Effective Learning Design Research Articles

Student Engagement Dynamics in Hybrid English Speaking Classes: A Study on Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning in Indonesia

The study investigates student engagement in hybrid English-speaking classes at an Indonesian university, emphasizing synchronous and asynchronous learning. Hybrid learning combines live (synchronous) and flexible (asynchronous) methods to enhance student engagement in cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dimensions. Conducted as a qualitative study, this research involved 20 second-semester students from the Faculty of Language and Literature at Universitas Negeri Makassar. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews to explore students’ engagement in hybrid English-speaking classes across synchronous and asynchronous learning. The findings reveal that hybrid learning fosters high levels of cognitive engagement by promoting active participation, critical thinking, and access to resources supported by responsive lecturers. Behavioral engagement is similarly enhanced through interactive digital tools and inclusive class discussions, encouraging frequent practice and skill reinforcement. Emotional engagement, however, varies, as some students benefit from the flexibility of online learning, while others face challenges due to reduced face-to-face interaction with lecturers. Key challenges identified include maintaining consistent motivation in virtual environments, managing distractions in home settings, and addressing feelings of being overlooked due to limited real-time lecturer attention. Additionally, technology dependency and variable comfort levels with hybrid learning pose challenges for engagement. The study concludes that effective hybrid learning designs that address cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement can significantly enhance student involvement and learning outcomes. These insights contribute to a better understanding of engagement dynamics in hybrid English-speaking courses, offering practical implications for designing more effective learning experiences. However, the study's focus on a specific group of English-speaking students at one institution limits how broadly the findings can be applied. To better understand the strengths and challenges of hybrid learning, future studies should consider a more diverse sample, mix qualitative and quantitative data, and look at how instructor involvement impacts engagement across different learning environments.

Penerapan Model Behavioristik dalam Pembelajaran PAI Berbasis Teknologi

The application of the behavioristic model in technology-based Islamic Religious Education (PAI) learning focuses on changing student behavior through appropriate stimulation. Behaviorism as a learning theory emphasizes that human behavior can be manipulated and learned through interaction with the environment. In the PAI context, the use of technology functions as a tool to strengthen the learning process, increase understanding, and shape the character of students. Through the literature review method, this article discusses the contribution of behaviorist theory in creating effective learning designs, as well as the importance of technology integration to achieve more holistic educational goals. The results show that the behavioristic learning model can increase students' motivation and responses, as well as facilitate positive attitude changes.

Playing for Good: Exploring the Efficacy of Games and Digital Tools in Prosocial and Moral Education

Promoting social and moral learning experiences in schools is an important aim for building strong, ethical, responsible and empathetic future generations. Digital natives will be more and more immersed in a volatile, complex and unpredictable world where responsible, ethical and socially sustainable decisions are a key component of resilient individuals and societies. Building teachers’ awareness related to the present topic will contribute to adopting more effective learning design strategies strongly connected to Alpha Generation learning needs. The main objective of this study is to review recently published papers on the most effective strategies and instructional formats to develop prosocial and moral attitudes and behaviors in educational settings. More specifically, using a narrative review approach, we discuss: a. the benefits of enhancing prosocial and moral education skills; b. the effectiveness of using video games and digital tools in prosocial and moral education; c. different strategies to use games and digital tools in design-learning for moral and prosocial education. The present article also aimed to design a specific instructional work-model using video-games for teaching the subject Religion based on supporting and enhancing prosocial attitudes, humanistic values and promoting self-efficacy, responsibility and ethical decision making. Implications for interdisciplinary research and practices for moral and social development are discussed.

Neuroscience-Informed Design of Learning Materials: Examining the Impact of Emotion, Interest, and Attention on Learning

The impact of emotional design on learning, particularly related to emotional valence, is a topic of interest in the domain of online and distance learning. This study, situated in the South African private higher education context, sought to explore how students learn and why certain learning materials better promote learning than others. The study used psychophysiological assessments, including eye-tracking, galvanic skin responses, and facial expressions, to explore the relationship between emotional arousal, interest, and attention in online learning. Nineteen students aged 18 to 24 were shown 11 different variations of an online module's first page, each differing in design elements, for 9 seconds to gauge their initial reactions. Emotional responses were measured using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM), and qualitative discussions provided further insights into students' preferences. The findings produced valuable recommendations for instructional design that fosters interest and enhances the learning experience. By integrating neuroscience techniques and educational psychology principles, the study established a link between emotion, interest and attention as key factors influencing student engagement and memory retention. This finding is significant as it highlights the importance of designing learning materials that capture students' initial interest, providing valuable insights into the universal principles of effective learning design. It emphasises the importance of emotional design in learning materials and the need for a balance between emotional arousal that generates interest but avoiding cognitive overload. The study underscores the critical role of purposeful learning design in creating engaging and effective learning experiences for students.

Examining Teachers’ Professional Learning in an Online Asynchronous System: Personalized Supports for Growth and Engagement in Learning to Teach Statistics and Data Science

Teachers’ professional learning often includes online components. This study examined how a case of 37 teachers utilized a specific online asynchronous professional learning platform designed to support teachers’ growth in learning to teach statistics and data science in secondary schools in the United States. The platform’s features and learning materials were designed based on effective online learning designs, supports for self-guided learning, and research on the teaching and learning of statistics and data science. We paid particular attention to the features we designed into the platform to support self-regulation and personalizing the experiences to meet their preferred learning goals such as allowing for free choice of learning materials, flexibility of when and how long to engage, providing personal recommendations based on user input, internal systems to track progress, and generating certificates of completion. In this study, we used a case study with both quantitative and qualitative data to examine whether teachers had gains in meeting learning goals related to their development in teaching statistics and data science, had sustained engagement, and found the features for personalization supportive for their learning. Results showed, overall, positive growth towards meeting learning goals and making small changes towards improved classroom practice. Most teachers were generally engaged in sustained ways across the study period, though we found six different patterns of completion that highlight ways in which teachers’ goal-directed and self-regulated learning occurred within the busy schedules of educators. Several personalized features, especially the recommendations and tracking system, were highly utilized and perceived as supportive of teachers’ learning.

Analisa Penerapan Dasar Robotika sebagai Implementasi Pengembangan Robot Sederhana pada Kurikulum Merdeka di SMP Angkasa

The application of the Independent Curriculum in informatics subjects, algorithms, and programming materials is a new material taught in Junior High School (SMP). In this subject, there is one material that relates to the manufacture of simple robots. This research aims to implement the basics of robotics to students to stimulate students' interest in learning. This research is quantitative research with an associative approach by implementing an independent learning curriculum that prioritizes generic skills and obstacles faced by students in learning activities. The data collection technique used a questionnaire given to 25 grade VIII students. The questionnaire is used as an evaluation tool and the results of the questionnaire will then be recapped. The results of the analysis showed that students' learning readiness and interest in learning did not have a significant influence on their learning outcomes, while the students' learning profile significantly affected the learning outcomes. The use of learning methods that take into account the individuality of students allows for more personalized and effective learning designs

Desain Pembelajaran yang Inspiratif dan Pengembangan Kurikulum yang Responsif bagi Kompetensi Pendidik

This study aims to explore an in-depth understanding of curriculum development, learning design, and educator competencies in the context of education in the era of independent learning. Qualitative research methods are used to gain a comprehensive understanding through in-depth analysis of the relevant text and material context. Data were collected through literature study, observation, and interviews. The results showed that effective learning design requires teacher involvement in designing learning that is relevant to student needs, as well as being able to integrate educational technology and innovative learning strategies. In addition, this study also highlights the importance of developing a curriculum that is responsive to changing times and pays attention to the needs of individual students. Educator competencies that include material understanding, pedagogical skills, and managerial abilities are also key factors in ensuring the effectiveness of curriculum implementation. The findings of this research make an important contribution in enriching the understanding of how curriculum development, learning design, and educator competencies can support each other in improving the quality of education in the era of independent learning

Rethinking how people learn: A holistic framework for effective learning design

Learning is an integral part of being human. How people learn has long been discussed, revealed in many learning theories, investigated in numerous studies, and demonstrated in extensive practices. The goal of this article is to rethink how people learn from four fundamental perspectives, that is, learning by interaction with content (C), learning by interaction with other people (O), learning by interaction with self (S), and learning by interaction with tasks or practices (T), so-called COST model. This framework offers a high-level view of human learning and the role of technology in human learning. Moreover, it serves as a guide for effective design of learning experiences, learning environments, and learning approaches, where technology has become a crucial component.

Advancing Authentic Immersive Learning

Virtual reality (VR) is a powerful medium for delivering authentic learning experiences, yet widely agreed-upon best practices for VR learning design have yet to be established. This position paper proposes the application of learning engineering approaches for designing of authentic VR learning experiences and investigating best practices. Learning engineering is understood as the intersection of the learning sciences with human-centered engineering design, driven by data-informed decisions. Practitioners can leverage learning engineering approaches to investigate and identify effective VR learning design strategies in a data-driven effort to establish and scale best practices for the creation of authentic immersive learning experiences.

Development of Online Learning Design for Class XI Civics Subjects During the Covid-19 Pandemic at Smk Permata 2 Bogor City

In the subject of civics education, it was found that there was a problem of limited time which in the end affected the learning outcomes of students, plus the Covid-19 pandemic which had an impact on learning activities that could not be done face-to-face. Learning activities are carried out online in unpredictable times. This is what lies behind the need for effective online learning designs in class XI SMK during the covid-19 pandemic. This research was conducted using the ADDIE model combined with the INQUIRY Learning Learning model. This research was conducted from September to October 2021, at SMK Permata 2 Bogor City. The results of this study indicate that the quality of instructional design based on the evaluation of materials, media, and instructional design, the results of expert reviews are 80%, 90%, and 93%. While the results for one experiment, small group and large group the quality obtained was 97.6%, 95%, and 96.4%. Based on expert evaluations and evaluations of these targets, it can be concluded that online learning that is designed is feasible and can be used. Once applied, it gets an N-Gain Score of 0.7 and belongs to the high category. The learning design developed can be said to be effective.

A Meta-Analysis of Online Learning Practices Emerged During The Covid 19 Pandemic

The purpose of this paper was to explore and summarize the emerging pedagogical practices in online learning during the pandemic period, namely from 2019 to 2021. A meta-analysis of related studies was carried out in this study. The study was obtained from the Google Scholar and Scopus databases using online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. 500 studies were identified, then analyzed to match the criteria set out for this study. Only five studies fulfilled these criteria and were thus selected for the study. The four studies included in this review emphasize different pedagogical practices of online learning and repost their impact on academic outcomes. Four studies were quantitative, while one was developmental. The pedagogical practices are flipped classroom, augmented reality, problem-based learning, and project-based learning. Furthermore, how this pedagogy is applied in an online learning environment is also presented in the research results section. This paper is original and very useful for educators/instructors because it can be the basis for developing effective online learning designs for students in the new normal era.

Empowering Teachers in E-Learning: A Case-Based Recommender System for Effective Learning Design

In the rapidly evolving field of e-learning over the past decade, the learning design (LD) sector has emerged as a crucial determinant of success. It plays a vital role in ensuring effective instructional design, preserving best practices, enhancing educational quality, promoting personalization, and embracing technological innovation. However, the creation of effective LDs can be challenging due to the diverse range of learning methods, strategies, resources, learner profiles, evolving technologies, and communication platforms. This paper aims to address the research question of how to efficiently leverage recommender systems (RSs) and repurpose existing LD solutions to provide valuable support for teachers in the LD process. Specifically, this paper focuses on the implementation of case-based recommender system (CBRS) and presents the initial evaluation results. CBRS, which is a RS, assists teachers in locating and reusing pre-existing LDs. The initial evaluation results validate the system’s effectiveness in supporting teachers throughout the LD process by offering reliable and useful LDs. Furthermore, additional findings pertaining to the overall user perception and the perceived value of CBRS are discussed.

Applications of Cognitive Load Theory in Strength and Conditioning Course: Considerations and Implementations

The Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) aims to foster learning productively under optimal cognitive loads. Students across all ages and stages of learning have limited capacity due to the human brain’s functionality. Therefore, an effective learning design allows for knowledge acquisition that will minimize the loading effect on the working memory and foster the transition of knowledge to unlimited long-term memory. This article introduces the Cognitive Load Theory effects within Kinesiology instructional settings. In specific, the authors share examples of three cognitive load effects: (a) goal-free effect, (b) split attention effect, and (c) redundancy effect; and its implementations within the strength and conditioning for educators’ course in higher education settings.

Backward Design : Strategi Pembelajaran dalam Meningkatkan Keterlibatan Siswa

This research aims to explore the backward design model as a learning strategy to enhance student engagement. This research adopts a descriptive approach with a qualitative method. The participants of this study were high school teachers selected through the snowball sampling technique. The data collection was conducted through interviews and participatory observation, while data analysis follows an interactive model analysis approach, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification. The research findings indicated that the backward design was one of the effective learning design models as it focused on understanding and developing students' thinking skills. The model directed teachers to set learning objectives that wereappropriate to the student's needs and skills, conduct assessments to measure students' understanding and skills and formulate when delivering materials or certain concepts gradually. Implementing concept-checking techniques allows teachers to measure students' understanding periodically, and applying interaction patterns accommodates continuous interactions.

Pengembangan Model Evaluasi Formatis Materi IPA Kelas V dan VI di SDN Cibodas 6 Kota Tangerang

The changing times that have occurred have led to various changes in the use of learning media. In the 21st century, the learning media used are also adapted to the criteria of today's children who are already literate with technology. Teachers can create interesting and effective learning designs used in teaching and learning activities. Of course by utilizing existing technology today. The use of technology can make learning more interesting, creative and innovative so that students can take part in learning activities in a comfortable and enjoyable way, especially in science lessons at SDN Cibodas 6 Kota Tangerang. The type of research used in this research is research and development. This research was carried out at SDN Cibodas 6 Kota Tangerang in grades V and VI in science subjects. The data collected is quantitative and qualitative data. The data was taken from the results of interviews, observations and collection of supporting documents as material for analysis and evaluation of the learning designs that have been implemented at SDN Cibodas 6 Kota Tangerang. Research results obtained from the implementation of virtual reality-based 3-dimensional (3o) media are able to increase student interest and learning outcomes to produce a good impact. This is indicated by the increase in student scores after implementing a 3-dimensional virtual model-based learning design which shows good results. The overall score is that there are many students who are under the KKM after the implementation of virtual media can reduce the scores of students who are under the KKM so that many students pass the subject matter. So it can be concluded that the application of learning models using 3D media has proven effective and can be adopted by other schools in increasing learning demand and student achievement at school.

LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL THEORY OF DERIVATIVE TOPICS BASED ON REALISTIC MATHEMATICS EDUCATION FOR GRADE XI SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

This study discusses the development of learning design for derivative topics based on Realistics Mathematics Education (RME). The design developed is different from the designs that have been developed by previous researchers, where in this study, the derivative concept was introduced through the flying fox trajectory, which refers to students' understanding of limits and average velocity. This development aims to obtain a valid, practical, and effective learning design in derivative topics to develop students' mathematical problem-solving abilities. The development model combines the Plomp and Gravemeijer & Cobb models, which are divided into the preliminary research stage, the development or prototyping stage, and the assessment stage. In the preliminary stage, needs analysis, curriculum analysis, concept analysis, and literature review are carried out. Product prototype development is carried out at the development stage, and formative evaluation consists of self-evaluation, expert validation, one-to-one, and small group phases. In this article, the study focuses on findings from one-to-one activities at the development stage. Through one-to-one activities, the resulting design was tested on three students with different abilities to find out whether this product could later be implemented in the classroom. After students learn to use the design, at the end of the activity, students are given a problem-solving ability test to determine the impact of the design on students' problem-solving abilities. The final product obtained is Local Instructional Theory (LIT) of derivative topics, valid, practical, and impact students' problem-solving abilities of RME-based teacher and student books

The “Trialogical Learning & Assessment Approach”: Design principles for higher education

The exceptional historical period we have experienced in years 2020- 2022 has made evident the need to rethink university teaching through a thoughtful integration of in-presence and online activities, in which to enhance participatory learning practices. To this aim, according to the Assessment for Learning (AfL) and to the Sustainable Assessment (SA) frameworks, teachers should conceive students’ assessment as an integral part of the teaching-learning process. The Trialogical Learning Approach (TLA) has so far proved to be an effective learning design model: its six Design Principles (DPs), in fact, have supported many university teachers in planning meaningful technology-mediated learning activities. Yet, the trialogical principles seem to fail in considering students’ assessment practices. The aim of this contribution is to show how, though not explicitly mentioned in the TLA theory, the assessment components are extensively included throughout a trialogical university course. By following a practice-based research methodology, we considered trialogical university courses previously documented by different authors. Observing the course implementation from an AfL and SA perspective, we retrieved the precise assessment components disseminated in each trialogical DPs. Thus, we could go back to the original TLA theory and propose its broadening in an assessment perspective, which we called Trialogical Learning & Assessment Approach.

Removing Learning Barriers in Self-paced Online STEM Education

Self-paced online learning provides great flexibility for learning, yet it brings some inherent learning barriers because of the nature of this educational paradigm. This review paper suggests some corresponding strategies to address these barriers in order to create a more supportive self-paced online learning environment. These strategies include a) increasing students’ self-awareness of learning, b) identifying struggling students, and c) facilitating mastery learning.Focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines’ delivery of self-paced online learning, this paper reviewed the role of formative assessment for learning. It is proposed that systematically designing and embedding adaptive practicing in STEM courses would be an effective learning design solution to implement these strategies. By examining the goals and context of adaptive practicing requested in this study, the feature requirements are depicted for such an adaptive practicing model. The models and techniques that can be used for adaptive assessment were then reviewed. Based on the review results, this paper argues that a reinforcement learning-based adaptive practicing model would be the best option to meet those feature requirements. Finally, we point out a research gap in this field and suggest a future research direction for ourselves and other researchers.

Conceptualising Teachers as Designers in the Higher Education Context: Case Studies from Indonesian English University Teachers

Empirical studies have revealed the learning design processes employed by teachers in higher education institutions in developed countries (Bennett et al., 2017; Kali et al., 2011; Markauskaite & Goodyear, 2009). However, there has been limited research into the way that university teachers in developing countries design for learning and whether they adopt similar design routines – and indeed, whether there are similarities to the work of learning designers in these settings. A multiple-case study design was developed to investigate the design processes of eight Indonesian English University Teachers (IEUTs) working in a variety of Indonesian universities in implementing blended (pre-COVID) and online (during COVID) learning in their classes. Due to the Australian travel restrictions to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in 2020, data gathered remotely included digital document analyses, online interviews and online class observations. This data was analysed and a cross-case analysis was undertaken in order to identify common themes. It was possible to identify design processes that the IEUTs had in common with those described by Bennet et al. (2017). However, this model did not anticipate design issues caused by socio-economic and cultural context in which the IEUTs were teaching. Specifically, factors such as the technological affordances and the costs related to online or blended learning were not described. However, this study noted that these factors had a significant effect upon teachers’ design work, often requiring them to redesign learning experiences – sometimes while a subject was ongoing. This challenge was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which also meant that teachers were required to work with technologies with which they were not familiar. This, in turn, led to further challenges, at an institutional level, as some universities were not well prepared for online learning. Teachers who received institutional support services such as a set of curricula, teacher training, support technologies, financial support (i.e., competitive grants to develop online modules in the university’s e-learning platform) and hands-on support from IT Centre’s staff experienced fewer challenges compared to teachers who were less supported. However, all participating teachers’ design practices were constructed from “accidental pedagogies” (McGee & Carmean, 2012) caused by the trial-and-error approach adopted during COVID-19. These teachers faced significant obstacles including ensuring academic integrity, retaining control over the classroom, and ensuring equitable access to course content. Although these design processes might not demonstrate an effective learning design in an ongoing setting, these design practices should be “forgiven” (Dickson-Deane, 2020) as they were a response to an emergency setting. The IEUTs experienced similar design routines to those of instructional designers (Dickson-Deane, 2020) in that they were required to comprehend how an unknown or unexpected event may become known or take place, which can necessitate trial-and-error during the design process and into development and implementation. A new model of teacher professional development for language teachers was proposed to better prepare teachers for such events and challenges (i.e., other pandemics and catastrophic weather events) by conceiving of them as designers. This model adapted the 6 C’s framework for learning designers (Heggart, 2021).

Improving Online Learning Design for Employed Adult Learners

With the growing need for developing competence at workplaces, the number of employed adult learners is increasing in higher education institutions to follow continuing education. Often they are educated and treated as traditional students. To satisfy the learning demands of employed learners, work-integrated education has emerged to spotlight the importance of the integration of work and education in contemporary education. Many studies show that employed adult learners have different and more complex ways of learning compared to traditional students. Furthermore, employed adult learners have lacked the attention of researchers and educators to enhance their learning in general and online learning in particular. Meanwhile, online learning is a preferred way for learners who work and study in tandem. This study aims to make the online learning design for employed adult learners more effective and adaptable to their circumstances by asking the research question “How can online learning design for employed adult learners be improved?”. The case study of a course for employed adult learners was examined with a mixed method approach including interview and learning analytics. The interview data laid the groundwork for developing assumptions and hypotheses for the examination of employed adult learners’ learning patterns. Learning analytics consist of data visualization, which revealed employed adult learners’ learning patterns, and statistical tests, which inspected the validity and reliability of the patterns revealed by the log data. The log data were extracted from the learning management system, which recorded the educational activities of the learners during the course. This study exposed the pitfalls of the learning design including average to low engagement not only in learning but also in the course. As a result, the indicators to improve the online learning design for employed adult learners comprise investing in learning materials and increasing online interaction to fortify learner engagement in the course, thereby enhancing course completion. The indicators are viewed as the first step in the process of developing a proper and effective online learning design for employed adult learners. Finally, the reflection on online interaction for employed adult learners is also discussed.