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It is important to cultivate dispositions of 21st-century skills (D21S: critical thinking, complex problem solving, creativity, communication, and collaboration) in project-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning (STEM-PjBL). Previous research has seldom adopted the person-oriented approach to examine STEM-PjBL program effectiveness, and knowledge regarding group differences is still lacking. To fill this gap, a person-oriented analysis was used to form groupings of students based on D21S. Three latent profiles (high-, medium-, and low-D21S) of students were identified in 6 elementary schools, and the transition probabilities were estimated for 2 class types (treatment vs. comparison) across 1 semester. Most of the students (63.4%) showed stable D21S profiles over 1 semester; however, some students (17.6%) exhibited improvement, and some (18.9%) showed declination. Additionally, the STEM-PjBL programs presented positive effects on the growth of D21S. This study further found that the D21S transitional types (i.e. declined, stable, and improved) could predict students' motivation (perceived STEM domain content mastery, self-efficacy, and task value), showing that a declined D21S also decreased academic motivation. The findings suggest that students who decline in D21S should receive attention from teachers because their perceived academic performance, competence beliefs, and values in STEM also decrease simultaneously.

Contribution: Prior studies have shown that project-based learning (PBL) is an effective approach on engineering education. This study further identifies the impact of a design thinking (DT) integrated PBL approach on the college students' learning motivation and creativity. Background: A well-developed robot and its project often require interdisciplinary knowledge, such as design and technology, and interdisciplinary team collaboration to optimize the requirements of desirability and viability for developing products. The current study systematically embeds the elements of DT and PBL on a robot design course. Intended Outcomes: The DT PBL approach can improve the student's learning motivation and creativity in developing robots for engineering students. Application Design: A quasi-experimental design was used. Eighteen participants were assigned to the experimental group, whereas 23 participants were assigned to the comparison group. While the elements of DT and PBL were embedded into and delivered for the experimental group, the comparison group used a PBL-only approach. Findings: Evidence collected from quantitative survey/tests and qualitative interviews indicates that: 1) the experimental group outperformed the comparison group in overall learning motivation, and its subscales (task value and self-efficacy). The project enabled them to reflect on the insufficiency of required expertise and skills, which also helped them to learn more effectively and efficiently and 2) the experimental group outperformed the comparison group in overall creativity and its subscales (fluency, originality, and flexibility). The experimental group students can think faster, consider the problem through multiple perspectives, and come out with more creative ideas.

The present research examined the effectiveness of digital storytelling (DST) on foreign language learners' English speaking and creative thinking. In this study, DST was realized in the form of an interdisciplinary project integrated in a partnership between an English course and a computer course, with the class time of the former devoted to the content design and that of the latter to the multimedia design of learner-generated digital stories. The participants were required to work in small groups to create their digital stories in the target language, English, under an eight-week interdisciplinary curriculum. A two-group quasi-experiment with a pretest and posttest design was then conducted to compare the participants' learning outcomes. The findings reveal the authentic and meaningful learning opportunities that DST has to offer for effectively fostering the students' development of becoming proficient English speakers and creative thinkers. Future implementations on interdisciplinary DST projects are thus recommended for educators.

In recent years, many universities have opened courses to increase students' knowledge in the field of nanotechnology. These have been shown to increase students' knowledge of nanotechnology, but beyond this, advanced and applied nanotechnology courses should also focus on learning motivation and scientific enquiry abilities to equip students to develop the deeper knowledge and skills required for scientific application. This paper addresses this challenge. Due to the abstract nature of many nanotechnology concepts and in order to move from abstract knowledge to hands-on learning, an inquiry-based learning approach was adopted. Among the diverse inquiry-based learning models proposed, the 5E mobile inquiry-based approach, including the steps of engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation, was considered most effective to enhance learners' understanding of nanotechnology. To evaluate the effectiveness of this proposed approach, a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was adopted with a total of 32 university students. Two sections of Nanotechnology Engineering, a general education course, were randomly assigned as either the comparison group (18 students; receiving lecture-based instruction, and using mobile devices) or the experimental group (14 students; receiving 5E inquiry learning, and using mobile devices). Mobile devices were adopted to enhance learners' experience, provide immediate access to information online, and provide enhanced hands-on learning. The empirical results demonstrate that the experimental condition, 5E mobile inquiry learning, had a positive impact on participants' learning motivation and scientific inquiry abilities.

Critical thinking (CT) and English literacy are two essential 21st century competencies that are a priority for teaching and learning in an increasingly digital learning environment. Taking advantage of innovations in educational technology, this study empirically investigates the effectiveness of CT-infused adaptive English literacy instruction using a Moodle system. A one-group pretest-posttest design was employed to evaluate the effect of the treatment on students' acquisition of CT skills (CTS) and English literacy. A total of 83 students enrolled in two sections of a general studies course at a large university in Taiwan participated in the semester-long experiment. Adaptive learning was achieved through the use of an online Moodle system for (1) online grouping (based on pretest English literacy scores), (2) delivery of specifically designed adaptive learning materials for each group and (3) provision of individualised feedback. CT-infused language activities based on social constructivist principles were designed for each level of adaptive instruction, whereas direct instruction for fostering CTS was provided in class and practiced or reflected upon in groups. Empirical results demonstrate that CT-enhanced adaptive English literacy instruction simultaneously improved students' CTS and English literacy and that students' online discussions developed towards higher levels of interaction. This paper illustrates an effective blended learning model for adaptive instruction and offers recommendations for designing CT-infused language learning activities that can successfully foster both CT and English literacy outcomes.

Critical thinking (CT) and English communication are recognized as two essential 21st century competencies. To equip students with these competencies and respond to the challenges of global competition, educational technology is being developed to enhance teaching and learning. This study examined the effectiveness of integrating CT into individualized English listening and speaking instruction using Moodle, a virtual learning environment. Individualized instruction was designed with three key elements, namely proficiency level grouping, individualized instructional strategies and materials, and individualized feedback. Participants were 83 students enrolled in a semester-long general education course at a large university in Taiwan. The four dependent measures were CT skills (CTS), CT dispositions (CTD), English listening, and speaking proficiency. Results from the one-group pretest-posttest design were evaluated by paired "t"-tests and a mixed design ANCOVA (analysis of covariance) in order to identify any statistically significant improvements following the intervention. The results of the study showed that learners participating in the treatment significantly improved in terms of English listening and speaking, as well as on all CTS subscales, with little change in CTD, apart from significant improvement on the subscale of open-mindedness. Limitations and suggestions for successful online CT-integrated instruction and implications for future research are provided. (Contains 8 figures and 10 tables.)

This study explores the transfer of critical thinking skills and dispositions from pre-service teacher training to classroom practice and student achievement in the cases of two graduates from a course on critical thinking-integrated instruction. Two 7th and two 8th grade classes were randomly assigned as experimental (CT-integrated instruction), or comparison (traditional instruction) groups. Empirical results demonstrated that, in these two cases, the teachers successfully developed CT-integrated instruction for effectively fostering students' CT skills and dispositions, while improving student achievement. Future research should include larger and more representative samples to avoid bias and reliably evaluate CT-based teacher training initiatives. (Contains 13 tables and 4 figures.)

This study investigates the effectiveness digital game-based learning (DGBL) on students' problem solving, learning motivation, and academic achievement. In order to provide substantive empirical evidence, a quasi-experimental design was implemented over the course of a full semester (23 weeks). Two ninth-grade Civics and Society classes, with a total of 44 students (15-16 years old), were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: an experimental group (incorporating DGBL) and a comparison group (taught using traditional instruction). Two-way mixed ANOVA was employed to evaluate changes in problem solving ability and compare the effectiveness the two strategies, while ANCOVA was used to analyze the effects on learning motivation and academic achievement. The results of this study are summarized as follows: (1) The DGBL strategy was clearly effective in promoting students' problem solving skills, while the control group showed no improvement. Additionally, data from the mid-test and post-test demonstrate that, as a higher order thinking skill, problem-solving requires a full semester to develop. (2). DGBL resulted in better learning motivation for students in the experimental group as compared to learners receiving TI. (3) Contrary to some suggestions that digital games could inhibit academic achievement, no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups. Most importantly, the quantitative improvement in problem-solving and learning motivation suggest that DGBL can be exploited as a useful and productive tool to support students in effective learning while enhancing the classroom atmosphere. Future research in DGBL should emphasize the evaluation of other higher order elements of the cognitive domain in terms of academic achievement outcomes and skills, such as critical and creative thinking. (Contains 12 tables and 3 figures.)