Papers by Theodosios Sapounidis
Information, Apr 24, 2024
Early childhood education journal, Apr 5, 2024
Salud, Ciencia y Tecnología - Serie de Conferencias, Mar 13, 2024
The rapid development of gamification and computational thinking seems to open up new educational... more The rapid development of gamification and computational thinking seems to open up new educational horizons by providing new opportunities for students to acquire the basic digital skills needed for their cognitive development. Gamification, on the side, flourishes because it brings about high degree of participants' engagement in an activity. Accordingly, on the other side, the growing scientific interest in computational thinking centers on the fact that it provides a fruitful field of dialogue in the research community for the development of critical and analytical thinking of students. Hence, this paper aims to synthesize knowledge about gamification and computational thinking for improving education for the benefit of students. Specifically, this paper describes: (a) the theoretical background of gamification in learning and education, (b) relevant studies in literature and their findings, and (c) specific gamified applications of STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics] which have been developed to this subject area. Four databases were searched, and 37 papers were finally selected for this review. The findings from the presented learning theories set the foundation on how students obtain knowledge, and the relevant studies in the field of gamification and computational thinking showed some first positive outcomes stemming some first research attempts which need further examination. Furthermore, it seems that with the right use of game mechanics and elements, well-designed applications of STEM gain students' interest to learn through gameplay and motivate them to cultivate computational thinking and problem-solving skills.
Computers & Education, Feb 29, 2024
ICERI proceedings, Oct 31, 2023
New technological developments and discoveries in robotics have affected, among other fields, edu... more New technological developments and discoveries in robotics have affected, among other fields, education as well. The use of educational robotics has increased since 2000, especially in STEM subjects. In recent years, however, social robotics has been incorporated into fields such as special education, art, and language learning. The characteristics and potential of some robots, especially social robots, make them an extremely useful tool for language learning. This paper introduces a brief overview of the educational theories, types and applications of robots used in language learning, as well as the roles of robots in the learning process and the educational activities that have been implemented thus far. The paper also presents a research-in-progress based on the DuckyCode robot, which was originally developed for STEM applications. However, its innovative technology and its user-friendly environment make it suitable for use as a social robot in language learning. DuckyCode, disposes social skills and can interact with students through speech and writing. Its capabilities make it a useful tool in the field of language learning where social interaction and communication skills are essential. For this research, a series of educational activities were created, targeting different grades of elementary school during the English lessons. New ways to utilize the robot in a language learning classroom and new roles that the robot can take during the learning process are suggested aiming to increase its effectiveness. Two groups of students participated in the research, in order to compare the results with and without the use of the robot. The aim was to examine the effectiveness of the DuckyCode robot on students' cognitive outcomes, motivation levels as well as students' preferences.
Computers, Oct 15, 2023
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Salud, Ciencia y Tecnología - Serie de Conferencias, Oct 26, 2023
Este es un artículo en acceso abierto, distribuido bajo los términos de una licencia Creative Com... more Este es un artículo en acceso abierto, distribuido bajo los términos de una licencia Creative Commons (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) que permite el uso, distribución y reproducción en cualquier medio siempre que la obra original sea correctamente citada.
Lecture notes in educational technology, 2022
Education Sciences, Apr 28, 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Advances in digital education and lifelong learning, Dec 9, 2016
Abstract Purpose This chapter examines the existing work on tangible user interfaces (TUIs) and f... more Abstract Purpose This chapter examines the existing work on tangible user interfaces (TUIs) and focuses on tangible programming with the scope to enlighten the opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship in this particular domain. Methodology/approach In the first section, we start by presenting in short the history of TUIs and then focus on tangible programming presenting the different design approaches. Then we present the opportunities for innovation and guidelines for future products. In the second section, we review the entrepreneurial activities that combine educational toys and TUIs. Findings The main finding of this chapter is that although TUI design and research are still in its infancy and more design guidelines and research are required to further bridge the digital and the physical world, the first signs of entrepreneurship promise a bright future. Research limitations Limitations arise from the fact that many companies keep many of their financial data confidential. Thus, it was impossible to include and validate all the information that we intended to present. Practical implications Initially, this chapter motivates and challenges scientist to find novel innovative solutions in the field. Then, reveals the entrepreneurial opportunities and potential customers. Finally, shows the funding sources and how tangible products are offered in the market. Social implications We propose a new kind of toys that might alter and expand science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in education. Originality/value This chapter appears to be unique in the sense that is the first that reports simultaneously on TUIs, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
Studies in computational intelligence, 2021
Nowadays, Educational Robotics (ER) is flourishing at research and didactic level aiming to enhan... more Nowadays, Educational Robotics (ER) is flourishing at research and didactic level aiming to enhance higher-level thinking and skills. Families, schools, and educational institutes try to offer ER activities for children by utilizing various existing technologies and curricula. Despite the materials that have been created and the available technologies and curricula, it seems that not enough attention has been paid to the comprehensiveness and homogeneity of the existing curricula. The paper introduces the importance of features usually ignored in the available curricula such as icebreakers, collaboration scripts, level of learning guidance, and provision of multilingual support. Then, the paper presents a review of indicative curricula, covering many well-known robotic technologies and systems to extract common elements and simultaneously highlight shortcomings of the current approaches. Finally, the paper argues about the need for a paradigm shift in ER curricula that will incorporate the maker and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) culture.
Advances in intelligent systems and computing, 2017
This paper presents a comprehensive literature review on tangible programming languages which are... more This paper presents a comprehensive literature review on tangible programming languages which are designed to program real robots and robotic mechanisms. Tangible programming interfaces appear to be more accessible to novice programmers and possibly reduce the age threshold for participation, making this way robot programming an educational toy even for preschool and elementary students. Moreover, this paper makes a short examination on the resent research findings on the field of tangible robot programming and argues that the combination of tangible programming and robot construction may offer unique opportunities for educational robotics.
Information
Nowadays, Augmented Reality flourishes in educational settings. Yet, little is known about teache... more Nowadays, Augmented Reality flourishes in educational settings. Yet, little is known about teachers’ and children’s views of Augmented Reality applications in Preschool. This paper explores 71 preschoolers’ opinions of Augmented Reality teaching integrated into a traditional learning activity. Additionally, five educators’ views of Augmented Reality applications in Preschool are captured. Mixed methods with questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used. The questionnaires record children’s preferences regarding their favorite learning activity between traditional and the Augmented Reality one. Additionally, they explore the activity preschoolers would like to repeat and found most enjoyable: playful. Regarding quantitative data analysis, independent/paired samples t-tests and chi-square test along with bootstrapping with 1000 samples were used. As for the qualitative data collection, educators’ semi-structured interviews focused on three axes: (a) children’s motivation and...
Education and Information Technologies
2023 IEEE World Engineering Education Conference (EDUNINE)
Journal of Research on Technology in Education
Applied System Innovation
Augmented Reality is an emerging educational technology that has the potential to provide innovat... more Augmented Reality is an emerging educational technology that has the potential to provide innovative methods of teaching and create engaging learning experiences. Augmented Reality applications implementing game-based design could enrich education by increasing motivation and engagement and enabling better learning outcomes. Similarly, Augmented Reality, in the context of Geography, could enhance the learning process and the user experience through the visualization of the content and a better understanding of abstract concepts. Therefore, in this study, (a) three specially designed Augmented Reality applications are described for teaching Geography in the fifth and sixth grades, and (b) an extensive usability evaluation study is reported using the three applications. Teachers (N = 6) and pupils (N = 43) from the fifth and sixth grades, as well as computer science students (N = 43) participated to assess the usability of the proposed Augmented Reality apps. The results were positive...
Information
Augmented Reality (AR) could provide key benefits in education and create a richer user experienc... more Augmented Reality (AR) could provide key benefits in education and create a richer user experience by increasing the motivation and engagement of the students. To this end, the current paper presents a system with three AR applications for teaching physics in the fifth and sixth grades of primary school and in the first grade of secondary school, and the ultimate goal is the development of a unified platform that covers the subject of physics in all classes of K-12 education. The platform provides a useful tool to familiarize both teachers and pupils with AR technologies, aiming to improve the learning and teaching experience and to enhance their skills. The developed system is evaluated in terms of usability, gamification and willingness of the teachers to incorporate this technology into the teaching process. A total of 314 users participated in the research, where they were divided into three user groups: (i) teachers (N = 15), (ii) pupils (N = 189) and (iii) computer science stu...
Education Sciences
STEM education programs with educational robotics are frequently used in formal or informal educa... more STEM education programs with educational robotics are frequently used in formal or informal education, with participants ranging from kindergarten children up to university students. The widespread implementation of these programs in schools and the growing interest of researchers in the field has led several authors/researchers to review and summarize the characteristics of STEM research. However, the literature on the features of STEM research in primary education (kindergarten and primary school) is limited. Therefore, this article is a systematic literature review that tries to enrich the STEM agenda by answering the questions: (a) which study designs are commonly used in STEM interventions, (b) what the characteristics of the sample are (number/age of the students), (c) which equipment and user interfaces (tangible/graphical) are used, and (d) what are the characteristics of the studies (duration, intervention objectives, activities) and how studies’ data were recorded. For thi...
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Papers by Theodosios Sapounidis