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Background: The substantial growth in gamification research has connected gamified learning to enhanced engagement, improved performance, and greater motivation. Similar to gamification, personalized learning analytics dashboards can enhance student engagement. Objectives: This study explores the student experiences and academic achievements using a gamified dashboard in a large, introductory STEM course. Methods: We examined two groups of students enrolled in different sections of a one‐semester‐long physical geology course with a total enrollment of 223 students. The only difference between the groups was that one had access to the dashboard. The data collection included students' assignments, overall performances, and exam scores. Students in both sections completed a Science Literacy Concept Inventory survey at the beginning and end of the term. Additionally, students completed an end‐of‐term survey containing open‐ended questions on their experience and interactions with specific elements. Results: Students shared mostly positive comments about their experience with the dashboard, and the final grade of students with access to the dashboard was 13% higher, on average, compared to their peers in the non‐dashboard section. Conclusion: With low costs and little time invested, gamified dashboards could have a significant impact on student performance in large STEM lecture courses. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Leaner dashboards that provide personalized feedback are linked to improved student performance in undergraduate STEM courses. However, students may be reticent to adopt dashboards, especially students in the middle range of the performance distribution, for whom the impact of the dashboard may be most significant.Prior research on gamification in STEM courses suggests that adding gameful elements like progress trackers, badges, and rewards can increase students' engagement in undergraduate coursework.The combination of personalized learning in dashboards and the motivational experience of gamification should boost student engagement, dashboard adoption, and ultimately foster academic achievement. What this paper adds: In this paper, we examine the differences in academic performance between students with and without access to a gamified learning dashboard in an undergraduate Geology course.We observe that students with access to the dashboard (the treatment group), outperform students without access (the control group). The greatest benefit is observed for students who use the dashboard more frequently.Students reported that the progress tracker, the badges, and the rewards all incentivized their use and provided useful feedback about their performance. Students who did not adopt the dashboard expressed a need for more detail about the tool and its purpose. Implications for practice and/or policy: Instructors and instructional designers for large enrollment undergraduate STEM courses should consider the affordances of gamified learner dashboards for increasing engagement and for providing synchronous feedback about learners' strategies in the course.Aligning the dashboard to the content of the curriculum—by ensuring that badges reflect key concepts‐ encouraged participation and helped students identify the utility of the tool. Dashboards should be personalized to individuals and to the course.Adding gameful elements in a low‐cost intervention for increasing adoption and engagement of dashboards in large enrollment introductory courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: TPACK is a widely used framework for assessing teachers' competence in integrating technology in education. However, previous studies have shown varying interpretations of the relationship between TPACK elements. Qualitative studies that assess the manifestations of TPACK by examining the practices of pre‐service teachers are rare. Objectives: This study investigates technology integration in innovative physics teaching and learning materials designed by pre‐service teachers and the manifestation of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) in empirical cases. Methods: We qualitatively extracted the components of PCK, TPK, and TCK from the innovative physics teaching and learning materials developed by 22 pre‐service teachers in their fourth year at a teachers' college in South Korea. We scored them based on the new evaluation criteria established in this study. Results and Conclusions: Based on the materials, we identified three types of technology integration: Learning Materials Providing, Learning Activity Providing, and Virtual Experiments Creating. This study identifies teachers' level of TK and integrates it with TPACK expression. Results confirm the connection between TK and TCK and show that a strong PCK can serve as a basis for TPK. The TPACK expression pattern can help achieve balanced development of TPACK in teacher education. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: TPACK framework combines pedagogical, content, and technological knowledge in teachers' professional expertise.Despite TPACK's widespread use, studies showed varied interpretations of the relationships between its elements.TPACK measurement often relies on self‐assessment, lacking a total reflection of technology use in teaching.Few qualitative studies explore TPACK manifestations through pre‐service teachers' practices. What the paper adds to the currently known about: There are three types of technology integration: Learning Materials Providing, Learning Activity Providing, and Virtual Experiments Creating.The study found that pre‐service teachers in the virtual experiments creating type exhibit strong subject‐specific TPACK.In physics education, TK is essential and can be divided into the use of ICT and programming.The study correlates TK levels with TPACK expressions, resulting in five patterns based on PCK, TPK, TCK, and TK. The implications of study findings for practitioners: The study presents empirical evidence of TPACK manifestation in pre‐service physics teachers, focusing on TK.High programming TK has a significant impact on subject‐specific TPACK.The study confirms the TK‐TCK connection and highlights PCK's role in TPK.TPACK patterns can guide teacher education, fostering balanced development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an experimental study that tests the effects of a new digital gamified creativity training program. Four techniques are used to assess the creativity level of a group of university students by taking measurements before and after the experiment. The instruments used are a domain-specific creativity test, a creative self-efficacy test, a belief in creativity training test and a domain-general creativity test. The study is performed among 100 undergraduate Communication students, divided into an experiment (N=51) and a control group (N=49). The experiment group participates in self-conducted training sessions and the control group is submitted to the same assessment procedure without participating in the training. Students in the experiment group performed online exercises for ten hours on a digital gamified creativity training program within a duration of four weeks. The results show that trainees in the experimental group increased their creative performance significantly in both domain-specific and domain-general creativity as well as their creative self-efficacy. No significant increase was found for their belief in creativity training. Furthermore, the implications of this study for digital gamified creativity training are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative project-based learning is one pedagogical approach which has the potential to play a meaningful role in synchronous online teaching but its use at second level, or high school, is under-explored. This paper describes the use, in an online setting, of the Bridge21 pedagogical model for collaborative project-based learning with secondary school students. It compares the experiences of a group (N = 119) of students (aged 15–16) who, in an Emergency Remote Teaching offered during Covid, experienced the model in an online, synchronous modality with that of a group (N = 253) who participated face-to-face in the following year.Two related research questions are addressed. (RQ1) Are the Bridge to College collaborative project-based learning workshops as effective, in terms of enhancing secondary school student confidence in Transversal Skills, when delivered in a synchronous online modality as they were when delivered face-to-face? (RQ2) If so, then what are the elements of the workshops which contribute to their effectiveness?Data on improvement in student confidence in Transversal Skills show that the online experience was on a par with face-to-face offerings. Student feedback suggests that the focus on collaborative work, and the structured approach to PBL, were key factors in the success of the model in the online setting. The modifications needed to adapt the model for use online were minimal. Thus, the contribution of the paper is to provide a model for synchronous online learning, for secondary schools, which preserves the benefits arising from face-to-face collaborative PBL.

Live streaming platforms like Twitch.tv count millions of viewers and performers, pointing to novel practices and interactions. Instructional applications of this phenomenon are rising with thematic channels and shows aimed at teaching and debating a variety of subjects ranging from art to programming. However, few research publications have specifically explored trends in pedagogical strategies and learning behaviours of viewing audiences. This study responded to this need by analysing computer science shows on Twitch.tv. A total of 40 hours of live streaming were analysed within a Community of Inquiry framework using the concepts of social affordances, computational thinking, and teaching style. Data collected from both expert and novice streamers included streamers' actions, on‐screen activity, and online discussions. Results pointed to specific tactics employed by both performers and viewers for exploring computer science issues and dynamics together, with instances of peer‐tutoring, construed learning, and significant transparency, even when top‐down instruction was staged. Practitioners notesWhat is already known about this topic Live streaming is a popular media practice all around the world, with Twitch.tv as the leading hosting platform.A rising number of live streaming shows are focusing on education and learning topics, from STEM to art.What this paper adds A first exploration of instructional streaming focused on computer science education.An analysis of best practices in instructional streaming in terms of community building, teaching style, and computational thinking processes.A better understanding of how communities of inquiry can be hosted on Twitch.tv.Implications for practice and/or policy Practitioners can harness this study's results for informing better educational streaming.Educators may refer to this article's highlights for selecting and evaluating educational streaming shows.Policy makers will be able to use this article's insights for monitoring and re‐applying effective computer science activities in other educational environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Educational robotics (ER) is a means of teaching technology and engineering to students that offers an active learning environment by encouraging them to create meaningful and unique products. ER also gives students the opportunity to work collaboratively. Objectives: In this study, elementary school students' behavioral patterns were explored while they were working on a collaborative robotics project. Additionally, behavioral patterns of higher‐achievement and lower‐achievement groups were compared. Methods: The participants of the study were a total of 18 students (aged 10–12), including 17 males and 1 female. A problem‐based robotics competition was designed within the scope of the study. The students were asked to design and program a robot based on certain rules in groups within four weeks for this competition. All robot design processes and the competition were video‐recorded. Quantitative content analysis and lag‐sequential analysis methods were used to analyze students' behaviors. Results and Conclusions: The results showed that ER improves collaborative learning, and behaviors in the contributing and planning categories were the dominant behaviors during the robotics project development. Grouping skills of higher‐achievement groups were better. Based on the significant collaborative behavioral patterns that emerged from the study, implications were discussed in terms of theoretical insights and collaborative educational robotics practices. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Studies have shown that educational robotics (ER) has a potential impact on students' collaborative learning (CL).Communication and collaboration skills stand out among the 21st century skills that students need to have.Knowledge‐construction behaviours are very important in CL, and researchers have conducted studies to determine behavioural patterns in different technological environments.Previous studies have highlighted the importance of understanding students' behavioural patterns in technology‐assisted learning environments. What this paper adds: This study aims at comprehensively examining collaborative behavioural patterns of elementary school students working on a robotics project.The results showed that behaviours in the contributing and planning categories were the dominant behaviours.Grouping skills of higher achievement groups were better. Implications for practice and/or policy: Our results suggest that ER activities can improve students' co‐regulation skills by supporting the problem‐solving process.ER could be considered as a tool able to contribute to collaborative learning.By using problem‐based collaborative educational robotic activities, students' interactions with their peers can be strengthened.Students' grouping skills should be taken into consideration when establishing groups in ER activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at exploring the educational scholarly writing on the teacher-student relationship and performance within the use of Social Network Sites (SNSs) for educational purposes. To that end, a systematic review of 111 journal articles focused on young people, and found in ten relevant databases (ERIC, SCOPUS, WOS, JCR (SSCI), DOAJ, EBSCO, ISOC, REDIB, JSTOR, and PsycARTICLES), has been performed. The results show continuity in the roles of educators and students between physical and virtual spaces. This homogeneous conceptualisation is grounded on student-centred theories. Also, the existence of a theoretical confrontation between the figurative dichotomy of vertical (distance) and horizontal (closeness) teacher-student relationship is revealed and discussed. While most of the reviewed studies focused on requirements for technical training, the need for acquiring digital cultural knowledge is stressed. Finally, some of the educational implications of the ethical dimension of the teacher-student relationship in digital spaces are exposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital competencies, the need for a robust and universal method to assess students’ algorithmic thinking (AT) skills has become increasingly pronounced. Algorithmic thinking refers to the ability to analyse a problem and develop a step-by-step process to solve it.This research investigates the efficacy of the Cross Array Task (CAT) as an assessment tool for AT skills within Switzerland’s compulsory education system. Originally conceptualised as an unplugged activity, where students performed the task without digital technologies (e.g., by using gestures on paper) and an administrator manually assessed them, the CAT evolved into a digital activity that runs on an iPad. The CAT’s digital transformation has automated the scoring of student responses and data collection, streamlining the assessment processes and facilitating efficient large-scale assessments. It has also enhanced scalability, making the CAT suitable for widespread use in educational settings. Furthermore, it provides immediate feedback to students and educators, supporting timely interventions and personalised learning experiences.Our study aims to comprehensively investigate algorithmic competencies in compulsory education, examining their variations and influencing factors. This research examines key variables, such as age, sex, educational environment and school characteristics (e.g., the level and grade of education), and regional factors (e.g., the canton of the school) in Switzerland, and characteristics related to the specific assessment tool, including the type of artefact used, the complexity of the algorithms generated, and the level of autonomy. Additionally, it seeks to analyse the effectiveness of the unplugged and digital approaches in assessing AT skills, specifically comparing the unplugged and virtual CAT versions, aiming to provide insights into their advantages and potential synergies.This investigation delineates the developmental progression of AT skills across compulsory education, emphasising the influence of age on algorithm development and problem-solving strategies. Furthermore, we reveal the impact of artefacts and the potential of digital tools to facilitate advanced AT skill development across diverse age groups. Finally, our investigation delves into the influence of school environments and sex disparities on AT performance, alongside the significant individual variability influenced by personal abilities and external circumstances.These findings underscore the importance of tailored educational interventions and equitable practices to accommodate diverse learning profiles and optimise student outcomes in AT across educational settings.

Data protection regulations in educational settings rely to a great extent on the (School) Data Protection Officer. In this paper, we focus the analytical lens on the socio-legal position of the School Data Protection Officer in the UK, showing they are pivotal to ensure schools’ legal compliance. Their role requires a unique combination of skills and knowledge in a complicated landscape of data protection regulations, the pressure of the digital economy, and maintaining high-quality, high-stakes education. Yet their professional experiences and need for empowerment have gone largely unheard in academia and public debate. The social reality of schools may raise certain practical and conceptual tensions for the legal importance of the School Data Protection Officer. We highlight where this raises questions for the effective implementation of digital data protection regulation for children and young people in schools today. Further empirical research is needed to ensure the pivotal role of the School Data Protection Officer is recognised in upcoming data protection policy reviews. We recommend specific questions for future research to consider, to help overcome this gap in knowledge related to the practical safeguarding of children's digital data rights.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) has become an important hub for technological innovation and economic development in China. With the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and big data technology talents, it is essential to develop educational cooperation within the GBA to develop a talent pool that can meet the changing needs in the region. This paper focuses on the development of dynamic demand for AI talents and proposes a strategic planning framework for educational cooperation in the GBA. We use the research idea of common attributes and key chain clustering-factor association selection-analysis of the driving force and subordination among factors-the key characteristics of AI talents. Using collinear analysis of citations and grounded theory methods, an operational definition of the influencing factors of AI talent literacy characteristics is constructed. Using the Interpretative Structural Modeling(ISM) and MICMAC (Matrice d’Impacts Croises-Multipication Applique A Classement), analyze and identify the driving force and subordination of the influencing factors of key traits of talents, and present the combined effect of multi-level factors of key traits of talents. Combined with the educational differences and complementary advantages in the GBA, five strategies and seven implementation suggestions for the GBA's AI talent education cooperation plan are formulated to establish a collaborative ecosystem that promotes the growth and integration of AI in the GBA.

This paper reports on a study aiming at examining the effect of the digital storytelling approach on the aggregate reasoning of high school students. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was implemented on 50 10th-grade students for five weeks to reveal the effectiveness of digital storytelling in mathematics courses regarding aggregate reasoning. Results of statistical analysis showed a significant improvement in aggregate reasoning in favor of the students in the digital storytelling group. It was also noted that aggregate reasoning was specifically enhanced to analyze data and interpret results rather than the other two components (formulate question and collect data) in the experimental group. The results support the idea that the use of digital storytelling can be an effective instructional tool for statistics education and provide implications for course designers to provide better teaching of aggregate reasoning. • Aggregate reasoning is an essential skill at the core of statistical reasoning. • Aggregate reasoning is involved in every component of the statistical process. • DST, effective to construct context is essential in statistics education. • DST improves aggregate reasoning, especially data analyze, and interpret results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry 4.0 technologies are being applied in the teaching and learning process, called Education 4.0. However, there is no specification of what is being considered when developing technologies for education in the 4.0 context. Therefore, we performed a Systematic Mapping Study to investigate the information and communication technologies (ICTs) proposed to Education 4.0. From a search in four search engines, 81 articles had data extracted. The results elucidated aspects considered as Education 4.0, such as contextualized learning and student-centered learning. Besides, some applied ICTs are not in agreement with the ICTs considered as 4.0 in the literature, the focus on ICTs to engineering education and to be applied to higher education. As implications of the results obtained, it is necessary to understand why some ICTs are not aligned with 4.0 literature and apply these ICTs in knowledge areas beyond STEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have examined the effects of robotics competitions, but few have investigated their effects on participants, especially from the perspectives of students, parents, and coaches. The researchers of this study developed and validated an instrument for exploring the impact of the World Robot Olympiad (WRO), a major international robotics competition, on participants from the perspectives of students, parents, and coaches. Through a literature review and expert discussion, the researchers proposed the first version of the questionnaire. After three years of data collection and three iterations as well as a reliability and validity analysis, factor analysis, and expert review, researchers developed an impact questionnaire for participants in WRO, which included 18 items in the following six dimensions: Learning Skill, Engineering Thinking, Emotional Engagement, Career Choice, Cooperative Solution, and Global Consciousness. Data from 636 valid responses revealed that the questionnaire has good reliability and validity and that students, parents, and coaches all highly valued the positive impact of WRO in 2019. Data analysis indicated that, by and large, students' abilities have improved in various dimensions which were similar to those of previous research on robotics education and robotics competitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the massive integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in higher education, teachers need to be highly digital competent and have positive attitudes to manage their classes effectively. In this regard, the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu) introduces a paradigm known as 21st-century competence that all teachers should acquire. Recently, scholars have explored the dimension of teachers' digital competence in the 21st century relating to a digital context. Thus, this explanatory study wants to take a step forward to add to the literature the role of university teachers' 21st-century digital competence in their attitudes toward ICT integration. To meet the end, a questionnaire was designed and administered to 350 Iranian university teachers who implemented ICTs in their classes. The result of partial least squares analysis (PLS-SEM) reveals the significant relationship between university teachers' information and data literacy, digital content creation, communication and collaboration, and problem-solving skills with three antecedents of behavioral intention and actual behavior for employing ICTs. Related pedagogical implications are addressed, such as running some teacher training programs for teachers to escalate their 21st-century digital competencies and making teachers aware of the role of these factors in managing their classes with ICTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at exploring the educational scholarly writing on the teacher-student relationship and performance within the use of Social Network Sites (SNSs) for educational purposes. To that end, a systematic review of 111 journal articles focused on young people, and found in ten relevant databases (ERIC, SCOPUS, WOS, JCR (SSCI), DOAJ, EBSCO, ISOC, REDIB, JSTOR, and PsycARTICLES), has been performed. The results show continuity in the roles of educators and students between physical and virtual spaces. This homogeneous conceptualisation is grounded on student-centred theories. Also, the existence of a theoretical confrontation between the figurative dichotomy of vertical (distance) and horizontal (closeness) teacher-student relationship is revealed and discussed. While most of the reviewed studies focused on requirements for technical training, the need for acquiring digital cultural knowledge is stressed. Finally, some of the educational implications of the ethical dimension of the teacher-student relationship in digital spaces are exposed.

Creativity is widely described as a key '21st Century skill'. Science education in schools has emphasized the development of science inquiry and problem-solving skills with the support of technology, and paid insufficient attention to creative thinking skills for producing innovative ideas or solutions. This paper presents an exploratory study aiming to investigate how secondary school students engage in scientific creativity tasks with the support of technology, in particular how they generate ideas in small groups via applying relevant thinking strategies, engaging in social communication, and constructing a computer-based mind map to facilitate group thinking. The participants were 24 Grade 11 students from a high school, who worked on a set of scientific creativity tasks in 6 groups. Epistemic network analysis of group conversations reveals that constructing a mind map helped students to retain ideas for elaboration and evaluation, stimulate new threads of discussion, and regulate task progression. Compared to low-performing groups, high-performing groups engaged more in divergent thinking, mind mapping, and regulative discussions, in addition to making these activities more closely connected with idea generation. These findings have implications for the design of technology-supported educational interventions intended to promote and improve group creativity in science education. • We investigate how students generate ideas together via computer-based mind mapping. • Mind mapping helps retain thoughts, stimulate new ideas, and regulate discussions. • High-performing groups engaged more in thinking, mapping, and regulative discussions. • Mapping, thinking, and idea generation are more connected in productive discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Educational game performance data has the potential to allow new types of complex, procedural skills to be assessed. However, prior work has shown that gameplay data do not readily align to existing assessment validation paradigms, and game performance scores are difficult to use for proficiency testing. A new assessment paradigm that can cope with the nature of gameplay data has not emerged. In this paper, we uncovered a range of structural issues in data collection caused by, and potentially solved by, the engineered environments in games. Choice and the iterative nature of games were found to allow curriculum specialisation. We found evidence that early attempts at new games are less reliable and perhaps best discarded, and we propose a solution to weight scores to reflect novelty in repeated tasks. We found capturing the effect of competitor or collaborator ability on performance challenging but propose the potential for bots to resolve this. Finally, we also investigated the use of response time as a proxy for ability. The physical measure of time proved difficult and potentially unfair to use, but we propose a possible stochastic treatment of speed that could allow scoring some skills in some games using response time.

Copyright of Qualitative Research in Education (2014-6418) is the property of Qualitative Research in Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The progress of technology has led to the emergence of new teaching methods, among which Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) can be found in an attempt to promote the integration of technology and knowledge, combining technology, pedagogy and theoretical content. The aim of this research is to analyze the significance and evolution of the TPACK concept in the publications contained in Web of Science (WoS). The research method chosen is based on bibliometrics, specifically on the analysis of academic performance and on the analysis of co-words. The total number of documents analyzed is 471. The results show that research on TPACK is on the rise, increasing progressively in recent years. The main area of research is education and educational research, with articles, written in English, being the medium used by researchers to present their results. It can be concluded that, although there is an established research base, there is no single line of research. In this case, the main lines of research are "framework-framework-TPACK" and "technology-pedagogy-beliefs". It can be determined that the studies on TPACK deal with the integration of technological resources and the analysis of their perception in student learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]