Educational Technology Course Research Articles

Exploring the Role of Generative AI in Advancing Pre-service Teachers' Digital Literacy Through Educational Technology Courses

This study investigates the role of generative artificial intelligence (AIGC), particularly large language models, in enhancing the digital literacy of pre-service teachers. With the rapid growth of AI technologies, integrating generative AI into education has gained significant attention. The research focuses on how varying frequencies of generative AI usage affect pre-service teachers’ skills in information processing, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Using a polynomial regression model, we analyze the relationship between factors such as AI usage frequency, problem-solving time, feedback quality, and digital literacy scores. The results indicate that frequent use of generative AI substantially improves digital literacy, with the high-frequency group achieving higher and more consistent scores compared to the low-frequency group. Personalized feedback and project-based tasks, provided by generative AI, enhance students’ comprehension and application of digital technologies. This research shows that incorporating generative AI into teacher training programs not only supports personalized learning but also fosters essential digital competencies. The findings provide valuable insights for enhancing pre-service teachers' digital literacy and lay a foundation for future educational practices involving AI technologies.

Beyond the theoretical and pedagogical constraints of cognitive load theory, and towards a new cognitive philosophy in education

Cognitive load theory (CLT), a construct of instructional psychologist John Sweller, has long been a mainstay of educational psychology and university educational technology courses, regionally and internationally. Although aspects of this cognitivist theory have been severely criticised, including its insistence on direct instruction in opposition to inquiry-based pedagogies, a comprehensive philosophical, neurobiological, and education critique has been missing. This paper fills the gap, by subjecting the main theoretical and pedagogical claims of CLT to close and searching scrutiny, in part, utilising a newly emerging synthesis of philosophy and cognitive brain science, appropriately known as Cognitive Philosophy. The paper pushes past CLT, with its emphasis on the transient nature of working memory and core notion of cognitive ‘load’, to propose an account of the learning brain that is predictive (not reactive), embodied, neuronally plastic, non-linear, dynamically self-organising, and inherently emotional. This alternative account immediately problematises Sweller’s understanding of working memory and his account of language learning, based on Geary’s questionable epistemological claims, while keeping the practical needs of teachers and teacher educators firmly in view. Armed with this alternative, teachers can move beyond the theoretical and pedagogical constraints of CLT, including trying to mitigate a putative ‘load’ in working memory.

How Does Social Support Detected Automatically in Discussion Forums Relate to Online Learning Burnout? The Moderating Role of Students’ Self-Regulated Learning

Engaging students in online discussion forums with social support holds significant potential for preventing and alleviating student burnout. However, the mechanisms by which different types of social support influence learning burnout remain poorly understood. Additionally, existing methods for detecting social support detection are limited in both practical application and theoretical advancement. This study addresses these gaps by developing a robust text classification model for social support and examining its effects on online learning burnout among learners with varying levels of self-regulated learning. We first developed a robust natural language processing model based on bidirectional encoder representations from transformers - bidirectional long short-term memory (BERT-Bi-LSTM) framework, trained on 11226 manually labeled posts from various course forums. This model was then applied to classify forum posts from an educational technology course over one semester. Multiple regression analysis revealed that informational support was negatively associated with two dimensions of learning burnout: emotional exhaustion and improper behavior, and emotional support was negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion and a low sense of achievement. Moreover, a moderating effect analysis indicated that self-regulated learning moderated the negative associations between informational support and improper behavior, as well as between emotional support and emotional exhaustion, with stronger effects observed among learners with lower self-regulated learning. These findings contribute to advancing automated content analysis of social support and provide actionable insights for mitigating student burnout through targeted social support.

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.

The Role of 3D Printing Technology Education and Practice Courses in Talent Training and Employment Guidance in Vocational Colleges

3D printing technology, that is, additive manufacturing technology, is a multi-disciplinary technology, involving mechanical engineering, materials science, architecture, product design and other disciplines. Vocational colleges as an important position to train high-skill talents, its educational goal is not only to teach students theoretical knowledge, but also pay more attention to training students’ practical ability and professional quality. In this context, incorporating 3D printing technology into the curriculum system of vocational colleges can not only improve students’ technical skills but also lay a solid foundation for their employment and career development. This paper will discuss the important role of 3D printing technology education and practical courses in the talent training and employment guidance of vocational colleges, with special emphasis on the positive role of the integration of industry and education and school-enterprise cooperation in promoting the employment of vocational college students, as well as the influence of enterprises on the empowerment of schools.

RELEVANCE OF BUILDING ENGINEERING EDUCATION CURRICULUM TOWARDS SKKNI BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES

Indonesia's rapidly growing construction industry is a key economic driver, presenting both challenges and opportunities for graduates of the Building Engineering Education Program. Higher education plays a crucial role in developing competent human resources with the relevant knowledge, skills, and expertise to meet industry needs. This study maps the qualifications of technicians and analysts based on the Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (SKKNI) in the construction sector and analyzes the alignment of competency units with Building Engineering Education State University of Jakarta course outcomes. The analysis of SKKNI data from 2024 found that out of 71 job levels in the building subclassification, 14 are for technicians or analysts at KKNI levels 4 to 6, but only 10 have detailed SKKNI documents. In the construction management classification, there are 39 job levels, with 16 for technicians/analysts, all with detailed SKKNI documents. The analysis indicates that 11 job levels are relevant to Building Engineering Education course outcomes, while two are not. Specifically, several job levels in both subclassifications are rated from Relevant to Very Relevant. To address curriculum gaps, recommendations include strengthening the existing curriculum and adding new courses. This study aims to provide a foundation for curriculum revitalization, ensuring Building Engineering Education graduates are competitive in the labor market and meet the evolving needs of the construction industry.

The utilization of 21st century ICT Tools in Teaching and Learning of Technology and Vocational Courses in a Nigerian Public University

This study investigates the use of ICT hardware and software applications in the teaching and learning of Technology and Vocational Education courses in a public university in Nigeria. Increasing trend of virtual learning facilitated by cutting-edge ICT tools and the the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the educational sector in Nigeria, underscore the importance of assessing their utilization in Technology and Vocational Education (TVE) to better prepare graduates for the global labor market. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for carrying out this study. Four research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Simple random sampling was used to select 265 respondents that consist of 240 students and 25 lecturers. Data collected were analysed by SPSS Version 25 using mean and standard deviation for the research questions. The null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using t-test statistic. The findings of the study revealed that: Hard drives are under-utilized in storing students’ data, projectors are not used for presentation/delivery of lectures, computers are not used to assess students’ response/performance, utilization are correspondingly low.

The Effectiveness of a Digital Twin Learning System in Assisting Engineering Education Courses: A Case of Landscape Architecture

The Effectiveness of a Digital Twin Learning System in Assisting Engineering Education Courses: A Case of Landscape Architecture

15 to 5 weeks: Right-Sizing an Undergraduate Educational Technology Course

This design case describes the thought processes associated with redesigning an educational technology course for undergraduate preservice teachers from a 15-week hybrid course to a 5-week online course. The redesign is part of a push to create more flexible courses for working and rural students to remain competitive despite multiple alternative licensure paths now available to aspiring teachers. The designers face and overcome challenges regarding right-sizing the course content and assignments while maintaining student engagement. Additionally, the designers discuss how they streamlined the course without sacrificing standards or critical and relevant topics, like AI in education. The case details the development of the online course within the learning management system (LMS; Google Classroom) and the design questions that emerge during that process. The redesigned 5-week course was tested through two iterations in the 2023 summer semester: Summer 1 and Summer 2. The designers collected student feedback after both runs of the course using the standard course evaluation survey, their own Google Forms survey, and the instructor’s reflections. The feedback from Summer 1 informed the Summer 2 iteration. Finally, the designers observed that the experience of condensing the course from 15 weeks to 5 weeks required them to think critically about the course goals and how to make the content manageable for students. The redesign was so successful that the course instructor (also a design case author) determined to redesign the 15-week version of the course for Fall 2023 using the new 5-week design as an anchoring point.

Development of Interactive Video for the Basics of Educational Technology Course

This study aims to evaluate the validity of the interactive video developed for the Basics of Education Technology course. This Research & Development (R&D) study adopts the ADDIE development model, commencing with the analysis and design phases. The subsequent step is the development phase, where data is collected through interviews and questionnaires. Data analysis is conducted to assess the validity of the interactive video across three aspects: content, media, and language. Validators provide both quantitative and qualitative feedback. The results of the validity test indicate a score of 93% from media experts, 85% from content experts, and 95% from language experts. This suggests that each aspect of the interactive video is deemed valid and falls within the highly valid category. Thus, it can be concluded that the interactive video is highly suitable for use as a learning medium for students in the Basics of Education Technology course.

Classroom Teaching of Engineering Courses Assisted by Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twin Systems

This paper explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Twin systems in the classroom teaching of engineering courses, with a focus on the Industrial Robot Technology course1. It addresses the challenges of traditional practical teaching methods and proposes a new model that leverages AI and Digital Twin technology to enhance student engagement, improve learning outcomes, and better prepare students for the demands of the industry. The paper discusses the implementation of AI-assisted teaching, the creation of a ubiquitous teaching ecology, and the strengthening of vocational skills through digital twin.

Enhancing learning and attitude toward statistics with a microlearning approach using an animated video

Statistics anxiety is a reality among many students that may affect their academic and professional lives. Although there are instructional strategies proven to demonstrate advanced statistical concepts, a method to mitigate statistics anxiety in introductory courses is lacking. This research examines the effectiveness of three interventions used to teach the concept of Levels of Measurement, an introductory topic in statistics: text-based lecture notes, comic strips, and microlearning using a two-minute animated video. This study was conducted over six semesters between Spring 2020 and Fall 2022 in an undergraduate introduction to educational technology course, and 571 students participated. Data collected included students’ attitudes toward statistics measured by the Attitude Toward Statistics scale, a one-word response expressing their attitudes toward statistics before and after the interventions, and pre-and-post tests examining their understanding of the concept. The microlearning groups outperformed the other groups on the post-test, and the ATS scores significantly, indicating that this intervention is more effective in improving students’ learning of the levels of measurement and attitudes toward statistics. Educators can implement microlearning using animated videos in introductory courses to reduce students’ statistics anxiety, thereby facilitating their academic progress.

Teaching design and implementation of traffic system simulation course based on a computer virtual reality software under the background of engineering education

AbstractThe further reform and development of engineering education courses can help improve the teaching quality of higher education institutions, implement the fundamental task of talent cultivation, and provide important support and channels for cultivating high‐quality and supportive engineering technical talents. The traffic system simulation course is an applied science closely related to engineering technology. It mainly cultivates senior engineering technical talents engaged in research and development of transportation engineering, analysis of road traffic characteristics, and transportation planning and design. Considering the characteristics of the traffic system simulation course, this study puts forward the course teaching design based on computer virtual reality software. Combined with the training objectives of applied talents in the traffic system simulation course, this study focuses on how to reform the teaching content and teaching mode with the help of Vissim computer simulation software. The course teaching design refines and optimizes the teaching content by the use of computer software. The use of Vissim software in the course enriches the teaching content and methods and stimulates students' interest in learning. Through the guidance of active exploration and self‐directed learning for students, the traffic system simulation course reform has created a more positive and effective learning environment for students, which helps to cultivate their exploratory spirit and innovative ability. The implementation of the course teaching reform has gradually improved students' learning initiative and ability to master course content, as well as their practical problem‐solving abilities. Good teaching results have been achieved.

Transition to Post-Pandemic Education: Teaching Strategies of Tle Teachers in Secondary Public Schools

This study explored the teaching strategies of Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) course in Cluster 5, Davao City. There were eight (8) home economics teachers who participated in the study. This study made use of a phenomenological approach to extract the ideas of the parent participants. The participants were purposely selected as representatives from the group of home economics teachers from schools in the same division. The in-depth-interview was employed to gather some information as regards to their respective experiences on the transition of their classes from blended learning to the new face to face classes during the post pandemic school year. Using the thematic analysis, the following themes emerged as pertains to the teaching strategies that were most effective for students during the post pandemic time, these are: the most effective teaching strategies in their TLE classes were demonstration method, lecture method and solving common problems. The challenges of the teachers were: the lack of funds, lack of practical strategies and lack of qualified teachers. The suggested teaching strategies to facilitate the students learning was to improve communication and improvement of their collaboration with stakeholders. The Technology and Livelihood Education teachers may be more proactive in implementing the course to their learners. The teachers may be more attentive to the needs and predicaments of their learners and other stakeholders, thus creating the harmonious learning environment.

Preparing pre-service teachers to teach with information technology: mapping knowledge patterns in what is included and omitted in Ghana

ABSTRACT Research, primarily from pre-service teachers’ perspectives, has found that teacher education programmes are not providing adequate preparation for constructivist pedagogy using information technology. This subject is pronounced in Ghana’s teacher education programmes, where local research that investigates knowledge patterns in technology training methods and competencies pre-service teachers mainly acquire is also scarce. In addressing this gap, this paper describes a qualitative study that examined the reflective views and experiences of 20 in-service teachers regarding what was offered and missing in their pre-service training for digital pedagogy. Findings revealed teachers benefit from standalone educational technology courses, teacher educators modelling technology use, and curriculum activities requiring technology use. The knowledge pattern in these training methods suggests a prioritisation of technical skills acquisition that mostly supports traditional, teacher-centred teaching tasks. Factors impeding pedagogical development training are unpacked, along with the reasons behind misalignments between teacher education policy requirements, and actual pre-service technology training practices.

Enhancing educational technology practical course: Designing and validating tools for evaluating knowledge, performance, and satisfaction of public health students.

The present study was conducted with the aim of designing and validating questionnaires for evaluating the public health students' knowledge, performance, and satisfaction (KPS) in the course of educational technology. The present study was conducted with qualitative-quantitative approach. Qualitative stage was done based on experts'opinion and related articles and questionnaires for developing, designing, and validating the tools. For validating the tools, face validity and content validity was done based on the opinion of the 10 expert panel. In quantitative stage, all initial validated tools were implemented on 50 students of public health for determining the reliability. The reliability of the tools was calculated using the internal consistency method of the items with Cronbach's ⍺ coefficient, and Kuder-Richardson. All analyses were conducted using SPSS-19 software. In the field of qualitative research, an assessment tool consisting of 20 four-option questions was designed. The content validity of this tool was confirmed based on the opinions of 10 educational experts, with CVI Total = 0.862 and CVR = 0.885. Additionally, the reliability of the tool was validated through testing on 50 public health students, resulting in a reliability coefficient of r = 0.780. Furthermore, for performance evaluation, four assessment tools each comprising 20 questions (totaling 80 questions) were designed. The validity values for these tools in the areas of PowerPoint (CVI = 0.981, CVR = 0.960), pamphlet (CVI = 0.866, CVR = 0.877), poster (CVI = 0.871, CVR = 0.906), role-playing (CVI = 0.871, CVR = 0.980), and the reliability of the tools with Cronbach's ⍺ r > 0.80 were confirmed. In the satisfaction assessment section, a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of 18 questions across seven domains was designed, with confirmed content validity (CVI = 0.949, CVR = 0.861) and reliability (r = 0.928). It seems that this tool can be used to measure the KPS of students from the educational technology course of the health field and similar fields.

TPACK competence of mathematics education students in designing constructivist learning

The problem and the aim of the study. This study examines mathematics education students' TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) and constructivist learning skills. The major issue is mathematical education students' ability to integrate technology, pedagogical expertise, and mathematical content knowledge in a constructivist learning setting. The study topics include how well students employ constructivist ideas in learning design, how technology supports mathematics learning, and what variables impact their TPACK abilities. By studying it more, this research may help enhance the mathematics education curriculum and teacher training to meet 21st-century education needs. Research methods. Qualitative case study research is used in this work. 23 students of the mathematics education program at Universitas Negeri Surabaya were selected. After observing students in constructivist mathematics learning design activities, in-depth interviews were conducted to understand better their views on TPACK and the constructivist approach, and their learning plans were analyzed. Students' TPACK abilities in constructivist learning will be assessed using thematic and triangulated data analysis. The research findings may help explain the problems and opportunities of constructing a mathematics education curriculum, particularly when merging TPACK and constructivist techniques. Results. The average TPACK competency of math education students is 78.4%, according to studies. According to the TPACK component analysis, students scored 85.2% on the Technology Knowledge Test (TK), 79.6% on the Pedagogical Knowledge Test (PK), and 75.8% on the Content Knowledge Test (CK). However, CK component proficiency varied, suggesting mathematical content knowledge should be improved. In-depth interviews showed that students with formal educational technology training or courses had higher TPACK ratings (M = 82.1%) than those without (M = 76.3%). These data show that formal education and training improve TPACK abilities. To optimize the constructivist method, the CK component must be improved. This research shows that technology integration and mathematics subject mastery are crucial to constructivist learning curricula and training programs for mathematics education students. Conclusion. The constructivist learning TPACK skills of mathematics education students are examined in this study. Students demonstrated technology integration, instructional competency, and mathematical topic knowledge with an average TPACK score of 78.4%. According to TPACK component analysis, pupils have good technical skills (TK) but varied mathematics topic knowledge. TPACK scores are higher for technology education students, demonstrating the role of formal learning in competency. These findings show that CK needs to include constructivism better. In conclusion, comprehensive training and mathematical content additions can improve students' TPACK skills, enabling constructivist technology usage. These insights may assist in improving mathematics curriculum and training.

Mapping the Spectrum of Expertise of Graduates from the Electrical Engineering Education Study Programme at Universitas Negeri Padang

Upon graduation, the aim of education graduates is to become qualified educators capable of meeting the needs of education, society, and industry. Graduates of the Electrical Engineering Education Study Programme are expected to possess superior competence and provide solutions to societal problems. The research conducted is descriptive in nature, utilising a qualitative approach. The study was carried out at the Faculty of Engineering, State University of Padang. The research instrument comprised documents such as course outlines, course synopses, and syllabi in Electrical Engineering Education at Padang State University. Data was collected through interviews and documentation. The study aimed to create a mapping of Electrical Engineering Education courses at Padang State University. The UNP Electrical Engineering Education program requires students to complete a set number of courses each semester. In semester 1, students must complete 22 SKS; in semester 2, 22 SKS; in semester 3, 22 SKS; in semester 4, 19 SKS; in semester 5, 22 SKS; in semester 6, 20 SKS; in semester 7, 8 SKS; and in semester 8, 10 SKS of final courses. The requirement for Semester Credit Units for Electrical Engineering Education students at Padang State University is 145 credits.

A Qualitative Case Study: Pre-service Teachers as Novice Programmers

To meet the needs of 21st-century learners in today’s classrooms, it is needed that teachers be familiar with programming and computational thinking. Particularly, subject-area pre-service teachers should be exposed to programming instruction in their teacher education programs. This case study including three participants aims to explore the process of pre-service teachers’ learning of programming while completing CT-oriented tasks through observations and interviews in a 14-week educational technology course at a public university in Turkey. The findings demonstrate that pre-service teachers, being novice programmers, prefer contextualized, structured and visually well-designed programming tasks. They use various strategies to face challenges, and the effort they put into dealing with these challenges enables them to produce higher-quality programs. Accordingly, implications for further research are also discussed in this study.

INTEGRATING OPEN DISTANCE LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AS A TRANSFORMATIVE SHIFT IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

Background and Purpose: The threat brought about by Coronavirus or Covid-19 had made a huge impact not only on the economic, tourism, and health sectors, but it also hardly hit the education system of the world at large. Specifically, this pandemic crisis has caused higher education institutions (HEIs) to abruptly shift to open distance learning (ODL) as a response to the call for continued education despite the global health threat.
 
 Methodology: Using quantitative approach and purposive sampling that led to soliciting good responses from 320 respondents from both private and public HEIs in Melaka, this study explains the reality, the readiness and willingness of learners and lecturers have experienced in ODL.
 
 Findings: Findings indicate that technology use in ODL teaching and learning offers a lot of opportunities for both learners and lecturers. The instructors and learners perceived that ODL is effective with the use of technology merging the old and the new. Three aspects were indicated from this study namely 1) interaction between learners or among themselves as peers and 2) technical support and 3) pedagogical demands. Nonetheless, there were some challenges faced by both lecturers and learners such as; unreliable internet access, high costs associated with bandwidth, technophobia and inadequate pedagogical skills of online lecturers found from this study too.
 
 Contributions: Thus, it is deemed important to identify and understand learners’ experiences in an online education technology course facilitated through various digital platforms. It is time we accept blended learning if not ODL. Blended learning has grown in use across HEIs to replace traditional classroom learning.
 
 Keywords: Blended learning, continuity, digital, open distance learning, fundamental shifts.
 
 Cite as: Hoo, F. J., Mohd Amin, M. N., Raihan, I., Mohd Faeez, I., Mohd Izzuddin, M. P., & Nur’Ain, M. (2024). Integrating open distance learning in higher education institutions as a transformative shift in teaching and learning. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 9(1), 121-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol9iss1pp121-138