Abstract: Creativity is a term that has many interpretations yet is seen as crucial to the development of students in higher education. As part of a wider research project entitled "Podagogy" at the University of Wolverhampton, a number of individual projects were undertaken within the performing arts subjects. The focus of the projects was to explore the potential use of iPod technologies to support student learning. This article analyzes to what extent the instructors' use of the iPod can nurture creativity in learning and teaching. Using an interpretative approach, the research has found that the iPod is a powerful tool for developing creativity within the learning and teaching environment. In addition to identifying a number of factors that can be associated with the notion of creativity when using the iPod, the study also considers certain conditions that need to prevail in the wider institutional environment if iPods are to be adopted as a learning technology. The study also proposes a number of areas for future research.

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Abstract: Web 2.0 and its associated applications and tools have, in many areas, brought about and are continuing to bring about significant shifts in the way people communicate, create, and share information. Pervasive access to broadband Internet connectivity and communication services has created new forms of relationships and patterns of communicating and learning. The expanding lexicon of Web 2.0 applications (podcasts, web logs, wikis, mashups, etc.) signal changes in the learning landscape, where learners are active participants, creators of knowledge, and seekers of engaging, personal experiences. In what has been called a culture of participation, the line separating consumers and producers of content is becoming blurred and we are witnessing a new wave of "prosumers," very often learners, who are actively creating and sharing content and ideas. By adopting an innovative learning paradigm that the authors call Pedagogy 2.0, teaching and learning strategies can enable greater engagement of learners in shaping the education they receive through participatory choice, personal voice, and ultimately, "co-production."

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Abstract: Pre-service teachers faced an old problem with new possible solutions by working collaboratively to learn new technologies and changed the way they react to new tools. This approach required students to explore technologies independent of instructors - with peers in small groups. Instructors believe the learning activities implemented in this project to facilitate learning new technology are better aligned with professional development realities of their students’ future profession. The old problem with the "inability to keep up with all the new technologies" and the new teaching strategy of "collaborative learning communities" prompted the development of the Innovations Mini-Teach course project. Through focus groups, an end-of-semester course effectiveness survey, and analysis of students' final products, this study showed that collaboration can be a superior method for helping pre-service students independently learn about the innovative technology tools that may be helpful to them as teachers, explore a professional development model that could support them in their future teaching careers, and most importantly see themselves as future innovators. Finally, students in focus groups indicated their class wiki, which archived each group’s consequential knowledge, would continue to support them to become teacher-leaders of technology integration.

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Abstract: Providing effective feedback on writing is a challenge in any learning environment, but it is even more problematic in fully online instruction. The lack of face-to-face interaction in web-based classes increases the need for highly transparent, prompt, and personalized feedback. Student views on the use of a semi-structured template combined with the "inking" feature of a Tablet PC for feedback on writing in an online course are reported. Survey results indicated the procedure was seen as providing clear and focused feedback with a highly personal touch. Students also reported being able to use the feedback to improve their performance on later writing assignments. Overall, this appears to be a well-received and helpful method for giving writing feedback to students in online classes.

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Abstract: Faculty learning communities (FLCs) provide their members with both information and support as they move toward utilizing digital technology tools, learn new skills, and share meaningful instructional practices. This paper emerges from the initial year of an FLC established in a large urban research university with a focus on integrating digital technology and instruction. Key aspects of an FLC are addressed, including the effectiveness of the FLC in reshaping the nature of member's engagement in the academy, the challenges and opportunities of creating an FLC, and the power of FLCs to enhance the way faculty learn about technology.

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Abstract: As the use of 3D immersive virtual worlds in higher education expands, it is important to examine which pedagogical approaches are most likely to bring about success. AET Zone, a 3D immersive virtual world in use for more than seven years, is one embodiment of pedagogical innovation that capitalizes on what virtual worlds have to offer to social aspects of teaching and learning. The authors have characterized this approach as Presence Pedagogy (P2), a way of teaching and learning that is grounded in social constructivist theory. In it, the concepts of presence, building a true community of practice, and constructing an online environment which fosters collaboration for reflective learning are paramount. Unlike learning communities that might emerge from a particular course taught under more traditional circumstances, students engaged in a P2 learning environment become members of a broader community of practice in which everyone in the community is a potential instructor, peer, expert, and novice - all of whom learn with and from one another.

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Abstract: The purposes of this paper are to explore emerging technologies, engaged learning, and features and students of the Interaction Age and to identify connections across these three realms for future research and practice. We begin by highlighting those elements of the Interaction Age that suggest a shift in the affordances and applications of digital content. The Interaction Age, as an extension of the Information Age, distinguishes digital content as not just content accessed by students but as content around which they engage and construct knowledge in a social manner. Second, we review technologies emerging on college campuses as well as categorize and compare newer technologies including mobile learning, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and ubiquitous learning. These technologies are among those at the leading edge of innovation and hold promise for educational application. However, in light of the Interaction Age, we argue that these technologies must contribute to student learning, and in particular, student engagement in learning. Thus, we present the outcomes of a literature review regarding engagement and engaged learning. Finally, we explore prominent connections between emerging technologies, engaged learning, and students and devices of the Interaction Age, offering examples of these linkages to stimulate future research and practice.

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