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The popularity of virtual reality (VR) technologies has increased since the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic. However, there is a paucity of meta‐analytic studies that have investigated the use of VR technologies in language education. This current study addresses this gap by conducting a systematic analysis of 41 randomized controlled studies conducted between 2008 and 2021, examining the effects of VR technologies on language educational outcomes. The findings indicate that VR technologies reduce anxiety levels while enhancing motivation, performance, satisfaction, and self‐efficacy in language learning when compared to traditional learning methods. These outcomes are observed regardless of whether learners engage with immersive or nonimmersive environments and whether they use head‐mounted displays or nonhead‐mounted displays. Future research can investigate the impact of VR on intercultural communicative competence and collaborative problem‐solving abilities. The Challenge: The popularity of virtual reality (VR) technologies has increased, but are they effective when used in language education? This current study examines the effects of VR technologies on language educational outcomes through a systematic analysis of 41 randomized controlled studies conducted between 2008 and 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This meta‐analytic research delves into the influence of expertise on cognitive interpreting, emphasizing time efficiency, accuracy, and cognitive effort, in alignment with prevailing expertise theories that link professional development and cognitive efficiency. The study assimilates empirical data from 18 eye‐tracking studies conducted over the past four decades, encompassing a sample of 1581 interpreters. The objective is to elucidate the role of expertise in interpretative performance while tracing the evolution of these dynamics over time. Findings suggest that expert interpreters outperform novices in time efficiency and accuracy and exhibit lower cognitive effort, especially in sight and consecutive interpreting. This effect is particularly pronounced in the English‐Chinese language pair and with the use of E‐prime and Tobii eye‐tracking systems. Further, fixation count and pupil size are essential metrics impacting cognitive effort. These findings have vital implications for interpreter training programs, suggesting a focus on expertise development to enhance efficiency and accuracy, reduce cognitive load, and emphasize the importance of sight interpreting as a foundational skill. The selection of technology and understanding of specific ocular metrics also emerged as essential for future research and practical applications in the interpreting industry. This article is categorized under:Psychology > Theory and MethodsLinguistics > Cognitive [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are gaining increasing popularity in education. Due to their increasing popularity, many empirical studies have been devoted to exploring the effects of AI chatbots on students' learning outcomes. The proliferation of experimental studies has highlighted the need to summarize and synthesize the inconsistent findings about the effects of AI chatbots on students' learning outcomes. However, few reviews focused on the meta‐analysis of the effects of AI chatbots on students' learning outcomes. The present study performed a meta‐analysis of 24 randomized studies utilizing Stata software (version 14). The main goal of the current study was to meta‐analytically examine the effects of AI chatbots on students' learning outcomes and the moderating effects of educational levels and intervention duration. The results indicated that AI chatbots had a large effect on students' learning outcomes. Moreover, AI chatbots had a greater effect on students in higher education, compared to those in primary education and secondary education. In addition, short interventions were found to have a stronger effect on students' learning outcomes than long interventions. It could be explained by the argument that the novelty effects of AI chatbots could improve learning outcomes in short interventions, but it has worn off in the long interventions. Future designers and educators should make attempt to increase students' learning outcomes by equipping AI chatbots with human‐like avatars, gamification elements and emotional intelligence. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topicIn recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots have been gaining increasing popularity in education.Studies undertaken so far have provided conflicting evidence concerning the effects of AI chatbots on students' learning outcomes.There has remained a paucity of meta‐analyses synthesizing the contradictory findings about the effects of AI chatbots on students' learning outcomes.What this paper addsThis study, through meta‐analysis, synthesized these recent findings about the effects of AI chatbots on students' learning outcomes.This study found that AI chatbots could have a large effect on students' learning outcomes.This study found that the effects of AI chatbots were moderated by educational levels and intervention duration.Implications for practice and/or policyAI chatbot designers could make AI chatbots better by equipping AI chatbots with human‐like avatars, gamification elements and emotional intelligencePractitioners and/or teachers should draw attention to the positive and negative effects of AI chatbots on students.Considering the importance of ChatGPT, more research is required to develop a better understanding of the effects of ChatGPT in education.More research is needed to examine the mechanisms underlying the effects of AI chatbots on students' learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study conducts meta‐analytical estimations based on 70 empirical studies regarding inconsistent effect sizes of augmented reality in interactive learning environments. It finds that compared with traditional tools, augmented reality in interactive learning environments significantly enhances overall learning effectiveness (g = 0.717, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.606–0.827) at the 0.05 level. The moderating analysis finds that augmented reality in interactive learning environments significantly enhances (1) students' acceptance of technological systems and attitudes toward their courses, (2) comfort, engagement, and self‐efficacy, (3) learning motivations (measured by attention, perceived relevance to learning objectives, confidence, satisfaction, and interest), (4) critical thinking and practical skills, and (5) knowledge acquisition outcomes (including memorization, retention, and application). Interactive augmented reality has insignificant influences on students' flow experience, collaboration, and communication at the 0.05 level, while significantly reducing cognitive load at the 0.05 level. The findings in this study may enlighten further studies on educational technologies and extend applications of augmented reality in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of science and technology, virtual reality (VR) technologies have obtained great popularity in education, coupled with many studies on the effect of VR technologies on learning outcomes. However, few studies have systematically summarized their effect on educational outcomes. This study systematically and meta‐analytically examined the effect of VR technologies on educational outcomes using Stata 14.0. The researchers reviewed 43 empirical VR studies in education, ranging from 1993 to 2020, in high‐impact journals of educational technology. Researchers included the subgroups such as VR users' learning outcomes consisting of intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, attitudes, motor skills, and educational levels of participants, as well as countries or regions where the sample was recruited. It is found that VR technologies can positively influence learning outcomes in education, improve learning outcomes across the world except Europe, and facilitate learning outcomes at different educational levels except the primary school level. Future designers and teachers should attempt to stimulate their learning interest in the VR‐based approach by integrating interesting components into VR technologies. Future design of VR‐based approach can also attach enough importance to motivation and satisfaction of learners, construction of VR labs in education, and the impacts of VR on students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have substantiated the pivotal role of emotions and teachers in student learning, but the underlying mechanism of teachers and emotions on academic engagement remains underexplored. The present study examined the mediating role of teacher support in the relationship between foreign language learning anxiety (FLLA) and academic engagement in online classrooms. Participants were 415 Chinese university students who completed an online questionnaire. The findings of structural equation modelling indicated that teacher support had a partial mediation effect between FLLA and academic engagement. FLLA exhibited a significant negative impact on academic engagement, both directly and indirectly via perceived teacher support. Through both direct and indirect effects, FLLA could explain 44.8% of the variation in academic engagement and the mediation effect accounted for 47.3% of the total effect. The practical implication is that foreign language teachers should extend more support for learners during online learning, and provide learners with feedback adapted to their emotions. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Emotions have a significant impact on learners' engagement, and positive academic emotions facilitate students' engagement in the class. Students will be more engaged in learning when they perceive support from their teachers. Teacher support was an influential external predictor of students' mood swings. What this paper adds The structural equation modelling shows that teacher support served as a partial mediator between foreign language learning anxiety and academic engagement. Students' social engagement and perceived emotional support were found to have a greater impact on online foreign language learning. This paper further corroborates the relationship among the presences in the CoI framework. Implications for practice and/or policy Mitigating foreign language learning anxiety and improving teacher support are necessary for effective foreign language learning in future online classes. Teachers need to ensure continued intellectual support and provide more emotional support for learners. Teachers are recommended to deliver feedback that aligns with students' emotional state. What is already known about this topic Emotions have a significant impact on learners' engagement, and positive academic emotions facilitate students' engagement in the class. Students will be more engaged in learning when they perceive support from their teachers. Teacher support was an influential external predictor of students' mood swings. What this paper adds The structural equation modelling shows that teacher support served as a partial mediator between foreign language learning anxiety and academic engagement. Students' social engagement and perceived emotional support were found to have a greater impact on online foreign language learning. This paper further corroborates the relationship among the presences in the CoI framework. Implications for practice and/or policy Mitigating foreign language learning anxiety and improving teacher support are necessary for effective foreign language learning in future online classes. Teachers need to ensure continued intellectual support and provide more emotional support for learners. Teachers are recommended to deliver feedback that aligns with students' emotional state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]