Technology-enhanced Environments Research Articles

The psychological mechanism of self-regulated learning in a technology-enhanced environment

The psychological mechanism of self-regulated learning in a technology-enhanced environment

Unveiling the dynamics and impact of emotional presence in collaborative learning

This study aims to understand the dynamics and impact of emotional presence in a collaborative learning environment and its effects on the learning process and outcomes. Emotional presence, defined as the experience of emotion arising from cognitive appraisals in learner-environment interactions, encompasses four dimensions: interest-curiosity, emotional regulation, expression management, and emotional awareness. Using a mixed-methods approach, we surveyed 33 Japanese college students engaged in collaborative learning activities and conducted in-depth interviews with 10 participants to gather qualitative insights. The study revealed that emotional presence evolves throughout the collaborative process, with increased emotional regulation in response to complex tasks, reflecting learners’ adaptations to varying task demands. It highlighted the importance of emotional regulation in shaping the learning process and improving outcomes in collaborative learning. Our findings suggest that heightened emotional presence, with increased emotional awareness and regulation, fosters cognitive development and learner well-being, supporting more effective and fulfilling collaborative learning experiences. The study also emphasizes the crucial role of cognitive appraisal in shaping emotional experiences, significantly influencing outcomes in technology-enhanced environments. The study concludes by proposing future research directions, such as examining the longitudinal impacts of emotional presence and exploring interventions to enhance emotional regulation skills in diverse learning contexts.

Innovative Teaching: Building Engagement, Critical Thinking, and Lifelong Learning Skills

This study delves into the crucial elements of teaching and learning that foster student engagement, critical thinking, and lifelong learning skills. A comprehensive review of existing research uncovers the profound impact of active learning techniques, inquiry-based learning, self-directed learning, and effective assessment practices on these educational outcomes. The findings underscore the transformative role of active learning and technology-enhanced environments in enhancing student engagement. At the same time, inquiry-based and collaborative activities are shown to be instrumental in developing critical thinking skills. The study also underscores the importance of self-directed learning and continuous skill development in promoting lifelong learning, highlighting the pivotal role of motivation and autonomy. Effective assessment practices, including defined learning outcomes, timely feedback, and varied assessment methods, are key in supporting student growth and development. The study identifies barriers to engagement, such as socio-economic factors and learning environments, and provides practical recommendations for educators, administrators, and policymakers. These recommendations are designed to be easily implemented, making the research directly applicable to real-world educational settings. By synthesizing insights from previous studies, this research offers a comprehensive understanding of creating dynamic, supportive, and inclusive learning environments that equip students for lifelong success.

Technology Integration in Engineering Education: Assessing Google Classroom's Effectiveness in Communication Skills Courses

This study delves into the effectiveness of Google Classroom in enhancing academic performance among first-year engineering students in a communication skills course. Rooted in the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model and the Diffusion of Innovations theory, the research tests two hypotheses regarding the impacts of technology use and the instructor factor on student outcomes. With a sample of 356 students, the analysis employs t-tests and regression analysis to compare performance between students using Google Classroom and traditional teaching methods. The results reveal no significant difference in performance between the two groups, suggesting that integrating Google Classroom does not inherently enhance academic outcomes. However, marginal effects of instructor involvement were observed, underscoring the intricate interplay of human and technological factors in educational settings. The implications of these findings are significant, as they provide a nuanced understanding of the role of technology in education and the importance of effective instructor engagement. Future research should examine technology's role across diverse disciplines and the dynamics of instructor-student interactions within technology-enhanced environments.

Teachers’ perceptions of teaching science with technology-enhanced self-regulated learning strategies through the DECODE model

AbstractThis study investigates the nuanced interplay between self-regulated learning (SRL) and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) among 192 Taiwanese voluntary pre-service and in-service teachers, seeking to understand how teachers perceive the integration of technology with SRL strategies in science education. The participants were recruited in workshops based on the DECODE model, which demonstrated a micro-unit of evolution incorporated in SRL strategies, involved them in co-reflected, and summarized what they had experienced in technology-enhanced environments. Participants self-reported measures of SRL and TPACK were subjected to path analysis. Results indicated that SRL positively influenced technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) and technological content knowledge (TCK), subsequently fully mediating the relationship between SRL and TPACK; namely, TCK and TPK acted as mediatory factors. Furthermore, this study delved into teachers’ perceptions of technology-enhanced instruction and SRL through their responses in workshops. We identified five main themes through thematic analysis. The findings highlighted the pivotal role of technology in cultivating interactive learning environments, offering real-time feedback, and integrating multimedia into teaching. Teachers’ perceptions were expanded and refined after demonstrating a micro-unit with SRL strategies and subsequent reflective prompts. Participants acknowledged the imperative of teacher preparation in effectively leveraging technology and emphasized the crucial role of adaptive scaffolding in promoting SRL strategies. In summary, these findings present a viable path for augmenting teachers’ TPACK through SRL and provides insights into teachers’ perceptions of technology-enhanced SRL. The study has implication on the potential of the DECODE model and incorporation of SRL strategies for science educator’s professional development of TPACK.

Does the Seat Matter? The Influence of Seating Factors and Motivational Factors on Situational Engagement and Satisfaction in the Smart Classroom

As a technology-enhanced student-centered learning environment, smart classrooms are becoming increasingly popular in higher education. It is undoubtedly important to understand how seating and motivational factors affect situational engagement and satisfaction in smart classrooms. Pre-survey, experience sampling method, and post-survey were used in this study to conduct a longitudinal survey of 113 pre-service teachers in three courses at a university in central China. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, hierarchical linear modeling, and hierarchical linear regression were used to investigate the effects of seating factors and motivational factors on engagement and satisfaction in smart classrooms. We found: (1) for the seating factor, the distance of the seat from the center point predicted student situational engagement in the smart classroom; (2) for motivational factors, needs of competence and competence during the activity predicted student situational engagement, while autonomous motivation at the beginning of a course strongly predicted student situational engagement in subsequent activities; and (3) of all the factors, situational engagement was a significant predictor of students’ final course satisfaction and fully mediated the relationship between autonomous motivation and satisfaction. Finally, some practice implications are discussed to improve engagement and satisfaction in technology-enhanced environments.

Investigating effects of perceived technology-enhanced environment on self-regulated learning

Investigating effects of perceived technology-enhanced environment on self-regulated learning

Co-creating curriculum with students, teachers, and practitioners in a technology-enhanced environment

Co-creating curriculum with students, teachers, and practitioners in a technology-enhanced environment

Technology-enhanced language learning and pragmatics: Insights from digital game-based pragmatics instruction

AbstractLearning pragmatics involves learning linguistic forms and their communicative functions as well as the context where the form-function relationships are realized. Given its socially grounded, context-sensitive nature, pragmatics may be best learned in a technology-enhanced environment that provides direct access to contextualized communicative practice. Technology can help produce rich multimodal input, opportunities for interaction with consequences, and experience-based learning, which are all important elements of pragmatics learning. This lecture highlights these benefits of technology-enhanced pragmatics learning using a digital game as a sample platform. We created a digital game to teach request-making in English by having participants experience interpersonal consequences of their request as feedback (observing their interlocutor's reactions to their choice of request-making forms). Using the digital game with Chinese learners of English, a series of studies were conducted to investigate a variety of topics, such as the effects of different feedback conditions on learning outcomes, role of metapragmatic knowledge in learning, and transfer of request-making knowledge to a novel speech act. This lecture presents findings from these studies and concludes with future research directions on technology-enhanced pragmatics learning.

Design Thinking to Envision More Sustainable Technology-Enhanced Teaching for Effective Knowledge Transfer

The present study aims to examine profiles of design thinkers in a teacher education programme during technology-enhanced teaching/learning in face-to-face and distance modes. Additionally, it investigates how the design thinking (DT) profiles are related to students’ interpersonal and evaluative skills, as well as how DT profiles predict the level of use of technology. A total of 307 undergraduate students participated in this study. Hierarchical and k-means cluster analysis were adopted to identify the DT profiles, whereas multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was run to study how the DT profiles were related to respective students’ levels of interpersonal and evaluative skills. Subsequently, the individual profiles of all components of DT were examined for group differences using cross-tabulations. Multinomial logistic regressions were run to examine relationships among DT profiles, interpersonal and evaluative skill levels and use of technology. Based on these analyses, three major findings were obtained. These are as follows: (1) Three distinctive DT profiles were revealed underlying a new extensively validated DT mindset. Low importance was given to team learning and knowledge transfer, which points to the lack of behavioural uncertainty; (2) DT profiles differed significantly in their metacognitive perspectives of interaction- and individual-centred tasks, as well as evaluative skills of monitoring, critical thinking and reflection; (3) Interaction-oriented design tasks involving target use of varied technologies were seen to further enhance socialization, facilitate dialogue and reflection, create an immersive experience and aid the understanding and internalization of tacit knowledge. These findings represent a step toward closing critical gaps in the theory and practice of DT and serve as a springboard for instructors and researchers to develop customized metacognitive instructional support for students in technology-enhanced environments for effective knowledge transfer.

Remote learning experiences of girls, boys and non-binary students

Self-regulated learning (SRL) may determine adapting to online environments. This study is an evaluation of students' (N = 33 912) SRL and integration in remote learning in Finnish lower secondary schools when educational institutions all over the world were urgently closed and teaching was arranged in remote settings due to COVID-19. Neither the teachers nor the students had time to prepare themselves for the transition, resulting in variations in coping. To learn from experiences during the pandemic, we evaluated students' remote learning experiences by using a nationally representative survey. Results of SEM reveal that students’ better preparedness for SRL and positive experiences related to clear guidelines and encouraging feedback from teachers predict more time invested in studying. Surprisingly, regulation of peer learning during remote learning period had the strongest correlation with positive experiences, indicating the need for social interaction when schools were closed. Moreover, results show that girls and non-binary students were slightly more concerned about the amount and quality of support for learning during remote learning compared to boys. Overall, when teaching is implemented via technology, students should not be left to cope with the skills they have, but instead, strategies to regulate their learning should be taught consistently. Opportunities for peer learning need to be kept in mind as they can easily be forgotten when students study online. Technology that is easy to deploy by teachers and enabling gender sensitive peer learning should be developed. An instrument measuring SRL should be updated to study learning in technology-enhanced environments.

What drives technology-enhanced storytelling immersion? The role of digital humans

In this research, we investigate consumer responses to technology-enhanced storytelling marketing via augmented digital humans in two different contexts. We test the role of an augmented digital human stimulus as a moderator for storytelling satisfaction in a technology-enhanced retail complex. Building on visual perception theory and information processing theory, the findings from our study reveal sequential links between the four realms of experience economy theory in a mixed reality environment and subsequent effects on storytelling satisfaction, which in turn are boosted by digital human storytelling. Overall, our findings reveal that digital human storytelling is an effective long-term marketing strategy in technology-enhanced environments.

What is the degree of teacher centrality in optimal teaching of digital literacy in a technology-enhanced environment? Typology of teacher prototypes

This study explored the degree of teachers’ centrality in the classroom while developing digital literacies of their students and the pedagogical strategies which are employed by teachers in this process. We conducted a bottom-up analysis on 65 semi-structured interviews (n = 4372 statements) based on two conceptual frameworks: the Digital Literacy framework and the 5Cs framework with a nation-wide sample of elementary and secondary-teachers. The findings offer a typology of four teacher prototypes regarding the degree of their centrality in a technology-enhanced classroom and the mapped pedagogical strategies employed by each prototype. Based on bottom-up coding, the study expands the above-mentioned frameworks regarding re-production thinking, socio-emotional thinking, e-communication, and collaboration literacies. We discuss the implications for educational theory and practice.

An Approach to Co-Design and Self-Regulated Learning in Technological Environments. Systematic Review

Present-day society calls for new student-centred didactic methodologies that make the student an active participant in their learning process. Strategies aimed at training citizens and professionals must adapt and respond to a society that is constantly changing. In this context, self-regulated learning and educational co-design emerge as key concepts in the development of new educational approaches. The present study seeks to identify the elements shared by models of self-regulation and educational co-design in technology-enhanced learning environments. To this end, a systematic review of the scientific literature during the period 2014-2019 has been conducted. The search was carried out using five databases: (1) Ebsco Host; (2) Web of Science; (3) Scopus; (4) ERIC; (5) Dialnet. A total of 830 references and 21 papers meeting the criteria for inclusion were identified. An analysis of the studies selected enabled us to identify the self-regulation models associated with co-design learning processes, as well as the elements they have in common. These include planning, motivation, cognition, task management, collaboration, and degree of success. The results provide the first steps for the construction of a co-design model, which includes guidelines for the creation of personalised learning pathways in technology-enhanced environments.

The new face of alternative assessment in accounting sciences - technology as an anthropomorphic stakeholder

Worldwide, more and more higher education institutions are making use of online or distance education, due to the increasing demand for tertiary education. In this article, the problem addressed relates to the importance of technology as a stakeholder in alternative assessments for undergraduate accounting sciences modules in an online, non-venue-based, technology-enhanced environment. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how technology, due to its importance and impact, acts similarly as a human stakeholder and should be treated as an anthropomorphic stakeholder in an online technology-enhanced environment, considering its powerful role. A qualitative approach was followed, and action research was used to develop a conceptual framework. This conceptual framework demonstrates how stakeholder theory could ensure the legitimacy of qualifications through identity verification of students in an online environment through improved performance and innovation potential. These findings contribute to the body of knowledge and due to its importance, technology could be considered as an anthropomorphic stakeholder in the creation, improvement, or restructuring of assessments at online educational institutions.

Role of mobile food-ordering applications in developing restaurants’ brand satisfaction and loyalty in the pandemic period

Retailers and their supply-chain partners should reconsider their competitive advantages in today's technology-enhanced environment and search for opportunities to collaborate. Mobile applications have emerged as a special form of e-commerce that provide convenience for consumers by saving time and effort. In the pandemic days, people prefer using mobile applications in particular to order food from restaurants and protect themselves from COVID-19. Even though there are many previous studies regarding mobile application usage, they have investigated the antecedents of mobile app adoption. Today, consumers already have adopted them, yet there is a need to understand the outcomes of mobile application usage, especially for mobile food-ordering apps (MFOAs). To fill this gap, this study first positions the MFOAs among other mobile food applications regarding their business models. Then, a structural model was developed and tested by focusing on the outcomes of MFOA usage. A survey of 217 participants was conducted, and the data were analyzed using partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM). The main contribution of the results is the finding that MFOA satisfaction plays a critical role in developing restaurants' brand satisfaction and loyalty. Thus, brands should cooperate with MFOA providers.

Elementary students’ explanation of variation of traits and teacher‘s feedback using an online embedded assessment tool

ABSTRACT Although extensive research has shown the important educational value of technology-enhanced online units on students’ science learning, few studies have looked at upper elementary students' knowledge integration in a web-based inquiry science environment (WISE). This case study investigates how upper-elementary students responded to an online prompt, in an embedded assessment tool, to construct a scientific explanation around the variation of traits in their class and how a teacher provided feedback to encourage student discourse. Our findings show that students were able to identify which traits were more common in their class; however, they struggled with making a connection between variation of traits and inheritance of traits when analyzing data from their pie chart. Additionally, we show that an upper-elementary teacher used an embedded assessment tool to scaffold the iterative process of learning and feedback that occurs in an online platform that leverages learning technologies by engaging in high-level discourse moves. We suggest that teachers’ use of embedded assessments in a technology-enhanced environment can encourage student self-reflection and support teachers in making evidence-based instructional decisions as well as provide immediate feedback along the way, which is a key support when students are not participating in traditional face-to-face classroom environments.

Teachers in automated writing evaluation (AWE) system-supported ESL writing classes: Perception, implementation, and influence

Automated writing evaluation (AWE) systems have attracted much attention for their efficiency in feedback provision and automated essay scoring in language classrooms. However, teachers’ roles in this technology-enhanced environment and their potential impact on students’ writing development are still under-investigated. To fill this gap, this classroom-based study examined three English as a second language (ESL) teacher’s perceptions and uses of Criterion®, an AWE system developed by Educational Testing Service (ETS), in four ESL writing classes at a large Midwestern U.S. university. Student’s writing performance data, including submission behaviors, revision types, and progress in grammatical accuracy, were then analyzed in light of teachers’ perceptions and reported uses of Criterion. The results indicate that the teachers took different approaches to integrating Criterion in their classes, which, in turn, was reflected in observable differences in students’ essay submission frequencies on Criterion, revision types, and changes in error rates. The findings shed light on the importance of teacher agency and cognition in technology-supported ESL classrooms. Implications for teaching English writing with AWE systems are discussed.

Teachers’ perceptions and readiness toward the implementation of virtual learning environment

The current trend of education is towards the implementation of technology in teaching in order to attract the attention of 21st century learners whereby teachers need to adopt technology-enhanced environment such as the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in their teaching. This study aims to investigate the teachers’ perceptions and tendency to use VLE as a tool for teaching. The teachers’ perceptions were investigated based on the main constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The respondents were 178 teachers in southern state of Malaysia. The data were collected using a questionnaire and it is validated through the use of Rasch model. The finding was found that the teachers were moderately ready to use VLE and they moderately accepted the implementation of the VLE (mean=3.67 and 3.65). Besides that, the teachers felt that the VLE was useful (mean=3.58) and was easy to use (mean=3.34). It was also found that 84.2% of the teachers’ acceptance was influenced by the teachers’ readiness, and the teachers’ perceptions of the usefulness and ease of using the VLE in teaching. Therefore, it can be concluded that Malaysian teachers has intention to use VLE in their teaching. The use of VLE can improve the innovative way of teaching that can increase students’ interest in constructing knowledge through their learning process.

Tracing bodies through liminal blends in a mixed reality learning environment

ABSTRACT While research on embodied learning sheds light on the body’s role during science learning, there is a lack of understanding of how the body is drawn upon in subsequent learning interactions. We seek to understand how the body supports cognition and learning during and after embodiment. We elaborate upon the liminal blends framework (Enyedy, N., Danish, J. A., & DeLiema, D. (2015). Constructing liminal blends in a collaborative augmented-reality learning environment. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 10(1), 7–34.) to understand how many resources are taken up, blended together, and progressively refined towards canonical scientific understanding. By tracing the body, we demonstrate that embodied experiences are never ‘erased.’ Instead, although students find ways to articulate understanding that do not require movement, they nonetheless derive meaning from prior embodied activity. Young children exceed expected grade level understanding in part because their capability as embodied reasoners is privileged for learning. In addition to expanding liminal blends theory, we suggest implications for designing technology-enhanced environments and science learning. Across all audiences, findings suggest the importance of privileging an array of sensemaking resources often excluded from classrooms, and the importance of students mapping multiple representational forms to develop conceptual understanding of science phenomena