Design Of Learning Environments Research Articles

Technological Tools in Education: Actionbound Experience of Prospective Biology Teachers

This study aims to analyse the experiences and perspectives of prospective biology teachers regarding their excursions using Actionbound to learn about plant species. The participants in the study consist of 30 undergraduate prospective biology teachers. The focus is on the prospective teachers’ enjoyment of the Actionbound experience, the duration to complete the excursion, their willingness to engage in another task-based game, and their views on implementing mobile device-supported biology teaching, specifically related to the design of a biology lesson using Actionbound. The prospective biology teachers predominantly found their experience with Actionbound enjoyable. Their perspectives centred on the App’s usability in education and its technical usability. Results show that biology lesson designed with mobile devices positively impacts knowledge retention, motivation, interest, and enjoyment. The results underscore the importance of designing learning environments for effective biology education and teacher training.

Post-Pandemic Shifts in English Language Teaching: Challenges and Perceptions in Online Learning Environments

Online learning has significantly transformed lecturers' methodologies and students' learning experiences in English Language Teaching (ELT). This qualitative case study explores the perceptions and challenges of online ELT in the post-pandemic context, aiming to inform the design of effective future online learning environments. Data were gathered through document analysis, unstructured questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews with six lecturers and ninety students from the English Language Education Study Program at Universitas Mahasaraswati Denpasar. Findings indicate that online ELT has enhanced flexibility and accessibility, boosting learners' self-confidence and fostering self-directed and reflective learning through structured educational presentations. However, challenges persist, including the need for lecturers to maintain student engagement and provide effective feedback online, ensuring that even disengaged students participate actively. Additionally, the objectivity of online assessments and the technological divide are critical concerns. The study underscores the necessity of meticulously addressing these challenges and perceptions to cultivate more dynamic and inclusive online ELT classrooms in the future.

Using FastTest PlugIn for the design of remote and hybrid learning environments to improve the engineering skills of university students

AbstractResearch on improving engineering skills in students advocates for high‐quality teaching practices as well as the implementation of digitally enhanced management systems, such as e‐Learning. Furthermore, COVID‐19 led to several changes in education, such as switching drastically from face to face to emergency remote and later hybrid teaching. This study has focused on the proposal, the application and the evaluation of a new e‐Learning teaching method. FastTest PlugIn has been used for the creation of large sets of questions, to develop parameterised and individualised exercises in Moodle. The method has been applied since COVID‐19, considering different types of teaching: completely remote, hybrid and face to face. It has been implemented in some courses of the bachelor's and master's degree in engineering at the University of Cadiz (Spain). The academic performance and students' feedback on the method have been obtained. During remote teaching, students presented lower scores than before the pandemic. However, as students became familiar with the method and at least face‐to‐face exams were carried out, the scores and students' perception of the difficulty of the courses improved. The main novelty of this method is the reliability of creating different exercises for a consistent level of difficulty; the ability to avoid dishonest actions of students; and the time saved by instructors, as exercises are automatically corrected. This study provides the advantages and benefits of digitally enhancing university teaching. Furthermore, it is the first to investigate the integration of FastTest PlugIn to enhance teaching quality and engineering skills.

Towards inclusivity in AI: A comparative study of cognitive engagement between marginalized female students and peers

AbstractThis study addresses the need for inclusive AI education by focusing on marginalized female students who historically lack access to learning opportunities in computing. It applies the theoretical framework of intersectionality to understand how gender, race and ethnicity intersect to shape these students' learning experiences and outcomes. Specifically, this study investigated 27 high‐school students' cognitive engagement in machine learning practices. We conducted the Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test to explore differences in cognitive engagement between marginalized female students and their peers, employed comparative content analysis to delve into significant differences and analysed interview data thematically to gain deeper insights into students' machine learning model development processes. The findings indicated that, when engaging in machine learning practices requiring drawing diverse cultural perspectives, marginalized female students demonstrated significantly higher performance compared to their peers. In particular, marginalized female students exhibited strengths in holistic language analysis, paying attention to writers' intentions and recognizing cultural nuances in language. This study suggests that integrating language analysis and machine learning across subjects has the potential to empower marginalized female students and amplify their perspectives. Furthermore, it calls for a strengths‐based approach to reshape the narrative of underrepresentation and promote equitable participation in machine learning and AI. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Female students, particularly those from underrepresented groups such as African American and Latina students, often experience low levels of cognitive engagement in computing. Marginalized female students possess unique strengths that, when nurtured, have the potential to not only transform their own learning experiences but also contribute to the advancement of the computing field. It is critical to empower marginalized female students in K‐12 AI (ie, a subfield of computing) education, seeking to bridge the gender and racial disparity in AI. What this paper adds Marginalized female students outperformed their peers in responding to machine learning questions related to feature analysis and feature distribution interpretation. When responding to these questions, they demonstrated a holistic approach to analysing language by considering interactions between features and writers' intentions. They drew on knowledge about how language was used to convey meaning in different cultural contexts. Implications for practice and/or policy Educators should design learning environments that encourage students to draw upon their cultural backgrounds, linguistic insights and diverse experiences to enhance their engagement and performance in AI‐related activities. Educators should strategically integrate language analysis and machine learning across different subjects to create interdisciplinary learning experiences that support students' exploration of the interplay among language, culture and AI. Educational institutions and policy initiatives should adopt a strengths‐based approach that focuses on empowering marginalized female students by acknowledging their inherent abilities and diverse backgrounds.

Spotlighting spectatorship: elevating observation-based learning in the design and evaluation of body-scale learning environments

Spotlighting spectatorship: elevating observation-based learning in the design and evaluation of body-scale learning environments

Advancing understanding of learning experience design: refining and clarifying definitions using an eDelphi study approach

AbstractWe report findings from an eDelphi study that aimed to explore 16 expert panelists’ perspectives regarding the key attributes of learning experience design (LXD) as it relates to the following: design, disciplines, methods, and theory. Findings suggest consensus was reached regarding LXD’s focus on learner-centrism and incorporating human-centered design practices to design learning environments. LXD practitioners adapt methods and theories from fields such as human–computer interaction and user experience. Implications suggest a need to develop specific methods and theories within our own field.

Techno-anxiety and techno-satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of special education teachers

The objective of this study was to assess the levels of techno-anxiety and techno-satisfaction that special education teachers in Saudi Arabia experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a survey to gather data from 286 teachers of students with special needs across from early intervention to secondary school (5–18 years) the Kingdom, and we interviewed 23 teachers (3 early intervention, 13 primary, 2 intermediate, 5 secondary). Quantitative analysis was employed to analyze the survey responses, while qualitative thematic analysis was used for the interview data. The findings showed that the teachers experienced moderate levels of anxiety (a mean of 2.33 out of 4). On the other hand, the teachers expressed satisfaction (a mean of 2.98 of 4) with the distance learning system they used. The study highlights the benefits and challenges associated with implementing distance learning for students with special needs. These findings could help inform the design of distance learning environments and identify the factors that influence teachers’ feelings of anxiety or satisfaction during the implementation of distance learning. Additionally, the study’s results could encourage parents of students with special needs to foster improved collaboration and cooperation with teachers.

Preparing medical students for their educational task as physicians: important, desirable and unexplored territory

BackgroundPhysicians engage in educational activities in daily practice and take over an important role in providing information and transferring knowledge to patients and medical students. Therefore, it is important to focus on methods to develop teaching skills during medical school. Peer-teaching is a teaching method that is connected to different positive learning outcomes. This study aims to investigate the perspective of medical students regarding teaching as a core competency of physicians and peer-teaching as an opportunity to acquire educational skills. The study also aims to examine to what extent medical students are prepared for their teaching role at medical schools.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed by an online survey amongst Dutch medical students from all medical schools across all years of study. In total, 2666 medical students filled out the survey. The survey was part of the annual online survey of the Dutch medical advocacy group (DeGeneeskundestudent) amongst all medical students in the fall of 2017. The data were analysed with descriptive statistics and statistical tests (chi-squared-test and binomial test).ResultsThe results show that 49% of medical students see teaching as one of the core tasks of a physician. However, only 25% feel well prepared by their medical school for this teaching role. Instead, there are many students who gain experiences and teaching skills on their own outside medical schools. 64% of the respondents agrees that senior medical students can educate junior medical students well.ConclusionsImplementing peer-teaching in the curricular of medical schools could be an effective teaching method to prepare medical students for their future teaching role. It is important that medical schools focus on enhancing educational quality and designing learning environments for best learning outcomes to better prepare medical students for professional life.

Ambulatory Long Block: A Model of Precision Education and Assessment for Internal Medicine Residents.

High-quality precision education (PE) aims to enhance outcomes for learners and society by incorporating longitudinal data and analytics to shape personalized learning strategies. However, existing educational data collection methods often suffer from fragmentation, leading to gaps in understanding learner and program performance. In this article, the authors present a novel approach to PE at the University of Cincinnati, focusing on the Ambulatory Long Block, a year-long continuous ambulatory group-practice experience. Over the last 17 years, the Ambulatory Long Block has evolved into a sophisticated data collection and analysis system that integrates feedback from various stakeholders, as well as learner self-assessment, electronic health record utilization information, and clinical throughput metrics. The authors detail their approach to data prioritization, collection, analysis, visualization, and feedback, providing a practical example of PE in action. This model has been associated with improvements in both learner performance and patient care outcomes. The authors also highlight the potential for real-time data review through automation and emphasize the importance of collaboration in advancing PE. Generalizable principles include designing learning environments with continuity as a central feature, gathering both quantitative and qualitative performance data from interprofessional assessors, using this information to supplement traditional workplace-based assessments, and pairing it with self-assessments. The authors advocate for criterion referencing over normative comparisons, using user-friendly data visualizations, and employing tailored coaching strategies for individual learners. The Ambulatory Long Block model underscores the potential of PE to drive improvements in medical education and health care outcomes.

An efficient and adaptive design of reinforcement learning environment to solve job shop scheduling problem with soft actor-critic algorithm

Shop scheduling is deeply involved in manufacturing. In order to improve the efficiency of scheduling and fit dynamic scenarios, many Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) methods are studied to solve scheduling problems like job shop and flow shop. But most studies focus on using the latest algorithms while ignoring that the environment plays an important role in agent learning. In this paper, we design an effective, robust and size-agnostic environment for job shop scheduling. The proposed design of environment uses centralised training and decentralised execution (CTDE) to implement a multi-agent architecture. Together with the observation space we design, environmental information that is irrelevant to the current decision is eliminated as much as possible. The proposed action space enlarges the decision space of agents, which performs better than the traditional way. Finally, Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) algorithm is adapted to learning within this environment. By comparing with traditional scheduling rules, other reinforcement learning algorithms, and relevant literature, the superiority of the results obtained in this study is demonstrated.

Implementing Flipped Classroom in the Digital Learning Environment

Implementing Flipped Classroom in the Digital Learning Environment

Designing an Application to Empower Academic Staff Members in the Field of E-Learning

Background: E-learning has emerged as a crucial method of education, extensively embraced by individuals aiming to improve their skills. Providing empowerment courses in this field for faculty members within a flexible learning framework can bolster the effectiveness of education. Methods: This research, which is applied, innovative, and technological, involves collecting quantitative and qualitative data. By reviewing the literature, analyzing sample platforms, and conducting interviews with experts in e-learning and medicine, we identified the educational elements and software features that meet user needs and preferences. A questionnaire, filled out by 30 professors from the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, informed the development of the educational course. This course, designed according to the Ashur model, focuses on identifying user interface characteristics for software environment design and programming. Results: The analysis showed that faculty members are familiar with design patterns but need more knowledge of software and content production tools. The preference for asynchronous course delivery and content presented in written text, along with diverse forms of counseling and support (SMS, phone calls, social networks, and email), emerged as significant for the design of the platform environment. Conclusions: The faculty empowerment course, designed based on the Ashur model with considerations for learning environment design, including user interface and user experience, has been prepared for programming and implementation on an appropriate platform.

Designing Learning Environment for School Children Having Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The goal of treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is to apply knowledge, not to acquire new skills. The prevalence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children is rising daily around the world for a variety of reasons that have a direct impact on their mental health and hyperactive behaviour. The classroom atmosphere in the current ADHD schools is poorly maintained, which makes it difficult for the kids to focus on the specific task being done in class. As a result, the students have a variety of difficulties in their academic lives. This method aids in the pupils' mental stability as well as their academic success. This paper aims to suggest the best design strategies for the classroom environment in a school space for children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Advancing Preservice Science Teachers’ Skills to Assess Student Thinking On-the-Fly Through Practice-Based Learning

Teachers’ assessment of student thinking is both difficult to attain and essential for responsive teaching in ongoing interaction during science lessons. Principles of practice-based learning provide a basis for the design of learning environments which may equip prospective teachers for this challenging task. In an experimental study ( N = 104), we examined the extent that the use of different media types as representations of practice (video and written cases), the number of rehearsals, and the complexity of student thinking contribute to preservice teachers’ acquisition of assessment skills. Our findings indicated that participants benefited equally well from video and written cases. The number of necessary rehearsals depended on the complexity of student thinking to be assessed. This finding implies that specifics of the content to be assessed need to be taken into consideration when designing learning environments for practicing assessment skills.

The effect of planning time on vocabulary acquisition in a task-based environment: the mediating roles of working memory and field (in)dependence

This research investigated the impact of planning time, working memory (WM), and cognitive styles on language learning outcomes within the framework of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT). Drawing on a diverse sample of language learners, the study employed a pretest-posttest control group quasi-experiment to examine the effects of providing pre-task planning time on language performance. Participants engaged in communicative tasks, with a focus on vocabulary acquisition and task complexity, while their cognitive processes were assessed through measures of WM and cognitive styles. The findings revealed significant interactions between planning time and cognitive styles, particularly field dependence, influencing language production and proficiency such that learners with planning time outperformed learners without planning time; high-WM learners outperformed their low-WM peers, and field independent learners outstripped their field-dependent counterparts. Moreover, the study contributes to the broader understanding of the nuanced relationship between planning time, WM, and cognitive styles in the context of TBLT. The implications of these findings for language teachers, materials developers, syllabus designers, curriculum developers, and policymakers are discussed, offering insights into the design of effective language learning environments. Despite certain limitations, the study provides a foundation for further research exploring cross-cultural variations, longitudinal effects, and the integration of technology in language education, with the aim of advancing pedagogical practices tailored to diverse learner profiles.

How to study - supporting university students in their design of digital Personal Learning Environments

How to study - supporting university students in their design of digital Personal Learning Environments

Students’ cross-sectioning in the math-art studio

This study presents a case study on students’ cross-sectioning in an informal and innovative learning environment designed based on Studio Thinking and Artful Thinking Frameworks. Participants were four seventh-grade students. Students’ documents and video recordings were analysed at different structures of the studio (analysing works of art, creating artwork, and critiquing) and the approach to data analysis was interpretive microanalysis. The findings of the study indicated that the studio work designed in the current study made students’ cross-sectioning visible through diverse tasks, requiring an understanding of the relation between 2D and 3D (identification of the slices of 3D geometric figures and construction of 3D figures from the 2D slices) at different structures of the studio. This study suggests new avenues for the design of tasks on cross-sectioning for middle school students and the design of learning environments by presenting detailed information about what is going on in these environments.

Top Tips for Designing and Managing a Public Engagement Laboratory.

Public engagement with science is a core facet of the broader science ecosystem, in particular the science research and science education sectors. In this article we demarcate the benefits of dedicated laboratories along with practitioner advice pertaining to the design and running of a public engagement learning environment. A practicing public engagement laboratory and one that is currently being developed are used as illustrative cases to provide real-world insights to public engagement practitioners.

How do teachers in vocational and higher education nudge their students? A qualitative study

ABSTRACT Nudging is a strategy from behavioural economics that subtly influences behaviour by changing the environment. Despite its recent introduction in education, no overview exists of what behavioural interventions are already practiced in education, and how these fit within nudging frameworks. In this qualitative study, we investigated what nudges are used in vocational and higher education by interviewing 33 teachers and 15 students, and conducting 11 classroom observations. We provide an overview of currently used nudges to promote learning behaviour, and distinguish between intuitive, didactic, and planned nudges. Results also show that teachers use nudging intuitively and based on didactic techniques, but are generally unaware of doing so. This provides opportunity for introducing explicit knowledge of nudging to augment teachers’ toolboxes for designing learning environments. Future research can test nudges teachers already use in practice, and further integrate the behavioural and educational perspectives on nudging interventions in an educational context.

Design and assessment of a virtual reality learning environment for firefighters

The use of virtual reality (VR) in firefighter training is promising because it provides cost-effective, safe environments that arouse similar behavioral responses to real-life scenarios. However, the pedagogical potential of VR and its impact on learning outcomes compared to traditional methods is currently an under-explored area. This research investigates how well VR can support learning compared to traditional methods in the context of training firefighters in combating vegetation fires. A VR learning environment was developed, informed by a “design for learning” framework providing a pedagogical underpinning. A between-subjects experiment was conducted with 40 participants to measure the knowledge transfer of the VR learning environment against the official textbook. In addition, VR's theorized learning benefits of intrinsic motivation, situational interest, and self-efficacy were compared with textbook-based learning. Lastly, the design quality of the learning environment was assessed based on its learning and user experience. We employed a primarily quantitative approach to data collection and analysis, using a combination of knowledge test results and questionnaires, with supporting qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and observation notes to answer our hypotheses. The results found a significant difference between the knowledge transfer of both conditions, with textbook-based learning more effectively transferring factual and conceptual knowledge than VR. No significant difference was found in reported self-efficacy between the two conditions but was found in reported levels of intrinsic motivation and situational interest, which were higher in the VR condition. The design was found to have facilitated a good user and learning experience, assessed via questionnaire responses. During interviews, VR participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the experience, praising the hands-on learning approach and interactivity, while reporting frustration with the lack of knowledge reinforcement and initial difficulties with the controls. A key finding was that presence was found to be negatively associated with knowledge transfer, which we theorize to be caused by the novelty of the realistic VR environment distracting participants from the more familiar lesson content. This research contributes to the body of work related to knowledge transfer within VR in this domain while highlighting key pedagogical and design considerations that can be used to inform future design implementations.