Technology-supported Learning Environments Research Articles

The Views of Students Regarding the Use of Virtual Reality Applications in Elementary Science Classes

Recently, Virtual reality (VR) technologies have started to be used increasingly in the field of education, as in many other fields. With the widespread use of virtual reality applications, there is a need to investigate the effects of virtual reality applications in the field of education. The results obtained from these researches can contribute to the creation of effective and efficient virtual reality-supported learning environments. VR applications, one of the technology-supported learning environments, come to the forefront to help students learn concepts more easily and permanently. Since VR is very new and not a common practice in classrooms yet, it is necessary and important to investigate how VR can be used in science lessons and students’ views on these practices. The main goals of this study were to develop the Virtual Reality Solar System Model (VRSSM) for the unit “Sun System and Eclipses” for the 6th grade students and to find out what the students think about using virtual reality applications in science classes. This is a qualitative study and 16 students participated in this study and used the VRSSM. The semi-structured interview form was used as a data collection tool. The data was analyzed using content and descriptive analysis. The results of this research revealed that the students want VR to be used not only in science lessons but also in other lessons, they think that the knowledge they have gained is permanent and that they believe that this application can increase their science achievement. Additionally, students think that the application increases their interest in science lessons and affects their learning positively.

Towards a comprehensive perspective to making learning a part of life: a response to Fischer et al.'s contribution

PurposeThis response paper aims to comment on specific aspects of the position paper.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the author presents a response to Fischer et al.'s contribution on “The Challenge for the Digital Age: Making Learning a Part of Life.” While imperatives and narratives of learning in the future have been well articulated in the literature, their paper provides insights into lifelong learning in the digital age.FindingsThe author raises comments on the comprehensiveness of the lifelong learning perspectives and the calls to action. Over the years, with multiyear efforts on the research-based evolution of the design, implementation and adoption of technology-supported learning environments in some parts of the world, the author believes well-researched innovative pedagogy and design principles have already to some extent impacted transformation of learning and teaching in normal schools. By referring to the work in the running of a model school in Taiwan, the author demonstrate some of the pathways that can guide innovation and work towards operationalizing a futuristic vision that is resonant with the one painted in the paper. The paper will end with some comments on how narratives on the future of learning will evolve.Originality/valueIn trying to understand the lens that the vision would bring to learning on the digital edge, the author has provided commentaries to probe into the comprehensiveness of their vision of future learning. From an Asian perspective, the author describes one effort that can help make progress in moving towards this vision. It involves realizing the vision by grounding our designs in real experiments or instantiations, such as the interest-driven creator (IDC) experimental school in Taiwan, and highlight past research efforts which have been successful in transformation of classrooms and schools such as developing seamless learning for connecting learning in different spaces afforded by mobile digital devices.

Leading Equitable Distance Education During Times of Crisis

COVID-19 shed light on persistent disparities among K-12 school districts, particularly regarding technology access, its use, and educational outcomes. Although resources exist to inform the design and delivery of distance education at the course level, there is a lack of resources to inform program-level decisions about equitable distance education that impact educators and learners across a school system. Drawing on existing literature on educational equity, this article discusses four ways schools may frame equitable distance education. This article also discusses critical lessons schools learned from the COVID-19 pandemic about sustaining equitable technology-supported learning environments during times of crisis.

Analysis of Digital Leadership in School Management and Accessibility of Animation-Designed Game-Based Learning for Sustainability of Education for Children with Special Needs

With the rapid integration of technology into educational environments during the pandemic period, the teaching processes in classrooms and private education institutions began to be carried out with technology support. Game-based animation learning designs in technology-supported educational environments provide an interesting and motivation-enhancing learning experience in developing students’ education skills. In today’s educational environments, 2D and 3D animation game designs are the unique technology-supported learning environments in teaching many different skills, behaviors, and concepts to individuals with special needs. Visual designs and animations are one of the technologies necessary to prepare individuals with special needs for an independent life. The accessibility of animation designs for teachers and families has gained significant importance during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Technology education supports the visual, listening, reading, writing, social, and communication skills of individuals with special needs, facilitates their independent life skills, and contributes to their development as a guide. This allows individuals to learn the targeted information more easily, permanently, and quickly. In this context, this study provides information on the use and accessibility of animation technology in special education, offers suggestions for the benefit of visual design and animation, which are among the assistive technologies, and gives insights into how school management is ready for digital education.

Developing and Evaluating Educational Innovations for STEAM Education in Rapidly Changing Digital Technology Environments

In this paper, we offer three examples from our research projects on both technological and pedagogical innovations to illustrate the impact of rapid technology changes on research. Members of our research team both developed and used technology applications in their research projects, utilizing design-based research (DBR). During the experiments, we encountered new challenges by the end of the research cycle due to updates in technologies. Although we had an idea of how to redesign the project for the next cycle based on the analyses of data, we noticed that we needed to not only redesign our approaches based on the research results but the changes in technologies were so rapid that materials and pedagogies needed to be altered as well. In our article, we propose an additional aspect to be considered in DBR while researching technology integration or innovative technologies. Moreover, the rapid change in technology raises further challenges to teachers’ professional development and the integration of those innovative technologies in classrooms. We anticipate our work to contribute to the development of technology resources and related pedagogies as well as the refinement of research methodologies in technology environments. Our contributions for the development of technology resources and refinement of research methods in technology-supported learning environments should, among other things, contribute to a less complex and at the same time more sustainable integration of pedagogical innovations into scientific and school practices.

The Role of Teacher Technology Experiences and School Technology Interactivity in Teachers’ Culturally Responsive Teaching

The present study examined how the type of school technology and teachers’ technological experiences (either personal or pedagogical) were related to teacher perceptions of culturally responsive teaching in technology-supported learning environments. Additionally, the study assessed the moderating effects of school technology interactivity on the relationship between teacher technology experiences and their perception of culturally responsive teaching in these environments. Hierarchical linear modeling was conducted on data from 257 teachers in Taiwan. Results found that the presence of technology interactivity in schools, teachers’ personal technology experiences, and technology experiences in teaching each had a positive and statistically significant effect on teachers’ perception of culturally responsive teaching. In addition, results found that the presence of interactive technology had no significant moderating effect on the relationship between either personal technology integration or technology integration in teaching and any of the five dimensions of culturally responsive teaching. The results suggest that, in addition to technological infrastructure renovation, schools should provide teachers with professional development programs and support which encourages them to create a technology-infused environment to address the connections between students’ cultural contexts and their learning contents.

Investigating the causal relationships between badges and learning outcomes in SQL-Tutor

The practice of adding game elements to non-gaming educational environments has gained much popularity. Gamification has been shown in some studies to enhance engagement, motivation and learning outcomes in technology-supported learning environments. Although gamification research has matured, there are some shortcomings such as inconsistency in applying gamification theories and frameworks and evaluating multiple game mechanics simultaneously. Moreover, there is little research on applying gamification to Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS). This paper investigates the causal effects of gamification on learning in SQL-Tutor, a mature ITS teaching students how to phrase queries in SQL. Having conducted a study under realistic conditions, we present a quantitative analysis of the performance of 77 undergraduate students enrolled in a database course. There are three main findings of our study: (1) gamification affects student learning by mediating the time-on-task; (2) students’ background knowledge does not influence time-on-task unless students achieve badges; and (3) students’ interest in topic (motivational construct) moderates the relationship between badges and time-on-task, but does not improve learning outcomes directly.

Concept Mapping in Technology-Supported K-12 Education: A Systematic Review of Selected SSCI Publications From 2001 to 2020

Concept maps have been verified as an effective learning tool in technology-supported learning environments, in particular, in K-12 education. To enable educational technology researchers and school teachers to thoroughly know the research foci and applications of concept maps in technology-supported learning environments for K-12 education (CM-K12), the present study conducted a systematic review of studies published in seven SSCI (Social Science Citation Index) journals of educational technology by referring to the technology-based learning model. The review results showed that concept maps mostly played the role of a personal Mindtool and a collaborative Mindtool, and were mainly applied in elementary schools. The majority of elementary school teachers employed concept maps as a collaborative Mindtool (for a learning group), a personal Mindtool (for individual students), and a learning design tool. As for secondary school teachers, concept maps were mostly adopted as an assessment and evaluation tool, personal Mindtools, and collaborative Mindtools. In terms of application issues, the most adopted medium was desk-top computers, and the most adopted application domains were science, engineering, and language. The research focus explored the most in CM-K12 research was cognition, followed by affect and learning behavior. Based on the findings, several recommendations are proposed.

Culturally Responsive Teaching in Technology-Supported Learning Environments in Marine Education for Sustainable Development

This study examined and evaluated how culturally responsive teaching in technology-supported learning environments for preservice teachers was practiced and modeled using experiential learning theory as a guiding framework. Results from qualitative analysis of observational data and outputs of 19 preservice teachers showed that the latter were able to include cultural values and harness technology in their teaching. It was also found that cultural scaffolding enhanced by technology is the most practiced culturally responsive teaching construct during teaching demonstrations. However, technology was used as teachers’ instructional tools—in the form of visual aids that illustrate abstract multicultural concepts—instead of students’ learning tools. Our findings could be used to develop a K-12 curriculum progression that provides a culturally responsive and contextualized teaching and learning environment for sustainable development.

COVID-19 and Prospect of Online Learning in Higher Education in Africa

Although its impacts on higher education functions are yet to be studied across regional, national, and institutional contexts, it is generally observed that COVID-19 disrupts teaching and learning, research and travels, and university community service worldwide. To improve our understanding of the strategies higher education institutions (HEI) can use for staying relevant and competitive in times of crisis and beyond, this essay reflects on current developments in HEI in Africa as linked to COVID-19. It subsequently highlights how African HEI respond to the pandemic, the prospect of online instruction, and the conditions that support the successful integration of technologies in teaching and learning. There is ample evidence that supports that African universities are more likely to significantly embrace digital technologies in the future than ever before. To inform successful technology integration, a generic conceptual model that explains success indicators and success factors in technology-supported learning environments in higher education is presented.

Mental imageries of teachers on distance education in Turkey

Distance education is an education type applied under ordinary and extraordinary conditions. This type of education has synchronous and asynchronous dimensions of realization. It can be said that computer-based internet technologies gain significance in a process where any of these dimensions are used. In these technology-supported learning environments, it is remarkable that the teacher and the student are in different perimeters. In this context, it can be stated that the concept of distance education requires a particular perspective, and the existing mentality of people diverts this perspective. Therefore, this study primarily aims to determine the teachers' perceptions of distance education concepts according to their genders by using mental imageries. The working group of this research, which was prepared according to the qualitative methods, consisted of 100 teachers (38 males and 62 females) who served in various academic majors in public and private educational institutions in many provinces of Turkey during the 2020-2021 school year. The study data were obtained through a survey in which the participant teachers filled in the blank spaces in the sentence of “ Distance education is similar to ... because ... ”. Study data were interpreted using the content analysis technique. Regarding the distance education concept, teachers produced mental imageries under twelve different themes. When these various themes were evaluated, it was observed that the teachers mostly formed their mental imagery by considering the "Image of Nature" theme.

Learning Environments of Technologysupported Teacher Education Classrooms in Relation to Gender, Previous Qualifications and Teaching Subjects

The students of 21st century have very high learning expectations. Concept of teaching and learning has changed tremendously due to globalization and explosion of knowledge. New tools of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) may contribute considerably towards all phases of educational process including the area of teacher education. The need for teacher training is widely acknowledged in the light of this development. The aim of this study was to assess students' perceptions of the learning environments of technology supported teacher education classrooms in relation to three variables, i.e., previous qualification, gender and teaching subjects. A sample of 317 students from six classes was taken. The tool used for the study was the modified form of Technology–Rich Outcomes-Focused Learning Environment Inventory (TROFLEI). In these classrooms, different information and communication technology tools like laptops, computers, and multimedia projectors, interactive boards etc. are regularly used to communicate, disseminate, store, and manage curriculum information for the benefit of the students. Results of the study strongly support the reliability and validity of the questionnaire in these classroom settings. The results show that the students perceive their technology-supported learning environment in a positive manner. Results on investigation of previous qualification, gender differences and teaching subjects suggest that there exist some differences in technology-supported learning environments as measured by the TROFLEI.

An Assessment of the Technology Supported Learning Environments and Attitude Towards Technology in Selected Naac Accredited Colleges of Education In Jammu

The study assessed students' perceptions of their technology-supported learning environments in teacher education classrooms in NAAC Accredited Colleges of Education in Jammu. The study is quantitative in nature and consisted of a sample of 150 students taken from two NAAC accredited colleges of education. The study utilizes the Technology Rich Outcome Focused Learning Environment Inventory (Aldridge and Fraser, 2003) modified by Gupta (2007). The results of the study reported that the modified TROFLEI was a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the learning environments in a technology-supported teacher education classroom. The assessment of the nature of the psycho-social learning environments revealed that students have a high mean score on all the scales of the TROFLEI and there are significant differences in the actual and preferred learning environments. Results showed that students usually want more teacher support, more cooperation and equity, more involvement and task orientation and more technology teaching than what they perceive is at present in a technology-supported learning environment. With regards to attitude towards technology, the students generally exhibited a positive attitude towards technology. Significant associations were also reported between the students' perceptions of their technology-supported learning environments and their attitudes toward technology. No significant gender differences were observed in the technologysupported learning environments.

Tehnološki trendovi razvoja visokog obrazovanja

The aim of this paper is to present and analyse the Internet of Things and Technology-Supported Learning Environments, which represent current technological trends of higher education development. The method used in the paper is content analysis of available scientific literature - theoretical and empirical. It is shown how the application and integration of these technologies trigger significant socio-technological changes in the conditions in which higher education operates. The results show that the application of these technologies enables material savings, that it can result in increasing of the efficiency and effectiveness of the higher education processes and in adapting of the teaching process to the individual needs of students. The paper further discusses the challenges and risks that these technological change can bring to higher education and society as a whole. In the conclusion, it is pointed out that despite the numerous advantages that are being realized, it is necessary to develop human resource competencies and find solutions related to the ethical use of data.

Does a Modified Math Emporium Work for All Students?

Mathematics Emporia, or dedicated technology-supported learning environments designed to support large numbers of students in predominantly developmental mathematics courses, are a relatively recent phenomenon at community colleges and universities across the nation. While the size and number of these emporia has grown, empirical research into the impact of an emporium model on student learning and affect is only now emerging. This is especially true when looking at the impact of an emporium approach on students from diverse backgrounds. This study attempts to fill in the gaps in existing research related to how well emporium models address the needs of students based on gender, race/ethnicity, international status, and first- versus continuing-generation. Findings indicate that not all populations are served equally well by a modified mathematics emporium approach. The need for action to address inequities in student performance and implications for future research are discussed.

Teachers' perceptions of culturally responsive teaching in technology‐supported learning environments

AbstractThis study developed and validated an instrument for assessing teachers' perceptions of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) in technology‐supported learning environments (TSLE). Data were collected from a total of 257 elementary and secondary school teachers in Taiwan during March and April 2018 to verify the reliability and construct validity of the instrument. The construct validity of this instrument was examined via confirmatory factor analysis and a multidimensional partial credit model for item responses in which an 18‐item instrument (4 items regarding cultural values, 3 regarding culturally relevant curricula, 4 regarding cultural scaffolding, 3 regarding multicultural collaboration, and 4 regarding integrating with technology and multicultural perspectives) was validated after the elimination of 4 items. The reliability of the instrument was found to be satisfactory according to multidimensional versions of the partial credit model analysis. Regression analysis showed that technology experiences and technology experiences in teaching were positive predictors while school level was a negative predictor of teachers’ perceived CRT in TSLE. Elementary school teachers were more likely to have positive perceptions of CRT in TSLE than were secondary school teachers. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Well‐developed culturally responsive teaching (CRT) frameworks can facilitate teachers' understanding of how students' cultural backgrounds and experiences can be used to enhance student learning. Digital tools and technology activities have been demonstrated to be among the best practices for teaching to multicultural classrooms due to the large differences in ethnically diverse student populations. CRT is a fundamental pedagogical approach that should be included in teacher preparation and applied in learning activities in culturally diverse classrooms. What this paper adds We developed and validated an instrument for assessing teachers' perceptions of CRT perceptions in technology‐supported learning environments (TSLE). Results from this study showed that teachers' technology experiences and technology experiences in teaching were found to positively predict teachers' perceived CRT in TSLE. School level was found to be a negative predictor of teachers' CRT perceptions in TSLE, indicating that an elementary school teacher was more likely to have a positive perception of CRT in TSLE than a secondary school teacher. Implications for practice and/or policy Professional training and pedagogical modelling of technology use, especially in classrooms with culturally diverse students, is highly recommended. More technology‐related knowledge and more experience using technology in teaching may prompt teachers to modify their teaching within culturally diverse students in TSLE.

Delving into learner autonomy in an EFL MOOC in China: a case study

Autonomy of language learners in technology-supported learning environments has attracted much scholarly attention. However, few studies, to date, have examined the issue in the emerging context of language MOOCs. The present study complemented this line of research via a qualitative investigation of a group of Chinese EFL learners in an English language MOOC. Data were collected via a prior interview (N = 38), four interviews held at different stages of the MOOC (N = 36, 27, 17, 13, respectively), and a post-course interview for dropouts (N = 14). A framework consisting of seven constructs in three dimensions, namely, the situational, the behavioral, and the psychological, was employed for analyzing the data. The results showed that the learners exhibited individual and dimensional variation in the extent to which they exercised autonomy. Participants were also observed to have adopted a variety of metacognitive strategies, motivation control strategies, and emotion control strategies to regulate their learning. The findings highlight the complexity of learner autonomy as displayed in the new learning interface as well as the potential of language MOOCs for fostering learner autonomy.

Students' Achievement Emotions and Online Learning in Teacher Education

Online learning has become widely accepted and is considered as an important approach that can overcome the limitations of on-campus learning, especially in higher education. The acceptance of learning technologies generally depends on technology related beliefs and the perceived ease of use. The use of learning technology depends on how students experience it emotionally. Although research on emotions in technology-supported learning environments has increased in recent years, the question how students experience online learning environments emotionally, and how these emotions are intervened with technology acceptance has not yet been answered in more detail. Up to now, only a limited number of studies has focused on emotions and technology acceptance of university students, especially in teacher education. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze students’ technology acceptance and achievement emotions after participating in an online course (in comparison to an on-campus course) in teacher education. Survey data from 182 students (88 of them participated in an on-campus course, 94 students attended an online course) revealed a higher level of positive emotions than of negative emotions, regardless of the learning environment. Students who attended the online course reported a higher level of boredom, anxiety, and anger, but less enjoyment. Furthermore, the results show that online students reported significantly higher levels of achievement task value und technological control. Technological value correlated significantly with enjoyment. In contrast to the theoretical assumptions, no systematic differences were found between the two learning environments for the achievement emotions hope, shame, hopelessness, and anxiety. Regardless of the learning environment, enjoyment was essential for the value that students attach to both, learning content and technology. The online and the on-campus group differed in terms of domain specific achievement outcome. Interestingly, however, these differences cannot be explained by the covariates, the two control and value scales, the technology related beliefs, and age. Main results of the study regarding the control-value theory and implications for online learning environments, as well as limitations of the study are presented and discussed.

Design and investigation of cooperative, scaffolded wiki learning activities in an online graduate-level course

Informed by the literature on community of inquiry, wikis in education, and scaffolding in technology-supported learning environments, this study reports the design, implementation, and investigation of wiki-supported cooperative learning activities in an online graduate-level theories class. The investigation of emerging research questions revealed students’ participation patterns in the wiki learning activities, the relationship between their participation and course performance, and the students’ experiences with the scaffolding strategies designed to support their cooperative activities. The study offers implications for designing and scaffolding wiki-based cooperative learning.

Conceptual Blending as an Interpretive Lens for Student Engagement with Technology: Exploring Celestial Motion on an Interactive Whiteboard

We present and analyze video data of upper secondary school students’ engagement with a computer-supported collaborative learning environment that enables them to explore astronomical phenomena (Keplerian motion). The students’ activities have an immersive and exploratory character, as students engage in open-ended inquiry and interact physically with the virtual environment displayed on an interactive whiteboard. The interplay of students’ playful exploration through physical engagement with the simulation environment, their attention to physics concepts and laws, and knowledge about the real planets orbiting the Sun presents an analytical challenge for the researcher and instructor encountering such complex learning environments. We argue that the framework of conceptual blending is particularly apt for dealing with the learning environment at hand, because it allows us to take into account the many diverse mental inputs that seem to shape the student activities described in the paper. We show how conceptual blending can be brought together with theoretical ideas concerned with embodied cognition and epistemology of physics, in order to provide researchers and instructors with a powerful lens for looking critically at immersive technology-supported learning environments.