teaching Coding in K-12 Schools: Research and Application (pp. 389-399). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21970-2_26 

A theoretical exploration of cognitive load to guide the teaching of computer programming by tailoring the use of different programming language types (visual vs textual) to the developmental needs of students relative to the complexity of the cognitive concepts being taught so that the cogitative processing capacity of students is not exceeded.

Wednesday, 23 November, 2022

An approach to investigating trends using a collection of systems research methods

Zagami, J. (2022). An approach to investigating trends using a collection of systems research methods  [Conference session] Education Research Conference. Sanctuary Cove, Australia. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQP0Bn8t1w6ankPm6ovIOSGJ1cicEaHd1TXg9tgMhZoQ8_AY8QP71vmhVstlFNIGFm4Lt3d-sfh1IQ5/pub? 

Saturday, 30 July, 2022

Cognitive Influences on Learning Programming

Zagami, J. (2022).  Cognitive Influences on Learning Programming. In T. Keane & A. Fluck (Eds.), Teaching Coding in K-12 Schools: Research and Application (pp.389–399). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21970-2_26

This is a preprint of the following chapter: Zagami, J., Cognitive Influences on Learning Programming, published in Teaching Coding in K-12 Schools: Research and Application, edited by Therese Keane and Andrew Fluck, 2022, Springer Nature reproduced with permission of Springer Nature. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21970-2_26

Friday, 27 May, 2022

Computer Education in Australian schools 2022

Zagami, J. (2022). Computer education in Australian schools 2022. Australian Computer Society.

An examination of the state of computer education in Australian schools informed by the Australian Computer Society’s survey response to the 2020/21 Australian Curriculum review.

ACS Press Release 30 May 2022

ACS, the professional association for Australia’s technology sector, has launched its new report on the state of Digital Technologies education in Australia: Computer education in Australian schools 2022: Enabling the next generation of IT professionals. The report looks at the current state of computer education in schools, and builds upon data from a survey of schools across Australia covering the practical implementation of computer education in Australian primary and secondary schools. The report also provides a set of recommendations for schools, government and the education sector to improve outcomes for Australian students. “It’s no secret that Australia has a significant deficit when it comes to IT professionals,” said ACS President Dr Nick Tate. “Along with healthcare it’s the fastest growing sector in the Australian economy. Every year for the next five years businesses and government will be demanding more than 50,000 new IT professionals. “In 2019, there were less than 7000 ICT graduates from Australian universities, not nearly enough to meet the needs. We cannot continue to rely on overseas workers to make up the shortfall.” The Digital Technologies curriculum, introduced in 2014 and progressively rolled out across Australian states, was designed to help students pursue careers in technology. But as the survey results show, the implementation of the curriculum varies wildly from school to school and state to state. Some of the elements the report notes the need to address include: 

Teacher training, with many teachers having to teach a subject that they did not learn in school.

School systems need to support their upskilling. A lack of understanding about the distinction between Digital Literacy (using computers) and Digital Technologies (creating with digital tools). 

Poor reporting on Digital Technologies outcomes to parents. 

Equitable access to both teaching talent and equipment across all areas of Australia. 

“Addressing the shortage of IT workers in Australia means addressing IT education in Australia,” noted Dr Tate. “There’s a lot that can and needs to be done to get us to a place where we can really say we’re the clever country.” 

The full report can be downloaded from the ACS website. 

Friday, 20 November, 2020

Machine learning for human learners: opportunities, issues, tensions and threats

Webb, M. E., Fluck, A., Magenheim, J., Malyn-Smith, J., Waters, J., Deschênes, M., & Zagami, J. (2020). Machine learning for human learners: opportunities, issues, tensions and threats. Educational Technology Research and Development, 1-22.

Machine learning systems are infiltrating our lives and are beginning to become important in our education systems. This article, developed from a synthesis and analysis of previous research, examines the implications of recent developments in machine learning for human learners and learning. In this article we first compare deep learning in computers and humans to examine their similarities and differences. Deep learning is identified as a sub-set of machine learning, which is itself a component of artificial intelligence. Deep learning often depends on backwards propagation in weighted neural networks, so is non-deterministic—the system adapts and changes through practical experience or training. This adaptive behaviour predicates the need for explainability and accountability in such systems. Accountability is the reverse of explainability. Explainability flows through the system from inputs to output (decision) whereas accountability flows backwards, from a decision to the person taking responsibility for it. Both explainability and accountability should be incorporated in machine learning system design from the outset to meet social, ethical and legislative requirements. For students to be able to understand the nature of the systems that may be supporting their own learning as well as to act as responsible citizens in contemplating the ethical issues that machine learning raises, they need to understand key aspects of machine learning systems and have opportunities to adapt and create such systems. Therefore, some changes are needed to school curricula. The article concludes with recommendations about machine learning for teachers, students, policymakers, developers and researchers.

Wednesday, 12 August, 2020

Learners and learning contexts: New alignments for the digital age

Webb, M. E., Fluck, A., Magenheim, J., Malyn-Smith, J., Waters, J., Deschênes, M., & Zagami, J. (2019). Thematic Working Group 4. Learners and learning contexts: New alignments for the digital age, 127.

This paper was born from a meeting of experts in Quebec, Canada in October 2019. Through a  pre-meeting  process  of  collaborative  writing,  intensive  literature  review  and  critical  reflection, the meeting was able to synthesize and analyze previous research. In so doing, the group  has  generated  a  new  and  creative  approach  to  machine  learning  in  education.  The  paper summarises  the  expert  group  findings,  and  provides  strategies  and  actions  for  policymakers,  practitioners,  students,  researchers,  and/or  developers  of  machine  learning  systems in education.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anneke_Smits/publication/339442192_Thematic_working_group_8_Pedagogical_Reasoning_and_Reflective_Practice_A_Framework_for_Teaching_in_a_Digital_Age/links/5e529a6fa6fdcc2f8f5a2ba1/Thematic-working-group-8-Pedagogical-Reasoning-and-Reflective-Practice-A-Framework-for-Teaching-in-a-Digital-Age.pdf#page=31 

Wednesday, 30 October, 2019

Thematic Working Group 4. Thematic Working Group 4 - State of the Art in Thinking About Machine Learning: Implications for Education

Webb, M., Fluck, A., Deschenes, M., Kheirallah, S., Lee, I., Magenheim, J., Malyn-Smith, J., Pare, G., Trippe, R., Onderwijs, L., Waters, J. & Zagami, J. (2019). Thematic Working Group 4 - State of the Art in Thinking About Machine Learning: Implications for Education. In F. Petra & M. Phillips (eds), Learners and learning contexts: New alignments for the digital age, EDUsummIT 2019 Canada (pp. 114).

This paper was born from a meeting of experts in Quebec, Canada in October 2019. Through a  pre-meeting  process  of  collaborative  writing,  intensive  literature  review  and  critical  reflection, the meeting was able to synthesise and analyse previous research. In so doing, the group  has  generated  a  new  and  creative  approach  to  machine  learning  in  education.  The  paper summarises  the  expert  group  findings,  and  provides  strategies  and  actions  for  policymakers,  practitioners,  students,  researchers,  and/or  developers  of  machine  learning  systems in education.

Sunday, 8 December, 2019

Vision - A space for digital learning and exploring pedagogies: Virtual world education

Gregory, S., Gregory, B., Jacka, L., Lierse, S., McDonald, M., Ellis, D., Hearns, M., Sukunesan, S., Irwin, P., John, B., Butler, D., Zagami, J. & Gaukrodger, B. (2019). Vision - A space for digital learning and exploring pedagogies: Virtual world education. In Y. W. Chew, K. M. Chan, and A. Alphonso (Eds.), Personalised Learning. Diverse Goals. One Heart., 130. ASCILITE 2019 Singapore (pp. 130-138).

The Australian and New Zealand Virtual Worlds Working Group (VWWG) was established in 2009. Members of the group have written papers for ASCILITE conferences since 2010. Each paper’s intention is to provide an overview on using virtual worlds in higher education, especially the practical aspects of incorporating 3D worlds to enhance student learning. This VWWG’s paper looks at a virtual world as a space for digital learning and exploratory pedagogy – meaning, that the authors perhaps do not perceive virtual worlds as ordinary. However, they do acknowledge that those who do not regularly engage in virtual worlds may see it as new and innovative, perhaps even untested ground, but still with a degree of unfamiliarity. A survey was sent to the members of the VWWG in which the narratives have provided rich data for in depth understanding. The themes focused in the survey were ‘disruptive thinking’, ‘emerging ideas’ and ‘lateral connections’, from the perspective of the respondents’ experiences in the implementation of virtual worlds in education. They discuss the idea of a virtual world used in education as a new treasure, or perhaps it has been in use for some time and now classified as traditional.

Virtual worlds, Second Life, disruption, emerging ideas, lateral connections

Friday, 3 August, 2018

Creating Future Ready Information Technology Policy for National Education Systems

Zagami, J., Bocconi, S., Starkey, L., Wilson, J., Gibson, D., Downie, J., Malyn‑Smith, J. & Elliott, S. (2018). Creating Future Ready Information Technology Policy for National Education Systems. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 23(64) 1–12.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-018-9387-7.

With  the  increasing  relevance  of  information  and  communication  technologies (ICT)  and  the global transition  towards  the  knowledge  society,  school  systems  and higher  education  now face increasing challenges involved in preparing students for successful participation in the knowledge society. In many countries, this is leading to manifold efforts and changes in national policies concerning ICT integration into education systems. This paper outlines four challenges concerning the design, implementation, and evaluation of national policy: (1)  creating  future  ready policy, (2) achieving  systemic  perspectives in stakeholders, (3) promoting commitment to learning from policy, and (4) developing and implementing supportive processes. The paper shares an international perspective on these four major challenges  and proposes strategy  perspectives and solutions,  as  well  as  tactics  that  could  be  applied to advance a nation’s educational system empowered by technology.

Keywords  Educational policy leadership, Technology enhanced learning, ICT in education, Future ready citizens

Monday, 4 December, 2017

Curating the curriculum with digital games

Dezuanni, M. & Zagami, J. (2017) Curating the curriculum with digital games. In C. Beavis, M. Dezuanni, & J. O'Mara. (Eds.). Serious Play : Literacy, Learning, and Digital Games. Routledge, New York. (pp. 67-82). doi: 10.4324/9781315537658.

Serious Play is a comprehensive account of the possibilities and challenges of teaching and learning with digital games in primary and secondary schools. Based on an original research project, the book explores digital games’ capacity to engage and challenge, present complex representations and experiences, foster collaborative and deep learning and enable curricula that connect with young people today. These exciting approaches illuminate the role of context in gameplay as well as the links between digital culture, gameplay and identity in learners’ lives, and are applicable to research and practice at the leading edge of curriculum and literacy development.

Monday, 13 October, 2016

Computer Science in the school curriculum: issues and challenges

Webb, M., Bell, T., Davis, N., Katz, Y., Reynolds, N., Chambers, D., Syslo, M., Fluck, A., Cox, M., Angeli, C., Malyn-Smith, J., Voogt, J., Zagami, J., Micheuz, P., Chtouki, Y. & Mori, N. (2016). Computer Science in the school curriculum: issues and challenges. In Proceedings of ISSEP 2016. Poster presented at the Informatics in Schools: Improvement of Informatics Knowledge and Perception conference in Munster, Germany. (pp. 64). ISBN 978-3-319-46747-4

Monday, 11 July 2016

Arguing for Computer Science in the School Curriculum

Fluck, A., Webb, M., Cox, M., Angeli, C., Malyn-Smith, J., Voogt, J., & Zagami, J. (2016). Arguing for Computer Science in the School Curriculum. Educational Technology & Society, 19(3), 38–46. Retrieved from http://www.ifets.info/journals/19_3/5.pdf

Computer science has been a discipline for some years, and its position in the school curriculum has been contested differently in several countries. This paper looks at its role in three countries to illustrate these differences. A reconsideration of computer science as a separate subject both in primary and secondary education is suggested. At EDUsummIT 2015 it was argued that the major rationales for including computer science as a subject in the K-12 curriculum are economic, social and cultural. The paper explores these three rationales and also a beneficence matrix to assist curriculum designers. It also argues computer science is rapidly becoming critical for generating new knowledge, and should be taught as a distinct subject or content area, especially in secondary schools. The paper concludes by looking at some of the key questions to be considered when implementing computer science in the school curriculum, and at ways its role might change in the future.

Keywords: Computer science, Curriculum, K-12, Rationale, Primary school, Secondary school

Sunday, 10 July 2016

Bebras Australia computational thinking challenge

Schulz, K., Hobson, S., & Zagami, J. (2016). Bebras Australia computational thinking challenge - tasks and solution 2016. Brisbane, Australia: Digital Careers.

Computational Thinking activities in the Bebras an international initiative whose goal is to promote computational thinking for teachers and students (ages 8-18; years 3-12).

Monday, 30 November 2015

Girls and Computing: Female participation in computing in Schools

Zagami, J., Boden, M., Keane, T., Moreton, B., & Schulz, K. (2015). Girls and computing: Female participation in computing in schools. Australian Educational Computing, 30(2), 1–14. Retrieved from http://journal.acce.edu.au/index.php/AEC/article/view/79

Computer education, with a focus on computer science, has become a core subject in the Australian Curriculum and the focus of national innovation initiatives. Equal participation by girls, however, remains unlikely based on their engagement with computing in recent decades. In seeking to understand why this may be the case, a Delphi consensus process was conducted using a wide range of experts from industry and academia to explore existing research and interventions, recommending four key approaches: engaging girls in the Digital Technologies curriculum; addressing parental preconceptions and influences; providing positive role models and mentors; and supporting code clubs for girls. Unfortunately, all of these approaches have been widely implemented, and while individually successful at the scale of their implementation, have failed to systemically improve female participation in computing. The only discernable difference between initiatives to improve female participation in computing and the successful approaches in other fields such as science, has been the availability of a compulsory developmental curriculum beginning from the start of school, that may provide a scaffold that sustain female engagement over critical periods such as adolescence, when participation in computing begins to dramatically decline.

Monday, 20 July 2015

An analysis of 27 years of research into computer education published in Australian Educational Computing

Zagami, J. (2015, July).An analysis of 27 years of research into computer education published in Australian Educational Computing. Australian Educational Computing, 30(1). Retrieved from http://journal.acce.edu.au/index.php/AEC/article/view/63

Analysis of three decades of publications in Australian Educational Computing (AEC) provides insight into the historical trends in Australian educational computing, highlighting an emphasis on pedagogy, comparatively few articles on educational technologies, and strong research topic alignment with similar international journals. Analysis confirms the cyclical nature of educational research, and the topics of study that have waxed and waned in research popularity, with author contributions and citation rates providing an acknowledgement of the key contributors to computer education research over the past 27 years.

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Teachers’ Beliefs about the Possibilities and Limitations of Digital Games in Classrooms

Beavis, C., Rowan, L., Dezuanni, M., McGillivray, C., O’Mara, J., Prestridge, P., Stieler-Hunt, C., Thompson, R. & Zagami, J. (2014). Teachers’ Beliefs about the Possibilities and Limitations of Digital Games in Classrooms. E-Learning and Digital Media, 11(6), 569-581. doi 2014.11.6.569. Retrieved from http://ldm.sagepub.com/content/11/6/569

Teachers’ beliefs about what it is (or is not) possible to achieve with digital games in educational contexts will inevitably influence the decisions that they make about how, when, and for what specific purposes they will bring these games into their classrooms. They play a crucial role in both shaping and responding to the complex contextual factors which influence how games are understood and experienced in educational settings. Throughout this article the authors draw upon data collected for a large-scale, mixed-methods research project focusing on literacy, learning and teaching with digital games in Australian classrooms, to focus explicitly on the attitudes, understandings and expectations held about digital games by diverse teachers at the beginning of the project. They seek to identify the beliefs about games that motivated teachers’ participation in a digital games research project while focusing, as well, on concerns that teachers express about risks or limitations of such a project. The authors’ aim is to develop a detailed picture of the mindsets that teachers bring to games-based learning environments, and the relevance of these mindsets to broader debates about the relationship between games, learning and school.

Thursday, 2 October 2014

Is computer gaming the new ICT to be integrated into school curriculum?

Zagami, J. (2014, October). Is computer gaming the new ICT to be integrated into school curriculum?. Paper presented at the Australian Council for Computers in Education Conference, Adelaide, Australia. Retrieved from http://acec2014.acce.edu.au/sites/2014/files/attachments/

ACEC2014%20Is%20Computer%20Gaming%20the%20new%20ICT%20to%20be%20integrated%20into%20school%20curriculum.docx

Zagami, J. (2014). Is computer gaming the new ICT to be integrated into school curriculum? [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/is-computer-gaming-the-new-ict-to-be-integrated-into-school-curriculum

Just as the integration of ICT into the curriculum took time and faced initial obstacles, so too does the integration of computer games into the curriculum. Emerging from a mixed methods research project focusing on learning and teaching with digital games in Australian classrooms, four distinct approaches to educational games are developed: Game Play as a process, Game Building as a process, Game Play as a context, and Game Building as a context. The SAMR model was applied to consider these as progressive adoptions of computer gaming that achieve increasingly transformative learning processes. Then within the use of games as contexts for learning, a Secondary Worlds model was used to then consider these contexts at Philosophic, Epic and Naïve levels. Finally, the TPACK model was extended to include computer games as a GPACKS evaluation model of the appropriate use of computer games for various curriculum content, pedagogical approaches, and student gaming preferences.

Tuesday, 19 August 2014

2014 Brisbane Serious Play Symposium

Presentation contributing to a symposium of researchers and educators on the use of games in education.

Zagami, J. (2014). 2014 Brisbane Serious Play Symposium [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/serious-play-symposium

Saturday, 2 February 2013

Social Ecological Model Analysis for ICT Integration

Zagami, J. (2013). Social Ecological Model Analysis for ICT Integration. Australian Educational Computing, 27(3) 143-149. Retrieved from http://acce.edu.au/journal/27/3/social-ecological-model-analysis-ict-integration

ICT integration of teacher preparation programmes was undertaken by the Australian Teaching Teachers for the Future (TTF) project in all 39 Australian teacher education institutions and highlighted the need for guidelines to inform systemic ICT integration approaches. A Social Ecological Model (SEM) was used to positively inform integration support efforts of individual academics through their personal, institutional, professional, societal and temporal perspectives on ICT integration. A pre-post test analysis using the SEM framework categorised the influence factors on each academic, determined the factor most likely to affect change in the integration of ICT in their curricula, and provided a dynamic measure of the likelihood of successful integration to inform the application of support measures and maximise institutional integration outcomes. Initial results suggest that the applied SEM model can be used to guide institutional ICT integration efforts.

Sunday, 1 July 2012

Augmented Reality and Geography: The New Frontier

Jorgensen, M. & Zagami, J. (2012). Augmented Reality and Geography: The New Frontier. Queensland Geographer, 47(2), 4. 

AR and Geography are destined to become more intertwined, especially through the growing proliferation of mobile devices. The combination of computer, internet and mobile technologies gives teachers so many more opportunities to engage geography students, as well as develop rich understanding and knowledge. Testing the technology before implementing is vital, as is a willingness to take calculated risks and handing the power of learning over to the students. humanities-based subjects like Geography and history are fertile pastures ready to be traversed with this technology; virtually, figuratively and literally.

Wednesday, 3 October 2012

Serious Play

Zagami, J. (2012, October). Serious Play. Paper presented at the Australian Council for Computers in Education Conference, Perth, Australia. Retrieved from http://acec2012.acce.edu.au/sites/acec2012.acce.edu.au/files/proposal/232/ACEC2012-Serious%20Play.pdf

Zagami, J. (2012). Serious Play [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TmKpiNjF8kR6cucIpENldlk04kbM9o7lVX4TInixu4k/edit#slide=id.g1ce79edd_3_13

Preliminary results from a planned three year Australian study into the use of computer games in F-12 classrooms. This study is exploring the processes used by schools seeking to use games to improve student outcomes across subject areas, and aims to generate new knowledge about how students and teachers approach computer games, how games foster new literacies, and what happens with curriculum, pedagogy and assessment when computer games are introduced into a school to support teaching and learning. Initial findings show that teachers as a population may have less awareness of computer games than the general population and their students, teachers have a need for a model for the selection of games for use in the classroom, and the reframing of computer games as a genre within digital literacy may be sidelining their place in computer studies.

Thursday, 13 September 2012

Google

Zagami, J. (September 2012). Google [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VcadCq7IYbLoXV78-Yn3mn1NmmfUOZ1lvnWpPjyvMKM/edit

Presented at the Sixth National Leading a Digital School Conference at Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia.

Wednesday, 7 March 2012

Teaching Teachers for the Future: Building the Educational Technology Capacity of Pre-service Teachers in Australian Universities, Part 2

Campbell, C., Albion, P., Kearney, M., Maher, D., Pressick-Kilborn, K. & Zagami, J. (2012). Teaching Teachers for the Future: Building the Educational Technology Capacity of Pre-service Teachers in Australian Universities, Part 2. In P. Resta (Ed.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2012 (pp. 2241-2248). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/39918.

The Teaching Teachers for the Future (TTF) project is funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) through the ICT Innovation Fund and is an $8.8 million project involving all 39 universities that are involved in teacher education. This symposium involves presenters from four of these universities who are working in various ways in the project. The first paper involves an overview of the project and a summary of some of the projects currently being conducted using the TPACK framework at the various universities. The second paper is on the evaluation strategy and provides a preliminary analyzes. The third paper explores the benefits of prospective teachers creating and sharing new media in their professional learning activities. The final paper is about a Social Ecological Model (SEM) has been used to positively inform integration support efforts of individual academics through their personal, institutional, professional, societal and temporal perspectives on ICT integration.

Wednesday, 6 June 2012

SLQ ADE Augmented Reality workshop

Presentation contributing to a workshop conducted with Wes Warner and Dr Michael Bulmer on Augmented Reality and the iPad / Mac at the State Library of Queensland as part of an Apple Distinguished Educators seminar series on iOS

Zagami, J. (2012). SLQ ADE Augmented Reality workshop [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/slq-ade-augmented-reality-workshop

Wednesday, 7 March 2012

Social Ecological Model Analysis for ICT Integration

Zagami, J. (2012). Social Ecological Model Analysis for Institutional ICT Integration Efforts. In P. Resta (Ed.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2012 (pp. 1301-1306). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/39760.

Zagami, J. (2012). Social Ecological Model Analysis for ICT Integration. [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/sem-ict-integration-site2012

ICT integration of teacher preparation programmes is being undertaken by the Australian Teaching Teachers for the Future (TTF) project in all 39 Australian teacher education institutions and highlighted a need for guidelines to inform systemic ICT integration approaches. A Social Ecological Model (SEM) has been used to positively inform integration support efforts of individual academics through their personal, institutional, professional, societal and temporal perspectives on ICT integration. A pre-post test analysis using the SEM framework categorised the influence factors on each academic, determined the factor most likely to affect change in the integration of ICT in their curricula, and provided a dynamic measure of the likelihood of successful integration to inform the application of support measures and maximise institutional integration outcomes. Initial results suggest that the applied SEM model can be used to guide institutional ICT integration efforts.

Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Dynamic EEG Mapping as artistic expression

Zagami, J. (2011). Dynamic EEG Mapping as artistic expression. Paper presented at the Apple Universities Consortium Australia CreateWorld Conference, Brisbane, Australia. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iRLsLQBQdxWn6H-OC-EA9ekFB2VqlC32N3bJ5TfJ-7Q/edit

Zagami, J. (2011). Dynamic EEG Mapping as artistic expression. [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/dynamic-eeg-mapping-as-artistic-experience-cw11

Use of encephalographic (EEG) signals of brain activity to generate dynamic representations of emotion and feelings as artwork. Works were produced from emotional stimuli, reaction to existing artworks and forms (images, music, dance and tactile examination), reaction to existing EEG artworks, and recursive reaction to the dynamic representation of the artists own EEG artwork. Amplification of artistic experiences through EEG augmentation, provided a complementary visual experience in which the observers neural reactions to an artwork formed an additional component of the work. Subconscious reactions were made visual and a complex interplay of the observed artwork, reactions to that work, reactions to reactions to that work, and the visual EEG representation itself as an artwork, combined to produce a complex and nuanced artistic experience. The attitude of 68 primary preservice arts education students to arts education was surveyed pre-post using the Teaching With the Arts Survey (TWAS) instrument and compared to an 82 student control group in the same course. Improved responses to the reflective application of the arts and motivation to incorporate arts education into teaching was shown.

Friday, 30 September 2011

Augmented Classroom

Presented at the Queensland Society for Information Technology in Education (QSITE) conference at St Aidan’s AGS, Brisbane, Australia.

Zagami, J. (September 2011). Agmented Classroom [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/augmented-classrooms-qsite

Thursday, 29 September 2011 

Where is ICT education going in Australia?

Presented at the Queensland Society for Information Technology in Education (QSITE) conference at St Aidan’s AGS, Brisbane, Australia.

Zagami, J. (September 2011). Where is ICT education going in Australia? [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/where-is-ict-education-going-in-australia

Friday, 26 August 2011

Challenges in Education

Zagami, J. (2011). Challenges in Education [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/st-johns-anglican-college-keynote

Presentation to St John’s Anglican College ICT Forum. 26 August, 2011

Friday, 17 June 2011

Augmenting your Learning Environment

Zagami, J. (June 2011). Augmenting your learning environment [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/augmenting-your-learning-environment-itlmc2011

Presented at the Interactive Teaching and Learning (ITL) Master Class at Twin Waters, Sunshine Coast, Australia.

Thursday, 14 April 2011

Augmenting Education

Zagami, J. (2011). Augmenting Education [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/augmenting-education

Zagami, J. (2011). Augmenting Education[Screencast]. Retrieved from http://connectpro52594655.adobeconnect.com/p84292259/

Presentation at Follow the Sun Conference. 14 April, 2011[Online]

Wednesday, 8 December 2010

Informing the Design of Teacher Education Programs: The Need for Developing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Finger, G., Klieve, H., Lang, W., Prestridge, S. & Zagami, J. (2010). Informing the Design of Teacher Education Programs: The Need for Developing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Technology Education, Proceedings of the 6th Biennial International Conference on Technology Education Research, pp. 124-135, 8-11 December 2010, Crown Plaza, Surfers Paradise. Retrieved from http://www98.griffith.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/10072/36550/1/66472_1.pdf

Presentation at The Sixth Biennial International Conference on Technology Education Research. December, 2010 Gold Coast, Australia.

Saturday, 14 August 2010

Neural Interfaces

Zagami, J. (August 2010). Neural Interfaces [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/neural-interfaces

Presented at the Seventh National Interactive Teaching and Learning Conference at St Stephen's College, Upper Coomera, Australia.

Wednesday, 30 June 2010

The Australian Digital Education Revolution

Zagami, J. (2010, June). The Australian Digital Education Revolution. Seminar presented at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference, Denver, USA. Retrieved from http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/2010/program/search_results_details.php?sessionid=49957285&selection_id=59495889&rownumber=2&max=2&gopage= 

Zagami, J. (2010). The Australian Digital Education Revolution [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/national-curriculum-presentation 

Members of the Australian ACCE Study Tour describe and compare the Australian Digital Education Revolution with Canadian and U.S. initiatives. Recommended by ISTE's SIGTE

Saturday, 24 April 2010 

Implications and applications of educational technologies

Zagami, J. (April 2010). Implications and applications of educational technologies [Presentation slides]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/implications-and-applications-of-educational-technologies-ii

Griffith Education Teachers’ Strategic Network First Mini-Conference

The challenge of staying on top of advances in technology is now fundamental to sustaining success in every field of human endeavour. For educators and educational administrators, it is specifically educational technologies that present unique challenges, opportunities and expectations. This seminar highlighted a range of emerging educational technologies being researched at Griffith University that forecast paradigm changes in educational practice. Within the TPACK (Technological, Pedagogical, Content Knowledge) framework of understanding the role of educational technologies in the teaching and learning process, the educational application of 1:1 computing, mobile devices, serious games, virtual worlds, and neural interfaces was explored.

Tuesday, 23 February 2010

Implications and applications of educational technologies 

Zagami, J. (February 2010). Implications and applications of educational technologies [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/implications-and-applications-of-educational-technologies

Griffith University Professional Learning Seminar

The challenge of staying on top of advances in technology is now fundamental to sustaining success in every field of human endeavour. For educators and educational administrators, it is specifically educational technologies that present unique challenges, opportunities and expectations. This seminar highlighted a range of emerging educational technologies being researched at Griffith University that forecast paradigm changes in educational practice. Within the TPACK (Technological, Pedagogical, Content Knowledge) framework of understanding the role of educational technologies in the teaching and learning process, the educational application of 1:1 computing, mobile devices, serious games, virtual worlds, and neural interfaces was explored.

Thursday, 3 September 2009

Inspirational Teaching

Zagami, J. (2009). Inspirational Teaching [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/second-life-as-an-educational-technology#

Presentation at The Third National Leading a Digital School Conference. September, 2009 Gold Coast, Australia.

Monday, 4 May 2009

Online course discussion through Second Life

Zagami, J. (2009, May). Online course discussion through Second Life. Paper presented at the EDUCAUSE Australasian Conference, Perth, Australia. Retrieved from http://www.caudit.edu.au/educauseaustralasia09/assets/papers/monday/Jason-Zagami.pdf

Zagami, J. (2009). Online course discussion through Second Life [Presentation slides]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/online-course-discussion-through-second-life

Zagami, J. (Speaker). (2009, May 4). Online course discussion through Second Life [Audio podcast]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.caudit.edu.au/educauseaustralasia09/assets/audio/monday/Simulations-Jason_Zagami.mp3

The Griffith University Virtual Learning Environment was created using the Second Life application in 2007. Now in its third year of development and implementation, the effectiveness of the Second Life environment to support postgraduate online course discussions is compared to the online text chat tool available to the Blackboard Learning Management System. In a study involving two postgraduate courses, each of 14 students, the group using the Second Life environment was found to more effectively support small group online text based discussions through three effects generated by the use of avatars to represent physical presence within the environment. Firstly, participants could automatically telegraph their intention to contribute to discussions through animated typing simulated by their avatar while preparing a contribution. This provided pauses in discussions as participants waited for contributors to present their textual contribution before conversations progressed. This process was not evident in traditional text based chat systems where participant contributions would frequently be included after the discussion had moved on and this limitation was found to be an inhibiting factor to the participation of slower contributors. Secondly, participants were strongly encouraged by the second life environment not to multitask during discussions. When the second life environment was not the focus of their activity or they left their computer inactive for any significant time, their avatar would animate as asleep. This indicated to all participants that the owner was absenting him or herself from the conversation and provided strong social pressure to remain active or at least attentive to conversations. Finally, the Second Life environment encouraged ancillary conversations between participants to a greater extent than the Blackboard chat system. The Second Life environment enabled participant avatars the ability to cluster and physically move apart from the main group to conduct private or smaller group discussions. The physical separation of avatars within the environment, beyond the distance they send and receive typed messages, provided an effective sense of privacy while retaining the perception of remaining part of a larger group through the retained ability to observe clusters of avatars without receiving or contributing to their conversations. Second Life presents an innovative online course discussion environment but as an emerging technology is subject to significant technical disruption and system requirements. However, the Second Life environment was found to support intuitive processes afforded by the Second Life environment that could not be replicated in a purely text based system.

Wednesday, 11 March 2009

State High School Study

Zagami, J., & Grootenboer, P. (2009, March). State High School Study. [Report]. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ENlFOOqjtbpMUNqzyi2TYEIhnvY-TpxQROZBSzAr1_Y/edit?hl=en_GB

Downward trends in annual satisfaction survey results at XXXXX State High School were analysed and focus groups and individual interviews conducted with (N=115) students, staff and parents to identify possible underlying causes. While there have been recent improvements to annual survey data as a new school administration has settled into its role, long term processes in the development of the school, particularly in relation to its size and evolving management structure were identified and three recommendations presented. The recommendations are 1. Work towards the development and enhancement of a ‘collective school spirit’, 2. Strengthen the relationship between the Leadership Team and the Heads of Departments, and 3. Develop greater consistency in whole-school behaviour management practices.

Sunday, 7 December 2008

Second Life as an Arts Education Environment

Zagami, J. (2008). Second Life as an Arts Education Environment. In M. Docherty & D. Rosin (Ed.), CreateWorld 2008: The Art of Serious Play. The Serious Art of Play (pp. 3-8). Brisbane, QLD., Australia: Apple University Consortium Australia. Retrieved from http://www.auc.edu.au/myfiles/uploads/Training/CW08/CW08_Proceedings.pdf 

Zagami, J. (2008). Second Life as an Arts Education Environment [Presentation slides]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/moodle-on-a-shoestring

Carrington, A. (Producer). (2008, December 7). Second Life and Arts Education [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://createworld2008.edublogs.org/

While some students are engaging with online 3D virtual environments as creative social spaces, Virtual environments such as Second Life also provide opportunities to facilitate arts education in a flexible, connected and creative medium. Using a Second Life environment developed for Griffith University this study explored the use of a Second Life virtual environment to support the development of primary school arts education concepts. The study found that for some concepts, such as drama and dance, a virtual environment could assist in the development of these concepts, while for other concepts, such as visual arts; a more traditional environment achieved greater understanding of the concept.

Friday, 28 November 2008

Technology Education through online virtual environments

Zagami, J. (2008). Technology Education through online virtual environments in Technology Education, in Proceedings of the 5th Biennial International Conference on Technology Education Research, 28-29 November 2008, Crown Plaza, Surfers Paradise. Retrieved from http://www98.griffith.edu.au/dspace/handle/10072/24216 

Wednesday, 9 July 2008

Teacher education through online 3D virtual environments

Zagami, J. (2008). Teacher education through online 3D virtual environments [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/j.zagami/teacher-education-through-online-3d-virtual-environments 

Zagami, J. (2008, July). Teacher education through online 3D virtual environments. Paper presented at the Australian Teacher Education Association National Conference, Maroochydore, Australia. Retrieved from http://www98.griffith.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/10072/24281/1/52213_1.pdf

Students are engaging with online 3D virtual environments as creative social spaces but virtual environments are foreign to many educators. Second Life is a popular virtual environment and is being evaluated for its potential in facilitating online education. This paper describes the range of educational applications being explored within the Second Life environment and highlights the issues involved in the development and implementation of a virtual environment at Griffith University. Presented are findings of a trial of the environment comparing the effectiveness of the Second Life environment with the BlackBoard environment to support small group discussions. Findings suggest a substantial difference in participant discussion during online tutorials between the two environments. While individual responses were less considered and detailed from students using Second Life than those in using BlackBoard, the interplay of ideas and collaborative contribution to discussion threads resulted in an overall increase in the depth and breadth of discussions using Second Life. Both prompted and unprompted contribution to discussion were greater in the Second Life group and this was attributed to the sense of physical presence providing pressure on participants to respond to points raised in discussions.

Monday, 2 October 2006

Enabling pedagogy and learning through the capacity of school network

Jackson, G,. Rablin, A., Rogers, B., Whitehouse, P., Williams, M., & Zagami, J. (2006, October). Enabling pedagogy and learning through the capacity of school networks. Paper presented at the Australian Council for Computers in Education Conference, Cairns, Australia. Retrieved from http://acce.edu.au/conferences/2006/papers/enabling-pedagogy-and-learning-through-capacity-school-networks

QSITE in conjunction with the Australian Computer Society and James Cook University conducted a study during 2005 which led to the development of a position paper on the capacity of school networks to meet new curriculum agendas and to enable to students to work digitally in schools (and homes and workplaces and other institutions), in the future. This symposium outlines the progress of a group of QSITE members, led by Michelle Williams, in the construction of templates and guides that can be used by the ICT coordinators in schools as tools when they are developing, enhancing and sustaining school networks. The resources developed will assist with decision making and planning in schools. The session will involve discussion and debate regarding the key ideas that affect ICT integration and innovation in schools. These key issues include - ICT leadership in schools, encouraging innovation, policy development, pedagogical drivers, physical access, communication, collaborative decision making, performance indicators, professional learning and bridging the technicians and teachers communication gap.