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Background: Previous studies have shown that dynamic illustrations, as compared to their static counterparts, lead to higher achievement levels, especially for hand‐based procedures. Other researchers have investigated how the presence of seductive details (i.e., appealing but irrelevant adjunct displays) influences students' interest positively but their learning negatively. Objectives: The purpose of the two present studies was to investigate the effects of animated versus static presentations, combined with the presence of seductive details, on student performance on a paper‐folding task (i.e., origami) in a naturalistic school environment. Methods: Fifty‐five children (5–6 years old) participated in the first study and were randomly assigned to one of four groups. The second study was conducted with older children (72 s or third graders) and a more complex origami task. Results and Conclusions: In the first study, results demonstrated negative effects of seductive details on children's performance and time on task, but no effects of presentation format. In the second study, no negative effects of seductive details on student achievement were found, but animated illustrations significantly improved children's performance and reduced time on task. However, seductive details tended to impair learning more greatly given the presence of static, as compared to animated, presentations. Task difficulties and pupils' ability to inhibit irrelevant information may explain these results. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Seductive details negatively influence young children's performance.Animated illustrations have been shown to improve students' learning for dynamic procedure. What this paper adds: This is the first study investigating the influence of animated vs. static illustrations combined with seductive details on children's learning performance.Animated illustrations improve children's performance for a challenging dynamic procedure.Seductive details tended to impair more learning from static than from animated presentations.Results are discussed in relation to the task's difficulty as well as students' ability to inhibit irrelevant information. Implications for practitioners: Animated illustrations should be used when presenting dynamic procedures.Instructors should use seductive details cautiously in pedagogical documents particularly when the task is difficult. [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]

Abstract: Educational robotics programs offer an engaging opportunity to potentially teach core computer science concepts and practices in K–12 classrooms. Here, we test the effects of units with different programming content within a virtual robotics context on both learning gains and motivational changes in middle school (6th–8th grade) robotics classrooms. Significant learning gains were found overall, particularly for groups introduced to content involving program flow, the structural logic of program execution. Relative gains for these groups were particularly high on items that require the transfer of knowledge to dissimilar contexts. Reaching units that included program flow content was also associated with greater maintenance of programming interest when compared with other units. Therefore, our results suggest that explicit instruction in the structural logic of programming may develop deeper transferrable programming knowledge and prevent declines in some motivational factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]