Traditional Classroom Research Articles

Furniture Design of Smart Art Classroom Based on Interactive Analysis of Intelligent Sensing and ITIAS

This paper explores the design and optimization of smart art classroom furniture, addressing the evolving needs of modern art education environments. With the integration of intelligent technologies and sensor networks, the research aims to enhance the functionality, flexibility, and user experience of classroom furniture. It highlights the limitations of traditional classroom furniture and the need for adaptive, multifunctional designs that accommodate diverse learning behaviors and physical requirements. Through a combination of ITIAS interactive analysis and mathematical modeling, the study proposes a framework for developing furniture that supports privacy protection, dynamic updates, and better engagement in art education. The findings emphasize the importance of incorporating ergonomic, aesthetic, and technological considerations to improve teaching and learning outcomes in art classrooms.

The impact of ergonomics and biomechanics on optimizing learning environments in higher education management

In higher education, the design of learning environments is serious in prompting student well-being, engagement, and academic performance. Traditional classrooms often lack ergonomic consideration, leading to discomfort, increased physical strain, and reduced concentration. As education evolves, there is a growing need to apply ergonomic and biomechanical principles to create spaces that accommodate students’ diverse physical and cognitive needs. Despite the theoretical support for these interventions, there is limited empirical evidence on their practical impact in educational settings. This study addresses this gap by examining the effects of ergonomic and biomechanical adjustments on student outcomes in higher education. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the research was conducted across four universities with a diverse sample of 126 students. The interventions included adjusting furniture, optimized spatial layouts, and environmental adjustments to assess their influence on postural alignment, muscle activity, and engagement. Key findings revealed significant improvements: postural alignment showed an increase in spinal angle from 118° to 133° and a reduction in neck angle from 37° to 29°. Muscle activity, particularly in the neck and lower back, decreased by 40% and 44%, respectively. Additionally, self-reported comfort improved from a mean of 2.8 to 4.3, while physical strain decreased from 3.7 to 2.2. Engagement levels also improved, with scores rising from 3.1 to 4.5. These results underscore the importance of ergonomic design in promoting student well-being and fostering a more conducive learning environment, providing evidence-based recommendations for optimizing learning spaces in higher education.

Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees

This article describes a pedagogical approach that integrated artistic expression with experiential fieldwork to enhance pupils’ learning of bees. Initially, pupils were tasked with creating an artwork of a bee or bees based on their preconceived notions, allowing teachers to identify their prior ideas of bees. Afterward, an immersive field activity was conducted to provide pupils with an opportunity to close-up observe live honey and native bees in canola fields and their pollination processes. Through teacher-guided explorations, pupils systematically inspected the morphology of various bee species, relating their external structures to associated functions. The fieldwork allowed for detailed observations of bees’ features, such as the proboscis, antennae, and legs, and their roles in nectar collection and pollen distribution. In addition, exposure to honey and native bees informed pupils of the differences in their stinging, nesting and sociality. Pupils’ summative reflections post-fieldwork suggest that the immersive fieldwork enabled multi-sensory modes of learning barely available in a traditional classroom setting. By juxtaposing the new insights from field observations with the prior ideas of bees embodied in their initial artworks, pupils achieved gains in both their conceptual understandings and perceptual knowledge about bees. Pupils acknowledged deeper understandings of bee anatomy, pollination processes and the diversity within bee species. This approach to learning about bees epitomizes the value of empirical investigation for advancing pupils’ scientific practices and understanding life science core ideas of how animals' external structures fulfill various functions and of how plants and pollinators are interdependent, as highlighted in <i>the Next Generation Science Standards</i>. The integration of artwork creation and experiential fieldwork exemplifies an effective pedagogical approach for enhancing pupils' engagement and learning of biological ideas.

An Empirical Study on the Learning Outcomes of Vocational Students in A Smart Classroom

Background and Aim: Smart Classrooms, as a form of rich-media learning environments, were increasingly being implemented and utilized. This study aimed to investigate the impact of Smart Classrooms on learning outcomes by examining 133 first-year vocational students from a vocational college in Yunnan Province, China. The research focused on an applied writing course and compared Cognitive, Behavioral, and Affective learning outcomes between the SEEWO Smart Classroom and traditional classrooms. Materials and Methods: In this study, 133 current vocational students participated. The participants were divided into two groups: a control group and a treatment group. The control group was taught in a traditional classroom while the treatment group was taught in a Seewo Smart Classroom. After a 10-week applied writing course, the course was evaluated using the course evaluation scale that had been used in the college for many years. This evaluation explored cognitive learning outcomes, behavioral learning outcomes, and affective learning outcomes in terms of final grades, classroom behavioral performance, and student course scoring. Results: Students in Smart Classrooms showed significant improvement in final exam scores, enhancing Cognitive learning outcomes. Behavioral outcomes, including participation and attendance, also increased. Student feedback favored Smart Classrooms over traditional settings, with no significant impacts from gender, age, or admission methods observed. Conclusion: Smart Classrooms notably enhanced Cognitive and Behavioral learning outcomes, indicating improved student performance and engagement. Positive student feedback underscores their potential to enhance educational experiences and outcomes compared to traditional classrooms.

Teacher Support and Student Engagement in the Conduct of Blended Learning Instruction for English as A Foreign Language

With the deep integration of information technology and education, blended learning has emerged as a new paradigm in higher education, combining the strengths of both online and offline learning environments. This approach allows English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners, particularly in the Chinese context, to engage in flexible and continuous learning beyond traditional classroom settings, thereby fostering greater student initiative and self-directed learning. Understanding the impact of teacher support on student engagement within this blended learning framework is crucial for optimizing educational outcomes. This study employed a quantitative descriptive comparative and correlational research design to examine the relationship between various forms of teacher support—instructional, emotional, feedback, and interpersonal—and student engagement among 307 Chinese EFL learners in a blended learning environment. The findings reveal that all forms of teacher support were perceived as high, with feedback provision ranking highest. Similarly, student engagement was also rated highly across behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social domains. The Pearson correlation coefficient between teacher support and student engagement was found to be 0.75, indicating a significant positive relationship. Based on these findings, a program aimed at enhancing teacher support to further improve student engagement in blended learning environments was developed and recommended.

Strategies of Effective Online Teaching and Learning in Vocational Computer Programming Education

Background and Aim: This research analyzes the existing issues with online teaching and learning in vocational computer programming education, devises strategies for online teaching and learning, and then implements and adjusts these strategies to confirm their effectiveness. The expected strategies for effective online teaching and learning proposed in this study include nine aspects: The study focuses on the following nine aspects: 1) the informatization teaching ability of teachers; 2) the autonomous learning ability of students; 3) the interaction between online teaching and learning; 4) the course content; 5) the teaching resource; 6) the teaching design; 7) the learning engagement; 8) school policy support; and 9) the online teaching and learning platform. Methodology: The sample consisted of 21 experts with qualified Delphi requirements from high vocational colleges in Guangxi, as well as 60 computer program students in their second year of study. Research instruments include an open-ended interview and Likert scale questionnaire, as well as data analysis using median, mode, interquartile range, percentage, and descriptive analysis. Results: The research results found that online teaching and learning in vocational computer programming education in aspects were at a medium-high level; after implementing and readjusting the strategies, the effectiveness of online classes was comparable to that of traditional classes. The research results summarized 80 strategies and suggestions for online teaching and learning in vocational computer programming education and put forward a discussion of the future development trend. Conclusion: The study's findings show that, with some strategic modifications, online instruction in vocational computer programming education achieved a medium-high effectiveness that was on par with traditional classroom settings. The study also offered eighty strategies and insights for the advancement of online education in this field in the future.

HCI Teaching and Learning Model Using Studio-Based Learning

This research explores Studio-based Learning (SBL) within Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) subjects, focusing on the crucial elements required in the design of maker spaces to enhance user experience (UX) design education. As HCI becomes increasingly complex and interdisciplinary, traditional classroom settings often fail to provide the required experiential learning environment for certain subjects. Our study examines various subjects in the discipline, highlighting diverse interactivity requirements and the potential of Studio-based Learning to effectively address students' and staff’s needs. We analyse the impact of studio settings on the learning outcomes and expectations of students, especially in fostering creativity, collaboration, and hands-on engagement. Our research findings indicate that studio-based classrooms significantly improve student learning experiences in interactive and practical subjects, although effective planning around space and time constraints can impede its full implementation.

Investigating the Effect of Role-Play Activity With GenAI Agent on EFL Students’ Speaking Performance

Role-play activities are considered a useful instructional design in enhancing the speaking performance of foreign language learners. However, in the traditional classroom context, learners may not readily have access to interlocutors for role-play activities. In this study, we proposed a designed method that integrated the GenAI agent into role-play activities and conducted a quasi-experiment at a Chinese university. A total of 53 Chinese students in an English course were assigned to an experimental group ( n = 29) that engaged in role-playing with a GenAI agent and a control group ( n = 24) that engaged in role-playing with their class peers. The results showed role-play activities with GenAI could facilitate students’ speaking performance, and one-way ANCOVA showed there was no significant difference in speaking performance improvement when compared with traditional role-play activities with peers. Moreover, the paired-sample Wilcoxon test showed that the treatment students had significant intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy improvement, which were higher than the control group. The findings provide important implications for the design and implementation of GenAI-integrated role-play activities for foreign language speaking learning.

The pivot to online teaching: an opportunity to create effective problem-based learning environments for dietetic education.

Dietetics, as an autonomous profession guided by evidence-based practice, requires a dynamic and adaptable workforce to meet evolving challenges in healthcare, public health nutrition and epidemiological research. This study aimed to explore the opportunities presented by the transition to online education of preparing dietetic students for professional demands, particularly, through the lens of problem-based learning (PBL) within the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. This paper examines the shift from traditional classroom and practice placement education to online and blended learning accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on the application of PBL, rooted in constructivist theories and the CoI framework, which includes social, cognitive and teaching presences. PBL encourages active and collaborative learning, aligning with the multifaceted roles of dietetic professionals. The CoI framework guides the development of effective online learning environments, emphasising the importance of social, cognitive and teaching presence. The transition to online education presents significant opportunities for dietetic education. Careful instructional design and effective teaching strategies are crucial for creating successful online learning environments, as demonstrated through an illustrative case study.

Teaching enthusiasm in video lectures: Evidence from two experimental studies

While teaching enthusiasm is crucial in traditional classroom settings, its impact on learning processes in digital learning environments still needs to be explored. This study examines the impact of teaching enthusiasm in instructional videos on cognitive and affective learning outcomes. Two separate experiments were conducted at different times: one with 9th-grade students and another with 10th-grade students. Participants viewed instructional videos including either higher or lower levels of teaching enthusiasm, and their cognitive learning outcomes (retention and transfer), social presence, lecture engagement, and motivation were measured. The study revealed that despite the significant difference between the groups regarding perceived teaching enthusiasm, higher enthusiasm did not significantly impact learning outcomes. The study suggests that increased enthusiasm in lecture videos may not necessarily enhance cognitive and affective learning outcomes. Further studies are needed to explore how instructional enthusiasm affects learning outcomes in different situations and with various types of videos.

Hyped or Transformational? AI in Higher Education

This paper explores the difference between the transformation idea and the reality of how colleges and universities leverage technologies for teaching, learning and assessment. We seek to understand why a structural and operational transformation of these institutions rarely happens and offer an understanding of the structural, operational, financial, and political constraints that prevent transformation but encourage continuous improvement. More specifically, we suggest that AI will not deliver on its promise to finally “solve” the so-called “two sigma” problem, which arises from the work of Bloom (1984), who showed that students taught through tutoring performed better by two standard deviations than those taught in a traditional classroom.

Enhancing Emotional Intelligence of Adult Learners in Online EFL Teaching: Insights from Vietnamese Educators

This study investigates the strategies employed by Vietnamese EFL teachers to enhance emotional intelligence (EI) in adult learners within online learning environments. Utilizing a qualitative research design grounded in Mayer and Salovey’s model of emotional intelligence and Knowles’s theory of andragogy, the study involved semi-structured interviews with ten EFL teachers from two Vietnamese educational institutions. The thematic analysis of the interview data revealed several key strategies: reflective practices, interactive activities, technology integration, personalized feedback, collaborative learning, integration of real-life scenarios, self-awareness activities, development of emotional vocabulary, and creation of emotionally supportive environments. The findings illustrate a multifaceted approach to enhancing EI in online language education, highlighting the innovative adaptation of traditional classroom strategies to the digital realm. The study’s unique contribution lies in its focus on the Vietnamese context, providing insights into how cultural nuances shape online teaching strategies for EI enhancement. The implications of these findings are significant for the field of EFL education, suggesting the need for holistic teaching approaches that integrate emotional competencies alongside linguistic skills.

The Application of '172' Autonomous Classroom Model in High School Biology Education in China

The "172" autonomous classroom model differs from traditional classrooms in that it meticulously arranges the overall semester learning plan, the design of classroom teaching segments, and the assignment of homework according to modules. By changing the classroom mode, learning processes, and evaluation methods, the aim is to improve teaching efficiency and quality. Based on personal teaching experience, this paper organizes and summarizes the "172" autonomous classroom model and proposes suggestions for its application in high school biology teaching. These suggestions include emphasizing the design of pre-class study outlines, valuing student interactions during teaching, and focusing on post-class learning feedback. The hope is to better exert the positive effects of the "172" autonomous classroom model.

Research on the Issues and Strategies of Constructing Intelligent Classrooms in Higher Education

Driven by the robust wave of informatization, emerging industries based on information technology continue to deepen their development, reshaping human society and leading a historic leap from traditional industrial society to information society, and further towards an intelligent society. In this transformative process, information technology serves as a key driving force, profoundly impacting the education sector, particularly accelerating the pace of educational reform and promoting continuous innovation and upgrading of educational models. This paper focuses on higher education, deeply analyzing the construction pathways and practical values of intelligent classroom teaching models. Specifically, we explore strategies for deeply integrating Internet technology with traditional classroom teaching, aiming to create a highly intelligent, personalized, and interactive teaching environment in higher education—intelligent classrooms.

Student-Centered Learning: Some Issues and Recommendations for Its Implementation in a Traditional Curriculum Setting in Health Sciences

This review article discussed the challenges faced during the implementation of active learning methods within the traditional teaching environment at the Complutense University of Madrid. These challenges encompass interactions with colleagues, students, and the classroom itself. It is essential for educators to have confidence that the outcomes achieved through these teaching approaches will not be adversely impacted by the quality assessment system of surveys. The university should adopt a teaching quality assessment framework that differentiates between the instructor’s efficiency and the effectiveness of teaching methods. Students need to recognize the significance of developing critical thinking skills over rote memorization throughout their academic journey and understand the importance of this for their future professional development. Suggestions are also made for improving teamwork in traditional classrooms, which typically follow standard teaching methods.

Norwegian Public Health Nursing Students’ Experiences with the Transition from Classroom to Online Lectures: Benefits and Challenges

The integration of technology in higher education increased online courses available to students, although traditional face-to-face interaction remains dominant. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a rapid transition to emergency remote teaching (ERT), impacting public health nursing (PHN) education in Norway, which primarily consists of adult learners. The impact of the transition to online-only lectures on these students remains largely unexplored. The aim of this study is to examine how Norwegian PHN students experienced the transition from traditional classroom lectures to online-only lectures during the global pandemic. It also identifies the self-reported advantages and challenges associated with online-only lectures and whether this transition affected their perceived learning outcome. A cross-sectional sample of public health nursing (PHN) students (n = 275) participated in a survey in from May to November 2020. The questionnaire was specifically developed for this study and covers student motivation, perceived benefits and challenges of transitioning to online lectures, peer collaboration, and self-assessed learning outcomes. It was distributed to the PHN students via their respective education’s LMS system. Most PHN students managed the technical aspects of the abrupt transition to online-only lectures effectively. They reported high digital competence, found the transition relatively easy, and remained motivated to continue their studies. Despite these positives, students reported a reduction in learning outcomes compared to classroom lectures. Challenges included the missing face-to-face interaction with peers, difficulties in managing childcare, and issues with structuring their studies.

Learners’ attitudes towards blended learning at Nguyen Tat Thanh University

In many educational settings accross the world, including Vietnam, blended learning has grown quickly due to evidence of its benefits over traditional classroom or online instruction alone. The study examined the attitudes of students at Nguyen Tat Thanh University toward the existing English blended learning course with the overall goal of enhancing the quality of language teaching and learning. A total of 367 students non-majoring in English language participated in the survey conducted at Nguyen Tat Thanh University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The 44-item survey was used to collect the data, and SPSS version 20.0 was used for statistical analysis. The results demonstrated that most students had very positive sentiments towards four factors: the course's overall quality, the quality of the instructors, the course material, and the supportive services. However, a few students expressed dissatisfaction with the technology system, as they frequently encounter technical issues when engaging in online learning outside of the classroom.

Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Prevention Programming During the Pandemic: How Prevention Educators Navigated COVID-19

Abstract Purpose Domestic violence and sexual assault (DVSA) primary prevention programming is often implemented during the school year, but the delivery of such programming was radically altered during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic when traditional in-person classrooms were often replaced by virtual learning. The immediate issue facing schools was getting academic content to students in this new environment, but there has been little research into what those priorities meant for supplementary programming like DVSA prevention education. How DVSA prevention education was affected by the switch to virtual learning remains largely unknown, but prevention educators’ experiences navigating virtual learning environments can offer insight into the implementation and delivery of virtual programming by community agencies. Method We conducted 20 interviews with DVSA prevention educators across the midwestern region of the United States. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to understand how DVSA prevention programming was impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results We identified four themes through our analysis: Disconnection, New Expectations, Reduced Access, and Safety Concerns. Interviews with prevention educators highlighted the many challenges of delivering DVSA prevention programming online, as well as ways that they adapted and even made improvements in this new environment. Conclusion Many students lost access to DVSA prevention education during the COVID-19 pandemic or received a version strongly impacted by social distancing protocols. Findings indicate that students who would have received DVSA prevention programming during the 2020–2021 school year likely did not receive the full dose of intended programming. Curriculum researchers should develop programming suitable for remote delivery for future incidental and fully online learning environments.

Impact of Virtual Learning on Student Performance and Engagement in Remote Hilly Areas of Uttarakhand

The rapid shift to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic brought significant changes to the education system, especially in geographically challenging regions like the remote hilly areas of Uttarakhand, India. This study explores how these shifts affected high school students' academic performance and engagement in virtual classrooms, given the unique challenges posed by limited infrastructure and connectivity. This study investigates the impact of virtual learning on student performance and engagement in the remote hilly areas of Uttarakhand, India. With the sudden shift to virtual education during the COVID-19 pandemic, schools in these regions faced unique challenges due to their geographic isolation, lack of internet access, and frequent power outages. The study aims to assess how these conditions have influenced the effectiveness of virtual learning and its impact on students' academic outcomes and engagement levels. A total of 51 high school students from 05 government schools in remote areas of Uttarakhand participated in this research. Data was collected through structured questionnaires, focusing on students’ experiences with virtual learning, their academic performance before and after the shift, and their engagement with online classes. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods, including descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and MANOVA, to analyze the data. Findings indicate that while virtual learning provided an essential educational lifeline during the pandemic, students in remote areas encountered significant barriers that hindered their learning experiences. Limited internet access and frequent electricity cuts were among the primary obstacles reported. Despite these challenges, a majority of students found virtual classrooms useful for maintaining continuity in their education. The study also reveals that virtual learning positively influenced student engagement, particularly in subjects that incorporated interactive content. However, the overall academic performance showed mixed results, with some students struggling due to the absence of traditional classroom interaction and practical learning opportunities. This research highlights the need for improved infrastructure and policy interventions to support virtual education in remote regions. It concludes that while virtual learning has potential, addressing technological and logistical barriers is crucial for ensuring equitable and effective learning experiences for all students in such areas.

Human-machine interaction with intelligent machine learning algorithms for smart classrooms

ABSTRACT The modern technology of learning and teaching in education has moved on to smart classes. The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in the education sector has essentially taken over traditional classrooms and transformed how education leads to admiration. Various data types, such as videos, images, sound, text, and biometric data like eye-tracking potentially captured through smart classrooms, pose new issues and challenges for artificial intelligence algorithms. Hence, this paper suggests the Machine Learning Assisted Intelligent Human-Machine Interaction (MLIHMI) model for the smart classroom monitoring system. The real-time interactive dimension signifies the capability to support the Smart classroom’s teaching and human-computer interactions, including smooth interaction, convenient operation, and interactive monitoring. This paper used ML and HMI models to introduce a new effective database for online learning and smart classroom environments utilising the learners’ body postures, facial expressions, and hand gestures. The numerical findings show that the suggested system achieves less error rate of 10.1% and enhances the accuracy rate of 96.5%, with the highest classification ratio of 95.6%, prediction rate of 93.6%, the detection rate of 97.3%, and engagement rate of 81.3% in student gesture and postures recognition and the identification of facial expressions with the high performance of 93.3% when compared to other existing models.