Search

AbstractArtificial intelligence generates vibrant characters, encompassing teachers, peer students, and advisors within diverse educational media. However, the impact of the perceived embodiment of such characters in language learning videos on students’ technology acceptance and adoption is unclear. Integrating structural equation modeling into thematic analysis, this study analyzes 1042 valid responses from higher education students to bridge this research gap. Our study reveals that four subdimensions of embodiment (human-likeness, credibility, learning facilitation, and engagement) significantly and positively predict higher-education students’ perceived ease of use and usefulness of artificial intelligence-generated virtual teachers in language learning videos. Notably, an exception arises, as human-likeness does not significantly predict students’ perceived ease of use in our research context. Students’ perceived systemic interactivity and impact on the learning process emerge as pivotal mediators. The qualitative thematic analysis identifies students’ concerns about classroom administration, developmental support, technical issues, deprived interpersonal collaboration, and liberal attainment cultivation with the virtual teacher presence. This study can illuminate artificial intelligence technology designs and applications in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of information technologies, many learners opt to stay home receiving various forms of online education such as massive open online courses (MOOC). However, many learners and instructors complain that MOOC-based learning effectiveness has been dampened by many factors. Through a meta-analysis using Stata/MP 14.0, this study reveals that MOOC-based learning outcomes can be significantly influenced by eight factors, i.e. behavior intention, learning engagement, students' motivation, perceptions, satisfaction, performance, self-regulation, and social networks across the world. Future research could reveal more influencing factors pivoting on the forum improvements, as well as the effect of social presence on MOOC-based learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology integration in higher education has been widely recognised for its multifarious benefits. Nevertheless, arising from various factors, the prevalence of technostress poses a substantial impediment to learning effectiveness. In response, this study employs visualisation analysis and systematic review techniques to formulate a comprehensive model that encompasses variables related to technostress. Based on a systematic selection from 1,861 publications, 83 publications were included to model predictors and outcomes of higher-education students’ technostress. Our findings reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred growing academic interest in technostress, owing to concerns about the stressful and anxious nature of remote learning. Existing research on this topic predominantly relies on technology acceptance models and theories, with ongoing expansions incorporating variables from multiple research domains. In particular, external factors assume pivotal roles as predictors of technostress, along with subdimensions related to technostress. The impact of technostress can be observed in various aspects, such as learning experiences and performance outcomes. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for future research endeavours, facilitating further exploration and informing technology-enhanced teaching practice. [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]

With the rapid development of information technologies, virtual reality (VR) has caught much attention in education. However, scanty studies have been committed to a meta-analysis of its effect in education in terms of various components. This study, through a meta-analysis, systematically reviews the effect of VR technologies on educational outcomes in terms of various components. It concludes that VR technologies generally exert a strong and positive influence on educational outcomes despite some negative findings in their effect on anxiety, cognition, creativeness, gender differences, learning attitudes, learner satisfaction, and engagement. Future research could expand the research by including more publications and examine the effect of VR technologies on educational outcomes through interdisciplinary cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of online meeting platforms is highly associated with users' acceptance. Nevertheless, few studies have been committed to the roles of social isolation, technostress, and personality in online meeting platform acceptance. This study aimed to investigate the influence of social isolation, technostress, and personality on users' acceptance of online meeting platforms within the technology acceptance model (TAM) including perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude towards technology use, and behavioral intention. A total of 975 responses were collected via an online survey. The results revealed that there were positive relationships among four core constructs. But more importantly, social isolation negatively influenced users' favorable attitudes towards online meeting platforms, and technostress negatively influenced the perception of the usefulness of online meeting platforms. Users with different personalities had different degrees of acceptance of online meeting platforms. The study provides a deep insight into influencing factors in users' acceptance of online meeting platforms during the rampant COVID-19 pandemic. This study is, therefore, useful for designers and practitioners to optimize the online meeting platforms. In addition, this study adopted TAM to investigate users' acceptance of online meeting platforms, supporting TAM's reliability and validity in the online meeting platform-based learning context. Future studies could extend TAM by including specific sociocultural and psychological constructs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing popularity of social network sites (SNSs) in educational settings, there has been a lack of comprehensive review studies focused on the effects of SNSs used for educational purposes. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the impact of SNS use on motivations, attitudes, learning outcomes, and parental involvement, which have been infrequently studied in previous research. Employing a systematic review based on the protocol of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), our findings indicate that the use of SNSs has the potential to enhance learners’ motivations, engender positive attitudes, and improve learning outcomes. However, it is also observed that parental involvement may complicate SNS-assisted learning outcomes. Consequently, this study explores methods for improving SNS-assisted learning motivations, attitudes, and outcomes, as well as the effects of parental involvement on SNS-assisted learning. Future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Metaverse, characterized as an interactive and immersive 3D virtual world, is widely recognized for its considerable potential across a range of industries. However, the long-term viability and success of the Metaverse are contingent upon the extent to which users accept and adopt it. Despite this critical aspect, there is a scarcity of research that investigates the factors influencing user acceptance of the Metaverse. To address this research gap, the present study expands upon the technology acceptance model by integrating social and psychological constructs such as social interaction, social presence, conformity, emotional attachment, flow, and perceived enjoyment. The data for this study were obtained through an online survey. A total of 418 responses were collected from Metaverse users, with a response rate of 84%. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the survey data. Results showed that: (1) perceived ease of use (β = 0.214, p < 0,001), emotional attachment (β = 0.375 p < 0,001), and enjoyment (β = 0.194, p < 0,001) could have a positive effect on perceived usefulness; (2) emotional attachment (β = 0.142, p = 0.018), enjoyment (β = 0.179, p = 0.008), and social presence (β = 0.183, p = 0.008) could have a positive effect on perceived ease of use; (3) perceived usefulness (β = 0.432, p < 0,001), perceived ease of use (β = 0.106, p = 0.011), emotional attachment (β = 0.209, p < 0,001), and social interaction (β = 0.209, p < 0,001) have a positive effect on attitudes toward using the Metaverse; (4) perceived usefulness (β = 0.174, p = 0.001), attitudes (β = 0.35, p < 0,001), flow (β = 0.128, p = 0.011), and social interaction (β = 0.106, p = 0.015) could positively influence users’ intention to use the Metaverse. However, social presence could not significantly influence perceived usefulness (β = 0.078, p = 0.141). These results offer important implications for developers and practitioners looking to design and promote the utilization of the Metaverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Synchronous videoconferencing has been chosen as a platform for conducting online courses after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, its acceptance has yet to be explored from interactive and cognitive aspects. This study aims to investigate factors influencing students’ acceptance of the online learning platform- Tencent Meeting/VooV Meeting, extending the UTAUT model by adding community of inquiry and collaborative learning constructs as external factors. A total of 1058 participants’ responses were collected in the autumn semester of 2022, and the survey results were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results show that most of the influencing factors proposed in the extending UTAUT model apply to Tencent Meeting. Specifically, performance expectancy, social influence, and cognitive presence can positively and significantly predict behavioral intention in using Tencent Meeting for online courses at the 0.001 level. Facilitating conditions and behavioral intention are both determinants of usage behavior. Teaching presence and collaborative learning can positively predict cognitive presence, which is the most influential factor of behavioral intention, indicating that collaborative learning and cognitive presence should be vital considerations in promoting the usage of online learning platforms. The present study expands upon our comprehension of the determinants that impact the utilization of Tencent Meeting, thereby offering recommendations for the development of online platforms according to the cognitive and interactive necessities of students. Instructors may contemplate the creation of online exercises that necessitate higher levels of collaboration to enhance student engagement and encourage cognitive presence, addressing students’ cognitive developmental demands in a supportive manner. This study is limited to the number of selected variables used to explicate the adoption of Tencent Meeting by users with the aid of UTAUT and the community of inquiry framework. It is anticipated that subsequent research may expand upon the array of variables under consideration, such as task-technology fit, usage habits, and information technology competence. The respondents surveyed primarily comprised individuals affiliated with Chinese language universities, with an imbalanced gender distribution, and an over-representation of liberal arts majors. Thus, the generalizability of the research could be impeded. Therefore, to augment the external validity of the study, future research may collect data from various educational levels and cultural backgrounds to corroborate the research outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, many students have been forced to receive education assisted by augmented reality technologies at home. To investigate the effects of augmented reality technologies on educational outcomes, researchers conducted a meta-analysis using Stata/MP 14.0. The results suggested that augmented reality-assisted education significantly improved learner attitudes towards and learning achievements when compared to non-augmented reality-assisted education. However, the study failed to identify any significant differences in motivation levels between augmented reality-assisted and non-augmented reality-assisted educational models. Several potential reasons were explored to account for this unexpected finding. Future research should consider more comprehensive influencing factors such as learning styles and learner personality to determine the effect of augmented reality technologies on educational outcomes. Additionally, integrating advanced technologies into course designs presents a promising avenue for improving educational outcomes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of information technologies, video-mediated learning has been widely used in education and studied in academia. Whether and how a teacher should be present in a video has drawn the attention of researchers. Via a mixed design involving two teaching experiments and a semi-structured interview, this study concluded that videos with teacher presence could significantly improve academic achievements and increase intrinsic cognitive loads compared with those without teacher presence and that videos with teachers' intermittent presence could significantly improve academic achievements and increase intrinsic cognitive loads compared with those with continuous teachers' presence. Future research could explore intrinsic cognitive loads and academic achievements in video-mediated learning via multimodal and interdisciplinary methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this COVID-19 pandemic, learners across the world are encouraged to stay at home receiving online education, which has nearly caused various learning outcomes. It is thus necessary to analyze online learning outcomes, as well as their gender differences to provide constructive references for learners, teachers, and technology developers. This study obtained reliable data from various databases using searching techniques. The study also selected the research articles based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. After analyzing the forest and funnel plots drawn via Review Manager 5.3, the study arrived at the conclusion that online learning outcomes were significantly higher than the traditional learning outcomes with a large effect size (d = 1.24), while the gender differences in learning outcomes were not significant with a small effect size (d = -0.03). In the future, experts could make every effort to develop advanced emotion detection applications via interdisciplinary cooperation to improve online learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Concerns regarding the potential risks associated with learners’ misusing ChatGPT necessitate an extensive investigation into learner attitudes towards ChatGPT-assisted language learning. This study adopts a mixed-method approach, combining structural equation modeling techniques and interviews. It aims to examine the influencing factors of learner attitudes regarding ChatGPT-assisted language learning under the extended three-tier technology use model from an interdisciplinary perspective, including the technology acceptance model, etc. The study finds that information system quality and hedonic motivation are more significant in contributing to performance expectancy and perceived satisfaction compared to self-regulation in ChatGPT-assisted language learning. Behavioral intention is a better predictor of learning effectiveness in ChatGPT-assisted language learning than perceived satisfaction and performance expectancy. This research also examines the partial or full mediating effects of behavioral intention and performance expectancy between other variables. Although this study is limited by some aspects (e.g., the outdated version of ChatGPT-3 or ChatGPT-3.5), it holds substantial implications for future practice and research. It appeals to more attention from future developers on hedonic motivation and information services of ChatGPT and from future researchers on a more comprehensive insight into influencing factors of learner attitudes towards ChatGPT-assisted language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flipped classroom has been achieving a great success in teaching innovation. This study, aiming to determine the effectiveness of the flipped model in business English writing course, combined the quantitative with the qualitative research methods. Participants were randomly selected from undergraduate students majoring in business English. The research instruments in this study included a satisfaction scale, a Business English Writing Test, and a semi-structured interview. The research procedure was made up of a pretest-- treatment--posttest design. Both hypotheses were accepted and it was concluded that (1) the flipped business English writing classroom brought about better academic achievements than the traditional one, and (2) the flipped business English writing classroom was more satisfactory than the traditional one. Future studies could pivot on different courses and expand the research scopes to examine the effectiveness of the flipped classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clickers might own a bright future in China if properly introduced although they have not been widely acknowledged as an effective tool to facilitate English learning and teaching in Chinese contexts. By randomly selecting participants from undergraduates in a university in China over four academic years, this study aims to identify the impact of clickers on college English listening and speaking skills, and differences in cognitive loads between clickers and traditional multimedia assisted instruction modes. It was concluded that in China's college English class, compared with multimedia assisted instruction, (1) clickers could improve college English listening skills; (2) clickers could improve college English speaking skills; and (3) clickers could reduce undergraduates' cognitive loads in College English Class. Reasons for the results and defects in this study were also explored and discussed, based on learning, teaching and cognitive load theories. Some Suggestions for future research were also raised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

So far, many studies on educational games have been carried out in America and Europe. Very few related empirical studies, however, have been conducted in China. This study, combining both quantitative with qualitative research methods, possibly compensated for this regret. The study compared data collected from two randomly selected classes (out of 13 classes) under computer game-based instruction (CGBI) and non-computer game-based instruction (NCGBI), respectively, in a senior high school located in Nanjing, Capital of Jiangsu Province, in China. The participants were 103 students, composed of 52 boys and 51 girls (aged 17-18 years old). The following conclusion was reached: (1) participants under CGBI obtained significantly greater learning achievement than those under NCGBI; (2) participants were significantly more motivated by CGBI compared with NCGBI; (3) there were no significant differences in learning achievement between boys and girls; although (4) boys were significantly more motivated by CGBI than girls. Both disadvantages and advantages were discussed, together with directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on gender differences in mobile English learning are in their initial stages. College English IV, designed by a number of professors and engineers in a university in China, serves as a mobile English learning platform. This study aims to determine gender differences in cognitive loads, attitudes, and academic achievements in English language learning assisted with this mobile English learning platform. Through a mixed research design, 79 randomly selected participants join the research, together with interviews and posts to collect qualitative data. Cognitive loads, attitudes, and academic achievements are measured through related scales to collect quantitative data. It is concluded that there are significant gender differences in cognitive loads, attitudes, and academic achievements in English language learning assisted with the mobile learning platform. Future research on gender differences in mobile English learning should also examine relationships between gender differences, learner motivation, achievement goals, and learning outcomes. [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]

Ambiguity tolerance reflects learners’ abilities to accept unpredictable and unfamiliar contexts in language learning without frustration and discomfort. However, it has yet to be thoroughly explored when associated with engagement, motivation, and peer collaboration collaborative learning in course of English as a foreign language (EFL) learning. Relying on questionnaire survey data, this study adopts structural equation modeling techniques based on 1,200 Chinese high school students’ responses. The findings ascertain that engagement and volition significantly and positively predict ambiguity tolerance and learning effectiveness. Additionally, ambiguity tolerance predicts learning effectiveness. For peer collaborative learning, ambiguity tolerance and learning effectiveness are also critical predictors. They significantly and positively predict collaborative learning willingness. Moreover, ambiguity tolerance predicts peer feedback acceptance but not sensitivity to peer pressure. Learning effectiveness significantly and negatively predicts sensitivity to peer pressure, but its impact on peer feedback acceptance is insignificant. Dominant strategies for high school English learners to cope with unfamiliar and uncertain contexts are external help-seeking from dictionaries and instructors. The findings in this study contribute to educational research on psychological mechanisms behind ambiguity tolerance, language education in high school, learning effectiveness, and collaborative learning. As such, this study encourages continued efforts to explore such topics and the consideration of ambiguity tolerance in teaching practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]