INTERFACE Magazine, Issue 111, April 2022 by interfacemagazine

NEW ZEALAND

SUPPORTING THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN LEARNING

ISSUE 111 TERM 1 APRIL 2022 $12

The metaverse awaits but will you be coming to the party? How putting on your Virtual Reality goggles could add a new dimension to the classroom. Pages 20-25

It’s on and places are filling fast! Book your spot at Pages 6 and 8-11

Hybrid learning: How to stay sane teaching in two places at once!

Pages 18 and 19

Contact our independent Education Leasing Specialists today for a quote*

*Lending criteria, fees and T&Cs apply.

>> ICT/AV + a wide range of equipment >> Stretch your budget >> We can Lease Big and Little things

Can reading skills be improved by playing video games?

Page 37

Formerly

We are the same local education leasing specialist you know and trust.

0800 378 426 • flexicommercial.com/nz/

eduquotes@flexicommercial.com

Let's tackle cyber crime together Network for Learning (N4L) connects kura across Aotearoa to safe and reliable internet. But we’re more than just the internet - we’re here to connect, protect and support kura to provide a safe online learning environment, so that kaiako can focus on teaching and ākonga can focus on learning.

With cybersecurity incidents on the rise and security threats becoming more sophisticated, we’ve introduced a new superpower – N4L’s cybersecurity services.

Connect Tūhono

Protect Tiaki

Support Tautoko

Our internet is fast, safe and includes uncapped data meaning kaiako and ākonga can use as much as they need for learning. We also provide a secure Wi-Fi connection throughout the kura.

Kura can access a suite of safety and security services to help protect ākonga online. We combine our security solutions with people power and expertise to give kaiako the confidence to teach in a digital environment.

Whether a quick query or a tricky technical one, we have the right support ready to help. Choose how you’d like to access information and assistance – it’s all about what works best for you.

Introducing our cybersecurity services

Our Security Team Like a friendly neighbour, our team keeps an eye on your digital infrastructure. Our security experts will let you know if they see a risk or threat to your network that you need to be aware of.

Incident

Security Improvements An open window or door is like a misconfiguration that leaves a school at risk. This is not a vulnerability but rather an issue of best practice. We will help with improvements to network configuration, system firewall rules and email configuration.

Vulnerability Like a broken lock on your door, a vulnerability is something that has an exploitable weak spot. We can help identify vulnerabilities and work with you to fix them.

This is like an intruder or break-in on your property - an incident has occurred. Our team will help support you with the incident response. Our security experts will help identify phishing, email compromises and malware incidents at your school.

While we’re here to provide support, it’s super important that kura also have broader security measures in place. That’s why we’ve teamed up with the Ministry of Education to help kura understand what they can do to improve their cybersecurity posture and better protect against online threats. Let’s all work together to help keep each other safe.

How we protect Cybersecurity Services Our dedicated security team and systems proactively monitor networks, provide notifications of threats and vulnerabilities, identify opportunities for improvements, and work with kura and their IT providers to help resolve or mitigate incidents.

Safety & Security Solutions Our safety and security solutions help keep kura, kaiako and ākonga safe online. We make it simple to have a baseline level of protection against online threats and inappropriate content. We do this through our Safe & Secure Internet, which comes with the following elements and a number of recommended settings:

What more can you do to protect your kura? Check that your kura is part of the Ministry of Education’s Risk Management Scheme. This includes cybersecurity insurance. Ensure our Safe & Secure recommended settings are enabled to provide a baseline level of protection. Follow CERT NZ’s advice on other important

+ Web Filtering

actions you can implement in your day-to-day

+ Firewall

environment.

+ DNS Threat Protection (+SafeSearch) + DDoS Protection

Check out the cybersecurity tips from the Ministry of Education.

To protect ākonga online even further, kura can choose these add-ons: + Secure Access

Take a look at our website for more tips, resources, FAQs and to find out about new services as they become available.

+ Mail Relay + Remote Access

Ready to chat?

Our Customer Support team is available Monday – Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Call 0800 LEARNING (532 764) or email us at support@n4l.co.nz

Want to learn more? n4l.co.nz/protect

ONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTE 6

INTERFACE News and Views

30 File Share: Four pages of online resources

INTERFACEXpo 2022: Book your spot!

34 Competitions: Heaps of great prizes to be won!

12 Noticeboard 14 ETV: School Copyright Licensing Initiative 15 The Mind Lab: Introducing your classroom to the Metaverse 17 Canon: Enhancing the learning experience with Canon Solutions for Education 18 Keeping your head while all around you are hybrid learning In what’s been two years of unprecedented challenges facing teachers, hybrid teaching is the latest to tackle. How do you keep your sanity being in two places at once? Kelly Kenyon finds out some of the secrets to a successful shift. 20 Special Feature: The metaverse awaits but will you be coming to the party? If some of the biggest tech companies on the planet have their way, it’s a place where we’ll all soon be living, playing and, yes, teaching. Buzzword or brave new virtual world? Let’s find out whether you should be adding a new dimension to your classroom. 26 Having a chat with two talkative teachers In our last issue, we mentioned Two Talkative Teachers, a new podcast in which two passionate teachers talk teaching life in New Zealand. We wanted to know more about them and what they’re doing, so we tracked them down for a chat. 28 New resource is changing the game for STEM learners Gamechangers by name, Science Alive has high hopes its latest initiative will also be a game changer by nature for teachers. Free to use, the online activity uses successful Kiwi innovators to engage and inspire students with STEM.

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36 Gamefroot: Learning game dev is a hop, skip and a jump away! 37 From the Back: Improving reading skills by playing video games A team of Swiss and Italian researchers has demonstrated that the speed and accuracy of student reading can be improved and sustained through playing a child-friendly action video game for just a few hours. 38 INTERFACE Teacher and Student Minecraft Competitions 2022

ENTSANDVIEWSNEWSANDVIEWSNEWSANDVIEWSNEWSAN Intel vPro® with 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processor

ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 i

ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen 3 i

Take your learning anywhere with Lenovo techtoday.lenovo.com/au/en/solutions/education

Hy bridl INT

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INTERFACEONLINE.CO.NZ

– GREAT LAKE CENTRE: OUR VENUE IN TAUPO

XPO WELCOMES NEW SPONSORS CONBRIO, SCIENCE ALIVE AND GOOGLE FOR EDUCATION Plans for this year’s INTERFACEXpo are all but done. We have a fantastic line-up of sponsors, including new faces Conbrio, Science Alive and Google for Education (taking part in its own right for the first time). Join us for one of the only digital technology events still happening. Next month we’ll be visiting Lincoln (20 May), Taupo– (24 May) and Auckland (25 and 26 May). Enjoy a great mix of workshops, presentations, an exhibition, and networking and PD opportunities, where you’ll be able to learn the latest trends and

developments, news and ideas about digital technology in your school. INTERFACEXpo is FREE for school educators to attend. We think it’s the best event of the year and we’d love to see you! Check out the programme, sponsors and workshops at interfacexpo.nz Also, see pages 8-11 for more information and how to register. Don’t delay, places are filling fast!

HOW ARE YOU USING GREEN SCREENS? Got a story to tell about green screening – aka chroma keying – the visual editing effect of replacing a solid colour background (usually green) with a background of your choice? We want to hear from you about your exploits and experiences. How and where have you used it? What have been the results – from good to maybe not-quite-what-you-planned, and everything in between. Make us green with envy about your green screening! Contact Editor Greg Adams at greg.adams@interfacemagazine.co.nz

INTERFACE 111 APRIL 22

Petition seeks copyright licences for all schools. See page 14.

WSNEWSANDVIEWSNEWSANDVIEWSNEWSANDVIEWSNEW OUR MINECRAFT COMPETITION IS ON – AND IT’S NOT JUST FOR STUDENTS!

Meet the team

EDITOR Greg Adams 027 255 1301 Greg.Adams@interfacemagazine.co.nz

Are you and your students mad for Minecraft? Well, get your thinking caps on and your blocks on the move because the INTERFACE Minecraft Competition 2022 is up and running. We’ve teamed up with Microsoft and there are two parts to choose from, one for students and the other for teachers.

ADVERTISING 09 575 2454 Advertising@interfacemagazine.co.nz DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Michelle Durbin 09 575 2454 Michelle.Durbin@interfacemagazine.co.nz

Going on some awesome entries in previous years, we can’t wait to see what students can create. And teachers, we want you to tell us how you’re using the building program in your class.

DESIGN Design@interfacemagazine.co.nz

Entries close Friday 8 July (end of Term 2). More on pages 38 and 39. Or for full details and entry form go to interfaceonline.co.nz/minecraft2022

EVENT MANAGER INTERFACEXpo Paul Colgrave Paul.Colgrave@interfacexpo.co.nz

LESSON IDEAS FROM GAMEFROOT ARE NOW ALL ONLINE

@interfacemag

For the last couple of years, every issue of INTERFACE has featured a lesson idea for using Gamefroot. These are easy-to-follow guides to incorporating the homegrown coding and game design platform into the classroom. Each has a theme – often with a Kiwi flavour – and provides a clear, concise and focused activity for students to follow.

youtube.com/interfacemagazine

SUBSCRIBE TO INTERFACE For details go to interfaceonline.co.nz/subscribe/

These have proved extremely popular. If you’ve missed any or want to give them a try, we’ve uploaded them all online for you to access. You can find and download them at interfaceonline.co.nz/gamefrootlessons/

NEW ZEALAND INTERFACE™ (ISSN 1177-973X) is published six times a year by G MEDIA PUBLISHING LIMITED

© G MEDIA PUBLISHING LIMITED 2022. Editorial opinions are not necessarily those of the publisher. We do not endorse or accept responsibility for any third party featured in this publication, unless stated otherwise.

MEET OUR MARCH COMPETITION WINNERS

While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information in this magazine, the publisher does not accept liability for inaccuracies, omissions or misinterpretations that may occur, and urges readers to always check online resources before using them in class.

Thanks to everyone who entered our latest competitions. Unfortunately, only a few of you could win. Congratulations to the following.

NEW ZEALAND

The Blue Light Filter Glasses proved a popular prize and are on their way to Toni Bickerstaff, Heretaunga Intermediate, Hastings (black) and Barbara Clarke, Pompallier Catholic College, Whangarei (tortoiseshell).

SUPPORTING THE USE

Keeping their keyboards clean and spotless will be Naida Mulligan, Verdon College, Invercargill, and Fiona Kearns, St Brigid’s School, Wellington, who both receive a jar of Cleaning Putty.

OF TECHNOLOGY IN

The metaverse awaits but will you be coming to the party?

The green screen sheet goes to Denize Schoch, Murrays Bay Intermediate, Auckland (maybe we’ll hear about how she goes with it in our green screening feature next time!). And lastly, a desktop Holder Lazy Stand Mount goes to each of Justine Lee, St Andrew’s College Secondary School, Christchurch, and Graham Sinclair, Hamilton Girls’ High School, Hamilton.

LEARNING

ISSUE 111 TERM 1 APRIL 2022

How putting on you r Virtual Reality gogg les could add a new dimension to the classroom.

Pages 20-25

For our latest competitions see pages 34 and 35.

It’s on and plac are filling fast! es Book your spot at

Pages 6 and 8-11

Having a chat with two talkative podcasters. Pages 26 and 27.

Hybrid learning: How to stay san teaching in two e places at once!

Pages 18 and 19

Contact our inde pendent Education Leasing today for a quote Specialists

INTERFACE 110 MARCH 22 7 *Lending criteria,

fees and T&Cs apply.

* >> ICT/AV + a wide range of equipment >> Stretch your budge t >> We can Lease Big and Little things

Can reading skill improved by plays be video games? ing

Page 37

Formerly

We are the same education leasing local specialist you know and trust.

0800 378 426 • flexicommercial.co m/nz/

$12

It’s on and we invite you to join us!

INTERFACE 111 APRIL 22

Don’t miss this chance to not only keep yourself ahead of the latest e-learning trends and developments but also mix with your peers in the digital learning community – something we’ve all missed in the last two years. This is one of the only digital technology events actually happening. Places are filling fast, so don’t delay.

This year’s events are being held at: • Christchurch-Lincoln, Friday 20 May • Taupo–, Tuesday 24 May • Auckland, Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 May INTERFACEXpo is FREE for educators to attend. It’s a great combination of workshops, presentations, exhibition, and networking. PLUS, enjoy refreshments on us. Find out more and book your spot at interfacexpo.nz/register2022/

INTERFACE 111 APRIL 22

22 Meet this year’s sponsors: Gold

Silver Plus

Silver

Supporting

Coffee Sponsor

Wireless Sponsor

Find out more about our sponsors at interfacexpo.nz/sponsors2022/

Keep in touch @interfacemag #xpo22 10

INTERFACE 110 MARCH 22

Join us for the best event of the year! AUCKLAND

Exhibition Presentations Workshops Networking PLD Prizes Refreshments

The Trusts Arena, Henderson • Wednesday 25 May, 1-5pm • Thursday 26 May, 8am-12pm or 1-5pm

TAUPO

Great Lake Centre • Tuesday 24 May, 8am-12pm or 1-5pm

CHRISTCHURCH-LINCOLN Lincoln Event Centre, • Friday 20 May, 8am-12pm or 1-5pm

Book your place at interfacexpo.nz/register2022/ We look forward to seeing you!

INTERFACE 111 APRIL 22

HybridHlea KAMI NAMED ‘MOST INFLUENTIAL’ FOR 2022

Digital learning platform Kami has made Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential Companies of 2022 list, under the ‘Leaders’ category, along with the likes of Spotify, Reddit and Airbnb. The prestigious list highlights businesses that have made a significant impact, based on relevance, ambition and innovation. It’s global recognition for the Auckland based start-up that has more than 30 million users in 180 countries. More at time.com/collection/time100-companies-2022/

GOOGLE ANNOUNCES PRACTICE SETS In an effort to help teachers create personalised learning paths for their students, Google is set to launch Practice Sets as a new feature in Google Classroom. The new tool will help automate grading, identify concepts that need review, and provide students with built-in hints and resources to support them as they work. “We spoke with educators around the world to see how we could help them become more effective in the classroom,” said Google for Education’s Daniel Kiecza. “Time and again, they said they wanted to spend less time on tedious tasks like grading, and more time focused on their students’ unique needs. So, we’re announcing this upcoming feature to help them do just that. Practice Sets will give teachers the time and tools to better support their students — from more interactive lessons to faster and more personal feedback. “We’re actively testing Practice Sets with some schools in anticipation of our beta launch in the coming months.”

HybridHlea

AT&T JOINS WARNERMEDIA TO LAUNCH THE ACHIEVERY

The Achievery is a free digital learning platform featuring content from popular WarnerMedia films, TV shows and animated series. Videos are paired with lessons and learning activities that students aim to engage with wherever they learn – at home, in the community and in the classroom. Some examples of this are clips from the Wonder Woman film paired with reading and writing lessons; Aquaman film clips integrated with ‘lessons teaching responsible decision-making’; and animated clips from the Craig of the Creek series on Cartoon Network used in social awareness and language lessons. Teachers, students (13+) and parents can create accounts. Lesson plans and activities can be searched by subject, grade, academic standards, or media type. More at theachievery.com

COACH ADDED TO READING TOOL Following last year’s release of Reading Progress, Microsoft is introducing Reading Coach, which builds on the former by identifying the five words each student struggled with the most and supporting them to practise independently. “Educators using Reading Progress seem the most surprised to see how it motivates their students to try multiple times and work independently to increase their scores – they are invested in their progress as readers,” said Microsoft Education’s Mike Tholfsen. “To expand on that enthusiasm, we’ve been hard at work creating Reading Coach! It can be enabled and customised by the educator, who sets up the Reading Coach when a Reading Progress assignment in Teams is created.”

Once you get rolling with Science in Motion...

SCIENCE LESSONS ARE SIMPLE!

• Easy, fun activity plans for Years 1-10 • Build science capabilities and concepts.

For more info check out www.education.nzta.govt.nz/science

INTERFACE 111 APRIL 22

OTICEBOARDNOTICEBOARDNOTICEBOARDNOTICEBOARDNO HUGE RISE IN PEOPLE LEARNING TO SPEAK UKRAINIAN Between late February and late March, the number of people learning Ukrainian on Duolingo increased by 577 per cent. This moved the language to the 13th most popular on the language app, up from 33rd. (Russian currently ranks 8th.)

NEW ADDITION TO FLEXICOMMERCIAL TEAM Flexicommercial has announced that Nichole Brussow has recently joined its Education Leasing team in Auckland. She is a leasing specialist and will be working with schools in the Upper North Island region.

“Language learning reflects all kinds of patterns in pop culture,” said Cindy Blanco, a senior learning scientist at Duolingo, “like the rise in Portuguese learners during the 2016 Olympics in Brazil and a rise in Korean learners after the Netflix show Squid Game.”

“I have been in New Zealand for four years and love it here,” said Nichole, who is originally from Durban in South Africa. “With more than 20 years’ experience in relationship management, I am passionate about the education sector and am looking forward to meeting and working with our school customers and education supplier partners.”

DO LESS FOR EDUCATION, BUT DO IT BETTER

For education leasing information, Nichole can be contacted at nichole.brussow@flexicommercial.com or 027 492 3315. Or, alternately, contact Jan Paterson at jan.paterson@flexicommercial.com and 021 554-001

A global study believes that developing countries can rebound from COVID-19 by not copying the advanced economies. As schools slowly re-open following the pandemic, many children are not coming back amid reports that child work, early marriages, teen pregnancies, and gender-based violence are all on the rise. In ‘The Lean Education Manifesto’, Cognition Education’s Arran Hamilton and Melbourne University’s John Hattie combine findings from 900+ systematic reviews of 53,000+ studies. They urge governments in resourceconstrained developing countries to act fast, to get their children back to school and learning. Among their suggestions are: • Shortening and even stopping teacher training programmes; • Teachers need not have degree-level qualifications in the subjects they teach; • Reduce the hours per week and years of schooling that each child receives; • Teach learners in mixed-age classrooms, with peers tutoring one another • Different approaches to curriculum, instruction, and the length of the school day might be more costeffective ways of driving up student achievement than hiring extra teachers, reducing class sizes, or building more classrooms “We identified more than 100 things that education systems can remove, reduce, re-engineer, replace, or not start,” said Hamilton. “And, also, things that really are worth adding and growing. But it’s a lot like the game of Jenga: some blocks add little to the strength of the tower and others are crucial. So, we need to identify and wiggle the target blocks with great care.”

VIEWSONIC’S MYVIEWBOARD HITS 5 MILLION USERS Visual display specialist ViewSonic has announced its myViewBoard solution now has more than five million users across 5,000 institutions worldwide. First introduced in 2018, the system is built to facilitate digital content creation, communications, and collaboration in classrooms.

CHROMEBOOK DEMOS FOR TREES At last month’s Bett 2022 in London, Acer pledged to plant 100 trees for every demo booked for its Chromebook at the education conference. Across the three days, this added up to an amazing 21,300 trees.

BESPOKE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS BY TEACHERS

Ministry of Education Accredited Provider Nationwide Specialising in hybrid learning, digital technologies, fluency, citizenship, STEAM, integrated and localised curriculum

Apply for funded PLD & explore our free teaching resources: www.digitalcircus.org.nz

“myViewBoard is continuously evolving, with an ecosystem that’s becoming ever more open, flexible, and accessible,” said Bonny Cheng, Chief Operating Officer at ViewSonic.

INTERFACE 111 APRIL 22

Sign up and show your support for free copyright licences Each and every day teachers across New Zealand run the risk of breaking the law. But you can help to stop that by adding your voice to the ‘School Copyright Licensing Initiative’, which is calling for copyright licensing to be centrally funded by government and available free to all schools, writes Martin Drew. What if copyright licensing was centrally funded by the Government, thus permanently enabling teachers to use any material without the fear of the consequences of copyright infringement? ETV thinks access to all audio visual, music and print resources to enhance teaching should be available to all educators and all schools. So, we have set up the ‘School Copyright Licensing Initiative’ and are asking for your support. Thanks to everyone who has already added their name to the petition. But we need more if we’re to convince the Government to take this important step.

Protected from prosecution

Copyright licences grant users permission to copy or do other restricted acts that are otherwise prohibited under the Copyright Act. Failure to pay licence fees may result in legal action if copyright law is broken. Elsewhere, these licences are already centrally funded. In Australia and the UK, for example, teachers can go about their daily teaching safe in the knowledge that they’re fully protected from any threat of copyright prosecution. Licences are purchased for schools by their respective governments, making it easy and cost effective to access a broad array of curated educational content from online resource centres (similar to ETV) that deliver licensed material to schools. Here in New Zealand, however, the situation is very different. Copyright

licences are currently purchased by each individual school on a voluntary basis, as directed by their Board of Trustees. This is a legacy environment that was created under the 1980s ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’ policy, which, especially in an anywhere, anytime post-Covid learning environment, is demonstrably no longer fit for purpose. While it’s true to say that no school has so far been prosecuted for copyright infringement, the potential consequences if it were to happen are significant. According to TKI (tki.org.nz): “The person (student, teacher or other employee) doing the restricted act is personally liable for copyright infringement, but in some circumstances their activity may also give rise to civil and criminal liability for the school’s principal and the supervising Board of Trustees.” The Ministry of Education’s purpose is to shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes. Indeed, a strong theme from the Prime Minister is

Please add your voice to this call for a government-funded copyright licence for all schools by signing the petition here. 14

INTERFACE 110 MARCH 22

that we need to maintain momentum to close the digital divide and address equity issues in education. Surely, equal and equitable access to copyright licences is a key step towards the stronger, fairer education system that is key to Labour Government policy? That’s why we need a centrally-funded copyright licence. That’s why we’ve set up the ‘School Copyright Licensing Initiative’. And that’s why we need your help. We’ve set up a petition and urge you to join us in calling on the Government to provide equity by funding copyright licensing for all schools. Add your voice to this message at bit.ly/ copyrightpetition Martin Drew is General Manager of ETV. Find out more about ETV at etv.nz

Introducing your classroom to the Metaverse Many of the examples of the Metaverse that have been presented recently, including virtual and augmented reality, have been familiar in digital environments for many years, so what’s new? Since the recent renaming of the company that owns Facebook to ‘Meta’, along with news reports showing CEO Mark Zuckerberg moving in a 3D virtual world, the question of what the Metaverse is, and whether anyone actually wants it, has been widely discussed.

webpages to the more interactive Web 2.0, to the mobile Web, and onto the Metaverse, where the internet becomes its own virtual environment. Even so, although the technology continues to improve, the technical challenges of the Metaverse are huge.

The term ‘Metaverse’ was first coined in the 1992 novel ‘Snow Crash’, and 3D virtual worlds also have their origins in the 1990s. For example, a YouTube video from 1995 shows someone wearing a VR headset shopping in a 3D virtual supermarket. Since then, these environments, whether they’re being explored through headsets or on a screen, have become commonplace, as teachers will know through the popularity of game worlds such as Fortnite and Minecraft.

Competition and movement

However, the vision of the Metaverse goes beyond these, and is one of a new generation of internet innovations, continuing our progression from simple

Another obstacle for the Metaverse is that web technologies were developed by government-funded scientists and made available for all. Such philanthropy is not likely to be seen with the Metaverse, as companies compete with each other, and perhaps try to limit the ease of movement between different virtual environments. Where does that leave educators interested in exploring the Metaverse? While we need to be wary of using systems that are either trying to sell us something or put us at risk, giving students the chance to experience virtual and augmented reality within safe digital

spaces is important. Here are some suggestions: • Minecraft Education edition (education.minecraft.net) • CoSpaces Edu (cospaces.io/edu/) • Wonder (wonder.me/) None of these are really the ‘Metaverse’ but will familiarise your students with some of the concepts as they learn. Going forward, keep an eye out for new Metaverse-style technologies that you could use with your students, to ensure that they can experience these in a guided and learningpositive way. By Dr David Parsons, National Postgraduate Director at The Mind Lab. More on teaching in the Metaverse on pages 20-25.

“Being based in a region it can sometimes feel isolating, so it was amazing to be able to learn online, connect with others across Aotearoa in the Zoom sessions and bring those learnings back to my region.” Graduate of Postgraduate Certificate in Digital & Collaborative Learning, and current student of the Master of Contemporary Education.

themindlab.com

Jamie Leckie, New Entrants Teacher at Coromandel Area School

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EVERY TEACHER. EVERY SCHOOL. GOVT FUNDED COPYRIGHT LICENSING Equal access for all teachers and students to the digital and physical resources needed for teaching and learning. Please add your voice to this call for a government-funded copyright licence for all schools by signing the petition here. bit.ly/copyrightpetition

INTERFACE 110 MARCH 22

Enhancing the learning experience with Canon Solutions for Education Canon’s top priority is to learn what makes every school unique, so it can provide a personalised solution that not only solves a problem for the school but also enhances the learning experience for students. Canon is working with educators to inspire the future of the world, as it all starts in our schools. Why? Because students are our future. They’re the future leaders of our families, our businesses, and our country – and at Canon we want to give them the best opportunity to thrive. Early childhood through to university, we aim to make it easy for students and teachers to benefit from the latest technology. From bulk printing school yearbooks through the Canon Print Hub, to vibrant digital signage, along with creative green screen technology and interactive learning boards – Canon does it all. “As we got more involved in the process, one of the reasons we chose Canon was because they have a wider understanding of what education is all about,” commented Kendall James, Principal at Albany Junior High School.

Engage, inform, connect

Capturing the attention of students who are constantly connected requires innovation and modernisation. Introducing innovative digital solutions for education, such as wayfinding, information kiosks, and mobile apps helps deliver a highquality educational experience throughout campuses and classrooms. As a professional educator, it might be your goal to help students see the world differently, with interactive technology that inspires them to experiment, explore possibilities and express creativity. Or you might be looking for new technologies to engage students, capture their imagination and improve outcomes through elearning. Canon’s range of immersive digital learning environments, and the ability to offer an end-to-end INFOCUS JTOUCH IN ACTION

HAVING FUN WITH A GREEN SCREEN

imaging solution that caters to the interests of students from a young age, sets us apart from the rest.

Effective communication

Canon’s digital display solutions for schools are an easy way to keep students, parents and the wider local community engaged – whilst making sure they deliver the right message, in the right place, at the right time. Effective communication is one of the primary benefits of digital signage. It is an interactive gateway that allows schools to communicate directly with students, staff, parents, and the wider school community.

Visual interaction

Transform your classroom into a visual learning experience with interactive displays. Encourage and promote different styles of learning and inclusivity across all students with this unique learning experience. Interactive displays allow learning environments to be more fluid with a broad range of activities, from fun geography games, to music, and assessments. From simple flat panel displays to immersive video walls, Canon’s education specialists will work with you to determine which type of display is best suited to the location and your learning environment. We know different spaces require their own visual solutions and our skilled team of digital signage experts will consult with you to find the right displays – size, resolution, brightness, and all other factors that ensure an outstanding result.

InFocus JTouch for education

With an array of interactive features, the InFocus JTouch is the ideal digital solution for your classroom and/or learning environment. The JTouch line is completely customisable, featuring Total Touch Control – the ability to annotate on any input, and an open Android platform so you can natively run all key educational applications. The InFocus JTouch features an anti-glare screen, allowing you to easily draw, write, and capture notes – as well as connect, display, and control various devices. The JTouch features a 4K UHD screen resolution, capacitive touchscreen functionality and is Android app ready. You can treat it as a digital canvas in the classroom.

Join Canon at INTERFACEXpo Head along to the Canon stand at INTERFACEXpo next month and get hands-on with the InFocus JTouch interactive display.

Our Canon specialists will show you how it works with a wide range of teaching apps, including Google Drive, Slides, Docs, Microsoft Office, Jamboard, Seesaw and other relevant teaching platforms. They’ll also cover the ease of screen annotation, wireless content sharing and a diverse range of teaching solutions. Supplied by Canon Business Solutions. To learn more, contact a Canon education expert on 0800 222 666 or go to canon.co.nz/business/education-solutions

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Keeping your head while all around you are hybrid learning In what’s been two years of unprecedented challenges facing teachers, hybrid teaching and learning is the latest to tackle. But how do you keep your sanity being in two places at once? Kelly Kenyon finds out some of the secrets to a successful shift. In 2020, hybrid teaching and learning was a concept too crazy to even think about. Then a virus swept through the world, closed classrooms, and dumping us all into online learning. We did what we always do as teachers, we adapted, adjusted and upskilled to make sure the children in our classes still got the best education we could provide. Online learning became a new normal. Now, two years on, we are facing the next shift as we have students both at school and working from home.

What is hybrid learning?

Hybrid learning is where students can receive learning from a variety of sources, both online and offline. Regardless of how the learning happens, students should get an equal experience in both online and offline settings. There should be a feeling of familiarity across platforms and spaces; just like buying from a physical or online shop. Each provides a similar experience, with a call centre or online chat that you can contact for support. All are working in unison, understanding the needs of the customer and the products they supply. Just as we create systems within our physical classrooms, we need to create the systems that work for us within a hybrid setting. In his recently published guide, Getting Started with Hybrid Learning, NZ educationalist Derek Wenmoth breaks down the process into seven actions: • Learning Conditions Audit; • Establish Your ‘School’ Online; • Template Planning; • Design Learning; • Encourage Participation and Contribution; • Monitor Student Progress and Assessment; and • Professional Development.

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Making it online

To begin, unpack what conditions and structures are currently working successfully in your classroom. What are the fundamentals of your successful pedagogy as a teacher? Don’t throw out what you’re already doing that works well; a lot of this can be easily transferred online. Then look at the current home situation for your learners. Take stock of devices, Wi-Fi and the number of people sharing these. What forms of communication between you and the student or their wha-nau exist? What support does the student have at home? Ways to do this could be through sending out surveys to gather this information. Keep in mind that you must make it equitable, so if parents can’t fill them in online, ask them on a phone call or send a paper copy home. Remember that multichoice and tick boxes are going to help your response rate. If they have to write a lot, it will be hard to get them back.

Landing space

Now take stock of what you have to work with as a teacher, both the physical items and the knowledge of online and hybrid teaching you have. Who can you turn to for support? Then establish your ‘School’ online. Consider how your hybrid space is going to be represented online. What platform are you going to use? Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Seesaw,

Education Perfect, Edmodo, ClassDojo? Your class needs an online ‘landing space’, where students all go to orientate them to their learning. Whatever you decide, your online classroom should be consistent across the school to avoid confusion for students, wha-nau and the community.

Teachers spend a lot of time developing physical classrooms for comfort and the same needs to happen for online classrooms. Decide how you want it to look and how you will allow the flow of your classroom from the physical to online. This is where students can get familiarity across platforms. Keeping a similar colour palette, for example, or even using pictures of your physical space on your online space can help.

have three to five that your students can use well. An tip from us at UTB is when introducing a tool, use it in context. Rather than teaching each specific function of the tool, use each tool to complete a task.

Hybrid planning We know as teachers we often don’t like being confined to a template. However, for hybrid learning, these can be the key to success as students become familiar with them across platforms. As students need to move from in-class to online, they will know how to complete work if templates or the same structure are used. A quick tip, turning your hard copy modelling books into a Google Slide or Jamboard can be a simple way to start. Develop templates to be used across schools or syndicates. Use what already works and, if needed, convert it into an online version and co-create learning across classes to share the load. From the layout of the learning space to the timetable, visual prompts and the role of the educator, teachers design all aspects of the learning. The same needs to be considered when shifting to hybrid learning. Think about how you will organise your online learning space – by topic, term/week, status, etc. and consider if you will you stick to a timetable or have it flexible? Making your visual prompts online will allow them to be used in both spaces. In fact, the role of the teacher needs to change. You cannot be expected to teach two classes, but rather become a facilitator of learning when required. When designing the learning, topics and lessons need to be thought about and chosen with hybrid learning in mind. Make sure all the resources you are using can be used within your online space. This may mean scanning physical resources you have made or recreating them in an online tool. Choose resources that can be used in both spaces, such as slideshows, videos, images, online text, e-books, and quizzes.

Connection and consistency

Choose a base selection of online tools that you will be working with. Do not use too many, especially at first. It’s better to

Connection with others is still an integral part of learning, whether it’s in the classroom or online. Allowing space for students to participate with one another is a key part of this. Ways to do this are through using Google Meet, Zoom or Microsoft Teams to connect to students as a teacher, and also for students to connect with each other, or to stream

what’s going on in the classroom (choose one and keep it consistent across the school). You could also use messaging platforms to enable students to communicate. Google Groups and Microsoft Teams can both be set up with the teacher as part of each group/team (establish clear guidelines around use). Another tip is to use fun tools like Kahoot, Flipgrid, or Minecraft to get the students engaged with each other and the learning. Remember, assessment of learning always needs to be considered when creating learning tasks for students. In a hybrid environment, monitoring and assessment become the key to success. Use the tools already in Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams to help with assessment and monitoring. Both have rubric creation tools that can help with assessment. You could use a spreadsheet or your student management system to keep your data organised. During these challenging times, student well-being and engagement is also important to monitor. A simple, quick check-in at the start of each session is a really simple way to connect and Google Meet has a polls function you can use quickly for this.

Give new things a go

Finally, upskilling is important when dealing with something new. It’s paramount that your school’s PLD program is tailored to the needs of your teachers. The Ministry of Education provides schools with free PLD. At UTB, we love to tailor the learning to you and your school’s needs for maximum benefit to all your staff, not a one-size-fits-all approach. Spending a little of your own time upskilling can make your life so much easier. Hybrid learning is the new shift in education and something we’re all going to come up against if we have not already. The biggest thing to think about is still the students and your well-being as their teacher. Go at your own pace but don’t be afraid to give new things a go. Above all, remember you are not alone. There are plenty of resources to be found online and many people to help support you through the shifting tides toward a new world where hybrid learning is the new normal. Kelly Kenyon is a Technology Trainer at Using Technology Better (UTB).

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The metaverse awaits but will you be coming to the party?

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If some of the biggest tech companies on the planet have their way, it’s a place where we’ll all soon be living, playing and, yes, teaching. Buzzword or brave new virtual world? Let’s find out whether you should be adding a new dimension to your classroom.

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INSIDE AVANTIS WORLD

Welcome to the metaverse! The term is nothing new, having been originally coined by Sci-Fi author Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel ‘Snow Crash’. He imagined a shared and connected universe within which digital avatars of people could interact with one another and where status is determined by the sophistication of one’s avatar. Mark Zuckerberg thinks it could be the future of the internet. So much so, he recently rebranded Facebook as Meta and is investing billions of dollars in bringing us a new immersive and imaginary world. While it’s unlikely to take on the somewhat dystopian tones of the novel, Meta’s own version of the metaverse will stay close to Stephenson’s script – a shared and connected virtual world where you can work, play and, importantly for us, learn. Essentially, a metaverse is a network of digital environments and experiences, predominately accessed by people wearing virtual reality (VR) headsets, with a focus on social connection.

Collaborate and share

Others have been here before. You may know Linden Lab’s Second Life (secondlife.com) that allows people to create an avatar for themselves and have a ‘second life’ in an online virtual world. And many others are working on their own meta-versions. As well as its HoloLens, Microsoft is planning to roll out Mesh, which builds on Teams features like ‘Together Mode’ and ‘Presenter Mode’. The updated product will allow organisations to create ‘metaverses’ where people can collaborate in virtual environments that mimic physical offices and other shared spaces. Despite its troubled initial foray into Augmented Reality (AR) with Google Glass, Google’s AR headsets (internally

codenamed Project Iris) are expected to be released in 2024. This will use “outward-facing cameras to blend computer graphics with a video feed of the real world, creating a more immersive, mixed reality experience than existing AR glasses.” Apple is also rumoured to be launching its own VR headset next year. Last November, Unity Software’s acquisition of Weta Digital, in a $1.6 billion deal, is more than likely the result of the company’s focus on the metaverse. Mozilla Hub already lets you meet, share and collaborate in private 3D virtual spaces. SandBox allow players to play, build, own and monetise virtual experiences In the following pages, read about Avantis World, the first ever educational virtual reality theme park, and Lenovo’s VR Classroom 2, and even how to create your own with tools like CoSpaces.

Appeal to learners

While much of the attention around the metaverse centres on gaming, the whole idea of using interactive, immersive environments in education will appeal to learners of all ages. Educators can build classrooms that suit their teaching needs and keep students more engaged in the learning process; learners can interact with realistic objects and participate in simulations and games as if they are physically there, perhaps understanding how a certain piece of machinery works or what a mathematical concept looks like in real life. Students can build study rooms where they can collaborate, study together, share files, and socialise. It promises to make learning fun and effortless, with real-time feedback, and enhancing the overall learning experience.

Preserve and protect

Are there downsides to this new dimension? Yes, of course. The BBC recently reported on all sorts of shenanigans going on in an app called VRChat. A researcher posing as a 13-year-old girl witnessed grooming, sexual material, racist insults and more in the virtual-reality world. Clearly, it is vitally important to get the social interaction component right from the start. We must not let the commercial rush to market combined with the social need for new tools, cloud our awareness of the potential dangers. It will be important to find ways to meld the virtual and real worlds in ways that preserve real teacher-child, caregiverchild, and child-child social relationships. It will also be key to avoid interruptions and distractions.

Potential is huge

Even if the prospect of hanging out with Mark Zuckerberg’s avatar in the metaverse doesn’t float your virtual boat, the opportunities being opened up by this digital world should. The idea of a huge, virtual online world is certainly intriguing. Millions of children are already in a state of two-dimensional immersion if they are playing Fortnite, Minecraft, or using the online games platform Roblox. The educational potential for the metaverse’s immersive capabilities to make virtual learning environments more life-like and learning itself more engaging and experiential is huge. With the amount of time, effort and money being invested, the metaverse is going to be the next stage of the internet. Already there’s much to take advantage of and enjoy; how the coming months and years play out should be an enticing prospect for us all. Compiled by the INTERFACE team.

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Breaking boundaries and disrupting education

By Hassan Baickdeli

VR and the metaverse are well on their way to disrupting the education industry. Comparable to the changes that came when the internet was introduced, they’re literally going to break boundaries as well as traditional moulds of what we have known education to be over the last 50 years – and not just the physical type. When done properly (and we are not that far away from it) you’re not going to need to travel to complete a full day’s learning. The process will be as simple as putting on an HMD, or Head Mounted Device, and you are instantly transported to your classroom, field trip, lecture theatre, sporting event, and the list goes on. You won’t need to run to catch the bus, you won’t have to worry about missing a practical session or tutorial, it will literally re-shape the educational landscape.

Successful and effective

Virtual Reality is a simulated environment. This can be in the form of 360-degree audio and video 3D scans of existing environments, or the creation of entirely new settings and assets via platforms such as Unity. The technology’s been used successfully in learning for a while now as a tool to educate students safely and effectively. Take the aviation industry’s use of flight simulators for training, for example. For educators, VR offers the ability to deliver rich and real-time educational material within a short period of time. Students, on the other hand, can utilise the technology to enhance present educational material by adding a dimension of interaction and experience that builds upon textbook learning. For instance, when learning about marine ecosystems, they can visit locations like the Great Barrier Reef and experience it themselves.

The next level

Lenovo’s foray into the field started as the VR Classroom 1 solution, in partnership with Google. Using the Daydream platform and leveraging Google Expeditions, it was immediately clear that this medium had a lot of potential, even from a very basic content consumption perspective.

VIRTUAL LEARNING: VR CLASSROOM 2

Based on its success, the far more advanced VR Classroom 2 was launched recently. As part of this update, it utilises the ThinkReality platform through which students can access licensed content from global partners, as well as other schools and students. We have seen this solution drive contextual outcomes that take immersive learning for schools to the next level.

Potential dangers

The ethical standards for virtual worlds are currently not up to scratch, and I mean this from a physical perspective. As we head into this transformation, there are a range of elements, variables, and perspectives that need to be considered, as well as be front and centre before any type of implementation or strategy is begun. Schools have certain security measures in place, like web filters that only allow access to whitelisted and approved sites. Lenovo has worked with schools to enable the same methodology in relation to both locations and experiences in the form of apps and content. Fortunately, with the ThinkReality platform, headsets are basically a shell and only feature the experiences and content you choose to push out to them, so everything is basically reviewed, approved, and then selected to be pushed out. With regards to just providing a headset to a student and then letting them wander off into the great unknown metaverse (or

one of many), a great deal of education and training needs to be done for both students and parents to make sure they understand how the technology works and how to remain cognisant of potential risks.

Embrace transformation

As for the future, the educational landscape is definitely changing, and the next five years will be amazing. Technology needs to be understood and the transformation needs to be embraced, and it’s the role of organisations like Lenovo to help the education community leverage these technologies in a safe, compelling, and practical way. There’s a great deal coming in the form of devices, platforms and we can’t wait to share these with you, so stay tuned! Hassan Baickdeli is Head of Emerging Technology & Solutions A/NZ at Lenovo.

Lenovo VR Classroom 2 is a complete solution for teaching with VR. Powered by ThinkReality, it provides a combination of hardware, content, device management, and support designed specifically for education. Learn more at support.lenovo.com/vrclassroom

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Forget the metaverse, welcome to the Eduverse

By Mark Girven

Conbrio is involved in the education space via a variety of classroom technology solutions. It believes that most of these products complement each other, although they can be supplied as individual components, such as ClassVR and Avantis World. The idea of a metaverse has been around for a long time, since the 80s. It is now a ‘Meta’ (aka Facebook) property, meaning it’s having a lot of money pumped into it and being marketed heavily, which, in turn, has opened up the term to the full force of the internet and all its associated problems. This is why we have created the Eduverse, which offers all the connectivity and innovation of the metaverse, but with a purely educational focus and in-depth measures in place to protect students.

VIRTUAL LEARNING: CLASSVR

ClassVR and Avantis World are part of this and have always prioritised student safety. In the ClassVR Portal, teachers can be in complete control of the content that students can access on their devices. The same is true in Avantis World, where students can only access the virtual experiences that have been set for them and those experiences end forever when the teacher closes them.

Empathy Engine

A term we like to use about VR is ‘Empathy Engine’. By this, we mean placing the students in a particular environment or experience, significantly increases their understanding. All of the content available is educational and suitable for students of all ages – inappropriate content is not accessible on ClassVR headsets or through Avantis World, as the teacher is always in control. The resources are constantly being added to via the portal. You can also link into community resources created by other educators, as well as generate your own. Virtual reality tools have proven to be more than just novel visual aids for education – they are powerful learning tools. Research shows that retention rates rise when students or trainees use virtual reality to immerse themselves in a lesson or scenario.

In Rachelle Dragani’s study, ‘Brain science: Why VR is so effective for learning’ (2019), she reported that a study showed median recall accuracy rates with VR headsets hit 90 per cent compared to 78 per cent for learning with computer screens. She also explained how, in Beijing, students whose lessons were supplemented with VR averaged scores of 93 on a final exam, a 20-percentage point increase from those who relied on traditional classroom learning.

Creative and exciting Since the launch of ClassVR in 2017, the outcomes we have seen with its usage have been excellent. Teachers from around the world have shared their testimonials with us and have explained that, in various subjects, they have seen improved understanding, greater concentration, a renewed enthusiasm for learning and a better quality of responses and engagement.

The guide ‘50 creative Sharing Best Prac ways to use Class VR’ tice (classvr.com/ download/50creative-ways-to-useclassvr/) provides exciting ways teachers can use VR and AR in the classroom. It’s designed both to inspire and demonstrate the practicalities of ClassVR as a teaching tool. Conbrio is committed to assisting all schools with the delivery of the Digital Curriculum through not only ClassVR but a range of solutions. Having a variety of learning tools available in a classroom is absolutely crucial to maintaining students’ interest and dynamically appealing to the variety of preferential learning styles amongst any group of students. Mark Girven is BDM at Conbrio Technology Group. Check out ClassVR at classvr.com and Avantis World at avantisworld.com. And download ‘A Guide to VR and AR in Education’ at classvr.com/#schoolvirtual-reality-training For more on Conbrio’s classroom technology solutions go to classtech.co.nz

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Teaching in two different realities By Paul Hamilton

There have always been educators who have not only embraced new technology, but also pioneered new digitech tools and new mediums, connecting with curriculum and learning, and sharing globally with educators. They have forced developers to look more closely at the education market and start building solutions that were once only targeting business and enterprise. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) fit into this category perfectly. Let’s start by quickly unpacking these two immersive technologies as they have some distinct differences. VR is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment. It uses virtual headsets to place the user in the virtual environment and has become popular through platforms such as Oculus, HoloLens and HTC. AR can be defined as ‘digital content layered in the physical world’, and is often used to enhance the world we live in or reveal another layer of information. If we think of the game that introduced many of us to the concept of AR, Pokémon GO allowed users to seek and find Pokémon. These are hidden to the human eye but are revealed through a smartphone or tablet through a digital layer strategically placed in a physical location. FINDING A POKÉMON

So, the distinguishable element between the two is the connection to the physical. Whilst one aims to totally immerse the user in the virtual world, the other aims to connect digital content to the actual, real world. While many bundle AR and VR elements together, you can see there are some key differences as to why educators may use each immersive technology separately.

We can explore a classroom task to identify how these immersive technologies might be used effectively.

The scenario

Let’s imagine a visual art teacher has just finished up a unit where her students have created digital artworks based on local indigenous artists. She wants to share these artworks with the wider community and sees AR/VR as an opportunity to shine a light on her talented artists. What should she use and how might she go about implementing such a project?

Reasons for using VR

The school has a number of headsets and the teacher uses the popular VR platform CoSpaces. She layers all 30 arts works into an art gallery template, adds atmospheric music and students’ narratives talking about the artworks. The gallery is published and wha-nau and the wider community can walk through it, interacting with different pieces and becoming totally immersed in the experience. VR handles lots of digital content and this is the perfect example of showcasing the students’ artworks with little or no technical issues from the users’ end.

Reasons for using AR

The teacher wants to include a fundraising element to the project with an auction to purchase a framed picture of the artworks. Before placing a bid, the teacher would like the community to test out the artwork in their homes to see if it matches the colour and furniture in the

individual’s home. She uses Reality Composer (developer. apple.com/augmented-reality/ tools/) to create an AR experience where people can digitally place each artwork in their homes. The artworks are to scale and contain single narration from the artist explaining the work and their inspiration for creating it. AR’s strength is to connect objects to the physical space, allowing users to test before buying. This example is not a ‘pie in the sky’ scenario. Educators around the world are using immersive technologies like AR and VR in creative and effective ways as part of their way of teaching, learning and sharing.

Adding some virtual magic

Many current platforms and tools being used for creating content in the worlds of virtual and augmented space have another element worth noting – coding. With a tool like CoSpaces, if students are looking at ‘house design’, once the plans have been drawn, they can use what are called CoBlocks to show to prospective house owners how the spaces can be used. They can add custom animations, interactive elements and much more with a few blocks of code. This moves the learning focus from spatial concepts that are often the building blocks of VR and AR, into a new realm in the digital technologies space.

Some tools to use

Lastly, if you want to give VR or AR a go, what are some of the tools and platforms

Next time: Teachers tell us about their experiences in the metaverse!

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to consider using? For creating Virtual Reality experiences, some web-based platforms are: • CoSpaces (cospaces.io/edu/); • Mozilla Hubs (hubs.mozilla.com); and • ThingLink (thinglink.com). Others you could try include Unity (unity. com), Tilt Brush (tiltbrush.com) and Nearpod VR (nearpod.com/nearpod-vr) As for Augmented Reality, there are iPad apps like Reality Composer and AR Mkr (armakr.app), as well as: • JigSpace (jig.space); • Adobe Aero (adobe.com/products/aero. html); and • Windows Mixed Reality (microsoft.com/ en-us/mixed-reality/ windows-mixedreality) These are some of the platforms I have successful used in the classroom. Maybe you can, too! Paul Hamilton is a creative and digital trainer at Using Technology Better, specialising in creativity, design thinking, and immersive and emerging technologies.

3D CHESS IN REALITY COMPOSER

Virtual Reality learning is more enjoyable A new study exploring how students responded to 3D visualisation as a learning tool offers new insights into the benefits of VR as an educational tool. Researchers from the Neuroimaging Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and Wisconsin Institute for the Discovery at University Wisconsin-Madison have developed the UW Virtual Brain Project, producing unique, interactive, 3D narrated diagrams to help students learn about the structure and function of perceptual systems in the human brain. In their experiments, participants showed no significant differences between computer screens and VR devices for content-based learning

outcomes. However, VR far exceeded screen viewing for achieving experiencebased learning outcomes. In other words, VR was more enjoyable and easier to use.

Evaluated lessons “Students are enthusiastic about learning in VR,” said Bas Rokers, Associate Professor and Director of the Neuroimaging Center. “All participants received lessons about the visual system and auditory system, one in VR and one on a computer screen (order counterbalanced). We assessed content learning using a drawing/labelling task on paper (2D drawing) in Experiment 1 and a Looking

Glass autostereoscopic display (3D drawing) in Experiment 2. “In both experiments, we found that while there was no difference in the effectiveness of lessons between devices, participants reported VR was more enjoyable and easier to use. “We also evaluated the VR lessons in our classroom implementation during an undergraduate course on perception. Students reported that the VR lessons helped them make progress on course learning outcomes, especially for learning system pathways. They suggested lessons could be improved by adding more examples and providing more time to explore in VR.”

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Having a chat with two talkative teachers In our last issue, we mentioned Two Talkative Teachers, a new podcast in which two passionate teachers talk teaching life in New Zealand. We wanted to know more about them and what they’re doing, so we tracked them down for a chat. Who are Two Talkative Teachers?

We are Franska Harris and Kelly Mattock, and we are teachers at a primary school in Auckland.

What made you decide to do a podcast?

We’re passionate educators who like to share the ups and downs with each other. We both love listening to podcasts and noticed that there were not many from teachers in New Zealand that weren’t aiming to sell you anything. We wanted to be able to share what we are doing both in and out of our classrooms, and really give a New Zealand perspective on education. We are planning to interview other educators to highlight the amazing things that are happening in our own backyard. Unfortunately, lockdowns and restrictions put a stop to this, but we definitely have plans in the pipeline for the future.

Why together?

It’s quite daunting starting out doing something like this on your own. We’re both passionate about integrating digital technology into the everyday classroom. We have similar interests but teach at different levels. We wanted to be able to bounce off each other, challenge each other on things and include the junior and senior classes of primary school. We want our podcast to be like an informal chat amongst friends over coffee in the staffroom.

What’s been the reaction to Two Talkative Teachers?

It has been interesting. We are just two teachers who like to talk and share what we are doing. We don’t think that what we’re doing is right or better than the next teacher. We just like to share our own experiences and ideas. To be honest, we don’t really know what the reaction has been. We don’t tend to focus on how many listeners we have. Our own friends and wha-nau have given us great thoughts and advice. The Instagram community

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has also given us valuable constructive feedback.

Can you explain how you create and record the podcast, both on the technical and deciding on what to talk about? We had to laugh at this question. We both teach in the same school, so we just meet during lunchtime and record. You can hear the background noise of kids in the playground. In some episodes you can hear the bell ring and we wrap it up. We are in the learning pit with all of this. You will see us sitting close at a table in the classroom with the handy phone for recording. There is nothing at all fancy about our basic set up. We wanted to start and see how we went before we purchased any fancy gear. No headphones or fluffy microphone just yet.

We never have a problem deciding what to discuss. We often go with what’s on top for us at the time. We have a huge list of ideas and another list of educators we would love to have as guest speakers because we find them inspiring ourselves. On the technical side, again it is not fancy. We use a phone to record our audio. Then we put it all into the Anchor app, quickly edit if need be and click publish. We started by recording in

segments, but we soon found that recording the whole thing in one go and then editing it out as needed was way more efficient and authentic. We have also recorded separately and put it together. We didn’t like the outcome for this as much as there was limited banter between us and we now know that we love good banter and sound natural.

What’s been the most challenging part of the whole process?

At first, it was getting to know the Anchor platform, finding a tune and working that out. Now we are focusing on content and interviewing educators around the country. This can be challenging with current restrictions and making sure everyone feels safe. Zoom recordings is also the next step we need to master. We are conscious about maintaining our own point of view, not the school’s perspective.

Any memorable moments you’ d like to share?

The amount of people who found the podcast without us promoting it was amazing. It is always fun to hear what people we know think. Franska has friends in the UK that are listening and they laugh at hearing how her accent has changed!

Students often walk into the classroom as we are recording, so there have been some funny editing moments. As well as laughing at each other while we rush in and out to record between lessons, bathroom breaks and scoffing our lunch. We generally try not to take ourselves too seriously.

How did you come up with the name?

We both love alliteration, so wanted to come up with something catchy, as well as a name that portrayed what we were doing. We really are two talkative teachers!

How does it feel to put yourselves out there in public, in the podcast world and share your thoughts and ideas? It’s actually really scary. Everything’s all new to us and very daunting. We try not to read too many ratings or comments as we don’t want it to take away the fun that we have putting it together or to lose our

vision of why we started it in the first place.

What do you hope people get out of your podcast?

We hope that our podcast is relatable and sparks conversations, and that it helps other educators to feel like we are one big teaching team who go through the ups and downs of everything together. Social media can give a very skewed perspective on the realities of being in the classroom full time. We hope that people feel they can relate to our experiences, maybe gain ideas or spark conversations with their own colleagues.

We have also been toying with the idea of filming ourselves recording, so that we can cover the visual platforms also. It’s hard to keep up with recording and creating content for social media while making sure our classes stay our main priority.

INTERFATCI ITACI

TALKERS: FRANSKA AND KELLY

Thank you.

Want to have a listen for yourself?

Do you have any plans for the future, either for the podcast or any other digital adventures? We hope to learn and become more professional with our podcast. We’d love to get more people from around the country involved. If anyone’s interested to share your story, idea, experience, no matter how big or small, please get in touch with us.

Check out Two Talkative Teachers at anchor.fm/twotalkativeteachers

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New resource is changing the game for STEM learners Gamechangers by name, Science Alive has high hopes its latest initiative will also be a game changer by nature for teachers. Free to use, the online activity uses successful Kiwi innovators to engage and inspire students with STEM, develop their skills and expose them to potential career paths in science and technology. Launched late last year, Gamechangers is a new, online learning tool that’s part of the Science Alive Ma-tauranga resources. It has been created in collaboration with Education Perfect and is accessible for free on the digital learning platform. “Gamechangers allows primary school students to understand the skills that drive a data scientist, the teamwork that creates a film and the problem-solving mindset vital for a start-up CEO,” said Project Lead Lauren Pugh. “Students set out on a journey to master skills across a land of native flora and fauna. Throughout the journey, they meet Gamechangers, inspiring experts from a range of science, technology and innovative disciplines who share their experiences and advice.”

Kiwi flavour

Gamechangers has a distinctly Kiwi flavour. While the resource’s focus is science, innovation, and technology, it also weaves Te Reo Ma-ori and Ma-tauranga Ma-ori (Ma-ori knowledge, views, and perspectives) throughout each learning activity. Additionally, students

learn from inspirational Kiwis in a diverse range of industries related to the STEM fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. From rocket engineers and master weavers to app developers and inventors, the programme aims to encourage learners to hone their skills and become the country’s next ‘game changers’. “We have collaborated with homegrown Kiwi innovators – people that students can identify with, such as Logan Williams, entrepreneur, inventor and founder of Shear Edge.” said Claire Turner, Science Alive Executive Trustee. “These are real, relatable New Zealanders delivering a powerful underlying message for students: if they can do it, I could do it too”. The influence of Ma-ori culture also helps students recognise the interconnection of learning, culture and technology. “Ma-tauranga Ma-ori is knowledge and perspectives of connectedness, just as science concepts are, so we’re looking at how we can inform and explore in an

unbiased way, acknowledging our heritage and our indigenous people as well as technology and science,” added Pugh, whose experience includes STEM teaching, project-based learning and consulting in schools.

T the Tuatara

Funded by the Science Alive Charitable Trust, Gamechangers content description challenges students to explore new scientific concepts, important moments in history, key players, and apply their knowledge to take action. In order to achieve this, they have to navigate a map with ‘T the Tuatara’ collecting new skills, represented in the form of pa-ua shells. “Students have to go out and find all these skills and bring them back to the centre, to reunite the land together once more,” explained Pugh. “Each one is a lesson. They learn from the game changer then demonstrate that they have learned that skill. “We are moving into a skills economy more than a knowledge economy. We want to give these kids the skills, so they will be able to thrive no matter what kind of role they are in.” There are six skills to master: problem solving, communication, collaboration, character, critical thinking, and creativity.

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students, really personalising their learning.

Competition and internship

New content is being added all the time to Gamechangers.

“There’s more coming on board and we’ve got some exciting gamechangers to come. “Ideally, we’d like to continue to build them into the land, which would mean we’d have more lessons available for the skills. However, we’re also looking at opening the activity up for different involvement for teachers and students.

Teachers can track students’ progress using Education Perfect’s data and analytics tools. “It’s a really strong data and analytics platform. This allows every lesson to be reviewed. The information it provides goes right down into the data around the percentage of what students are getting right. It can recommend next steps for

“For example, Rush, who designed the COVID-19 tracer app, are doing some live Q&As with students. We’re also going to run a competition, where the prize will be a mini internship with a gamechanger. “We’ve been incredibly blessed by the fact that so many of these fantastic people, who are all very busy, have wanted to be a part of this and been willing to give up their time and donate their knowledge to help children. “We want to get more people and more companies involved to bridge that gap between these industries and our kids. We want to break down their idea of STEM industries and expose to more of what’s out there, expanding their horizons and career aspirations.”

New online direction

Science Alive is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting science and technology through interactive experiences. Since having to leave its physical location in Christchurch following the 2010/11 earthquakes, the

Trust has been operating outreach programmes and more recently taken a new online direction. More recently, it’s partnered with Education Perfect to develop resources with a “shared understanding and passion’, added Alex Quinlan, Acting Executive Trustee. “Our team have quietly been working on how best to deliver our mission to promote, inspire and engage people with the endless opportunities that the world of science holds. “We’ve been collaborating with Education Perfect for more than a year now. We’re very lucky to have them working with us. The resources are continuing to build and new content is being uploaded all the time. “The world is changing at an unprecedented rate, and the demands and lifestyles of our youth are moving with this. We believe in the potential of every child and are driven to spark hope, excitement and curiosity within our future generations. “Gamechangers aims to inspire young learners to develop 21st century skills that will equip them for the jobs of the future. It has been developed as a koha to all children. There is no cost or time limit associated with this digital taonga.”

Connect to real people

Gamechangers is already proving a popular addition to Science Alive’s free resources, which include content that aligns with the Nature of Science framework of the New Zealand Curriculum. “The students loved the aesthetic look of the ‘game’, characters and navigating through the website,” explained Jo Flavell, who teaches at Frankton School in Hamilton. “Collecting the taonga was an element that really engaged students as well. In regard to explicit engagement of science, technology and innovation, it was the videos that engaged the students. Real people, from here in New Zealand, people that my students could connect to and see themselves in.” Compiled by the INTERFACE team.

Science Alive is a Charitable Trust established to inspire interest in science and technology, to showcase New Zealand successes in these fields and raise awareness of related opportunities. For more go to bit.ly/sciencealivegamechangers Or learn more at INTERFACEXpo 2022, where Science Alive is a sponsor this year.

INTERFACE 111 APRIL 22

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ART

MATHS

From Google’s Arts and Culture, Art Coloring Book (bit.ly/artcoloringbook) is exactly that. Select an artwork and use the tools provided to add colour from the pre-set palette. View in outlines, greyscale or see the actual painting, and learn more about it. Save and download or print and work on pictures offline.

Open Middle (openmiddle.com) resources challenge students to find the solution to a problem. Each leaves parts of an equation or question blank and asks students to complete it to make it true and correct. Browse by age and category. There’s an online workshop for educators that explains how it works.

Symbolab (symbolab.com) is an online maths tool that enables users to learn and discover mathematical topics using symbols and scientific notations. It comes with multiple smart calculators covering equations, simultaneous equations, inequalities, integrals, derivatives, trigonometric equations, functions and more.

From the National Library of Poland, Polona Typo (typo.polona.pl) uses letter images from historic books, posters, magazines, newspapers, and manuscripts, to spell a message. Write the text, then choose the background, and select the years and categories for the letter images. Save and share.

Choose a topic, enter a problem and let Mathway (mathway.com) come up with a solution. From basic algebra to trigonometry to complex calculus, it’ll provide a step-by-step answer, letting students see the process that led to the solution (but maybe only after they’re tried to solve it for themselves!).

Tired of contrived and irrelevant maths problems? The aim of Skew The Script (skewthescript.org) is to do maths that students actually care about. Divided into Stats and Algebra, its lessons tackle and solve authentic, real-world and ‘off script’ problems in sporting, environmental, social and other issues, use mathematical reasoning.

Have a go at some graffiti-style creations at Tate Art Gallery’s Street Art (tate. org.uk/kids/games-quizzes/street-art). Choose from rollers and spray cans to make your designs. There are various colour and size options. There are also stamps and stickers available to add. You can send or save to the gallery.

Engage your class in maths-based conversations with Would You Rather Math (wouldyourathermath.com). The site provides puzzling questions to pose to your students. Challenge them to come up with a suitable response and then justify their reasoning with a mathematical answer.

Learn all the times tables at Multiplication Games (multiplicationgames.com). Select one of the games – there are 35 to pick from – and try to solve all the multiplication equations, then keep beating your record. There are also multiplication tables and charts, and advice about learning multiplication.

Name ______________________

Would You Rather?

Option A

Option B

Would You Rather?

Option A

Break it down.

Option B

Break it down.

Conclusion

I would rather…

because

A SELECTION OF FILE SHARE RESOURCES IS ALSO LISTED UNDER ‘FREE STUFF’ AT INTERFACEONLINE.CO.NZ

INTERFACE 111 APRIL 22

WORDS

SCIENCE ON YOUTUBE

AROUND THE WORLD

WordReference (wordreference.com) is a free, bilingual online dictionary and translation platform, offering services in multiple languages, including French, English, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean. Search for translations, compare definitions, learn correct grammar, and ask questions about word usage.

Can animals predict the weather? How are waves made? Why can’t we remember being babies? Can a turtle live outside its shell? Mystery Doug (youtube.com/c/MysteryDoug) is a weekly video series for primary teachers that try to give answers to questions that real students have asked.

Discover amazing satellite imagery at Random Earth (random.earth). Use the arrows on the sides to browse selected images, use keywords to search for a specific spot, or just pick a point on the map and zoom in. You can save images or submit a view to the site’s gallery.

What can you learn by taking away words? See for yourself at Just the Punctuation (just-the-punctuation. glitch.me). Paste any text into the tool and it will remove everything except for the punctuation marks, leaving a fascinating ‘image’ for you to explore, analyse and discuss.

Fun Science (youtube.com/c/ FunScienceExperiments) offers heaps of amazing science experiments, awesome ideas, crafts, and lifehacks. They’re easy to follow with simple step-by-step tutorials. Playlists split videos into topics, like Simple Inventions, Painting Ideas and Science Experiments.

How much do you know about …? Devised by The New York Times, Country of the Week (nytimes.com/ column/country-of-the-week) is a weekly interactive quiz. Starting with finding the highlighted country’s location, answer multiple choice questions and review additional information.

Take your text for a walk with Word Wanderer (wordwanderer.org). If that sounds intriguing but a little odd – as it did to us – give it a go. You’ll need to paste in a minimum of 50 words. In return, the site will create an interactive word cloud where you visually study, select and compare relationships between the words.

Explore hands-on STEM projects, experiments and ideas at Science Buddies (youtube.com/user/ ScienceBuddiesTV/). Some of its more popular videos include ‘How to Build a Paper Speaker’, ‘How to Build an Infinity’, ‘Potato Battery Science’, and ‘Building Self Driving Cars’.

The Globe of Extremes (bit.ly/ globeofextremes) identifies some of the most extreme locations on the planet. From the ‘most distant point from land’ to the ‘highest permanent settlement’, learn about some far-out places, each with a short description. Maybe encourage students to come up with other ‘extreme’ locations.

WHAT IS THIS?

Wherever you see this symbol it means there’s a video to watch on the resource. Simply click and view. Or visit our YouTube channel. INTERFACE 110 MARCH 22

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Hyb COOL GIZMOS

CREATE ANIMATIONS

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6? If you need a random number roll, try Classroom Dice (bit.ly/ classroomdice). This simple, virtual tool offers the option of throwing one, two, or three dice at a time. Make your choice and select ‘Roll Dice’. Watch them roll and add up the result.

Want to watch YouTube and Vimeo videos in class but are but are put off by inappropriate and distracting advertising and comments? SafeShare TV (safeshare.tv) will remove these. Simply copy and paste the video’s url, and create a cleaned ‘Safeview’ to share and watch with students.

Flip Anim (flipanim.com) looks like a super easy way to make simple flipbook animations. Use the editing tools to create each drawing that make up the changing layers of the animation. Then choose the settings, such as page speed, page transparency, and zoom, before saving and sharing the result.

Quillbolt (quillbot.com) is a paraphrasing tool that will rewrite any sentence, paragraph, or article. Just enter your text into the input box and let it build the best paraphrase from the original piece of writing. Students can use it to learn about alternatives tones and styles of writing.

Provide annotated feedback with Floop (floopedu.com). Students submit documents and images, and you can make text and audio comments. They are able to see and respond to these, if need be, effectively creating a feedback loop, through comments, conversations and resubmissions.

Cloud Stop Motion (cloudstopmotion. com) has all you need for stop-motion animating. Work with your creation on a zoomable, scrollable timeline. Add sound effects, music, titles, credits and speech bubbles. Render to an MP4 movie. There’s an extensive library of audio, backgrounds and styles included.

Create interactive videos with PlayPosit (go.playposit.com). Using content from YouTube, Vimeo and others, you can add various interactive features – like text, links and forms – to your own video, called a ‘bulb’. Set up a class and invite students to join, assign bulbs and monitor their progress.

If you’re teaching about media bias, political leanings and misinformation, All Sides (allsides.com) could be a useful resource. The site aims to provide perspectives from centre-, left-, and right-leaning news outlets to help students compare and contrast, and get all sides of a story or issue.

Facebook has created an online tool called Animated Drawings (sketch. metademolab.com/canvas) that uses AI to automatically convert 2D hand-drawn characters – provided they meet certain specifications – into short animations. Draw and upload your image, then let the algorithm bring it to life. You can download and share.

A SELECTION OF FILE SHARE RESOURCES IS ALSO LISTED UNDER ‘FREE STUFF’ AT INTERFACEONLINE.CO.NZ

INTERFACE 111 APRIL 22

HAREFILESHAREFILESHAREFILESHAREFILESHAREFILESHAR EDUCATIONAL GAMES

CODING

Quandary (quandarygame.org) is a free, online teaching tool designed to challenge students (8years+) to develop critical thinking and perspective-taking while building a new colony on the planet Braxos. They’ll practise empathy and learn to make ethical decisions through fun and engaging gameplay.

@Stake (atstakegame.org) is a multiplayer roleplaying game designed to help facilitate productive and fair conversations. Set up the game and share the room code. For 3-5 players, each introduces their character’s perspectives, then take turns arguing their point of view. The best ideas that emerge will win!

Solve programming puzzles, improve your skills and compete in contests with CodinGame (codingame.com). The site turns problems and challenges into fun video games for various skill levels. Choose from 27 common coding languages, including Java, Python, C++, and Swift.

Looking for a quick and fun (and addictive) problem-solving, logic puzzle? Try Oh h1 (0hh1.com). The aim is to make squares either red or blue but with exactly two of the same colour in each row and column. The rules are explained as you play. Choose from different grid sizes to play, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 x 12.

Not so much a competitive game but more a challenge to get students thinking, All About Explorers (allaboutexplorers.com) was developed to test their ability to determine what’s real online. The site’s full of inaccuracies and players must make their own judgements in the Treasure Hunt and Web Quest sections.

Build the best, destroy the rest! Robocode (robocode.sourceforge.io) is a programming game, where the goal is to develop a robot battle tank to battle against other tanks in Java or .NET. To move a robot around or use it for fighting, learners have to enter commands in a built-in editor. Battles are run in real-time and on-screen.

As the name suggests, What came first? (bit.ly/whatcamefirst) asks players to pick the oldest of two items shown – things like paintings, buildings, people, inventions, and more. The faster students answer, the more points they get. Once done, scroll down to read more about each of the compared images.

Learn about elements on the Periodic Table with Element ID (bit.ly/elementid). Choose from two game options. One asks students to find an element on the periodic table within 30 seconds. The other challenges them to find an element by only providing hints to what it is, within the allotted 90 seconds.

With more than 1,200 exercises, CodeGym (codegym.cc) is an online, interactive course for learning Java. The game is set in the year 3018, at a time when humans share the Earth with robots and space travel is routine. But your spaceship crashes and you need to complete coding quests to level up and get home.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO CHECK THE APPROPRIATENESS OF ANY ONLINE RESOURCES BEFORE USING THEM IN CLASS.

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We have some awesome prizes up for grabs this issue.

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BOOKS: PICK YOUR CHOICE FROM FOUR TITLES

WIN!

We have four fab books to give away in this issue. Firstly, there’s ‘Computer Coding Games for Kids’, which is a step-by-step guide to building computer games using Scratch. Then we have ‘The Ultimate Roblox Handbook’, with advice, tips and hints for this popular game creation platform. Or ‘Win the Game of Googleopoly’ might be more your style, as it explores the secret strategies of search engines. And lastly, maybe you’ll prefer ‘STEM Junior Engineering’, with its engaging explanations of how 40 things work. What will it be? The choice is yours. Simply select your preferred title when submitting your entry. Entries close Wednesday 8 June, 2022.

2to!

WIN

MINI USB VACUUM Are things like dust, crumbs and hairs accumulating on and around your keyboard and computer? Keep things all clean and tidy with a Mini USB Vacuum. Powered directly from a USB port, this nifty device comes with two attachments: a flat, bristle brush head for general surface cleaning; and rubber suction head for getting between keys, and into gaps and crevices. There are also two power settings to choose, so you can get a little extra suck if required. We have two mini vacuums up for grabs (green colour only). Make sure you clean up by entering on our website. Entries close Wednesday 8 June, 2022.

New app is a ‘game changer’ for STEM learning. Find out how on pages 28 and 29. INTERFACE 110 MARCH 22

Z WIN@INTERFACEONLINE.CO.NZ WIN@INTERFACEONLINE.CO

To enter any of the competitions just go to our website.

1tINo !

BRAINBOX FM RADIO ELECTRONIC KIT

Learn how a radio works with this ‘snap and play’ FM Radio Electronic Kit. As with all BrainBox sets, there’s no soldering or trimming required as the activity uses brightly coloured, simple components with press-stud connectors. The radio kit includes: 2 x two-snap connectors, 3 x three-snap connectors, 1 x battery case, 1 x speaker, 1 x FM IC unit, and 1 x slide switch (but you’ll need to provide two AA batteries). Once built, tune into FM channels from 88 to 108. If this prize is on your wavelength, we have one available to win. Entries close Wednesday 8 June, 2022.

3to

SPIRAL CABLE PROTECTOR (4-PACK)

WIN!

Charging cables can easily become worn with use, split or even break. Give them a helping hand by adding a layer of protection with a Spiral Cable Protector. Made from tough silica gel, these flexible but durable supportive covers wrap around the cable and protect it. When the cable is pulled out, the bending force is absorbed by the cover instead of the wire, which helps to prevent damage. There are three packs on offer for your protection, each with four covers (colours are random). Entries close Wednesday 8 June, 2022.

Learn. Inspire. Update. Network. Book your spot today. Pages 8-11.

INTERFACE 110 MARCH 22

In association with

INTERFACEONLINE.CO.NZ 36

INTERFACE 111 APRIL 22

Improving reading skills by playing video games A team of Swiss and Italian researchers has demonstrated that the speed and accuracy of student reading can be improved and sustained through playing a child-friendly action video game for just a few hours.

The results, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, demonstrate improved reading abilities after just 12 hours of training. Notably, these gains persist over time, to the point that language school grades are seen to improve more than a year after the end of training. Decoding letters into sound is a key point in learning to read but is not enough to master it. “Reading calls upon several other essential mechanisms that we don’t necessarily think about, such as knowing how to move our eyes on the page or how to use our working memory to link words together in a coherent sentence,” explained Daphné Bavelier, a professor in the Psychology Section of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the UNIGE. “These other skills, such as vision, the deployment of attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, are known to be improved by action video games.”

Training different functions

A video game called ‘Skies of Manawak’ was designed, which combines action video games with mini games that train different executive functions, such as working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility, functions that are also called upon during reading. “The universe of this game is an alternative world in which the player, accompanied by his Raku, a flying creature, must carry out different missions to save planets and progress in the game”, added Angela Pasqualotto, first

ALL ACTION: PLAYING SKIES OF MANAWAK

author of this study, which is based on her PhD thesis at the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science of the University of Trento. “The idea is to reproduce the components of an action game, without incorporating violence, so that it is suitable for young children. For example, the Raku flies through a meteor shower, moving around to avoid those or aiming at them to weaken their impact, while collecting useful resources for the rest of the game, a bit like what you find in action video games.”

Attentional control

The scientists worked with 150 Italian schoolchildren aged 8 to 12, divided into two groups: one played the video game developed by the team, while the other played coding app Scratch. Both required attentional control and executive functions, but in different manners. The action video game challenges children to perform tasks within a time limit, such as remembering a sequence of symbols. Scratch, on the other hand, requires planning, reasoning and problem solving. “First, we tested the children’s ability to read words, non-words and paragraphs, and also we conducted an attention test that measures the child’s attentional control, a capacity we know is trained by action video games,” said Bavelier. “The children then followed the training with either the action video game or the

control game, for six weeks, two hours a week.”

Long-term improvement Following the training, the scientists repeated the tests on both groups of children. “We found a seven-fold improvement in attentional control in the children who played the action video game compared to the control group”, said Pasqualotto. The team also observed a clear enhancement in reading, not only in terms of reading speed, but also in accuracy – even though the action video game does not require any reading activity – whereas no improvement was noted for the control group. “What is particularly interesting about this study is that we carried out three further assessment tests at six months, 12 months and 18 months after training. On each occasion, the trained children performed better than the control group, which proves that these improvements were sustained,”

INTERFACEONLINE.CO.NZ

What if video games, instead of being an obstacle to literacy, could help children improve their reading abilities? A group from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has joined forces with scientists from the University of Trento in Italy to test whether an action video game for children could enhance reading skills.

The team now plans to adapt the game into German, French and English to see if playing action video games benefits reading acquisition in other learning environments. Skies of Manawak was developed by Italian design studio Studiobliquo. Find out more at studiobliquo.com

Wanted: Your e-adventures in the classroom. Got a story to tell about teaching with tech? Just drop us a line at comment@interfacemagazine.co.nz INTERFACE 111 APRIL 22

38 38INTERFACE INTERFACE 111 APRIL 110 MARCH 22 22

We know you’re doing some awesome things with Minecraft Education Edition. Now’s the time share your success. Simply tell us about a project you’ve been doing in class with Minecraft.

Your challenge is to ‘Build a Better Future’. Come up with a creation in Minecraft that helps to protect our environment. From sustainable living to fighting climate change to tackling plastic pollution, the choice is yours!

WIN some awesome prizes, including a #StikBot

Zanimation Studio. PLUS, get the bragging rights as the best Minecrafters in the country. Entries close Friday 8 July (end of Term 2). For full details and entry forms go to interfaceonline.co.nz/minecraft2022

More on Minecraft Education Edition at education.minecraft.net INTERFACE 110 MARCH 22

INTERFACE 110 MARCH 22

It’s on!

Join us in – Lincoln, Taupo or Auckland. Catch up with everyone and everything at next month’s INTERFACEXpo 2022. Don’t miss this chance to keep ahead of the latest trends in e-learning AND mix with your peers in the digital learning community. PLUS, it’s FREE! Join us for one of the only digital technology events actually happening. Places are filling fast. Find out more and book your spot at interfacexpo.nz/register2022/

INTERFACE 111 APRIL 22

INTERFACE Magazine, Issue 111, April 2022

Articles inside

From the Back: Improving reading skills by playing video games

File Share: Four pages of online resources

New resource is changing the game for STEM learners

Noticeboard

ETV: School Copyright Licensing Initiative

Having a chat with two talkative teachers

The Mind Lab: Introducing your classroom to the Metaverse

Keeping your head while all around you are

Special Feature: The metaverse awaits but will you be coming to the party?

Canon: Enhancing the learning experience with Canon Solutions for Education