Abstract/Notes: The current international landscape shows that the most common alternative for the continuity of formative learning processes during the coronavirus pandemic has been the use the of e-learning to support children’s learning in environments outside of school. This forced change in teaching methods has consolidated the recognition that the digital skills of teachers are a relevant factor for the sustainability of education, both during the pandemic and in a future post-pandemic period or in other emergencies. In this sense, the objective of this study carried out between May and September 2020 was to determine the perceptions of 427 teachers from 15 countries about their digital competences in working with m-learning in primary education using a Montessori approach. The results of the questionnaire showed that teachers perceive their digital competences as inert and not very effective for innovation compared with the subsistence of traditional pedagogical practices, to deal with unpredictable situations or to generate differentiated adaptations for an inclusive education. The results of this study also serve as empirical support for establishing four training dimensions that can be considered priorities for the construction and implementation of a teacher training model that contributes to the sustainable development of education.

Language: English

DOI: 10.3390/su13010343

ISSN: 2071-1050

Language: Italian

ISSN: 2421-440X, 2723-9004

Language: Italian

ISSN: 2421-440X, 2723-9004

Language: Italian

ISSN: 2421-440X, 2723-9004

Language: Italian

ISSN: 2421-440X, 2723-9004

Language: Italian

ISSN: 2421-440X, 2723-9004

Abstract/Notes: The 4 P’s creativity model (person, process, press, and product) underlines how creativity is strongly connected with the materials employed to conceive and realize a creative outcome. As a multiform construct, it invites a wide variety of approaches to the study of it. One of the most promising ways to address this issue is to connect it with cognitive development and related educational pathways, as creativity can be enhanced and stimulated in every child, leading to an improvement both at personal and societal level. Even if creativity is recognized and highly valued, there is still a lack of methods which can stimulate creativity in an effective way. Useful hints may come from the outstanding contributions of Piaget and Montessori who underlined that interaction with the physical world is a fundamental building block for cognitive development. In this paper, starting from these fixed points, we describe some creativity enhancing methods for children which give importance to the edge between digital and physical materials. Digital materials open new ways to the use and integration of physical materials with hybrid platforms which can be used in educational contexts. Together with this perspective we provide a description of the application of these methodologies to enhance creativity in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Language: English

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00755

ISSN: 1664-1078

Abstract/Notes: This study aimed to examine the opinions of Montessori educators on the digital assessment tool they use in terms of 21st-century teacher skills. The study sample covered 14 Montessori educators working in early childhood classes in public and private preschool educational institutions, located in Barcelona and Istanbul, where the Montessori educational approach is applied. In the study, the experiences of the Montessori educators with the digital assessment tool they use as the assessment tool were examined in terms of the identified 21st-century teacher skills. To this end, the research was designed with a phenomenological approach in the qualitative research method. The data were obtained through the personal information form and structured interview questions prepared for the digital assessment tool used by the Montessori educators. In the analysis of this data, the phenomenological study of Moustakas (1994) was introduced through the steps of the analysis. The perspectives of the Montessori educators concerning digital assessment, their application experiences regarding the digital assessment tool, and their views on their experiences were discussed in terms of utilization of the digital tool applications, as well as to use and evaluate information, their skills regarding collaborative work and communication, and finally their communication skills with the parents, which are among the 21st-century teacher skills. It was concluded that different factors influenced the opinions of the Montessori educators, where there were positive and negative expressions within the scope of these skills regarding the digital assessment tool.

Language: English

DOI: 10.31014/aior.1993.04.02.247

ISSN: 2621-5799, 2657-215X

Abstract/Notes: Recent studies regarding digital game-based learning (DGBL) are increasing, having the potential to enable new forms of learning, however, it remains unclear how DGBL applications can impact young students’ creativity. The main purpose of this study is to investigate whether DGBL application technologies (tablets and smartphones), can improve creativity skills in preschool children (aged 3–6) and “what the main components effective of creative skills are to enhance learning for young children in DGBL”. In this study, the procedure is a case study and the researcher used a sample of apps that were preloaded onto one tablet for seven children aged 3–6 years old in grade Foundation Stage 1 and 2 in a selected Montessori pre-school in Malaysia. In the present study, during using educational digital games by young children, the students’ creative thinking process and the relationship between these components based on Analyzing Children's Creative Thinking framework (ACCT) are investigated in order to understand perceptions of creativity skills involved in the learning approach. The findings suggest that DGBL can potentially affect students' ability to develop creative skills and critical thinking, knowledge transfer, acquisition of skills in digital experience, and a positive attitude toward learning as well as provide for deep, insightful learning. The students experienced opportunities for engaging the creative thinking process in their activity and thinking issue understanding and learning in educational digital games. This study provides an outlook for researchers, game designers, developers in the field of DGBL, and creativity. This research provides new insights, advice, and effective suggestions on how to increase creative skills, motivate, and improve learning outcomes and demonstrate learning with DGBL composition in teaching young students.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105227

ISSN: 0190-7409

Abstract/Notes: Designers of interactive toys face many challenges when integrating digital technologies into the educational manipulatives they design. Drawing on the distinctive approaches of Friedrich Froebel and Maria Montessori – philosophers of education and pioneering toy designers – this paper proposes to qualify and distinguish between their unique design principles as manifested in traditional as well as digital learning objects and educational manipulatives. Application of these core design principles will enable modern day toy designers, particularly those operating in the interactive domain, to meet their educational objectives and maximise the learning potential in children|s interactive learning experiences.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1504/IJART.2010.030497

ISSN: 1754-8853, 1754-8861