Parents – Teaching & Learning Research Initiative

Designing mobile learning with education outside the classroom to enhance marine ecological literacy

1. Introduction The aim of this study was to explore how purposeful educational design using mobile learning might enable integration of classroom and outside of classroom teaching and learning. The context for the study was marine conservation with a goal to enhance the ecological literacy (ecoliteracy) of primary school students and their parents, and by extension to promote sustainable communities. There is growing evidence that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has the potential to enhance learning, increase knowledge, and promote transformative changes in the attitudes and behaviour of both individuals and the broader community (Aguayo, 2014; Becta, 2009; Somekh, 2007). Within ICT, today’s mobile learning technologies (e.g., smartphones, tablets) have multiple

Children as teachers: families as learners

Introduction In this project, the research team—a collaboration between teacher researchers and university researchers— was interested in finding out about how children as teachers might engage their families as learners at a museum. This project had two parts. First, it was about young children as museum guides, explaining their understandings about a museum exhibit or object to others. Second, the research explored the ways in which shared experiences with families and friends visiting a museum invited conversations that include families’ social and cultural knowledge, and engaged families in their children’s learning. The research also explored what objects or exhibits and accompanying stories captured the children’s interests and how competently and efficiently