Books by David Parsons
The integration of technology into educational settings has revolutionized classroom instruction ... more The integration of technology into educational settings has revolutionized classroom instruction in recent years. By properly utilizing available digital resources, students’ learning experiences can be significantly enhanced. Mobile and Blended Learning Innovations for Improved Learning Outcomes is an authoritative reference source for the latest research on the use and benefits of technological tools in contemporary classrooms and showcases how these devices improve the overall learning process. Highlighting the distinctions and interactions between mobile and blended education, this book is ideally designed for practitioners, professionals, academicians, and students interested in the effective implementation of modern technology in the classroom.
The current educational system continues to face challenges in the wake of new technological adva... more The current educational system continues to face challenges in the wake of new technological advancements in our society. Continuous advances in education technology have provided the mobile learning community with inquiries on how these innovative devices may be used for teaching.
Innovations in Mobile Educational Technologies and Applications presents a collection of knowledge on the developments and approaches of mobile educational technology. Bringing together points of view from both technological and pedagogical practices, this book aims to enhance interest in nontraditional approaches to learning.
Foundational Java: Key Elements and Practical Programming presents a detailed guide to the core f... more Foundational Java: Key Elements and Practical Programming presents a detailed guide to the core features of Java – and some more recent innovations – enabling the reader to build their skills and confidence though tried-and-trusted stages, supported by exercises that reinforce the key learning points. All of the most useful and commonly applied Java syntax and libraries are introduced, along with many example programs that can provide the basis for more substantial applications. Use of the Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and the JUnit testing framework is integral to the book, although to ensure that skills are not confined to one environment the fundamentals of the Java compiler and run time are also explained. Additionally, coverage of the Ant tool will equip the reader with the skills to automatically build, test and deploy applications independent of an IDE.
As the use of mobile technology for personal and business applications continues to grow, it natu... more As the use of mobile technology for personal and business applications continues to grow, it naturally follows that educators and researchers will investigate the use of mobile devices for knowledge sharing and learning.
Refining Current Practices in Mobile and Blended Learning: New Applications provides perspectives on new approaches to learning theory and practice in increasingly mobile, immersive environments. Situated at the intersection of theory and practice, this book provides foundational research on the development and implementation of mobile games, the delivery of mobile and blended learning, and philosophical underpinnings of this emerging discipline.
This volume draws together all the articles published by the International Journal of Mobile and ... more This volume draws together all the articles published by the International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning in its first year of publication (2009).
When compared with traditional classroom learning, mobile learning (m-learning) has the distinct advantage of making content accessible and available to a number of people in a wide range of different places.
Combining E-Learning and M-Learning: New Applications of Blended Educational Resources reviews new systems and frameworks for the application of mobile technologies in educational contexts. Contributions provide insight on ethical and cross-cultural considerations of mobile learning, as well as different teaching and learning styles.
Providing an end-to-end view of how modern web applications are built, Dynamic Web Application De... more Providing an end-to-end view of how modern web applications are built, Dynamic Web Application Development using ASP.NET takes a comprehensive approach to building software architecture from core components. It tells a development story by taking you right through from analysis and design, outlining the core technologies, and tying them together using standard tools patterns and frameworks without trying to cover too many alternatives.
Providing an end-to-end view of how modern web applications are built, Dynamic Web Application De... more Providing an end-to-end view of how modern web applications are built, Dynamic Web Application Development takes a cohesive approach to building a software architecture from core components. It tells a development story by taking you right through from analysis and design, learning the core technologies, and tying them together using standard tools patterns and frameworks without straying into detail or trying to cover too many alternatives.
Using PHP scripting and the MySQL database management system, this is a contemporary and well targeted coverage of important areas of web application development including Ajax, adaptive markup, web application frameworks, standards and conformance, accessibility and security issues. It shows you how to build functionality into a website using a variety of technologies. These will work as a basic framework from which you will be able to explore more challenging developments such as porting applications to mobile devices and including more Web 2.0 features.
An ideal text for web programming courses, this book will help you whether you are a student or need to reskill and want a dependable and accessible self-study package.
Providing an end-to-end view of how modern web applications are built, Dynamic Web Applications t... more Providing an end-to-end view of how modern web applications are built, Dynamic Web Applications takes a cohesive approach to building a software architecture from core components. It tells a development story through a running case study taking you through each phase - analysis, design and implementation - without straying into detail or trying to cover too many alternatives.
Using Java server side frameworks and XML-based page generation with device-adaptive mark-up, this is a contemporary and well targeted coverage of important areas of web application development including Ajax, mobile Internet development, XML transformation, adaptive markup, web services and web application frameworks. It shows you how to build functionality into a website using standard patterns and technologies. These will work as a basic framework from which you will be able to explore more challenging developments such as porting applications to mobile devices and including Web 2.0 features.
An ideal text for web programming courses, this book will help you whether you are a student or need to reskill and want a dependable and accessible self-study package.
Academia and industry have only begun to explore the vast capabilities that the emerging field of... more Academia and industry have only begun to explore the vast capabilities that the emerging field of mobile learning has to enrich education. To help researchers and practitioners drive the realization of the potential benefits of mobile learning technology to the next level, a thorough survey of the state of knowledge in this ascending field is vital.
Innovative Mobile Learning: Techniques and Technologies is the first book to comprehensively set out opportunities presented by mobile learning technologies, collecting incisive research articles from leading international experts. Covering field challenges, practical experiences, and current technological advances, this unique contribution to the current research will benefit academics and students in a variety of education and technology-related disciplines, as well as industry specialists in the field mobile technology.
Journal Articles by David Parsons
AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 2022
This article reports on a study that was undertaken into enablers and barriers to Māori student s... more This article reports on a study that was undertaken into enablers and barriers to Māori student success on a postgraduate programme for in-service teachers. The study was led by Māori researchers and followed a Kaupapa Māori research philosophy-research by Māori, for Māori, and with Māori. Data were gathered via a series of hui (meetings) to which former students were invited, including both those who had completed the programme and those who had not. Thematic analysis was applied to student voice from the hui to identify the key themes that emerged, describing the student experience in terms of what impacted on their progress throughout the programme. The data revealed several areas where the tertiary institution could change its processes and practices to improve outcomes for Māori students. The article concludes by outlining some specific areas where the institution has already implemented changes in response to this study.
International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning (IJLMBL), 2022
Physical field trips have long been used in education, but virtual field trips are increasingly b... more Physical field trips have long been used in education, but virtual field trips are increasingly being used to enhance them. This article focuses on the use of mixed reality to enhance a physical field trip before, during, and after the field experience as part of a project in teacher professional development. The context is a field trip to a landfill site, where students learn about waste management, recycling, and sustainability. Building on several different themes from the literature to create a single model of pre-, intra-, and post-field trip digital learning activities, three scenarios are outlined: One where a virtual field trip is used prior to a physical field trip to prepare students for their visit, a second where an augmented reality experience is used during the physical field trip, and a third where students build on their experience of virtual reality to create their own virtual tours. The article highlights how mobile mixed reality offers new ways to deepen the field trip learning experience through studentand teacher-created digital artifacts.
Interface, 2020
"If you were to ask me about the nature of leadership in terms of what I learnt, you've got to ha... more "If you were to ask me about the nature of leadership in terms of what I learnt, you've got to have a fire in your belly for an outcome" - Sir Tipene O'Regan One of the first things that we do with the teachers who join our postgraduate classes is to try to convince every single one of them that they are leaders, whether or not they hold any formal leadership roles within their schools or communities.
Implementing mobile learning in curriculum-based educational settings faces challenges related to... more Implementing mobile learning in curriculum-based educational settings faces challenges related to perceived ethical and learning issues. This study investigated the affordances of mobile technologies to support mathematics instruction by teachers. An exploratory study employing questionnaires and semi-structured interviews revealed that, while mathematics instruction can be augmented with mobile learning, the majority of schools in Indonesia have banned student use of mobile phones in classrooms. Teachers are concerned about the improper use of mobile phones that could impact their students' mental well-being and distract them from learning. Most teachers perceive mobile technologies to be disruptive and seem reluctant to use them for teaching delivery. However, teachers are eager to experiment with digital technologies within mathematics instruction. Our findings suggest infusing alternate technologies that fit better with the school's teaching and learning environment. This includes web-based applications that can run on different digital devices ranging from desktop computers, laptops, and tablets, to mobile phones. We propose setting up communities of practice for mathematics teachers to share their instructional repertoire on integrating digital technologies within the classroom.
In 2010, the New Zealand government embarked upon an ambitious programme of broadband infrastruct... more In 2010, the New Zealand government embarked upon an ambitious programme of broadband infrastructure investment, a process that will continue until at least 2019. Part of this investment is specifically targeted at compulsory education, with initiatives that include bringing fibre connections to the school gate, supporting on-site network upgrades (including wireless) and providing teaching, learning and support services delivered through these networks. Such investments are not made without some projections of the likely rate of return, but calculating return on investment (ROI) in educational broadband is complex, as it encompasses a range of factors. This article reports on an interview-based study engaging a range of stakeholders in educational broadband provision. The study utilises a research model that considers the various elements of social surplus, namely; producer surplus (savings), producer surplus (profit) and consumer surplus (perceived value over and above cost), to explore the elements of social surplus that have been used to define educational broadband ROI calculations and justify the scale of investment. The results indicate that all three components of social surplus are relevant, though the concept of profit can only be seen in the broader context of long term contributions to the economy. A note of caution is that projections of ROI based only on positive returns fail to acknowledge the potential for some innovations to actually increase costs. Further, purely quantitative models do not properly take into account qualitative components of consumer surplus.
Context
Coderetreats are reflective communities of practice, where participants congregate inform... more Context
Coderetreats are reflective communities of practice, where participants congregate informally to apply their coding abilities to a clearly defined problem setting with the aim of developing their software design skills. One of these events is the global day of coderetreat (GDCR) involving more than two thousand software developers worldwide.
Objective
The GDCR provided an opportunity to explore the ways that the coderetreat activity is perceived by its participants as a medium for reflective practice, and to suggest ways that we can enhance the design of coderetreats for improving both the experience and learning outcomes.
Method
We conducted both quantitative and qualitative surveys from a number of participants in the GDCR to understand how software developers hone their craft in the context of a coderetreat.
Results
Our study indicates that future coderetreats, particularly those that are likely to attract less experienced developers, should consider providing more structural scaffolding to the initial processes of test driven development.
Conclusion
We believe that all coderetreats should more explicitly encourage practice and reflection on the four elements of simple design. We suggest a more sustained approach throughout the coderetreat with provision of more structural scaffolding. Accordingly, we have derived a set of recommended practices to make the coderetreat more effective for less experienced developers.
Keywords
Global day of coderetreat; Survey; Simple design; Test driven development; Legacy coderetreat
This paper reports on the first two years of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative in a New Z... more This paper reports on the first two years of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative in a New Zealand secondary school, using data derived from a series of surveys of teachers, parents and students, who are the main stakeholders in the transformation to a BYOD school. In this paper we analyse data gathered from these surveys, which consists primarily of qualitative data from free text questions, but also includes some quantitative data from structured questions, giving insights into the challenges faced by teachers, students and parents in moving to a BYOD classroom, and the potential benefits for teaching and learning, and preparing students for a digital world. We frame our analysis from a sociocultural perspective that takes account of structures, agency and cultural practices and the interactions between these domains. Thematic analysis was performed by considering these domains from the responses of the three stakeholder groups. We found that there were some tensions in these domain relationships, with contexts and practices having to be renegotiated as the BYOD classroom and the structures within which it operates have evolved. On the surface, it appears that many of the changes to cultural practice are substitution or augmentation of previous activities, for example using one-to-one devices for researching and presenting material. However, when we look deeper, it is evident that apparently straightforward adoption of digital media is having a more profound impact on structure and agency within the classroom. While the structural impact of digital infrastructures does raise some concerns from all stakeholders, it is clear that it is the curricular structure that is the most contentious area of debate, given its impact on both agency and cultural practice. While the majority of respondents reported positive changes in classroom management and learning, there were nevertheless some concerns about the radical nature of the change to BYOD, though very rarely from teachers. If there is an area where agency may be most problematic, it is in the responses of parents, who may feel increasingly alienated from their children's learning activities if their own digital skills are lacking. These findings will be of interest to anyone who is engaged in BYOD projects, particularly those who are planning such initiatives or in the early stages of implementation.
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Books by David Parsons
Innovations in Mobile Educational Technologies and Applications presents a collection of knowledge on the developments and approaches of mobile educational technology. Bringing together points of view from both technological and pedagogical practices, this book aims to enhance interest in nontraditional approaches to learning.
Refining Current Practices in Mobile and Blended Learning: New Applications provides perspectives on new approaches to learning theory and practice in increasingly mobile, immersive environments. Situated at the intersection of theory and practice, this book provides foundational research on the development and implementation of mobile games, the delivery of mobile and blended learning, and philosophical underpinnings of this emerging discipline.
When compared with traditional classroom learning, mobile learning (m-learning) has the distinct advantage of making content accessible and available to a number of people in a wide range of different places.
Combining E-Learning and M-Learning: New Applications of Blended Educational Resources reviews new systems and frameworks for the application of mobile technologies in educational contexts. Contributions provide insight on ethical and cross-cultural considerations of mobile learning, as well as different teaching and learning styles.
Using PHP scripting and the MySQL database management system, this is a contemporary and well targeted coverage of important areas of web application development including Ajax, adaptive markup, web application frameworks, standards and conformance, accessibility and security issues. It shows you how to build functionality into a website using a variety of technologies. These will work as a basic framework from which you will be able to explore more challenging developments such as porting applications to mobile devices and including more Web 2.0 features.
An ideal text for web programming courses, this book will help you whether you are a student or need to reskill and want a dependable and accessible self-study package.
Using Java server side frameworks and XML-based page generation with device-adaptive mark-up, this is a contemporary and well targeted coverage of important areas of web application development including Ajax, mobile Internet development, XML transformation, adaptive markup, web services and web application frameworks. It shows you how to build functionality into a website using standard patterns and technologies. These will work as a basic framework from which you will be able to explore more challenging developments such as porting applications to mobile devices and including Web 2.0 features.
An ideal text for web programming courses, this book will help you whether you are a student or need to reskill and want a dependable and accessible self-study package.
Innovative Mobile Learning: Techniques and Technologies is the first book to comprehensively set out opportunities presented by mobile learning technologies, collecting incisive research articles from leading international experts. Covering field challenges, practical experiences, and current technological advances, this unique contribution to the current research will benefit academics and students in a variety of education and technology-related disciplines, as well as industry specialists in the field mobile technology.
Journal Articles by David Parsons
Coderetreats are reflective communities of practice, where participants congregate informally to apply their coding abilities to a clearly defined problem setting with the aim of developing their software design skills. One of these events is the global day of coderetreat (GDCR) involving more than two thousand software developers worldwide.
Objective
The GDCR provided an opportunity to explore the ways that the coderetreat activity is perceived by its participants as a medium for reflective practice, and to suggest ways that we can enhance the design of coderetreats for improving both the experience and learning outcomes.
Method
We conducted both quantitative and qualitative surveys from a number of participants in the GDCR to understand how software developers hone their craft in the context of a coderetreat.
Results
Our study indicates that future coderetreats, particularly those that are likely to attract less experienced developers, should consider providing more structural scaffolding to the initial processes of test driven development.
Conclusion
We believe that all coderetreats should more explicitly encourage practice and reflection on the four elements of simple design. We suggest a more sustained approach throughout the coderetreat with provision of more structural scaffolding. Accordingly, we have derived a set of recommended practices to make the coderetreat more effective for less experienced developers.
Keywords
Global day of coderetreat; Survey; Simple design; Test driven development; Legacy coderetreat
Innovations in Mobile Educational Technologies and Applications presents a collection of knowledge on the developments and approaches of mobile educational technology. Bringing together points of view from both technological and pedagogical practices, this book aims to enhance interest in nontraditional approaches to learning.
Refining Current Practices in Mobile and Blended Learning: New Applications provides perspectives on new approaches to learning theory and practice in increasingly mobile, immersive environments. Situated at the intersection of theory and practice, this book provides foundational research on the development and implementation of mobile games, the delivery of mobile and blended learning, and philosophical underpinnings of this emerging discipline.
When compared with traditional classroom learning, mobile learning (m-learning) has the distinct advantage of making content accessible and available to a number of people in a wide range of different places.
Combining E-Learning and M-Learning: New Applications of Blended Educational Resources reviews new systems and frameworks for the application of mobile technologies in educational contexts. Contributions provide insight on ethical and cross-cultural considerations of mobile learning, as well as different teaching and learning styles.
Using PHP scripting and the MySQL database management system, this is a contemporary and well targeted coverage of important areas of web application development including Ajax, adaptive markup, web application frameworks, standards and conformance, accessibility and security issues. It shows you how to build functionality into a website using a variety of technologies. These will work as a basic framework from which you will be able to explore more challenging developments such as porting applications to mobile devices and including more Web 2.0 features.
An ideal text for web programming courses, this book will help you whether you are a student or need to reskill and want a dependable and accessible self-study package.
Using Java server side frameworks and XML-based page generation with device-adaptive mark-up, this is a contemporary and well targeted coverage of important areas of web application development including Ajax, mobile Internet development, XML transformation, adaptive markup, web services and web application frameworks. It shows you how to build functionality into a website using standard patterns and technologies. These will work as a basic framework from which you will be able to explore more challenging developments such as porting applications to mobile devices and including Web 2.0 features.
An ideal text for web programming courses, this book will help you whether you are a student or need to reskill and want a dependable and accessible self-study package.
Innovative Mobile Learning: Techniques and Technologies is the first book to comprehensively set out opportunities presented by mobile learning technologies, collecting incisive research articles from leading international experts. Covering field challenges, practical experiences, and current technological advances, this unique contribution to the current research will benefit academics and students in a variety of education and technology-related disciplines, as well as industry specialists in the field mobile technology.
Coderetreats are reflective communities of practice, where participants congregate informally to apply their coding abilities to a clearly defined problem setting with the aim of developing their software design skills. One of these events is the global day of coderetreat (GDCR) involving more than two thousand software developers worldwide.
Objective
The GDCR provided an opportunity to explore the ways that the coderetreat activity is perceived by its participants as a medium for reflective practice, and to suggest ways that we can enhance the design of coderetreats for improving both the experience and learning outcomes.
Method
We conducted both quantitative and qualitative surveys from a number of participants in the GDCR to understand how software developers hone their craft in the context of a coderetreat.
Results
Our study indicates that future coderetreats, particularly those that are likely to attract less experienced developers, should consider providing more structural scaffolding to the initial processes of test driven development.
Conclusion
We believe that all coderetreats should more explicitly encourage practice and reflection on the four elements of simple design. We suggest a more sustained approach throughout the coderetreat with provision of more structural scaffolding. Accordingly, we have derived a set of recommended practices to make the coderetreat more effective for less experienced developers.
Keywords
Global day of coderetreat; Survey; Simple design; Test driven development; Legacy coderetreat
positive attitudes towards mobile learning."
"
that leverage the wisdom of crowds. Crowdsourcing originally developed as a way of identifying one or more ‘winning’ solutions from a crowd of contributors, and tended to be product focused. Over time, however, a
variety of definitions of crowdsourcing has evolved, differing in terms of the specific types of crowd, initiator and process. In this article, we explore the use of crowdsourcing as a research methodology, which involves outsourcing research tasks to large groups of self-selected people, both lay and expert. Unlike traditional surveys, crowdsourcing allows for a more iterative, idea-generating process, which can be more effective than other methods in future-focused research. We illustrate this approach using a case study – a project called Hack Education that was used to gather ideas about the future of education in New Zealand. This project used crowdsourcing both to gather and to analyse data.
Our case study reveals that crowdsourcing can provide different perspectives and other ways of analysing the same domain of interest. In particular, our data suggests that the crowd is able to give a somewhat broader, overarching set of ideas than is available from other channels. As such, crowdsourcing may provide a useful complement to more traditional research methods.
mobile devices can support the optimum learning experience. This short paper reports on the design and testing of a BYOD mobile learning activity that was based on an analysis of affordances and a survey of student preferences. It outlines the affordances and preferences that were identified and how these were included in a broader set of design requirements. It explains the choice of tools adopted for the activity, and how they were integrated into the overall learning experience based on using mobile devices to find locations and gather sensor data. Some interim
observations are made around the experience and the collaborative data set gathered by the participants.
The aim of this paper is to identify, from the literature, the key underpinning theories of mobile learning, then to examine how these might be called into play in varying combinations, depending on the nature and intent of specific types of mobile learning. The identification of these theories is grounded in their links to mobile affordances. An approach to analysis is suggested that could prove a useful tool in designing and evaluating mobile learning activities with due consideration of their embodied learning theories. This approach is briefly explained through two contrasting examples.