Search

Background: Mindfulness practices enhance executive function skills and academic achievement, spurring interest in integrating mindfulness interventions into education. Embedding mindfulness practice into a digital math game may provide a low‐cost, scalable way to induce mindfulness and boost game‐based learning, yet this approach remains unexplored. Objectives: We investigated the learning benefits of integrating mindfulness exercises in a digital math learning game and examined how students' trait mindfulness might moderate the outcomes. Methods: Two classroom studies were conducted with 404 5th and 6th grade students from six public schools in the U.S. (nStudy 1 = 227, nStudy 2 = 177). The two randomized controlled experiments assigned students to one of the three conditions: passive control (playing the digital learning game Decimal Point), story‐enriched active control, or mindfulness‐enriched condition. Trait mindfulness, learning gains, and in‐game problem‐solving (including problem‐solving duration, error count and correctness after reminder) were assessed. Study 2 included a manipulation check to better understand the effects of the mindfulness intervention. Results: Findings showed no significant differences in learning gains, problem‐solving duration or error count among the conditions. Students' trait mindfulness did not moderate these outcomes. Mindfulness reminders in the mindfulness‐enriched game led to more correct answers after errors than jokes in the story‐enriched game. Study 2 revealed that we failed to induce higher state mindfulness through the mindfulness inductions. Conclusions: Mindfulness prompts could be especially beneficial for students experiencing frustration during gameplay, warranting more exploration for digital game‐based instruction. We highlight barriers and future directions for fostering mindfulness through computer‐based instruction in classrooms. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic?: Researchers focus on digital games as productive learning environments for math, with potential for higher learning gains compared with traditional methods. However, results are mixed, and not all games lead to improved math outcomes.Executive function (EF) skills are crucial for math learning, and mindfulness‐based interventions show promise in enhancing EF skills in school‐aged students.Embedding mindfulness practice into a digital math game may provide a low‐cost, scalable way to induce mindfulness and, in turn, boost EF skills and game‐based learning, yet this approach remains unexplored What does this paper add?: This paper presents the results of two randomized control trials investigating the feasibility and benefits of incorporating mindfulness exercises into a digital math game designed for middle school students. Benefits are compared to those of a story‐enriched and regular version of the same digital math learning game.The paper also explores variations in the effects of the mindfulness‐enriched game based on students' initial trait mindfulness levels.We observe that listening to mindfulness inductions at the beginning of game sessions do not induce mindfulness, and therefore does not benefit math learning.We find that mindfulness prompts received after recurrent errors can be beneficial for students' problem solving. Implications of study findings for practitioners: Our study provides important information on how digital learning game designers should attempt to induce mindfulness in a digital game to promote learning.Digital learning game designers should consider incorporating mindfulness exercises into their games strategically. Presenting mindfulness inductions in audio format at the beginning of game sessions may not induce mindfulness or benefit math learning. Instead, designers should focus on integrating mindfulness prompts at moments when students encounter frustration within the learning game.Beyond embedding audio mindfulness exercises in the game, learning designers should also consider alternative technological and game features to induce mindfulness within a learning game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of a video tutorial versus a paper-based tutorial for software training has yet to be established. Mixed outcomes from the empirical studies to date suggest that for a video tutorial to outperform its paper-based counterpart, the former should be crafted so that it addresses the strengths of both designs. This was attempted in the present study. Two consecutive experiments were conducted to examine the effect of tutorial type (video vs. paper based) on task relevance, self-efficacy, mood, flow and task performance. Participants were students from junior high school. Both studies reported significant, positive contributions of the tutorials to task relevance, self-efficacy, mood and flow. Both studies also found significant and substantial effects on task performance. A learning gain of about 30% was achieved in both studies. A retention task, completed only in Study 2, further revealed that the learning effect was stable. More importantly, performance on this task also indicated a significant interaction with tutorial type, favouring the video. The success of the video tutorial is ascribed to its design, which attended to and even incorporated key qualities of paper-based tutorials, while also capitalizing on the strengths of video. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are only few guidelines on how instructional videos should be designed to optimize learning. Recently, the effects of social cues on attention allocation and learning in instructional videos have been investigated. Due to inconsistent results, it has been suggested that the visual complexity of a video influences the effect of social cues on learning. Objectives: Therefore, this study compared the effects of social cues (i.e., gaze & gesture) in low and high visual complexity videos on attention, perceived cognitive load, and learning outcomes. Methods: Participants (N = 71) were allocated to a social cue or no social cue condition and watched both a low and a high visual complexity video. After each video, participants completed a knowledge test. Results and Conclusions: Results showed that participants looked faster at referenced information and had higher learning outcomes in the low visual complexity condition. Social cues did not affect any of the dependent variables, except when including prior knowledge in the analysis: In this exploratory analysis, the inclusion of gaze and gesture cues in the videos did lead to better learning outcomes. Takeaways: Our results show that the visual complexity of instructional videos and prior knowledge are important to take into account in future research on attention and learning from instructional videos. Lay Description: What is already known about the topic: Instructional videos are widely used in education.Learners need to timely attend to relevant content to learn successfully.Learners' attention might be guided towards relevant content with social cues (gaze and gesture of a presenter or instructor) but findings regarding learning outcomes are inconclusive. What does this paper add: This paper is the first to examine the role of the visual complexity of an instructional video in the interplay between social cues (gaze and gesture), learners' attention allocation, and learning outcomes. Implications for practice: The results show that visual complexity influences the learners' attention allocation and learning outcomes.Social cues (i.e., gaze & gesture) improved learning outcomes when controlling for learners' prior knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Background: Holocaust memory and learning processes have become increasingly mediatised as a result of rapid technological advances. There is, however, little information available regarding how people learn about this topic informally through social media. Objectives: This paper explores how adult learners develop their learning ecologies by using social media to learn about the Holocaust informally. Methods: The study uses a learning ecology perspective to analyse the interests, expectations and learning process of a group of adult learners (N = 276). An online survey tool was developed to collect information on the interests, expectations, and benefits of learning about Holocaust‐related topics among online users of four Italian Holocaust museums' social media profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarise the characteristics of the sample and to answer the research questions. Results and Conclusions: The results show that most of the respondents are mostly women, with an average age of 50 and a higher level of education. In terms of interest and expectations, they are particularly interested in issues related to the intertwining of transnational and national memory. They also express a sense of civic responsibility with regard to the legacy of the Holocaust. Finally, components of the learning process show proactive behaviour and a preference for individual learning, while interaction with peers is considered less important. Takeaways: There is an urgent need to understand how learners' preferences influence the development of learning ecologies and the types of content they are most likely to be exposed to as a result. It is also important for social media content providers to understand that learners are looking for quality resources and trustworthy content to further their education. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Teaching and learning about the Holocaust is a field of study with an established scholarly tradition.Social media are information ecosystems that enable novel practices of Holocaust education and remembrance.The concept of lifelong learning ecologies has been developed to explain learning as a multidimensional and complex aspect of human life. What this paper adds: The study is the first to apply learning ecologies to the teaching and learning of the Holocaust through the use of digital technology.The study findings provide insight into how adults learn about the Holocaust informally using social media.The findings suggest that users are more proactive in their individual learning process and less active in interacting with peers. Implications for practice and/or policy: It is important to understand that learners' preferences have implications for the development of learning ecologies and the types of content to which they are most frequently exposed.In addition to providing opportunities for learners to critically reflect on their own learning practices, museum staff provide opportunities for learners to interact with each other and with Holocaust education specialists.Social media content providers should be aware that learners are looking for quality resources and trustworthy content to continue their learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Writing is an important and complex skill, which could be enhanced by teaching students effective writing strategies such as outlining. Electronic outlining ‐ integrated feature in Microsoft® Word – has been shown to enhance students' writing performance. However, little is known about the optimal didactic approach for electronic outlining. Objective: This study examined the effects of learning to use electronic outlining either via observational learning or via learning‐by‐doing on students' argumentative writing performance. Methods: Students (N = 129, 10th‐grade) were assigned with their complete class to one of three conditions: a control (traditional pen and paper outlines via learning‐by‐doing), outline (electronic outlines via learning‐by‐doing) or observation (electronic outlines via observational learning) condition. Students followed an argumentative writing lesson‐series that differed across conditions in terms of planning strategies and didactic approaches used. To examine the influence of the different conditions on students' writing, argumentative texts were used as pre‐ and post‐tests, and the quality was evaluated with an analytic assessment protocol. In addition, data regarding students' perceived mental effort and the organisation of the writing process were collected. Finally, students' attitudes towards electronic outlining were assessed. Results and Conclusion: Although the overall text structure had improved after the lesson series, no significant differences were found between conditions. Electronic outlining increased the total amount of time dedicated to the texts as well as the revision ratio. Students in the observation condition showed a higher pause ratio and a lower fluency on the post‐test as compared to students who learned by doing (both control and outline conditions). With regard to perceived mental effort, students in the outline and control conditions perceived significant decreases over tasks, as opposed to those in the observation condition. In conclusion, the self‐reports indicate that students in the outline condition appropriated electronic outlining significantly better than those in the observation condition, suggesting that practice enhanced students' appropriation of electronic outlining. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Planning as a writing strategy helps students organise their writing and reduce mental effort.Electronic outlining is an effective and efficient tool to support a planning strategy.Observational learning is an effective didactic approach in writing education. What this paper adds: Traditional planning and electronic outlining via either observational learning or learning‐by‐doing affect writing products equally.Tool appropriation is greater for students who learned‐by‐doing. Implications for practice: Importance of elaborated and explicit (strategy) instruction.Advantage of video‐based modelling for teacher efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deep discussions play an important role in students' online learning. However, researchers have largely focused on engaging students in deep discussions in online asynchronous forums. Few studies have investigated how to promote deep discussion via mobile instant messaging (MIM). Objectives: In this study, we applied learning analytical tools (i.e., KBdeX and word clouds) to enhance students' shared epistemic agency and thereby support their deep discussions in MIM. Methods: Forty Chinese college students participated in this study and reflected on their MIM engagement by participating in the learning analytics (LA)‐augmented meta‐discourse sessions. The study used multiple data analysis methods, including content analysis, statistical analysis, epistemic network analysis and lag sequential analysis. Results: We found that LA engaged students in deep discussions and shared epistemic agency‐related discourse, such as creating shared understanding, creating knowledge objects, and projective and regulative processes. In particular, word clouds engaged students in more complete shared epistemic agency discourse trajectory which started from creating awareness of unknowns, then progressed to setting projective plans and sharing information, and ultimately, creating shared understanding. Moreover, our analysis indicated that epistemic agency discourse moves of creating shared understanding led students to a high level of deep discussion. Implications: This study contributes to research by extending the 'comparison paradigm', which focuses on comparing (a)synchronous forums with MIM, to a 'design paradigm', which mobilises design features from (a)synchronous forums to MIM and using learning analytical tools to engage students in deep online discussions by promoting their epistemic agency. Lay Description: What is known in this subject matter: Supporting students' online deep discussions is important.Prior studies have shown multiple technological and pedagogical strategies to support deep discussions in (a)synchronous discussion forums, but few studies in mobile instant messaging (MIM).MIM is a quasi‐synchronous tool. It is difficult to transform the traditional external scaffolds (i.e., scripts or teachers' facilitation) which promote deep discussions from (a)synchronous forums to MIM. What this paper adds to this: We constructed a design framework which used learning analytical tools‐augmented meta‐discourse to engage students in shared epistemic agency discourse moves to promote their deep discussion in MIM.We conducted multiple types of analyses (content analysis, statistical analysis, epistemic network analysis and lag sequential analysis) on students' WeChat message (a major MIM in China).Results indicated both learning analytical tools helped engage students in shared epistemic agency discourse moves, such as creating shared understanding, creating knowledge objects, projective and regulative, thus, to promote students' deep discussions. Word cloud especially engaged students in more complete shared epistemic agency discourse trajectory. Moreover, analysis results indicated that shared epistemic agency discourse moves of creating shared understanding would lead students to a high level of deep discussions. Implications of study findings for practitioners: Our study provides a feasible way to educational practitioners who want to promote students' deep discussions in their online learning course (both fully online and flipped classroom mode).Knowledge Building Discourse Explorer (KBDeX presents the original analysis results of students' written messages in discussion forums as socio‐cognitive networks.) could be implemented in the classroom. The objective is to encourage students to understand the importance of connecting with peers' ideas in a one‐session implementation period.If time allows, teachers could use word cloud and meta‐discourse to engage students in socio‐metacognitive conversations in class to promote their shared epistemic agency discourse in online discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mobile‐assisted language learning (MALL) has long been advocated to promote students' language study outcomes. However, little is known about how using instant messaging applications (an example of MALL) affect student motivation, language anxiety, and actual achievement. Objectives: To help close this gap, we have conducted a quasi‐experimental study, in which we have used self‐determination theory to test a mediational process model, in an effort to understand the psychological mechanisms that underlie the effect of instant messaging applications on student outcomes. Methods: Two groups of Saudi undergraduate students (N = 447) were recruited to participate in the study. Participants under the experimental condition were invited to engage in language‐related tasks with their teacher outside of class through the WhatsApp application, whereas participants under the control condition received standard teaching. We applied partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) to test our model. Results and Conclusions: The results of the PLS‐SEM showed that the total effects of using instant messaging applications on autonomous motivation and L2 achievement were significant but that language anxiety was influenced only indirectly and negatively through language achievement. Also, the PLS‐SEM showed that our results have strong predcitive power indicating support for external validity. Implications: Our results show that instant messaging applications can be used to facilitate interest and achievement and to decrease anxiety. Furthermore, we are contributing to L2 methodological literature by using applications of PLS‐SEM in experimental designs that can help researchers and practitioners of motivational processes. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Using WhatsApp and more broadly instant messaging applications are conceived to be motivating in language teaching contextStudies indicate students are inclined toward using these applications in language learningResearch shows that using WhatsApp is easy to apply for language teaching purposes What this paper adds: The study examined the effect of using WhatsApp on language learners' motivation, achievement, and language anxietyA pre‐ and post‐test approach with experimental and control condition has been used to evaluate the effect more accuratelyThe study employs Self‐determination Theory as a theoretical framework for testing a motivational process modelResults show that using WhatsApp predicted the outcomes directly and indirectly Implications for practice and/or policy: WhatsApp can significantly encourage university students to better learning of the language skills especially in times where face‐to‐face communication is limitedWhatsApp is conditioned by the guidance of instructors, their ongoing formative and summative assessmentWhatsApp appears to allow students enjoy their learning process due to the opportunities for collaborative work and constant exchange of content [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Background: Video lectures which include the instructor's presence are becoming increasingly popular. Presenting a real human does, however, entail higher financial and time costs in making videos, and one innovative approach to reduce costs has been to generate a virtual speaking instructor. Objectives: The current study examined whether the use of a virtual instructor in video lectures would facilitate learning as well as a human instructor, and whether manipulating the virtual instructor's characteristics (i.e., voice and appearance) might optimize the effectiveness of the virtual instructor. Methods: Our study set four conditions. In the control condition, students watched a human instructor. In the experiment conditions, students watched one of (a) a virtual instructor which used the human instructor's voice and an AI image, (b) a virtual instructor which spoke in an AI voice with an AI image made to speak using text‐to‐speech and lip synthesis techniques, or (c) a virtual instructor with used an AI voice and an AI likable‐image of an instructor. Results and Conclusions: The AI likable instructor condition had a significant positive effect on students' learning performance and motivation, without decreasing the attention students paid to the learning materials. Implications: Our findings suggest that instructional video designers can make use of AI voices and AI images of likable humans as instructors to motivate students and enhance their learning performance. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Video lectures which include the instructor's presence are becoming increasingly popular.Presenting a virtual instructor (i.e., a pedagogical agent) in video lectures has been shown to reduce costs of video production, both financially and in terms of time. What this paper adds: An AI‐generated voice and an AI‐generated image facilitated more students' transfer performance than a human instructor.The AI likable instructor condition had a significant positive effect on students' learning performance and motivation, without decreasing the attention students paid to the learning materials. Implications for practice and/or policy: We encourage instructional designers to use AI‐generated voices and AI‐generated images connected to a virtual instructor instead of a human instructor in video lectures.We encourage instructional designers to use likable human images (as defined by the students themselves) as a way to motivate students more and enhance their learning performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Online and blended learning need an appropriate assessment strategy which ensures academic integrity. During the pandemic, many universities have chosen for online proctoring. Although some earlier examples suggest that online proctoring may reduce cheating, the potential side‐effects of proctoring are largely unknown. Objectives: Therefore, this study aims to identify the effects of proctoring on students' self‐reported temptation to cheat and potentially undesirable side‐effects, including test anxiety, perceived exam difficulty, and performance. In addition, we examine which contextual and student characteristics affect test anxiety during online exams. Methods: For this, we collected four waves of survey data throughout a year of teaching during the pandemic at one faculty of a Dutch university, resulting in a total sample of 1760 students within 105 courses. Results and Conclusions: Multi‐level analyses showed that while proctoring had no effect on the temptation to cheat, exam difficulty or performance, students reported higher levels of test anxiety. Some learning strategies, internet literacy, access to a reliable technology and a dedicated study space as well as gender and financial stress affect their test anxiety. To conclude, the decision to use online proctoring needs to consider the undesirable side‐effect on test anxiety. We discuss practical implications for university administrators, educational designers and teachers to reduce test anxiety. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Proctoring is often used to ensure academic integrity in online exams.Some evidence shows that proctoring reduces cheating.Little is known about the potential negative side‐effects of proctoring. What this paper adds: The use of proctoring has no effect on the temptation to cheat.The use of proctoring results in increased test anxiety.Several student characteristics and contextual factors reduce text anxiety. Implications for practice: Consider potential negative side‐effects when choosing for proctoring.Time management and internet literacy training might reduce test anxiety.Simulating the exam environment might be used to reduce test anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Morphological awareness (MA) is the awareness and ability to manipulate morphemes, the smallest units of meaning in a language. It is identified as a strong cognitive precursor of word reading and reading comprehension. The current MA instructions are limited to classroom settings and delivered by teachers or experimenters. Few studies have included technology and its novel features to deliver MA instructions. Objectives: This study proposes a gamified learning approach embedded with self‐regulated learning support for MA learning and examines its effects on improving English reading performance and intrinsic motivation among junior secondary grade students who learn English as a foreign language. Methods: This study adopted a randomized controlled trial design. Participants (N = 104) were randomly assigned into one of three conditions: self‐regulated gamified programme, gamified programme, or non‐gamified programme. Students received 16 sessions of instructions (30 min/session) and were evaluated on reading abilities (i.e., MA, word reading and reading comprehension) and intrinsic motivation before and after the programme implementation. Results and conclusions: Results from repeated measures ANOVA and follow‐up ANCOVA showed that while the two gamified groups demonstrated greater improvement in MA (i.e., near transfer effect) and intrinsic motivation than non‐gamified group, only the self‐regulated gamified group showed more gains in multisyllabic word reading (i.e., far transfer effect) than non‐gamified group. There was no significant time X group interaction effect on reading comprehension. Implications: Taken together, this research suggests gamification leads to better morphology learning and increases students' intrinsic motivation. The incorporation of self‐regulated learning in gamification is recommended to achieve the far transfer effect on multisyllabic word reading. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Morphological awareness is an important reading‐related skill that predicts students' word reading and reading comprehension. However, existing morphological awareness instructions are mostly delivered by teachers or experimenters.Gamification, which is emerging as an effective approach that enhances learning and motivation, has not yet been widely applied to improve students' reading‐related skills, such as morphological awareness.Gamification is usually implemented in online learning environments where students' self‐regulated learning critically affects their online learning performance. However, few studies have provided self‐regulated learning support in a gamified learning environment. What this paper adds: We proposed a self‐regulated gamified approach specifically targeting morphological awareness and compared its effectiveness with gamified learning and non‐gamified learning.The two gamified groups led to significant gain in students' morphological awareness and intrinsic motivation than the non‐gamified group.Only the self‐regulated gamified group led to significant gain in multisyllabic word reading than the non‐gamified group. Implications for practice and/or policy: The self‐regulated gamified approach represents an effective way for learning morphological awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mind wandering—that is, a shift in the contents of thought away from an ongoing task—can have detrimental consequences for students' reading comprehension. To date, no evidence is available on the effects of text‐to‐speech solutions on rates of mind wandering during reading. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the effects of text‐to‐speech technology on frequency of mind wandering and reading comprehension in young students with dyslexia (20) and typical development (50). Methods: Students were presented, on a personal computer, texts and comprehension questions in two modalities: self‐paced silent reading and text‐to‐speech reading. Comprehension scores and mind wandering occurrence were considered. A battery of cognitive tasks and questionnaires on mind wandering and emotional traits was also included. Results: There were no differences in baseline rates of mind wandering between the two groups. In the text‐to‐speech condition, both groups showed better reading comprehension and reduced rates of mind wandering. Students with dyslexia were significantly more on task in the text‐to‐speech condition compared to the self‐paced reading condition. Implications: These results suggest that text‐to‐speech might represent a reading solution that allows students with Dyslexia to diminish mind wandering during text‐to‐speech reading. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Mind wandering has negative consequences for students' reading comprehensionStudents with dyslexia may engage in mind wandering while reading with negative effects for text comprehension.Text‐to‐speech software can help students with dyslexia achieve better text comprehension performance. What this paper adds: To date, no evidence is available on the use of text‐to‐speech software to reduce mind wandering.This study documents that text‐to‐speech might reduce mind wandering in students with dyslexia.Both students with dyslexia and typical readers achieved better reading comprehension and reduced mind wandering when supported by text‐to‐speech software. Implications for practice and/or policy: Text‐to‐speech may be a valid solution to promote on task behaviours for students with dyslexia.Text‐to‐speech software might be proposed to all students to read long/difficult texts or when presenting low levels of motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although blended learning (BL) has multiple educational prospects, it also poses challenges such as keeping students motivated. Objectives: This study investigates students' perceptions of how learning analytics (LA) can be used to support the design of a BL environment in order to promote students' basic need for relatedness, which is a dimension of motivation. Hence, it is hypothesized that sharing LA trends with students and illustrating which course adaptations were performed based on these trends, will result in positive student perceptions and can support students' basic need satisfaction for relatedness. Methods: A quasi‐experimental intervention study was executed using a mixed‐method approach (N = 257 students) in a BL course in university‐based teacher education. The intervention focuses on three types of learning management system LA data (general, content, and background) that are actively used by the instructor. General data consists of generated time on task, content data deals with the content of a learning path and background data includes information about students' previous education. Results and Conclusions: The results show that students' perceptions regarding these LA are positive and most in favour of content data. Moreover, the qualitative data illustrate that students acknowledge the potential value of LA for stimulating relatedness. Implications: Important recommendations for the use of LA in BL environments are (1) interest and commitment by the instructor by means of a powerful course intervention, (2) to consider gathering LA data anonymously on the group level, (3) instructors should communicate about the nature of the collected data, (4) actively process this input and, (5) use it in a formative manner. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Motivation can decrease in the online part of blended learning courses.Learning Analytics can offer instructors' insight into students' online activities.Students' LA perceptions are positive, but show also averse to any form of data collection that might put them under surveillance of the instructor. What this paper adds to this: Three types of LA data, consisting of both quantitative and qualitative data, provide a broad and varied insight into students' online activities.Students' perceptions regarding these different types of LA data are positive.LA data informs instructors to adapt the learning environment in order to support students' needs.Students believe LA can promote students' basic need for relatedness (which is a dimension of motivation), if the instructor applies LA to enrich the learning environment. Implications of study findings for practitioners: Instructors should actively process the LA data and show involvement with a powerful intervention.It is crucial to communicate to students in a transparent way about the gathering of LA data and why specific types of data have been chosen and will be used.When designing blended learning courses, it is important to only use LA data on students' performances in a formative manner.It is important to gather LA data on a group level (e.g., per group of students who follow the same face‐to‐face part) in the LA design, rather than the student level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports how robot‐assisted language learning (RALL) impacts Japanese adults' English speaking skills. With existing research on RALL focusing on children, there is little evidence indicating RALL's effects on adults. We developed a RALL system comprising a robot, a tablet, and designed learning materials for speaking practice. To explore the effects of this system on the speaking skills of adults, we conducted a pretest and posttest designed pilot experiment. The participants in this study were nine female Japanese university students. The participants used the system for speaking practice for a total of 30 min per day for 7 days. The results of comparing the pretests with the posttests demonstrated that the adults' English speaking skills were enhanced; in particular, their speaking accuracy, fluency, and pronunciation improved greatly. This study contributes to providing clear evidence of the effects of RALL on Japanese adults' English speaking skills. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Japanese peoples' English skills, especially speaking skills, have not improved enough in recent years.Robot‐assisted language learning (RALL) is considered to be one of the solutions to these problems.Researchers have shown that RALL have positive effects on children's language learning motivation and achievements.But there are no studies that demonstrate whether adults' speaking skills improved after RALL. What their paper adds to this: We developed a RALL system, in which a robot acts as an interlocutor in conversation, for speaking practice.We conducted an experiment where the participants who are Japanese undergraduates used the system for a total of 30 min per day for 7 days.The results of comparing the pretests with the posttests demonstrated that the adults' English speaking skills were enhanced; in particular, their speaking accuracy, fluency, and pronunciation. The implications of study findings for practitioners: This study provided clear evidence for RALL's effects on adults' English speaking skills.In particular, Japanese undergraduates improved their speaking accuracy, fluency, and pronunciation greatly.The findings will encourage adults who are not good at speaking English despite many years of English education in school.The findings demonstrated the availability of RALL on enhancing English speaking skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Experiences in immersive 3D virtual reality (VR) are more presence‐inducing, and so it may be tempting to claim that content will be learned better in VR. This randomized control trial study on natural selection challenges that assumption. This study answers the question of whether learning STEM in an immersive 3D VR environment is always superior to learning via a 2D monitor (PC). This is a 2 × 2 × 3 design. The first factor is platform immersivity (low = 2D PC, or high = 3D VR), the second factor is level of embodiment (lower = watching playback video, or higher = using mouse/controller to agentically manipulate content), and the third factor is test time (pretest, posttest, and follow‐up). There was a significant main effect for embodiment, the high embodied and agentic groups learned the most. There was not a main effect for platform, because the participants in the low embodied VR group performed significantly worse than the three other groups. Although, the one high embodied, VR group learned and retained the most knowledge. A path‐analysis revealed that the effect of platform was significantly mediated by presence, agency, and engagement. The smaller learning gain in the low embodied VR condition suggests that participants come to the immersive VR experience with expectations about agency and control of the virtual content, and when those expectations were not met, the disconnect was deleterious for learning. More agentic and interactive control of manipulable virtual content is encouraged. Design is critical, and platform is not destiny. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: VR has special affordances like presence and embodied content manipulation that can increase learning, if used correctly.Compared to 2D desktop, being in 3D VR generally induces more presence and more engagement.When students physically reenact, using gesture or embodied learning, greater learning gains are often seen. What this paper adds?: The high embodied, active VR group learned the most and reported the most engagement.Overall, being active and embodied resulted in more learning (regardless of the platform of desktop or VR).Embedded and embodied kinesthetic in‐process assessments during gameplay are valid measures of comprehension.The pathways leading to post‐play and 1 week follow‐up knowledge are complex. Implications for practice and/or policy?: Designers should strive to create embodied and agentic tasks in educational VR games.Watching a playback video on a 2D PC (desktop) platform can be appropriate for learning, but passive viewing videos in immersive VR can attenuate learning.Designers should include more embedded, in‐process data gathering during educational gameplay.Some guidelines are given for in‐process assessments, these assessments can lead to more dynamic, adaptive learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate children's potential for reasoning by analogy utilizing a newly‐developed computerized dynamic test, and the potential differential influence of executive functions (cognitive flexibility, attention, and planning) on static and dynamic measures of analogical reasoning. Participants included 64 children (mean age = 7.55). The study employed a two‐session experimental test‐training‐test design. Based on randomized blocking, half of the children received a graduated prompts training between pre‐test and post‐test, and the other half did not. Trained children improved more than control children in both their accuracy scores and number of accurately applied transformations from pre‐test to post‐test. It was further found that cognitive flexibility, attention and planning, is associated with successful solving of analogies. Training children in analogical reasoning seemed to reduce the effect of executive functions. It was also found that that children who were more cognitively flexible needed more prompts during the training. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Analogical reasoning is of great importance to scholastic performance and everyday learning.Computerized dynamic tests are promising for measuring children's potential for analogical reasoning.Executive functions have been found to influence analogical reasoning performance.Dynamic testing compensates for the influence of executive functions What this paper adds: A newly developed computerized dynamic test of analogical reasoning can detect individualized learning paths and instructional needs of children of various ability levels.Training children in analogical reasoning as part of a computerized dynamic test seems to reduce the effect of executive functioning.Children's instructional needs are related to cognitive flexibility. Implications for practice and/or policy: Computerized dynamic testing of analogical reasoning is a useful instrument for identification purposes.These tests provide information about children's problem‐solving behaviour, and the type and number of instructions they need when solving new tasks, offering insights relevant for individualized education plans.Individual differences in children's (improvements in) analogical reasoning seem to be related to their executive functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies on the interactive response system (IRS) have generally adopted the lecture method to facilitate teaching and learning, while few have made efforts to investigate the learning effects of instructional methods and IRS activities on learning and teaching. The purpose of the present study was therefore to explore whether the use of the IRS with two different teaching methods would affect students' learning performance. A quasi-experimental design was employed, with the teacher conducting the course using the learner as leader strategy in the experimental group (E.G.) and the teacher leader strategy in the control group (C.G.). The experiment was conducted over a period of 15 weeks (a semester), and questionnaires were administered at the beginning, in the middle and after the experiment to elicit the learners' views on the IRS application. The results support previous research which found that using the IRS improved learners' engagement and interaction. They also provide further evidence that the use of the IRS with both teaching strategies not only had a short-term learning effect but could also be a tool for sustaining students' learning motivation and self-directed learning for long-term learning purposes. Besides, the use of the learner as leader strategy contributed to enhancing discussion in groups, especially for the leading groups. The use of the IRS with the learner as leader strategy benefited those who acted as leaders in taking the initiative to learn the course content, and also engaged the students who acted as learners in concentrating on the course because it was their classmates who were leading. Lay Description What is already known about this topic The interactive response system (IRS) facilitates course interaction, and increases course attendance and learning performance, Most studies have integrated the IRS with lectures to facilitate teaching and learning, What this paper adds The paper explored the effectiveness of using the IRS with two teaching methods on students' learning for a semester., The use of the learner as leader strategy with IRS benefited the learners who acted as leaders in taking the initiative to learn the course content, and engaged the students who acted as learners in concentrating on the course., Implications for practice and/or policy Students are benefited in taking the initiative to learn the contents through hosting the IRS activity., Teachers could adopt both lectures and learner as leader strategy with IRS to sustain students' learning motivation and self-directed learning for long-term learning purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate how working memory (WM) performances and instructional strategy choices affect learners' complex cognitive task performance in online environments. Three different e-learning environments were designed based on Merrill's (2006a) model of instructional strategies. The lack of experimental research on his framework is the main argument of this paper. The participants' WM processes with the n-back task scores were used for defining their WM performances. This study is designed as repeated measures. Thirty-five undergraduate students completed complex cognitive tasks three times. According to their WM groups, the participants were assigned to experimental conditions randomly by counterbalancing. The main results of the study indicated that although no performance differences were observed in complex cognitive tasks across instructional strategies, there was a statistically significant change observed across WM groups in favour of those who had high WM performances. The interaction effect did not have an effect on participants' overall performance. These results indicate that cognitive differences lead to different outcomes when the instructional design is set to be the same for all. Therefore, it is concluded that instructional design choices could take individual cognitive differences into account when developing adaptive e-learning environments. Lay Description What is already known about this topic: E-learning environments are often considered to be complex environments mainly because of their navigational nature (i.e., design of hyperlinks and the tools embedded within the system for personal and collaborative use)., Yet, from the learners' perspective, it is not clear whether it is the content or merely the design choice that could make the online environment (more) complex., Moreover, cognitive differences play a crucial role during individuals' interactions with(in) the course materials., When measuring the performance on cognitive tasks, working memory (WM) performance is a strong predictor., What this paper adds: The literature on Merrill's instructional strategies which is one of the instructional models in designing how to teach complex tasks is mainly limited to conceptual discussions., Using different instructional strategies did not significantly change individuals' performances when dealing with complex cognitive tasks., Individuals with high level working memory performance performed significantly better., Implications for practice and/or policy: Cognitive differences lead to different outcomes when the instructional design is set to be the same for all., Studies in the field of mind, brain and education (MBE) may provide additional necessary tools not only for practitioners but also for instructional designers to better design personalized e-learning environments in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of digital literacy practices has created a tension in academia, with many academics challenging the view that critical thinking can be fostered on social networks. A quasi-experimental study was conducted on two sections of university-level writing classrooms to determine if there were meaningful differences in the quality of writing and peer feedback generated through in-class draft workshops using traditional methods as compared to draft workshops using a blogging platform. The results indicated that blogs produced a higher quality of writing as measured by grades, f(42) = 11.512, p < .002 and acceptance scores, f(42) = 8.364, p < .006. Furthermore, blog-mediated peer workshops produced a statistically significantly higher number of critical comments, f(42) = 120.438, p < .000; and directive comments, f(42) = 33.861, p < .000. There were no statistically significant differences in the number of editing comments, f(42) = .001, p < .974, and traditional draft workshops produced a statistically significant higher number of naïve comments, f(42) = 14.119, p < .001.Within the study, critical comments were found to correlate positively with learning outcomes, b = 1.115, t(41) = 2.716, p < .01. The findings suggest that blogging software improved learner performance and fostered complex literacy skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Task solving processes and changes in these processes have long been expected to provide valuable information about children's performance in school. This article used electronic tangibles (concrete materials that can be physically manipulated) and a dynamic testing format (pretest, training, and posttest) to investigate children's task solving processes and changes in these processes as a result of training. We also evaluated the value of process information for the prediction of school results. Participants were N = 253 children with a mean age of 7.8 years. Half of them received a graduated prompts training; the other half received repeated practice only. Three process measures were used: grouping behaviour, verbalized strategies, and completion time. Different measures showed different effects of training, with verbalized strategies showing the largest difference on the posttest between trained and untrained children. Although process measures were related to performance on our dynamic task and to math and reading performance in school, the amount of help provided during training provided the most predictive value to school results. We concluded that children's task solving processes provide valuable information, but the interpretation requires more research. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Dynamic testing provides information on a child's ability to learn.Solving process information provides indications for intervention.Computerized testing can be of great help in recording process information. What this paper adds: Process‐oriented dynamic testing provides explanatory information beyond traditional tests.The use of a tangible user interface (TUI) console uncovers valuable information on solving processes.Process measures are related to series completion performance, math, and reading.Need for instruction is the best predictor of math and reading ability.Implications for practice and/or policy: A framework for interpreting process information is necessary in dynamic testing.Process‐oriented dynamic testing may be more suitable to inform education.TUIs provide a more natural testing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In organizations, the assessment of mental abilities is a common way to predict learning success. This paper analyses the effect of general mental ability on skill retention and examines the relationship between refresher interventions and general mental ability in terms of skill retention. Two hundred sixty‐six adult participants were trained to perform a complex cognitive skill in a simulated chemical processing plant (Week 1). After 1 week, 158 participants received intermediate computer‐assisted refresher intervention training in which the skill was applied (Week 2; 108 received no intervention). Finally, participants had to recall (perform) the learned skill after 2 weeks (Week 3). Results show that general mental ability alone affects skill retention with small effect sizes and that refresher interventions affect skill retention positively for low and high general mental ability levels. The findings suggest that persons with low and high general mental abilities benefit equally from refresher interventions in order to maintain complex cognitive skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-aged children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have delayed gestural development, in comparison with age-matched typically developing children. In this study, an intervention program taught children with low-functioning ASD gestural comprehension and production using video modelling (VM) by a computer-generated robot animation. Six to 12-year-old children with ASD ( N = 20; IQ < 70) were taught to recognize 20 gestures produced by the robot animation (phase I), to imitate these gestures (phase II) and to produce them in appropriate social contexts (phase III). Across the three phases, significant differences were found between the results of the pretest and the immediate and follow-up posttests; the results of both posttests were comparable, after controlling for the children's motor and visual memory skills. The children generalized their acquired gestural skills to a novel setting with a human researcher. These results suggest that VM by a robot animation is effective in teaching children with low-functioning ASD to recognize and produce gestures. Lay Description What is already known about this topic: Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have difficulties with nonverbal communication., Children with ASD have difficulties in recognizing and producing gestures., What this paper adds: A multiphase therapeutic intervention program using video modelling (VM) of robot animation is effective to promoting the gestural communication skills, both recognition and production, in children with low-functioning ASD., Children with ASD have improved their skills to recognize the taught gestures (phase I), imitate them (phase II) and produce them in appropriate social contexts (phase III)., Children with ASD are able to generalize the acquired skills to human-to-human interactions after the intervention program., Implications for practice and/or policy: VM of a robot animation is effective in teaching children with low-functioning ASD both gesture recognition and gesture production., The multiphase therapeutic intervention protocol can be recommended for clinicians or teachers in special schools to teach children with low-functioning ASD gestural communication skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Teaching Mandarin as a second language (L2) has become an important profession and an important research area. The acquisition of unaspirated and aspirated consonants in Mandarin has been reported to be rather challenging for L2 learners. Objectives: In the current study, a 3‐D airflow model was integrated into the virtual talking head for audiovisual pronunciation training in these Mandarin consonants. Methods: Using the eye‐tracking technique, Experiment 1 investigated L2 learners' general acceptance and gauged attention distribution online while learning with the system. To further compare training efficacy, learning outcomes were evaluated by randomly dividing Japanese learners of Mandarin into different training groups using the 3‐D tutor with and without an airflow model, respectively, in Experiment 2. Results and Conclusions: Eye‐tracking results showed that the talking head was well accepted, and was successful in directing L2 learners' attention to the visual modality of the airflow model marking the contrast in aspiration. Furthermore, the additional visual cue of the airflow model helped enhance their production of the aspirated Mandarin stops. Moreover, this computer‐assisted training approach was shown to be robust as the advantage of training with an airflow model can be generalized to novel syllables with a change of tones or rimes. Lay Description: Using a virtual talking head has the benefit of providing additional visual cues to facilitate L2 pronunciation learning.The virtual 3‐D talking head is well accepted by L2 learners as suggested by eye‐tracking data.The current 3‐D articulatory model with aspiratory animations provides an ideal pronunciation training method for L2 learners of Mandarin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single Display Groupware (SDG) allows multiple people in the same physical space to interact simultaneously over a single communal display through individual input devices that work on the same machine. The aim of this paper is to show how SDG can be used to improve the way resources are used in schools, allowing students to work simultaneously on individual problems at a shared display, and achieve personalized learning with individual feedback within different cultural contexts. We used computational fluency to apply our concept of 'One Mouse per Child'. It consists of a participatory approach that makes use of personal feedback on an interpersonal computer for the whole classroom. This allows for N simultaneous intelligent tutoring systems, where each child advances at his or her own pace, both within a lecture and throughout the curricular units. Each student must solve a series of mathematical exercises, generated according to his or her performance through a set of pedagogical rules incorporated into the system. In this process, the teacher has an active mediating role, intervening when students require attention. Two exploratory studies were performed. The first study was a multicultural experience between two such distanced socio-economic realities as Chile and India. It showed us that even in different environmental conditions, it is possible to implement this technology with minimal equipment (i.e. a computer, a projector, and one mouse per child). The second study was carried out in a third grade class in a low-income school in Santiago de Chile. The students were asked to solve mainly addition exercises. We established statistically relevant results and observed that the software proved most beneficial for the students with the lowest initial results. This happens because the system adapts to the students' needs, reinforcing the content they most need to work on, thus generating a personalized learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study aims to investigate secondary school students' reading comprehension and navigation of networked hypertexts with and without a graphic overview compared to linear digital texts. Additionally, it was studied whether prior knowledge, vocabulary, verbal, and visual working memory moderated the relation between text design and comprehension. Therefore, 80 first‐year secondary school students read both a linear text and a networked hypertext with and without a graphical overview. Logfiles registered their navigation. After reading the text, students answered textbased multiple choice questions and drew mindmaps to assess their structural knowledge of each text content. It was found that both textbased and structural knowledge were lower after reading a networked hypertext than a linear text, especially in students with lower levels of vocabulary. Students took generally more time to read the hypertext than the linear text. We concluded that networked hypertexts are more challenging to read than linear texts and that students may benefit from explicit training on how to read hypertexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present study focused on 212 fifth graders' situational interest trajectories during an intervention with a digital mathematics game called Number Navigation. Our aims were to explore the development of situational interest whilst playing the game and to investigate the relationship between situational interest and individual math interest. Growth mixture model analyses showed that in the whole sample situational interest was stable within sessions but decreased across sessions. Three different situational interest trajectories were found. Situational interest trajectories were predicted by pre‐test individual interest. In turn, situational interest had an effect on post‐test individual interest. Students whose situational interest trajectories were stable (either high or low) presented no changes in individual interest, yet the individual interest of students whose situational interest was triggered but not maintained markedly decreased from pre‐test to post‐test. Results suggest that it is important to use game‐based learning not because games are believed to be “motivating”; rather, games with proven learning outcomes should be carefully selected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In recent years, the flipped classroom has become prevalent in many educational settings. Flipped classroom adopts a pedagogical model in which short video lectures are viewed by students at home before class so that the teacher can lead students to participate in activities, problem‐solving, and discussions. Yet the design or use of technology that employs planned instructional strategies with sustainable support of self‐regulation is scant. We propose a technology‐enhanced flipped language learning system (Flip2Learn) that provides facilitation and guidance for learning performance and self‐regulation. A quasi‐experimental study was carried out to examine whether Flip2Learn could enhance college students' self‐regulatory skills and later contribute to the learning performance in the flipped classrooms. The results showed that Flip2Learn not only better prepared students for flipped classrooms but also better promoted learning performance compared to the conventional flipped classrooms. The results of this research advanced our understanding of the dynamics of flipped classrooms and represented a revolutionary new approach to the technology‐enhanced learning for flipped classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined how embedded activities to support executive functions helped children to benefit from a computer intervention that targeted preliteracy skills. Three intervention groups were compared on their preliteracy gains in a randomized controlled trial design: an experimental group that worked with software to stimulate early literacy with embedded executive-functioning support (EL + EF group), an experimental group that worked with the same early literacy software without the explicit EF-support (EL group) and a control group that played with language discovery games from the same software. These groups were contrasted on their preliteracy progress over time and on their learning behaviours while working with the software. Results showed that children in the two experimental groups progressed more in preliteracy skills on the long-term, with the EL + EF group showing the highest learning effects. These results were mainly shown for the children with lower levels of EFs. Moreover, children in the EL + EF group showed more independent behaviour and played more games than children in the EL group. These results indicate that young children can show more effective learning over time during computer interventions when their executive functions are kept active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual representations are essential for science understanding, but many students have poor diagrammatic reasoning skills. Previous research showed that teaching high school and college students about the conventions of diagrams (COD) can improve diagrammatic reasoning. In this study, middle school science students received COD instruction delivered as a classroom warmup using laptop computers, while control students received publisher-developed warm-up questions. Students receiving COD warm-ups for 10weeks (but not 4weeks) improved their diagrammatic reasoning more than control students. Treatment students' answers were more accurate than control students' answers, especially on easy questions. The discourse of pairs of students during the warm-ups showed that treatment students talked about the diagrams more and made more inferences and that this difference was greatest for easy questions. Results suggest that COD instruction can be initiated in middle school along with more formal science instruction, can be integrated into classroom routine using computer-delivered warm-ups, is helpful (if sustained) both for improving diagrammatic reasoning and for supporting learning science content and works at least in part by increasing students' engagement during routine work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how well a video tutorial for software training that is based on Demonstration-Based Teaching supports usermotivation and performance. In addition, it is studied whether reviews significantly contribute to these measures. The Control condition employs a tutorial with instructional features added to a dynamic task demonstration. The Review condition additionally includes video reviews. Participants were 55 seventh graders who viewed task demonstrations (and reviews) followed by practice. Both tutorials increased motivation (i.e., task relevance and self-efficacy) and performance. In addition, the Review condition had significantly better results for training time, self-efficacy and scores on an immediate post-test. Reviews have rarely been studied in dynamic visualizations. The present study suggests that there may be important advantages to be gained from concluding a demonstration video with a summary of the main points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary evidence on the effectiveness of concrete and abstract representations in science education is based solely on studies conducted in college context. There it has been found that learning with abstract representations produces predominantly better outcomes than learning with concrete representations and combining the representations can be even more productive. In the present study, 52 elementary school students used a computer simulation to discover the basic principles of electric circuits. The perceptual concreteness of simulation elements either remained concrete or switched from concrete to abstract during the learning. In order to compare the relative effectiveness of the learning conditions and assess the changes in students' conceptual understanding, the students completed a subject knowledge assessment questionnaire before and after learning with the simulation. According to the results, the students gained a better understanding of the circuits by learning with constantly concrete simulation elements than switching from concrete to abstract elements during the learning. Constantly concrete elements also enhanced the learning process by reducing the learning times. The outcomes of the study suggest that the effects of concrete and abstract representations in science education are notably different in elementary school context as compared with college contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common assumption in multimedia design is that audio-visual materials with pictures and spoken narrations lead to better learning outcomes than visual-only materials with pictures and on-screen text. The present study questions the generalizability of this modality effect. We explored how modality effects change over time, taking into account study strategies during learning and the modality of the final performance measure. Eighty-four university students ( Mage = 21.4) studied learner-paced visual-only or audio-visual multimedia presentations and answered written and oral retention and transfer questions immediately after learning and after 1 day. There was no performance difference between the audio-visual and the visual-only groups immediately after learning, but after 1 day, the visual-only group had significantly higher scores on three of four outcome measures. This reversed modality effect was independent of test modality, but both groups scored higher on written than on oral questions. While both groups spent on average 33 min studying, the visual-only group went through the materials at a faster pace and repeated more slides. In sum, results contradict common multimedia design recommendations and instead suggest that learner-paced presentations should include on-screen text. Benefits of on-screen text could be due in part to the successful use of reading strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to (1) examine the effects of a storyline on learners' factual, conceptual and application knowledge with the use of a simulation for teaching introductory statistical skills and to (2) explore students' subjective enjoyment of various learning activities often used in statistics education. In order to conduct the study, two versions of a simulation were developed that differed in the presence or absence of a storyline attribute. Sixty-four graduate students were randomly assigned to one of the two intervention conditions. Both intervention groups demonstrated significantly higher learning gains after interacting with the simulation. Particularly, both simulation-based interventions had a positive significant effect on the acquisition of application knowledge and skills. However, no significant differences between the intervention groups on any learning outcome explored in the study were found. Results also showed that students rated the simulation used in the study as a more enjoyable learning activity in comparison to reading a textbook, lecture or teamwork. Students from the simulation without a storyline intervention reported higher enjoyment than the other intervention group. Implications of the findings for understanding the instructional benefits and shortcomings of embedding a storyline in digital learning content are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]