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Artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing technologies have fuelled the growth of Pedagogical Conversational Agents (PCAs) with empathic conversational capabilities. However, no systematic literature review has explored the intersection between conversational agents, education and emotion. Therefore, this study aimed to outline the key aspects of designing, implementing and evaluating these agents. The data sources were empirical studies, including peer‐reviewed conference papers and journal articles, and the most recent publications, from the ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Scopus, SpringerLink, Taylor & Francis Online, Web of Science and Wiley Online Library. The remaining papers underwent a rigorous quality assessment. A filter study meeting the objective was based on keywords. Comparative analysis and synthesis of results were used to handle data and combine study outcomes. Out of 1162 search results, 13 studies were selected. The results indicate that agents promote dialogic learning, proficiency in knowledge domains, personalized feedback and empathic abilities as essential design principles. Most implementations employ a quantitative approach, and two variables are used for evaluation. Feedback types play a vital role in achieving positive results in learning performance and student perceptions. The main limitations and gaps are the time range for literature selection, the level of integration of the empathic field and the lack of a detailed development stage report. Moreover, future directions are the ethical implications of agents operating beyond scheduled learning times and the adoption of Responsible AI principles. In conclusion, this review provides a comprehensive framework of empathic PCAs, mostly in their evaluation. The systematic review registration number is osf.io/3xk6a.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topicEmotions play a pivotal role in shaping the interaction process, making it essential to consider them when designing methodological strategies or learning tools.Empathic Pedagogical Conversational Agents (PCAs) have emerged as a crucial approach for enhancing and personalizing the learning experience (24/7) for pupils and supporting human teachers in their teaching process.Despite the creation of numerous empathic PCAs, there is a scarcity of Systematic Literature Reviews (SLRs) on their application in the educational field, particularly concerning the integration of emotional abilities in combination with the competencies of each subject.What this paper addsIt offers new insights into the design principles underlying the integration of the empathic field.It reviews different approaches for incorporating students' prior knowledge in real time.It provides a comprehensive and up‐to‐date overview of the research designs used for implementation, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods.It examines the factors that influence the effectiveness of empathic PCA in teaching and learning.It evaluates the types of feedback that enhance the impact of the empathic field on learning outcomes.Implications for practice and/or policyIt is crucial to grasp the topics that this paper introduces in order to effectively integrate new learning tools into any context.Techno‐pedagogical designers seeking to gain insights into empathic PCAs will find immense value in this SLR, as it comprehensively covers each stage of the process.For future research endeavours, this study offers a wealth of ideas to draw upon, enabling researchers to address the challenges outlined and explore new avenues of investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces the student‐coined term digital instinct which describes students' disposition to resorting to digital technology for solving problems and doing school assignments. Taking cues from the term digital instinct, the paper describes a student perspective on digital literacy emerging from 100 lived experience descriptions and interviews with 37 Danish upper secondary students. The findings show that students' digital practice is characterised by experience‐based, intuitive and familiar use of technologies. Most notably, students employ digital technologies as cognitive partners that help them carry on with assignments that they initially did not understand, but that they were able to complete with the help of the computer. The study examines the nature of this partnership through the words of the students and identifies how technologies expand student agency but fall short of a reflective use of digital technologies. Recognising the strengths and weaknesses of students' digital practices may inform the concept of digital literacy and encourage teachers to acknowledge the digital instinct as a steppingstone to foster students' reflective use of digital technologies. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Students have inadequate command of digital literacies as described in curricular terminology.Students have positive as well as negative perceptions of the value and usefulness of digital technologies in school.Students both over‐ and underestimate their own digital literacies.What this paper adds Students have a fundamental utilitarian conception of digital technologies that either make schoolwork easier or more difficult, and they do not articulate that their use of digital technologies provides them with digital literacies.Students' conception of a digital instinct describes an intuitive and familiar, albeit unreflected, use of technologies where students employ experience‐based and self‐taught methods for using digital technologies.The digital instinct accounts for a feeling of agency among students, manifested in a widespread confidence that they can do assignments and solve problems when they make use of their computer.Implications for practice and/or policy Curricular terminologies struggle to capture what students can and cannot do with technology, and how much they understand the underlying technology.Teachers can involve and build on students' experience‐based digital practices as a starting point for developing digital literacy among students—also as an entry to a curricular perspective.Teachers should acknowledge students' conception of a 'digital instinct' as an important disposition in its own right. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the lack of life experience and situational experience, it is difficult to arouse pupils' inner motivation and interest in writing. Therefore, the early stage of Chinese writing may be a challenge for Chinese pupils. In order to solve this problem, a spherical video‐based virtual reality (SVVR) experience learning system was developed to help pupils improve their writing performance and interest. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an experiment was carried out in a primary school in Zhejiang province, China. First, a writing pretest was administered in two grade 4 classes. The researchers then randomly selected 40 pupils of about 10 years old with similar writing abilities, and assigned them to an experimental group, which used the SVVR learning method, and a control group, which used the traditional learning method. The researchers observed and recorded the pupils' writing process and then, interviewed them. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the comprehensive writing performance of the two groups (F = 6.272; p =.017 <.05). The mean of the experimental group (Mean = 73.85) was higher than that of the control group (Mean = 70.00). Moreover, there were significant differences between the two groups in terms of the thematic coherence, structural integrity and linguistic expressiveness of their writing performance. However, there was no significant difference in the achievement of creative thinking. In the experimental group, different levels of learning behavior engagement could affect the structural integrity and language expression of writing achievements, and the degree of writing learning behavior engagement was highly correlated with reading time. Through the interviews, it was found that the pupils in the experimental group were more satisfied with the SVVR learning method than the control group pupils were with the traditional learning method. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic? Spherical video‐based virtual reality (SVVR) set a simulated environment enabling students to have in‐depth experience in learning contexts.Most SVVR studies focused on speaking and writing in middle schools and colleges, while its impacts on young children's writing performance is generally ignored.What this paper adds? An SVVR system based on experiencing learning theory was developed to promote young students' in‐depth experience and perception in descriptive paper writing.The proposed approach promoted students' writing performances, writing experience and learning behavior engagement.Implications for practice and/or policy SVVR is a potential technology for implementing experiential learning activities, especially in improving thematic coherence, structural integrity and linguistic expressiveness.It is worth promoting such a low‐tech and low‐cost experiential learning approach to other courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is nothing less about paper and its use when it comes to academic study as we experience increasingly converging media spaces and functionalities of online applications within the screens of our laptops, mobile phones and tablet devices. The paper persists, and the paperless office, classroom and pedagogy become nothing but pure rhetoric. Hence, it is most pertinent to focus on paper and its 'stickiness' in maintaining educational structures and practices. Usually hidden from view or neglected in educational technology studies is a consideration on how we think and interact not only with our mind but also with our heads and limbs. This paper will argue that paper has a composite place or bearing, a kind of stickiness to our technologised bodies, digital mobilities and hybrid practices in what I have coined here as papier-mach(in)e. This claim will be supported by evidence that demonstrates how we simply think both practically and pathically and that our mobilities in media and physical spaces are in one form or another meshed with paper. In fact, a drive towards a paperless classroom or pedagogy is without much foundation when it comes to mobilising a sustainable agenda for technology-enhanced learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, the educational use of digital devices, including digital assessments, has become a regular feature of teaching in primary education in the Netherlands. However, researchers have not reached a consensus about the so‐called "mode effect," which refers to the possible impact of using computer‐based tests (CBT) instead of paper‐and‐pencil‐based tests (PBT) to assess student performance. Some researchers suggest that the occurrence of a mode effect might be related to the type of device used, the subject being assessed and the characteristics of both the test and the students taking the test. The international TIMSS 2019 Equivalence Study offered the opportunity to explore possible performance differences between a PBT and a tablet assessment in mathematics and science among Dutch primary school students. In the spring of 2017, the TIMSS PBT and tablet test were administered to 532 grade‐four Dutch students. Item response theory was used to explore potential mode effects. This exploration revealed no significant differences in the student ability scales between the paper and the tablet tests for mathematics and science. Also, no systematic mode effects were found for the items with high reading demand. A marginal difference was found for girls outperforming boys on the TIMSS tablet test, although no gender differences in achievement were found for the PBT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article seeks to develop a better understanding of the contribution of materiality in a discourse between a creator (content producer) and an interface, dealing with analogue and digital artefacts. Focus is in the materiality of the two different art‐creation learning processes, acrylic painting and digital painting. The objective of this paper is to consider especially the affect and meaning of these two different content creation modalities and intra‐action within that. Through reflective autoethnographic consideration, the purpose is to consider the essences of materials manifesting and modulating the processes of content creation as a posthumanist phenomenon. It will be shown that the creation processes with paper are more experimental whereas the processes with digital screen are more playful. There is a growing need to deeper understand the cultural change of material cultures and the people's intra‐action with the materials also enabling arts creation. This paper will widen our limited understanding and deepen our theoretical perspectives of the essence of materials which then avails confronting analogue and digital when developing teaching and learning in the posthuman era especially in early education. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic There is a growing interest in the new materialism and posthuman thinking amongst educational technology research and development.Reading analogue versus digital is well‐documented.What this paper adds New materialist thinking offers a useful perspective in education for looking at the essence of analogue and digital materiality modulating content creation.Characterising the nuances in analogue and digital production can help in evaluating their educational potential.Implications for practice and/or policy As practitioners we should critically question the political vision of education digitalisation especially concerning early childhood education.There is a need to move beyond debates about analogue versus digital to look at more specific examples of their advantages (and disadvantages) in developing posthumanist education and intra‐active pedagogy especially for young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly cited papers can be representative of the latest changes in specific research issues, as they reflect the important issues or research trends that researchers have paid attention to recently. Through reading highly cited papers, researchers can identify some important issues for consideration in their own research, which can then catch other researchers' eyes easily and efficiently. In order to explore the feature of the latest changes in mobile learning, in this study, a review of the top 100 highly cited mobile learning papers was conducted. According to the review, four advantages were identified from the highly cited mobile learning studies: proposing new learning strategies, applying mobile learning to seldom‐considered subjects, applying mobile learning to seldom‐investigated domains and investigating seldom‐discussed issues. It was found that the studies focused more on comparing different mobile learning modes for finding more effective mobile learning approaches rather than comparing the impacts of mobile learning with traditional instruction. Moreover, the studies focused more on learners' higher order thinking performance and learning behaviors. Some suggestions, differing from those presented by previous mobile learning reviews, are provided as reference for researchers to conduct related research. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Mobile learning has been regarded as a tool for improving learners' learning and bridging students' learning in class and in the field.Research trends can be highlighted and provide a more accurate view of the publication patterns.Highly cited papers can be used to identify the advance of the research foci.What this paper adds Most highly cited studies mainly focused on comparing the different mobile learning modes to find more effective approaches for conducting mobile learning activities.The mobile learning places have changed from classrooms to real‐world contexts; in addition, the number of across‐context studies is increasing.The highly cited papers started to focus more on learners' higher‐order thinking performance and learning behaviors.Implications for practice and/or policy Researchers can consider proposing new learning strategies, applying mobile learning to seldom‐considered subjects, applying mobile learning to seldom‐investigated domains, and investigating seldom‐discussed issues.Adopting mixed methods is becoming the mainstream of mobile learning studies.Several seldom‐discussed issues, such as higher order thinking, collaboration/communication skills, and learning behaviors are potential mobile learning research topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays the size of university classes along with the growing number of students to be tested for final examination raise unprecedented challenges relating to the management, monitoring and evaluation of learning. Technology may provide some solutions that deserve to be investigated. This paper explores the potentialities and limitations of Computer‐Based Testing (CBT), specifically BYOD e‐test, compared to traditional Paper‐Based Testing (PBT) to verify whether, and to what extent, an electronic mode of assessment can become a suitable alternative to PBT. It is based on a study carried out at the University of Florence during 2016/17. 606 students participated in the study, of whom 443 opted for CBT using their own devices, while 163 preferred PBT. Participants who experienced CBT also answered a survey on perceptions, self‐efficacy and satisfaction. The results show that students' performances were better with CBT, and that a positive relationship exists between the perceived level of self‐efficacy and the propensity to adopt digital tests. In addition, students greatly appreciated the electronic system, especially for the possibility of immediate feedback. Some critical issues emerged relating to on‐screen reading, which suggests the need for careful design of testing tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-touch technology is increasingly being used to support collaborative learning activities. However, to know how this technology can be used most effectively, we need to understand if collaborative interactions differ when groups are using multi-touch technology compared with other tools. In this paper, we compare the interactions of groups of 10 to 11-year-old students working collaboratively to solve three math problems in either a multi-touch or paper condition. The number of ideas raised, who proposed them and whether they were responded to, were coded to identify differences in idea development and interactions across conditions. Responses by students to ideas proposed by other students were coded. Results indicate that similar numbers of ideas were raised across conditions; student responses to ideas raised by other students were more likely to elaborate on the idea or combine it with other ideas in the multi-touch condition than in the paper condition. These results reinforce prior findings that show higher levels of collaborative engagement around ideas when using multi-touch than paper and extend our understanding of how this occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This small-scale pilot study aimed to establish how the mode of response in an examination affects candidates' performances on items that require an extended answer. The sample comprised 46 17-year-old students from two classes (one in a state secondary school and one in a state sixth-form college), who sat a mock A-level English Literature examination. The analysis compared writing produced on screen and on paper to try to uncover any systematic differences between the two modes of delivery. The study considered the linguistic features of the texts produced in each mode, the marks achieved and the views of the participants regarding the use of computers in essay-based examinations. The study found that the response mode had a small effect on the length of essay produced, in that students using a computer wrote more, and on the type of language used, in that students writing on paper used denser but less varied language. There was very little effect on the marks achieved. Participants expressed a variety of concerns about computer-based examinations, such as noisy keyboards, assessment of spelling, and unfairness towards those who are less comfortable with the technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to understand the differences in student learning outcomes and classroom behaviour when using the interpersonal computer, personal computer and pen-and-paper to solve arithmetic exercises. In this multi-session experiment, third grade students working on arithmetic exercises from various curricular units were divided into three groups. The first group used personal computers (netbooks), the second group used an interpersonal computer (ie, one projector with a screen, one computer and one mouse per child) and the third group used pen-and-paper. The results of the experiment indicate that all three groups achieved an increase in learning, as shown by the pretest and posttest scores. No significant difference was found between the interpersonal computer and personal computer groups. This suggests that the key characteristic shared by the two groups is the provision of feedback. The format that such feedback takes, either private (through a personal screen) or public (through a shared screen), is shown to make no difference. However, the results significantly favour groups that are provided with instant feedback (interpersonal computer and personal computer) as opposed to delayed feedback (pen-and-paper). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial introduction to the September 2015 issue is presented, highlighting its central theme of educational technology research data papers and asserting the importance of sharing various data sets from experimental studies between educators for the benefit of the discipline.

Technology‐based, open‐ended learning environments (OELEs) can capture detailed information of students' interactions as they work through a task or solve a problem embedded in the environment. This information, in the form of log data, has the potential to provide important insights about the practices adopted by students for scientific inquiry and problem solving. How to parse and analyse the log data to reveal evidence of multifaceted constructs like inquiry and problem solving holds the key to making interactive learning environments useful for assessing students' higher‐order competencies. In this paper, we present a systematic review of studies that used log data generated in OELEs to describe, model and assess scientific inquiry and problem solving. We identify and analyse 70 conference proceedings and journal papers published between 2012 and 2021. Our results reveal large variations in OELE and task characteristics, approaches used to extract features from log data and interpretation models used to link features to target constructs. While the educational data mining and learning analytics communities have made progress in leveraging log data to model inquiry and problem solving, multiple barriers still exist to hamper the production of representative, reproducible and generalizable results. Based on the trends identified, we lay out a set of recommendations pertaining to key aspects of the workflow that we believe will help the field develop more systematic approaches to designing and using OELEs for studying how students engage in inquiry and problem‐solving practices. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Research has shown that technology‐based, open‐ended learning environments (OELEs) that collect users' interaction data are potentially useful tools for engaging students in practice‐based STEM learning.More work is needed to identify generalizable principles of how to design OELE tasks to support student learning and how to analyse the log data to assess student performance.What this paper adds We identified multiple barriers to the production of sufficiently generalizable and robust results to inform practice, with respect to: (1) the design characteristics of the OELE‐based tasks, (2) the target competencies measured, (3) the approaches and techniques used to extract features from log files and (4) the models used to link features to the competencies.Based on this analysis, we can provide a series of specific recommendations to inform future research and facilitate the generalizability and interpretability of results: Making the data available in open‐access repositories, similar to the PISA tasks, for easy access and sharing.Defining target practices more precisely to better align task design with target practices and to facilitate between‐study comparisons.More systematic evaluation of OELE and task designs to improve the psychometric properties of OELE‐based measurement tasks and analysis processes.Focusing more on internal and external validation of both feature generation processes and statistical models, for example with data from different samples or by systematically varying the analysis methods.Implications for practice and/or policy Using the framework of evidence‐centered assessment design, we have identified relevant criteria for organizing and evaluating the diverse body of empirical studies on the topic and that policy makers and practitioners can use for their own further examinations.This paper identifies promising research and development areas on the measurement and assessment of higher‐order constructs with process data from OELE‐based tasks that government agencies and foundations can support.Researchers, technologists and assessment designers might find useful the insights and recommendations for how OELEs can enhance science assessment through thoughtful integration of learning theories, task design and data mining techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of Learning Analytics (LA) as a research field has been extensively documented since its beginnings. This paper provides a broad overview of the publications that Latin American authors have published in the last years by performing a quantitative review of the literature (from 2011 to 2019). A total of 282 papers were collected and categorized according to a multidimensional model composed of seven dimensions (data collected, stakeholders targeted, goals of the paper, techniques employed, maturity of the tool, research approaches and ethical issues). The paper describes how the field has evolved over the years in Latin America, presenting the main characteristics of the papers from different perspectives (year, type of venue, language) together with the descriptives of the categorized dimensions and the relations between them. At last, papers are presented in number by countries and institutions, and we perform an authorship and coauthorship analysis with information extracted from the selected papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) offers possibilities of creating a learner‐centric environment that can provide more presence and engagement for students leading to an enhanced learning experience compared to conventional classroom practices. However, the potential of IVR in vocational education and training (VET) has not yet been explored in‐depth, and it is an open question of whether it can effectively support learner creation in a designing task. In this paper, we present an IVR application developed to support gardener apprentices in designing gardens. Using this application, we conducted an experimental study with gardener apprentices to investigate the effect of the IVR interface compared to paper sketching and learner behavior on the proportion, composition, and creativity of the design outcome. Additionally, we investigated how it can be combined with a paper sketching activity to improve its effectiveness. Our analysis shows that the IVR interface can be more effective for the proportion aspect, but this may be limited to students that are able to use it after working with paper. In terms of the combination order, the effectiveness of IVR on the design quality was improved when it was carried out after the paper sketching and this ordering produced a more effective outcome for the proportion and composition aspects. Finally, our results show that IVR design quality is related to learner behaviors such as the time spent on designing and the number of simulations used. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of IVR applications in supporting designing skills and how effectiveness can be improved by combining it with a conventional method of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational technologies have experienced unprecedented prominence on university agendas with many institutions motivated to keep the lessons learned from the COVID‐19 sparked transition with regard to online teaching. In response to this renewed interest in ensuring the longevity of educational technologies in higher education, this systematic review analysed the various organisational factors—for example, leadership, infrastructure, strategy—considered essential in the literature for the successful implementation of educational technologies. Specifically, we reviewed 1614 papers published in five prominent educational technology journals in the last decade. From this sample, we identified 47 papers that discussed organisational factors. Drawing on these studies, we constructed an organisational framework, which outlines the different organisational factors, actors and processes involved in implementing educational technologies. The identified organisational factors are structured into three main categories: (1) Leadership and Strategy, (2) Infrastructure and Resources and (3) Recognition and Motivation. Our aim was to further the scholarly understanding of the organisational layer involved in digital change as well as provide concrete recommendations for practitioners. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Previous research has stressed the importance of taking organisational factors such as infrastructure, leadership, strategy and staff commitment into account when implementing educational technologies.However, review papers have failed to systematically organise these studies to create a comprehensive understanding of the organisational factors involved in implementing educational technologies and ensuring their longevity at an institution.There is currently a high level of interest in how educational technologies can be implemented in the higher education landscape, as many institutions are facing the question of what lessons they can learn from the crisis and how they can continue on their path of digitalisation.What this paper addsThis review paper addresses a gap in our scholarly understanding of the organisational layers involved in the implementation of educational technologies in higher education institutions (HEIs).This paper provides a framework on organisational factors, which influence the implementation of educational technologies in HEIs.This review paper demonstrates that bottom‐up and opinion leadership, support structures tailored to the need and time of faculty as well as recognition and incentives have the largest impact on a sustainable implementation of educational technologies in HEIs.Implications for practice and/or policyUniversities should create structures that enable innovation and creativity by promoting bottom‐up and opinion leadership as well as shared decision‐making processes as they are important for the successful implementation of educational technologies in HEIs.Besides providing a reliable and suitable infrastructure, institutional support and resources in terms of technical advice and training tailored to specific needs, should be in place when planning the implementation of educational technologies in HEIs.The additional workload instructors face when implementing digital teaching should be recognised and incentivised as it strengthens instructor engagement which is crucial for the implementation of educational technologies in HEIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile and Ubiquitous Learning (m/u‐learning) are finding an increasing adoption in education. They are often distinguished by hybrid learning environments that encompass elements of formal and informal learning, in activities that happen in distributed settings (indoors and outdoors), across physical and virtual spaces. Despite their purported benefits, these environments imply additional complexity in the design, monitoring and evaluation of learning activities. The research literature on learning design (LD) and learning analytics (LA) has started to deal with these issues. This paper presents a systematic literature review of LD and LA, in m/u‐learning. Apart from providing an overview of the current research in the field, this review elicits elements of common ground between both communities, as shown by the similar learning contexts and complementary research contributions, and based on the research gaps, proposes to: address m/u‐learning beyond higher education settings, reinforce the connection between physical and virtual learning spaces, and more systematically align LD and LA processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational thinking is a necessary skill for the 21st century. While previously examined in computer‐rich settings, researchers are increasingly studying computational thinking in unplugged environments such as board games. Focusing on the African board game Songo, this study shows that computational thinking practices are embedded in Songo board gameplay and interact with the cultural context. The study also reveals a computing practice peculiar to Songo gameplay, songoputation. This paper suggests that researchers can benefit from exploring computational thinking and computing practices beyond board games in western contexts. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topicComputational thinking can be cultivated in non‐digital environments.Board games are spaces where computational thinking can be developed.The relationship between African board games and computational thinking is still unknown.What this paper addsAfrican board games such as Songo are spaces where players engage with computational thinking and songoputationCulture informs computational thinking practices players engaging in when playing Songo.Computational thinking is not a new practice and should be explored in different culture contexts and settings.Implications for practice and/or policyAfrican board games should be used to develop computational thinking skills.Board games should be used to foster computational thinking skills among students in context with limited access to digital technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst learning analytics is still nascent in most African higher education institutions, many African higher education institutions use learning platforms and analytic services from providers outside of the African continent. A critical consideration of the protection of data privacy on the African continent and its implications for learning analytics in African higher education is therefore needed. In this paper, we map the current state of legal and regulatory environments and frameworks on privacy to establish their implications for learning analytics. This scoping review of privacy regulations in 32 African countries, complemented by 15 scholarly papers, revealed that there are numerous national and regional legislation and regulatory frameworks, providing clear pointers pertaining to (student) data privacy to governments, higher education institutions and researchers. As such, the findings of this research have implications for African higher education to ensure not only legal compliance but also to oversee and safeguard student data privacy as part of their fiduciary duty. This research provides crucial insights regarding the importance of context for thinking about the expansion and institutional adoption of learning analytics. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Personal data have become commodified and are regarded as a valuable commercial asset.The commercial value of data relies on the collection and analysis of increasing volumes, granularity, variety and velocity of personal data (both identifiable and aggregated).Africa and African higher education are regarded as new data frontiers to be exploited.What this paper adds This paper, for the first time, makes an attempt to map privacy legislation and academic research on (student) data privacy in the African continent.Maps key implications for African higher educations to consider in collecting, analysing, using and sharing student data.It provides pointers for a research agenda pertaining to student data privacy on the African continent.Implications for practice and/or policy African higher education institutions should consider student data privacy when entering into service level agreements with educational technology and platform providers.African governments should develop common data sharing frameworks to facilitate cross‐border data transfer.Current African data privacy legislation provides important implications for the adoption and institutionalisation of learning analytics.African higher education also has to consider the ethical aspects of learning analytics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing digitisation, interest in digital personalised learning (DPL) continues to grow. Many empirical studies on the effect of adaptive tools have used a wide variety of conceptualisations and operationalisations of DPL. This systematic review aims to address the lack of consensus by presenting an analysis of empirical studies on technology for DPL in primary and secondary education. The work is guided by the following questions: (1) What are some different conceptualisations used in DPL research? (2) What types of tools are used in the studies and how are they implemented? (3) What is the current evidence on the impact of DPL with regard to student outcomes considering the nature of the current studies? A Boolean search string was used in the databases Web of Science and ERIC, resulting in a dataset containing 6,908 papers. A screening based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria yielded 53 papers. Our findings revealed a great diversity in DPL conceptualisations, with several authors not defining the concept and others providing information regarding different elements such as technology, personalisation, personalisation target, personalisation source, personalisation method and personalisation outcomes. In line with these differences in conceptualisation of DPL, several DPL tools were used across the studies. Concerning the impact of DPL, a positive trend was observed on learning outcomes, although methodological differences need to be considered. The review ends with guidelines for future research. Practitioner notesWhat is already known There are many definitions and terms concerning DPL, resulting in a lack of consensus in conceptualisation.There is a wide variety of DPL tools with different adaptive dimensions.Many authors emphasise the benefits of DPL in educational practice including a possible impact on learning gains.What this paper adds Contribution to a thorough understanding of the conceptualisation of DPL.Insights into the diversity in DPL tools building on a framework of adaptivity by Vandewaetere and Clarebout (2014) and adds focus on tool implementation as a context element.Insight into the impact of DPL taking into account study design and outcome indicators.Implications for practice and/or policy An overview of the affordances of DPL to educational researchers, educational policy makers, and teachers is provided that can encourage them to think about its opportunities for everyday practice.Concrete suggestions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic literature review of academic staff experiences and perceptions of adopting Technology for Assessment OF/FOR/AS Learning in Higher Education. This paper is a qualitative synthesis of 65 peer‐reviewed journal articles published between 2012 and 2017 reporting on the use of technology for assessment (TfA). The results suggest that there are some efficiencies for staff in implementing TfA but this can come with a cost at the set‐up and maintenance phases. Furthermore, results indicated that assessment design is not of foremost concern to academic staff when introducing TfA, but that a wide variety of pressures and both educational and operational drivers are present. There were inconclusive findings in relation to understandings of appropriate institutional environments and supports for TfA to flourish in higher education. There is a need for empirical research, particularly longitudinal investigations, of academic experiences of implementations of TfA to investigate sustainability of adoption. The imperative of exploring the academic staff perspective as the instigator and manager of both the technology and the student learning experience requires deep consideration as TfA adoption progresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including constructionism, mathematics education, and makerspaces.

Online peer assessment (OPA) has been increasingly adopted to develop students' higher‐order thinking (HOT). However, there has not been a synthesis of research findings on its effects. To fill this gap, 17 papers (published from 2000 to 2022) that reported either a comparison between a group using OPA (n = 7; k = 22) and a control group or a pre–post comparison (n = 10; k = 17) were reviewed in this meta‐analysis. The overall effect of OPA on HOT was significant (g = 0.76). Furthermore, OPA exerted more significant effects on convergent HOT (eg, critical thinking, reasoning and reflective thinking; g = 0.97) than on divergent HOT (eg, creativity and problem‐solving; g = 0.38). Reciprocal roles and anonymity were found to positively moderate the impacts of OPA on HOT, although their moderating effects were not statistically significant because of small sample size of studies in the analysis. The results of the meta‐analysis reinforce the arguments for regarding OPA as a powerful learning tool to facilitate students' HOT development and reveal important factors that should be considered when adopting OPA to enhance students' HOT. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topicOnline peer assessment (OPA) has significant positive impacts on learning achievement.OPA has been regarded as a potential approach to cultivating students' higher‐order thinking (HOT) but has not been proved by meta‐analysis.OPA should be carefully designed to maximise its effectiveness on learning.What this paper addsOPA has been proved to significantly positively influence students' HOT via meta‐analysis.OPA exerted more significant effects on convergent HOT than on divergent HOT.The potential of reciprocal roles and anonymity for moderating the impacts of OPA on HOT should not be underestimated.Implications for practice and/or policyOPA could be a wise choice for practitioners when they help students to achieve a balanced development of HOT dispositions and skills.Students' divergent HOT can be encouraged in their uptake of peer feedback and by allowing them autonomy in deciding assessment criteria.OPA with design elements of reciprocal roles and anonymity has great potential to promote students' HOT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain—a digitally distributed, decentralised, peer‐to‐peer shared ledger technology that exists across a delimited network—is recognised as a disruptive technology for the next socioeconomic mega trend. Most of the researchers in education theoretically speculate upon blockchain's extraordinary potentials for enterprises, finance, administration, and management of education. Little attention has been paid, however, to the problems of socially inclusive knowledge transformation, sustainability, and equitable access to quality education for marginalised communities. This paper aims to describe an approach and method for leveraging education blockchain as a possible means to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the social inclusion of marginalised communities of teachers and learners. This theoretical paper adopts a reflective research approach to critically analyse the current state of blockchain applications in education, and discuss its prospects for building educational commons for sustainable development. This paper contributes to the field of educational technology by exploring blockchain's prospects to building educational commons through four strategies: (a) network cooperation; (b) diversity of interacting agents; (c) shared resources; and (d) educational logistics. It also contributes to the conceptualisation of knowledge transformation for sustainable education by modelling blockchain‐supported educational commons and informing educational practitioners and technological innovation policy makers. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Blockchain is a digitally distributed, decentralised, peer‐to‐peer shared ledger technology that can be adopted across education networks.Blockchain is regarded as a disruptive technology and a key driver of the next socioeconomic mega trend.The extant literature on blockchain in education are technology‐centred and limited to applications in financing, administration, and management of education.Blockchain's potential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education and in favour of marginalised communities remain unexplored.What this paper adds A critique of the mainstream literature and its utilitarian and business‐oriented paradigm for leveraging blockchain technology in education.An operational definition of 'education blockchain' as a set of affordances of a blockchain technology that empowers educators and learners to achieve sustainability of their education system.Conceptualisation of a 'sustainable education blockchain' for the knowledge transformation of marginalised communities.A framework of blockchain for building educational commons through network cooperation, diversity of interactive agents, shared resources and educational logistics.Implications for practice and/or policy This paper calls for re‐orienting blockchain technology in education from pro‐profit to human‐centred adoption. This is to ensure a balance among technological advances, knowledge transformation, and safeguarding of privacy and individual rights of marginalised teachers and learners.Sustainable blockchain technology is for the social inclusion of marginalised teachers and learners by means of secure and trusted peer‐to‐peer collaboration, autonomous community organisation and fair distribution of resources.This paper contributes to the conceptualisation of knowledge transformation for sustainable education by (a) modelling the key features of blockchain‐supported educational commons; and (b) informing educational practitioners and innovation policy makers who are interested in blockchain applications.The model contributes to the understanding of an authentic and humanistic knowledge transformation beyond its dominant notion of an instrumental, linear, purely technological driver of educational systems.The model allows us to envisage a more sustainable transformation in educational practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agency, or the capacity to take intentional actions, is considered one of the primary affordances of virtual reality (VR) for learning. VR is expected to increase learners' agency because it allows for full‐body interactivity from a first‐person perspective, giving them novel ways of interacting with the digital environment. Yet, agency in immersive learning has not been well‐studied relative to other affordances like presence, and more evidence is needed to understand how varied media and designs heighten or diminish agency. This mixed‐method study addressed this need by developing and validating measures of sense of agency with 30 high school students who used VR field trips in their engineering class over four lessons. By comparing immersive videos to video game‐like interactive graphical environments, the study illustrates some of the complexities of agency in VR. The findings indicate agency is not a unidimensional construct nor is it equivalent to full‐body interactivity in VR as learners felt some types of agency when using immersive videos. Furthermore, learners' identities moderated associations between the type of VR media and their sense of agency, and agency did not change over time as the novelty of VR waned. These results suggest VR designers should consider varied ways of interacting in VR that are beneficial for learning. They also support the use of immersive videos when the educator's goal is to increase agency over learning or focus, and provide measures and direction for future research to assess the relationship between varied types of agency, features of VR experiences and learning outcomes. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Virtual reality (VR) can enhance learning by giving learners a strong sense of presence in the virtual environment and giving them agency over their learning through novel forms of interactivity. Many studies have looked at increasing the learner's presence in VR, but fewer have assessed learners' agency. Prior work found the impact of increased interactivity on learning was mixed: sometimes it increased learning outcomes and motivation, other times it did not. What this paper adds This study develops and validates measures of learners' sense of agency within VR learning environments. This study finds that more interactivity in VR increases how much agency learners feel over their actions but not necessarily their agency over learning and attention. This study also finds variation in students' experiences of agency based on their culturally defined sense of self‐construal. Implications for practice and/or policy Practitioners interested in immersive learning technologies should consider the design of the media used rather than focusing only on the device's capability. Immersive videos may be effective tools for enhancing student agency, depending on the aims of the learning experience. Designers and educators should consider learners' identities such as self‐construal, and understand student experiences may vary. What is already known about this topic Virtual reality (VR) can enhance learning by giving learners a strong sense of presence in the virtual environment and giving them agency over their learning through novel forms of interactivity. Many studies have looked at increasing the learner's presence in VR, but fewer have assessed learners' agency. Prior work found the impact of increased interactivity on learning was mixed: sometimes it increased learning outcomes and motivation, other times it did not. What this paper adds This study develops and validates measures of learners' sense of agency within VR learning environments. This study finds that more interactivity in VR increases how much agency learners feel over their actions but not necessarily their agency over learning and attention. This study also finds variation in students' experiences of agency based on their culturally defined sense of self‐construal. Implications for practice and/or policy Practitioners interested in immersive learning technologies should consider the design of the media used rather than focusing only on the device's capability. Immersive videos may be effective tools for enhancing student agency, depending on the aims of the learning experience. Designers and educators should consider learners' identities such as self‐construal, and understand student experiences may vary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a multidimensional view of AI's role in education, emphasising the intricate interplay among AI, analytics and human learning processes. Here, I challenge the prevalent narrow conceptualisation of AI as tools in Education, exemplified in generative AI tools, and argue for the importance of alternative conceptualisations of AI for achieving human–AI hybrid intelligence. I highlight the differences between human intelligence and artificial information processing, the importance of hybrid human–AI systems to extend human cognition and posit that AI can also serve as an instrument for understanding human learning. Early learning sciences and AI in Education Research (AIED), which saw AI as an analogy for human intelligence, have diverged from this perspective, prompting a need to rekindle this connection. The paper presents three unique conceptualisations of AI: the externalisation of human cognition, the internalisation of AI models to influence human mental models and the extension of human cognition via tightly coupled human–AI hybrid intelligence systems. Examples from current research and practice are examined as instances of the three conceptualisations in education, highlighting the potential value and limitations of each conceptualisation for human competence development, as well as the perils of overemphasis on approaches that replace human learning opportunities with AI tools. The paper concludes with advocacy for a broader approach to AIED that goes beyond considerations on the design and development of AI and includes educating people about AI and innovating educational systems to remain relevant in an AI ubiquitous world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given their easy accessibility and dual‐channel model of content presentation, instructional videos have become a favoured tool for EFL vocabulary learning tool among many students. Teachers often use various nonverbal behaviours to elicit social reactions and guide learners' attention in instructional videos. The current study conducted three eye‐tracking experiments to examine the circumstances under which a teacher's happy facial expressions are beneficial in instructional videos, with or without pointing gestures and mouse pointing. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that the combination of happy facial expressions and pointing gestures attracted learners' attention to the teacher and hindered students' learning performance, regardless of the complexity of slides. Experiment 3 showed that in instructional videos with complex slides, using happy facial expressions along with mouse pointing can enhance students' learning performance. Teachers are advised to show happy facial expressions and avoid using pointing gestures when designing instructional videos. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Given easy accessibility and dual‐channel model of content presentation, instructional videos have become a favoured tool for EFL vocabulary learning. When teachers record instructional videos while standing alongside slides, they often use nonverbal cues to support their speech. Teachers' social and attentional cues interactively influence students' learning processes and performance. What this paper adds A teacher's happy facial expressions evoke more positive emotions and greater motivation in learners compared to bored expressions. A teacher's pointing gestures, when combined with happy facial expressions, divert students' attention away from slides and towards the teacher. A teacher's happy facial expressions enhance students' learning performance when no pointing gestures are used in videos with simple slides. Implications for practice/policy Teachers are advised to display happy facial expressions and avoid using pointing gestures in instructional videos, regardless of the complexity of the slides. Practitioners should consider how to incorporate teachers' facial expressions pointing gestures and mouse pointing effectively. What is already known about this topic Given easy accessibility and dual‐channel model of content presentation, instructional videos have become a favoured tool for EFL vocabulary learning. When teachers record instructional videos while standing alongside slides, they often use nonverbal cues to support their speech. Teachers' social and attentional cues interactively influence students' learning processes and performance. What this paper adds A teacher's happy facial expressions evoke more positive emotions and greater motivation in learners compared to bored expressions. A teacher's pointing gestures, when combined with happy facial expressions, divert students' attention away from slides and towards the teacher. A teacher's happy facial expressions enhance students' learning performance when no pointing gestures are used in videos with simple slides. Implications for practice/policy Teachers are advised to display happy facial expressions and avoid using pointing gestures in instructional videos, regardless of the complexity of the slides. Practitioners should consider how to incorporate teachers' facial expressions pointing gestures and mouse pointing effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating immersive technologies in education has become increasingly popular due to their ability to facilitate active learning and engage students in the acquisition of concepts and skills. One form of immersive technology includes educational games that incorporate movement interaction, allowing children to engage with in‐game elements by either immersing their own image within the game environment or by controlling an avatar using their hand and body gestures. Nonetheless, successfully incorporating these technologies into classrooms with sizable student populations presents a challenge, necessitating the implementation of a well‐considered design approach. This paper introduces a systematic learning design approach facilitating the integration of a movement‐based learning platform as a core curriculum tool in multimodal learning stations within authentic Kindergarten classroom settings. The design approach was evaluated in a case study involving three kindergarten teachers and 49 students conducted over a full school year. Progress data were gathered utilizing a combination of quantitative and qualitative evaluation tools. Analysis of the data suggests that integrating multimodal learning activities led to improvements in overall academic performance, particularly in critical mathematical skills compared to pre‐test scores. Teachers expressed a positive attitude towards the integration of movement‐based games using the learning design approach, finding it to be beneficial and effective for student learning. The study emphasizes the importance of purposeful design in creating immersive learning experiences and underscores the significance of utilizing multiple representations to enhance student motivation and engagement. The proposed systematic learning design approach has the potential to be applied to a broad range of grade levels, academic subjects and educational contexts to facilitate the integration of immersive technologies. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic? Immersive technologies are becoming popular in education. Immersive technologies have been shown to enhance skills and enable the collection of multimodal data to better understand learning processes. The movement‐based learning games fall under the category of immersive technologies that merge real and virtual worlds. Designing effective immersive learning experiences for these new technology‐enhanced learning environments remains a question. What this paper adds A proposed systematic learning design approach that demonstrates the way that movement‐based learning games can be used seamlessly as core curriculum tool in authentic kindergarten settings for an entire school year. Ways to engage effectively a large classroom of 20 or more students with movement‐based learning games. Findings regarding the impact of the movement‐based games on student engagement, academic achievement, cognitive development and social–emotional growth. Teachers' perceptions and attitudes towards executing movement‐based learning experiences in their classrooms using the proposed systematic learning design approach. Implications for practice and/or policy In‐service kindergarten and primary school teachers can adopt the proposed systematic learning design approach to integrate immersive technologies into the curriculum. This ensures that these technologies are used consistently throughout the school year, providing continuous and engaging learning experiences. School district administrators can use the proposed approach to develop training programs for pre‐service and in‐service kindergarten and primary school teachers, focusing on understanding the immersive technology, managing large classrooms and integrating the games into daily lesson plans. School administrators can implement the proposed systematic learning design approach to establish robust systems for monitoring and assessing the impact of immersive technologies on student engagement, academic achievement, cognitive development and social–emotional growth. Special education in‐service teachers can leverage the flexibility of the movement‐based learning games to design personalized learning experiences for their students with special needs. This involves adjusting the difficulty level, pace and type of interaction to meet individual requirements. Special education administrators can promote the use of the proposed approach to foster an inclusive learning environment where all students, regardless of their abilities, can participate and benefit from the immersive technologies. What is already known about this topic? Immersive technologies are becoming popular in education. Immersive technologies have been shown to enhance skills and enable the collection of multimodal data to better understand learning processes. The movement‐based learning games fall under the category of immersive technologies that merge real and virtual worlds. Designing effective immersive learning experiences for these new technology‐enhanced learning environments remains a question. What this paper adds A proposed systematic learning design approach that demonstrates the way that movement‐based learning games can be used seamlessly as core curriculum tool in authentic kindergarten settings for an entire school year. Ways to engage effectively a large classroom of 20 or more students with movement‐based learning games. Findings regarding the impact of the movement‐based games on student engagement, academic achievement, cognitive development and social–emotional growth. Teachers' perceptions and attitudes towards executing movement‐based learning experiences in their classrooms using the proposed systematic learning design approach. Implications for practice and/or policy In‐service kindergarten and primary school teachers can adopt the proposed systematic learning design approach to integrate immersive technologies into the curriculum. This ensures that these technologies are used consistently throughout the school year, providing continuous and engaging learning experiences. School district administrators can use the proposed approach to develop training programs for pre‐service and in‐service kindergarten and primary school teachers, focusing on understanding the immersive technology, managing large classrooms and integrating the games into daily lesson plans. School administrators can implement the proposed systematic learning design approach to establish robust systems for monitoring and assessing the impact of immersive technologies on student engagement, academic achievement, cognitive development and social–emotional growth. Special education in‐service teachers can leverage the flexibility of the movement‐based learning games to design personalized learning experiences for their students with special needs. This involves adjusting the difficulty level, pace and type of interaction to meet individual requirements. Special education administrators can promote the use of the proposed approach to foster an inclusive learning environment where all students, regardless of their abilities, can participate and benefit from the immersive technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual Reality (VR) has demonstrated significant advantages in various educational fields as it allows learners to actively learn in high interactivity and realism under their learning pace. However, for low‐achieving students, VR learning environments may introduce some challenges, which are problems encountered during their learning process, which lead to difficulties in self‐regulating their learning progress and becoming disoriented in the lack of guidance. This study aims to explore the improvement of self‐regulated VR learning environment based on the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and enhance the performance of low‐achieving students. We designed a VR course on electronic circuit hardware and programming, providing participants with a series of learning aids in the VR learning environment, including feedback, hints and guidance. Feedback aids provide correct or incorrect feedback after each task or test, guidance aids display progress following each task or test and hint aids offer guidance when inactivity is detected. A quasi‐experiment was conducted by using questionnaires and practical tasks to assess the participants' cognitive levels, practical hands‐on skills, self‐regulated learning abilities and learning engagement after VR learning. The results demonstrated significant improvements in all learning indicators for low‐achieving students. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Virtual Reality (VR) presents itself as a promising tool for self‐regulated learning (SRL). SRL abilities are of paramount importance within the learning environment of VR. In the context of the self‐regulated Virtual Reality (SRVR) learning environment, low‐achieving students have received little attention. What this paper adds It examines the effectiveness of learning aid mechanisms within the SRVR learning environment. These mechanisms support cognitive levels and increase engagement in SRVR learning. Low‐achieving learners benefit from the presence of learning aid mechanisms in the SRVR learning environment. Implications for practice and/or policy Providing learning aid mechanisms within the SRVR learning environment can potentially augment learning. Learning aids mechanism have the potential to provide comprehensive support within the SRVR setting. What is already known about this topic Virtual Reality (VR) presents itself as a promising tool for self‐regulated learning (SRL). SRL abilities are of paramount importance within the learning environment of VR. In the context of the self‐regulated Virtual Reality (SRVR) learning environment, low‐achieving students have received little attention. What this paper adds It examines the effectiveness of learning aid mechanisms within the SRVR learning environment. These mechanisms support cognitive levels and increase engagement in SRVR learning. Low‐achieving learners benefit from the presence of learning aid mechanisms in the SRVR learning environment. Implications for practice and/or policy Providing learning aid mechanisms within the SRVR learning environment can potentially augment learning. Learning aids mechanism have the potential to provide comprehensive support within the SRVR setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning with games requires two types of information, namely domain‐specific information and game‐specific information. Presenting these two types of information together with gameplay may pose a heavy demand on cognitive resources. This study investigates how timing of information presentation affects cognition (ie, mental effort and performance), motivation (ie, achievement goals) and emotion (ie, achievement emotions). Participants were secondary school students (N = 145). Participants participated in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with two factors—timing of domain‐specific information presentation and timing of game‐specific information presentation, either before or during gameplay. We measured mental effort, chemistry knowledge, time on task, achievement goals and achievement emotions. Multiple regression and robust regression revealed that presenting domain‐specific information before gameplay promoted higher approach goals, higher avoidance goals and more enjoyment than presenting it during gameplay. There was no difference between presenting game‐specific information before gameplay and during gameplay except for performance‐avoidance goals. We conclude that timing of information presentation affects motivational and emotional processes and outcomes and that students feel more motivated and enjoyed when domain‐specific information is presented before learning than during learning. Educators may change the timing of domain‐specific information presentation accordingly. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Well‐designed game‐based learning can increase learning. Game‐based learning needs effective instructional design features. What this paper adds One instructional design feature, timing of information presentation, affects motivation and emotion in game‐based learning. Students feel more motivated and enjoyed when domain‐specific information is presented before learning than during learning. This study is one of the first to focus on cognitive, motivational and emotional processes and outcomes, and their interconnections. Implications for practice and policy Educators would do well to present domain‐specific information before learning than during learning. Researchers on instructional design features should attend to all cognitive, motivational and emotional processes and outcomes instead of just one or two. What is already known about this topic Well‐designed game‐based learning can increase learning. Game‐based learning needs effective instructional design features. What this paper adds One instructional design feature, timing of information presentation, affects motivation and emotion in game‐based learning. Students feel more motivated and enjoyed when domain‐specific information is presented before learning than during learning. This study is one of the first to focus on cognitive, motivational and emotional processes and outcomes, and their interconnections. Implications for practice and policy Educators would do well to present domain‐specific information before learning than during learning. Researchers on instructional design features should attend to all cognitive, motivational and emotional processes and outcomes instead of just one or two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial thinking is essential for nurturing spatially literate graduates in tertiary education. However, there is limited research on individual differences in cognitive processes and their impact on spatial problem solving in disciplinary contexts. This study aimed to investigate cognitive processes involved in spatial thinking in geography majors using a web‐based geographic information systems (GIS) mapping tool. The results revealed three clusters characterised by distinctive cognitive processes: spatial analytic, spatial diagrammatic and alternative. Each cluster adopted unique spatial strategies to solve problems with web‐based GIS. Notably, spatial analytic learners demonstrated the most optimal profile, resulting in high spatial task performance. These findings have implications for maximising students' learning potential in spatial thinking in the tertiary classroom, optimising performance outcomes in spatial problem solving and building intelligent tutoring systems for adaptive learning. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic There are individual differences in spatial reasoning. The processes of spatial thinking may have an impact on learners' spatial performance outcomes. What this paper adds Three clusters characterised by distinctive processes of spatial thinking were identified: spatial analytic, spatial diagrammatic and alternative. Each cluster adopted unique spatial strategies to solve problems with web‐based GIS. Spatial analytic learners demonstrated the optimal profile, resulting in high‐level spatial performance, whereas alternative learners exhibited the maladaptive profile, which was associated with low task outcomes. Implications for practice and/or policy Web‐based GIS mapping tools make it possible to track the processes of spatial thinking that have remained largely unexplored. Cluster analysis and lag sequential analysis reveal differences in spatial reasoning, aiding educators in maximising the potential for university students to learn spatial thinking and optimising performance outcomes in spatial problem solving. Our findings could inform learning technology designers to build adaptive learning applications in which students receive automatic feedback and tailored support while completing spatial tasks at their own pace. What is already known about this topic There are individual differences in spatial reasoning. The processes of spatial thinking may have an impact on learners' spatial performance outcomes. What this paper adds Three clusters characterised by distinctive processes of spatial thinking were identified: spatial analytic, spatial diagrammatic and alternative. Each cluster adopted unique spatial strategies to solve problems with web‐based GIS. Spatial analytic learners demonstrated the optimal profile, resulting in high‐level spatial performance, whereas alternative learners exhibited the maladaptive profile, which was associated with low task outcomes. Implications for practice and/or policy Web‐based GIS mapping tools make it possible to track the processes of spatial thinking that have remained largely unexplored. Cluster analysis and lag sequential analysis reveal differences in spatial reasoning, aiding educators in maximising the potential for university students to learn spatial thinking and optimising performance outcomes in spatial problem solving. Our findings could inform learning technology designers to build adaptive learning applications in which students receive automatic feedback and tailored support while completing spatial tasks at their own pace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversational user interfaces (CUI), including voice interfaces, which allow users to converse with computers via voice, are gaining wide popularity. VoiceBots allow users to receive a response in real‐time, regardless of the communication device. VoiceBots have been explored in fields such as customer service to automate repetitive queries and help reduce redundant tasks; however, they have not been widely applied in the classroom. This study aimed to explore the effects of VoiceBot implementation on student learning. A pre‐test–post‐test design was implemented with 65 participating undergraduate students in multimedia programming who were randomly allocated to scenarios representing a 2 × 2 design (experimental and control cohorts). Data were collected using an academic achievement test and semi‐structured interviews, which allowed for a more in‐depth analysis of the students' experiences with the VoiceBot. The results showed that how the VoiceBot was applied positively influenced student learning in the experimental cohort. Moreover, the focus group data demonstrated that the VoiceBot can be a valuable assistant for students and could be easily replicated in other courses. To the best of our knowledge, this study was the first to use VoiceBot to engage undergraduate students in Ghana, thus contributing to the growing literature stream on the development of VoiceBots to improve student learning experiences. This study elucidates the design process using a zero‐coding technique, which is considered a suitable approach for educational institutions with limited resources. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Conversational user interfaces (CUIs), including voice interfaces, have gained popularity and are used to interact with computers through natural language. VoiceBots have been utilised in various fields such as customer service to automate tasks and reduce redundancy. Instant messaging systems such as WhatsApp and Telegram have been used for communication in educational contexts. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) have led to significant improvements in voice‐enabled CUIs (VoiceBots). Existing studies indicate that chatbots affect students' motivation, learning experiences, and achievements; however, research on using VoiceBots for learning improvement is limited. What this paper adds A VoiceBot was introduced as an assistant to facilitate learning in a multimedia programming course. The study used an experimental design with an experimental cohort using a WhatsApp group platform equipped with a zero‐coding VoiceBot and a control cohort without the bot. The study found that students interacting with VoiceBot demonstrated better learning achievement than the control group. The study also provides clear suggestions on integrating VoiceBots into educational institutions. Implications for practice and/or policy The study's findings suggest that VoiceBots can play a significant role in improving student learning achievements, especially in subjects such as multimedia programming. Educational institutions could establish learning design and technology centres with subject matter experts to integrate VoiceBots effectively into the learning process. Instructors must possess adequate technological proficiency to engage students with VoiceBots and targeted in‐service training may be necessary. Future research can explore VoiceBot use across various academic domains and levels of education, analyse the impact of usage patterns on learning outcomes, and assess its long‐term effects on student engagement and motivation. What is already known about this topic Conversational user interfaces (CUIs), including voice interfaces, have gained popularity and are used to interact with computers through natural language. VoiceBots have been utilised in various fields such as customer service to automate tasks and reduce redundancy. Instant messaging systems such as WhatsApp and Telegram have been used for communication in educational contexts. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) have led to significant improvements in voice‐enabled CUIs (VoiceBots). Existing studies indicate that chatbots affect students' motivation, learning experiences, and achievements; however, research on using VoiceBots for learning improvement is limited. What this paper adds A VoiceBot was introduced as an assistant to facilitate learning in a multimedia programming course. The study used an experimental design with an experimental cohort using a WhatsApp group platform equipped with a zero‐coding VoiceBot and a control cohort without the bot. The study found that students interacting with VoiceBot demonstrated better learning achievement than the control group. The study also provides clear suggestions on integrating VoiceBots into educational institutions. Implications for practice and/or policy The study's findings suggest that VoiceBots can play a significant role in improving student learning achievements, especially in subjects such as multimedia programming. Educational institutions could establish learning design and technology centres with subject matter experts to integrate VoiceBots effectively into the learning process. Instructors must possess adequate technological proficiency to engage students with VoiceBots and targeted in‐service training may be necessary. Future research can explore VoiceBot use across various academic domains and levels of education, analyse the impact of usage patterns on learning outcomes, and assess its long‐term effects on student engagement and motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐regulated learning (SRL) is an essential skill to achieve one's learning goals. This is particularly true for online learning environments (OLEs) where the support system is often limited compared to a traditional classroom setting. Likewise, existing research has found that learners often struggle to adapt their behaviour to the self‐regulatory demands of OLEs. Even so, existing SRL analysis tools have limited utility for real‐time or individualised support of a learner's SRL strategy during a study session. Accordingly, we explore a reinforcement learning based approach to learning optimal SRL strategies for a specific learning task. Specifically, we utilise the sequences of SRL processes acted by 44 participants, and their assessment scores for a prescribed learning task, in a purpose‐built OLE to develop a long short‐term memory (LSTM) network based reward function. This is used to train a reinforcement learning agent to find the optimal sequence of SRL processes for the learning task. Our findings indicate that the developed agents were able to effectively select SRL processes so as to maximise a prescribed learning goal as measured by predicted assessment score and predicted knowledge gains. The contributions of this work will facilitate the development of a tool which can detect sub‐optimal SRL strategy in real‐time and enable individualised SRL focused scaffolding. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Learners often fail to adequately adapt their behavior to the self‐regulatory demands of e‐Learning environments.In order to promote effective Self‐regulated learning (SRL) capabilities, researchers and educators need tools that are able to analyze and diagnose a learner's SRL strategy use.Current methods for SRL analysis are more often descriptive as opposed to prescriptive and have limited utility for real‐time analysis or support of a learner's SRL behavior.What this paper adds This paper proposes the use of Reinforcement Learning for prescriptive analytics of SRL. We train a Reinforcement Learning agent on sequences of SRL processes acted by learners in order to learn the optimal SRL strategy for a given learning task.Implications for practice and/or policy Our work will facilitate the development of a tool which can detect sub‐optimal SRL strategy in real‐time and enable individualized SRL focused scaffolding.The implications of our work can aid in course design by predicting the self‐regulatory load imposed by a given task.The ability to model SRL strategies using Reinforcement Learning can be extended to simulate or test SRL theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A core focus of self‐regulated learning (SRL) research lies in uncovering methods to empower learners within digital learning environments. As digital technologies continue to evolve during the current hype of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, the theoretical, empirical and methodological nuances to support SRL are emerging and offering new ways for adaptive support and guidance for learners. Such affordances offer a unique opportunity for personalised learning experiences, including adaptive interventions. Exploring the application of adaptivity to enhance SRL is an important and emerging area of research that requires further attention. This editorial introduces the contributions of seven papers for the special section on adaptive support for SRL within digital learning environments. These papers explore various themes related to enhancing SRL strategies through technological interventions, offering valuable insights and paving the way for future advancements in this dynamic area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, AI technologies have been developed to promote students' self‐regulated learning (SRL) and proactive learning in digital learning environments. This paper discusses a comparative study between generative AI‐based (SRLbot) and rule‐based AI chatbots (Nemobot) in a 3‐week science learning experience with 74 Secondary 4 students in Hong Kong. The experimental group used SRLbot to maintain a regular study habit and facilitate their SRL, while the control group utilized rule‐based AI chatbots. Results showed that SRLbot effectively enhanced students' science knowledge, behavioural engagement and motivation. Quantile regression analysis indicated that the number of interactions significantly predicted variations in SRL. Students appreciated the personalized recommendations and flexibility of SRLbot, which adjusted responses based on their specific learning and SRL scenarios. The ChatGPT‐enhanced instructional design reduced learning anxiety and promoted learning performance, motivation and sustained learning habits. Students' feedback on learning challenges, psychological support and self‐regulation behaviours provided insights into their progress and experience with this technology. SRLbot's adaptability and personalized approach distinguished it from rule‐based chatbots. The findings offer valuable evidence for AI developers and educators to consider generative AI settings and chatbot design, facilitating greater success in online science learning. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic AI technologies have been used to support student self‐regulated learning (SRL) across subjects.SRL has been identified as an important aspect of student learning that can be developed through technological support.Generative AI technologies like ChatGPT have shown potential for enhancing student learning by providing personalized guidance and feedback.What this paper adds This paper reports on a case study that specifically examines the effectiveness of ChatGPT in promoting SRL among secondary students.The study provides evidence that ChatGPT can enhance students' science knowledge, motivation and SRL compared to a rule‐based AI chatbot.The study offers insights into how ChatGPT can be used as a tool to facilitate SRL and promote sustained learning habits.Implications for practice and/or policy The findings of this study suggest that educators should consider the potential of ChatGPT and other generative AI technologies to support student learning and SRL.Educators and students should be aware of the limitations of AI technologies and ensure that they are used appropriately to generate desired responses.It is also important to equip teachers and students with AI competencies to enable them to use AI for learning and teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective collaboration and teamwork skills are critical in high‐risk sectors, as deficiencies in these areas can result in injuries and risk of death. To foster the growth of these vital skills, immersive learning spaces have been created to simulate real‐world scenarios, enabling students to safely improve their teamwork abilities. In such learning environments, multiple dialogue segments can occur concurrently as students independently organise themselves to tackle tasks in parallel across diverse spatial locations. This complex situation creates challenges for educators in assessing teamwork and for students in reflecting on their performance, especially considering the importance of effective communication in embodied teamwork. To address this, we propose an automated approach for generating teamwork analytics based on spatial and speech data. We illustrate this approach within a dynamic, immersive healthcare learning environment centred on embodied teamwork. Moreover, we evaluated whether the automated approach can produce transcriptions and epistemic networks of spatially distributed dialogue segments with a quality comparable to those generated manually for research objectives. This paper makes two key contributions: (1) it proposes an approach that integrates automated speech recognition and natural language processing techniques to automate the transcription and coding of team communication and generate analytics; and (2) it provides analyses of the errors in outputs generated by those techniques, offering insights for researchers and practitioners involved in the design of similar systems.Practitioner notesWhat is currently known about this topic Immersive learning environments simulate real‐world situations, helping students improve their teamwork skills.In these settings, students can have multiple simultaneous conversations while working together on tasks at different physical locations.The dynamic nature of these interactions makes it hard for teachers to assess teamwork and communication and for students to reflect on their performance.What this paper adds We propose a method that employs multimodal learning analytics for automatically generating teamwork‐related insights into the content of student conversations.This data processing method allows for automatically transcribing and coding spatially distributed dialogue segments generated from students working in teams in an immersive learning environment and enables downstream analysis.This approach uses spatial analytics, natural language processing and automated speech recognition techniques.Implications for practitioners Automated coding of dialogue segments among team members can help create analytical tools to assist in evaluating and reflecting on teamwork.By analysing spatial and speech data, it is possible to apply learning analytics advancements to support teaching and learning in fast‐paced physical learning spaces where students can freely engage with one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive learning technologies are closely related to learners' self‐regulatory processes in individual and collaborative learning. This study presents the outcomes of a systematic literature review of empirical evidence on adaptive learning environments to foster self‐regulation and shared regulation of learning in collaborative settings. We provide an overview of what and how adaptive technologies have been used to understand and promote self‐regulated learning in collaborative contexts. A search resulted in 38 papers being analysed. Specifically, we identified the seven main objectives (feedback and scaffolding, self‐regulatory skills and strategies, learning trajectories, collaborative learning processes, adaptation and regulation, self‐assessment, and help‐seeking behaviour) that the adaptive technology research has been focusing on. We also summarize the implications derived from the reviewed papers and frame them within seven thematic areas. Finally, this review stresses that future research should consider developing a converging theoretical framework that would enable concrete monitoring and support for self‐regulation and socially shared regulation of learning. Our findings set a baseline to support the adoption and proliferation of adaptive learning technology within self‐regulated learning research and development. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic By providing personalized and learner‐centric adaptive learning environments (ADLEs), adaptive learning technology can support and foster self‐regulated learning (SRL) practices.It is possible to create a more student‐centred and effective learning environment by combining adaptive learning and collaborative learning.Socially shared regulatory activities can involve planning, monitoring, controlling and reflecting on a group's learning processes.What this paper adds Provides a systematic literature review of empirical evidence on ADLEs, SRL and socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL) in collaborative contexts.Summarizes the insights on (S)SRL through ADLEs in collaborative learning.Identifies challenges and opportunities for ADLEs to support (S)SRL in collaborative learning.Implications for practice and/or policy Learning analytics and educational technology researchers will be able to use the systematic review as a guide for future research.Learning analytics and educational technology practitioners will be able to use the systematic review as a summary of the field's current state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational podcasts have become an increasingly prevalent media used to disseminate profession‐specific information through easily accessible means. Despite the potential of educational podcasts as convenient and effective medium, there is a dearth of literature dedicated to the topic. Thus, using the Uses and Gratification framework, the psychometric properties of the Educational Podcasts Motivation Scale were examined, as well as the motivational factors that influence intention to listen to educational podcasts and recommend podcasts to others were explored. A sample of individuals in the field of education (n = 606), such as in‐service K‐12 teachers and higher education professors, were recruited for this study. This sample were randomly divided, and an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with the first set (n = 312) to identify underlying constructs, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) were employed with the second set (n = 294). The scale demonstrated strong psychometric properties and five distinct motivational factors were identified: Information Gathering, Flexibility in Use, Social Interaction, Entertainment, and Professional Encouragement. Several motivational factors had significant associations with the constructs of "intention" and "word‐of‐mouth". This paper demonstrates both the unique motivational factors related to listening to educational podcasts and the motivational factors that overlap with other forms of media. Further examination of the underlying motivations to listen to educational podcasts is warranted. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Educational podcasts have become an increasingly prevalent media used to disseminate information to specific professions and fields that provide current practices and research information through easily accessible means.Educational podcasts have been found to be an effective tool to improve self‐efficacy and knowledge around topics with educators and college students, as well as a means to develop communities of practice where educators share knowledge and experiences.Results of studies using the uses and gratifications framework to examine the gratifications for listening to podcasts have found an array of overlapping, and sometimes conflicting, gratifications from the use of podcasts. Those most often identified include entertainment, multitasking and convenience, social interaction, escapism and educational purposes.What this paper adds This paper outlined the development of the Educational Podcasts Motivation Scale and used an exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling to demonstrate its strong psychometric properties.Five distinct motivational factors for why educators engage with educational podcasts were identified: (a) Information Gathering, (b) Flexibility in Use, (c) Social Interaction, (d) Entertainment and (e) Professional Encouragement.This paper identifies that educators are often most motivated to listen to educational podcasts due to constructs such as social interaction, flexibility in use and information gathering.Implications for practice and/or policy The findings in this paper demonstrate the perceived benefits and uses of educational podcasts as a learning tool, further establishing educational podcasts as a useful tool that should be incorporated into learning environments.The findings in this paper indicate that those embedding educational podcasts within learning activities and professional development should consider how to emphasise the flexibility, social interactions and learning aspects of these tools to promote the attractive features of this tool.Although this study sheds light on the reasons those in the field of education use this medium, additional research is needed to explore how and why these individuals engage with educational podcasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Training to run is not straightforward since without proper personalised supervision and planning, people will not improve their performance and will increase the risk of injuries. This study aims to identify the different factors that influence running training programmes, examining the benefits, challenges or limitations of personalised plans. Moreover, this study explores how multimodal, immersive and artificial intelligence technologies can support personalised training. We conducted an exploratory sequential mixed research consisting of interviews with 11 running coaches from different countries and a survey of 12 running coaches. Based on the interviews and survey analysis, we identified and extracted relevant factors of the training process. We identified four relevant aspects for running training: physical, technical, mental and body awareness. Using these aspects as a reference, we derived a framework using a bottom‐up approach. This framework proposes multimodal, immersive and artificial intelligence technologies to facilitate personalised running training. It also allows coaches to personally guide their athletes on each aspect. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Running is a popular sport that provides health benefits and is practised by many people around the world.Training is a process that enables athletes to improve their development in various aspects of their sport; in the case of running, it helps them to increase their speed and endurance.Personalised training supports the needs and abilities of athletes, by helping them to achieve their potential through individualised activities or programmes.Sports science research indicates that personalised training can be improved by applying technology to tackle its challenges and limitations.What this paper adds We show that personalising the training requires not only focusing on the runners' physical condition but also on their mental, technical and body awareness aspects, where each of them has a different adaptation to training.We show that multimodal and immersive technologies offer suitable and portable ways to measure and target the mental and body awareness aspects during running training.Implications for practice and/or policy This paper presents a list of factors, measures and devices that coaches can use to plan and design their training sessions in a more personalised manner.This study can serve as a foundation for future research that aims to identify and target the various factors that influence the learning and training of sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper argues that learning analytics as a research field can benefit from a theory‐informed shared language to describe sensemaking of learning and teaching data. To make the case for such shared language, first, I critically review prominent sensemaking theories to then demonstrate how studies in learning analytics do not use coherent descriptions of sensemaking, eclectically combining the paradigms that have underlying differences. I then propose a conceptualization of sensemaking that overcomes the differences between these theories and explains how the concepts of activity system, the definition of the situation and affordances can be used to capture individual differences in sensemaking. The paper concludes with a preliminary framework and examples demonstrating its utility in raising new theoretical questions, informing design principles and providing shared language for researchers in learning analytics.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topicSensemaking happens when individuals try to explain unknown situations.Learning analytics uses sensemaking as a lens to understand dashboard use.Systematic analysis of sensemaking is essential for learning analytics.What this paper addsThe paper notes that noticing and perceiving are commonly examined in learning analytics on dashboard use.The paper suggests a revision of fundamental assumptions in sensemaking.A paper proposes a toy model of sensemaking that includes operationalization of the definition of the situation, activity where sensemaking happens and processes of noticing and perceiving affordances.Implications for practice and/or policyLearning analytics must examine sensemaking of data about teaching and learning in a systematic manner.Internal perceptions of the social environment and activity that are informed by the data need to be considered in evaluating dashboard use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research showed that the parents acknowledged the technology's benefits for their young children's learning, however, they are still worried about the extended screen time, lack of physical activity and lack of social interactions. To address these concerns, we developed Kid Space to enable pedagogically appropriate technology use for children in early childhood education by combining various sensing technologies with a multi‐modal conversational artificial intelligence system that can interact with children, understand individual progress and provide personalised learning experiences. To understand the impact of Kid Space on the parents' initial concerns about technology use by their young children, we conducted a multi‐method user study: (1) a quasi‐experimental design and (2) formative research method using an exploratory case study with a set of children and their parents experiencing Kid Space in their homes. The results show that after experiencing Kid Space with their children, the parents felt significantly less concerned about screen time, social interactions and physical activity and reported positive perceptions towards pedagogical value of Kid Space. Detailed analysis on the multi‐modal data quantitatively and qualitatively validated why Kid Space alleviated these concerns. Future research is needed to validate long‐term educational value of Kid Space and generate insights for improvement for next iterations. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Play‐based learning is critical for young children's education, but digital games create major concerns around extended screen time, lack of physical activity and lack of social interactions.Blending digital and physical spaces could support pedagogically appropriate technology use for young children. Towards this end, there are some exemplary studies in the state–of‐the‐art reporting positive educational outcomes as an effect of utilising such spaces. However, none of these studies supported children's most natural mode of communication in their interactions with the systems—speaking.Pedagogical conversational agents (PCAs) are promising, but they are tricky when it comes to young children's speech because of unique technical challenges resulted from how children use language and communicate with digital systems.What this paper adds To our best knowledge, Kid Space is one of the earliest implementations of a PCA with a multi‐modal artificial intelligence (AI) system utilising physical and digital learning manipulatives for maths learning with a focus on early childhood education. The key contributions of this paper are (1) the design and development of an end‐to‐end multi‐modal system enabling Wizard‐of‐Oz experimentation for initial evaluations with users, (2) the creation of a multi‐modal, in‐the‐wild labelled dataset with children–agent, children–parent and children–physical/digital space interactions enabling advancements for AI components for later evaluations with users and (3) the generation of rich insights from an initial research study on user perceptions and engagement as well as actionable findings to improve Kid Space experiences for next iterations and inform key design features for similar systems.Implications for practice and/or policy The results of the study implied a set of areas for improvement—or design features—for Kid Space and other similar pedagogical conversational systems developed for children's home usages: (1) easier setup and usage with optimised setup size addressing diverse space limitations at homes, (2) minimised latency between Oscar (the conversational pedagogical agent) and child interactions (eg, adding multimodal dialogue system to reduce the need for a human wizard), (3) more advanced personalisation, social (including more verbal interactions) and pedagogical skills for Oscar with increased contextual awareness (eg, sending children's engagement), (4) scalability and higher visual quality of content with diverse games and learning outcomes, (5) parental control features over Kid Space platform and Oscar (eg, time limit, content, etc.) and (6) accessibility features (eg, captions turned on for multilingual children) and support for neurodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the seamless mobile learning practices of UK government workers at various life stages, to understand how context impacted decisions about how, when and where learning was undertaken. Following Hedegaard, the context was understood as involving settings embedded within institutions. Drawing on analysis of data from public domain blogs and reports and anonymised trace data showing e‐learning visits via a mobile device, a picture of institutional practice and values was developed. Against this backdrop, a survey of 50 individuals followed by semi‐structured interviews provided information about seamless mobile learning projects. Mobile learning was often fragmented and ad hoc, rather than part of a longer, seamless learning project. A distinction between just‐in‐time learning and just‐in‐case learning was apparent, with the latter often postponed. For mobile workers, mobile learning focused on current work setting, whereas workers who could work in many interchangeable settings might move to somewhere they could concentrate. Mobile learning was sometimes motivated by a sense of a lack of time and a need to stay 'on top of things' as much as by interest in a topic. Sustained seamless mobile learning projects occurred if there was institutional support for learning that was also of individual interest and if learners had the ability to orchestrate their learning. Learners reported these seamless mobile learning projects to be enjoyable and compelling. This paper contributes to the evidence of seamless mobile learning practice over the life course and illustrates the value of considering an individual's relation to various institutions in conceptualisations of seamless mobile learning. It also offers pointers for the future design of seamless mobile learning tools including a need to offer learners the opportunity to sometimes separate ongoing learning which is related to distinct institutions.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topicMobile devices accompany their owners across settings that were previously considered separate, such as work, college and households.This has the potential to impact work/home and other boundaries.From a pedagogical perspective, mobile devices may support seamless learning, in which experiences across distinct settings result in a holistic and unified understanding.What this paper addsIt introduces the concept of the institution to conceptions of seamless learning.It illustrates the ways in which different institutions (workplaces or educational institutions) can shape individual experiences and decisions about when and where to learn.It provides evidence that some working adults engage in seamless learning projects and describe this as compelling and enjoyable, but that others prefer to separate distinct life spheres.Implications for practice and/or policyThere may be value in institutions and designers supporting people who want to engage in seamless mobile learning.However, it is important to be aware that not everyone wants to engage in seamless learning.Seamless learning is more likely to occur when individual and institutional priorities are aligned across several institutions, so there will be challenges for a single institution seeking to promote it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimodal learning analytics (MMLA) research has made significant progress in modelling collaboration quality for the purpose of understanding collaboration behaviour and building automated collaboration estimation models. Deploying these automated models in authentic classroom scenarios, however, remains a challenge. This paper presents findings from an evaluation of collaboration quality estimation models. We collected audio, video and log data from two different Estonian schools. These data were used in different combinations to build collaboration estimation models and then assessed across different subjects, different types of activities (collaborative‐writing, group‐discussion) and different schools. Our results suggest that the automated collaboration model can generalize to the context of different schools but with a 25% degradation in balanced accuracy (from 82% to 57%). Moreover, the results also indicate that multimodality brings more performance improvement in the case of group‐discussion‐based activities than collaborative‐writing‐based activities. Further, our results suggest that the video data could be an alternative for understanding collaboration in authentic settings where higher‐quality audio data cannot be collected due to contextual factors. The findings have implications for building automated collaboration estimation systems to assist teachers with monitoring their collaborative classrooms. Practitioners notesWhat is already known about this topicMultimodal learning analytics researchers have established several features as potential indicators for collaboration quality, e.g., speaking time or joint visual attention.The current state of the art has shown the feasibility of building automated collaboration quality models.Recent research has provided preliminary evidence of the generalizability of developed automated models across contexts different in terms of given task and subject.What does this paper addThis paper offers collaboration indicators for different types of collaborative learning activities in authentic classroom settings.The paper includes a systematic investigation into collaboration quality automated model's generalizability across different tasks, types of tasks and schools.This paper also offers a comparison between different modalities' potential to estimate collaboration quality in authentic settings.Implications for practiceThe findings inform the development of automated collaboration monitoring systems for authentic classroom settings.This paper provides evidence on across‐school generalizability capabilities of collaboration quality estimation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research employs the fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method to investigate the configurations of multiple factors influencing scientific concept learning, including augmented reality (AR) technology, the concept map (CM) strategy and individual differences (eg, prior knowledge, experience and attitudes). A quasi‐experiment was conducted with 194 seventh‐grade students divided into four groups: AR and CM (N = 52), AR and non‐CM (N = 51), non‐AR and CM (N = 40), non‐AR and non‐CM (N = 51). These students participated in a science lesson on ‘The structure of peach blossom’. This study represents students' science learning outcomes by measuring their academic performance and cognitive load. The fsQCA results reveal that: (1) factors influencing students' academic performance and cognitive load are interdependent, and a single factor cannot constitute a necessary condition for learning outcomes; (2) multiple pathways can lead to the same learning outcome, challenging the notion of a singular best path derived from traditional analysis methods; (3) the configurations of good and poor learning outcomes exhibit asymmetry. For example, high prior knowledge exists in both configurations leading to good and poor learning outcomes, depending on how other conditions are combined. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Augmented reality proves to be a useful technological tool for improving science learning. The concept map can guide students to describe the relationships between concepts and make a connection between new knowledge and existing knowledge structures. Individual differences have been emphasized as essential external factors in controlling the effectiveness of learning. What this paper adds This study innovatively employed the fsQCA analysis method to reveal the complex phenomenon of the scientific concept learning process at a fine‐grained level. This study discussed how individual differences interact with AR and concept map strategy to influence scientific concept learning. Implications for practice and/or policy No single factor present or absent is necessary for learning outcomes, but the combinations of AR and concept map strategy always obtain satisfactory learning outcomes. There are multiple pathways to achieving good learning outcomes rather than a single optimal solution. The implementation of educational interventions should fully consider students' individual differences, such as prior knowledge, experience and attitudes. What is already known about this topic Augmented reality proves to be a useful technological tool for improving science learning. The concept map can guide students to describe the relationships between concepts and make a connection between new knowledge and existing knowledge structures. Individual differences have been emphasized as essential external factors in controlling the effectiveness of learning. What this paper adds This study innovatively employed the fsQCA analysis method to reveal the complex phenomenon of the scientific concept learning process at a fine‐grained level. This study discussed how individual differences interact with AR and concept map strategy to influence scientific concept learning. Implications for practice and/or policy No single factor present or absent is necessary for learning outcomes, but the combinations of AR and concept map strategy always obtain satisfactory learning outcomes. There are multiple pathways to achieving good learning outcomes rather than a single optimal solution. The implementation of educational interventions should fully consider students' individual differences, such as prior knowledge, experience and attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers who know what, how and why to teach are essential for successful student learning. However, many preservice teachers (PSTs) lack teaching experience and the ability to integrate theory and practice. To help bridge this gap, this study employed a learning‐by‐design project approach in which 22 Korean PSTs developed lesson plans for middle school English classes, constructed virtual classrooms in the metaverse based on their English lesson plans, and conducted microteaching in the virtual classrooms. The study used a qualitative research method and focused on an emic perspective with multiple data sets, including the PSTs' reflection papers and post‐interviews as primary data, and their lesson plans, virtual classrooms and recordings of microteaching as secondary data. The results showed that the project supported learning by design, and that it also helped PSTs understand learners and learning, redefine the teacher's role as a designer and facilitator, connect theories to practice and improve their teaching skills. The findings can be used as a reference for future teacher training. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Teachers' content, pedagogical and technological knowledge and skills are essential attributes for effective performance. Preservice teachers (PSTs) have difficulty transferring their knowledge to real classrooms because their knowledge often focuses on the ‘know‐what’ of teaching, but not on the ‘know‐how’. Microteaching in virtual environments helps PSTs connect knowledge and practice and prepare for real classroom situations. What this paper adds The study applied a learning‐by‐design approach to preservice teachers' microteaching to help them connect their pedagogical knowledge to classroom practice. The study focused on describing how the PSTs' virtual classroom design influenced the way they planned and implemented their microteaching. Implications for practice and/or policy Teacher educators can incorporate the design‐based approach into their teacher training modules to help teachers understand learner needs when planning and implementing English lessons. Teachers can develop technological literacy and positive attitudes about using technology in their classrooms. What is already known about this topic Teachers' content, pedagogical and technological knowledge and skills are essential attributes for effective performance. Preservice teachers (PSTs) have difficulty transferring their knowledge to real classrooms because their knowledge often focuses on the ‘know‐what’ of teaching, but not on the ‘know‐how’. Microteaching in virtual environments helps PSTs connect knowledge and practice and prepare for real classroom situations. What this paper adds The study applied a learning‐by‐design approach to preservice teachers' microteaching to help them connect their pedagogical knowledge to classroom practice. The study focused on describing how the PSTs' virtual classroom design influenced the way they planned and implemented their microteaching. Implications for practice and/or policy Teacher educators can incorporate the design‐based approach into their teacher training modules to help teachers understand learner needs when planning and implementing English lessons. Teachers can develop technological literacy and positive attitudes about using technology in their classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video‐based learning (VBL) is popular, yet students tend to learn video material passively. Instilling teaching expectancy is a strategy to promote active processing by learners, but it is unclear how effective it will be in improving VBL. This study examined the role of teaching expectancy on VBL by comparing the learning outcomes and metacognitive monitoring of 94 learners with different expectancies (teaching, test or no expectancy). Results showed that the teaching expectancy group had better learning outcomes and no significant difference in the metacognitive monitoring of three groups. We further explored the visual behaviour patterns of learners with different expectancies by using the indicator of eye‐movement synchronization. It was found that synchronization was significantly lower in both the teaching and test expectancy groups than in the no expectancy group, and the test expectancy group was significantly lower than the teaching expectancy group. This result suggests that both teaching and test expectancy enhance the active processing of VBL. However, by sliding window analysis, we found that the teaching expectancy group used a flexible and planned attention allocation. Our findings confirmed the effectiveness of teaching expectancy in VBL. Also, this study provided evidence for the applicability of eye‐tracking techniques to assess VBL. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Video‐based learning has become a popular way, yet students tend to learn video material passively. When students learn with teaching expectancy, they are more likely to engage in deep processing, which has been proven in static multimedia learning. Individuals show high eye‐movement synchronization when watching the same video, and this synchronization may be reduced when they engage in top‐down processing. What this paper adds Teaching expectancy improves learning performance in Video‐based learning. Teaching expectancy enhances active cognitive processing in Video‐based learning. During the video viewing, learners with teaching expectancy not only followed the instructor's explanations but also engaged in active top‐down processing, demonstrating flexible and planned attention allocation. Implications for practice and/or policy Utilizing teaching as an intention can serve as an effective learning strategy for Video‐based learning. The use of eye‐movement intersubject correlation to analyse visual behaviour patterns provides a new way to explore how people learn from dynamic multimedia materials. What is already known about this topic Video‐based learning has become a popular way, yet students tend to learn video material passively. When students learn with teaching expectancy, they are more likely to engage in deep processing, which has been proven in static multimedia learning. Individuals show high eye‐movement synchronization when watching the same video, and this synchronization may be reduced when they engage in top‐down processing. What this paper adds Teaching expectancy improves learning performance in Video‐based learning. Teaching expectancy enhances active cognitive processing in Video‐based learning. During the video viewing, learners with teaching expectancy not only followed the instructor's explanations but also engaged in active top‐down processing, demonstrating flexible and planned attention allocation. Implications for practice and/or policy Utilizing teaching as an intention can serve as an effective learning strategy for Video‐based learning. The use of eye‐movement intersubject correlation to analyse visual behaviour patterns provides a new way to explore how people learn from dynamic multimedia materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the validity and reliability of generative large language models (LLMs), specifically ChatGPT and Google's Bard, in grading student essays in higher education based on an analytical grading rubric. A total of 15 experienced English as a foreign language (EFL) instructors and two LLMs were asked to evaluate three student essays of varying quality. The grading scale comprised five domains: grammar, content, organization, style & expression and mechanics. The results revealed that fine‐tuned ChatGPT model demonstrated a very high level of reliability with an intraclass correlation (ICC) score of 0.972, Default ChatGPT model exhibited an ICC score of 0.947 and Bard showed a substantial level of reliability with an ICC score of 0.919. Additionally, a significant overlap was observed in certain domains when comparing the grades assigned by LLMs and human raters. In conclusion, the findings suggest that while LLMs demonstrated a notable consistency and potential for grading competency, further fine‐tuning and adjustment are needed for a more nuanced understanding of non‐objective essay criteria. The study not only offers insights into the potential use of LLMs in grading student essays but also highlights the need for continued development and research. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Large language models (LLMs), such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard, are known for their ability to generate text that mimics human‐like conversation and writing. LLMs can perform various tasks, including essay grading. Intraclass correlation (ICC) is a statistical measure used to assess the reliability of ratings given by different raters (in this case, EFL instructors and LLMs). What this paper adds The study makes a unique contribution by directly comparing the grading performance of expert EFL instructors with two LLMs—ChatGPT and Bard—using an analytical grading scale. It provides robust empirical evidence showing high reliability of LLMs in grading essays, supported by high ICC scores. It specifically highlights that the overall efficacy of LLMs extends to certain domains of essay grading. Implications for practice and/or policy The findings open up potential new avenues for utilizing LLMs in academic settings, particularly for grading student essays, thereby possibly alleviating workload of educators. The paper's insistence on the need for further fine‐tuning of LLMs underlines the continual interplay between technological advancement and its practical applications. The results lay down a footprint for future research in advancing the use of AI in essay grading. What is already known about this topic Large language models (LLMs), such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard, are known for their ability to generate text that mimics human‐like conversation and writing. LLMs can perform various tasks, including essay grading. Intraclass correlation (ICC) is a statistical measure used to assess the reliability of ratings given by different raters (in this case, EFL instructors and LLMs). What this paper adds The study makes a unique contribution by directly comparing the grading performance of expert EFL instructors with two LLMs—ChatGPT and Bard—using an analytical grading scale. It provides robust empirical evidence showing high reliability of LLMs in grading essays, supported by high ICC scores. It specifically highlights that the overall efficacy of LLMs extends to certain domains of essay grading. Implications for practice and/or policyThe findings open up potential new avenues for utilizing LLMs in academic settings, particularly for grading student essays, thereby possibly alleviating workload of educators.The paper's insistence on the need for further fine‐tuning of LLMs underlines the continual interplay between technological advancement and its practical applications.The results lay down a footprint for future research in advancing the use of AI in essay grading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dementia patients may have language barriers and decreased comprehension ability. Their family caregivers can feel frustrated when communicating with them. Poor communication hinders family caregivers from obtaining accurate health information about patients, and may also increase their emotional burden, affecting patient care quality. The present study developed a virtual reality‐based simulated communication training (VRSCT) system and applied it to a training course for family caregivers of dementia patients. It allowed family caregivers to simulate real‐world situations in a VR environment, experience the daily communication barriers and stress with dementia patients, and apply their acquired knowledge and skills to solve related problems. This study used a randomised control experimental design with mixed analysis methods. A total of 63 family caregivers were recruited and randomly divided into the experimental group (N = 32) learning with the VRSCT system to interact with virtual dementia patients and practice communication skills, and the control group (N = 31) using the traditional role‐playing method for practice. Quantitative data were analysed to determine participants' knowledge of dementia care, attitudes, communication confidence and skills. In addition, the qualitative method was used to analyse the participants' discussion records. The results showed that by using the VRSCT approach, participants significantly improved their knowledge of dementia care, attitudes, communication confidence and communication skills compared to the control group. In addition, participants reported that through the real‐time feedback of the VRSCT system, they could recognise their previous incorrect communication approach. As a result, they adjusted their communication strategies and increased their self‐confidence. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Situational simulation helps learners improve their communication skills in a safe environment. Virtual reality (VR) creates a realistic, highly interactive learning environment, allowing users to be deeply immersed in the learning experience. What this paper adds This study proposed a VR‐based simulated communication training (VRSCT) approach; moreover, seven dementia cases of different degrees of severity were designed in the VR system to enable family members to experience possible challenges of taking care of dementia patients they might encounter in their daily lives. Each case in the VRSCT system has its unique symptoms and communication barriers. The learner in the story plays a caregiver, experiencing and solving the problems and challenges posed by the system. The experimental results show that the proposed method improves learners' knowledge, attitudes, communication confidence, and communication skills related to dementia care. Implications for practice and/or policy Utilising VR training can amplify awareness and secure enhanced social support for dementia‐related challenges. Using VRSCT, as governments and institutions recognise the effectiveness of VR training, they will provide more resources and promote its widespread application. What is already known about this topic Situational simulation helps learners improve their communication skills in a safe environment. Virtual reality (VR) creates a realistic, highly interactive learning environment, allowing users to be deeply immersed in the learning experience. What this paper adds This study proposed a VR‐based simulated communication training (VRSCT) approach; moreover, seven dementia cases of different degrees of severity were designed in the VR system to enable family members to experience possible challenges of taking care of dementia patients they might encounter in their daily lives. Each case in the VRSCT system has its unique symptoms and communication barriers. The learner in the story plays a caregiver, experiencing and solving the problems and challenges posed by the system. The experimental results show that the proposed method improves learners' knowledge, attitudes, communication confidence, and communication skills related to dementia care. Implications for practice and/or policy Utilising VR training can amplify awareness and secure enhanced social support for dementia‐related challenges. Using VRSCT, as governments and institutions recognise the effectiveness of VR training, they will provide more resources and promote its widespread application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three‐dimensional virtual world (3DVW) have been adopted extensively in the education sector worldwide, and there has been remarkable growth in the application of these environments for distance learning. A wide variety of universities and educational organizations across the world have utilized this technology for their regular learning and teaching programs. The current study conducts a systematic review of the published studies relevant to the application of 3DVWs in higher education. A search of the literature was carried out in eight high‐ranking scientific digital libraries. Following scrutiny according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 165 papers out of 1402 publications were selected for review from a variety of disciplines over a 10‐year time period. The systematic review process were summarised, a number of paper reviews were conducted and results in conjunction with applicability of 3DVWs in higher education were extracted. In this study, various application areas of 3DVWs in higher education were found and classified into 13 main categories. Additionally, implications for research and practice are presented to provide new directions for further research and practice in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central to the concept of Student Voice is the communication of student feedback to educators. Feedback can assume a great variety of forms, and effectiveness and appropriacy of different feedback methods may vary. This research investigates student perceptions of two traditional feedback methods-pen-and-paper questionnaires and oral question-and-answer reports-compared against feedback obtained through the use of three digital technology tools (Socrative, TodaysMeet and Google Drive). The findings suggest that the use of digital technologies in Student Voice contexts is likely to be highly effective due to the overwhelming positive attitude of students towards these tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]