Search

Background: A practical test that measures the information and communication technology (ICT) skills students need for effectively using ICT in primary education has yet to be developed (Oh et al., 2021). This paper reports on the development, validation, and reliability of a test measuring primary school students' ICT skills required for effectively using ICT (the ECC‐ICT test). Objectives: Based on existing literature, three ICT use domains were identified for effectively using ICT: Effective, collaborative, and creativeuse of ICT. For these three domains, 24 corresponding teaching objectives were identified from a widely used digital literacy framework. Thirty‐four test items cover these teaching objectives in an online test. Methods: A mixed‐method approach was used for the ECC‐ICT test. Four pilot rounds (n=25) implemented qualitative interviews for cognitive validity and refining the test items, followed by a qualitative usability study(n=6). Confirmatory factor analysis and ANOVA provided quantitative insight into the large‐scale test administration(n=575). Results and Conclusions: Composite reliability of our conceptual 3‐factor confirmatory model showed that the test reliably measured primary school effective use of ICT (ω = 0.82), collaborative use of ICT (ω = 0.80) and creative use of ICT (ω = 0.64). Convergent validity (ranging from 0.41 to 0.46) was acceptable. Internal consistency (ranging from 0.84 to 0.91) and discriminant validity (HTMT values below 0.90) are good. ANOVA results show that mean test scores are higher for students in higher grade levels (p < 0.001). The post hoc Bonferroni results show that most grade‐by‐grade comparisons are significant (p < 0.001). Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Information and communication technology (ICT) skills are finding their way into national curriculums as teachers implement more digital learning environments.Teachers currently do not have a measurement instrument for the ICT skills primary education students need to learn in a personalised way. What this paper adds: This paper gives teachers a test that reliably measures the effective, collaborative, and creative ICT skills required for primary school students to learn using ICT.To our knowledge, this test is the first of its kind.Al materials to reproduce the test are available digitally for teachers. The implications of study findings for practitioners: For policy, this test can be used to check if a student is ready to use ICT in a self‐regulated setting.With this test, teachers can assess and support students' growth on the effective, collaborative, and creative ICT skills required for primary school students using ICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited research on the effectiveness of additional online and face‐to‐face practise opportunities for promoting active learning among Chinese EFL learners in higher education. Current understanding of self‐regulated and collaborative learning theories in educational contexts. Objectives: To establish the efficacy of interactive online and face‐to‐face practise opportunities for enhancing active learning among Chinese EFL learners. Methods: Employed mixed methods research to assess the impact of different types of practise opportunities on 116 EFL learners. Utilised methodological triangulation of QUAN + QUAL data and one‐way ANOVA for interpretation. Results and conclusions: The study demonstrated the effectiveness of integrating online and face‐to‐face practise opportunities to enhance active learning. Empirical evidence supports the pedagogical and theoretical benefits of these opportunities for promoting active learning among EFL learners. Lay Summary: What is currently known about this topic: Limited scholarly exploration of supplementary practise opportunities for active learning among Chinese EFL learnersExisting understanding of self‐regulated and collaborative learning theories in educational contexts What does this paper add: Establishes the effectiveness of interactive online and face‐to‐face practise opportunities for promoting active learningProvides empirical evidence supporting the integration of these opportunities to enhance active learning Implications for practise/or policy: Advocates for the combined use of online and face‐to‐face practise opportunities to enrich engagement, problem‐solving, feedback, and motivation among EFL learnersSuggests the development of instructional frameworks based on self‐regulated and collaborative learning theories for enhanced CALL courses [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This research is inspired by the challenges encountered in interpreter training, changes in learning needs in the technological era, the educational paradigm shift caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic, the lack of studies on combining virtual reality (VR)_and mobile technologies, and literature gaps in the field of the incorporation of technology in interpreter education. Objectives: This research aims to develop a mobile‐based VR application for bi‐directional English‐Chinese and Chinese‐English interpreting learning named 'Virtual Interpreting Practice' (VIP) based on an interpreting competence model and to investigate its impact on students' self‐rated language and interpreting proficiency levels as well as their declarative knowledge and operative skills as reflected in different interpreting modes (sight and consecutive) and language directions (English‐Chinese and Chinese‐English). The VIP app contains learning resources, including 13 learning modules covering both interpreting modes, practical topics and contexts, video lectures and demonstrations, fully immersive VR and non‐VR practice, glossary lists, source texts, translated texts and an online feedback platform. Methods: Thirty‐one native Chinese‐speaking English as a second/foreign (ESL/EFL) undergraduate students used the app for self‐directed learning. The data were collected by the pre‐study and post‐study questionnaires as well as the pre‐test and post‐test. Results and Conclusions: The results indicate that the use of VIP significantly raised the students' self‐rated language and interpreting proficiency levels as well as their interpreting performance in both modes and language directions. While the students performed better in sight interpreting and Chinese‐English interpreting, they achieved a significantly higher improvement rate in consecutive interpreting and English‐Chinese interpreting. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: A number of studies have demonstrated the use of virtual reality (VR) provides users with senses of multiple presence, enhances learner engagement and motivation, and facilitates collaborative, situated, immersive and experiential learning that is not often available in traditional learning environments.The increasing availability of VR has created new opportunities in the area of mobile‐assisted language learning (MALL), paving the way for a new research area called VR‐assisted language learning (VRALL).Using VRALL, numerous benefits in various language skills have been identified, such as listening, speaking, writing and vocabulary acquisition. What this paper adds: While blending VR and mobile technologies may play a more significant role in education settings and create more advantages, the impact of this combination for interpreting learning has remained an unexplored area in higher education. This paper has addressed the research gaps in which there is a lack of VR language learning apps that are bilingual, mobile‐based and specifically designed for interpreting practice in highly immersive learning environments.The results indicate that the use of VIP significantly raised the students' self‐rated language and interpreting proficiency levels as well as their interpreting performance in both sight and consecutive interpreting and language directions (English‐Chinese and Chinese‐English).While the students performed better in sight interpreting and Chinese‐English interpreting, they achieved a significantly higher improvement rate in consecutive interpreting and English‐Chinese interpreting. Implications for practice and/or policy: The results have implications for the roles of students and teachers. The app developed in this study shifts the teacher‐led approach to student‐centred learning. While it allows more learning autonomy, its effectiveness may largely depend on students' ability to self‐regulate and engage.It appears that the effectiveness of VRALL depends on a number of individual and contextual factors, e.g. the design and functionality of the apps, availability of the internet connection and smartphones as well as learning needs and motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the advancement of mobile and sensing technology, the incorporation of augmented reality (AR) in context‐aware ubiquitous learning (CAUL) has offered significant benefits to oral communication development in foreign language learning. Although a great number of studies have been dedicated in this field, only a little research was conducted to formulate a facilitation framework aligning with established learning theories or pedagogies. Objectives: This review thereby examined the facilitation tenets conducive to the best practice of AR‐based CAUL projects for oral communication enhancement and further established a AR‐guided CAUL framework. Methods: The researchers systematically reviewed 17 related empirical AR studies from Web of Science from 2000 to 2021 and synthesized the results with focused second language acquisition theories. Results and Conclusions: Three practical tenets were identified, including facilitating learner‐centred pedagogies with personal and contextual learning supports, incorporating constructivist learning design, and encouraging collaborative learning and higher‐order cognitive skills. Furthermore, in accordance with the synthesized results, a facilitation framework combining situated learning, learning‐by‐doing, and social constructivist design was developed to engage students in a learning, applying, and reflecting process in formal and informal learning contexts. Major Takeaways: For the best practice of oral communication through AR, this review study offers practical facilitation tenets and theoretical framework which are in alignment with research‐proven theories. It is expected that the framework could provide frontline educational practitioners with guidance to foster students' learning outcomes and interactions. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Foreign language learning has become interactive, contextual, and ubiquitous due to the development of mobile computing and sensing technologyThe incorporation of augmented reality (AR) an context aware ubiquitous learning (CAUL) is beneficial for the facilitation of oral communication in foreign language learning What this paper adds?: This paper offers practical facilitation tenets for oral communication development through AR‐based CAUL applicationsA theoretical framework is created for the best practices of AR and CAUL‐based listening and speaking projects Implications for practice and/or policy: The facilitation framework provides clear steps and details of implementation with learning theories to guide frontline educational practitioners and learnersThis paper can assist interested stakeholders to develop learning designs and effectiveness with the combination of theoretical foundation and pedagogical applications [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Collaborative learning has become a crucial approach to promoting online in‐service teacher training. Appropriate peer recommendation for group composition is the basis to ensure productive learning outcomes of collaborative learning. However, there is a lack of understanding of the impact of peer recommendation on in‐service teachers' online training. Objectives: Therefore, based on the collaborative filtering approach, a peer recommendation mechanism for in‐service teachers was constructed in this study. We investigated the effects of the constructed mechanism on in‐service teachers' online learning performance, interactive knowledge construction behavioural patterns and social networks. Methods: In this study, 82 in‐service teachers were recruited to participate in the study. Participants under the experimental condition (n = 41) were invited to apply collaborative filtering‐based peer recommendation mechanism for grouping, while participants under the control condition (n = 41) were invited to use random grouping method. Participants' interaction data were collected from online collaborative discussion activities in a 5‐week asynchronous online course. The pre‐post knowledge test, content analysis, lag sequential analysis and social network analysis were used to analyse the differences between groups. Results and Conclusions: The following findings were revealed: (1) the experimental group performed better than the control group in terms of online learning performance; (2) interactive knowledge construction behavioural patterns generated in collaborative activities showed that the experimental group achieved deeper level of knowledge construction in collaboration than the control group; (3) social networks generated in collaborative activities showed that the experimental group had tighter interaction relationships than the control group. Therefore, the peer recommendation mechanism could be useful to improve peer recommendation for group composition and had positive effects on in‐service teachers' online training. Implications: This study can shed light on the construction of peer recommendation mechanism in recommending appropriate peers for in‐service teachers and different learners in online collaborative learning. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic: Appropriate learning peers are conducive to promoting effective online collaborative learning. What this paper adds: This study constructed a collaborative filtering‐based peer recommendation mechanism for recommending appropriate learning peers to improve online collaborative learning of in‐service teachers. The implications of study findings for practitioners: The study findings provide insights into the construction of mechanisms for recommending learning peers in online teacher training and computer‐supported collaborative learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2018, it was found that only a quarter of Grade 3 children in India were reading at grade level. A growing demand for English education has further limited children's literacy achievement. Despite a strong evidence base in favour of using systematic phonics for building English literacy skills, many teachers in India continue to use rote‐methods of literacy instruction. Objectives: We aimed to examine the efficacy of GraphoLearn (GL) English Rime, a computer‐assisted reading intervention, in improving the foundational literacy skills of 1st and 2nd grade students who were attending an English medium school in India. Methods: A total of 136 students across 6 classrooms were randomly allocated to play either GL or a control math game over a 5‐week intervention period. Students were pre‐ and post‐tested on various English literacy skills using tasks built into the GL software as well as through oral and paper‐based tasks. Results and Conclusions: Students who played GL showed significantly greater and faster development on in‐game measures of letter‐sound knowledge, rime unit recognition, and word recognition as compared to students who did not play GL. In addition, GL resulted in greater effects on these measures for students with stronger English literacy skills prior to the start of the intervention. No differences were found between groups on the oral and paper‐based tasks. Implications: GL was able to quickly and effectively teach critical sub‐skills for reading. However, a lack of effects on the out‐of‐game measures opens the door for further discussion on the successful implementation of such interventions. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic:India has an ongoing literacy crisis with many children failing to acquire functional literacy skills.Under‐resourced schools,outdated pedagogical methods, and a demand for English‐medium education are partially to blame.Globally, technology is being increasingly looked at to help improve student learning levels across all subject areas.There are a lack of studies examining the efficacy of various ed‐tech tools to improve literacy in the context of India.What this paper adds:The study aimed to test GraphoLearn English (GL), a mobile game designed to teach and practice early reading skills through phonics with first and second graders.Results showed that children who played GL outperformed those who did not play on critical literacy skills such as letter‐sound knowledge and word recognition.In addition, GL was more effective for those who had higher pre‐existing English literacy skills.However, improvements were only seen on measures assessed in the game and not on measures assessed orally or on paper.Implications for practice and/or policy:GL and other educational technologies can be extremely effective tools which allow for an individualized learning experience.However, it is important that for any educational game, learning moves beyond the game itself.Teachers are critical players in this process and must ensure that tech‐based instruction is integrated with teacher‐led instruction.Policy makers and school administration must ensure that teachers are adequately trained on when, with whom, and how to use such technologies before they are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While automatic speech recognition (ASR) is increasingly used for commercial purposes, its influence on the learners' linguistic performance in terms of oral complexity, accuracy and fluency was under‐explored. To date, few studies have been conducted to investigate how the dictation ASR technology could be incorporated into language classrooms to facilitate the learners' language acquisition. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of ASR‐based technology on English learners' oral accuracy and fluency and depict the corresponding development trajectories. Methods: A total of 160 first‐year university students were enrolled in a 14‐week quasi‐experiment based on a longitudinal research design. Both treatment and control groups were taught with the flipped classroom approach, but the students in the treatment group were particularly required to undertake a pre‐class task with ASR technology. Students' Unit Task performance was audio‐recorded, and the metrics of oral accuracy and fluency were coded and computed based on the recording transcripts. A two‐way repeated measures ANCOVA was conducted to investigate the between‐ and within‐subjects effects as well as the corresponding interaction effects. Results: In terms of the between‐subjects effect, the treatment group outperformed the control group on phonological accuracy, speed fluency and repair fluency. In terms of the within‐subjects effect, significant gains in lexical and morphosyntactic accuracy were witnessed over time in both groups, but the performance of the treatment group tended to be more stable. On all the fluency metrics and phonological accuracy, no significant within‐subjects improvement was seen over time. Implications: The development of oral accuracy may generate a negative impact on that of fluency. Therefore, course developers and teachers need to design special tasks and provide conditions conducive to the development of the students' oral fluency. Moreover, the mobile‐based dictation ASR application could incorporate adaptive artificial intelligence, which may escalate the students' fossilization of learner interlanguage. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?The ASR‐based technology is becoming popular in foreign language learning.The effect of ASR‐based technology on oral accuracy and fluency is still in a nascent phase. What this paper adds?This study explores how the mobile‐based dictation ASR technology facilitates English learners' oral accuracy and fluency.The dictation ASR‐based application integrated into pre‐class learning enhances English learners' phonological accuracy, speed fluency and repair fluency.The dictation ASR‐based application also contributed to a stable development of English learners' lexical and morphosyntactic accuracy over time. Implications for practiceEnglish teachers could integrate mobile‐based dictation ASR technology into pre‐class practice to improve the students' oral English accuracy and fluency in a flipped learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review study synthesizes research findings pertaining to the use of augmented reality (AR) in language learning. Published research from 2014 to 2019 has been explored and specific inclusion and exclusion criteria have been applied resulting in 54 relevant publications. Our findings determined: (a) devices and software employed for mastering AR; languages and contexts in which AR had been applied; theoretical perspectives adopted for guiding the use of AR; the number of participants in AR activities and benefits from using AR as an educational tool in the language classroom; (b) alignment of the affordances of Augmented Reality with the KSAVE (Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes, Values, Ethics) 21st‐century skills framework; (c) future directions in AR research and practice. The main findings from this review demonstrate the popularity of mobile‐based AR for supporting vocabulary (23.9%), reading (12.7%), speaking (9.9%) writing (8.5%) or generic language skills (9.9%). Our findings also uncovered areas that merit future attention in the application of AR in language learning – for instance learning theories were not often considered in the implementation of AR. The study concludes with suggestions for future research especially in the areas of instructional design and user experience. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Augmented reality (AR) has become an attractive trend in language learning.A number of reviews on AR in education have been conducted.The state of current research on AR in language learning lacks a comprehensive review. What their paper adds to this: The paper presents a systematic review of relevant academic literature on AR in the field of language learning.The paper provides empirical evidence on the benefits of AR in language learning based on selected literature.The findings revealed that the majority of AR studies are mobile‐based.The main findings from this review demonstrate the popularity of mobile‐based AR for supporting vocabulary, reading, speaking writing or generic language skills.Future research in AR is needed with focus on instructional design and user experience. Implications of study findings for practitioners: The systematic review adds to the body of knowledge a firm review of recent research findings in the field.Given the increased potential of AR, future research needs to focus on the development of under‐studied skills and competencies.AR is an optimal means to implement communicative language learning, through continuous dialogue about augmented information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the prominence attached to written corrective feedback (WCF) within the domain of second/foreign language (L2) acquisition, automated writing evaluation (AWE) tools have steadily gained ground over the last two decades. The current study was an attempt to investigate the extent incorporating an AWE program, known as Criterion®, within a process writing framework would affect learners' writing quality in an English as a foreign language context. Moreover, we drew a comparison between the overall effects of computer‐ versus teacher‐generated WCF. Participants consisted of 53 tertiary level students from two intact essay‐writing classes. The within‐group findings revealed that the experimental group's writing scores rose significantly from the pretest to posttest after receiving automated WCF over several weeks. Significant progress was also noticed on all rounds of scores obtained from five essays assigned to this group except between the first and the second. As for the comparison between computer‐ and teacher‐administered WCF, the former condition was found to be more efficient. Overall, the findings provide a deeper insight into the workings of an automated evaluation tool and how it was employed in the L2 classroom to impart consistency to the assessment procedure and ease the burden traditionally placed upon teachers. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Provision of written corrective feedback (WCF) to second/foreign language learners' essays has traditionally been an arduous task for teachers.Several educational bodies worldwide have endeavored to offer a solution to this longstanding issue through adapting computers.One such automated writing evaluation (AWE) tools developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) is known as Criterion®.Criterion is a sophisticated web‐based system which supplies individualized diagnostic feedback and holistic score reporting, thus helping learners plan, write, and revise their essays commensurate with the CF in a self‐regulated environment.More recently, the impact of automated WCF versus teacher‐administered WCF has attracted L2 researchers worldwide. The central concern of these studies, however, has been to assess the type and quality of the CF. What this paper adds?: Unlike many commercially‐motivated studies on AWE tools, this empirical study was conducted at the classroom level to probe the diagnostic merits of Criterion's feedback.The affordances of Criterion within a process writing perspective were tapped.Within the Iranian context, where traditional and product‐oriented techniques of writing instruction prevail in most schools and universities, no substantive studies had empirically examined the efficacy of an AWE program for writing development.This study used an analytic essay scoring scale to avoid the potential bias of assessing written products through holistic scores.Also, the current study examined teacher‐generated and computer‐generated feedback in terms of their overall impact on writing quality. Implications for practice and/or policy: Writing scores of the automated CF group improved from pretest to posttest, following the implementation of Criterion.Improvements in writing quality were also discerned along the five essays assigned to the automated CF group between the pre‐ and the posttest.The analytic scoring provided more detailed information about the learners' writing ability which could be of use for further research.Criterion may be used in the L2 writing classroom as a highly reliable complement to teacher‐administered CF.The AWE tool helps impart consistency to the assessment procedure and ease the burden traditionally placed upon teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the design and evaluation of a theory‐based computer‐assisted summary writing learning environment called Summary Writing‐PAL (SW‐PAL). The SW‐PAL was developed based on four aspects: summarizing strategies, learning theories, prior knowledge, and cognitive load. A quasi‐experiment that involved 58 undergraduates majoring in Computer Science was conducted to examine the effectiveness of SW‐PAL in writing summaries. Two intact classes were selected with 28 and 30 students in control and experimental groups, respectively. The conventional teaching approach was employed in the control group, whereas the SW‐PAL was introduced to the experimental group. Pretest and posttest were administrated to both groups. The findings indicated that SW‐PAL improved students' summary writing performance. A significant variance was noted between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load among students with varying levels of English proficiency in the experimental group, signifying that the SW‐PAL is more suitable for students with lower language proficiency. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Currently, there has been a lot of interest in CAL English language and numerous summary writing tools have been developed for language learning and teaching.Existing summary writing tools did not focus on learning theories incorporation.Worked examples approach is effective in well‐defined domain (mathematics, physics, etc.), how about if apply in ill‐defined domain (summary writing)? What this paper adds: Design and develop a CAL environment for summary writing.Incorporate learning theories in CAL environment.Apply worked example instructional approach in learning summary writing. Implications for practice and/or policy: Conventional teaching versus CAL environment in summary writing: CAL environment achieved better performance.Worked examples in ill‐defined domain (summary writing) are also effective in language learning.Worked examples is more effective for lower English language proficiency students.Cognitive load: Lower language proficiency students demonstrated lower cognitive load when using CAL environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the studies establishing factors affecting digital text and multimedia comprehension have been conducted in controlled conditions. The present study sought to test and extend the modality and seductive details effects, and the role of verbal ability and working memory capacity, to a remote, self‐paced, E‐learning scenario. Two hundred and thirteen first‐year undergraduates read or watched videos about scientific expository content in three formats: digital text (written expository texts, navigated in seven screens), presentation video (audio explanation, with written keywords), and presentation video with dynamic decorative images (audio explanation, written keywords, and dynamic decorative and irrelevant images). In a face‐to‐face session, they completed working memory and verbal ability tests. Comprehension performance was similar for the three conditions. For the multimedia videos with dynamic decorative irrelevant images, comprehension depended on working memory capacity. Verbal ability was relevant for both expository text and videos. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Verbal abilities and working memory affect digital expository text comprehension.Multimedia comprehension is better when explanations are narrated rather than written.Decorative, salient, irrelevant images in multimedia affect comprehension.Multimedia effects might be different in more naturalistic settings. What this paper adds: Tested effects in a self‐regulated, at home, E‐learning scenario.Similar comprehension with text and video.Effects of decorative, salient, irrelevant images depended on working memory capacity.Comprehension of text and video affected by verbal ability. Implications for practice and/or policy: Multimedia principles work differently in remote E‐learning settings.Decorative images to capture attention in video hinder learning for some students.Even in an unsupervised, remote setting, comprehension depends on verbal ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open Educational Resources (OER) aim to provide equal access to education. Yet, as the language level used in OER presents a barrier to many learners, there is a need to make these resources more comprehensible. This study combined eye‐tracking methodology and comprehension assessment to explore the effect of text simplification on English second language (L2) users, while also accounting for text organizational structure and individual predispositions. A total of 37 adult English L2 users took part in the study. They had to read either an authentic narrative, authentic expository OER or their linguistically simplified versions. The analysis showed that simplification led to better text comprehension, and text narrativity facilitated text recall, particularly at lower English proficiency levels. Eye‐tracking measures revealed that text simplification led to an increase in processing time during the initial reading of the text and a decrease in processing time during text re‐inspection. These findings have strong practical applications for online teaching with OER. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Open Educational Resources (OER) aim to increase access to education to all.Language level of OER in English was found to be very difficult, particularly to English L2 users.Text simplification that reduces the difficulty level of OER to English L2 users might be a potential solution.There is a lack of research that controls for the type of texts, individual predispositions and uses diverse behavioural measures to explore the effect of text simplification on English L2 users. What this paper adds: Text simplification led to better text comprehension, and text narrativity facilitated text recall, particularly at lower English proficiency levels.Text simplification slowed down processing during the initial reading of the text, and sped up processing during text re‐inspection.Final sentences, which were the likely locations for the integration of text information, received extended overall processing time in the simplified condition.Language proficiency played an important role both in text comprehension and text processing. Implications for practice and/or policy: Linguistic simplification of an OER text where possible – using higher frequency lexis, splitting long sentences, avoiding passive voice – benefits English L2 users, particularly at lower proficiency levels.There should be more narrative elements and cohesive links within and between sentences in the academic texts and OER, as these structures seem to be retained in readers' memory longer.OER publishers and material designers should be motivated to include the possibility for OER learners to access a simplified version of the OER materials [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing oral presentation skills is an essential objective of higher education. While previous research emphasized the importance of practice for developing oral presentation skills (OPS), it remains unclear what the optimal amount of practice is. This experimental field study examined the added benefit of an extra practice session in virtual reality (VR) on the progression of 35 graduate students in OPS, using a pre‐test post‐test design. In addition, the mediating effect of public speaking anxiety (PSA) was examined and the relation between PSA, preparation practices, perceived utility of VR and OPS was explored. Questionnaires and performance assessments were used in data collection. Results showed that participants gained benefits from practicing a third time before a virtual audience. Both anxious and non‐anxious participants progressed similarly on presentation skills and experienced the VR intervention comparably. However, the optimal number of practice presentations remains unclear and should be further investigated. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Presenting is recognized as a core competence for higher educated professionals in various domains.The opportunity to practice oral presentations is considered a crucial learning environment characteristic.Modern technological solutions can offer time‐ and place‐independent practice opportunities.It remains unclear what the optimal amount of practice is for developing oral presentation skills. What this paper adds to this: This study aims to provide empirical evidence for the optimal number of practice sessions on oral presentation performance.Results showed that participants gained benefits from practicing a third time before a virtual audience.Both anxious and non‐anxious participants progressed similarly on presentation skills and experienced the VR intervention comparably.The optimal number of practice presentations remains unclear and should be further investigated. The implications of study findings for practitioners: Practicing several times in front of a (virtual) audience should be facilitated by educational institutions.VR can be a useful tool to facilitate repeated practice sessions, by saving both in‐class time and offering the opportunity to practice independently.VR can be used in presentation trainings for several target groups, including those with high communication‐related anxieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research develops a web‐based model, entitled the "intuitive claim, peer‐assessment, discussion, and elaborate claim argumentation training" (IPadE) model, and embeds with a Web‐based Interactive Argumentation System to enhance undergraduate students' socioscientific argumentation abilities. This research adopts a quasi‐experimental research design; the sample comprised 131 undergraduate students from two classes (69 in the experimental group and 62 in the control group). The socioscientific issue discussed were related to global health. This study collected and analysed quantitative and qualitative data, including the pretest and posttest of students' knowledge test scores and argumentation abilities questionnaire. The results generally confirmed the effectiveness of the IPadE model. First, in a comparison of the content knowledge and argumentation skills, the experimental group have statistically significantly improved than the control group. Second, regarding the number of reasoning modes proposed, the experimental group could propose multiple reasoning modes and reasoning levels on rebuttals increased after training. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: In the traditional classroom setting, it is difficult to obtain a fair expression of opinions because dominant students lead the debate. With internet and communication technology (ICT) rapid development, that has been emerging as a useful supplement to traditional methods. Web‐based interactive learning environments have recently become a popular and effective tool in the education field worldwide.Argumentation skills are the critical reasoning abilities that a modern citizen should possess. Regrettably, the researchers have consistently demonstrated that adolescents' and young adults' insufficient competencies regarding argumentation, constructing weaknesses of two‐sided arguments, and difficulty justifying evidence in support of their claims (Brem & Rips, 2000; Driver, Newton, & Osborne, 2000; Kuhn, 1991, 2003; Naylor, Keogh, & Downing, 2007; Voss & Means, 1991). Students' inadequate knowledge of science and judgment capacity can cripple their competency to make satisfactory decisions and be responsible citizens in society (Fowler, Zeidler, & Sadler, 2009).The integration of argumentation activities into science‐related curriculum is currently upheld as a core factor for a successful science program. In addition, HIV/AIDS is a prominent global health problem in Taiwan. Research based on global health‐related content knowledge and argumentation is rarely.Most of the literature has focused on the learning of elementary and middle school students (Fowler et al., 2009; Jimènez‐Aleixandre, Rodriguez, & Duschl, 2000; Keselman, Kaufman, Kramer, & Patel, 2007; Lin & Mintzes, 2010; Wu & Tsai, 2007; Zohar & Nemet, 2002) and has rarely investigated pre‐service and in‐service teachers and undergraduate students. (Osborne, Erduran, & Simon, 2004; Chang & Chiu, 2008). What this paper adds: Research based on global health‐related content knowledge and argumentation is rarely. We develop the IPadE argumentation model with Web‐based Interactive Argumentation System to enhance argumentation abilities of undergraduate students toward globe health problem.We develop three research instruments, including HIV/AIDS knowledge test (HKT), Open‐ended SSI argumentation ability questionnaire (SAAQ), and Argumentation ability checklist (AAC).We added the metacognitive supports interface designs "context viewer" function of WIAS; on the left is the initial argumentation context of the user, in the middle is the Lakatos' argumentation model, and on the right is the peer assessment score. Students can view their own initial argumentation context and reflect upon it after interacting with their peers and group discussion to obtain a sounder argumentation in the argumentation stage (Figure 5). Implications for practice: Development of HIV/AIDS knowledge: The results confirm that experimental group students in the semester program using the IPadE model with WIAS performed better and significantly improved HIV/AIDS knowledge.Development of argumentation skills: The results confirm that undergraduate students using the IPadE model with WIAS performed significantly better than those in the control group.Changes in students' use of arguments modes: The majority of the reasons proposed by participants were science‐and‐technology‐oriented arguments, followed by law‐oriented and social‐oriented arguments in the PH. Additionally, the students' use of the major argument modes were proposed as law‐oriented in the NH and rebuttal; however, the number of students in the experimental group that could propose multiple argument modes in the PH, NH, and rebuttal increased after training.Design of online discussion boards: The students used the discussions to assess peer learning by looking at peers' viewpoints and ideas. Comparison of face‐to‐face classroom, the WIAS can provided students with opportunities at anytime and anywhere through asynchronous discussions board to record their thoughts then make peer learning. This study suggest that a well‐designed web‐based argumentation system is a critical part of the higher education experience when the goal is to improve students' argumentation ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to investigate the effects of smartphone use by college students on their perceived academic performance. Using five hypotheses derived from the literature related to smartphone use, the initial model was set up for path analysis to reveal the relationships among variables regarding college students' smartphone use in the academic setting. Moreover, multiple group analyses were additionally conducted to verify whether students exhibited different relationships in the hypothesized model depending on their majors. The results from path analyses showed that all path coefficients were positive and statistically significant, which indicated that all five hypothesized paths were supported. Above all, the results from multiple group analysis showed that one path (from Behavioural Intention to Use Smartphone to Academic Performance) differed significantly across groups. The findings from the current study provide educational policymakers and educators with information on how smartphone utilization in learning activities influences students' academic performance. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Smartphones foster interaction with people and multitasking.College students use smartphones as learning aids in e‐learning and web‐based learning.College students have high smartphone self‐efficacy.Smartphones have both positive and negative effects on academic performance.What this paper adds: College students' interaction competency influences behavioural intention for using smartphones for academic activities.College students' smartphone self‐efficacy has positive impacts on their behavioural intention for using smartphones for academic purposes.College students' behavioural intention to use smartphones positively influences perceived academic performances.Students' behavioural intention to use smartphones presents distinct impacts on academic performances depending on their major fields: natural science and humanities.Implications for practice and/or policy: Educational policymakers and educators may benefit information on how smartphone utilization in learning activities influences students' academic performances.The instrument developed in the present study could be used for future studies on smartphone use and students' psychological factors such as self‐efficacy and behavioural intention to use smartphones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]