Frontiers in Education: Digital Learning Innovations

Education is one of the many sectors in which augmented reality has been successfully implemented. To determine how Augmented Reality (AR) supports education, this bibliometric study analyzes 1734 articles extracted from the Scopus database between 2010 and mid-2023. The study aimed to determine patterns in productivity, authorship and collaboration patterns, publications, citation structures, general research tendencies, and bibliographic coupling. Biblioshiny and VOSviewer were employed in this investigation. The outcomes of the study indicate an ongoing trend of increasing publication counts or more contributions since 2016, and still a trending topic studies on interactive learning environments and AR in education and knowledge constitute niche areas, while epidemiology, science education, and mobile augmented reality are important research topics that were underdeveloped and indicate a relationship that is both emerging and declining, based on a thematic analysis of the papers. Furthermore, the outcomes demonstrate that the USA, Spain, and the United Kingdom have the strongest global cooperation despite the USA writing more articles. To offer an ideal road map for scholars who would like to carry out research in this area, this paper also looks at the trendsetting in augmented reality in education.

The effective integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) into educational practices holds promise for enhancing teaching and learning processes. Examining faculty acceptance and use of GenAI implementation can provide valuable insights into the conditions necessary for its successful application. This study consisted of a survey to measure the acceptance and use of GenAI in the educational practice of 208 faculty members at a private university in Mexico. The survey instrument used integrates elements of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). The original questionnaire was translated into Spanish and validated by experts to ensure reliability and validity in the new context. Overall, acceptance dimensions obtained middle-high results. Behavioral intention obtained the highest values whereas Subjective norm obtained the lowest values. Significant differences in GenAI acceptance regarding faculty disciplines and sociodemographics were not identified. Also, faculty GenAI acceptance is positively moderate correlated with faculty GenAI use to produce text. The identified acceptance level among faculty toward the use of GenAI in educational environments leads to expect a promising future for its integration into teaching and learning practices. In addition, further research on GenAI integration for student use and the impact of faculty training on the effective use of GenAI in educational settings are encouraged.

IntroductionInclusive digital education is a growing field that aims to provide equitable learning opportunities for all students, including those with special educational needs (SEN). This study investigates the effectiveness of three pedagogical methods - problem/project-based learning (PBL), cooperative learning (CL), and service learning (SL) - in promoting inclusive digital education.MethodsWe adopted a quantitative approach, collecting data through a structured questionnaire administered to nine media education and pedagogy experts from Italy and Austria.ResultsResults showed that PBL, CL, and SL are generally effective but require differentiated implementation approaches to maximize inclusivity. Practical implementation in the inclusive context of PBL requires promoting student reflection and self-assessment adapted to students’ individual needs; in CL, group projects supported by digital collaboration tools (e.g., Google Docs) facilitate structured dialogue, peer collaboration, and shared responsibility, thereby increasing engagement; in SL, linking learning to real-world practice and designing experiences that reflect students’ abilities and interests emerge as crucial, especially for students with SEN.DiscussionThe implications of these findings suggest that educators should adopt flexible and adaptive strategies to successfully implement PBL, CL, and SL to ensure that they meet the diverse needs of students in digital environments. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future investigations are discussed to further develop this area of research.

IntroductionThis study explores the motivators to use learning management systems (LMS) adopted and used in eLearning by Hong Kong universities among Mainland Chinese postgraduate students amid COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsAn adapted and extended UTUAT2 model was first proposed and tested using the structural equation modeling approach. Through self-report online questionnaire, data were collected in 2022 from 352 Mainland Chinese postgraduate students of nine universities in Hong Kong. The reliability and validity of the data were tested using the confirmatory factor analysis, followed by path analysis to test the hypotheses in the proposed model.ResultsThe study revealed nine motivators which explained 50% of the variance in LMS use intention. Trust (0.204), instructor characteristics (0.202), performance expectancy (0.181), and facilitating conditions (0.181) were identified as strong motivators of behavioral intention. Other factors such as effort expectancy (0.148), learning value (0.118) and social influence (0.115) also had significant positive effects on LMS use intention. Habit (0.014) and hedonic motivation (−0.016) had no significant direct effect on it.DiscussionThese findings provide inspirations for educational stakeholders to promote the acceptance of LMS platforms among distance and online learners who adopt the cyberspace as the only means of learning. They also offer insights about instructor recruitment and evaluation methods.

This article examines a project dedicated to comprehensively addressing the social impact of digital transformation. The project also emphasizes the effects of digital transformation on marginalized populations, especially forced migrants and individuals with special needs. The project involves the development of open-access course materials titled “Digital Life 1–2–3-4,” which are shared as open-access resources through four MOOCs on the iMooX platform. The primary goal is to increase awareness of the effects of digital transformation in daily life, such as algorithmic bias, inaccessibility, robots and digital divide, digital inclusion, and digital discrimination. By integrating ethical considerations, promoting digital literacy, and considering bringing users into the design process, the course mitigates the impact of digital transformation and promotes an equitable and empowering digital environment for the everyday use of technology, particularly for marginalized communities. In this article, we discuss specific course content, including digital inclusion, algorithmic bias, and emerging inequalities. The key goals are to understand and mitigate the risks of algorithmic bias, inaccessibility, and digital discrimination in educational technologies affecting diverse and vulnerable populations, and to promote digital literacy, access, and motivational design to encourage forced migrants’ active and safe participation in technology-enabled education. We conclude that it is essential to prioritize ethical principles in their design and application, elevate underrepresented voices, and foster a more equitable and inclusive digital landscape.

Our daily lives are undergoing a major transformation before our eyes. Digitalisation and digital content, social media platforms, the unlimited amount of information available on the internet, require a whole new set of people and knowledge. We need new competences to thrive that our parents and grandparents of the previous generation did not even know about. A different dimension of awareness has emerged, raising many questions from the digital, financial, consumer and sustainability perspectives. The messages and lessons from various studies and articles suggest that many individuals are not adequately prepared for these challenges, for a variety of reasons. Inherited patterns, lack of awareness-raising, some aspects of exclusion are all factors working against the process, which is also influenced by the openness, receptiveness and willingness of individuals to embrace new things. The emergence of awareness as a competence is clearly an expectation of the 21st century, without which we become very vulnerable in our challenging lives and our ability to succeed is therefore questionable. Agility as an individual competence is also a child of the 21st century. A few years ago, agility was understood more at an organisational level, but for an organisation to become agile, it needs to have agile people. Many education, training and training courses are trying to develop this approach, but the education system can also do a lot to achieve this. In this study, we analysed the generational characteristics of identification with the agile approach by processing 5,067 evaluable questionnaires in a quantitative primary research. The research found that Generation X identifies most with the agile approach. Generations Y and Z, although they have a positive view of agility, are willing and able to identify with it, but in their case there is still a strong lack of concrete knowledge and understanding. The aim of our study is to present the state of competences in modern times, including the different dimensions of awareness through the ability to be agile, in order to highlight the differences and identities in different generational, educational and other aspects, based on the results of a primary research conducted in Hungary. The literature used for this study will help to evaluate the research findings and to understand the relationship between education, agility and competences. They also help to understand why the study links these three areas, illustrate the cause and effect relationship, and in all cases studies are closely linked to the interpretation of these three areas and their impact on each other.

IntroductionThis study investigates the perceptual differences between ChatGPT and human tutors in fostering critical thinking among students, highlighting the effectiveness of Socratic tutoring methodologies in modern educational contexts.MethodsConducted with a sample of 230 university students in Taiwan, the research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews.Results and discussionResults reveal that while a significant portion of students appreciates the benefits of ChatGPT—namely its non-judgmental nature and accessibility—human tutors are acknowledged for their capability to provide tailored feedback and emotional support. Through threshold analysis conducted via a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) model, the study identified key features affecting student preferences, emphasizing the need for a balanced integration of AI and human tutoring methods. Findings underscore the importance of developing hybrid educational models that leverage both the strengths of human facilitators and the efficiencies of AI tools to enhance student learning and critical thinking skills.

Sustainability has become an essential factor in the field of education as the world evolves toward digitization. Technology is a valuable educational tool for sustainable development and it is rapidly adopted worldwide, leading to substantial educational innovations and findings. Technology such as Interactive Whiteboards, Learning Management Systems (LMS), and Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL), enhance self-directed learning among the learners. According to the goals of UNESCO, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal-4 (SDG4) focuses on quality education that endorses equity and equal opportunity for all. Mobile Learning is an educational method that can improve a teaching-learning context. However, limited studies have focused on utilizing MALL in the context of self-directed learning. The present study discusses the use of mobile applications for sustainable language learning. It provides a systematic review of the findings of 16 empirical studies published between 2019 and 2023 from Scopus and the Web of Science, based on PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) 2020. The study analyzes the use of mobile apps for self-directed learning and highlights the importance of digital abilities in promoting lifelong learning. The result indicates the benefits of self-directed learning in promoting sustainable learning and discusses the potential of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) in providing lifelong learning opportunities.

Most live broadcast work in education operates with an expert to novice delivery mode, and in indoor settings such as surgical teaching environments. Those few examples of live broadcasts from outdoor locations have heavy resource requirements, limiting their uptake within Higher Education. Working with undergraduates in a students as partners approach, this research aims to test the feasibility of a low-cost and low-tech solution to co-produce a live fieldwork broadcast within the biosciences. The co-production partnership successfully produced a live broadcast from conception to delivery in 2022–2023 with three placement students and in 2023–2024 with two placement students and three mentors. The students were involved in all aspects of design, development, and delivery of the live fieldwork broadcast. A pocket wireless modem creates an outdoor wireless network with a mobile device and wireless microphones used to deliver the broadcast. Semi-structured interviews, student self-assessments, and a reflective researcher diary explored the impact of this approach to co-produce a live fieldwork broadcast. Enjoyable aspects of the placement identified were the opportunity for new experiences and a sense of achievement. The live fieldwork broadcast placement enabled the placement students to develop 28 skills, with 73% of skills identified by at least two of the placement students. Most skills developed were transferable (54% of student identified skills), including teamwork and project planning. The simple and low-cost technology used provides a solution to address the barriers of technology integration within fieldwork and offers insight into the experience of working in partnership during a live fieldwork broadcast.

IntroductionReal-life project-based courses aim to enhance student learning by integrating authentic projects into the curriculum. However, the complexity of these projects, due to their VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) nature, can pose significant challenges, especially for students new to the concepts and skills being taught. This study addresses the overarching question: “How can a systematic model be developed and implemented to effectively manage teaching and learning through developing a real-life project in a hybrid cross-cohort environment?”.MethodsThe study was conducted within an Instructional Systems Design (ISD) course in a hybrid cross-cohort class structure. A diverse class of 27 students with varying backgrounds participated in the course. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, and instructor observations. The implementation process involved multiple student cohorts, primary stakeholders of the project, subject matter experts, and instructors.ResultsThe study resulted in the development of the proposed 3 Square model to manage hybrid cross-cohort learning environments. Students engaged in developing a real-life project—a public awareness website for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) in a university environment. They navigated the complexities of coordinating within a cross-cohort classroom and developed critical skills such as autonomous decision-making and effective communication. Outcomes included efficient time management, achievement of project objectives, and tangible learning outcomes such as mastering ISD topics, using new tools, and working collaboratively in a group.DiscussionThe findings highlight the importance of leveraging diverse student knowledge and experience to manage challenges in cross-cohort classrooms for complex projects. Practical implications are discussed for instructional design and teaching strategies in diverse educational settings, emphasizing the need for systematic approaches to facilitate real-life problem-based learning tasks.ConclusionThis study provides a retrospective evolution of a systematic model for hybrid cross-cohort learning environments. It identifies teaching-learning challenges, determines appropriate instructional strategies, and evaluates the effectiveness of solutions in facilitating real-life project-based learning. The insights gained contribute to managing diverse educational settings and enhancing instructional design practices.

We live in an increasingly digitalized and competitive world, so the use of technological resources in continuing education is essential. The objective was to determine the impact of the MOOC based on the flipped classroom methodology on the level of information competence and information literacy in primary school teachers. The approach was quantitative, pre-experimental design. The sample consisted of 810 teachers from the Lambayeque region. After the MOOC application, it was found that the competency of navigation, search and filtering of information, data and digital content obtained the highest score, with 2.84 in the pretest and 3.67 in the posttest on a scale of 1 to 5. The conclusion is the need to train teachers so that they are able to respond effectively and efficiently to the new challenges of this digital society.

IntroductionMonitoring and controlling learning is often difficult for primary school students. This issue is partially resolved when Adaptive Learning Technologies (ALTs) take over part of these self-regulated learning (SRL) processes. Trace data in ALTs provides elaborate information on students' learning process, which can be translated into monitoring support. However, this data does not provide insight into students' goal-setting behavior, which is a crucial part of the monitoring loop. Therefore, we developed a form of co-regulation between the student and the ALT with goal-setting prompts and monitoring support.MethodThis experimental study compared an experimental condition in which primary school students worked with the co-regulation intervention while practicing mathematics problems in the ALT to a control condition where they only practiced with the ALT. Firstly, we examined the effects of co-regulation with ALTs on regulation of practice behavior and learning outcomes by comparing the experimental and control conditions. Secondly, to gain further insight into students' goal-setting behavior in co-regulation, we examined how the experimental condition set their goals and attained them.ResultsResults showed that students in the experimental condition were more effective in regulating their practice behavior, shown by more problems solved and higher accuracy than the control condition. Similar learning gain was found in both conditions on the easy and intermediate learning topics. For the hard learning topic, the control condition showed a higher learning gain. Higher week goals than day goals on all three learning topics and similar goals were set between the learning topics. Students' goal attainment was less for the easy compared to the hard learning topic.DiscussionCombined, these results indicate that co-regulation with an ALT positively affects students' regulation of practice behavior and goal- setting behavior but does not yet increase learning gain. A practical implication is that teachers could support students by explicitly providing students with goal-setting opportunities.

The most relevant intersections in society include the relationship between universities and companies for a projection toward the sustainable employability of future graduates. Among the possible intersections, Service-learning (SL) is an educational proposition that may help university students to develop their personal skills, offering them opportunities to learn and practice civic commitment, improving their sense of social and citizen responsibility, and combining academic and community-service learning in a constructed programme where participants train by working on real needs of the environment to optimize and transform the latter. The development of SL programmes in university departments related to technical areas is posing a challenge to faculty members and students, thus it is important to explore this lack of programmes. The main aim of the present study was to identify SL projects and their topics through a systematic review, following the guidelines of the «Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses» (PRISMA) declaration in the knowledge areas of Architecture, Computer Science, Environmental Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Computer Languages and Systems, from the year 2008 to the year 2023. This review includes 128 articles, which were analyzed with ATLAS. Ti 22. The categorical system employed in this work emerged from the topics of the programmes identified in the selected articles, which were verified by experts in the mentioned fields of knowledge. The agreed categories were: accessibility, learning, social groups, courses, devices, infrastructure, games, environment, landscaping, heritage, software and web. The most relevant conclusions highlight that most of the articles refer to theoretical aspects of SL, showing a lack of data on the practical development of SL programmes and their impact on employability. The largest number of SL programmes are developed in the areas of Architecture, Computer Science and Software Engineering. Regarding the topics that are addressed in research, most of the articles refer to social groups, software, learning and accessibility.

IntroductionThe field of poetry learning is currently facing significant challenges, primarily due to a lack of motivation and interest among students. This has resulted in educators encountering difficulties in identifying suitable educational alternatives. To address the latter issue, immersive learning has emerged as a potential solution, as it has been demonstrated to enhance motivation and learning outcomes in a multitude of fields.MethodsIn light of the aforementioned considerations, this field study seeks to examine the potential of virtual reality (VR) tools in enhancing the memorization of poetry by increasing the engagement of the participants. The study concentrated on the acquisition of a French poem by a group of middle school students. A virtual environment has been developed for this purpose, tailored to the poem in question. The experimental design included a pretest, segmented learning sessions, a posttest, and a retention test. To evaluate student engagement, both motivation and sense of presence were measured using Likert-scale questionnaires, while memorization performance was assessed through a scoring system based on recall accuracy.ResultsThe findings reveal that the VR group demonstrated significantly higher motivation than the control group, with a mean difference of 12.626 on a 7-point Likert scale (six items), indicating that VR is a notably more effective tool for enhancing motivation in poetry learning than traditional methods. Additionally, the VR group reported a significantly stronger sense of presence, with a mean difference of 6.111 on the same questionnaire scale, further suggesting that VR enhances students’ sense of immersion in the learning experience. These results indicate that students using VR exhibited higher levels of overall engagement than those in the control group.DiscussionHowever, this increased engagement did not lead to improved memorization outcomes, as there was no significant difference in recall accuracy between the two groups. A potential explanation for this discrepancy is the “novelty effect” of VR, which may have distracted students from focusing fully on the memorization task. The implications of integrating VR in educational settings are thus discussed.

The rapid evolution of knowledge requires constantly acquiring and updating skills, making lifelong learning crucial. Despite decades of artificial intelligence, recent advances promote new solutions to personalize learning in this context. The purpose of this article is to explore the current state of research on the development of artificial intelligence-mediated solutions for the design of personalized learning paths. To achieve this, a systematic literature review (SRL) of 78 articles published between 2019 and 2024 from the Scopus and Web or Science databases was conducted, answering seven questions grouped into three themes: characteristics of the published research, context of the research, and type of solution analyzed. This study identified that: (a) the greatest production of scientific research on the topic is developed in China, India and the United States, (b) the focus is mainly directed towards the educational context at the higher education level with areas of opportunity for application in the work context, and (c) the development of adaptive learning technologies predominates; however, there is a growing interest in the application of generative language models. This article contributes to the growing interest and literature related to personalized learning under artificial intelligence mediated solutions that will serve as a basis for academic institutions and organizations to design programs under this model.

This study examines the efficacy of using a digital gamed platform in acquiring phoneme-grapheme correspondences of closed syllables with short vowels. Fifty-five fourth-grade English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners navigated through five digital escape rooms where they learned, practiced, and produced target graphemes. Mixed methods analyses found that spelling competence in the intervention group as opposed to the control group improved in the post-test and continued to improve significantly in the delayed post-test. Following analysis of the participant interviews four themes emerged. Autonomous learning and self-monitoring were the dominant themes followed by engagement and motivation, self-confidence and self-esteem, and peer learning and social interaction in decreasing order of prevalence. Combining learning with play while participants navigated within the digital learning environment proved to be an effective method of teaching young EFL learners to spell. The results of this intervention contribute to recent research in the post-COVID-19 era and mirror OECD goals for the 21st century which have highlighted the need for effective digital platforms that promote independent learning while maximizing student engagement.

IntroductionThe study investigates the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education (HE) and its impact on pre-service teachers at the University of Latvia (UL) by exploring pre-service teachers' perceptions of the benefits and challenges of AI in both their academic learning and their future professional roles as educators, particularly regarding the promotion of inclusive education.MethodsData was collected via an online survey of 240 pre-service teachers across various disciplines at the UL. The survey included demographic details, AI usage patterns, and perceived benefits and challenges. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis H tests, Spearman's correlation, and thematic analysis.ResultsLess than half of the participants used AI in their studies, with many expressing ambivalence or opposition toward AI. Benefits included language assistance and accessibility to global knowledge, while challenges involved reduced critical thinking and concerns over plagiarism. Despite recognizing AI's potential to promote inclusivity, most pre-service teachers have not applied it in practice. No significant differences in AI perceptions were found based on age, gender, or study level.DiscussionThe findings highlight a low adoption rate of AI among pre-service teachers and a gap between theoretical recognition of AI's potential and its practical application, particularly for inclusion. The study emphasizes the need for HE institutions to enhance AI literacy and readiness among future teachers.ConclusionAI is underutilized by pre-service teachers in both HE learning and teaching environments, which has implications for teacher preparation programs that better integrate AI literacy and inclusive practices.

Online learning and teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic had mixed impacts on students’ accessibility and performance. It benefited the concerned stakeholders, including management, teachers, and the students, to retain in the system, but it reinforced pre-existing discrimination among students from various disadvantaged groups. Studies reveal that the online learning system created an environment that facilitated students’ motive and interest in learning who disengaged themselves from classrooms due to various socioeconomic reasons during the pandemic. The present study explored students’ experience and perception of online learning in Nepal and analyzed the predictors of their interest in participating in the new learning environments. More specifically, it studied how the online modes of learning were associated with the interests of disadvantaged higher education students in their academic pursuits during the COVID-19 pandemic and how online learning impacted the pre-existing discrimination among them. The study generated concepts and variables drawing from the technology acceptance model (TAM) and a review of existing literature. A survey among 324 higher education students and a follow-up interview among nine selected respondents were conducted in Nepal between April and June 2021. The sample represented students from all social classes, genders, financial status, and geographies. Using a logistic regression model of the survey data and thematic analysis of interviews, this study found that compared to others, students from disadvantaged groups were significantly motivated by the online learning system. Their perception of online learning was positive despite the shortcomings of the system, such as the lack of internet infrastructure and the continuous flow of electricity. Students’ motivation toward the online learning system was triggered by their perception, which helped them to retain and continue in the higher education system. Based on the findings, this study concludes that in a developing country like Nepal, where students face social, economic, and geographical challenges in accessing higher education, the online learning system could be an effective alternative to traditional face-to-face learning to minimize pre-existing discrimination.

Collaborative online learning became a necessity for universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though it is known from research that online collaboration is an effective way of learning, digital interaction can be challenging for learners. Group members have to create a high-quality interaction to ensure the success of the collaborative learning process. Based on a theoretical model of collaborative learning, high-quality interaction can be determined with regard to cognitive group activities (prior knowledge activation, transactivity), meta-cognitive group activities (organization of the work process), and relational group activities (group climate, participation and task-related communication). Our study aims to examine how students manage a self-directed collaborative learning setting, how they perceive the process quality of digital interaction and how the interaction quality is related to self-reported outcomes (learning gain and satisfaction). We use a newly developed questionnaire to assess the quality of digital interaction in terms of the aforementioned dimensions. Furthermore, we focus on associations with the beliefs about web-based learning and the ability of perspective-taking at the individual level as well as the sense of community at the group level. We conducted a quantitative study within online university courses that were implemented asynchronously due to the COVID-19 pandemic. N = 298 undergraduate students in teacher education rated the quality of a digital collaborative learning settings (response rate of 72%). The students worked on collaborative tasks autonomously without any guidance from the teacher. We find differences between (meta-)cognitive and relational factors of interaction quality, and differences in the strength of the associations with outcomes and individual and group-related factors. Our study provides insights into students´ collaborative online learning and examines the relationships between different dimensions of group interaction quality and the input and outcome variables. Limitations and areas for further research are discussed.