ETR&D

The current systematic review study explores instructional designer practices to develop a comprehensive understanding of strategies employed by instructional designers and the expectations of the field. Using...

Teaching Computer Science concepts, such as graph theory, is often challenging. This study proposes an approach for teaching graph theory using an unplugged game (GraphGame) developed through a participatory design process that includes usage observation, clarifying meaning, prototyping, and implementation. This process was carried out with a group of Brazilian middle school students and involved collecting observations, interviews, ideation activities, and iterative prototyping with quantitative and qualitative tests. The game offers an interactive way to explore graph algorithms, improving abstraction capacity, a skill related to Computational Thinking. The effectiveness of the game in facilitating the learning of fundamental graphs concepts among high school students was evaluated with an independent sample of students. The results pointed out the proposal as a promising alternative for teaching graph theory, a complex computing topic, in an engaging way. By enhancing playful learning, this work offers an alternative to make teaching Computer Science more enjoyable and effective.

The formation of the digital divide is influenced by both objective factors, such as insufficient digital resources, and subjective factors, such as technology acceptance. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, utilizing the KANO model to analyze learners' demand attributes and the UTAUT model to examine subjective factors influencing technology acceptance. Standardized tests and survey questionnaires are used to assess digital learning outcomes. By collecting and analyzing data from diverse learner groups, this study aims to explore strategies for bridging the digital divide when transforming traditional online education into intelligent education, particularly in technologically and infrastructurally underdeveloped regions, including developing countries. The findings indicate significant differences in demand priorities among learners, as well as notable variations in how different learner groups classify their learning needs. Based on the demand analysis, targeted functional development can be implemented to reduce development costs in developing countries while maintaining the accessibility of digital resources. Moreover, user preferences for digital learning vary across groups; AI-driven identification and personalized recommendations can facilitate a more inclusive and equitable digital learning environment. Additionally, lowering the barriers to technology use through AI, enhancing engagement, and improving perceived effectiveness can significantly strengthen learners' confidence and motivation in bridging the digital divide. Finally, governments, educational institutions, and corporations should establish stronger communication and collaboration mechanisms to jointly address the pervasive digital divide in the era of intelligent education, particularly in developing countries.

This study investigated the effectiveness of localized learning content (LLC) in enhancing computational thinking (CT) skills and learning motivation among 6th-grade elementary school students in Busan, South Korea. In contrast to conventional methodological approaches, our research focuses on the transformative power of culturally and contextually relevant educational content. The study involved eight classroom teachers and 153 students, half of whom were exposed to programming education based on LLC and the other half to a conventional curriculum approved by the Ministry of Education. Quantitative analysis revealed a statistically significant improvement in CT skills and learning motivation among students in the LLC group compared to those in the control group, with effect sizes indicating a moderate magnitude of improvement. Semi-structured interviews with teachers and students supported these findings, indicating higher engagement and perceived relevance of LLC-based courses. However, this study also uncovered challenges related to the time and resources required to develop localized content. Despite these limitations, this study supports the potential utility of LLC, aligning with the sociocultural theory and the information process theory. It also opens new avenues for future research into LLC’s long-term efficacy and logistical feasibility. Given the significant improvements in CT and student motivation, the findings underscore the potential of LLC as a transformative approach in software education.

Writing explanations is widely recognized as an effective strategy to promote meaningful learning outcomes. However, most research focused on writing explanations for fictitious peers, with limited investigation into the benefits of writing for actual peers, particularly considering the influence of peer relationship closeness. To address this gap, the present study examined how explanation type (writing explanations vs. viewing explanations) and peer relationship closeness (close peer vs. distant peer) affect student’s perceived learning experience, attention allocation, behavior patterns, metacognitive judgment, and learning performance (i.e., retention and transfer). Our findings indicate that close peer relationships enhance student motivation and mental effort without increasing perceived difficulty. Furthermore, our results highlight the benefits of writing explanations, especially for a close peer, in enhancing students’ metacognitive judgment, self-monitoring behavior, and learning performance. These results lead to a recommendation to form strategic pairs or small groups in generative learning activities.