High-tech to meet the challenge of educational     innovation

 High-tech to meet the challenge of educational innovation

                        

High tech arrival of the internet in Spain in the 90s, high-tech have demonstrated their multitude and diversity of applications in various fields, including education. the concept of high-tech to name the latest technological developments within the field of high-tech, including both software and hardware developments. In this article, we review some relevant and interesting works about this topic of high-tech. an analytical review method and carried out the selection of didactic experiences around four categories that we have considered of special relevance: computing (robotics, computational thinking, and artificial intelligence), extended reality (augmented reality and virtual reality), games (videogames, serious games) and tools for education (EVA, apps). With these descriptors, educational experiences can serve as examples. The main conclusion reached is that the bibliography is extensive and that highlights the interest that these topics generate in the scientific field. The main conclusion we reached is that the bibliography is extensive and that highlights the interest that these topics generate in the scientific field. In addition, the wide range of application possibilities of these technologies is demonstrated, both informal and non-formal contexts or informal experiences. The references we collect may be of interest and use to researchers or education professionals seeking specific information on these topics.

Keywords

high- tech, information and communication technologies, teaching aids, pedagogical practice.

Time is one of the basic dimensions of analysis when we study technologies and their impact in any field, be it society, education, the labor market, ... or any other. An analysis approached from a time axis will lead us to understand that high-tech is in a continuous process of change, which in turn imposes a dizzying rate of change in all spaces of our lives and our daily lives. And it is precisely time that is the key dimension that makes it possible to understand what advanced are. We are talking about high=tech for which concepts such as high-tech, information, and communication technologies, new technologies, emerging technologies, or the chosen one of advanced technologies are used interchangeably,

All these concepts allude to this set of digital tools for the management of information and communication (ICT, including here all uses of the Internet), but also high-tech that advance in the understanding and application of intelligent processes (artificial intelligence, robotics, or computational thinking) or high-tech that transform and expand our physical reality (augmented reality, virtual reality, extended reality). We also talk about various applications such as virtual simulators, virtual environments, video games, and serious games, 3D printing, the internet of things, cloud computing, smart devices, home automation, blockchain, ...

As can be seen, the list is always unfinished, because as some high-tech become obsolete, others take center stage. Ultimately, high-tech include a wide and heterogeneous set of tools that are characterized by being digital, by having very different applications in very different contexts, and also by being the key element that helps us understand the present of the society of the century. XXI and trying to glimpse where his future can go.

This high-tech has a technical dimension and another dimension associated with their possible applications. From a more technical perspective, we will be able to analyze the advances that are making it possible to carry out actions that were unthinkable until recently. Facial recognition, the home printing of any three-dimensional object, or the obtaining of complementary digital information to a real object, to give a few examples, are daily actions that we can carry out with our smartphone, with a 3D printer, or with real applications. increased. All kinds of smart devices make our lives easier.

And as we say, all these high-tech have a second very relevant characteristic: their applications are multiple and diverse. But here we are especially interested in seeing what are the applications of these technologies in education. These technologies are accompanied by relevant developments of hardware and smart devices in the world of connectivity, but also interesting educational applications, some already undergoing experimentation and others that for the moment only fit in our imagination. We have seen in recent years how new pedagogical concepts are emerging under which the use of high-tech always underlies: adaptive learning, flipped classroom, intelligent classrooms (smart-classroom ), ecologies learning ( learning ecologies ), analytical learning ( learning analytics ), personal learning environments ( Personal Learning Environments ), gamification, serious games ( serious games ), etc.

In this reflection on the impact that high-tech have on education, we cannot forget trends that are being imposed for reasons that we often ignore. This reality can provoke an interesting debate from not only educational perspectives, but from a broader perspective that analyzes social, economic, political, and/or cultural factors. This is the case, for example, of the interest that robotics and computational thinking have been arousing in schools in recent years, but we do not know if it is really because of its educational potential, or if the factor of the influence of publishers and publishers may be relevant. companies, who have seen a new market niche with which to face the challenge of digitizing school supplies and thereby reducing the sale of printed material such as textbooks.

This high-tech diversity represents a new challenge, which is to facilitate high-tech training in all areas of education. The rapidity with which technology changes makes it necessary to investigate new models and teaching-learning strategies that facilitate the assimilation of technological changes in the shortest possible time and train them for the new demands of the labor market. From there arises a whole line of work around digital skills with an important profusion of models (DigComp, DigCompEdu, DigCompOrg, to put the examples developed in Europe) and numerous research works in this regard (among others, Petterson, 2018; Prendes, Gutiérrez and Martínez, 2018 ).

In this article, we are going to approach some of this high-tech by addressing this double technical and educational perspective, which we believe are complementary and which can help us better understand their potential and possibilities. For this, we have made an analytical review of current and interesting references on each of the topics, references that represent this double technical and educational vision from which we want to approach the reality of technologies in the last decade, a review that helps us to connect with the topics analyzed in the contributions that are part of this monograph.

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN EDUCATION

The catalog of emerging technologies or high-tech is as wide as it is changing over time. In figure 1 we have collected and organized into categories some of these technologies.

Robotics Technology

The use of robotics in the classroom is a trend with an undoubted impact on the teaching of STEAM subjects endowed with an important creative component and to stimulate creativity. A work on robotics, STEM, and creativity is that of Casado and Checa (2020) or also that of Hurtado and Santamaría (2019). But it can also help us to evaluate the attitude and predisposition of young students towards these subjects. In this study carried out with 35 children between 8 and 12 years old, it is shown that the use of robotics in education can improve children's spatial ability and their attitudes towards STEM. Similarly, but in this case, with a group of 5-year-old children ( Turan and AydoÄŸdu, 2020 ), it was found that it is possible to improve their scientific abilities after applying an educational program based on robotics. Also, Recio (2019) shows the educational possibilities of robotics in the Infant stage.

Other authors have also highlighted the importance of robotics as a socialization tool and a driver of critical thinking ( Angulo, 2016 ). An example is its use to enhance collaborative skills applied to conflict resolution, improvement of personal relationships, cooperation between students, and improvement of collaboration between students and teachers ( Nemiro, 2020; Sánchez, 2019; Zhong and Li, 2020 ).

Widely used in secondary education is the ROS -Robotic Operating System- operating system, a collection of tools, libraries, and conventions that facilitates a level of abstraction when creating robust and complex robotic behaviors through a wide variety of robotic platforms ( Karalekas, Vologiannidis, and Kalomiros, 2020; Rosillo et al., 2020 ).

At the university level, the educational robotics competitions usually focused on methodological aspects that stand out, both from an educational point of view and from a technological or engineering point of view ( Christoforou et al., 2020 ). Robotics is also a current trend in the training of engineers as a basis for the introduction of innovations and facing the challenges of globalization and competitiveness in an increasingly digitized world ( Soboleva and Karavaev, 2020 ).

Computational thinking

Computational thinking is a way of solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behavior, based on the concepts of computer science. Its integration into the educational system constitutes a methodology to prepare students to function in an increasingly technological labor market, improving their abilities to solve complex problems and provide solutions to new challenges in society.

The foundations of computational thinking are 4: first, students, who can also be more creative than a machine, demonstrate algorithmic thinking whenever they create or use a series of well-defined steps to achieve the desired result. Second, decomposition means analyzing a complicated problem from its components. Third, abstraction refers to the removal of unnecessary details to develop a generic solution, or to the representation of a complicated system with a simple model or visualization. Finally, pattern recognition allows you to analyze data trends to develop solutions.

Applying the high-tech of computational thinking requires on the part of the student a series of attitudes and skills that allow them to connect ideas, collaborate or persevere among others, which can be acquired during the learning process of other subjects. An updated review can be found in Roig-Vila and Moreno-Isac (2020), who conclude that there is an extensive bibliography in the international context, but Spain stands out as one of the countries where the most are published on this topic and significantly about Primary Education. It is also common to find works with an interrelation between both tools, robotics, and computational thinking ( Avello, Lavonen, and Zapata, 2020; Noh and Lee, 2020; Roussou y Rangoussi, 2019 ).

The work of González (2019) brings us closer to the work of computational thinking already from the stage of early childhood education and we can find some examples of activities, materials, and case studies in JuškevičienÄ— (2020), Irgens et al. (2020) or Saxena et al. (2020), as well as the extensive Google repository for education 1 . While at the university level there, does not seem to be a problem ( Younsoo and Minjeong, 2020 ), the professional development of teachers with skills to bring computational thinking to the classroom in stages of school education ( Kong, Lai, and Sun, 2020 ) and secondary ( Irgens et al. al., 2020) is still a challenge. In a generalized way, a larger study with teachers of various subjects and higher levels carried out by JuškeviÄ concludes that teachers do not have a clear perception of how to bring these tools effectively to the classroom.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence provides a new method of using large amounts of data and with large applications in education, where the field of medicine is taking advantage, Artificial Intelligence also begins to form part of educational centers by introducing new tools and helping in the planning of their resources), evaluating the quality of teaching,

The use of Artificial Intelligence techniques has also shown its usefulness in the prediction of academic performance although works like this one should assess the importance of ethical aspects and in no case, predictive studies have to serve to classify, but to stimulate those who seem to need the most help.  possibilities of promoting applications that personalize teaching, adjusting to the individual needs detected by Artificial Intelligence algorithms, and thereby providing solutions, educational supports, and measures that respond to adaptive education models.

Now, research shows that a machine cannot assume the role of a teacher, since how artificial intelligence works and does things in the context of teaching is far from human intelligence and in part due to a lack of transparency in decision-making algorithms. His future in education is yet to be discovered and explored.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) applications can be grouped under the concept of Extended Reality (ER), as suggested by Simpson (2018) ( figure 2 ), or also as Mixed Reality, All these technologies combine the physical reality of our real environment with the reality constructed by high-tech although with different levels of integration and connection of one and the other.

Immersive high-tech continues its rapid pace of development, with new and increasingly affordable, and powerful devices expanding learning opportunities. We find recent examples of the use of these technologies in the literature, such as all those collected by Cárdenas et al. (2018) in their extensive documentary review or the experiences of Cabero and his collaborators ( Cabero and Marín, 2018; Cabero, Vázquez and López, 2018 ) in university degrees. At lower levels, Marín and Muñoz (2018) and Rodríguez, Hinojo and Ágreda (2019) have worked with AR in Infantile; Castellano and Santacruz (2018) work with RA in the first cycle of Primary; andCastellano, Díaz and Carrillo (2019) at ESO. In addition, studies have been carried out on the importance of AR in teaching digital competence and others on its use combined with flipped classroom methods ( López et al., 2020 ). The selection of AR applications made by Luna, Ibáñez, and Rivero (2019) to teach heritage is relevant.

In all disciplinary fields, immersive high=tech supported by the use of simulations, spatial vision, role-playing games, overlapping images or annotations,  is transforming learning. This new high-tech, isolated or combined, promote interdisciplinary approaches with such enormous potential that they allow all kinds of applications and methodologies. Without a doubt, we are faced with the challenge of envisioning its educational possibilities and the change that these technologies could promote.

Serious games, video games, and gamification

One of the features that best characterize the world of digital games and video games is interactivity with the user. In the work of Prendes and González (2019)the importance of cognitive interactivity (with other users, group games with users connected to the network) and instrumental interactivity (with the game itself and with the physical devices that we use for games - controls, screens, cameras ... - are analyzed. ) in all digital games. The main characteristic of all these tools (digital games, video games, and serious games) is that they are designed based on rules and with the purpose of entertaining, although in the specific case of serious games the purpose of teaching is added. And both purposes, to teach and to entertain, are also united in the gamification strategy, which reminds us of the treasure hunt or the Webquests.

An interesting compilation of serious games can be found in Del Moral and Villaoustre (2018). And educational experiences with serious games can be found in Archuby et al. (2019), 

Apps and platforms for teaching and learning

Any high-tech tool can have applications in education, but it is equally true that some tools are specifically designed to be useful in this context. There is a very wide range of platforms (EVA or LMS) designed specifically for teaching and learning, as well as a vast literature on them focused both on their use in virtual teaching systems ( Miller, MacLaren and Xu, 2020 ), in blended situations ( Bervell and Arkorful, 2020 ) and in face-to-face models ( Engelbretch, Llinares, and Borba, 2020 ). We also find recent works that show us their potential as tools for tutoring ( Pantoja and Prendes, 2020 ), for formative evaluation (Chanpet, Chomsuwan, and Murphy, 2020 ), or to promote adaptive teaching about the learning styles of students ( Da Costa et al., 2020 ). In all situations and contexts, these tools demonstrate their potential, as Araka et al. (2020) in their systematic review of works published between 2008-2018.

The same occurs with educational applications ( apps ) that promote mobile and ubiquitous learning ( m-learning and u-learning ), an area in which we find recent and relevant works such as that of Cadavieco et al. (2020) that shows us a catalog of 136 educational applications for elementary levels and all areas of the curriculum, or the work of Sánchez-Morales et al. (2020) that proposes the development of educational apps with Artificial Intelligence techniques. In addition to scientific works, on the web, we can find extensive catalogs such as those of the Education 3.0 2 magazines, the extensive catalog of platforms and applications in the Technological Observatory3 of the Ministry of Education of Spain, the catalog of apps for Android of GITE 4 or the catalogs of accessible apps of Once 5.

In figure 3 we have summarized the main trends in Educational Technology, concepts that reflect the educational applications of all these tools, which in short we could qualify as topics of interest –and at the same time great challenges– in our field of knowledge today.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS MONOGRAPH

This monographic issue on technologies -emergent or advanced- begins with an article by Polanco, Ferrer, and Fernández, who present a documentary analysis on computational thinking, its definitions, its implications, and it is potential. This article helps us understand computational thinking, as well as its implications and its application from an educational point of view.

In line with the current trend in the promotion of capacities related to programming and computational thinking, the article by Caballero and García-Valcárcel shows a very elaborate process of how practical work with robots, the Bee-Bot robot, in this case, involves a significant improvement in the capacity for sequencing actions of a group of Early Childhood Education students. In the context of Primary Education, the article by Sáez, Buceta, and De Lara is contextualized, also using robotics and computational thinking. The study, carried out with 107 students from three schools, shows us interesting learning results as well as motivation, participation, and interest.

The article by Suardíaz, Pérez, Cabrera, and Ove presents the development of a robotic hand with 3D printing capable of communicating through sign language. This work, related to the context of higher education, is further proof of the effectiveness of the use of robotics and programming, tools that have also been combined with maker culture strategies and with Service-Learning models.

González, Cebreiro, and Casal analyze the potential of Augmented Reality in an experience with university students and use this high-tech to contribute to training in digital skills that help us promote the role of prosumer, thus complementing their traditional role of consumer.

This monograph also includes two contributions to educational applications of Virtual Reality. Berns and Reyes-Sánchez show us how in language learning, despite the existence of a significant number of applications based on virtual reality, they do not quite obtain the expected performance. However, the potential of virtual reality in the learning of many disciplines is undoubted, as well as the development of digital competence. For their part, the article by César, Baffa, Botero, Pazza, Alves, and Matos places us in the context of teaching Physics and presents an experience with university students in Brazil in which Virtual Reality has proven to be a very useful tool. effective.

The confinement situation due to COVID-19 has led to the use of a multitude of videoconferencing platforms on the market and also at all levels of the education system. Suddenly, teachers have found it necessary to use this tool to facilitate management, for teacher coordination, and also to teach. The article by Roig-Vila, Urrea-Solano, and Merma-Molina presents an evaluation of the performance of Google Meet from the perspective of university users and justifies the importance of offering institutional responses that not only address technical aspects, but also educational and educational aspects. digital competence for the use of these synchronous tools.

The work of López and González is concrete proof of how Artificial Intelligence, in this case through an experience with a video game in mobile application format, allows us to improve performance in mathematics. And another contribution on the subject of digital games is the article by Campos, Ximenes, and Oliveira, who study the relevant aspects when designing serious games from the point of view of usability.

And it seems to us of special interest that an article specifically dedicated to attention to diversity appears in this monograph, an area in which emerging technologies can represent a giant step towards promoting accessibility. The work of Molero, Lázaro, Vallverdú, and Gisbert focuses specifically on the use of technology to improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and presents a broad review of the use of high-tech in this area, drawing attention to the importance to having products or services that do not depend solely on the action of the subject to respond to an emergency situation.

In the context of professional education, the article by Romero, Bueno, Ortega, Garrido, Gómez, and Zbiec is located. The authors address the problem of lack of skills in technologies, skills that are key to developing Industry 4.0 and in particular, in the field of vocational training, another regulated stage that is important to highlight due to its social and labor importance.

Also included in this monograph is an investigation based on BCI devices whose purpose is to contribute to discovering how learning is learned and mainly to identify which are the biological processes that facilitate learning, a work presented by Corona, Altamirano, and López. Among the advantages of using this technology are the substitution of questionnaires and the objective assessment of the teacher's work from an efficiency and effectiveness point of view.

IN CONCLUSION

The rapid incorporation of new high-tech into teaching in formal education systems is undoubtedly one of the elements that contribute to the preparation of students for the challenges of the world of work and of economic and social change. However, the ability to integrate high-tech in schools is always a slow and difficult process, even though innovative methodologies combined with the use of technologies produce creative and multi-skilled professionals as a result ( Renz and Hilbig, 2020). the applications of technologies are innumerable, but let us not forget that at the center of all these experiences and projects are always the main educational agents of the system: students and teachers. And there are indeed many innovative teachers, but innovation must be an institutional objective that is incorporated into the fabric and institutional life.

Does anyone value have electricity at home? But when we lack electricity, that is when we realize how important it is to our daily lives. 

We have not gone into this monograph in the reflections on the problematic aspects of technologies: network security, ethical use of technologies, cyberbullying, viruses, spam, piracy, sexting, hoaxes ( fake news ), etc. Cyberspace is undoubtedly full of dark areas and dangers, especially if we are talking about minors and vulnerable people But these topics could themselves be the subject of another monograph. In our current educational reality, we must continue researching technologies and it would be of enormous importance if the results of our research had a visible impact on education. 

In ancient Greece, students brought to school a box with stones to learn to count and a tablet to learn to write: “Today the students also carry a backpack, but what goes inside them are not tablets or stones Inside are instruments and means that will condition their way of accessing information and acquiring knowledge. This means that in many cases are going to transform not only their knowledge but their way of thinking ”. We trust this RIED monograph to contribute to a better understanding of the possibilities and potential of emerging technologies, as well as to reflect on their impact from the perspective of users and the system in general with all its organizational, political, cultural variables, economic and social.