Abstract
Advances in Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) have led to changes inteaching and learning in schools. In Australia, the integration of ICTs across the schooling system has become a priority. In the teaching of mathematics in the primary school years, educational multimedia software has the potential to provide successful teaching and learning experiences for both teachers and learners. However, few educational applications fit well in Australian primary school settings in that they are not considered to be pedagogically appropriate by teachers. This can be attributed to a disconnection between theory for designing educational applications and theory relating to the application oftechnology in classrooms, as well as a lack of alignment between technology, the curriculum and pedagogy. This study argues and demonstrates that the design and integration of educational interactive multimedia software should be based on pedagogical principles and general human-computer interaction principles, as well as educational theory, to design successful teaching and learning experiences. Consideration should be given to both the technical aspects of interactive software design and the pedagogical aspects of integration into the curriculum and teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and practices.
This study took place with the aim of designing and developing interactive multimedia educational software, based on a mathematics education framework, that meets the requirements of the Australian Curriculum to assist in the teaching of mathematics concepts in Australian primary school classrooms. The study presents a new educational framework, based on the Bloom/Anderson cognitive learning objectives, to guide the design and use ofmultimedia technology that enables the presentation of multiple representations and uses children’s literature for the teaching of mathematics.
The study also involved the selection of an Instructional System Design (ISD) modelas a guideline for understanding educational objectives, and as a guide for the designand development of computer-based materials and tools to assist in the transition and evaluation of the intervention. With reference to the design and development of educational interactive multimedia software, the thesis argues that both the interactive systems design perspective and educational perspectives need to be considered. In the absence of a universal methodology for the development of educational interactive multimedia software, the study involved the construction of a new model (IMDLC model), which is underpinned by cognitive theory and multimedia learning principles. Using the ISD model, the underpinning educational framework and the new software development model, it was possible to designand develop interactive multimedia educational software systems named My Maths Story.
The research study implementation and evaluation were conducted in two phases, where the second phase (Phase 2) was built on the results and experiences of the first phase (Phase 1). This study applied a mixed method approach to address the research questions. In total, 31 teachers within 17 different schools participated in the two phases of this study. In the second phase of the study, in absence of a suitable Australian mathematics concept storybook that met the requirements of participant teachers, the author of this thesis wrote and illustrated a new Australian mathematics storybook. As a result “Counton Me! A Mathematics Adventure Storybook” was written for the software. The process ofimplementation and the findings indicate that the My Maths Story multimedia application holds considerable potential for teaching mathematics in primary mathematics classrooms through storytelling and the use of multimedia technology. This research indicates that, when based on suitable pedagogical principles, the use of multimedia for teaching abstract subjects such as mathematics can provide successful teaching and learning experiences for both teachers and learners.
This thesis proposes a new development framework, which advocates an iterative approach in the design and implementation of educational applications. It is suggested by the researcher that the framework could be used or adapted to develop similar projects; researchers, educators, teachers, technology instructional designers and software developers could use or adapt the framework in the creation of new multimedia programs.The study makes a contribution to new knowledge in number of areas including: education contexts (for researchers, educators and teachers), computer software contexts (for educational software designer and developer) and instructional system design contexts (for technology instructional designers).
This study took place with the aim of designing and developing interactive multimedia educational software, based on a mathematics education framework, that meets the requirements of the Australian Curriculum to assist in the teaching of mathematics concepts in Australian primary school classrooms. The study presents a new educational framework, based on the Bloom/Anderson cognitive learning objectives, to guide the design and use ofmultimedia technology that enables the presentation of multiple representations and uses children’s literature for the teaching of mathematics.
The study also involved the selection of an Instructional System Design (ISD) modelas a guideline for understanding educational objectives, and as a guide for the designand development of computer-based materials and tools to assist in the transition and evaluation of the intervention. With reference to the design and development of educational interactive multimedia software, the thesis argues that both the interactive systems design perspective and educational perspectives need to be considered. In the absence of a universal methodology for the development of educational interactive multimedia software, the study involved the construction of a new model (IMDLC model), which is underpinned by cognitive theory and multimedia learning principles. Using the ISD model, the underpinning educational framework and the new software development model, it was possible to designand develop interactive multimedia educational software systems named My Maths Story.
The research study implementation and evaluation were conducted in two phases, where the second phase (Phase 2) was built on the results and experiences of the first phase (Phase 1). This study applied a mixed method approach to address the research questions. In total, 31 teachers within 17 different schools participated in the two phases of this study. In the second phase of the study, in absence of a suitable Australian mathematics concept storybook that met the requirements of participant teachers, the author of this thesis wrote and illustrated a new Australian mathematics storybook. As a result “Counton Me! A Mathematics Adventure Storybook” was written for the software. The process ofimplementation and the findings indicate that the My Maths Story multimedia application holds considerable potential for teaching mathematics in primary mathematics classrooms through storytelling and the use of multimedia technology. This research indicates that, when based on suitable pedagogical principles, the use of multimedia for teaching abstract subjects such as mathematics can provide successful teaching and learning experiences for both teachers and learners.
This thesis proposes a new development framework, which advocates an iterative approach in the design and implementation of educational applications. It is suggested by the researcher that the framework could be used or adapted to develop similar projects; researchers, educators, teachers, technology instructional designers and software developers could use or adapt the framework in the creation of new multimedia programs.The study makes a contribution to new knowledge in number of areas including: education contexts (for researchers, educators and teachers), computer software contexts (for educational software designer and developer) and instructional system design contexts (for technology instructional designers).
Original language | English |
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Qualification | Doctor of Philosophy |
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Publication status | Unpublished - Apr 2014 |