‘But this isn’t school’: exploring tensions in the intersection between school and leisure activities in classroom game design

While there are several positive outcomes from implementing game design in a formal learning context, there are also challenges that have to be considered in order to improve game-based learning. This is explored in the article, using the concepts of activity frames and stancetaking, focusing on the social organization of the game design activity. Building on video data from one 6th grade class and one 7th grade class designing computer games based on their social studies curriculum, this article shows that tensions arise when students fail to agree on what the activity they are doing is really about: The academic content and what students commonly perceive as school activities, or a game design activity informed by their leisure time. The main argument is that the students position themselves as students, game designers or characters, and that this may cause tensions in the students’ social interactions.     

Cognitive Load and Working Memory in Multimedia Learning: Conceptual and Measurement Issues

This article reviews contemporary research on multimedia learning that uses cognitive load theory as the major theoretical framework. In particular, we address the extent to which working memory has been conceptualized and measured in this research, what kind of subjective measures of cognitive load have been used and whether such measures are combined with other measures of cognitive load, and how results from subjective measures have been related to learning and achievement. The findings show that most of the reviewed studies did not include any clear conceptualization or measurement of working memory, used only general subjective measures containing one or very few items, and did not report findings consistent with the hypothesized relationship between cognitive load and multimedia learning. The findings are discussed in relation to the broader goal of improving research on cognitive load in the context of multimedia learning.     

Fleeing through the globalised education system: the role of violence and conflict in international student migration

ABSTRACT

This article connects directly to the globalisation of both education and conflict, and attends to the intersection between these phenomena, by focusing on conflict-induced student migration, an area, which has until recently been neglected in studies of higher education and migration, and peace and conflict research. The focus is on the very intersection of these research traditions in trying to understand how increasing globalised student migration is intertwined with the internationalisation of higher education and violent conflicts. The research on which this article is based was carried out at Malmö University, Sweden. The focus is on mapping the linkages between violent conflicts and student migration, using a mixed methods design.     

Daycare Staff Emotions and Coping Related to Children of Divorce: A Q Methodological Study

This Q methodological study explores emotional experiences and coping of daycare staff when working with children of divorce and their families. Two main coping strategies among daycare staff were identified: 1) Confident copers, and 2) Non-confident copers. Interviews exemplify the two main experiences. Both groups may struggle with coping in this work. Still, Non-confident copers seem to experience more problems than do Confident copers. Both Confident and Non-confident copers find it difficult to work with parents who argue in front of the children. Accordingly, we suggest tailored education and counseling in this field to increase knowledge and coping among staff, to help them in their work with children of divorce.