ETR&D

A large body of research shows that physical activity helps school-aged children and adolescents improve their health and academic performance, and many different types of technology can be used to facilitate and promote physical activity within a school community. This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire, titled the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program Technology Practice Questionnaire (CSPAP-TPQ) that investigates the current practice of technology use for physical activity promotion among various school stakeholders. Two rounds of the Delphi method (n = 24 experts) were employed to determine the content validity of questionnaire items. Reliability was established using the test–retest method among 43 registered Active Schools Champions. The final version of the questionnaire encompasses 41 unique technologies with items related to respondent demographics, school characteristics, and technology experience. Expert consensus, percent agreement, and chi-square analyses suggest that the CSPAP-TPQ is a valid and reliable tool for examining technology use in school-based physical activity, which can positively impact not only students’ health and well-being but also their academic achievement.

Dialectical thinking is a way of discussing and analyzing things from different viewpoints to reach a solution. It is often taught in language courses by conducting argumentation activities. However, without providing effective strategies or tools, learners generally encounter difficulties in structuring their viewpoints during the argumentation process. To solve this problem, this study proposed dialectical constructivist scaffolding-based argumentation mapping (DCS-AM), which integrates a structured, four-stage process to support students’ dialectical thinking and oral and dialogical argumentation complexity. The argumentation map refers to a visualized tool that enables learners to structure their viewpoints for making arguments. A quasi-experiment was conducted in an English as a Foreign Language course. A total of 26 students were in the DCS-AM group, while 22 students were in the conventional constructivist scaffolding-based argumentation mapping (CS-AM) group, which adopted a more conventional format, emphasizing direct discussion and teacher-led knowledge transmission. The experimental results found that students in the DCS-AM group exhibited significantly better dialectical thinking than those in the CS-AM group. Also, an epistemic network analysis (ENA) of oral and dialogical argumentation revealed that students in the DCS-AM group frequently developed more complex argumentation than those in the CS-AM group in terms of the structural component and discourse activity, including the process of students’ dialectical thinking that was found in both groups. This finding shows that technology-supported dialectical constructivist scaffolding can help students improve their dialectical thinking and argumentation skills.

Collaborative engagement is a quality that contributes successful learning by examining social interactions among students. In natural contexts, online collaborative learning is an evolving process that is subject to fluctuation in how students engage in social interactions. However, few studies have explored the interplay and intertwining of maintaining positive socio-emotional processes and high-level cognitive processes. Additionally, how social interactions fluctuate and transition in online collaborative learning is still unclear. In this process-oriented study, we qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed the screen-recorded collaborative learning of 15 groups of students (n = 45) and adopted the deep neural network model to automatically evaluate collaborative engagement in the online environment. The results show that neutral socio-emotional interaction is significantly associated with decreased cognitive interaction, while positive socio-emotional interaction is significantly associated with increased cognitive interaction. Furthermore, socio-emotional interactions become more positive when cognitive interactions fluctuate from deep to medium, accompanied by a relaxing group atmosphere and group members mobilizing the social climate through jokes. Cognitive interactions increase significantly when socio-emotional interactions shift from neutral to positive, mainly because positive socio-emotional interactions lead to active discussion among group members. Cognitive interactions decrease significantly when socio-emotional interactions shift from positive to neutral, mainly because the group members are less motivated and the learning goal becomes task completion instead of exploring more in-depth and comprehensive solutions. Research limitations and future research directions are also discussed concerning supporting and studying collaborative engagement in online collaborative learning.

Carrying out opportunistic collaboration, a method of flexible collaboration centering around ideas and free collaboration structures, is important in knowledge creation organizations, especially for knowledge-building community formation. However, fixed-group collaboration is still widely employed in educational practice, hindering the development of students’ knowledge creation activities. In this design-based study, we created and applied distance-shortening strategies, which are strategies for shortening students’ physical distance and idea distance, to support their opportunistic collaboration. The participants were 24 master’s degree students who took a required one-semester course titled Learning Sciences in Knowledge-Building Environments that included online and offline activities. Data included (1) records of students’ online activities; (2) video clips of students’ offline activities; and (3) the content of students’ online notes. Social network analysis, video analysis and content analysis were applied. The findings revealed that with distance-shortening strategies for constructing community knowledge and collective responsibility, the students were able to overcome the barriers of a fixed group and engage in opportunistic collaboration. Implications for principle-based and design-oriented knowledge-building activities and approaches to fostering knowledge creation are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine the systemic factors that impact instructional designers’ practices in higher education. The primary research goal was to examine the relationships and tensions that exist between administration, instructional designers, faculty, and resources. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 instructional designers to gain an understanding of their responsibilities, working in higher education. Interview questions focused on identifying systemic factors influencing their ability to complete their instructional design responsibilities. Activity theory served as the theoretical lens to explore the systemic relationships impacting instructional designers’ practices in higher education. The results of this study produced eight themes according to three metathemes: (1) relationships between instructional designers and faculty, (2) support from upper administration, and (3) technological infrastructure. The findings revealed inner contradictions pertaining to role clarity and expectations among faculty and instructional designers, lack of incentives to support faculty engaged in collaborative projects with instructional designers, and organizational barriers imposing strain on the allocation of technological resources. Other recommendations are provided for how to support instructional designers’ practice in higher education.

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of an animation and visualization of data structures (AVDS) tool on both perceptions and objective test performance. The study involved a rigorous experiment that assessed the usability, acceptability, and effectiveness of the AVDS tool in solving exercises. A total of 78 participants responded to questionnaires and were exposed to the AVDS tool, after which they completed a performance test, half (39) with the AVDS tool (the experimental group) and half (39) without the tool (the control group). Findings showed that the usability of AVDS was good; the experimental group even perceived AVDS usability as excellent. The results show that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitudes toward usage jointly led to positive intention to use the AVDS tool. Furthermore, perceived ease of use was a key factor influencing participants’ intention to use AVDS. In addition, the AVDS system improved test results and provided flexibility in use, enhancing learning experience and performance.

Learner satisfaction is an important element in online learning because it impacts achievement motivation, success, and retention. It was the purpose of this study to develop an instrument that measures the satisfaction of learners in online learning environments. Data were collected from 335 students at higher education institutions. The Online Learner Satisfaction Instrument (OLSI) includes 46 Likert-type scale items and four subscales: (a) learner, (b) instructor, (c) course, (d) program and organization. It also has one item measuring overall learner satisfaction. Three models were evaluated and a modified bi-factor model was selected as a final model because it aligned with the factor structure of the OLSI. All items on the OLSI revealed means greater than 3.0 (on a scale ranging from 1-very dissatisfied to 4-very satisfied). General course satisfaction and the comfort level with online courses were a significant predictor of the latent constructs of the OLSI.

Augmented Reality (AR) has been continuously adopted in K-12 settings, showing its beneficial impact. Despite numerous studies highlighting the benefit of AR that can enhance students’ motivation, no meta-analysis providing an in-depth look into AR’s impact on students’ motivation has been conducted, particularly in K-12 settings. In this meta-analysis, we meta-analyzed 45 experimental studies using AR in K-12 settings from 2010 to 2022, guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis procedure. We also conducted a moderator analysis considering diverse instructional considerations and study features, to offer a more focused and comprehensive understanding of AR’s effect on K-12 students’ motivation. The results showed a large effect of AR on enhancing K-12 students’ motivation (g = 0.803). Furthermore, we found that marker-based AR and collaborative learning significantly promoted K-12 students’ motivation, compared to location-based AR and non-collaborative learning experiences. The results indicated AR in K-12 settings needs to be carefully designed, considering how it is integrated within pedagogical practice. The implications and future research direction for researchers, educational practitioners, and AR developers are also discussed.

As COVID-19 has become a normalized seasonal infectious disease that may break out any time, online learning has also become an important and normalized learning mode during the post-epidemic period. Promoting students’ online learning engagements is the premise to ensure online learning effectiveness. Self-determination theory (SDT) can offer new insights on how to stimulate and maintain students’ online learning engagements. This study aimed to explore SDT’s contribution to students’ online learning engagements by examining the relationship among teacher support dimensions, students’ basic psychological needs, and online learning engagements. A theoretical model was established on the basis of existing research. The model was then tested with 1073 K–12 students who participated in online learning at home in western China during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2022 as sample data. Results found that (1) teacher autonomy support and involvement significantly predicted students’ perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness need satisfaction, whereas teacher structure significantly and negatively influenced students’ perceptions of the three basic psychological needs satisfaction; (2) Students’ perceived autonomy and competence need satisfaction significantly and positively influenced their online learning cognitive and behavioral engagements but had no significant positive influence on their online learning emotional engagement; (3) Students’ perceived relatedness need satisfaction significantly and positively influenced their online learning behavioral and emotional engagements but significantly and negatively influenced their online learning cognitive engagement. On the basis of the above findings, we put forward some future research directions and implications that can help improve the understanding of SDT’s contribution to students’ online learning engagements.

This quasi-experimental study examined the influences of an Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) adoption in the classroom and compared learning achievement, motivation, and perception between two versions of the learning approaches (IVR-based STREAM learning and Desktop Virtual Reality (DVR)-based STREAM learning). Twenty middle school students in the experimental group used a Head-Mounted Display, while twenty students in the comparison group used a DVR display to learn about tourism sites. The following data sources were used: (a) a multiple-choice questions pre-test and post-test measuring learning achievement (b) a validated questionnaire comprised of five-point Likert scale items measuring motivation and perceptions towards the utilization of IVR-based STREAM and DVR-based STREAM instructional approaches. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and the independent samples t-test were used to examine the data. The results showed that the experimental group had significantly higher leaning achievement and motivation to learn. While the difference in the students’ perception test scores between the two groups in this study was not statistically significant, the comparison group's mean was lower than that of the experimental group. Our findings support the use of IVR-based STREAM instructional approach in students’ learning performances. It also explains how to integrate and adopt an IVR-based STREAM instructional approach in the classroom.

Given the complexity of teaching, continuing teacher professional development (CPD) is essential for maintaining and enhancing teaching effectiveness, and bridging the gap between ever-evolving theory and practice. Technological advancements have opened new opportunities for digital tools to support CPD. However, the successful integration of such digital tools into practice poses challenges. It requires adherence to CPD prerequisites and acknowledgment of the complexity of the professional development process. This study explored the applicability of the developed digital PE teacher professional development TARGET-tool in a secondary school PE context. We examined the perceived usability of this tool and gained insights into the process of teachers’ professional development as a result of using the tool. Ten PE teachers from different schools implemented the TARGET-tool within their PE context for a period of 4 to 6 weeks. Individual semi-structured interviews and the System Usability Scale provided insights into the perceived usability and the process of teacher professional development. The TARGET-tool demonstrated its potential as an effective tool for supporting teachers’ professional development. Future tool improvements were identified to further optimize the perceived usability, such as simplifying complex features, providing additional support and resources, and improving (data) presentations. Using the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth as a theoretical basis, it was demonstrated how the use of the TARGET-tool engages teachers as active and reflective participants in their professional development and induces changes within the external domain, the domain of practice, the domain of consequences, and the personal domain.

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework has gained widespread recognition as a theoretical model for understanding student learning in online environments. Despite its prevalence, CoI has been critiqued for its limited emphasis on learners’ proactive roles in self-regulating their own learning. To address this, researchers have suggested integrating self-regulated learning (SRL) into the CoI framework. This integration calls for empirical research to explore the relationship between SRL and the three established CoI presences: teaching, social, and cognitive. Using a person-centered approach, this study examines how varying SRL skills among 750 undergraduate students in an online introductory mathematics course are related to the three CoI components. Latent profile analyses identified five distinct SRL profiles: minimal regulators, low regulators with limited social skills, low regulators, moderate regulators, and competent regulators. We found that students in higher SRL profiles demonstrated higher perception of CoI, whereas those in relatively lower SRL profiles showed lower levels of perceived CoI. Our findings underscore the importance of incorporating self-regulation in the CoI framework for a more comprehensive understanding of online learning.

This study explores the digital self-regulatory practices of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pre-service teachers via mobile applications in the post-pandemic era. The research is motivated by the need to address the absence of literature on the self-regulatory learning behaviours of EFL pre-service teachers in the aftermath of the pandemic-induced shift to online learning. The study participants were Polish and Turkish EFL students aged between 19 and 23, enrolled at state universities in Poland and Turkey. A validated online survey tool was developed and utilised for data collection based on the piloting phase of the study. The survey employed a combination of multiple-choice and 5-point Likert scale questions to examine participants’ interaction with different types of self-regulated applications after the pandemic. The findings revealed that Duolingo was the most widely used application. This underscored the importance of listening as the most frequently used language skill. The study also revealed a shift in learning patterns among participants following the pandemic as evidenced by the technologies available. Overall, the main findings of this study may serve as significant impetus for further research on pandemic-related changes in digital self-regulated learning practices among EFL learners globally. The results of the study might find broad implications for example for development of a new generation of MOOCs responding various needs of learners as well as incorporating elements of self-regulation into the traditional EFL class to increase its efficiency.

Teaching and learning methods that are related to student-generated content (SGC) seem a promising strategy for including sustainable development goals (SDGs) in education (established as a fundamental cornerstone in the achievement of these goals by the United Nations). This paper describes the inclusion of SDGs through the implementation of website learning projects, whose products are SGC where materials developed by students can be made available to other students (from the same or different courses) in Project Management subjects of the Degree in Computer Science. The method has trialled at two different universities working in a coordinated way. A total of 301 students developed these projects with which they completed the content of the subject, in addition to achieving learning with respect to the SDGs, increasing their understanding of the impact of information and communication technologies on the SDGs, and their awareness of the related problems. We also found that more learning is perceived with information search and content generation activities than with those that focus on the use of materials produced by peers. Finally, it is observed that the method has similar results in different contexts and with different groups of students.