Papers by Panagiotis Kosmas
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2022
The reopening of schools and the returning to normal after the emergency experience of online tea... more The reopening of schools and the returning to normal after the emergency experience of online teaching brought to the line new realities in educational practice for both teachers and students. It is now crucial to reflect on the consequences of this experience and rethink the prospects of using digital tools and online learning. The previous remote learning experience could be conceived as an opportunity for the educational community to take advantage of the benefits online teaching offers and adopt those practices that could further develop the teaching experience. This paper examines the reality in K-12 schools after the pandemic investigating the incorporation of seven digital teaching strategies into teachers’ daily routines. The study adopts a mixed methodology approach analysing quantitative data from an online survey of 392 in-service teachers and qualitative data from two focus groups. The results show that an essential percentage of teachers continue to use some practices of the distance learning model to enhance learning and communication in the classroom. The use of these strategies was directly and indirectly affected by teachers’ attitudes towards the distance learning model and their perceptions of the challenges faced during the pandemic. Implications for policy and practice are drawn.
Embodied Cognition (EC) as a learning paradigm is based on the idea of an inseparable link betwee... more Embodied Cognition (EC) as a learning paradigm is based on the idea of an inseparable link between body, mind, and environment. In recent years, the advent of theoretical learning approaches around EC theory has resulted in a number of empirical studies exploring the implementation of the theory in education. This systematic literature overview identifies the mainstream of EC research and emphasizes on the implementation of the theory across learning environments. Based on a corpus of 43 manuscripts, published between 2013 and 2017, it sets out to describe the range of topics covered under the umbrella of EC and provides a holistic view of the field. The aim of the present review is to investigate the main issues in EC research related to the various learning contexts. Particularly, the study addresses the research methods and technologies that are utilized, and it also explores the integration of body into the learning context. An important finding from the overview is the potentia...
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2020
With millions of participants, Erasmus+ is a unique opportunity to study, train, gain work experi... more With millions of participants, Erasmus+ is a unique opportunity to study, train, gain work experience or volunteer abroad. However, the lack of language competences is still one of the main barriers to participation in European education, training, and youth programs. This work aims to identify, analyze and present the language needs of the participants involved in mobility activities supported under Erasmus+ Key Action 1. Data were collected by means of an online questionnaire to identify all the necessary information regarding the language needs of the Erasmus+ KA1 Mobility participants as well as their motivations to participate in the mobility. Also, in order to collect additional information in creating a profile and identifying the linguistic needs of all the Erasmus+ participants, a series of semi-structured interviews with Erasmus+ key stakeholders and with Erasmus+ National Agency Officers was conducted. Findings from the online questionnaire and interviews revealed important considerations regarding the language needs of the participants, their motivations and expectations, as well as their challenges/difficulties during the mobility. The contribution of this manuscript is to provide a piece of new knowledge regarding the Erasmus+ KA1 participants profiles emphasizing the need for new strategies to facilitate further mobility in the context of Erasmus+ and enhance the idea of multilingualism across Europe.
Tertiary education language learning: a collection of research, 2021
Embodied Learning (EL) is now an emerging teaching paradigm that takes into consideration the imp... more Embodied Learning (EL) is now an emerging teaching paradigm that takes into consideration the impact of bodily movements into the learning process. This paradigm, in combination with movement-based technologies, provides strategies and methods for delivering a more engaged and interactive lesson. Following previous empirical evidence, this study presents the results of an educational intervention, based on EL, in the context of language learning in mainstream elementary schools. The study aims to examine whether this practice would improve students’ language performance and enhance their engagement in, and motivation for, learning a language. One hundred and eighteen (N=118) elementary students and six teachers were involved in this investigation. Data were collected from video recordings of 12 intervention sessions in the classroom. The analysis of video recordings provided rich information about the engagement of the students in the classroom during the sessions. It revealed that ...
Data Driven Approaches in Digital Education, 2017
Embodied learning, under the lens of Embodied Cognition theory, emphasizes on the inseparable lin... more Embodied learning, under the lens of Embodied Cognition theory, emphasizes on the inseparable link between brain, body and the world; it considers that the active human body can alter the function of the brain and therefore the cognitive process. From this perspective, the exploration of learning environments that promote bodily activity in relation to cognitive tasks are gaining the attention of the research community in the recent days. One such case is the use of multimodal, motion-based games mediated by sensors like a Kinect camera to enable learning through active and embodied interaction with learning content. This paper presents findings from an empirical investigation of using embodied touchless interactive games to enhance motor performance for children with learning disabilities and motor impairments. Young children, mainly attending special units within mainstream elementary schools, participated in a five-month intervention. Kinetic analytics, together with teachers' self-reported observations and interviews, revealed improvements in children's motor performance, particularly psychomotor ability and psychomotor speed. The paper contributes to the technology-enhanced learning community by providing insights into the use of embodied learning technology in special education.
New technologies and online resources for educational purposes inspire researchers to approach Pr... more New technologies and online resources for educational purposes inspire researchers to approach Professional Development (PD) from a different angle with the aim to professionally improve teachers' practices and methodologies. From this perspective, the broad use of online communities of practice (COPs) among teachers seems to be a common training model for in-service professional teachers. The utilization of communities of practice facilitates teachers' sharing of knowledge by creating opportunities for its members to interact and exchange good practices. The present study explores (a) the patterns of knowledge sharing amongst teachers in an official online community for PD purposes and (b) teachers' perceptions and motivation to participate in such online community. Data were collected through the analytics of the online community, in conjunction with questionnaires and interviews with community members. Results demonstrate that the most important motivation of teachers...
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2017
The advent of new technologies in education inspires practitioners to approach teaching from a di... more The advent of new technologies in education inspires practitioners to approach teaching from a different angle with the aim to professionally develop and improve teaching practices. Online communities of practice among teachers seem to be a trend associated with the integration efforts for a modern and pioneering educational system and training program. This study attempted to explore the participation in online communities of practice and the sharing of knowledge between teachers with aims to explore teachers' incentives to participate in such a community of practice. The study aims to contribute to international research, bringing in global debate new concerns and issues related to the professional learning of current educators. One official online community was used as a case study for the purposes of research. The data collection was conducted from the content analysis of online portal, by questionnaire in 184 community members and interviews with ten active users of the portal. The findings revealed that sharing of knowledge is a key motivation of members of a community. Also, the active learning and community participation seem to be essential factors for the success of an online community of practice.
HCI International 2021 - Late Breaking Papers: Cognition, Inclusion, Learning, and Culture, 2021
Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2021
ABSTRACT Despite the rapid development of motion-based technologies, their role in embodied learn... more ABSTRACT Despite the rapid development of motion-based technologies, their role in embodied learning remains ambivalent. This study aimed at investigating the potential added value of motion-based technologies in the context of geometry elementary education. An explanatory sequential design was adopted, composed of two phases. First, an experiment was conducted: students in the experimental group (n = 15) participated in a digital embodied intervention while students in the comparison group (n = 16) participated in a non-digital embodied intervention, to learn about angles. Quantitative results showed that, while students’ cognitive load was not differentiated, students in the digital intervention outperformed their counterparts in terms of learning gains and emotional engagement. Qualitative analysis of interview data allowed better understanding of students’ engagement and cognitive load supporting the quantitative findings. The authors reflect on these findings and the implications for the use of motion-based technologies in embodied interventions for learning in mathematics.
Information and Learning Sciences, 2020
Purpose This paper is based on the emergency changes we have had to make in the European DEIMP Pr... more Purpose This paper is based on the emergency changes we have had to make in the European DEIMP Project (2017-2020), “Designing and Evaluating Innovative Mobile Pedagogies” (DEIMP). DEIMP is undertaken by a transnational consortium comprising partner institutions and schools from the UK (coordinating), Australia, Belgium, Cyprus, Ireland and The Netherlands. As well as the enforced changes to the project, there have been major adjustments in how education is being provided in each of our countries, across all sectors: primary, secondary and tertiary. The purpose of this paper is to provide pragmatic guidelines that will help us respond effectively in the uncertain present, and plan systematically for an unpredictable, post-pandemic future. Design/methodology/approach The authors outline 21 design principles underpinning innovative mobile learning, which will be of pragmatic use to all using mobile learning in the COVID-19 pandemic. These principles have emerged in the context of the ...
Educational Media International, 2018
The relationship among bodily movements, cognitive abilities, and academic achievement in childre... more The relationship among bodily movements, cognitive abilities, and academic achievement in children is receiving considerable attention in the research community. The embodied learning approach is based on the idea of an inseparable link between body and mind in learning, aiming for teaching methods that promote children's active engagement in the classroom. This study implements embodied learning as a part of the classroom curriculum in a real classroom environment using motion-based games. A total of 52 elementary students engaged in embodied learning in-class activities for four months. The data-set included standardized pre-post testing for children's cognitive and academic performance, general learning analytics from games' usage, interviews, and observations from the teachers involved. Findings showed significant effects both on children's cognitive abilities (i.e., short-memory skills) and academic performance (i.e., expressive vocabulary). This article contributes to the educational technology community by providing an example of implementing embodied learning via use of motion-based technologies in a real classroom environment.
TechTrends, 2018
From an embodied learning perspective, the active human body can alter the function of the brain ... more From an embodied learning perspective, the active human body can alter the function of the brain and therefore, the cognitive process. In this work, children's activity using motion-based technology is framed as an example of embodied learning. The present investigation focuses on the use of a series of Kinect-based educational games by 31 elementary students with special educational needs in mainstream schools, during a five-month intervention study. Results based on psychometric pre-post testing in conjunction with games-usage analytics, a student attitudinal scale, teachers' reflection notes and teacher interviews, demonstrated the positive impact of the games on children's short-term memory skills and emotional stage. Overall, the study improves our understanding of embodied learning via motion-based technology in teaching and learning with children with special educational needs.
Embodied Cognition (EC) as a learning paradigm is based on the idea of an inseparable link betwee... more Embodied Cognition (EC) as a learning paradigm is based on the idea of an inseparable link between body, mind, and environment. In recent years, the advent of theoretical learning approaches around EC theory has resulted in a number of empirical studies exploring the implementation of the theory in education. This systematic literature overview identifies the mainstream of EC research and emphasizes on the implementation of the theory across learning environments. Based on a corpus of 43 manuscripts, published between 2013 and 2017, it sets out to describe the range of topics covered under the umbrella of EC and provides a holistic view of the field. The aim of the present review is to investigate the main issues in EC research related to the various learning contexts. Particularly, the study addresses the research methods and technologies that are utilized, and it also explores the integration of body into the learning context. An important finding from the overview is the potential of the theory in different educational environments and disciplines. However, there is a lack of an explicit pedagogical framework from an educational perspective for a successful implementation in various learning contexts.
The advent of new technologies in education inspires practitioners to approach teaching from a di... more The advent of new technologies in education inspires practitioners to approach teaching from a different angle with the aim to professionally develop and improve teaching practices. Online communities of practice among teachers seem to be a trend associated with the integration efforts for a modern and pioneering educational system and training program. This study attempted to explore the participation in online communities of practice and the sharing of knowledge between teachers with aims to explore teachers' incentives to participate in such a community of practice. The study aims to contribute to international research, bringing in global debate new concerns and issues related to the professional learning of current educators. One official online community was used as a case study for the purposes of research. The data collection was conducted from the content analysis of online portal, by questionnaire in 184 community members and interviews with ten active users of the portal. The findings revealed that sharing of knowledge is a key motivation of members of a community. Also, the active learning and community participation seem to be essential factors for the success of an online community of practice.
Embodied learning, under the lens of Embodied Cognition theory, emphasizes on the inseparable lin... more Embodied learning, under the lens of Embodied Cognition theory, emphasizes on the inseparable link between brain, body and the world; it considers that the active human body can alter the function of the brain and there‐ fore the cognitive process. From this perspective, the exploration of learning environments that promote bodily activity in relation to cognitive tasks are gaining the attention of the research community in the recent days. One such case is the use of multimodal, motion-based games mediated by sensors like a Kinect camera to enable learning through active and embodied interaction with learning content. This paper presents findings from an empirical investigation of using embodied touchless interactive games to enhance motor performance for children with learning disabilities and motor impairments. Young children, mainly attending special units within mainstream elementary schools, participated in a five-month intervention. Kinetic analytics, together with teachers' self-reported observations and interviews, revealed improvements in children's motor perform‐ ance, particularly psychomotor ability and psychomotor speed. The paper contrib‐ utes to the technology-enhanced learning community by providing insights into the use of embodied learning technology in special education.
New technologies and online resources for educational purposes inspire researchers to approach Pr... more New technologies and online resources for educational purposes inspire researchers to approach Professional Development (PD) from a different angle with the aim to professionally improve teachers' practices and methodologies. From this perspective, the broad use of online communities of practice (COPs) among teachers seems to be a common training model for in-service professional teachers. The utilization of communities of practice facilitates teachers' sharing of knowledge by creating opportunities for its members to interact and exchange good practices. The present study explores (a) the patterns of knowledge sharing amongst teachers in an official online community for PD purposes and (b) teachers' perceptions and motivation to participate in such online community. Data were collected through the analytics of the online community, in conjunction with questionnaires and interviews with community members. Results demonstrate that the most important motivation of teachers to participate in online community is the opportunity to share knowledge, ideas and successful practices. The paper discusses the potential training model through online communities of practice based on sharing of knowledge, aiming to contribute to PD research, shedding light to new challenges related to the PD of in-service teachers.
Conference Presentations by Panagiotis Kosmas
An empirical investigation of using embodied learning technologies for children with special educ... more An empirical investigation of using embodied learning technologies for children with special educational needs and motor impairements
Thesis Chapters by Panagiotis Kosmas
Η κυριαρχία των νέων τεχνολογιών στην εκπαίδευση του σήμερα δείχνει το δρόμο για μια νέα θεώρηση ... more Η κυριαρχία των νέων τεχνολογιών στην εκπαίδευση του σήμερα δείχνει το δρόμο για μια νέα θεώρηση και προσέγγιση στην επιμόρφωση του εκπαιδευτικού κόσμου. Η δημιουργία διαδικτυακών κοινοτήτων πρακτικής μεταξύ των εκπαιδευτικών φαίνεται να είναι μια τάση που
σχετίζεται με την προσπάθεια ενσωμάτωσης στην εκπαίδευση, ενός σύγχρονου και πρωτοπόρου προγράμματος επιμόρφωσης και επαγγελματικής κατάρτισης. Η παρούσα ερευνητική εργασία
προσεγγίζει την έννοια και το περιεχόμενο των διαδικτυακών κοινοτήτων πρακτικής και το διαμοιρασμό της γνώσης μεταξύ εκπαιδευτικών, διερευνώντας τα κίνητρα συμμετοχής των εκπαιδευτικών στο πλαίσιο μιας κοινότητας. Η έρευνα εντάσσεται μέσα στη γενικότερη διαμόρφωση σύγχρονων επιμορφωτικών δράσεων στο διαδίκτυο και στοχεύει να συνεισφέρει στον τομέα της διεθνούς έρευνας, φέρνοντας στην παγκόσμια συζήτηση νέους προβληματισμούς
και θέματα σχετικά με την επαγγελματική μάθηση των σημερινών εκπαιδευτικών λειτουργών. Ως μελέτη περίπτωσης για τους σκοπούς της έρευνας αξιοποιήθηκε η διαδικτυακή πύλη eepimorfosi
του Παιδαγωγικού Ινστιτούτου Κύπρου, η οποία δημιουργήθηκε για να εξυπηρετήσει τις σύγχρονες ανάγκες επιμόρφωσης των εκπαιδευτικών. Για τη διενέργεια της μελέτης συλλέχθηκαν δεδομένα από την ανάλυση περιεχομένου της διαδικτυακής πλατφόρμας eepimorfosi, από ερωτηματολόγιο σε 184 μέλη της κοινότητας και από προσωπικές συνεντεύξεις με δέκα ενεργούς χρήστες της πλατφόρμας. Τα πορίσματα της έρευνας ανέδειξαν ότι ο διαμοιρασμός της γνώσης αποτελεί βασικό κίνητρο συμμετοχής σε μια κοινότητα και ότι η ενεργή δράση στην κοινότητα είναι ουσιαστική παράμετρος για την επιτυχία μιας διαδικτυακής επιμορφωτικής δραστηριότητας.
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Papers by Panagiotis Kosmas
Conference Presentations by Panagiotis Kosmas
Thesis Chapters by Panagiotis Kosmas
σχετίζεται με την προσπάθεια ενσωμάτωσης στην εκπαίδευση, ενός σύγχρονου και πρωτοπόρου προγράμματος επιμόρφωσης και επαγγελματικής κατάρτισης. Η παρούσα ερευνητική εργασία
προσεγγίζει την έννοια και το περιεχόμενο των διαδικτυακών κοινοτήτων πρακτικής και το διαμοιρασμό της γνώσης μεταξύ εκπαιδευτικών, διερευνώντας τα κίνητρα συμμετοχής των εκπαιδευτικών στο πλαίσιο μιας κοινότητας. Η έρευνα εντάσσεται μέσα στη γενικότερη διαμόρφωση σύγχρονων επιμορφωτικών δράσεων στο διαδίκτυο και στοχεύει να συνεισφέρει στον τομέα της διεθνούς έρευνας, φέρνοντας στην παγκόσμια συζήτηση νέους προβληματισμούς
και θέματα σχετικά με την επαγγελματική μάθηση των σημερινών εκπαιδευτικών λειτουργών. Ως μελέτη περίπτωσης για τους σκοπούς της έρευνας αξιοποιήθηκε η διαδικτυακή πύλη eepimorfosi
του Παιδαγωγικού Ινστιτούτου Κύπρου, η οποία δημιουργήθηκε για να εξυπηρετήσει τις σύγχρονες ανάγκες επιμόρφωσης των εκπαιδευτικών. Για τη διενέργεια της μελέτης συλλέχθηκαν δεδομένα από την ανάλυση περιεχομένου της διαδικτυακής πλατφόρμας eepimorfosi, από ερωτηματολόγιο σε 184 μέλη της κοινότητας και από προσωπικές συνεντεύξεις με δέκα ενεργούς χρήστες της πλατφόρμας. Τα πορίσματα της έρευνας ανέδειξαν ότι ο διαμοιρασμός της γνώσης αποτελεί βασικό κίνητρο συμμετοχής σε μια κοινότητα και ότι η ενεργή δράση στην κοινότητα είναι ουσιαστική παράμετρος για την επιτυχία μιας διαδικτυακής επιμορφωτικής δραστηριότητας.
σχετίζεται με την προσπάθεια ενσωμάτωσης στην εκπαίδευση, ενός σύγχρονου και πρωτοπόρου προγράμματος επιμόρφωσης και επαγγελματικής κατάρτισης. Η παρούσα ερευνητική εργασία
προσεγγίζει την έννοια και το περιεχόμενο των διαδικτυακών κοινοτήτων πρακτικής και το διαμοιρασμό της γνώσης μεταξύ εκπαιδευτικών, διερευνώντας τα κίνητρα συμμετοχής των εκπαιδευτικών στο πλαίσιο μιας κοινότητας. Η έρευνα εντάσσεται μέσα στη γενικότερη διαμόρφωση σύγχρονων επιμορφωτικών δράσεων στο διαδίκτυο και στοχεύει να συνεισφέρει στον τομέα της διεθνούς έρευνας, φέρνοντας στην παγκόσμια συζήτηση νέους προβληματισμούς
και θέματα σχετικά με την επαγγελματική μάθηση των σημερινών εκπαιδευτικών λειτουργών. Ως μελέτη περίπτωσης για τους σκοπούς της έρευνας αξιοποιήθηκε η διαδικτυακή πύλη eepimorfosi
του Παιδαγωγικού Ινστιτούτου Κύπρου, η οποία δημιουργήθηκε για να εξυπηρετήσει τις σύγχρονες ανάγκες επιμόρφωσης των εκπαιδευτικών. Για τη διενέργεια της μελέτης συλλέχθηκαν δεδομένα από την ανάλυση περιεχομένου της διαδικτυακής πλατφόρμας eepimorfosi, από ερωτηματολόγιο σε 184 μέλη της κοινότητας και από προσωπικές συνεντεύξεις με δέκα ενεργούς χρήστες της πλατφόρμας. Τα πορίσματα της έρευνας ανέδειξαν ότι ο διαμοιρασμός της γνώσης αποτελεί βασικό κίνητρο συμμετοχής σε μια κοινότητα και ότι η ενεργή δράση στην κοινότητα είναι ουσιαστική παράμετρος για την επιτυχία μιας διαδικτυακής επιμορφωτικής δραστηριότητας.