Education and Information Technologies最新文献

This study aims to understand how to improve teachers’ perceptions of SCT and their SCT strategies via teacher development, with the purpose of effectively promoting Student-Centred Teaching (SCT) in programming education. A mixed-methods approach was used to investigate the changes in teachers’ perceptions of and strategies for SCT in programming teaching after the teachers attended development courses. In the quantitative investigation, two hundred and twenty-nine teachers responded to a survey, making the response rate 93.4%. According to the quantitative results, the teachers’ teaching strategies became significantly more student-centred after the teacher development courses and they perceived a significant improvement in their student’s learning behaviours. In the qualitative investigation, a thematic analysis of the follow-up semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers further revealed that they knew better how to enable interaction among students. Students’ active interaction with the subject content facilitates the development of expertise, thereby increasing their knowledge and skills. There are two implications of this study. First, the design of a teacher development programme should be based on teachers’ knowledge needs and students’ cognitive development. Second, educational animations and student guidebooks as learning resources are essential for developing students as independent learners.

The aim of this study was to determine the visual measurement results related to the behavior/processes of solving skill-based science questions of eighth grade students by eye tracking technique. Non-experimental quantitative research method was used in the research and visual measurement results were supported by heat maps and eye splash movements. Nine questions, with difficulty and discrimination indexes calculated, were applied to 56 eighth grade students. Data were collected with a skill-based test, eye tracking device, think-aloud protocols and a perception scale towards next generation science questions. The data obtained from the eye tracking device was examined using Gaze Viewer software and the results were shown as images. The results revealed that visual measurement results differed according to gender and 2023 high schools entrance exam scores. Additionally, negative relationships were found between visual measurement results and students’ practice test scores and their perceptions towards solving next generation science questions. It was determined that average duration of fixation had a significant predictive effect on students’ self-efficacy levels for solving next generation science questions.

This study examined the data science career preference, data science skills, and core competencies of 416 students from fourteen Nigerian universities using a Google Forms-created structured online questionnaire. A convenience sampling technique was adopted to select the participants. Data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, including Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results were presented using tables, figures, and charts. Three hypotheses were tested to guide the discussion. The findings showed that while core competencies had no positive significant effect on career preference, data science skills had positive significant effect on career preference, and a positive significant relationship with core competencies. By providing insightful information about the participants' degree of data science knowledge, abilities, and core competencies, this research adds to the body of previous knowledge. Additionally, it shows patterns in students' preferences for careers in data science, which has consequences for developing curriculum and training data scientists in Nigeria.

Spatial ability is a significant component of mathematical ability and a foundation for children to master mathematical knowledge. Although many studies have confirmed that technology can enhance children’s learning, few have explored the use of technology in the area of children’s spatial learning. In this study, we adopted a paradigm for experimental research. With 106 children in four classes in two kindergartens in Eastern China (52 in the experimental group and 54 in the control group), an experimental intervention on the spatial learning of children in the experimental group was carried out using situated interactive e-books as the media, while those in the control group learned independently in the traditional way (children manipulated physical materials independently, such as puzzles). Using the methods of measuring and lag sequential analysis, it was investigated whether this intervention could improve the spatial ability of children as well as influence their learning behavior and approach to learning. The results show that children’s spatial ability was significantly improved by the proposed approach; those who used situated interactive e-books as a medium to learn showed significantly better approaches and learning behaviors than their counterparts in the control group.

This exploratory study investigates the convergence of marketing communications and AI-powered technology in higher education, adopting a perspective on student interactions with generative AI tools. Through a comprehensive content analysis of learners’ responses, we employed a blend of manual scrutiny, Python-generated Word Cloud, and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to expose the nature of interaction between learners and AI tools. Our findings indicate that learners predominantly adhere to the perception of AI as a tool resembling a ‘brush’ in the creative process, rather than as an active co-creator – the percaption that is aligned with the conventional tool-user dynamic. Students articulated a dual narrative regarding AI: they acknowledged its utility in enhancing creativity, yet expressed concerns about overreliance potentially eroding their own creative skills. Heidegger’s exploration of different modes of ‘revealing’ and Deleuze and Guattari’s notions of desiring machines and machinic enslavement suggest an alternative perspective where technology, and by extension AI-empowered technology, can contribute to a deeper existential understanding. This study points out the possibility of moving beyond a simple tool-user model, suggesting the emergence of more complex plausible scenarios of interaction: poietic symbiosis or algorithmic subjugation.

This study examines the factors influencing science teachers’ intentions to adopt gamified virtual reality (VR) in educational settings, employing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) as theoretical frameworks. We investigate how perceived threats, benefits, and motivational and cognitive factors impact these intentions, focusing on science teachers. By integrating TPB and PMT, the study aims to provide a comprehensive model that elucidates the roles of attitude, subjective norm, perceived severity, vulnerability, self-efficacy, response efficacy, and response costs in the decision to adopt gamified VR. The structural analysis conducted on a sample of 1645 science teachers revealed that our amalgamated model demonstrates a robust predictive capacity for their intentions to adopt gamified VR. This model outperformed traditional theories in predicting adoption intentions. The research also demonstrates significant relationships between these factors and the intention to use gamified VR, with differences noted across teacher groups by professional status and gender. This enhanced understanding of adoption barriers and facilitators informs strategies for better integration of VR in science education, potentially enriching teaching practices and improving student engagement and learning outcomes.

Mobile technologies and the widespread application of mobile devices have become significant in educational settings. Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) is a thriving field of study in language learning and teaching contexts in Iran. This study investigates the current research trends and characteristics of MALL studies in Iran, identifying less-explored areas of investigation, and informing future directions for integrating mobile technologies into language learning and teaching practices in the Iranian context. To contribute to a context-specific analysis of digital literacy in low-resource environments, this study systematically reviewed 70 articles that were relevant to different facets of MALL in the Iranian context. The findings indicate that the majority of the articles reviewed focused on vocabulary learning and attitudes toward MALL, respectively. Many of the reviewed articles utilized a quantitative research design to study the effect of MALL on different aspects of language learning. The reviewed research studies were primarily conducted in private language institutes, where it is easier to conduct experimental studies. However, there was a lack of research analyzing the effect of MALL on some areas of language proficiency, specifically with regard to pragmatic competence and pronunciation. Additionally, a diverse range of research methodologies was observed in the articles, with ‘questionnaires’ being the most commonly used instrument for data collection. Furthermore, most studies employed an experimental research design. The majority of the studies illustrated that MALL is an effective method to improve learners’ language proficiency in comparison to traditional teaching methodologies. This study can serve as a valuable reference for educators and researchers interested in MALL.

Design education embodies distinctive pedagogical practices rooted in experiential learning, frequent interactions between students and instructors, reflective dialogues through project deliverables, and enculturation through activities and encounters facilitated by a physical studio setting. Contrasting the traditional lecture-based format, the design studio fosters a dynamic, participatory environment, making technology-mediated instructional delivery methods more rare and experimental than widely adopted. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a sudden shift to emergency remote teaching, which prompted a critical re-evaluation of both conventional and unconventional teaching methods, thereby leading to a reconsideration of traditional pedagogical approaches. This paper outlines common technology-enhanced approaches in design studios and advocates for blended learning as an effective mode of delivery. Multiple case study methodology was employed to elicit collective experiences, practices and future expectations of studio instructor teams from 12 architecture, design and planning departments across six universities. Findings of the thematic analysis are presented utilising Khan’s octagonal framework. The themes are synthesised in an integrative model to aid instructors in planning and implementing blended design studios, and recommendations are made for delivering blended learning experiences. The distinctive contribution of this study is its effort to develop an inclusive, comprehensive, and overarching model that resonates across various studio-based fields.

Effective learning strategies based on principles like personalization, retrieval practice, and spaced repetition are often challenging to implement due to practical constraints. Here we explore the integration of AI tutors to complement learning programs in accordance with learning sciences. A semester-long study was conducted at UniDistance Suisse, where an AI tutor app was provided to psychology students taking a neuroscience course (N=51). After automatically generating microlearning questions from existing course materials using GPT-3, the AI tutor developed a dynamic neural-network model of each student’s grasp of key concepts. This enabled the implementation of distributed retrieval practice, personalized to each student’s individual level and abilities. The results indicate that students who actively engaged with the AI tutor achieved significantly higher grades. Moreover, active engagement led to an average improvement of up to 15 percentile points compared to a parallel course without AI tutor. Additionally, the grasp strongly correlated with the exam grade, thus validating the relevance of neural-network predictions. This research demonstrates the ability of personal AI tutors to model human learning processes and effectively enhance academic performance. By integrating AI tutors into their programs, educators can offer students personalized learning experiences grounded in the principles of learning sciences, thereby addressing the challenges associated with implementing effective learning strategies. These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the transformative potential of AI in education.

Preservice teachers often face challenges in developing Socio-emotional, Technological, and Metacognitive Knowledge (STM-K) due to a lack of effective integration of digital tools in their training. Developing STM-K is crucial for preservice teachers as it equips them with essential skills for effective teaching, such as emotional intelligence, technological proficiency, and reflective thinking, which are necessary for fostering a positive learning environment and adapting to educational innovations. This study addresses these challenges by exploring the use of electronic portfolios (e-portfolios) as an authentic assessment tool to enhance STM-K. E-portfolios allow preservice teachers to work on assignments, receive feedback, and communicate with peers and mentors without being physically present, which is particularly crucial in times of educational disruption. This study aims to foster preservice teachers’ (STM-K) using e-portfolios through a proposed framework guided by Gibbs’ reflective model. Conducted in an early childhood education program at a Federal University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the participants (n = 112) were female preservice teachers aged 18–25 years old. An exploratory sequential mixed method design was employed to collect qualitative data (participants’ reflections) and quantitative data (participants’ surveys). The preservice teachers attended two weeks at the beginning of the semester to learn new technological applications and earn Apple Teaching Certificates. Qualitative data were analysed using Gibb’ model, and quantitative data were analysed using the q-q plot test of normality and one-sample t-test. The study’s results revealed that the preservice teachers positively nurtured their STM-K through the use of e-portfolios, benefiting from various technological applications that provide opportunities such as video, automated, and visual feedback. This study demonstrates a practical strategy for preparing teachers to effectively utilize e-portfolios by allocating time for technological training and certification at the semester’s start. The findings offer valuable insights for educational institutions and teacher education programs on integrating e-portfolios to support the STM-K of preservice teachers amidst educational challenges. Recommendations include developing an approach that integrates computer-based and human-produced feedback to capture interactions between learners, computers, instructors, and resources at different design levels.