This presentation provides insights into how XR technologies can effectively support and transform STEAM education. It outlines the integration of XR technologies into an MA program in Learning & Communication Technologies and Educational STEAM, which emphasizes the use of new and emerging technologies to enrich STEAM learning. The session begins with an overview of the program’s goals, highlighting its innovative focus on incorporating AR, VR, and MR applications into educational practices. Following this introduction, course instructors will discuss their use of these technologies in their courses, emphasizing practical applications and pedagogical methods designed to create interactive, experiential , and engaging learning experiences within the STEAM framework.
Presenters' short bios:
Dr Maria Meletiou-Mavrotheris is a Professor of Mathematics Education at European University Cyprus (EUC), Coordinator of the MA program Education Sciences: Technologies of Learning & Communication and STEAM Education, and Director of the ICT Enhanced Education Research Laboratory. She has a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education (University of Texas at Austin), an M.Sc in Statistics (UT Austin), an M.Sc. in Engineering (UT Austin), an M.A. in Open and Distance Learning (UK Open University), a B.A. in Mathematics (UT Austin), and Teacher’s Certification in Primary Education. She has engaged extensively in research and has established a respected research record through numerous scholarly publications and repeated invitations to participate in international conferences. Her success in attracting considerable research funding from national and international sources is also testimony to the high quality of her work and her scientific leadership potential. She has been involved in over 45 EU-funded projects (H2020, Erasmus+, LLP-Grundtvig, Socrates Minerva and Comenius, Leonardo da Vinci, Eureka). Her research record includes the coordination of five EU-funded projects (EarlyStatistics, SMASH, Living Book, FemSTEAM Mysteries, DataScEd4CiEn). Notably, the Socrates-Comenius project EarlyStatistics won the 2009 Best Cooperative Project Award in Statistical Literacy from the International Association of Statistics Education (IASE), while the Erasmus+KA2 projects The Living Book and FemSTEAM Mysteries received the 2021 European Innovative Teaching Award in Primary Education, and the 2023 European Innovative Teaching Award in Secondary Education respectively.
Dr. Ioanna Vekiri is an Assistant Professor in New and Emerging Technologies for STEAM Education in the Department of Education Sciences at European University Cyprus. She studied as a Fulbright scholar in the U.S., earning an MA in Educational Communications and Technology at New York University, as well as an MA in Science Education and a PhD in Education at the University of Michigan. She has worked in higher education institutions for many years in both conventional and e-learning programs and has taught in numerous teacher training programs. Her research has been published in international conference proceedings and high-impact journals (e.g., Computers & Education, Educational Psychology Review).
Dr. Demetrios Sotiropoulos serves as a Scientific Collaborator in the Department of Education at European University Cyprus, where he teaches in the MA program Education Sciences: Technologies of Learning & Communication and STEAM Education. Additionally, he is a member of the Laboratory Teaching Staff in the Department of Special Education at the University of Thessaly in Greece. His qualifications include a PhD in the use of digital technology in education in science (University of Athens), a Master's degree (M.Sc) in science education (University of Athens) and an undergraduate degree (B.A) in physics (AUTh). He has considerable experience of teaching at all levels of education and of training teachers in the use of new technologies in educational practice. At the primary, secondary and post-secondary levels of education, he has taught the subjects of computer science and science. At the tertiary level, he has taught numerous courses on the pedagogical use of digital technology for several years and has also provided guidance to students in the preparation of their postgraduate theses. Furthermore, he has participated in a multitude of European educational programmes, including Erasmus+, Horizon 2020, and earlier initiatives, and has presented his research findings at numerous academic conferences, journals and forums in Greece and abroad.
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