Search results

Despite the positive impact of professional learning communities (PLCs) in improving teaching practices, many teachers still struggle to effectively integrate information and communication technologies (ICTs) into their teaching and learning. Drawing from human capital theory and spillover effects, this paper examines how teachers PLCs can facilitate ICT integration.

Using a qualitative methodology, the researchers designed a phenomenological study. From semi-structured interviews, data were collected from 15 selected secondary school teachers from four selected secondary schools in Tanzania.

The study revealed that teachers use various strategies to enhance ICT integration in teaching practices, namely, community collaboration, practice-based approaches to ICT integration and the utilization of digital learning tools in instructional practices. Furthermore, the results showed several constraints on the ability of teachers’ PLCs to encourage ICT integration. These constraints were divided into three parts, i.e. major challenges at the macro, meso and micro levels.

The paper has the potential to inform policy and practice, particularly in the area of PLCs. Also, it helps to better understand the changing practices with ICTs through PLCs when there are insufficient resources for ICT integration.

To support teachers in using ICTs in their instructional practices, it is essential to build their capacities through PLCs to increase their confidence and competence in ICT integration.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on students' learning experiences and perceptions through a master’s-level course. The study specifically focused on student engagement, comfort with GenAI and ethical considerations.

The study used an action research methodology employing qualitative data collection methods, including pre- and post-course surveys, reflective assignments, class discussions and a questionnaire. The AI-Ideas, Connections, Extensions (ICE) Framework, combining the ICE Model and AI paradigms, is used to assess students' cognitive engagement with GenAI.

The study revealed that incorporating GenAI in a master’s-level instructional design course increased students' comfort with GenAI and their understanding of its ethical implications. The AI-ICE Framework demonstrated most students were at the initial engagement level, with growing awareness of GenAI’s limitations and ethical issues. Course reflections highlighted themes of improved teaching strategies, personal growth and the practical challenges of integrating GenAI responsibly.

The small sample size poses challenges to the analytical power of the findings, potentially limiting the breadth and applicability of conclusions. This constraint may affect the generalizability of the results, as the participants may not fully represent the broader population of interest. The researchers are mindful of these limitations and suggest caution in interpreting the findings, acknowledging that they may offer more exploratory insights than definitive conclusions. Future research endeavors should aim to recruit a larger cohort to validate and expand upon the initial observations, ensuring a more robust understanding.

The study is original in its integration of GenAI into a master's-level instructional design course, assessing both the practical and ethical implications of its use in education. By utilizing the AI-ICE Framework to evaluate students' cognitive engagement and employing action research methodology, the study provides insights into how GenAI influences learning experiences and perceptions. This approach bridges the gap between theoretical understanding and the real-world application of GenAI, offering actionable strategies for its responsible use in educational settings.

Online privacy pertains to an individual’s capacity to regulate and oversee the gathering and distribution of online information. Conversely, online privacy concern (OPC) pertains to the protection of personal information, along with the worries or convictions concerning potential risks and unfavorable outcomes associated with its collection, utilization and distribution. With a holistic approach to these relationships, this study aims to model the relationships between digital literacy (DL), digital data security awareness (DDSA) and OPC and how these relationships vary by gender.

The participants of this study are 2,835 university students. Data collection tools in the study consist of personal information form and three different scales. Partial least squares (PLS), structural equation modeling (SEM) and multi-group analysis (MGA) were used to test the framework determined in the context of the research purpose and to validate the proposed hypotheses.

DL has a direct and positive effect on digital data security awareness (DDSA), and DDSA has a positive effect on OPC. According to the MGA results, the hypothesis put forward in both male and female sub-samples was supported. The effect of DDSA on OPC is higher for males.

This study highlights the positive role of DL and perception of data security on OPC. In addition, MGA findings by gender reveal some differences between men and women.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-03-2023-0122

The authors are developing a model for rural science teacher professional development, building teacher expertise and collaboration and creating high-quality science lessons: technology-mediated lesson study (TMLS).

TMLS provided the means for geographically distributed teachers to collaborate, develop, implement and improve lessons. TMLS uses technology to capture lesson implementation and collaborate on lesson iterations.

This paper describes the seven steps of the TMLS process with examples, showing how teachers develop their content and pedagogical knowledge while building relationships.

The TMLS approach provides an innovative option for teachers to collaborate across distances and form strong, lasting relationships with others.

The rapid emergency remote teaching has moved informal learning programs online including makerspaces, which has created an opportunity for harnessing the benefits of virtual makerspaces. This study reports on findings from three club designers and facilitators’ reflections on a fully virtual maker club offered in the summer of 2023. This paper aims to inform practitioners of the potential challenges and strategies to resolve various issues.

Reflective video journaling was conducted by facilitators. Videos were transcribed and analyzed for observations, learning events, challenges and strategies.

Findings present strategies adopted to address problems during implementation and a checklist for practitioners. The problems are associated with the learning environments, technology tools and student participation. The authors adopted in-the-moment and short-term strategies to tackle the problems and long-term strategies that bear implications for future virtual makerspaces.

This paper can provide direct guidance to practitioners in schools, libraries, museums, etc., who plan to offer informal collaborative learning for children online. It prepares practitioners for the potential challenges and equip them with concrete strategies and questions.

Fully virtual makerspaces have the potential to reach a wider range of audience.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to report the reflective findings on a fully virtual makerspace club that comprehensively covers challenges and strategies before, during and after the club, which has direct implications for future offerings of such programs.

This study aims to explore the potential benefits of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in educational settings.

A systematic review of emerging AI technologies such as virtual reality, chatbots, sentiment analysis tools, gamification and wearable devices is conducted to assess their applicability in enhancing SEL.

AI technologies present opportunities for personalized support, increased engagement, empathy development and promotion of well-being within SEL frameworks.

Future research should focus on addressing ethical concerns, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, conducting longitudinal studies, promoting cultural sensitivity and developing robust ecosystems for AI in SEL.

This study contributes by outlining pathways for leveraging AI to create inclusive and supportive learning environments that nurture students' socio-emotional competencies, preparing them for success in a globally connected world.

This study aims to investigate a unique approach to learning languages through self-directed online learning. Specifically, it explores the self-management abilities and skills learners need while learning a language outside traditional classroom settings when using mobile-assisted learning technology.

A mixed-methods approach was used in this study, including an online survey of 84 people and 10 semi-structured interviews.

Findings reveal the significant role of specific and well-defined learning goals in enhancing learners’ performance. These goals can be either self-initiated by the learners themselves or defined by the technological features of the learning platform. However, the presence of distractions in learners’ daily lives presents challenges to effective time management, affecting learners both physically and psychologically. A key aspect of self-directed language learning lies in the learners’ ability to seek out relevant human and material resources beyond the confines of a single mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) tool. The authenticity of these resources is crucial in ensuring meaningful and effective learning experiences.

Understanding how learners navigate and discover valuable resources is a central focus of this study. This research offers valuable insights into the field of self-directed language learning, revealing the pivotal role of self-management skills with mobile-assisted learning technology. The findings contribute to the broader field of language education and offer practical implications for educators and developers seeking to optimize self-directed language learning experiences through innovative and technologically driven approaches.

MALL is often ideal for individualized informal learning, but the existing literature focuses heavily on formal learning situations, underestimating the importance of MALL practices in various informal settings. Most research reports on MALL-based self-directed learning primarily sample traditional English-learning university students. Therefore, there is a need for research on how nontraditional older adult learners self-direct their language learning with mobile technology outside the classroom.

This bibliometric study aims to analyze publication trends, active countries, collaborations, influential citations and thematic evolution in learning analytics (LA) research focused on higher education (HE) during and after the COVID-19 lockdown period.

From the Scopus database, this bibliometric analysis extracts and evaluates 609 scholarly articles on LA in HE starting in 2019. The multidimensional process identifies the scope impacts, advancing the understanding of LA in HE. An analysis of co-citation data uncovers the key influences that have shaped the literature. This study uses the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory to suggest future research directions and organizational adaptations to new LA technologies and learner responses to LA-enabled personalized interventions.

Learning analytics are becoming important in the HE environment during and after the COVID-19 lockout. Institutions have used LA to collect socio-technical data from digital platforms, giving them important insights into learning processes and systems. The data gathered through LA has assisted in identifying areas for development, opening the path for improved student success and academic performance evaluation and helping students transition to the workforce.

The study’s concentration on the post-COVID-19 timeframe may lead to paying attention to potential pandemic developments. Nonetheless, the findings provide a thorough picture of LA’s contributions to HE and valuable ideas for future study initiatives. Future research with the SOR framework suggests areas for additional study to maximize LA’s potential in diverse HE situations.

This study adds to the growing corpus of knowledge on learning analytics in HE, especially in light of the COVID-19 lockdown and its aftermath. By using bibliometric analysis, the study provides a complete and evidence-based understanding of how LA has been used to address challenges related to HE. This study uses bibliometric analysis and SOR theory to appraise and map HE learning analytics research. The selected study themes can help scholars, educators and institutions shape their future efforts to improve teaching, learning and support mechanisms through learning analytics.

This study aims to determine gains acquired by school administrators in the process of emergency remote teaching based on problems they experienced and strategies they used in the process, as well as skills that increased in importance with this process.

This study was designed as a case study, which is one of the qualitative research methods.

After the analysis of the data, the themes are as follows: problems experienced, administrative gains provided by the process and administrative skills that increase in importance. In this study, it was found that school administrators used different strategies to solve the problems encountered in the emergency remote teaching process, and these strategies provided them with different perspectives.

This crisis can be turned into an opportunity and that it is necessary to suggest new ways by drawing lessons from this crisis.

The purpose of this paper is to revisit previous design principles and guidelines for online makerspaces in public libraries (Kim et al., 2020) and expand the design principles with more updated implications and examples from the literature published during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The authors reviewed recently published papers about online transitions of makerspaces, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, summarized their implications and deduced applicable design principles and guidelines.

This paper proposes updated design principles and guidelines based on four key areas: Program and service design; Tools and materials; Facilitation; and Logistic support. These updated design principles considered a wider range of patrons that public library makerspaces may serve, the digital divide issues and logistic concerns that should be addressed beyond the scope of a single makerspace.

This paper compiles various lessons learned and strategies regarding online makerspaces and maker programming for public libraries and provides helpful design principles and guidelines for the continued use of online components for makerspace services and programs.