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AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the efficacy of utilizing large language models (LLMs) to enhance self-regulated learning (SRL) strategy instruction in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing. An LLM-supported Cognitive Academic Language Learning Model (CALLA-LLM) was developed and examined for its potential to improve elementary students’ EFL writing performance, SRL strategy use, and writing motivation. In a randomized controlled trial, 65 elementary school students were divided into an experimental group receiving CALLA-LLM instruction and a control group receiving traditional CALLA instruction. Both groups learned SRL strategies over 5 weeks, with data collected pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at a one-month follow-up. Results showed that the CALLA-LLM group made significant improvements in writing performance, SRL strategy use, and writing motivation, maintained most of the gains at follow-up, and significantly outperformed the control group. Findings provide empirical evidence for the efficacy of the CALLA-LLM model in enhancing EFL writing strategy instruction, lending support for integrating AI technologies such as LLMs into English language teaching. Moreover, the study underscores the importance of the “Humans in the Loop” approach, which emphasizes the essential role of human educators in AI-assisted language instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research reviews 56 robots in science education (RSE) research articles published in SSCI (Social Sciences Citation Index) journals in the Web of Science (WoS) database. The analysis results showed that there were three clusters of RSE studies: robots in elementary science education, robot-based STEM activities, and robot-facilitated computational thinking. In terms of the research issues, more studies were conducted across-disciplines. Regarding thematic classifications, "general benefits of educational robots" was the most frequently investigated issue, while "diversity and broadening participation," and "creativity and motivation" were less frequently discussed. The most adopted research methods were quantitative and mixed methods, focusing on measuring learners' cognition and affect. Most of the interventions in the empirical studies adopted pedagogical interventions. In terms of the interaction issue, LEGO was adopted the most, followed by self-made robots; moreover, robots frequently played the role of tools in science education. From the perspective of specific robotics content knowledge, "control" (e.g. programming) comprised the majority. The most adopted learning strategy was project-based learning, followed by issue-based discussion. Regarding assessment issues, the most adopted evaluation approaches to evaluating students' performance were questionnaires, observation, verbal interviews, and artifacts to assess the quality of learning activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In science education, chemistry is a discipline that involves macroscopic matter and microscopic particles. It is difficult for the traditional teaching approach to help learners comprehend abstract chemical knowledge. Researchers have attempted to use Virtual Reality (VR) to help learners realize meaningful knowledge via visualizing the learning content. However, merely engaging students in experiencing the scientific contexts is not enough. To fill this gap, the present study adopted Spherical Video-based Virtual Reality (SVVR) to create authentic learning contexts for learners, and proposed an exploration-based SVVR approach which aimed to promote students' understanding of abstract concepts and improve their competence of completing chemistry experiments. A quasi-experimental design was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. A total of 136 junior high school students from three classes were recruited for the experiment. The experimental group adopted the exploration-based SVVR approach, control group I adopted the conventional SVVR approach, and control group II adopted traditional instruction. The results showed that the exploration-based SVVR approach not only improved students' learning achievement, but also increased their learning motivation, learning attitude, and creative thinking tendency. Besides, students adopting this approach had more positive behaviors, including finding problems, making assumptions, investigating and verifying, and discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional trainers play an important role in helping new recruits adapt to the workplace. In general hospitals, training courses for clinical teachers still adopt the lecture method. Such a teacher training approach focuses on the way of delivering knowledge and skills, while the training for their teaching of case handling as well as their self-worth and self-confidence could be insufficient. In order to cope with this problem, the present study proposed a ChatGPT-based training mode (ChatGPT-TM) for professional development. To verify its effects, we conducted an experiment in a “Using ChatGPT in Case Teaching” course for clinical teachers in hospitals, and explored their learning achievement, self-worth, self-confidence, and learning perceptions using the ChatGPT training mode (ChatGPT-TM) and the conventional training mode (C-TM). The results showed that the ChatGPT-TM could effectively enhance clinical teachers’ learning achievement in case teaching, self-worth, and self-confidence in comparison with the C-TM. The main contribution of this study is that it revealed that ChatGPT could allow clinical teachers to carry out reflection, verify references, and integrate theory and practice, which improved their learning achievement, made them realize their self-worth, and increased their self-confidence in performing professional training tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a conventional art course, it is important for a teacher to provide feedback and guidance to individual students based on their learning status. However, it is challenging for teachers to provide immediate feedback to students without any aid. The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has provided a possible solution to cope with this problem. In this study, a deep learning-based art learning system (DL-ALS) was developed by employing a fine-tuned ResNet50 model for helping students identify and classify artworks. We aimed at cultivating students' accurate appreciation knowledge and artwork creation competence, as well as providing instant feedback and personalized guidance with the help of AI technology. To explore the effects of this system, a quasi-experiment was implemented in an artwork appreciation course at a university. A total of 46 university students from two classes who took the elective art course were recruited in the study. One class was the experimental group adopting DL-ALS learning, while the other was the control group adopting conventional technology-supported art learning (CT-AL). The results showed that in comparison with CT-AL, learning through the DL-ALS could facilitate students' learning achievement, technology acceptance, learning attitude, learning motivation, self-efficacy, satisfaction, and performance in the art course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In second language acquisition (SLA), vocabulary learning can be a great challenge for some English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Virtual Reality (VR) technology has unleashed its potential in language education, but insufficient attention has yet been paid to its impact on EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. To bridge this gap, we conducted a quasi-experiment based on a self-developed VR platform, in order to investigate the effects of VR on EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. A total of 68 college students participated in this study and were assigned to either the experimental (VR players) or the comparison (video watchers) group. The results revealed that the VR players significantly outperformed the video watchers in terms of vocabulary learning. The VR environment contextualized vocabulary learning by providing an authentic language learning experience, a strong sense of presence, and instant interaction and feedback, whereas the VR players’ learning motivation still needed to be strengthened. Analysis of semi-structured interviews further demonstrated that most of the students valued the potential of the VR-assisted learning approach, while some of them still held mixed feelings about it. This study provides some suggestions for both language instructors and technical experts in terms of task design, platform optimization, and material development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Play is crucial to children's development. With the prevalent use of digital technologies, children and young adults are seen playing games more often and longer on digital devices. How should teachers capitalize the advantages of games in class, without inducing more health risks or problems for children? To achieve this goal, teachers need empirical details and conclusive results in the application of game-based learning (GBL) in primary education, so that they can design GBL experiences that cater to the specific needs of pupils. The present paper provides a systematic review for 35 experimental studies that substantially integrated gaming elements in primary school lessons. Our major findings include that (1) most studies were published in technology-assisted learning journals, focusing on higher-grade students' natural science learning, through one GBL lesson conducted within one week; (2) theoretical foundations were absent in the majority of studies, with the rest implicitly or explicitly drawing upon Constructivist premises; (3) adopted GBL technologies were mostly self-designed, and used for formal learning; (4) Gamification was the most frequently used game genre and Intellectual Problem-Solving was the top gaming element to be incorporated and (5) there were more positive outcomes than mixed findings and more cognitive results reported than affective or behavioral dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides research-based evidence to profile: (1) the roles of artificial intelligence in nursing, (2) its research applications, and (3) the research trends for future study. On the basis of the PRISMA statement, a series of AI and nursing education related keywords from the literature were used to retrieve high-quality journal articles from the Web of Science. A total of 112 AI-supported nursing education research articles were analyzed based on a three-dimensional framework, including interaction (e.g. the roles of AI, types of AI systems), research (e.g. methods and fields), and performance (e.g. research groups and measurement foci). The results revealed that AI played a primary role in profiling and prediction in nursing research (63%), and the most used AI system in nursing was intelligent agents (53%). The quantitative approach (87%) was the dominant research method, and the most relevant studies concerned health and medicine (92%). Regarding sample and measurement matters, patients and medical staff (75%) were the two primary research samples, and the performance evaluation of AI-related tools and systems (90%) was the core measurement focus. Additional content analysis across the three research interests was performed and discussed. Directions for future studies are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented reality (AR) can represent a contextualised scientific inquiry environment in which students may explore the real world and develop science process skills via interacting with rich information from virtual systems. However, it remains a challenge for most students to complete scientific inquiry tasks without proper support. Research evidence has suggested the potential of reflective scaffolding when applying scientific inquiry. Accordingly, we designed a contextualised reflective mechanism-based AR learning model to assist students in completing scientific inquiry tasks. Guided by the proposed model, we designed four stages of scientific inquiry learning: conceptual understanding, reflective cognition, in-depth inquiry, and knowledge building. A quasi-experiment and lag sequential analysis were conducted by recruiting 81 sixth-grade students to examine the effects of the proposed model on their scientific inquiry learning performances, higher order thinking, and behavioural patterns. The experimental results reveal that the proposed approach improved students' inquiry learning performances and higher order thinking tendency (problem-solving tendency and metacognitive awareness). Moreover, the evidence from this study also suggests that the students who learned with the proposed approach exhibited more observation, comparison, exploration, and reflection behavioural patterns in the field trip than those who learned without the contextualised reflective mechanism. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital games have been used in various disciplines to enhance students’ learning interest and effectiveness through the gaming contexts. However, most of the digital educational games use multiple-choice questions to confirm students’ learning status, implying the challenge of understanding the actual learning status of students. Also, the gaming system cannot analyze the possible reasons for students’ wrong answers and so provide suggestions. Therefore, this study proposed a two-tier assessment-based contextual gaming (TTA-CG) approach to confirm whether students correctly answer the questions based on the right reasons as well as identifying the reasons for students’ wrong answers. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a quasi-experiment was conducted in a horticulture course. Two classes of first-year vocational high school students were recruited as the participants. One class with 35 students was the experimental group learning with the TTA-CG approach; the other class with 35 students was the control group adopting the conventional contextual gaming (C-CG) approach. The experimental results showed that the TTA-CG approach was more effective than the C-CG approach in terms of enhancing students’ learning achievement, motivation, and self-efficacy. In addition, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of cognitive load . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is attracting increasing attention, but how to improve students' STEM learning achievement is still a big challenge. In the process of learning, students actively set learning goals, organize learning content, set learning standards, and independently adapt learning strategies and monitoring measures in order to achieve their own learning goals and to help them learn STEM knowledge and skills. Concept mapping is considered to be an effective visualized knowledge organizing tool that helps students to manage and organize their knowledge systematically and visually. This study proposes a concept mapping-based self-regulated learning approach. A quasi-experiment was conducted using a concept mapping-based self-regulated learning system in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the approach. The experimental results show that the proposed approach significantly improved students' STEM skills, but not their STEM knowledge compared to the conventional self-regulated learning approach. The proposed learning approach helped to improve students' self-regulation compared to the conventional self-regulation learning approach. In short, the concept mapping-based self-regulation learning approach enhances students' self-efficacy and self-regulation, which in turn helps students to learn STEM skills effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biology involves the understanding of life concepts and the exploration of life processes. Due to the complexity of life, the learning content of biology is often microscopic, abstract, and complex. In traditional teaching, The non-visualization of abstract concepts, rote memorization of knowledge and low classroom participation tend to make students feel dull and eventually lead to inefficient and low confidence in learning. Augmented reality (AR) superimposes 3D dynamic virtual information into the real world and visualizes abstract concepts to deepen students' understanding of concepts. In addition, AR supports virtual-real interaction and instant feedback, which helps to stimulate learning interest and reinforce the learning effect. Therefore, the application of AR can solve the problems of traditional biology teaching. This study used a quasi-experimental approach to explore the potential of AR in teaching biology. A total of 81 third grade students were recruited for the study. The experimental group (40 students) was taught with AR, while the control group (41 students) was taught with traditional instruction. The study found that AR instruction significantly increased students' flow experiences and motivation to learn and reduced their cognitive load. However, there were no significant differences in self-efficacy and academic performance between the two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study employed the draw-a-picture technique and epistemic network analysis (ENA) to reveal university students’ viewpoints on ChatGPT-supported learning, as well as the conceptions, roles, and educational objectives of ChatGPT-supported learning among university students with different learning attitudes. The results showed that university students’ conceptions of ChatGPT-supported learning were diverse and interrelated. Most students agreed that ChatGPT could facilitate learning anytime and anywhere, and held positive emotions and attitudes. In the conceptions of ChatGPT-supported learning, there were significant differences in the four categories of locations, learning content, learning activities, and objects between the low learning attitude (LLA) and the high learning attitude (HLA) groups. Besides, the HLA group preferred to use ChatGPT for specific learning content, and showed higher levels of engagement in discussions and consultations. The LLA group was inclined to use ChatGPT at home or in places with traditional classroom equipment for completing reports or assignments. Most students in the HLA group regarded ChatGPT as a tutor, while those in the LLA group viewed it as a tool. Based on the above findings, this study puts forward some suggestions for how to implement ChatGPT-supported learning in higher education as a reference for educators, researchers and training developers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractWith its increasing popularity, understanding learners’ perceptions of online education has become more important. The present study employed drawing analysis to examine university students’ conceptions of online learning and how students with different self-regulation statuses conveyed their ideas through drawing. A total of 58 Taiwanese university students were recruited in the present study. In order to explore their conceptions of realistic and idealistic online learning, they were required to produce two drawings based on the guiding questions. Besides, this study employed a questionnaire to understand university students’ online learning self-regulation. Based on the analysis of the drawings of realistic and idealistic online learning, it was found that students intended to shift their attention from individual (realistic) to group participation (including peers and teachers) (idealistic); they also cared about the learning spaces, windows and facilities (e.g. air conditioning), and a comfortable and quiet learning environment (idealistic). In addition, students with a higher level of self-regulation believed that an idealistic online learning context should include doors/windows, while those with a lower level of self-regulation drew symbols or words related to negative emotions in realistic online learning contexts. These results mean that the higher self-regulated students could better control and manage their learning time and progress independently, so they needed more flexibility and control to manage their learning environment. Finally, the implications and directions for future research are provided based on the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facilitating decision making in authentic contexts is an important educational objective of professional training. To enable learners to have more opportunities to practice in authentic contexts under the guidance of instructors, the flipped learning mode of shifting the lectures to be the pre-class activity with the presentation of digital media has gradually been receiving attention. However, the conventional flipped learning mostly uses videos to present teaching content. In such a learning environment with one-way information and lack of experience, it is not easy for most learners to experience the actual situation encountered in the nursing procedure, which affects their judgment and performance when dealing with actual scenarios. To solve this problem, the present study adopted spherical video-based virtual reality (SVVR) to provide an experiential learning mode in flipped learning. To verify the effects of this teaching mode, this study conducted an experiment in a blood transfusion safety training course. The experimental group used the SVVR-based experiential flipped learning (SVVR-EFL) mode, while the control group used the conventional flipped learning mode. The results showed that using the SVVR-EFL mode not only enhanced new nursing staff's learning achievement, but also increased their decision-making performance, meta-cognition tendency, problem-solving tendency and classroom engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In professional training courses, developing incumbents' professional knowledge and problem-solving skills when facing clinical and urgent situations is a crucial point. In conventional professional training, usually the learning content is delivered in a lecture-based mode using instructional videos with some case studies. In such a training mode, trainees are more passive and cannot immerse themselves in the contexts since there is a lack of opportunity to experience the process of coping with problems when accidents occur. Moreover, trainers generally do not have sufficient practice and are unable to think in depth regarding how to use the learned knowledge and skills to deal with practical cases. To tackle this problem, an experiential learning-based virtual reality approach is proposed in the present study. Accordingly, a virtual reality-based learning environment was implemented; moreover, a quasi-experimental study was carried out to verify the effectiveness of this approach in a professional training program of a hospital by exploring its influences on nursing staff's learning achievement and perceptions from diverse angles. The experimental results showed that the proposed approach better enhanced the nursing staff's learning achievement, learning attitudes, and problem-solving skills in comparison with the conventional teaching mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reviewed the mobile technology-supported music education (MTSME) studies published in several academic databases, namely Scopus, WOS, ERIC, and RILM, from 2008-2019. Based on the technology-based learning model, the application domains, research issues, sample groups, research methods, adopted devices, and learning strategies were examined. In addition, visual categorization analysis was conducted to further analyze the keywords adopted in the studies. The results show that the number of MTSME studies increased in the time period. It was also found that a majority of studies mainly focused on learner perceptions (e.g. learning reception, learning attitude, and learning motivation). Tablet computers were the most frequently adopted mobile devices. In terms of learning strategies, guided learning, project-based learning, and inquiry-based learning were extensively used in the MTSME studies. In addition, the results of the keyword analysis showed three thematic clusters of MTSME studies, namely "mobile technology-supported teaching management and learning design," "developing appropriate music educational resources for different educational levels," and "mobile technology facilitated learning motivation in music education." According to the research results, several suggestions for future research are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the roles and research foci of AILEd (Artificial Intelligence in Language Education). The AILEd studies published from 1990 to 2020 in the WOS (Web of Science) database were included in the present study. Based on the well-recognized Technology-based Learning Review model, several dimensions, such as research methods, research sample groups, adopted technology, language skills, the role of AI in language education, and learning outcomes, were taken into account. The review results show that the main application domains of AILEd research were writing, reading, and vocabulary acquisition. In terms of applied technology and algorithms, AI in language education mostly adopted ITS (Intelligent Tutoring System) and NLP (Natural Language Processing). Besides, several commonly used AI algorithms were Statistical Learning, Data Mining, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Parsing. It was also found that some research focused on learning anxiety, willingness to communicate, knowledge acquisition, and classroom interaction. However, higher order thinking, complex problem solving, critical thinking ability, and collaborative learning tendencies were rarely considered in AILEd studies. Accordingly, several suggestions are provided to researchers, teachers, and decision makers for applying or studying AI applications in language education in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the trends of chatbots in education studies by conducting a literature review to analyze relevant papers published in the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) journals by searching the Web of Science (WoS) database. From the analysis results, it was found that the United States, Taiwan and Hong Kong are the top three contributing countries or regions. In addition, most studies adopted quantitative methods in their research design, such as ANOVA (Analysis of variance), descriptive statistics, t test, and correlation analysis. ANCOVA (Analysis of covariance) was the most frequently adopted approach for comparing the performances or perceptions of different groups of students. From the analysis results, the greatest proportion of studies adopted guided learning, followed by no learning activities. It was determined that the studies related to chatbots in education are still in an early stage since there are few empirical studies investigating the use of effective learning designs or learning strategies with chatbots. This implies much room for conducting relevant research to drive innovative teaching in terms of improving the learning process and learning outcomes. Finally, we highlight the research gaps and suggest several directions for future research based on the findings in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have pointed out the important role of self-regulation in learning. The self-regulated learning (SRL) process consists of three stages (i.e. forethought, performance, and self-reflection), each of which could involve different strategies for achieving the aim of SRL. To enable researchers and teachers to have a whole picture of how each strategy could be applied, this study analyzed the 2010–2020 publications in seven SSCI journals of e-learning. In addition, the correlation between each SRL strategy and students' learning performances was analyzed. It was found that, in 58% of the studies, the potential strategies for individual SRL stages were generally ignored. In addition, 40% of the studies did not clearly state how SRL could be applied to practical applications. By referring to those SRL studies reporting the use of the strategies in each stage in specific application domains, it was found that goal setting and planning, which highly related to students' learning achievement, has been frequently discussed. Nevertheless, some strategies that highly correlated to students' cognitive performances and affect perceptions, such as environmental structuring, seeking information and rehearsing and memorizing, are often ignored. According to the findings, some suggestions are provided as a reference for researchers to conduct related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the core skills of the 21st century, computational thinking has received increasing attention from educators and researchers. Although some research has been conducted on computational thinking, few studies examined the impact of learning activities on students' computation thinking skills from the perspective of cognitive development. Based on the theory of scaffolding instruction, a progressive thinking training approach with flowcharts was proposed to cultivate students' computational thinking skills. A quasi-experiment was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. Forty-nine Chinese tertiary students undertaking a programming course were randomly assigned into two groups – the experimental and control groups. During the course, the experimental group received progressive training, and the control group received non-progressive training. The results showed that the experimental group gained a significantly higher level of academic achievement than the control group. Meanwhile, the experimental group showed a remarkable improvement in programming self-efficacy. Furthermore, the participants in the experimental group showed a higher level of computational thinking skills, including cooperative learning, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. In summary, the progressive thinking training approach with flowcharts could not only improve the participants' computational thinking skills and programming self-efficacy, but also help them to achieve better academic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When encountering difficulties in conventional educational games, learners seldom self-regulate to discover and organize the learning content in the game environment. With the development of the human–computer interaction technology, computer agents are gradually being applied to educational games to provide personalized guidance or support to learners in specific situations. Different roles of computer agents may affect students' learning achievements and feelings in the learning environment. Therefore, to compare the effects of different roles of computer agents on students' learning outcomes in digital games, this study developed a Tutor Agent-based Digital Game (TA-DG), a Peer Agent-based Digital Game (PA-DG) and a Student Agent-based Digital Game (SA-DG). The experimental results showed that the TA-DG and PA-DG learners had better learning achievements than the SA-DG learners. The PA-DG and SA-DG learners had higher motivation than the TA-DG learners. The PA-DG learners had a higher critical thinking tendency than the other two groups. In addition, the SA-DG learners had the lowest cognitive load, followed by the TA-DG and PA-DG learners. This implies that the individual roles of the agents had different impacts during the digital game-based learning process. The findings provide a good reference for developing future digital game-based learning research with personalized support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flipped classroom approach has become one of the renowned instructional approaches in recent years. However, without proper educational tools to support students when they participate in classroom learning, their learning performances may not be as good as expected. In this study, a collective problem-solving promotion mechanism is proposed to enhance students' interaction and learning engagement in flipped classrooms using an interactive response system (IRS). A quasi-experimental design was adopted, and university students were recruited as the participants. The students in the experimental group applied the proposed approach, while those in the control group used the conventional flipped learning approach. The results show that the students in the collective problem-solving promotion-based flipped classroom not only had better learning performances and collective efficacy but also had higher level of knowledge construction and deeper interactions. The findings can be a reference for future teaching and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One main objective of art education is to foster students' art evaluation as well as their creative thinking ability. Engaging students in artwork sharing and peer feedback is a frequently adopted approach in school settings. However, most students have difficulties providing constructive comments during the peer-feedback process. To address this issue, a mobile-based progressive peer feedback approach was proposed to facilitate primary school students' creative thinking performance, metacognitive awareness, and learning attitude. A quasi-experiment was implemented with two intact classes in a primary school in northern Taiwan to investigate the effect of the proposed approach. One class was assigned to be the experimental group (n = 20) which learned with the proposed progressive peer-feedback scaffolding approach, and the other was the control group (n = 20) which learned with the conventional feedback approach. The findings indicated that the proposed progressive peer feedback approach had a positive effect on the primary school students' creative art thinking. The experimental group students' metacognitive awareness was also significantly enhanced. Besides, the students from the experimental group considered that the proposed progressive peer feedback approach was beneficial to helping them critically reflect on their drawings, and facilitated their understanding of how to improve the integrity of their drawings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decades, collaborative game-based learning has been used to facilitate students' learning in authentic learning contexts. Although several previous studies have reported the potential of this approach for students' learning performance and motivation, unequal participation could negatively influence the learning effectiveness of collaborative learning. To this end, this study developed a mandatory contribution-based collaborative gaming approach (MCCG) to enhance the competencies for conducting practical solutions related to environmental issues during a cross-field learning activity between a school and a museum. MCCG and a conventional collaborative gaming approach (CCG) were implemented to investigate the effects of individual contributions on collaborative learning. Both individual learning achievements and collaborative learning outcomes were assessed. The results showed that game-based collaboration supports can support competency-based education to enhance students' competencies, such as problem-solving and critical thinking competencies. Those students who learned with the mandatory contribution approach had better collaborative learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the bibliometric outcomes of articles and research trends in specific areas. This study revealed research on the use of e-books for EFL education published in selected journals of the Web of Science from 2011 to 2020, and discusses the trends of the top-cited countries, journals, the most used keywords, and the popular subjects, learning strategies, target skills, and the research outcomes. A total of 53 selected articles were manually and systematically analyzed. The results revealed that the most productive country was Taiwan, and the most cited journal was Computers & Education. The most used keywords were "engagement." The bibliometric analysis can be reflected in the content analysis as preschoolers and elementary school students were the most common participants, guided learning were the most frequently used strategy, and the main target skill was reading. This review study provides an overview of the research agenda for the last 10 years, and highlights the trends in the field by analyzing relevant past research. When the use of e-books in EFL education studies was examined, reading comprehension, teaching/learning strategies, and learning engagement were found to be crucial in the studies. Therefore, there is a need to develop more useful features of e-books to support EFL teaching practices. It is therefore suggested that future research focus more on pedagogical aspects and e-book feature development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speaking is a challenge for most English learners owing to the lack of practicing environments and partners. The virtual reality (VR) technology has changed this situation by providing learners with rich opportunities for practice. In VR-based practicing environments, peer tutoring is a common strategy for promoting peer assistance. However, in conventional VR-based learning, students may merely follow the guidelines and content provided by the teacher without thinking about the meaning and reasons for the practice in the situated contexts, which generally leads to poor learning outcomes. To solve this problem, a progressive question prompt-based peer-tutoring approach in VR contexts (PQP-PTVR) is proposed to assist students' English-speaking development. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The experimental group used the proposed approach, while the control group learned with the conventional question prompt-based peer-tutoring approach in VR contexts (C-PTVR). The results showed that the experimental group achieved significantly greater improvement in speaking and self-efficacy than the control group. Concerning the participants' learning behaviors, the experimental group had more interactions and made more attempts to improve their speaking. This study contributes to the existing literature by proposing the PQP-PTVR approach to enhancing learners' speaking development, improving their interactions and self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely explored across the world over the past decades. A particularly emerging topic is the application of AI in e-learning (AIeL) to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning in precision education. This study aims to systematically review publication patterns for AIeL research with a focus on leading journals, countries, disciplines, and applications. In addition, a co-citation network analysis was conducted to explore the invisible relationships among the core papers of AIeL to reveal directions for future research. The analysis is based on a total of 86 core AIeL papers accompanied by 1149 citations in follow-up studies obtained from the Web of Science. It was found that a majority of AIeL studies focused on the development and applications of intelligent tutoring systems, followed by using AI to facilitate assessment and evaluation in e-learning contexts. For field researchers, the visualized network diagram serves as a map to explore the invisible relationships among the core AIeL research, providing a structural understanding of AI-supported research in e-learning contexts. A further investigation of the follow-up studies behind the highly co-cited links revealed the extended research directions from the AIeL mainstreams, such as adaptive learning-based evaluation environments. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pottery making in technology education aims to foster students' practical and creative ability. In a typical pottery making class, students receive the teacher's instruction on the fundamental techniques used in pottery making and have opportunities to practice. It is meaningful to construct an observation-doing-reflection process for students in a pottery making class to promote their learning experience and performance. Therefore, in this study, a Virtual Reality (VR)-based pottery making approach was applied to technology education in a junior high school to examine its effects on students' creativity and learning engagement. A total of 97 seventh graders from three classes participated in pottery making in class. One class of 34 students was assigned to be the experimental group learning with the VR-based approach, while the other two classes were assigned to be the control groups, with 30 students learning with the paper-and-pencil approach and 33 students with the clay-based approach. The results showed that the students learning with the VR-based approach were not only more creative in terms of their products, but also had higher cognitive engagement than those in the control groups. Moreover, the VR-based approach improved the students' behavioral, emotional and social engagement compared to the paper-and-pencil approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of touchscreen mobile devices in early childhood education has gained considerable attention. Several studies have been conducted to investigate the impacts of touchscreen mobile devices on children's cognitive and affective development. Researchers have further indicated the need to probe in which contexts children can learn effectively with touchscreen mobile devices. Therefore, this paper reviewed the studies related to the use of touchscreen mobile devices for children published in the Web of Science database from 2010 to 2019. A total of 45 studies were selected and analyzed based on the technology-based learning model. Accordingly, several dimensions, such as application domain, research method and research issues, and the attitudes of teachers, parents and young children, were taken into account. The results showed that (1) 35% studies applied touchscreen mobile devices for young children's language skills development; (2) the quantitative research method is the most commonly adopted; (3) children's cognitive development received the most attention among all the research issues; and (4) young children generally like to use touchscreen mobile devices to learn. Moreover, teachers' and parents' concerns about young children's use of touchscreen mobile devices are analyzed, and future trends in integrating ICT in early childhood education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a peer assessment-based mobile learning approach was implemented and evaluated in a vocational design certification course. A quasi-experiment was conducted to explore the impact of the proposed approach on the learning achievements and motivations of the students with active and reflective styles. It was found that the students using the peer assessment-based mobile learning approach generally learned better than those using the conventional mobile learning approach. It was also found that there were interactive effects between learning approaches and learning styles on intrinsic motivation. The students with an active learning style outperformed those with a reflective style in intrinsic motivation when conducting the peer assessment-based mobile learning. Active learning style students also had higher extrinsic motivation than those with a reflective learning style when conducting mobile learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology-mediated learning has become a valuable tool, especially in the English language classroom. Nowadays, mobile learning is considered a significant educational tool for promoting education among learners. Several recent studies have attempted to examine different aspects of mobile learning. The size of the experimental group, and the duration and suitability of the assessment methods are important aspects in designing experimental studies in the context of mobile English language learning. Yet, very few studies have paid attention to these aspects. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the utilisation of state-of-the-art mobile technology in English language learning, especially in terms of the size of the experimental groups, and the duration and suitability of the assessment methods. Following a systematic review protocol, 151 articles published between 2010 and 2017 were selected for analysis. Furthermore, this study considered, separately, three factors addressed in the reviewed studies: language acquisition problems, types of participants, and targeted English skills. The findings showed that the group size and study duration significantly differed among the studies based on the above factors. Questionnaires and tests were found to be the most common methods of assessment for each factor, whether used separately or in combination. The results of this review can assist in the formulation of experimental designs to mitigate the challenges and facilitate the effective use of mobile learning in English language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For professional development programs, students' professional identity and learning perceptions and earning performances have been recognized as important educational objectives. Scholars have indicated that engaging students in social interactions facilitates their deep and diverse thinking, and hence to promoting their learning outcomes. However, in traditional instruction, students generally learn in an individual learning mode and hesitate to interact with peers and teachers. To address this problem, a mobile team-based competition approach to situate students in social interactions was proposed. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an experiment was conducted in a college curriculum design course. 88 students in a teacher education program participated in the experiment, including 42 in the experimental group learning with the proposed approach, and 46 in the control group learning with the conventional mobile individual competition approach. The results showed that the proposed approach outperformed the mobile individual competition approach in terms of learning attitude, collaborative learning tendency and professional identity. It is found that the students generally perceived the proposed learning approach to be an effective way to encourage knowledge sharing, promote collaboration awareness and improve learning attitudes and motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Training nursing students to make correct decisions when facing various nursing cases is an important and challenging objective. In the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) program for nursing students, the educational aim is not only nursing skills, but also critical thinking for making correct decisions and treatments. In this study, a contextual game-based flipped learning approach (GBFL) is implemented to improve nursing students' learning performances and promoting their positive perceptions in an intravenous injection course. Moreover, a quasi-experiment was implemented to assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The subjects were 56 students from two classes of a nursing school. One class was assigned to the experimental group learning with the GBFL approach, while the other class was the control group learning with conventional flipped learning. From the experimental results, it was found that the students learning with the proposed approach showed better intravenous injection comprehension as well as higher learning achievement, learning motivation, learning attitudes, flow experience and critical thinking tendency than those learning with conventional flipped learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing an English research article for novice English as an additional language (EAL) writers is a challenging task that requires experience and training at both the sentence and meaning levels. One strategy that EAL writers employ when writing a research article is the use of formulaic sequences (FSs). However, available FS corpora are general purpose and are very limited in size. Previous studies have reported the effectiveness of FS usage in writing using a small set of FSs. The present work proposes an assistive environment for academic writing improvement through the use of domain-specific FSs. FSs are extracted from published articles and are classified under rhetoric categories using a machine learning technique. The user can then search for and add new FSs of his/her choice from any research article using proposed prototypes. The effectiveness of the proposed approach was evaluated in a real environment. The results show a positive impact of the proposal in terms of academic writing improvement. Novice writers who worked with the proposed prototype reported a significantly higher degree of perceived usefulness than those who worked with the traditional phrasebank approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the needs of an international workforce, English for Specific Purpose courses are being promoted in higher education, and instructors are turning to learning technology to help design the instruction. In this paper, a needs analysis was conducted to guide the design of the system, materials and activities for context-aware ubiquitous language learning (CAULL) and English for Fitness Purposes (EFP) in a fitness center as part of a Design-Based Research project. The data collection methods included on-site observations, semi-structured interviews, and a questionnaire. The participants included 82 undergraduate students, seven physical education (PE) instructors, and six non-PE faculty members who frequently used the fitness center. All data forms were then triangulated and analyzed. The results show that all three groups consistently agreed that they need receptive language skills as well as specific terminology for fitness. Furthermore, it was suggested that the oral communication skills for EFP learners should also be developed for sharing ideas, experience, and suggestions. They pointed out that vocabulary related to diverse topics such as warm-up and cool-down stretches, cardiovascular exercises, and weight training are needed. Furthermore, participants reported that the CAULL system should be hypermedia-based, and contain a portfolio and a user-friendly interface. The findings were used to develop a blue print for a CAULL system based on design principles. The findings are of interest to context-aware language learning researchers, instructional designers, and the field of English for Specific Purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, smart healthcare technologies used to facilitate precision medicine in clinical practice have increasingly become a topic of discussion. Nurses and nurse preceptors are critical professionals in hospitals, and are also the frontline staff using smart healthcare. The purpose of this study was to investigate nurses’ and nurse preceptors’ perceptions of smart healthcare (including learning motivation, learning attitudes, and personal innovativeness) and the differences in their conceptions of learning in smart healthcare technology contexts. The research findings showed that nurse preceptors had higher mean scores than nurses for learning motivation, learning attitudes, and personal innovativeness in smart healthcare, especially for learning attitudes and personal innovativeness. The nurse preceptors’ conceptions of learning in smart healthcare technology contexts were also more diverse than those of nurses. The main differences are that nurses’ drawings showed a healthcare setting where learners (both patients and nurses) use computers to connect to cloud services for online visits, and where patients can engage in online health education learning activities via computers or mobile devices. The nurse preceptors’ drawings focused on the delivery of nursing knowledge and skills to learners via VR technologies, helping diagnose patients, analyzing medical data, and predicting healthcare through smart healthcare technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite seamless vocabulary learning studies having been implemented for about 10 years, little is known about what seamless vocabulary learning studies are, how they were conducted, what the learning outcomes were, or the issues and trends of seamless vocabulary learning. This literature review aimed at addressing these questions. Adopting Webster and Watson's (2002. Analyzing the past to prepare for the future: Writing a literature review. MIS Quarterly, xiii–xxiii) method of keyword searching and examination of refereed journals, 26 eligible articles were selected and analyzed under the framework of analyzing seamless vocabulary learning studies. The research findings show that the majority of reviewed studies focused more on the seamless features of "ubiquity and continuity" of artifact creation, situated and personalized learning, less on instructional designs on the features of "knowledge synthesis, activities that that apply multiple language skills in different combinations, and co-construction of linguistic knowledge" premised on vocabulary learning theories. In addition, more studies focused on vocabulary learning performance and perceptions of learners' learning experience in a short term in primary or higher education for prescribed learning tasks. Future research is encouraged to focus on innovative seamless vocabulary instructional designs premised on sound theoretical underpinnings to improve underexplored seamless features from varied perspectives in a longitudinal study, especially at a secondary level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic review of the literature on flipped language classrooms from the perspectives of theoretical foundations, learning activities, tools, research topics and findings based on an analysis of 34 published articles. The results indicate that various research methods (e.g., tests, surveys, and interviews) were applied in the selected studies and different types of e-tools (e.g., video-watching tools, online learning platforms, online discussion tools, and video-making tools) were used in the flipped language classrooms. The findings also reveal that the flipped language classroom not only improved students' academic performance and cultivated their learning motivation but also developed their self-regulation, confidence, and higher-order thinking skills. Other research topics in the reviewed articles included the effects of external and learner factors on the flipped learning approach, students' readiness and technology acceptance, the flipped learning process, students' interactions, and teacher perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In professional healthcare training programs, field experience after physical courses is essential for students to become professionals. However, the outbreak of the pandemic has restricted such field experience, and so students’ problem-solving awareness when facing clinical emergencies in a professional field after graduation has become a critical issue. In conventional teaching, video-based instruction with case-based learning sheets is usually adopted for healthcare training. In this teaching mode, students generally lack opportunities to experience the process of dealing with authentic cases, and hence might be unable to immediately judge and solve problems when entering the workplace. To enhance students’ critical thinking and problem-solving awareness, the present study proposed a reflective cycle-based virtual reality (RC-VR) approach to provide a realistic environment and enable repeated practice. To examine its effectiveness, this study adopted a quasi-experimental design and applied it in a healthcare training program for risk assessment of maternal labor. The results indicated that the proposed RC-VR approach effectively enhanced students’ learning achievement, sense of presence, critical thinking, and problem-solving awareness in comparison to the conventional teaching approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly cited articles have been revealed as being informative for research fields, topics, and trends. Through reading highly cited articles, researchers can gain fruitful results from previous studies and can identify essential clues and potential future research directions for their own research. Aiming at exploring the possibility of the application of and innovations in flipped learning, this study reviewed 100 highly cited articles related to flipped learning. By performing a literature review of the highly cited studies on flipped learning, we have discovered the proposed new learning strategies and flipped learning applied to the research topics that seldom draw attention, and the research fields that are less-frequently examined, including those research issues that are rarely discussed. We have also noticed that many studies have focused on comparing different flipped learning modes and identifying more effective flipped learning approaches. Only a minority of studies have compared the influences of flipped learning and traditional learning. Moreover, we found that researchers have tended to focus more on students' learning achievements and learning behaviors. Lastly, based on the reviews of the past flipped learning articles, this study provides suggestions from different perspectives. We hope to provide a reference for researchers and teachers to conduct flipped learning studies and design flipped learning activities in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the effect of online learning vs. blended learning (BL) in developing English language skills by nursing student. The participants of the study included sixty students of Asadabad Nursing Faculty. They were randomly divided into three groups. The control group received general English instruction through the communicative approach and did exercises based on the tasks for developing general English skills. The online group received general English instruction through LMS instructional model. The BL experimental group received general English instruction through blended learning instructional model. Students then took a posttest of standard general English (TOFEL). The results showed that the blended learning group performed better than the other groups in developing general English skills. These results have pedagogical implications for curriculum designers, developers of training programs for future nurses, material producers, and all who are involved in nursing education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English speaking is a challenging learning objective for EFL (English as Foreign Language) learners owing to the lack of practicing environments. In this study, Interactive Spherical Video-based Virtual Reality (ISVVR) was adopted as the learning mode to provide realistic sociocultural contexts for English speaking. In addition, an experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of the SVVR approach on the English speaking performances and anxiety of the EFL students with different cognitive styles. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was conducted to investigate the effects of the interaction between cognitive style and multimedia learning mode on students' learning motivation, speaking anxiety, oral presentation, and move analysis. The student sample consisted of two classes of 93 students. All of the students took the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) to identify whether their cognitive style was field dependent or independent. The results showed a significant effect for the interaction between the cognitive styles and the learning modes on the students' oral presentation and speaking anxiety. Their structural moves in oral presentations with the ISVVR learning mode showed more similar spoken genre patterns to those of TED speakers. Findings further support the benefit of incorporating cognitive styles into the ISVVR learning mode for EFL learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review study investigates the appropriation of sensing technology in context-aware ubiquitous learning (CAUL) in the fields of sciences, engineering, and humanities. 40 empirical studies with concrete learning outcomes across mandatory and higher education have been systematically reviewed and thematically analyzed with an outcomes-based teaching and learning approach. Four derived themes have been found to describe the design and implementation of CAUL, including learner-centeredness, technological facilitation, learning ecology, and research evaluation. The learning processes enabled by context-aware sensing technology have been explicated, revealing specific ways to apply new technologies in formal and informal environments. The analysis based on intended learning outcomes suggest that more efforts should be directed to fostering competence in analyzing and creating in mandatory education, and to creating in tertiary settings. Finally, unequal distribution of CAUL implementation across world regions calls for more technological appropriation in Southeast Asia and Africa. Specific suggestions on how to improve CAUL are also provided to better prepare learners in the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Technology-Based Learning Model, the present study reviewed open online language learning research published in the Scopus database from 2009 to 2018, with a focus on research design, sample size, learning devices, target languages, language skills, the learners' education level, the learners' language proficiency level, learning methods, and the foci of investigation. In terms of research design, quantitative empirical studies accounted for the most, followed by mixed method studies. As for the target languages, English was investigated the most, with few studies focused on other languages. In terms of language skills, the number of studies related to vocabulary and speaking was less than those concerning reading and writing. With regard to learning methods, self-directed learning, blended learning, and peer review were the most commonly adopted. There was little research on collaborative learning, flipped classrooms, adaptive learning, or thematic-oriented learning. As for the foci of investigation, motivation, interest, and satisfaction were the focus of the majority of the studies. On the other hand, little research was found to examine self-efficacy or confidence. A discussion based on the analytic results is presented along with proposed suggestions for future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With reference to the Technology-based Learning model for flipped classrooms, a literature review on Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) papers published in the Web of Science (WOS) database was conducted, with the application of flipped learning in science education as the research topic. The study analyzed the existing research on author nationalities, application domains, research methods, participants, learning strategies, and research issues. Based on the analysis data, starting from 2015, there have been a large number of flipped classroom studies in science education. The studies were mainly from the United States; the application domains were mostly chemistry, physics, biology, and natural science and ecology. Over half of the studies adopted quantitative methods, and participants were mainly college students. In the before-class stage, the flipped classroom studies in science education mainly adopted instructional videos as the learning materials and used online learning systems as the medium for materials and online discussion. In the in-class stage, the major learning strategy was problem-based learning, while over half of the studies did not employ educational technology. In the after-class stage, most studies administered examinations to explore the learning outcomes. Accordingly, Potential research issues are proposed as a reference for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Analects of Confucius has been identified as an important and influential philosophy around the globe. However, in traditional instruction, it is difficult to express the spirit of this philosophy. Therefore, many students consider it as a big challenge to study the Analects of Confucius. To cope with this problem, in this study, an interactive e-book system has been developed based on the contextual learning model to interpret the Analects of Confucius in an interactive way. A quasi-experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach. The participants were 38 fifth graders from 2 classes in an elementary school located in northern Taiwan, who were divided into an experimental and a control group. The experimental group used an interactive e-book learning mode to learn the Analects of Confucius course while the control group used a conventional technology enhanced teaching mode. The results showed that adopting the interactive e-book teaching mode to study the Analects of Confucius in the elementary school course can promote students' learning achievement and motive. It was also found that the interactive e-book learning mode can trigger learners' deep motive, and hence promote their learning achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flipped learning has received significant emphasis in recent years. Through this approach, students' self-learning ability can be cultivated and the time for in-class practice and teachers' and students' interaction are increased. In the past, there has been much research confirming its benefits in learning performance. Meanwhile, some studies have also pointed out that with proper educational strategies, students can be guided to have better learning engagement and higher-order thinking, which could improve their learning performance. In this study, a WSQ (Watch-Summary-Question)-based flipped learning approach was implemented in a dance course. Moreover, an experiment was conducted to investigate the impacts of the proposed approach. The participants were 173 college students from 2 classes, which were assigned to learn with the WSQ-based flipped learning approach and the conventional flipped learning approach, respectively. From the 12-week experiment, it was found that the WSQ-based flipped learning approach effectively promoted the students' dance performance and guided them to make more reflections. Furthermore, the proposed approach also engaged the students in making more efforts to think and to perfect their dance techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reviewed the published papers on the flipped classroom in nursing education from 2010 to 2017, and tabulated the collected data from various aspects: "before-class stage/ in-class stage/ after-class stage learning strategies," "application domains," "research issues," "participants," "research methods," and "nationalities" based on a theoretical framework. It was found that basic level of flipped classroom mode was frequently used in nurse education; that is, guiding students to watch instructional videos before class, and conducted discussion or practicing in the class. On the other hand, several effective strategies, such as Mindtools and game-based learning, were seldom adopted; in addition, several important educational issues, such as learning behavior, were not investigated in flipped nursing education research. It was also found that most of the studies did not design after-class activities to engage students in organizing and applying what they had learned from multiple units in a project-based task. Accordingly, several suggestions for future studies are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study reviewed the papers in the Scopus database relevant to flipped classrooms in all mathematics subject areas published up until 2018 from various dimensions. It was found that there has been a considerable number of studies on flipped classrooms in mathematics education in these years. The majority were conducted in university courses, such as applied mathematics, discrete mathematics/algebra, and analysis. Most of the researchers adopted quantitative methods. In the before-class stage of the mathematics flipped classroom, a number of studies employed online learning systems or social media to provide instructional videos and to carry out online discussion. As for the in-class stage, the most frequently adopted learning strategies were issue discussion, exercise, and problem-based learning, while only a few studies used technologies in this stage. The majority of studies investigated students' learning achievement, motivation, satisfaction, and collaboration and communication awareness. Most studies administered examinations to evaluate the students' learning achievement. It is worth noting that little or no research was found to explore students' cognitive load. Accordingly, several suggestions for applying flipped classrooms to mathematics education as well as potential issues for future research are proposed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]