Personal Learning Research Articles

Conceptualising a data analytics framework to support targeted teacher professional development

ABSTRACT This paper proposes a conceptual framework enabling the development and adoption of descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and recommendatory data analytics in teacher professional learning by harnessing some of the affordances of digital technologies to convert data into actionable insights. The paper argues for a technology-enhanced approach that uses data to support teachers in selecting appropriate professional development (PD) options to improve their professional practice. The ultimate goal is to lay the foundations for a robust and adaptable data analytics framework that could offer tailored PD recommendations based on the developmental trajectories of individual teachers. The paper analyses data-supported personalised professional learning as meaning-making and the appropriation of cultural artefacts within the ‘mobile complex’ - consisting of structures, agency, and the dynamic interplay between cultural and technological tools and practices. This study undertakes a comprehensive literature review to identify key concepts, gaps, and theoretical insights, informing the development of a data analytics framework. The resultant framework integrates personalisation, teacher agency and autonomy, contextual relevance, and ethical safeguards into PD process, aiming to foster a responsive, collaborative, and context-aware data-supported PD.

The Issues and Optimization Strategies in the Modernization of Vocational Education in the Era of Chat GPT

The emergence of Chat GPT technology represents a significant breakthrough in natural language processing, revolutionizing human-machine interaction and presenting profound challenges to vocational education modernization in China. In the Chat GPT era, vocational education undergoes transformative changes, including personalized learning reaching new heights, big data-driven intelligent decision-making entering a new phase, and the integration of education resources on unprecedented scales. However, this modernization effort also encounters several critical issues, such as overreliance on technology and the associated risks of unemployment, threats to data privacy and security, erosion of ethical values, and the widening digital divide in education. To ensure the high-quality development of vocational education modernization with the support of artificial intelligence tools like Chat GPT, it is crucial to enhance supervision and regulation of Chat GPT technology applications, promoting its safe and responsible use. Moreover, prioritizing technology ethics and moral education becomes imperative to nurture students’ ethical awareness and moral compass in the utilization and development of technology. Lastly, optimizing the distribution of digital educational resources is essential to promote educational equity and bridge the digital divide among students.

Analysis and evaluation of the effect of sports on promoting health in Traditional Wushu

Nowadays, the analysis and evaluation of traditional sport in wushu promotes health in the assessment of practice has been proved to keep the body healthy, making it an excellent complement to regular exercise. Sports are a vital element of a participant’s growth and development and help in the development of psychological, physical health fitness of the body. Through involvement in sports and activities, a person learns numerous skills, experiences, and self-beliefs that are useful for developing their personality. The challenges to be facing in traditional wushu include a higher risk of headache, inhalation, spinal damage, arterial shatters, and neck injuries. This paper introduces the Data Mining technique (DM) for the effect of sports on promoting health in Traditional Wushu (TW) that assists the player in analyzing mutual information from health data. Presenting players with traditional wushu generates the pattern recognition outcomes of sports health-boosting operations. This research has been used to evaluate the influence of exercise on people’s well-being, demonstrating the nutritional benefits of athletics participation. The findings indicate that the model has been used for assessing and analyzing the accuracy that can significantly influence the promotion of the effect of human health enhancement.

Santa María Academy: Shaping the Heroes of Today with Tomorrow's Technology

Santa María Academy has successfully integrated advanced technology into its educational framework to enhance the learning experience of its students, preparing them for future careers in law enforcement and the military. The academy's innovative approach includes personalized coaching, interactive resources, and smart tools that cater to individual student needs. By leveraging artificial intelligence and real-time performance monitoring, Santa María Academy has significantly improved student outcomes, motivation, and engagement. This case study explores the key elements of their success, including the implementation of personalized learning plans, interactive podcasts, a smart syllabus, and a real-time performance dashboard. The academy's model serves as a benchmark for educational institutions aiming to merge traditional values with cutting-edge technology to produce well-rounded and highly skilled graduates.

Navigating the Future of Pedagogy: The Integration of AI Tools in Developing Educational Assessment Rubrics

ABSTRACTThe advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies heralds a transformative era in education. This study investigates the integration of AI tools in developing educational assessment rubrics within the ‘Curriculum Design Development and Evaluation’ course at the University of A Coruña during the 2023–2024 academic year. Employing an action–research methodological approach, 27 comprehensive evaluation rubrics were developed using AI tools like ChatGPT. The findings highlight AI's ability to enhance rubric precision, efficiency and alignment with curricular objectives, thus facilitating personalised learning experiences. This research underscores AI's transformative potential in education, advocating for broader adoption and the necessity for educators to acquire AI proficiency. The study demonstrates how AI tools can streamline the rubric development process, making it more accurate and time efficient while also ensuring the inclusion of essential curricular elements. Through this approach, AI can support innovative assessment strategies that are both effective and adaptable to diverse educational contexts.

Redefining educational paradigms: Integrating generative AI into society 5.0 for sustainable learning outcomes

The digital era has ushered in significant advancements in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), particularly through Generative Models and Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, revolutionizing educational paradigms. This research, set against the backdrop of Society 5.0 and aimed at sustainable educational practices, utilizes qualitative analysis to explore the impact of Generative AI in various learning environments. It highlights the potential of LLMs to offer personalized learning experiences, democratize education, and enhance global educational outcomes. The study finds that Generative AI revitalizes learning methodologies and supports educational systems’ sustainability by catering to diverse learning needs and breaking down access barriers. In conclusion, the paper discusses the future educational strategies influenced by Generative AI, emphasizing the need for alignment with Society 5.0’s principles to foster adaptable and sustainable educational inclusion.

The Influence of Artificial Intelligence Tools on Student Performance in e-Learning Environments: Case Study

This study investigated the impact of AI-powered personalized learning tools on the academic performance and perceptions of pre-service student teachers enrolled in the Educational Technology course, a compulsory component of the Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching program at Ajman University. A quasi-experimental design was employed with 55 students in the experimental group and 55 in the control group. The experimental group utilized AI-powered tools within the Moodle platform, while the control group received traditional instruction. Pre- and post-tests, along with a rubric-based assessment and a questionnaire, were administered to assess performance, knowledge retention, critical thinking, motivation, and engagement. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between the groups, favoring the experimental group in terms of academic performance and knowledge retention. Additionally, students in the experimental group demonstrated higher levels of critical thinking, motivation, and engagement. These findings underscore the transformative potential of AI-powered personalized learning tools in teacher education. By integrating AI into educational practices, institutions can revolutionize e-learning by providing personalized instruction, intelligent tutoring, automated grading, and adaptive learning experiences. This can enhance student engagement, improve learning outcomes, and reduce the workload of educators. Ultimately, AI empowers institutions to create more effective and inclusive learning environments that cater to the diverse needs of students and prepare them for the future.

Research on Personalized Cultural Learning Platform Based on Collaborative Filtering and Popularity Recommendation

With the rapid progress of information technology, it has become the demand of the times to use the power of the Internet to inherit and develop Chinese traditional culture. Given the challenge of users searching for learning content in massive online resources, personalized recommendation systems have become the key to improving user experience. This paper focuses on building a personalized Chinese traditional culture learning platform based on collaborative filtering and popularity recommendation, aiming to stimulate users’ interest in learning traditional culture through intelligent algorithms. In terms of technical implementation, this study relies on the Django framework and MySQL database to build a feature-rich and user-friendly traditional cultural learning platform, supporting users’ diverse learning needs, and providing flexible learning paths and abundant learning resources. Experimental evaluation shows that the hybrid algorithm of collaborative filtering and popularity recommendation proposed in this paper has improved recommendation performance compared to existing methods, effectively enhancing user satisfaction and platform activity. This platform not only promotes the digital dissemination of traditional culture, but also provides users with a highly autonomous and personalized learning experience, meeting the contemporary society’s pursuit of diversified and personalized cultural learning.

The Level of the Five Major Personality Factors Among Students with Learning Disabilities

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the levels of the five major personality factors among students with learning disabilities in the first semester of the 2024/2023 academic year. Theoretical Framework: Grounded in the Big Five personality theory, the research explores how personality traits relate to the experiences of students facing learning difficulties, with implications for educational outcomes and personal development. Method: A descriptive analytical approach was employed, involving a sample of 156 randomly selected students with learning disabilities from Ajloun schools. A validated tool was developed to measure the five major personality factors, ensuring reliability and validity. Results and Discussion: The findings revealed that the mean scores across the five personality factors indicated a low overall degree of personality development. Additionally, no statistically significant differences were observed based on gender in any of the personality domains. These results suggest that students with learning disabilities may experience challenges in personality development, potentially affecting their social interactions and academic performance. Research Implications: The study highlights the need for targeted educational programs aimed at enhancing personality development among students with learning disabilities. Such initiatives could mitigate learning challenges and promote overall well-being. Originality/Value: This research contributes to the limited literature on the intersection of personality traits and learning disabilities, emphasizing the importance of personality development in educational settings.

ChatGPT: a force for good? Using the I.D.E.As framework to ’develop and empower’ students

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools (for example, ChatGPT) are a specific application of artificial intelligence which generate novel content in response to questions or instructions. Their use in education has generated diverse responses. Critics express concerns that they might discourage students from engaging in independent analysis, evaluation and problem-solving, and hinder the development of critical thinking skills (Farrokhnia et al., 2023). Another concern is the potential effect on the development of meaningful student-teacher and peer-to-peer interactions, important in fostering student belonging, and developing communication and social-emotional skills. Conversely, supporters see these tools as valuable resources providing instant access to tailored information, facilitating personalised learning experiences and promoting student engagement. They argue that rather than undermining higher-order skills like critical thinking and evaluative judgment, GenAI tools can enhance their development. Some propose they may even help address the ‘awarding gap’ (Fido and Wallace, 2023), with students using such tools as a ‘dialogic tutor’, to personalise learning and so develop their knowledge and understanding (Compton, 2023a). The presentation introduced the ‘I.D.E.As framework’ (Hack, 2023), a resource developed to help structure thinking and curate ideas regarding using GenAI tools in learning and teaching. The session explored ways in which GenAI tools may be used as a ‘force for good’, to enhance the student learning experience and support their individual learning development. Resources to ‘develop and empower’ students as independent learners were shared, providing an opportunity for attendees to reflect on how/whether they might be incorporated into their own learning and teaching contexts.

유학자의 덜어내는 마음공부 : 황덕길의 「일성도(日省圖)」의 교육적 의미

The purpose of this paper is to examine the meaning of “Ilseongdo(日省道)”, a diagramwritten by Hwang Deok-gil, a confucian scholar of the late Joseon Dynasty, to the present-day education. “Ilseongdo” was created for the purpose of educating students in the author’s later life. “Ilseongdo” was presented through the illustration of five sentences. It means to take out the unnecessary from the inner (thought), personal (learning, work), and relational (talk, relationship) aspects one’s in everyday life. And it deals with Gyeong(敬), which is the core principle of Confucian practice, as a practice of ‘reducing’ in daily life. Since the beginning of modern education, education, it has always placed importance solely ‘adding’ education. Thus, we have now come to think of only accumulating a lot of knowledge and achieving a lot of results through education. Current education has not been able to teach students the values of ‘emptying out’ and ‘resting’. Amid the numerous comparisons, conflicts, and competitions occurring in a hyper-connected society, education of ‘reducing’ suggested by Hwang Deok-gil in「Ilseongdo」comes to be meaningful. Before analyzing the contents of Ilsungdo, this paper examined the thought of Hwang Deok-gil on Gyeong(敬) It which follows the thought of Song Dynasty(宋)'s confucian and toe-gye(退溪) in Choseon Dynasty(朝 鮮), but is characterized by the fact that Gyeong(敬) is mainly discussed from a practical point of view. Hwang Deok-gil's Ilsungdo has originality that distinguishes it from previous scholars’s works in discussing Gyeong in daily life. It is a valid discussion in our daily life today, where the Confucian debate on the mind has disappeared.

Evaluating our “impact”: reflections from the personal learning advice service

The neoliberalisation of higher education in the UK has placed greater pressure on Learning Development units to demonstrate impact. Together with increased regulatory scrutiny from bodies such as the Office for Students in England (and the monitoring of B3 thresholds, awarding gaps, the Teaching Excellence Framework, and other measures), rigorous evaluation is arguably more crucial than ever. In this workshop, we offered reflections and learning from the evaluation of the four-year Personal Learning Advice Service pilot at the Open University (UK). The Personal Learning Advice (PLA) Service project is an Access and Participation Plan initiative which has delivered a one-to-one and group coaching and mentoring service (Clay et al., 2023) for students from disadvantaged backgrounds since January 2021 (Lochtie and Hillman, 2023). Coaching and mentoring approaches have been used by our team to support students’ learning and study habits, wellbeing, and help-seeking behaviours (Hillman et al., in press). In the first part of this workshop, we shared learning from approaches used to evaluate the work of the service – from narrative and empirical evidence to causal evaluation in randomised controlled trials (TASO, 2022) – and situated this in the wider literature on evaluation in HE (Sabri, 2023). We shared findings from our work and reflected on the standards of evidence in HE (OfS, 2019). In the second part of the workshop, we invited delegates to consider how they measure and evaluate impact in their own context. We also explored relevant LD scholarship and publications. Our presentation aligned with the ALDcon24 theme ‘Building Learning Development for the Future’, and we sought to invite discussion about the way we demonstrate ‘impact’ as Learning Developers.

Creating online, inclusive spaces for learning: ‘Study Together’ with the personal learning advice service

There is a wealth of scholarship on the benefits of synchronous writing sessions for staff and students in higher education (Kornhaber et al., 2016; Eardley et al., 2021; Morley and Aston, 2023). In the Personal Learning Advice (PLA) Service at the Open University UK (OU), we developed bespoke, online study spaces for students from groups currently underrepresented in higher education – known as ‘Study Together’ sessions. The sessions prioritise students from minoritised ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and students with mental health needs who are at risk of poorer study outcomes. This presentation charted the development of Study Together in response to student feedback and evaluation and sought to show the value of ‘targeted’ invitations to engage students with spaces for learning development. Our presentation began by outlining the rationale for a 2022-23 Study Together pilot and its impact on community and belonging for students with mental health declarations (Lavery et al., 2023). We shared our approach to hosting Study Together and the techniques used to create an inclusive, productive study space; we showed how these approaches allowed us to incorporate timed study bursts and reflective practice, building positive study habits among students. Finally, we presented findings from the evaluation of Study Together in 2023-24 and situated this within the wider literature on the benefits of virtual communities of practice for learning. Our presentation spoke directly to the ALDcon24 theme ‘Building inclusive learning development spaces’ and invited delegates to consider the place of virtual, guided study spaces in their own practice.

Autistic traits foster effective curiosity-driven exploration.

Curiosity-driven exploration involves actively engaging with the environment to learn from it. Here, we hypothesize that the cognitive mechanisms underlying exploratory behavior may differ across individuals depending on personal characteristics such as autistic traits. In turn, this variability might influence successful exploration. To investigate this, we collected self- and other-reports of autistic traits from university students, and tested them in an exploration task in which participants could learn the hiding patterns of multiple characters. Participants' prediction errors and learning progress (i.e., the decrease in prediction error) on the task were tracked with a hierarchical delta-rule model. Crucially, participants could freely decide when to disengage from a character and what to explore next. We examined whether autistic traits modulated the relation of prediction errors and learning progress with exploration. We found that participants with lower scores on other-reports of insistence-on-sameness and general autistic traits were less persistent, primarily relying on learning progress during the initial stages of exploration. Conversely, participants with higher scores were more persistent and relied on learning progress in later phases of exploration, resulting in better performance in the task. This research advances our understanding of the interplay between autistic traits and exploration drives, emphasizing the importance of individual traits in learning processes and highlighting the need for personalized learning approaches.

The trajectory of artificial intelligence for competency-based personalised learning: past, present and future

PurposeThe study aims to reflect on past research, uncover current trends and propose a future research agenda in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) for competency-based personalised learning.Design/methodology/approachThe study followed the SPAR-4-SLR protocol to retrieve 855 articles related to the field indexed in the Scopus database. Performance analysis, network analysis and science mapping were then performed using VOSviewer and the Biblioshiny app.FindingsThe analysis identified nine clusters of intellectual structure (healthcare, competencies, learning systems, digital transformation, AI literacy, computer-aided education, AI ethics, e-learning and active learning) and twelve themes (including motor, basic, emerging and niche).Originality/valueFollowing an extensive review of the literature, this would appear to be the first study to provide a panoramic view of AI for competency-based personalised learning based on the Scopus database. The core gaps in the current literature have been identified and the corresponding future agenda will be instrumental in shaping future research directions in the field.

Coaching members of the healthcare team to improve care provision.

Since the challenges of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) pandemic, during which many nurses had to work in extreme circumstances and with limited resources, healthcare leaders have explored how they could better support nurses in the future. Admiral Nurses - who are supported by the charity Dementia UK to provide expert care and advice for people with dementia - have been offered coaching alongside their regular clinical supervision. In the workplace, coaching can be defined as a process that supports another person's understanding, learning, behaviour and progress. Through coaching, nurses can develop their skills and address any negative attitudes and behaviours that may be affecting their work. This article focuses on how coaching techniques and skills might assist nurse leaders to support team members to improve care provision.

A Practical Study on Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Assisted College English Translation Teaching

With the advent of the digital age, it has become an inevitable trend to integrate advanced artificial intelligence technology with English translation teaching in colleges and universities. This paper aims to explore the practical application of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted English translation teaching in colleges and universities, analyze its advantages in improving teaching efficiency, promoting personalized learning, and providing intelligent tutoring, and put forward corresponding strategies and suggestions. Through specific cases, this paper demonstrates the actual application effect of AI in translation teaching and looks forward to the future development direction.

Vocabulary Acquisition based on Personal Learning Pace

The quasi-experimental study investigates the use of Flippity, an interactive online platform, to enhance vocabulary acquisition among 62 non-English major undergraduate students at Thai Nguyen University of Education. The research addresses a gap in the literature by focusing on the effectiveness of Flippity for Vocabulary learning at the undergraduate level. The study evaluates the impact of personalized, game-based learning on vocabulary retention through home-based practice. Results show significant improvements in the vocabulary proficiency of the experimental group using Flippity, demonstrating that the platform effectively supports vocabulary learning. These findings suggest that Flippity can be a valuable resource for educators, providing a flexible and engaging tool for improving vocabulary acquisition in home environments.

A Systematic Review of Blended Learning in Higher Education: Second Language Acquisition through the Community of Inquiry Framework

This study examined the application of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework in blended learning environments for second language acquisition in higher education. A systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA protocol, analyzing 25 peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2023 from Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC databases. The review investigated CoI implementation characteristics, the interplay of CoI elements, research methodologies, challenges, and best practices. Findings revealed a predominance of studies on undergraduate English learners, with mixed-methods approaches being most common. The integration of social, cognitive, and teaching presence significantly enhanced language acquisition and student engagement. Key challenges included technological integration, maintaining online engagement, effective instructional design, and addressing varying language proficiency levels. Best practices emphasized the strategic use of mobile applications, fostering online communities, enhancing teaching presence, and implementing personalized learning approaches. Gaps identified in the research included a predominant focus on English language studies, limited exploration at the graduate level, and a scarcity of longitudinal investigations examining long-term outcomes of CoI-informed blended learning. This review provided valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in blended language learning, offering a foundation for future research and implementation strategies. However, the study was limited by its focus on peer-reviewed articles from specific databases.

TECHNOLOGY LITERACY AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS FOR ENHANCING NUMERACY AND LITERACY SKILLS OF EARLY-GRADE PUPILS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENTS IN TANZANIA

Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have significantly transformed the educational landscape, and offer substantial benefits for learners with special needs including those with hearing impairments. The primary purpose of this research was to determine the technological literacy level among primary school teachers in using ICTs to support literacy and numeracy skills among learners with hearing impairments and compare them based on demographic information. A quantitative analysis approach was used, involving 121 teachers from the deaf unit primary school who completed a self-rating questionnaire based on the Technology Literacy Assessment Scale developed by UNESCO. Both mean scores, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Kruskal-Walli’s test were used to compare teachers’ technological literacy using ICTs. The results indicated that teachers' demographic information is significantly related to technological literacy at the p=0.05 level. The results found that female teachers had higher technological literacy than male teachers. Also, teachers with lower education levels were found to have higher technological literacy than those with higher levels of education. Among the teacher characteristics, working experience and age were found to have no significant difference with technology literacy as they had p-values of 0.313 and 0.212 respectively. Interestingly, teachers who specialized in special needs education were found to have higher technological literacy than those who didn’t specialize in special needs education. The findings revealed that technology literacy among primary teachers who teach pupils with hearing impairments was high, which signifies confidence in basic ICT skills for enhancing literacy and numeracy skills among learners with hearing impairments. However, incompetence levels were found in integrating ICT in organization and administration, especially in managing individual variation among pupils with hearing impairments, and curriculum and assessment had lower mean scores than other elements of the UNESCO ICT-CFT areas. These findings suggest that adaptive and personalized learning systems are essential, and comprehensive training regarding ICT integration specifically tailored for teaching pupils with hearing impairments is needed for effective classroom usage.