Context Of Education Research Articles

Frugal Education: What, why, and how?

AbstractThis paper explores how frugal innovation practices can challenge resource constraints by leveraging available resources in creative and innovative ways towards more affordable, practical, sustainable and resilient education practice. The education sector has faced many challenges when adapting practice to deliver quality education in the wake of a world‐changing pandemic. There is a great deal we can learn from each other with regards to the frugal application of resources, such as time, money, people and space. However, forms of frugality in education design are driven by necessity and are reactive as opposed to proactive measures. We can, however, learn from educators and institutions that have been able to achieve significant educational impact at low cost with far fewer resources, adopting frugal approaches to education design and delivery. This paper proposes a set of frugal education aspects that demonstrate how frugal design practices can be organised and applied within an educational context. The aspects are outlined, and examples are presented to illustrate their effectiveness within existing education practice. This paper seeks to contribute to the existing knowledge base and research into frugal innovation practice as it applies within an education context, reframing the use of the term ‘frugal’ away from affordability and poor quality, towards a more expansive understanding that establishes a foundation on which to build, define, and contextualise frugality within an education context. The paper concludes with recommendations for the development of practical resources, informed by the research, to support educators in the design of frugal education practice.

Collaborative authoring using wiki

This case study describes a collaborative online authoring project in which undergraduate students co-produce open educational resources as a learning and assessment exercise. Over 1,500 chapters and videos about how psychological science can improve people’s motivational and emotional lives have been co-created. Wikiversity provides a simple and powerful open editing and hosting platform. The project’s key pedagogical principles include students as partners, open education, guided experiential learning, and self-determined learning. Other key ingredients include scaffolding, skill development, and formative feedback. Potential issues are framed as educational opportunities, including privacy and anonymity, intellectual property and copyright, and individual versus collective work. Collaborative online authoring projects offer real-world benefits over disposable essays in higher education. The principles and methods are adaptable to a wide variety of disciplines and educational contexts, offering a scalable approach to collaborative student-staff partnerships.

Teacher candidates as student partners in decoding the disciplines research

This study examines the role of secondary teacher candidates as student partners in research into undergraduate students’ historical cognition while contextualizing documents. It highlights the unique role of teacher candidates as near-peer interviewers and change agents within higher education and secondary curricula. Through using decoding the disciplines methodology to solicit student voice in near-peer interviews, teacher candidates identified areas for curricular change in teaching contextualization in university history courses. The involvement of teacher candidates extended beyond the university classroom and informed their future work in secondary education. Decoding experiences in university courses provided teacher candidates with insights into supporting secondary pupils’ abilities to contextualize historical sources. This research demonstrates the potential of teacher candidates as near-peer interviewers and curricular change agents in secondary and higher education. Collaborative partnerships between teacher candidates and faculty can lead to meaningful curricular changes and effective teaching practices in higher education and secondary education contexts.

A Critique of Supervisory Practices of Doctoral Student Research in Emerging Higher Education Context, Botswana

The science community in Botswana holds a broad consensus that not enough quality PhDs are being produced to meet the needs of societal developments in the country. There appears to be a connection between the level of knowledge advancement of a nation and its economic wealth. The role of supervision in the quest for a leap towards quality and quantity knowledge output therefore, cannot be overemphasised. This paper provides a critique of supervisory practices of doctoral student research in emerging higher education context of Botswana. The study adopted a desk top research methodology which focused on a scoping view of studies related to the phenomenon of study. The areas interrogated included the initial stage of student recruitment and selection, allocation of supervisors, proposal development, and management environment for research, implementation of the proposal, and document compilation for examination.

Cornerball: a new alternative sport proposal for school physical education

Physical Education has had to evolve and change throughout history to adapt to the demands of society. As a result, teachers have had to seek pedagogical alternatives to ensure that students are active, motivated, and engaged in the classroom. This approach allows for the development of motor, cognitive, and socio-emotional skills in students, ultimately contributing to the holistic development of the individual, which is the primary goal of education. Out of this intrinsic need for Physical Education, Alternative Sports have emerged, providing opportunities for different types of learning compared to more traditional sports. Cornerball, a hybrid between split-court and wall-based sports, played in a somewhat unique playing area—a 90° corner, is introduced with the aim of offering a new Alternative Sport. The objective of this descriptive study is to present a new pedagogical proposal designed for the educational context, highlighting its characteristics and fundamental aspects to consider, such as rules, the playing field, participants, and methodological strategies for its implementation within a Physical Education classroom. Therefore, the aims and purposes of this work are to describe a new sports game so that in the future, more detailed and specific empirical studies can be proposed.

Challenges and tensions in the role of the LMS for medical education

In the context of discussions of a “next generation LMS” and other contemporary challenges in higher education, this case study looks at the iterative process a team of educational designers and Medical School academics at Australian National University used in a review of the ANU's Medical School LMS sites. Adopting the framework of the actor network theory, this reflective process discovered the tensions, dynamics and issues involved, and worked to gain and maintain key Medical School staff engagement and support for the review and for any changes that might be recommended. This paper reflects on emerging possible models for technology-enhanced learning beyond our current institutional LMS while acknowledging the institutional constraints on learning innovation within the global higher education context. Next generation LMS models may provide a more flexible future solution that could be applicable not just to medical education, but to higher education generally.

Experiencing leadership: Perceptions of leadership development for higher education contexts.

Higher education is complex and so is the leadership needed in this context. Educational leadership is not well understood despite an increasing interest in studying the phenomenon. This interpretive study aimed to identify aspects of leadership theory found in practice and implications for leadership education by exploring, analyzing, and interpreting experiences of people who earned an Educational Leadership Doctorate at Simon Fraser University. I conducted in-depth interviews and analyzed data to identify themes within and across interviews while also triangulating with my systematic reflections. This paper presents findings on leadership development, focusing on four themes that emerged from 18 interviews with higher education participants: Pathways to Formal Leadership, Learning “How to Be a Leader”, Learning “About Leadership”, and Learning “the Dialogue of Practice”. Leadership was perceived as an intricate lifelong journey. Overall, participants developed their leadership through their own experiences as leaders, followers, or observers of leadership, by engaging in leadership education (formal, informal, and non-formal), and by interacting with others. Finally, both successes and challenges supported learning, yet challenges were more salient and had more memorable lessons. This paper provides valuable insights on leadership development to leadership scholars and practitioners, as well as organizations offering leadership education.

Impact of Cobra Effect in Education

Education is dynamic in nature, serving to develop individuals in accordance with the ever-changing world. Consequently, governments often introduce new educational policies or decisions to enhance the quality of education. However, the inclusion of such policies or initiatives into the education system can sometimes lead to unintended consequences at both micro and macro levels within the educational ecosystem. Policy makers play a significant role in addressing these educational challenges. However, there are instances where their solutions exacerbate issues at the macro level of education. Conversely, at the micro level, teachers and parents wield substantial influence in resolving educational challenges among children. Therefore, they must exercise caution and remain mindful of the "cobra effect," wherein attempts to solve problems through simplistic and illogical means can inadvertently exacerbate them. Indeed, addressing educational issues is seldom as straightforward as it may initially appear. The cobra effect is not confined to the realm of education; it can manifest across various fields, including social issues, the economy, and administrative decision-making. This study aims to elucidate the concept of the cobra effect within the context of education, delineating its impact and proposing potential remedies to mitigate its effects within the educational sphere.

Analysis of Declared Pedagogical Practices in STEM Education in Morocco

Internationally, we observe that the results of Moroccan students in mathematics are significantly lower than the average results of students from other countries. This observation, could in part, be explained by maintaining an approach based on the transmission of knowledge which does not promote the development of student skills. Since STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) based instruction has been shown to have a positive impact on student achievement in mathematics, we explored the teaching and assessment practices reported by five Moroccan teachers in order to identify practices that would be compatible with teaching based on STEM. Although only one participant said they knew this approach, our results indicate that all participants have practices compatible with an integrated approach to STEM. These results outline a future where teachers and researchers will work together to implement STEM-based education and explore, in the Moroccan context, the scope and limits of such education.

Gamification as a Didactic Motivator in Low-Resource Public English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Classrooms in Ecuador

The present article explores the feasibility and impacts of Gamification as a motivational tool in classrooms within low-resource public institutions in Ecuador, particularly in teaching English as a Foreign Language. By integrating game design elements into the educational process, teachers tend to enhance student motivation, thus creating a more effective environment for language learning. Traditionally, educators in Ecuadorian public institutions face challenges in engaging students in their classes, often due to outdated teaching methodologies and limited access to educational and technological resources. This study focuses on how gamification can increase student motivation and foster a more stimulating and enjoyable learning environment in low-resource settings concerning English as a Foreign Language instruction. Through the incorporation of gaming elements, teachers can improve language acquisition, student engagement, and encourage collaborative learning, as evidenced by previous studies. The utilization of a qualitative-deductive approach allowed for data collection through an extensive literature review across various educational contexts. Results suggest that Gamification offers a promising perspective for overcoming challenges in traditional education, promoting active student participation. Additionally, the findings highlight the potential of Gamification to revolutionize teaching practice and enrich the entire educational experience.

Culture and context in Interprofessional education: Expectations in Australia and Japan.

The attributes of collaborative practice in health care vary across contexts, necessitating the adaptation of interprofessional education curricula to prepare students for the collaborative practice expected in their respective health care systems. Culture, when conceptualised through an organisational lens, allows an analysis of the shared assumptions, beliefs and values, without seeking to reduce to a uniform construct. This article explores the differences in interprofessional education competencies between Australia and Japan and considers the systems and patient expectations, which underpin each. While collaborative competence exhibits some similarities across contexts, competency frameworks differ in emphasis, language and key terminology, which highlight multiple points of difference in the expectations of interprofessional collaborative practice across contexts. There are education and practice consequences of these different perspectives of collaborative practice, in an increasingly mobile international workforce.

Your body tells how you engage in collaboration: Machine‐detected body movements as indicators of engagement in collaborative math knowledge building

AbstractCollaborative learning, driven by knowledge co‐construction and meaning negotiation, is a pivotal aspect of educational contexts. While gesture's importance in conveying shared meaning is recognized, its role in collaborative group settings remains understudied. This gap hinders accurate and equitable assessment and instruction, particularly for linguistically diverse students. Advancements in multimodal learning analytics, leveraging sensor technologies, offer innovative solutions for capturing and analysing body movements. This study employs these novel approaches to demonstrate how learners' machine‐detected body movements during the learning process relate to their verbal and nonverbal contributions to the co‐construction of embodied math knowledge. These findings substantiate the feasibility of utilizing learners' machine‐detected body movements as a valid indicator for inferring their engagement with the collaborative knowledge construction process. In addition, we empirically validate that these inferred different levels of learner engagement indeed impact the desired learning outcomes of the intervention. This study contributes to our scientific understanding of multimodal approaches to knowledge expression and assessment in learning, teaching, and collaboration.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Previous research emphasizes the importance of gestures as essential tools for constructing common ground and reflecting shared meaning‐making in learning and teaching contexts. The prior studies in multimodal learning analytics (MMLA) suggest that certain forms of body movements and postures can be differentiated based on the automatic detection of upper body joint locations. Empirical observations indicate that co‐thought gestures typically involve smaller hand or arms movement that are closer to the gesturer's body than co‐speech gestures used in interpersonal communication. What this paper adds This paper fills the research gap by examining the use of gestures in collaborative learning, offering insights into how individuals contribute verbally and nonverbally to collaborative knowledge construction. This paper introduces the concept of using machine‐detected body movements as a viable proxy for inferring learners' engagement in collaborative knowledge‐building activities. Leverages sensor technologies for automatic detection of body movements, the innovative approach in this work seeks to overcome the time‐intensive and laborious process of manually coding gestures. Implications for practice and/or policy By recognizing the potential significance of learners' body movements in indicating engagement levels with collaborative knowledge‐building activities, instructors can set up computer‐supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments to enable capturing these movements. Given the crucial role of gestures in learning, teaching, and collaboration, educators can create more equitable formative assessment practices for linguistically diverse students by developing strategies that align with multimodal forms of knowledge expression. Research can expand beyond mathematics to explore the transferability of these findings to other subjects, helping educators create comprehensive pedagogical approaches that leverage multimodal interactions across disciplines.

Exploring English language Related Anxiety in Higher Education Context of Pakistan: Teachers’ Perspective

Language-related anxiety is a psychological phenomenon that occurs either during the process of language acquisition or the academic process of an individual’s life. The usage of English as the medium of instruction leads to this anxiety in higher education context of Pakistan. Students’ poor performance and heightened anxiety remain significant concerns in the field of language education. This qualitative paper through in-depth interviews from the faculty members investigates the manifestations of English language anxiety in classroom settings, particularly focusing on variations across educational streams, distinguishing between students from the matriculation and those educated in the Cambridge system. The findings reveal a multifaceted landscape of language anxiety, influenced by educational backgrounds, unfamiliar teaching methodologies, fear of evaluation and educational trajectories. Moreover, the research identifies recommendations and steps taken by faculty to lessen this anxiety. The findings support the importance of tailoring conducive mechanisms to address these disparities. This may result in the facilitation of a more inclusive educational environment that empowers students to overcome language anxiety and excel academically.

Insider Views and Practices of Translanguaging Classrooms in Early Childhood Education

This study, situated within the domain of language education, delves into the intricate dynamics of translanguaging practices and their profound influence on learning and teaching procedures in a linguistically and culturally enriched early childhood education environment. Focused on the context of Greece, the research aims to uncover the nuanced ways in which translanguaging shapes the language communication and interaction of four-year-old children, considering both native Greek speakers and their peers from migrant or refugee backgrounds. The study cohort consists of 50 children aged four, comprising both native Greek and migrant-background children attending early childhood education. Employing a comprehensive research approach, the study includes in-depth, semi-structured interview sessions with young children and specific observational protocols designed to capture authentic interactions and communications. These methods are employed to trace the development of intercultural awareness and sensitivity within an environment conducive to translanguaging. The findings highlight that the incorporation of translanguaging practices in early education settings not only refines communication and intercultural skills among young children but also significantly influences cultural awareness. Moreover, translanguaging fosters active engagement in learning activities and provides educators with valuable insights and support in implementing innovative language teaching techniques. This research contributes to the advancement of language education practices, particularly within linguistically and culturally diverse early childhood education contexts, emphasizing the transformative impact of translanguaging on crucial aspects of language learning and teaching.

Signature pedagogies of teacher education in physical education: a scoping review

ABSTRACT Introduction and purpose There is a need for contemporary studies which establish a shared language to further analyze and develop pedagogies in the field of teacher education in physical education (PE). This includes both initial teacher education (PE-ITE) and continuous professional development (PE-CPD), holding the responsibility for preparing pre-service teachers (PSTs) and teacher educators, as well as facilitating the ongoing professional learning of in-service teachers (ISTs) and teacher educators. This study entails a comprehensive scoping review covering the period from 2015 to 2023, encompassing studies within the broad field of teacher education in PE across international contexts, all examined through the perspective of Shulman’s, L. S. (2005. “Signature Pedagogies in the Professions.” Daedalus 134 (3): 52–59) concept of signature pedagogies. The purpose was two-fold: (1): to map the current literature on teacher education in PE (including PE-ITE and PE-CPD for both ISTs and teacher educators), and (2) to propose a preliminary shared language of signature pedagogies of teacher education in PE. Theoretical lens Signature pedagogies refer to the forms of teaching-learning that leap to mind when thinking about the preparation and ongoing learning and development of teachers (i.e. pre-service teachers, in-service teachers and teacher educators; Shulman, L. S. 2005. “Signature Pedagogies in the Professions.” Daedalus 134 (3): 52–59). Signature pedagogies are both pervasive and routine, cutting across topics and courses, programs, and institutions, and are described through three layers of structure – the surface, deep, and implicit. Method The research process was guided by a five-stage framework for conducting a scoping review. In line with the specific purposes articulated above, the research question guiding the review was: What is known from the literature on signature pedagogies of teacher education in PE? The search was restricted to articles published between 2015–2023. Both empirical and conceptual articles (i.e. those with data collection and those without) were included, provided the inclusion criteria were met. A total of 465 articles were included in the review, and the pedagogies identified from each article were co-constructed into themes/categories. Findings and discussion Three signature pedagogies of teacher education in PE across international contexts are identified and presented in terms of their surface, deep and implicit structure, including: (auto)biographical pedagogies, experiential pedagogies, and pedagogies of professional learning. Subsequently, we explore the similarities and differences between each of the three groups of pedagogies and what makes a pedagogy of teacher education in PE distinct from a pedagogy of teacher education more broadly. Conclusion and further research This study offers a preliminary shared language of teacher education pedagogies in the field of PE and is intended to open a dialogue around preparing and supporting pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and teacher educators in the context of PE. While this review represents an initial step in addressing a gap in the literature by exploring and articulating teacher education pedagogies in PE, there remains a need to analyse their use across teacher education contexts and to consider how this shared language might inform a more intentional practice of these pedagogies within and across teacher education contexts in ways that might ensure more authentic, transformative and equitable teacher education practices in PE.

Transitioning to blended learning during COVID‐19: Exploring instructors and adult learners' experiences in three Ghanaian universities

AbstractTeaching and learning in higher education have increasingly become digitalized and associated with innovative pedagogical methodologies over the past decades. Following the sudden onset of the pandemic in March 2020, several studies tended to focus on traditional students' experiences with emergency remote education while literature is scarce on non‐traditional students (or adult learners) pedagogical experiences in Distance Education contexts. Using a qualitative case study approach, this study explored how digital technologies mediated instructors' and adult learners' educational experiences during COVID‐19 and their first‐time experiences with blended learning. Between October 2021 and July 2022, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 40 adult learners and 20 instructors in three selected public higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ghana. Data analysis followed Braun and Clarke's (2012) thematic analysis approach. The results showed that the transition to blended learning was supported by the adoption and integration of varied virtual online technologies. The themes highlight the positive and negative impacts of technology in mediating the educational experiences of instructors and adult learners in blended learning environments. The themes which reflected both instructors' and adult learners' experiences were enhanced course delivery and pedagogy, competency development, technological issues and poor‐quality pedagogy. Blended learning facilitated by technology could be the ‘new normal learning’ post‐pandemic for adult learners pursuing Distance Education in Ghana. The study recommends the implementation of agile strategies and policies by HEIs to ensure sustainable quality education in distance learning. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic The COVID‐19 pandemic necessitated the adoption of innovative pedagogical approaches in higher education contexts. Technological transformations in information and communication technology (ICT) have enhanced remote teaching in higher education institutions globally. The educational experiences of educators and learners differ in blended learning contexts. What this paper adds Instructors and adult learners' positive experiences with navigating a variety of web‐based technologies during the educational process are negatively impacted by technological difficulties during online instruction. Participants' experiences of blended learning are mixed with a preference for face‐to‐face dimension of blended learning instead of the online dimension. The paper identifies four themes that characterize instructors and adult learners' experiences with technology‐enhanced learning including enhanced course delivery and pedagogy, competency development, technological issues and poor‐quality pedagogy. Implications for practice and/or policy The study provides evidence‐based information on the relevance of digitizing distance education for sustainable development and promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for distance education students. The research recommends that higher education institutions (HEIs) implement agile policies to facilitate a seamless shift to distance learning. HEIs may adopt open distance learning frameworks to streamline 21st century pedagogical and learning practices in distance‐blended learning environments for quality course instruction. The study highlights the potential distance learning modalities that HEIs can consider for Distance Education students to sustain effective quality teaching and learning.

Exploring the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Equity and Inclusion in Education

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on education. Premised on a narrative and framework for assessing AI identified from a preliminary analysis, the scope of the study was limited to the application and effects of AI in administration, instruction, and learning. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in education, promising to revolutionize traditional teaching and learning methods. One critical aspect of this transformation is AI's potential to enhance equity and inclusion in educational settings. This paper explores the current state, challenges, and opportunities regarding AI's role in promoting equity and inclusion in education. The historical evolution of AI in education is examined, tracing its roots from early intelligent tutoring systems to contemporary adaptive learning platforms and virtual tutoring systems. Advances in machine learning, natural language processing, and data analytics have expanded AI's capabilities, enabling personalized learning experiences tailored to individual student needs. However, the widespread implementation of AI in education faces several challenges, including concerns about data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the digital divide. It is crucial to address these challenges through responsible and ethical AI deployment, ensuring that AI interventions prioritize equity, inclusivity, and transparency. Further research is needed to explore the effectiveness of AI interventions in different educational contexts and to develop strategies for mitigating potential risks and maximizing benefits. By leveraging AI technologies thoughtfully and ethically, educators and policymakers can work towards building a more equitable and inclusive education system that empowers all learners to reach their full potential.

Bridging large language model disparities: Skill tagging of multilingual educational content

AbstractThe adoption of large language models (LLMs) in education holds much promise. However, like many technological innovations before them, adoption and access can often be inequitable from the outset, creating more divides than they bridge. In this paper, we explore the magnitude of the country and language divide in the leading open‐source and proprietary LLMs with respect to knowledge of K‐12 taxonomies in a variety of countries and their performance on tagging problem content with the appropriate skill from a taxonomy, an important task for aligning open educational resources and tutoring content with state curricula. We also experiment with approaches to narrowing the performance divide by enhancing LLM skill tagging performance across four countries (the USA, Ireland, South Korea and India–Maharashtra) for more equitable outcomes. We observe considerable performance disparities not only with non‐English languages but with English and non‐US taxonomies. Our findings demonstrate that fine‐tuning GPT‐3.5 with a few labelled examples can improve its proficiency in tagging problems with relevant skills or standards, even for countries and languages that are underrepresented during training. Furthermore, the fine‐tuning results show the potential viability of GPT as a multilingual skill classifier. Using both an open‐source model, Llama2‐13B, and a closed‐source model, GPT‐3.5, we also observe large disparities in tagging performance between the two and find that fine‐tuning and skill information in the prompt improve both, but the closed‐source model improves to a much greater extent. Our study contributes to the first empirical results on mitigating disparities across countries and languages with LLMs in an educational context. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Recent advances in generative AI have led to increased applications of LLMs in education, offering diverse opportunities. LLMs excel predominantly in English and exhibit a bias towards the US context. Automated content tagging has been studied using English‐language content and taxonomies. What this paper adds Investigates the country and language disparities in LLMs concerning knowledge of educational taxonomies and their performance in tagging content. Presents the first empirical findings on addressing disparities in LLM performance across countries and languages within an educational context. Improves GPT‐3.5's tagging accuracy through fine‐tuning, even for non‐US countries, starting from zero accuracy. Extends automated content tagging to non‐English languages using both open‐source and closed‐source LLMs. Implications for practice and/or policy Underscores the importance of considering the performance generalizability of LLMs to languages other than English. Highlights the potential viability of ChatGPT as a skill tagging classifier across countries.

‘How Can a Dalit Student Write So Beautifully, So Nicely?’ Caste-Based Stereotyping and Its Implications for Dalit Students in Higher Education

This paper presents a social-psychological study of caste stereotyping in higher education in India. It is about the lives of dalit students and their experiences of navigating through educational spaces with the awareness of being targets of stereotyping associated with their caste identity in the academic domain. With the help of in-depth interviews, the study delves into how dalit students respond to negative caste stereotyping, and what facilitates these responses. Fourteen dalit students (male = 8, female = 6) studying at two central universities in Delhi (India) participated in the study. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis helped develop the following two themes: (1) The pervasiveness of caste stereotyping in the academic domain: ‘How can their handwriting be so good?’, (2) Institutional climate shapes responses to stereotyping: ‘this is not a personal issue, it is an entire group’s issue’. The analysis shows dalit students’ active efforts to navigate the negative caste stereotyping in educational contexts. Specifically, the analysis highlights the role of institutional climate in shaping these responses and transforming vulnerability (because of caste-based stereotyping and stigma) to empowerment and assertion. While the passivity and subordination of stigmatised groups such as dalits are taken for granted, this research demonstrates that given a conducive social environment such as a supportive institutional climate, dalit students’ experience of higher education may be positively impacted. The role of institutional climate in the empowerment of disadvantaged group identity and elements that promote such a climate are discussed.

#let’s-discuss: Analyzing Students’ Use of Emoji when Interacting with Course Readings

AbstractEmoji are commonly used in social media to convey affects, emotions, and attitudes. While popular in social media, their use in educational contexts has been sparsely studied even though emoji can be a natural way for students to express what they are feeling about the learning material. This paper studies how students use instructor-selected emoji when relating to and engaging with educational content. We use an online platform for collaborative annotations where discussions are embedded into the readings for the course. We also make it possible for students to use 11 unique emoji-hashtag pairings to express their thoughts and feelings about the readings and the ongoing discussion. We provide an empirical analysis of the usage of these emoji-hashtag pairs by over 1,800 students enrolled in different offerings of an introductory biology course from multiple academic terms. We also introduce a heat map, which allows the instructional team to visualize the distribution and types of emoji used by students in different parts of the reading material. To evaluate the heat map, we conducted a user study with five instructors/TAs. We found that instructors/TAs use the heat map as a tool for identifying textbook sections that students find difficult and/or interesting and plan to use it to help them design the online content for future classes. Finally, we introduce a computational analysis for predicting emoji/hashtag pairs based on the content of a given student post. We use pre-trained deep learning language models (BERT) to predict the emoji attached to a student’s post and then study the extent to which this model generated in an introductory biology course can be generalized to predict student emoji usage in other courses.