Present Education Research Articles

Physics and common senses of sci-fi movies and anime as the source of informal learning

In this paper, we discuss the depiction of physical phenomena in movies and anime and how they might impact informal learning. We found that, to some extent, the physics shown in these media is accurate, though there are some deviations and exaggerations. Additionally, we observed that the physics presented in these movies and anime is often quite advanced. This discussion can inspire curious viewers to learn more about physics after watching them, highlighting the importance of informal sources for education nowadays.

Instructor presence in instructional videos in higher education: three field experiments in university courses

AbstractIn formal educational settings, such as online university lectures, instructional videos often consist of PowerPoint slides accompanied by a video or audio explanation from the instructor. It has been assumed that the social cues provided by the instructor’s video may facilitate affective processes and affect learning outcomes. Research on instructor presence in instructional videos has focused primarily on laboratory and online studies that are not embedded in the courses in which learners are enrolled. Therefore, we present three field studies examining instructor presence in instructional videos embedded in higher education courses to strengthen external validity (exam-relevant topic, > 30 min long, personally known instructor). The results of these studies show positive effects of a visible instructor compared to no visible instructor on some affective measures: social presence in Study 1 (n = 18, d = .85) and well-being in Study 3 (n = 38, d = 1.01), but not on others (well-being in Studies 1 & 2 (n = 53); motivation in Studies 1–3, social presence in Studies 2 & 3). They also show no effects on extraneous processing or learning outcomes (Studies 1–3). Thus, no general effect of instructor presence can be shown for instructional videos embedded in university courses in higher education, but there are also no detrimental effects. This leads to implications for future research, teaching, and design practice.

Developing a piezoresistive sensor based bionic neurological intraoperative monitoring system for spine surgery skill training.

This research aims to tackle the limitations faced in surgical education nowadays, particularly in the complex field of spinal cord tumor removal surgery. An innovative flexible piezoresistive sensor designed to mimic a motor nerve was developed and integrated into a bionic spine surgery simulation system, allowing for the intraoperative nerve monitoring possible during simulated tumor removal surgeries. The motor nerve, fabricated using a combination of carbon nanotubes and silicone rubber, exhibited a strong correlation between applied force and resultant changes in resistance, as confirmed by experimental results. This creative system can play an important role in providing valuable feedback for training doctors, facilitating the assessment of surgical precision and success, and enabling doctors to take necessary precautions to minimize the risk of nerve damage in real surgical scenarios. Ultimately, this proposed system has the potential to elevate the standard of surgical education, foster skill development among doctors, and significantly contribute to enhanced patient care and recovery.

Exploration on the Teaching Reform of the Environmental Design Practical Course based on Serving Society

Society services is one of the most important functions of universities, and it is also a vital target of talents development in universities. Taking the environmental design practical course as an example, this paper studied the existing problems in practical education nowadays, discussed the principles of practical course construction, and puts forward strategies for establishing a serving-society-oriented environmental design practical course. This study provides certain value for the teaching reform of environmental design practical course.

The Effect of Self-Regulated Learning and Community of Inquiry on the Online Learning Engagement of Chinese as Foreign Language Learners

This study aimed to understand how different dimensions of online learning engagement were influenced by learners’ self-regulated learning (SRL) and their perceptions of teaching, cognitive, and social presence in the community of inquiry (CoI) framework. A structural equation modelling analysis of survey responses from 154 online Chinese-as-a-foreign-language learners showed that the level of learners’ SRL positively influenced their perceptions of teaching, cognitive, and social presence and consistently directly impacted all dimensions of students’ learning engagement. Regarding the different dimensions of engagement, learner’ perceived CoI had different mediating effects. Affective engagement was influenced by learners’ perceptions of cognitive and social presence, while social engagement was influenced by learners’ perceptions of social presence. Cognitive and behavioural engagements were influenced by learners’ perceptions of teaching presence. The results highlight the importance of SRL in the CoI framework for enhancing learning engagement, suggesting integrating SRL training into instructional design in the online learning environment. In addition, the effects of various dimensions of the CoI framework on learning engagement inform pedagogical implications to enhance online learning engagement, such as building an online learning community to strengthen affective and social engagement while strengthening teaching presence to improve cognitive and behavioural engagement.

Instructors’ presence and communication strategies on student engagement in asynchronous online classes

This study investigated the factors influencing student engagement in asynchronous online classes, focusing on the roles of instructor presence, communication strategies, and demographic profiles. Data were collected from 385 college students employing moderated mediation with parallel mediators. The results revealed significant direct effects of instructor presence and communication strategies on student engagement, highlighting the pivotal role of these factors in shaping the online learning experience. Specifically, stronger instructor presence and effective communication strategies corresponded to higher levels of student engagement, emphasizing the importance of fostering supportive interactions and facilitating meaningful communication in virtual classrooms. Mediation analyses further clear the pathways through which these factors influence student engagement. Perceived instructional support emerged as a robust mediator between instructor presence and engagement, underscoring the significance of establishing a supportive learning environment. Additionally, technology self-efficacy played a modest yet significant role in mediating the impact of instructor presence and communication strategies on student engagement, highlighting the importance of students’ confidence in utilizing technology for academic purposes. While moderation analyses did not reveal significant effects of demographic profiles on the relationships between key variables, the findings underscore the universality of effective teaching practices in fostering student engagement across diverse student populations. These findings have important implications for online teaching practices and educational policies, emphasizing the need to prioritize strategies that enhance instructor support, foster effective communication, and promote technological proficiency among students. By addressing these factors, educators and institutions can optimize the online learning experience and promote meaningful engagement among students in asynchronous online classes.

The Roles of Teaching Presence in Asynchronous and Synchronous Online Teaching Contexts

Asynchronous and synchronous modes of learning are pivotal to the landscape of online education. To gain more insights into the effectiveness of online teaching practices, it is essential to investigate the teaching practice in online learning contexts, specifically how the teaching presence of instructors affect students’ learning in asynchronous or synchronous situations. This study aims to find out if the teaching presence varies between the two modes of learning through the lens of Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. Additionally, it seeks to compare the factors impacting learners’ experiences in teaching presence. A total of 94 ESL tertiary learners answered the CoI questionnaire and 19 learners were interviewed. The results revealed that the perceived teaching presence between the two groups did not differ statistically. Findings from the interviews showed that the instructor’s interactivity is a pertinent factor in increasing teaching presence in both groups. Additionally, it seems learners from the asynchronous group valued the instructor’s feedback and positive characteristics while the instructor’s facilitation was essential for those from the synchronous group. The outcome of the study could potentially provide insights and practical solutions in relation to the functions of teaching presence in enhancing the learning experience of learners attending online lessons.

Bichronous Online Learning: Perspectives, Best Practices, Benefits, and Challenges from Award-Winning Online Instructors

Bichronous online learning is the intentional blending of asynchronous and synchronous online learning experiences. Twelve award-winning online instructors participated in interviews to discuss best practices they use, and benefits and challenges in bichronous online courses. When sharing best practices for bichronous online courses, award-winning online instructors explained how they combined best practices in asynchronous and synchronous online learning. Asynchronous online best practices included course design and structure, resources, and instructor presence; and synchronous online best practices focused on formats, activities, and content of synchronous sessions, and community-building. The best practices, benefits and challenges discussed in this paper have implications for instructors who currently teach in a bichronous online format or may be considering it in the future, and for instructional designers and administrators who work with faculty on offering courses in this modality. Based on the data, the intentional blending of synchronous and asynchronous components has a lot of potential to enhance students’ online learning experiences.

Effective Instructional Strategies to Enhance Chinese EFL Learners’ Engagement in a Blended Learning Environment

This study aimed to investigate the effective instructional strategies perceived by EFL students to enhance their engagement in a blended learning environment. Data from an English Reading and Writing blended course at a Chinese university were collected and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. A total of 162 non-English majors responded to a survey and 10 were interviewed to express their views. The results identified 16 instructional strategies either online or face-to-face, which could enhance students’ behavioral, emotional, cognitive or social engagement. These strategies were further categorized into four groups, namely instructor presence, process monitoring and feedback, learning assessment and group cooperation. Student interviews were analyzed to gain a deeper understanding of the strategies. Pedagogical implications have been provided, with an emphasis on the fundamentals of developing effective instructional strategies for teachers in blended learning environments.

Disentangling the mechanism of student engagement in online language classrooms from the perspective of Community of Inquiry

Previous studies have revealed that students' participation is a complex matter affected by pedagogical, environmental, and individual factors. However, there is still insufficient empirical evidence regarding how those factors work in shaping classroom participation in the online context. In the field of language education, moreover, it still remains unclear as to how social interactions among students and teachers may affect students' cognitive engagement. To further understand the complex relations between language students' online engagement and the influencing factors, the current study conducted in-depth interviews with 24 university students enrolled in three online English courses in an International university in China. Analyses and interpretation of the qualitative data were informed by the Community of Inquiry framework. The findings suggest that students' engagement in online classrooms is a situated process affected by 1) pedagogical practices and support from teachers, which determines students' cognitive presence and perceived teaching presence directly, and 2) students' perceived social presence, which was shaped by both group dynamics and the online environment. Notably, the physically isolated online environment seemed to have played an impeding role in some students' cognitive engagement, but a facilitating a role in some others’, as mediated by their preference for social presence or absence. Overall, our study highlights the importance of providing students with a constructive, supportive and interactive environment for online language teaching and learning.

Secondary teachers’ experiences of presence in teaching: A large-scale investigation using narrative vignettes

This study examined the recognition and perceived significance of presence in teaching among secondary school teachers (N = 258) using a narrative vignettes instrument. Results showed that on average, secondary teachers experience presence in teaching in more than half of their lessons. They consider presence in teaching to be associated with the essence of teaching, and relevant for gratifying teaching experiences and for students’ development as whole persons. This study contributes to refining a conceptualization of presence in teaching grounded in daily educational practice and provides teachers with language and knowledge to use in reflecting on their teaching practice.

Corrigendum: Meaningful connection in virtual classrooms: graduate students' perspectives on effective instructor presence in blended courses

Corrigendum: Meaningful connection in virtual classrooms: graduate students' perspectives on effective instructor presence in blended courses

THE COMMUNITY OF INQUIRY FRAMEWORK IN ONLINE ENGLISH LEARNING: INSIGHTS FROM INDONESIAN CULTURAL CONTEXTS

This research is grounded in the theoretical foundation of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Framework, exploring its application within the context of Indonesian cultural values in English education. The objective of this case study is to examine how English instructors adapt their teaching strategies to the challenges of online learning. The research design employs a qualitative approach, centered on interviews with three instructors from an English department at a private university in Jakarta. The participants, representing a small but focused population, were selected through a reputational purposive sampling technique, based on nominations from students who identified them for their effectiveness and expertise in online English learning. Data collection involved in-depth interviews, providing insights into the instructors’ perspectives and experiences. The analysis involved a thematic examination of teaching, cognitive, and social presence in the CoI framework. Findings show a robust teaching presence and a significant cognitive presence. Notably, social presence, crucial to CoI, subtly aligns with Indonesian hierarchical culture. This study underlines the complex relationship between CoI and cultural factors in online education. It suggests incorporating pedagogies aligned with local cultural values to improve engagement and outcomes in Indonesian online English learning.

What are the roles of positive psychological construct in blended learning contexts? Integrating academic buoyancy into the Community of Inquiry framework.

In the post-epidemic era, blended learning has become a social trend for the future of higher education, and scholars have endeavored to understand the factors that influence student learning in these blended communities. Communities of Inquiry is a conceptual framework that describes the components of blended learning environments, indicating teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence. However, the framework fails to adequately explore how individual learning motivational factors influence student learning. Therefore, this study extends the Community of Inquiry framework by drawing on a positive psychological construct-academic buoyancy to reveal the relationship between academic buoyancy and the three presences through empirical research. The theoretical model was validated by SPSS 26.0 and smartPLS4.0. To evaluate the measurement and structural models, structural equation modeling (SEM) was carried out using the partial least squares (PLS) method. (a) Teaching presence positively predicts academic buoyancy, and academic buoyancy positively predicts social presence and cognitive presence; (b) academic buoyancy mediates teaching presence and social presence, as well as teaching presence and cognitive presence; and (c) academic buoyancy acts as a chain mediator between teaching presence and cognitive presence through social presence. The results of this study fill a gap in the multiple roles of individual positive psychological construct-academic buoyancy in blended learning communities, extend the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework, and provide empirical evidence for blended learning quality and practical improvement strategies.

Learner Experiences of Community of Inquiry Mode (CoI) in WhatsApp for English Language Learning

This study employed a mixed-methods design to investigate the experiences of ESL students during their English language learning interactions through the WhatsApp platform. The primary objective was to examine the presence of social, cognitive, and teaching presences in the WhatsApp interactions using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model. A survey was administered to 349 undergraduate students in Malaysia to collect the quantitative data, which was then triangulated through interviews with 20 students. The interviews were categorized based on Braun and Clarke’s reflective thematic analysis. The survey related to social presence indicates a strong interaction among students and a notable decrease in students’ inclination for informal and humorous social interactions with their teachers. The findings related to teaching presence view instructors as actively engaging students in their learning process. However, they also pointed out that out less sharing of critical knowledge is taking place. On the other hand, the cognitive presence category was associated with the development of meaningful interaction The educational implications seek to provide guidance to educators and institutions on maximizing the utilization of WhatsApp, for the learning of English as a Second Language (ESL). This involves considering the social, cognitive, and teaching presences highlighted in the study.

The Influence of Teaching Presence on Students Satisfaction toward MOOC Based Flipped Classroom

Student satisfaction plays a crucial role in ensuring effective flipped learning. This study designed a flipped "Fundamentals of Computer Application (FCA)" course based on Chaoxing MOOC platform and investigated 442 students' satisfaction with the model and the relationship between teaching presence and students satisfaction. The results showed that student satisfaction with the model was high (M = 19.37, SD = 2.694, total 129 in the affective coding, of which 79 were positive and only 2 were negative), and that the three dimensions of Teaching Presence(TP), Instructional Design and Organization(IDS) (r = 0.410, p < .001), Facilitated Discourse (FD) (r = 0.355, p < .001), Direct Instruction (DI) (r = 0.362, p < .001) were all positively and significantly related to satisfaction, with Instructional Design and Organization(IDS) (β = .239, t = 4.555, p = < .001) , and Direct Instruction (DI) (β = .218, t = 2.468, p = < .05) were able to significantly predict satisfaction. The findings indicated that students are highly satisfied with the flipped model in the FCA course, which is mainly practical and hands-on. Consequently, teachers should carefully plan and organize their lessons, give students direct guidance when needed, foster a safe learning environment, and provide more opportunities for students to give speeches. All of these strategies will contribute to students' increased satisfaction with flipped learning.

A low-cost, DIY tourniquet simulator with built-in self-assessment for prehospital providers in Guatemala city.

Hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable death after trauma. In high-income countries first responders are trained in hemorrhage control techniques but this is not the case for developing countries like Guatemala. We present a low-cost training model for tourniquet application using a combination of virtual and physical components. The training program includes a mobile application with didactic materials, videos and a gamified virtual reality environment for learning. Additionally, a physical training model of a bleeding lower extremity is developed allowing learners to practice tourniquet application using inexpensive and accessible materials. Validation of the simulator occurred through content and construct validation. Content validation involved subjective assessments by novices and experts, construct validation compared pre-training novices with experts. Training validation compared pre and post training novices for improvement. Our findings indicate that users found the simulator useful, realistic, and satisfactory. We found significant differences in tourniquet application skills between pre-training novices and experts. When comparing pre- and post-training novices, we found a significantly lower bleeding control time between the groups. This study suggests that this training approach can enhance access to life-saving skills for prehospital personnel. The inclusion of self-assessment components enables self-regulated learning and reduces the need for continuous instructor presence. Future improvements involve refining the tourniquet model, validating it with first-responder end users, and expanding the training program to include other skills.

Tension between Digital Distance and Physical Presence in Hybrid Teaching: Evidence from Two Natural Experiments During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a French Business School

The advent of digitization has promised learning paradigms based on digital communication and virtual reality at the expense of physical presence. During the COVID-19 health emergency, the tension between digital distance and physical presence evolved from competing alternatives to a more nuanced coexistence. Several organizations resorted to hybrid arrangements; hybrid teaching is a notable example. In this paper, we draw from the theory of planned behavior to theorize the effect of physical presence on learning outcomes in the context of hybrid teaching. We differentiate between individual and team learning outcomes. We predict that physical presence induces competition and has a negative effect on individual learning outcomes. For team learning outcomes, we predict that physical presence induces cooperation and has a positive impact. We exploit two natural experiments in a French business school during the fall semester of 2020. The school’s administration allocated students to subgroups randomly for fairness reasons. This context offered a natural within-subjects experiment, where every student was randomly assigned to either in-person or online lectures. Students had up to 4.9% lower likelihood of correctly answering exam questions for lectures they followed in person rather than online. However, in group-work assignments, teams with one more student following in person tended to see a 3.6% increase in their team evaluation. Digital distance, therefore, constitutes a barrier to learning in a hybrid setting only when tasks are evaluated on a team basis.

Onscreen presence of instructors in video lectures affects learners’ neural synchrony and visual attention during multimedia learning

COVID-19 forced students to rely on online learning using multimedia tools, and multimedia learning continues to impact education beyond the pandemic. In this study, we combined behavioral, eye-tracking, and neuroimaging paradigms to identify multimedia learning processes and outcomes. College students viewed four video lectures including slides with either an onscreen human instructor, an animated instructor, or no onscreen instructor. Brain activity was recorded via fMRI, visual attention was recorded via eye-tracking, and learning outcome was assessed via post-tests. Onscreen presence of instructor, compared with no instructor presence, resulted in superior post-test performance, less visual attention on the slide, more synchronized eye movements during learning, and higher neural synchronization in cortical networks associated with socio-emotional processing and working memory. Individual variation in cognitive and socio-emotional abilities and intersubject neural synchronization revealed different levels of cognitive and socio-emotional processing in different learning conditions. The instructor-present condition evoked increased synchronization, likely reflecting extra processing demands in attentional control, working memory engagement, and socio-emotional processing. Although human instructors and animated instructors led to comparable learning outcomes, the effects were due to the dynamic interplay of information processing vs. attentional distraction. These findings reflect a benefit-cost trade-off where multimedia learning outcome is enhanced only when the cognitive benefits motivated by the social presence of onscreen instructor outweigh the cognitive costs brought about by concurrent attentional distraction unrelated to learning.

Experiences of face-to-face and online collaborative learning tutorials: A qualitative community of inquiry approach

This study explores the experiences and the preferred schedule of face-to-face and online tutorials in a problem-based learning setting where students learn collaboratively, based on cognitive, social, and teaching presences. Seventeen experienced students and 13 tutors attended semi-structured interviews focusing on their experiences and preferences. The majority (15 students and seven tutors) preferred a 100% face-to-face schedule as the default option to stimulate deep learning and social interactions, while two students and five tutors preferred a schedule with a majority of face-to-face tutorials with some online sessions. Overall, face-to-face tutorial meetings were perceived to deepen content discussions, create a sense of connection through social interactions and non-verbal communication, and protect student well-being.