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The adoption of Information and Communication Technologies in early childhood education is crucial for adapting traditional classrooms to the digital era. Over time, young children are increasingly using touch screen technologies such as tablets at home and in early childhood settings. However, the literature shows that there is a significant gap in knowledge of using this technology in early childhood education. Most researchers have focused on the pedagogical theory behind using touch screen devices, but there have not been many empirical studies about how these technologies affect students' learning processes. This paper presents three learning experiences where early childhood students perform educational activities using tablet computers, interactive whiteboards, and paper cards. The results show that students who used the technology were more motivated and achieved better results that those who used paper cards. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The use of ICT in childhood education offers new possibilities for teachers to provide new and more visual digital learning content to their students.Touch technologies seem suitable for young students. Because their motor skills are not fully developed yet, interacting with computers through a mouse and a keyboard is more difficult than doing it through natural gestures.There are many studies in higher education levels that demonstrate that proper use of ICT in education can lead to an increase of the students' motivation and learning. What this paper adds: Three empirical studies in three different childhood education classrooms to shed some light about how ICT can impact positively students learning.A comparison of interactive whiteboards and tablet computers benefits regarding more traditional methodologies in childhood education.Insights about how hardware and software can be combined to provide students a suitable learning environment in childhood education classrooms. Implications for practice and/or policy: Teachers should consider how they will create the workgroups. It is highly advisable to create heterogeneous groups taking into account the students' skills. This way, members of the same group can help each other, creating a richer learning scenario.Several teachers who participated in our studies said that they were not able to use ICT in their classrooms because they did not have enough digital competences. Our studies and the results obtained led them consider integrating technology in their classrooms. The good results obtained by the students who worked with technology changed the teachers' perspective about the use of technology in the classroom.Students showed a great interest in the use of tablet computers and interactive whiteboards, which translated into higher motivation compared with the students who solved the activities on paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The growth of teaching practices conducted to promote cognitive activation and active participation in the classroom in recent years has become the epicentre of an active debate regarding their effectiveness. Objectives: This study is aimed to shed some light on this topic by empirically analysing the causes and consequences of more modern strategies in Spanish secondary schools. Methods: The database used in the study was PISA 2018. In order to analyse the causes behind the teaching style followed by teachers, a logit model was used. Likewise, to analyze the consequences that a modern teaching style has on students at the age of 15, we used propensity score analysis techniques. Results and Conclusions: Regarding the results obtained through a logit model, it is shown that the likelihood of a modern teaching style decreases if teachers work for a state school or if they usually apply traditional strategies. Similarly, this series of practices are shown to be more common in schools where teachers and students make greater use of digital devices. The second section of results, focused on analysing the effect this type of teaching strategies has on cognitive, non‐cognitive and wellbeing among students, show that, on the one hand, modern teaching style negatively affects students' performance in mathematics, science or language. On the other hand, modern teaching style has been shown to contribute to improving the students' well‐being, motivation and cooperation, only being significant the latter. Moreover, this teaching style contributes to reducing bullying among students. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Modern teaching style is gaining increased popularity.Teaching style is determined by students characteristics, performance and characteristics of the teacher and the class in general.There is not an agreed‐upon hypothesis on the impact of a modern teaching style on the academic results obtained by students. What this paper adds: This study analyses empirically the factors that explain modern teaching practices at secondary schools.Modern teaching practices are negative associated with more traditional practices, being more common this style between teachers that work at private school or use more digital services, among others.Reports the first analysis, taking into account teacher and students responses about teacher style, on the effects of modern teaching practice on cognitive, non‐cognitive and wellbeing among students. Implications for practice and/or policy: Knowing the factors behind the teaching style followed by teachers can be useful in trying to adapt teaching strategies to the needs of students.Modern teaching style can be good ally to promote collaborative practices among students.Modern teaching style should be complemented with traditional practices, like summaries previous class or advice students to achieve goals, which the literature has demonstrated to be effective to improve mathematics or reading competences.Teaching style adopted by the teachers can be decisive in improving the educational system as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serious games have proven to be a powerful tool in education to engage, motivate, and help students learn. However, the change in student knowledge after playing games is usually measured with traditional (paper) prequestionnaires–postquestionnaires. We propose a combination of game learning analytics and data mining techniques to predict knowledge change based on in‐game student interactions. We have tested this approach in a case study for which we have conducted preexperiments–postexperiments with 227 students playing a previously validated serious game on first aid techniques. We collected student interaction data while students played, using a game learning analytics infrastructure and the standard data format Experience API for Serious Games. After data collection, we developed and tested prediction models to determine whether knowledge, given as posttest results, can be accurately predicted. Additionally, we compared models both with and without pretest information to determine the importance of previous knowledge when predicting postgame knowledge. The high accuracy of the obtained prediction models suggests that serious games can be used not only to teach but also to measure knowledge acquisition after playing. This will simplify serious games application for educational settings and especially in the classroom easing teachers' evaluation tasks. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter Serious games are a powerful tool to engage, motivate, and help students learn.Pre‐post experiments are commonly used to measure knowledge acquisition.Game learning analytics can be applied to interaction data from games. What this paper adds We present a two‐step approach combining game learning analytics and data mining to predict players' performance in serious games based on their interactions.The approach is tested in a case study with pre‐post experiments collecting interaction data with 227 students playing a serious game to determine if performance can be accurately predicted.The comparison of prediction models has helped to determine if pretest information is essential.The highly accurate prediction models obtained suggest that games can be used to teach and measure knowledge acquisition after playing. Implications of study findings for practitioners The approach aims to simplify the measurement of players' learning with serious games.It may be generalized at least to similar scenarios (e.g., games for procedural learning or game‐likesimulations) where similar interaction data are feasible.Game mechanics and educational design should define the interaction data to capture.Using an accepted standard tracking profile is a clear recommendation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study analyses the design of programming literacy in the sixth grade of Primary Education, starting from the use of simple activities with visual block‐based programming, through Scratch, and progressively linking difficulty to the use of the Unity engine, and the C# language, with simple activities identical to those created in Scratch. Objectives: This research aims to evaluate future teachers' abilities and attitudes regarding programming and its educational possibilities. We intend to evaluate the viability of a teaching proposal that combines a visual block‐based programming environment and a more advanced one, based on C#. Method: In the settings of two public Spanish universities, we analyse the possibilities in the training of future teachers who are studying for a degree in Primary Education Teaching and a degree in Pedagogy. Based on a test and three scales, descriptive data and statistical inference are detailed through a quasi‐experimental design with a Student's t‐test in the first dimension, and a Wilcoxon test in the second dimension. Results: The participants improved their performance and attitudes towards programming with the intervention of the study in the use of coding. Conclusions: It can be concluded that coding is essential in teacher training, and that a greater presence of programming training in higher education is essential. The benefits are visible in the pedagogical approach of coding related to creativity, innovation, motivation, an active approach and interest, highlighting the fact that the implementation of visual block‐based programming by blocks and engines is feasible in Elementary Education. The training proposal—provided by appropriate progression, selection, and sequencing of content—fosters basic and practical teacher training, and this can be defined as an apt training solution. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Visual Programming Language (Scratch) provides benefits in educational contextsEducational Technology in classroom provides motivation and encouragement.Active methods and interactions are interesting and beneficial to elementary school students What this paper adds: Visual programming and game engine are feasible in Elementary Education, detailing significant improvements regarding academic outcomesWe found benefits in this pedagogical approach related to creativity, innovation, motivation, active approach and interest. Implications for practice and/or policy: Due to the benefits and positive results obtained in this research it is recommended to implement Visual Programming LanguageWe recommend the introduction to engine in educational settings in 6th grade in primary education though a cross‐curricular implementation.We recommend to apply an active approach, innovation, and learning computational concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elaborative feedback (EF) containing explanations on students' responses benefits learning. Computer‐based environments provide learners with EF in different ways, for example, on an immediate question‐by‐question basis or after answering a set of questions. Recent findings also suggest that delaying EF enhances learning. However, it is unclear to what extent different types of delayed‐EF favour students' performance. This study examines whether and how two types of delayed‐EF (question‐based vs. summative) influence students' question‐answering performance and final learning over immediate‐EF. One hundred thirty‐three secondary‐school students read a scientific text and answered 12 multiple‐choice questions in a computer‐based environment. A day later, students completed a final learning test with 20 open‐ended questions. Results showed that neither question‐based delayed EF nor summative delayed EF outperformed immediate EF. However, EF moderated the relationship between students' prior knowledge and their performance outcomes, suggesting that students with higher levels of prior knowledge receiving summative delayed EF benefited more. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Elaborative Feedback (EF) containing explanations about the students' responses benefits learning.Computer‐based learning environments can provide students with different types of delayed and immediate EF messages.Results in regard to what type of delayed EF is best for learning are inconclusive.EF effects can vary as a function of individual differences in Prior Knowledge. What this paper adds: The role of delaying EF over immediate EF on both question‐answering and learning outcomes.The effects of summing up EF (summative)in comparison to delivering question‐based EF.The interplay between students' prior knowledge and EF on question‐answering and learning outcomes. Implications for practice and/or policy: Neither question‐based nor summative delayed EF outperformed immediate EF.Students with higher levels of prior knowledge receiving summative delayed EF benefited more.Designers of computer‐based learning environments may provide learners with delayed EF messages.The design of content‐efficient EF cannot be fully understood without considering learners' prior knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Difficulties in implementing effective instruction for at‐risk students arise from two challenges: the transfer of evidence‐based knowledge and the lack of economic resources. Computer‐assisted programmes offer a suitable solution, providing quality instruction using low‐cost resources. Thirty‐two first‐grade students with early learning difficulties were identified and paired based on at least three of the pre‐intervention reading measures (reading efficiency of monosyllabic and disyllabic items, words, pseudowords and text reading speed). Each pair was assigned to one of two different intervention programmes: a computer‐assisted intervention programme (CAIP) focused on syllables or the programme provided by the Spanish State School Assistance Services (SSAS). Every week, the CAIP participants received in pairs four 15‐min training sessions on syllable decoding plus one 30‐min group comprehension session. The CAIP was delivered by trainee students. The SSAS programme typically consisted of a 1‐hr individual or in small groups sessions per week delivered by trained practitioners. Both programmes were administered for 11 weeks. The CAIP intervention showed better results than the SSAS intervention for both decoding and comprehension, with moderate to large effect sizes. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Implementing effective instruction for at‐risk students presents two challenges: evidence‐based knowledge transfer and lack of economic resources.The use of computer‐assisted programmes to provide quality instruction for at‐risk students is not a common practise in the Spanish context. What this paper adds: A comparison between a computer‐assisted instructional programme (CAIP) and a programme provided by the Spanish State School Assistance Services (SSAS).A programme designed to be applied by professionals or non‐professionals with minor guidance.The CAIP intervention showed better results after 11 weeks of application, replicating the positive effects of computer programmes in other languages. Implications for practise and/or policy: Findings showed that computer programmes represent an effective tool for the transfer of scientific knowledge to educational practise with little economic cost, minor teaching training and short time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the effects of web‐based training on Spanish pre‐service and in‐service teacher knowledge and implicit beliefs on learning to write. A sample of pre‐service teachers and in‐service teachers from Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia, and Spain participated in the online course. Findings suggest that teachers may improve their knowledge of transcription skills (i.e., handwriting/typing, spelling), text production, and strategies for composing as necessary components of quality writing instruction. Effects were also found on the teachers' implicit beliefs. Finally, both pre‐service and in‐service teachers positively rated the online course received. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject: Teaching children how to write demands a high degree of specialization.The benefits of web‐based training to professional development have been well‐documented in the literature.Preparing of pre‐service and in‐service teachers through an online context is limited in the field of writing.Teachers' knowledge, satisfaction, and beliefs have been commonly used as outcome measures to define high‐quality e‐learning instruction. What this paper adds: A Spanish web‐based training was developed to improve professional development in writing instruction.The Trazo web‐based training changed teacher's beliefs about learning to write.Teachers learned more about the essential component of the writing process.Teachers' rating of the training and support website was highly positive. Implications for practitioners: Web‐based training allows teachers to learn at their own pace.Teachers can improve their knowledge from virtually at any geographic location with an Internet connection.The Trazo web‐based training offers research‐based knowledge to Spanish‐speaking teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Knowledge Society, along with the non‐stop growing technological evolution, entails university students acquiring new competences for them to be successful in society. These are called 21st‐century competences that come as high‐skill competences – higher‐order thinking capacities and teamwork competences – and information and communication technologies (ICT) competences – technological, pedagogical and ethical. This study aims to determine the link between ICT competences and high‐skill competences. A correlational study was conducted whose sample was formed by 983 students studying degrees at the Universidad de Valencia (Spain), selected by non‐probabilistic incidental sampling and collecting information with two questionnaires. The results indicate a positive and statistically significant relation between ICT competences with the other two considered sets: higher‐order thinking capacities and teamwork competences. Moreover, pedagogical competences are more related with the two high‐skill competence sets. This suggests the need for training plans that favour learning 21st‐century competences and for stressing pedagogical competences in ICT. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: University students require new competences to face a changing society.21st‐century competences are made up of ICT competences, higher‐order thinking capacities and teamwork competences.The empirical relation between ICT competences with higher‐order thinking capacities and teamwork competences has been little addressed.Few empirical studies have determined the contribution of each of the competence dimensions in that relation. What this paper adds: There is a positive relation between ICT competences and higher‐order thinking capacities and teamwork competences.Pedagogical competences –ICT competences‐ are more closely related to the two sets of high‐skill competences.Problem solving and the two teamwork competences contribute more to the relation with ICT competences. Implications for practice and/or policy: University system have to development training plans in the 21st century competences for the university student.University system have to promote specific training in pedagogical competences ‐ICT competences‐ for university student. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assist higher education institutions in meeting the challenge of limited student engagement in the implementation of Learning Analytics services, the Questionnaire for Student Expectations of Learning Analytics (SELAQ) was developed. This instrument contains 12 items, which are explained by a purported two‐factor structure of "Ethical and Privacy Expectations" and "Service Feature Expectations." As it stands, however, the SELAQ has only been validated with students from UK university, which is problematic on account of the interest in Learning Analytics extending beyond this context. Thus, the aim of the current work was to assess whether the translated SELAQ can be validated in three contexts (an Estonian, a Spanish, and a Dutch University). The findings show that the model provided acceptable fits in both the Spanish and Dutch samples, but was not supported in the Estonian student sample. In addition, an assessment of local fit is undertaken for each sample, which provides important points that need to be considered in future work. Finally, a general comparison of expectations across contexts is undertaken, which are discussed in relation to the General Data Protection Regulation (2018). Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Accounting for student expectations allows for a service that is meaningful.SELAQ measures student expectations towards Learning Analytics services.The 12 items of the SELAQ can be explained by a two‐factor structure (Ethical and Privacy Expectations and Service Feature Expectations). What their paper adds to this: Validation of the SELAQ in three contextsA discussion of localized sources of strainAn assessment of measurement quality in each contextA general comparison of student expectations across contexts The implications of study findings for practitioners: SELAQ can be used with Spanish and Dutch students.SELAQ responses provide a much needed input from end‐users in Learning Analytics implementations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies how the integration of group awareness tools in the knowledge management system called KnowCat (Knowledge Catalyser), which promotes collaborative knowledge construction, may both foster the students' perception about the meaningfulness of visualization of group awareness information and promote better collaborative processes as well as enhance better task performance. Forty-seven university students participated in a research study, where one group of 23 students used KnowCat without the awareness console (non-awareness group); the other 24 students used KnowCat with the awareness console (awareness group). Both groups used KnowCat during one semester. Data analysis revealed that the awareness group means were higher than those of the non-awareness group in terms of participation, cognitive and metacognitive learning activities, and task performance. Moreover, students revealed that knowing what, where and how much their classmates were contributing acted as positive feedback by encouraging participation and orienting their own behaviour and their contribution to the collaborative work. In this paper, we claim that the visualization group awareness information in KnowCat, a utility allowing students to visualize and track what, where, how much and how often other participants contributed to the KnowCat knowledge area, had a positive impact on the students' collaborative behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limitations of formal learning (e.g., one-way communication, rigid methodology, results-oriented approach) can significantly influence the motivation and expectation of students, thus resulting in an academic progress reduction. In order to make learning processes more playful and motivating, this paper presents a new educational experience developed by two groups of Computer Science students at the University of Huelva (Spain). As a result, an authentic real experience was incorporated into the classical teaching of Artificial Intelligence courses where classroom sessions were changed during some days for an international online competition. A comprehensive study considering the competition ranking, the students' opinion and their academic progress was analysed to assess the followed methodology. We found out that the educational experience improved the students' motivation, thereby enhancing their academic performance and personal skills as a result of learning through play. Moreover, additional teaching goals (e.g., learning new programming languages or increasing exam attendance) were obtained because of the positive motivation experienced by the competition. As a conclusion, this paradigm of real-life experience - not otherwise provided by traditional practical lessons - allowed us to ascertain that the process is more important than the outcome, which could be adapted to different teaching scenarios within an institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to test the effectiveness of a serious game in improving the helping behaviours of bystanders in bullying situations by using a multimethod approach. Students (N=345, aged 12 to 14) participated in an experimental study with one experimental and two control groups. Before and after playing the game, all students completed an online questionnaire about their knowledge, experiences and behaviours related to bullying, and their behaviours in everyday social situations. For the experimental group, players' reactions during game‐play were recorded. Results showed that students' social behaviour displayed before gaming experience determined their playing activities. Besides, most of the students who declared in pre‐test that they do not help the victim, although they think they should, chose helping behaviour in all bullying situations in by stander role in the game. Results indicate weak positive effect of the game on students' behavioural choices. Lay Description: What is already known: Serious games might be powerful tools for learning.Prosocial video game exposure can increase helping behaviours and decrease aggression.Behavioural determinants of changing the target behaviour should be assessed.Antibullying games should be aimed at improving victims' and bystanders' coping skills. What this paper adds: In‐game players' behaviours are important indicators of the game effect.Pregame players' characteristics affect in‐game behaviours.The game could have benefits for students with less appropriate knowledge. Implications for practitioners: Serious games should be optimally challenging regarding players' previous knowledge and skills.Games could be individually tailored based on obtained in‐game data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of Information and Communication Technologies in early childhood education is crucial for adapting traditional classrooms to the digital era. Over time, young children are increasingly using touch screen technologies such as tablets at home and in early childhood settings. However, the literature shows that there is a significant gap in knowledge of using this technology in early childhood education. Most researchers have focused on the pedagogical theory behind using touch screen devices, but there have not been many empirical studies about how these technologies affect students' learning processes. This paper presents three learning experiences where early childhood students perform educational activities using tablet computers, interactive whiteboards, and paper cards. The results show that students who used the technology were more motivated and achieved better results that those who used paper cards.

This study investigated the frequency of use of information problem-solving (IPS) skills and its relationship with learning outcomes. During the course of the study, 40 teachers carried out a collaborative IPS task in small virtual groups in a 4-week online training course. The status of IPS skills was collected through self-reports handed in over the course of the 4 weeks. Learning was evaluated by means of open-ended questionnaires before and after the group task. Three types of knowledge learning were evaluated: declarative, procedural and situational. Teachers exhibited a recurrent use of all skills during the whole collaborative task, although periodic use differed from week to week. Results showed a relationship between some IPS skills and declarative and procedural knowledge. The skills that were statistically significant were share information, read peer's information and analyse information. Implications for learning support and instruction are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When students solve problems on the Internet, they have to find a balance between quickly scanning large sections of information in web pages and deeply processing those that are relevant for the task. We studied how high school students articulate scanning and deeper processing of information while answering questions using a Wikipedia document, and how their reading comprehension skills and the question type interact with these processes. By analyzing retrospective think-aloud protocols and eye-tracking measures, we found that scanning of information led to poor hypertext comprehension, while deep processing of information produced better performance, especially in location questions. This relationship between scanning, deep processing, and performance was qualified by reading comprehension skills in an unexpected way: Scanning led to lower performance especially for good comprehenders, while the positive effect of deep processing was independent of reading comprehension skills. We discussed the results in light of our current knowledge of Internet problem solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study includes two experiments to analyse the effects of automatic formative feedback designed to promote the transfer of self-regulation of strategic decisions in task-oriented reading (e.g. answering questions from an available text). Secondary-school students read and answered multiple-choice comprehension questions from two texts having them available while receiving consistent feedback about their performance and strategic decisions. Then, they read a different text and answered questions also with the text available, but receiving no feedback. In Experiment 1, we tested two feedback procedures that differed in task conditions and the feedback information associated to these conditions. The most effective was a procedure that forced students to select relevant text information to answer each question and provided accurate feedback based on that selection. Experiment 2was designed to disentangle the role played by the selection task from that played by the feedback provided. We found that the two components contribute to transfer the self-regulation strategies, although each one has a specific role for different strategies. Theoretical and practical implications of the studies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limitations of formal learning (e.g., one-way communication, rigid methodology, results-oriented approach) can significantly influence the motivation and expectation of students, thus resulting in an academic progress reduction. In order to make learning processes more playful and motivating, this paper presents a new educational experience developed by two groups of Computer Science students at the University of Huelva (Spain). As a result, an authentic real experience was incorporated into the classical teaching of Artificial Intelligence courses where classroom sessions were changed during some days for an international online competition. A comprehensive study considering the competition ranking, the students' opinion and their academic progress was analysed to assess the followed methodology. We found out that the educational experience improved the students' motivation, thereby enhancing their academic performance and personal skills as a result of learning through play. Moreover, additional teaching goals (e.g., learning new programming languages or increasing exam attendance) were obtained because of the positive motivation experienced by the competition. As a conclusion, this paradigm of real-life experience--not otherwise provided by traditional practical lessons--allowed us to ascertain that the process is more important than the outcome, which could be adapted to different teaching scenarios within an institution.