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Augmented paper has been proposed as a way to integrate more easily ICTs in settings like formal education, where paper has a strong presence. However, despite the multiplicity of educational applications using paper-based computing, their deployment in authentic settings is still marginal. To better understand this gap between research proposals and everyday classroom application, we surveyed the field of augmented paper systems applied to education, using the notion of "classroom orchestration" as a conceptual tool to understand its potential for integration in everyday educational practice. Our review organizes and classifies the affordances of these systems, and reveals that comparatively few studies provide evidence about the learning effects of system usage, or perform evaluations in authentic setting conditions. The analysis of those proposals that have performed authentic evaluations reveals how paper based-systems can accommodate a variety of contextual constraints and pedagogical approaches, but also highlights the need for further longitudinal, in-the-wild studies, and the existence of design tensions that make the conception, implementation and appropriation of this kind of systems still challenging.

This paper discusses the design of a digital Chinese character composition game with the paper-interface named as ARC (Augmented Reality-based Chinese Characters) and its implementation in a Singapore primary school. The ARC game is designed to help beginning Chinese as second language (L2) learners to develop Chinese orthographic knowledge and improve quality of collaboration. Underlying sociocultural perspectives of learning, it seeks to enable learners to complete the game collaboratively in classrooms, and in this process to build a deep understanding of linguistic knowledge in solving in-situ language-related problems that emerge in language use. The results of a quasi-experiment indicate that ARC is an effective system for improving Chinese character learning performance and collaborative learning quality. It suggests that the augmented paper, enabling natural interactions, allow more and potentially young students to engage with educational content and collaboration. The problematizing scaffold should be embedded in the game design to elicit more opportunities for collaborative dialogue.

This paper presents an analysis of papers delivered at the ICALT 2004 conference, in order to understand the current research issues relating to Learning Objects (LOs). The major research results are summarized, and the papers are classified according to the definition of LO used and the approach taken (technical, pragmatic or pedagogic). The technologies employed, and the features present in the papers, are analyzed. (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) applications, such as ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer) and Midjourney, have recently attracted much attention from researchers and school teachers. While many people are eager to learn more about GAI applications, some scholars are concerned about the potential misuse of them. It is predicted that the use of GAI applications will increase rapidly in the coming years. Therefore, it is important to consider the challenges and research issues through some concrete application examples of using GAI for education. In this position paper, the authors aim to address these issues from the perspectives of academic research and educational objectives. Along with defining GAI, several illustrative examples of using GAI applications in educational settings are provided. Moreover, potential research issues of GAI-based learning, including research design, relevant learning strategies, research focus, and measuring tools, are discussed. ET&S journal is especially welcoming research on unlocking the potential of GAI for education to realize the two notions of "Knowing [why] is the essential element for learners to have in-depth understanding" and "It is all about prompts: Get rid of the 'search' mindset and use 'programming prompt' instead." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on note taking in pedagogical settings has received considerable attention. However, the awkwardness of integrating information across different media formats may present physical and cognitive barriers that prevent students from effectively organizing annotations from both printed and digital content while studying paper textbooks. The purpose of this paper is to develop a cross-media annotation system that incorporates a paper textbook with a computer as an integrated whole to facilitate the question-driven organization of annotations. While taking notes, students can digitally extract printed text and organize the copied passages based on guiding questions, all by using digital pens. Students can also link Internet-based learning resources to printed content to supplement their print-based studies. A user-based formative evaluation was conducted to assess the new functions of the cross-media annotation system and to explore their influence on students' note-taking behavior and performance. The results show that the new functions may facilitate the retention of key concepts of the paper textbooks and may improve knowledge construction based on explicit learning goals. (Contains 1 table and 7 figures.)

In a study of notetaking in university courses, we found that the large majority of students prefer paper to computer-based media like Tablet PCs for taking notes and making annotations. Based on this finding, we developed CoScribe, a concept and system which supports students in making collaborative handwritten annotations on printed lecture slides. It includes mechanisms for the paper-based sharing and semantic tagging of annotations and slides. Moreover, we present a novel visualization of shared handwritten annotations providing an integrated access to annotations from all learners. The results of a user study indicate that CoScribe efficiently supports student annotation and can be easily integrated into current annotation practice. (Contains 10 figures.)

In a study of notetaking in university courses, we found that the large majority of students prefer paper to computer-based media like Tablet PCs for taking notes and making annotations. Based on this finding, we developed CoScribe, a concept and system which supports students in making collaborative handwritten annotations on printed lecture slides. It includes mechanisms for the paper-based sharing and semantic tagging of annotations and slides. Moreover, we present a novel visualization of shared handwritten annotations providing an integrated access to annotations from all learners. The results of a user study indicate that CoScribe efficiently supports student annotation and can be easily integrated into current annotation practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented paper has been proposed as a way to integrate more easily ICTs in settings like formal education, where paper has a strong presence. However, despite the multiplicity of educational applications using paper-based computing, their deployment in authentic settings is still marginal. To better understand this gap between research proposals and everyday classroom application, we surveyed the field of augmented paper systems applied to education, using the notion of "classroom orchestration" as a conceptual tool to understand its potential for integration in everyday educational practice. Our review organizes and classifies the affordances of these systems, and reveals that comparatively few studies provide evidence about the learning effects of system usage, or perform evaluations in authentic setting conditions. The analysis of those proposals that have performed authentic evaluations reveals how paper based-systems can accommodate a variety of contextual constraints and pedagogical approaches, but also highlights the need for further longitudinal, in-the-wild studies, and the existence of design tensions that make the conception, implementation and appropriation of this kind of systems still challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the design of a digital Chinese character composition game with the paper-interface named as ARC (Augmented Reality-based Chinese Characters) and its implementation in a Singapore primary school. The ARC game is designed to help beginning Chinese as second language (L2) learners to develop Chinese orthographic knowledge and improve quality of collaboration. Underlying sociocultural perspectives of learning, it seeks to enable learners to complete the game collaboratively in classrooms, and in this process to build a deep understanding of linguistic knowledge in solving in-situ language-related problems that emerge in language use. The results of a quasi-experiment indicate that ARC is an effective system for improving Chinese character learning performance and collaborative learning quality. It suggests that the augmented paper, enabling natural interactions, allow more and potentially young students to engage with educational content and collaboration. The problematizing scaffold should be embedded in the game design to elicit more opportunities for collaborative dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on note taking in pedagogical settings has received considerable attention. However, the awkwardness of integrating information across different media formats may present physical and cognitive barriers that prevent students from effectively organizing annotations from both printed and digital content while studying paper textbooks. The purpose of this paper is to develop a cross-media annotation system that incorporates a paper textbook with a computer as an integrated whole to facilitate the question-driven organization of annotations. While taking notes, students can digitally extract printed text and organize the copied passages based on guiding questions, all by using digital pens. Students can also link Internet-based learning resources to printed content to supplement their print-based studies. A user-based formative evaluation was conducted to assess the new functions of the cross-media annotation system and to explore their influence on students' notetaking behavior and performance. The results show that the new functions may facilitate the retention of key concepts of the paper textbooks and may improve knowledge construction based on explicit learning goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of papers delivered at the ICALT 2004 conference, in order to understand the current research issues relating to Learning Objects (LOs). The major research results are summarized, and the papers are classified according to the definition of LO used and the approach taken (technical, pragmatic or pedagogic). The technologies employed, and the features present in the papers, are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational access is the first step to realising education as a universal human right. Yet, education remains a luxury for many. Contrary to expectations, the advent of online learning has not resolved this fundamental injustice as out-of-school learning and early drop-outs remain widespread phenomena. Rather, digital divides have hit hard in exacerbating social inequalities, with help from Covid-19. This special issue takes a critical look at online learning in its potential to rebalance and hinder universal educational access. It includes four papers focused on differing positions of disadvantage. Based on these papers, this special issue highlights that -- although it is possible for disadvantaged learners to compensate for inequities -- socioeconomic and infrastructural constraints often prevail, and will continue to unless critical changes are made to the educational ecosystem. Furthermore, the Special Issue calls for future work that takes process-level changes into account in order to generate recommendations that are better grounded in iterative change and causality: only then can actionable and impactful changes be made for a more equitable future of online learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an ongoing debate in the literature about the ways of using technology to enhance students' Computational Thinking (CT). This special issue further enriches this debate by investigating how educational technology could be used, and for which purposes, to facilitate learning CT. It includes six papers demonstrating the innovative design of curricula and the use of various technologies to teach CT for students in different educational levels. Based on these papers, this special issue points out that more research is needed to investigate the best educational practices that could be used to teach CT rather than focusing on the technology itself. It also reveals that future work could cover smart learning analytics and precision education to better model students' individual differences, hence effectively supporting learning CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many non-native English speaking (NNES) graduates are required to write academic papers in English; consequently, recent research in the past decade has been devoted to investigating the usefulness of genre-based Writing Instructions (GBWI) on learners' writing cultivation. There is little specific guidance, however, on how GBWI can be employed in online learning environments. The study aimed to design an e-learning tool with a Chinese-based interface and to evaluate its perceived usefulness on users' English academic writing development. Needs analysis and GBWI were employed as the main approaches for the system development, for which 32 participants involved in the trail. The results indicate that the participants considered the system useful and helpful while learning English academic writing and extract the design principles derived from the empirical results in the study. The findings provide both learning content developers and e-learning tool designers with developmental insights for graduates to acquire academic writing ability in English. In conclusion, this study contributes to the understanding of GBWI acting on the NNES engineering graduates' development of English academic writing knowledge and skills with the development of e-learning tools.

This paper presents the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) and other AI tools in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, addressing the limitations of traditional pedagogical approaches. Conventional EFL methods, often reliant on rote learning for standardized tests, struggle to impart practical language skills relevant to real-world scenarios. By leveraging AI technologies, this study proposes innovative solutions to these challenges, creating authentic, context-rich learning environments and facilitating creative integration of technology for language acquisition. The synergy between GAI and other technology tools enables the creation of immersive language scenarios, offering tailored exercises and narratives that cater to individual proficiency levels and learning objectives. This collaborative approach empowers both teachers and learners to generate their own content, thereby enhancing comprehension and confidence across diverse linguistic contexts. By transcending traditional teaching methods, the integration of GAI with other tools emerges as a transformative catalyst in language education, providing learners with authentic language practice opportunities and empowering them to engage with English in innovative and personalized ways. The paper concludes by urging EFL educators to embrace AI not merely as supplementary resources but as integral components in redefining pedagogical strategies, ensuring the development of more engaging, tailored, and effective language learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are still disparities in technology-access despite economic pressures and widespread promises to overcome them. The induced digital gap defines the degree of digital citizenship for which, unified policies have yet to be drawn at various educational levels to reduce that gap. The quest for a broad participation to develop digital citizenship competencies needs further investigations into innovative educational approaches, pedagogical methods, and routine practices that foster digital literacy, and narrows the digital divide. This special issue accumulates original theoretical and empirical research contributions across contemporary digital citizenship perspectives. The final selection of the papers explores digital citizenship concepts such as ethics, digital literacy and participation, in various contexts to develop opportunities for a wider engagement in social actions. The international perspectives of contributing authors shed lights on digital citizenship prospects across unique contexts among different nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic had changed the world-wide education landscape as the whole society is adapting to the “new normal.” We orgainised a special issue collecting research papers that shed insights on how teaching and learning designs will be affected, and how novel educational technologies will help in a fast postpandemic recovery. 26 papers were received but only 11 papers were finally selected to publish, after two rounds of rigorous reviews. This editorial note discusses the background, quality management and thematic topic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart environments integrated with digital technologies have emerged as a powerful tool to support personalized, interactive, and adaptive learning experiences. The central objective of developing smart environment is to foster learner agency enabling learners to develop the ability to take ownership and manage their own learning process. However, developing learner agency presents a significant challenge. It requires researchers, practitioners, and system developers to understand the roles of teachers and students, the instructional design, and the affordances of technologies to transfer learners from passive recipients to active participants in their learning process. To address the need, this special issue collected twenty-nine articles which underwent a rigorous peer review process. The acceptance rate for this special issue was less than fifteen percent and only four papers were accepted and included. The four papers discuss the application of instructional approaches and various digital tools such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and mobile technologies to design smart learning environments which foster and evaluate learner agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially machine learning models that autonomously generate human-like content, has recently attracted significant attention in the education sector. This paper explores the potential of generative AI, including tools like ChatGPT, to shift from traditional outcome-oriented educational practices to a more balanced approach that values both the learning process and its outcomes. Traditionally, education has emphasized achieving predefined results, but the advent of generative AI tools, which enable students to easily produce tangible results, calls for a reevaluation of these practices. This shift suggests a need for a broader focus that encompasses the entire learning process leading to the final product, thereby promoting an educational practice that equally emphasizes both the journey and the destination of learning. Recognizing that the implementation of such practices, facilitated by generative AI, still requires exploration, this paper proposes a solution that integrates the experiential learning cycle and learning portfolio. This approach is designed to demonstrate the realization of process-outcome-balanced educational practices through the use of a pedagogical AI agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As addressed by Stephen Yang in his ICCE 2019 keynote speech (Yang, 2019), precision education is a new challenge when applying artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and learning analytics to improve teaching quality and learning performance. The goal of precision education is to identify at-risk students as early as possible and provide timely intervention on the basis of teaching and learning experiences (Lu et al., 2018). Drawing from this main theme of precision education, this special issue advocates an in-depth dialogue between cold technology and warm humanity, in turn offering greater understanding of precision education. For this special issue, thirteen research papers that specialize in precision education, AI, machine learning, and learning analytics to engage in an in-depth research experiences concerning various applications, methods, pedagogical models, and environments were exchanged to achieve better understanding of the application of AI in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the term microlearning has been around since 2005 (Hug, 2005), it has regained popularity in recent years due to the increasing mobility and competing priorities of adult learners. Today's learners seek smaller, focused lessons that deal with a single topic and can be consumed quickly. Yet, there are still many questions surrounding what microlearning entails, how it should be designed, who it is intended for, and how the learning in microlearning can be assessed. This special issue aims to explore the design, development, implementation, and assessment of microlearning, with an emphasis on designing microlearning experiences with today's learners in mind. After undergoing two rounds of rigorous reviews, four out of the 28 submissions received for this special issue were chosen for inclusion. This editorial note will introduce the special topic, analyze common themes across the selected papers, outline the procedures for paper solicitation and review, present summaries of the accepted papers, and synthesize the key findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper used a novel literature review approach--co-citation network analysis--to illuminate the latent structure of 87 empirical papers in the field of young children's learning with technology (YCLT). Based on the document co-citation analysis, a total of 206 co-citation relationships among the 87 papers were identified and then graphically visualized as a network diagram. Accordingly, the five most highly co-cited pairs in the co-citation network were identified. Moreover, seven research streams in the network (three located in the main component, four scattered in the peripheral area) were characterized based on a general assessment of the document research domains. Of these, "technology-assisted language learning" was denoted as the main stream, and "digital literacy" (active from 2008 to 2013) was identified as the emerging stream of the YCLT research network. Looking inside, the six most central papers within the above two research streams were recognized in terms of centrality measures. Furthermore, on the basis of the analysis of follow-up research, the current and future extension research topics are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful problem-based learning (PBL) often requires students to collectively regulate their learning processes as a group and engage in socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL). This paper focuses on how facilitators supported SSRL in the context of middle-school game-based PBL. Using conversation analysis, this study analyzed text-based chat messages of facilitators and students collected during gameplay. The analysis revealed direct modeling strategies such as performing regulative processes, promoting group awareness, and dealing with contingency as well as indirect strategies including prompting questions and acknowledgment of regulation, and the patterns of how facilitation faded to yield responsibilities to students to regulate their own learning. The findings will inform researchers and practitioners to design prompts and develop technological tools such as adaptive scaffolding to support SSRL in PBL or other collaborative inquiry processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies have evidenced that mobile-assisted vocabulary learning, which allows students to create artefacts and engage in productive skills, can help them in vocabulary learning. However, there remains little research and validated approaches for designing seamless vocabulary learning experiences for young learners. In this paper, a seamless vocabulary learning system was specifically designed for young learners. The study involved three classes of primary 2 students to investigate the learning effectiveness of seamless vocabulary learning, with a focus on analyzing student-generated artefacts. The results validated the effectiveness of seamless vocabulary learning for young learners, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the connection between home-based learning and classroom-based learning. The study also indicated the pivotal role of providing students with opportunities to improve their artefacts constantly across different learning contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore knowledge co-construction patterns and learning motivation within virtual EFL cocreation environments, this study examined behavioral patterns and motivation in three different co-creation environments (paper-based, 2D digital, and 3D VR co-creation) through sequential behavioral analysis and ANCOVA. The study utilized a quasi-experimental research design with a total of 66 tenth-grade students from two English classes at a public senior high school in northern Taiwan. Based on the visualized behavior transition diagrams, the task-switching behaviors between dissonance identification and knowledge negotiation as well as the isolated behaviors of applying newly-constructed knowledge are the core of knowledge coconstruction. Particularly, 3D VR co-creation was characterized by the highest number of higher level isolated acts and lower level circular continuity, both of which reflect VR co-creators' efforts to gain familiarity with advanced technology as well as the intention to exchange information and reach community consensus to overcome task complexity, form community consensus, and lower anxiety. Such behavioral patterns echoed the results of ANCOVA on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation; that is, on either intrinsic or extrinsic motivation, the influence of 3D VR co-creation was the greatest, followed by that of 2D digital co-creation and paper-based cocreation. For future co-creation instruction and research, it is suggested that the instruction of VR co-creation be invested with abundant time to allow mature higher level knowledge co-construction dialogues to occur. Moreover, to gain an even deeper understanding of the social structure embedded in knowledge co-creation, it is suggested that social network analysis (SNA) be employed in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many non-native English speaking (NNES) graduates are required to write academic papers in English; consequently, recent research in the past decade has been devoted to investigating the usefulness of genrebased Writing Instructions (GBWI) on learners' writing cultivation. There is little specific guidance, however, on how GBWI can be employed in online learning environments. The study aimed to design an elearning tool with a Chinese-based interface and to evaluate its perceived usefulness on users' English academic writing development. Needs analysis and GBWI were employed as the main approaches for the system development, for which 32 participants involved in the trail. The results indicate that the participants considered the system useful and helpful while learning English academic writing and extract the design principles derived from the empirical results in the study. The findings provide both learning content developers and e-learning tool designers with developmental insights for graduates to acquire academic writing ability in English. In conclusion, this study contributes to the understanding of GBWI acting on the NNES engineering graduates' development of English academic writing knowledge and skills with the development of e-learning tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to the design, description and validation of the Android application TEAtreves, which focuses on structured arithmetic problem-solving for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The application contains multiple adaptations to make it suitable for users with ASD. Validation was carried out with five students with ASD, obtaining positive results which confirm the strength of TEAtreves app for users with ASD. Results and future lines of work are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children born after 2010 are labelled as members of Generation Alpha, who currently pursue their primary education. Gamification and game-based learning methodologies have gained popularity in the global education sector in the recent past. The goal of this study is to investigate the present state of adopting gamification and game-based learning for primary education student cohorts, with the aid of recent peerreviewed research publications. By employing a systematic mapping design, reviewed paper results are categorized and further evaluated in relation to the attributes such as type of gamification, game mechanics and elements used, evaluation context, type of experimental outcome, gamified academic subject area, and type of application. With the aid of review results, this study proposes a mapping of gamification learning mechanics, suited to address Generation Alpha traits. It also recommends future research directions, which include investigating the realistic learning preferences of Generation Alpha, the need for designing novel educational game elements and adaptive gamification learning strategies, and the importance of long-term studies with diverse learner samples. The findings of this study will support prospective stakeholders, such as researchers, educators, parents, and educational policymakers, to utilize gamification approaches effectively in educating Generation Alpha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning environments can benefit from the enactive concept which considers human and technological aspects as coupled together so that interaction is seen as a cycle of perceptually guided actions. Although existing literature reviews have been conducted to address the use of technologies in enactive learning environments, we observe they do not address the relations of technology with core concepts of enactive systems and its social aspects. This paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) to investigate if and how core concepts of enactive systems are being addressed by learning environments. The SLR was based on the PRISMA protocol, and considered relevant sources of studies (ACM DL, IEEE Xplore, SpringerLink, Scopus, Scielo). We based our analysis on a set of 104 selected articles (from 4514 raised), scrutinized with regards to contextual information, and a proposed set of categories of data related to subjects identified in the studies (e.g., embodiment, technology, social, among others). Our work reveals the types of technologies being used, the types of enactive interactions promoted by the technology-based environments, and the main challenges for a research agenda in the field. Our discussion raised open challenges related to a need for a common vocabulary, a framework to organize concepts in the field, and missing points that deserve further research, such as social aspects of enactive system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With mobile phones now in the hands of virtually all of our learners, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to imagine environments that do not include learning through mobile devices in even some small capacity. The interest in mobile learning is reflected in the enormous number of publications which have appeared over the past 10 to 15 years, but there are still questions about when, how, and why learners will choose to use or not use mobile devices as a regular part of their learning (Stockwell, 2022). Furthermore, the "disruptive" nature of mobile devices (see Hampel, 2019) has caused mixed reactions from teachers, some of whom feel that they are a distraction in the classroom, while others see a shifting of responsibility to the learners as a positive that can lead to autonomous behaviours that facilitate learning. Making the most of learning through mobile learning is dependent upon understanding the expectations of teachers, learners, and administrators, and to capitalise upon the affordances of the device, the learning ecology, and the short-term and long-term goals of the learners. This paper explores how mobile learning can play a role both inside and outside of the classroom, and the impact that it may have on both formal and informal learning opportunities. It includes a discussion of the shifting roles of teachers and learners, and then going on to explore the myths associated with technology in the development and sustainment of motivation and autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper briefly describes the important topic of Authoring of Adaptive Hypermedia that is central to this Special Issue especially from the point of view of education, as well as the papers selected and the reason for this selection. The papers are based on selected, invited papers of the second Workshop on Authoring of Adaptive and Adaptable Educational Hypermedia at the Adaptive Hypermedia conference (AH'04), Eindhoven, The Netherlands, but went through a separate review process for this Special Issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a 10-year review study that focuses on the investigation of the use of computer card games (CCGs) as learning tools in Computer Science (CS) Education. Specific search terms keyed into 10 large scientific electronic databases identified 24 papers referring to the use of CCGs for the learning of CS matters during the last decade. The findings revealed that the CCGs reported by the reviewed papers were used for the learning of diverse CS issues. The motivation behind the use of the aforementioned CCGs was based on: (a) students' familiarity with the CGs at hand, so that they might focus on the construction of their simulation, (b) the fact that, the logic of CGs is suitable for the teaching of various CS concepts, and (c) CCG-play as a motivational activity to engage learners in their learning. CCGs were used in two ways: as CCG-construction context based on supportive data provided by educators, and as CCG-play educational tools. The constructivist learning approach was implied behind the design and use of most of the CCGs reported in the articles reviewed. Evaluation of some CCGs also provided positive results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a smart educational environment, the significant challenges faced by its stakeholders are trust, privacy, and transparency-related issues in sharing and retrieval of any information. Since blockchain is a sole technology provides extraordinary features such as decentralization, traceability, and immutability; integrating this technology in a smart educational environment it can overcome all the technical risks, potential threats, and privacy concerns. This special issue aims at presenting the current state-of-the-art research and future trends on various aspects of the implementation of blockchain technologies that address the gaps prevailing in copyright and credential related issues, which can be seen as a promising sign for any virtual or innovative developments in teaching and learning platform. Papers selected for this special issue represent recent progress in the field, including works on VR Assisted Learning Environment, Secure Scoring Mechanism for Online Learning, Psychological Distance of Online Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development and significant successfulness of various deep learning techniques in artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years, the connotation of AI has been transformed from traditional rule-based or statistical learning models to deep learning models. Such a transformation of AI has led to a significant evolution in both academic and industrial fields. To understand the potential impact of AI evolution for future teaching and learning, it is necessary to re-examine the opportunities, research issues, and roles of AI in education as modern AI enables the possibility of playing vital roles in education, which are not only limited to intelligent tutors/tutees but also intelligent learning partners or policy making advisors. Motivated by the recent transformation and trends in AI in education, this special issue, including 12 research articles, aims to launch an in-depth discussion on re-examining AI and analytics techniques in teaching and learning applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In educational reform, people actively promote educational innovation by applying intelligent technology. As the main participants in education, people experience a series of psychological and cognitive changes in the teaching process. This autonomy and uncertainty will directly affect the effect of network teaching. Due to the variability in the characteristics of individuals, following the psychological perception and subjective value of people and optimizing the development of wisdom education with a reasonable technical cognitive attitude have become a focus. This study uses the grounded theory method to conduct in-depth interviews and questionnaire surveys on 330 e-learners and extracts 400 codes, 38 concepts, 9 categories and 4 core categories. This paper reconstructs the theoretical model of psychological distance in the network education process and identifies four new dimensions: cost distance, initiative distance, control distance and interaction distance. In addition, the four dimensions reflect four core value needs of learners for online education: convenience, self-efficacy, self-identity and binding force. The paper provides a good theoretical basis to improve the user experience and satisfaction in online education and optimize the level of intelligent education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore the existing problems associated with using generative AI in education and to propose a potential solution for addressing those issues through the design of pedagogical AI agents. The existing problems are examined from two different perspectives: those of teachers and students. The proposed solutions for designing pedagogical AI agents are systematically presented, including main concepts, design considerations, functions, procedures, and structure/templates. An example of how to apply the proposed solution in designing a pedagogical AI agent is provided, illustrating its application in teaching order words (or sequencing words). Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion of potential topics for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the design and development of educational games and materials that utilize affordable e-textile technology. The researchers employed a design-based approach whereby preschool children used three e-textile materials in two cycles to inform on the development of interactive materials from ordinary objects and bodily interactive games. The study's data were collected and analyzed according to the designbased research framework through iterative cycles of interviewing, video recording, and note-taking. The paper describes the characteristics, pros, and cons of e-textiles and what to consider when using them to create interactive educational materials for preschool-aged children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the digitalization of the majority of universities, prior to which they were largely operating using face-to-face modes of learning. Increased competition in the digital environment places universities under greater pressure to offer an innovative learning experience. The purpose of this paper is to understand the effects of the sudden pandemic on the ongoing process of digital transformation (DT) and how the learning value proposition of higher education institutions (HEIs) has been affected. The research is based on a single case study of a born digital university, focusing on the changes made to the learning value proposition, and particularly to the multimode learning offer. The paper uncovers the relation between multimodality and customized and personalized learning, all of which are dependent on the use of digital educational technology. The originality of this paper is its longitudinal look at a single case, observing how the significant DT process already underway prior to the pandemic has been impacted by it, accelerating the process, and clarifying the envisaged post-pandemic future for HEIs. Another distinctive aspect is the consideration of the learning proposition as a core element and part of a larger and interdependent value proposition within the overall HEIs business model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates an international, online, content skills-based teacher education program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. The evaluation was designed using a RUFDATA framework (Saunders, 2000) to facilitate a complete, reflective assessment of the target program. Establishing causes-and-effects of the program’s performance and data analysis involved adoption of a Contribution Analysis (Mayne, 2001; Mayne, 2008). Utilizing the six steps detailed in Mayne (2012), a credible contribution story emerged, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of transitioning teacher-training programs to virtual platforms. This evaluation has implications for teachers, teacher trainers, professionals planning similar programs particularly in developing regions, and individuals interested in how theory can be applied practically to impact continued teacher education processes. This paper contributes to knowledge as there are few formal evaluations of online international teacher education programs that facilitate observation of all aspects of a virtual course over an extended period of time and provide small-group engagement with course creators, especially with populations straddling the digital divide. It is also the first to conduct a theory-based evaluation of a U.S. English Language Specialist project despite the program’s 1991 inception and current running rate of 150-200 projects annually worldwide (U.S. Department of State, 2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays an increasingly important role in language education; however, the trends, research issues, and applications of AI in language learning remain largely under-investigated. Accordingly, the present paper, using bibliometric analysis, investigates these issues via a review of 516 papers published between 2000 and 2019, focusing on how AI was integrated into language education. Findings revealed that the frequency of studies on AI-enhanced language education increased over the period. The USA and Arizona State University were the most active country and institution, respectively. The 10 most popular topics were: (1) automated writing evaluation; (2) intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) for reading and writing; (3) automated error detection; (4) computer-mediated communication; (5) personalized systems for language learning; (6) natural language and vocabulary learning; (7) web resources and web-based systems for language learning; (8) ITS for writing in English for specific purposes; (9) intelligent tutoring and assessment systems for pronunciation and speech training; and (10) affective states and emotions. The results also indicated that AI was frequently used to assist students in learning writing, reading, vocabulary, grammar, speaking, and listening. Natural language processing, automated speech recognition, and learner profiling were commonly applied to develop automated writing evaluation, personalized learning, and intelligent tutoring systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research collaboration is studied in different research areas, so as to provide useful insights on how researchers combine existing distributed scientific knowledge and transform it into new knowledge. Commonly used metrics for measuring research collaborative activity include, among others, the co-authored publications (concerned with who works with whom) and the citations (concerned with who cites who). Within this context, in this paper, we focus on the co-authorship network of researchers who collaborate in Technology-enhanced Learning (TeL). This is achieved through the example of the Educational Technology & Society (ETS) Journal, where Social Network Analysis (SNA) metrics are applied for analyzing the co-authorship network of the journal. The results of our analysis provided us with evidence that the key authors of ETS Journal co-authorship network have a Taiwanese national background and they have established a strongly connected group that collaborates frequently, diversely and widely. Both authors and collaborations of the ETS co-authorship network have been polynomially increasing during the past 15 years and the co-authorship network has probably arrived at its "phase transition," which means that it is expected to start becoming more connected in the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In line with the substantial interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and the major projects in STEM curriculum development around the world, efforts should be particularly made to increase the supply of STEM teachers through proper and effective teacher professional development. Although there have been a number of studies related to teacher professional development for individual subject training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, quality research on professional development for teachers to develop their capacity for adopting the integrative and cross-disciplinary approaches advocated in STEM education remains in its infancy. The theme of this special issue is two-fold: (a) to provide researchers and practitioners in STEM education with a scholarly platform for reflecting on what challenges and impediments STEM teachers have encountered, and (b) to exchange new theoretical and practical insights gained from empirical research on designing, enacting and evaluating professional development programmes for building teachers' capacity in STEM education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study was to provide instructional suggestions for supporting science learning in digital environments based on a review of eye tracking studies in e-learning related areas. Thirty-three eyetracking studies from 2005 to 2014 were selected from the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) database for review. Through a literature analysis program, CATA, and in-depth content analysis of the research methods and findings, five research theme clusters were abstracted from the selected papers, namely, cognitive activities in processing multimedia presentations, multimedia effects, roles of personal factors, effects of instructional design, and learning with dynamic e-platforms. Based on the results of the in-depth theme analyses, it is suggested that the design of e-learning instruction should consider placing related text and graphics in adjacent areas, using one verbal mode at a time, and providing explicit and clear verbal explanations. When using animations, instructors need to explain carefully the goals and contents of the animations to reduce the extraneous cognitive load. In the dynamic learning environment, a pre-training program is necessary for students to become familiar with the new environment. Finally, individual differences such as background knowledge, cognitive abilities and cognitive styles should be taken into consideration in the instructional design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While gamification is gaining ground in business, marketing, corporate management, and wellness initiatives, its application in education is still an emerging trend. This article presents a study of the published empirical research on the application of gamification to education. The study is limited to papers that discuss explicitly the effects of using game elements in specific educational contexts. It employs a systematic mapping design. Accordingly, a categorical structure for classifying the research results is proposed based on the extracted topics discussed in the reviewed papers. The categories include gamification design principles, game mechanics, context of applying gamification (type of application, educational level, and academic subject), implementation, and evaluation. By mapping the published works to the classification criteria and analyzing them, the study highlights the directions of the currently conducted empirical research on applying gamification to education. It also indicates some major obstacles and needs, such as the need for proper technological support, for controlled studies demonstrating reliable positive or negative results of using specific game elements in particular educational contexts, etc. Although most of the reviewed papers report promising results, more substantial empirical research is needed to determine whether both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation of the learners can be influenced by gamification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed methods were adopted to explore the effects of student-generated visualization on paper and on computers as a study strategy for middle school science concept learning. In a post-test-only-control-group design, scores were compared among a control-group (n=28), a group that was trained to visualize on paper (n=30), and a group that was trained to visualize on computers (n=34). The paper group and the computer group performed significantly better on the post-test than the control group. Visualization as a study strategy had positive effects whether students used paper or computers to generate their visualizations. However, no significant difference existed between the paper group and the computer group's scores. Qualitative results indicated that students who were trained to visualize on paper or on computers had positive attitudes toward the use of visualization as a study strategy, and they engaged more in purposeful tasks during study time than the control group. However, several participants in the computer group felt negatively about the use of visualization; they claimed that visualization demanded too much time and effort. Attitudes toward visualization as a study strategy differed within groups indicating that visualization might interact with learner characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially machine learning models that autonomously generate human-like content, has recently attracted significant attention in the education sector. This paper explores the potential of generative AI, including tools like ChatGPT, to shift from traditional outcome-oriented educational practices to a more balanced approach that values both the learning process and its outcomes. Traditionally, education has emphasized achieving predefined results, but the advent of generative AI tools, which enable students to easily produce tangible results, calls for a reevaluation of these practices. This shift suggests a need for a broader focus that encompasses the entire learning process leading to the final product, thereby promoting an educational practice that equally emphasizes both the journey and the destination of learning. Recognizing that the implementation of such practices, facilitated by generative AI, still requires exploration, this paper proposes a solution that integrates the experiential learning cycle and learning portfolio. This approach is designed to demonstrate the realization of process-outcome-balanced educational practices through the use of a pedagogical AI agent.

This paper aims at answering the "how" questions about organizing and hosting an online conference during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 3rd International Pan-Pacific Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (PPTELL) Conference and Critical Thinking Meeting (hereafter PPTELL 2020) hosted from June 29 to July 1, 2020, on Zoom is the example conference used in this paper to illustrate the challenges and approaches adopted before, during and after the conference. The mentioned conference was supposed to take place physically at the University of North Texas during the same period but was transformed into an online virtual conference due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020. It was an urgent decision, along with many unknown situations, such as the attendees' different time zones and "Zoombombing." A three-staged and target- action process guided the preparation and organization of the online conference, i.e., pre-, during, and post-conference. According to the live meeting results and the post-conference survey, PPTELL 2020 has earned a reputation from its quality and the satisfaction of the participants and attendees. Therefore, the experience shared in the current paper seems to be a good reference for the organizers and hosts of international conferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the implementation and student learning outcomes of a nationwide professional development program for lower secondary and upper secondary school teachers to integrate computational thinking into the K-12 curriculum. Computational thinking comprises important concepts and skills that all students should develop to take an active role in a global society. However, teaching computational thinking is challenging. There are few teachers with the knowledge and skills to integrate computation into their courses. In this program, the participating teachers implemented a set of lesson plans that included both unplugged activities to scaffold student learning, and 'plugged' activities following a use-modify-create learning progression with the Micro:bit device to practice these skills. The study used a quasi-experimental design to compare students' level of computational thinking between the program participants and a control group. The results suggest a positive effect of the learning activities on student computational thinking knowledge and skills as compared to the control group. This result persists after controlling for school context and student gender. This study provides an explicit approach to implementing these activities in the context of a developing country and assesses their effectiveness in a large-scale study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two sections of university-level technical writing courses were given an authentic task to write an article for publication for an outside stakeholder. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to determine the differences in learning outcomes between students using traditional writing methods and those using social media to generate articles. One section was randomly assigned to follow the traditional writing process using computer-mediated writing and small group peer workshops of paper drafts, while the other section published its work-in-progress on a course blog and engaged in web-mediated online collaboration to determine if there are meaningful differences between computer-mediated and web-mediated writing as measured by learning outcomes in terms of publication rates and grades. The results of this study demonstrate that utilizing an online social network in the form of a course blog positively impacted learning outcomes; however, a close examination of the published peer review feedback on the course blog indicated a moderately negative relationship between the quality of the feedback received and acceptance scores. Thus, the value of the web-mediated workshop was not based on the outcome of the workshop, but rather on having providing feedback, which generated a higher level of engagement and more time spent on task as compared to the paper draft workshop section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic review was carried out to examine the use of robots in early childhood and lower level education. The paper synthesizes the findings of research studies carried out in the last ten years and looks at the influence of robots on children and education. Four major factors are examined - the type of studies conducted, the influence of robots on children's behaviour and development, the perception of stakeholders (parents, children and educators) on educational robots, and finally, the reaction of children on robot design or appearance. This review presents the approach taken by researchers in validating their use of robots including non-experimental (mixed-method, anecdotal, cross-sectional, longitudinal, correlational, and case studies) and quasi-experimental (pre- and post-test). The paper also shows that robot's influence on children's skills development could be grouped into four major categories: cognitive, conceptual, language and social (collaborative) skills. Mixed results are shown when it comes to parents' perception of the use of robots in their children's education while design was shown to influence children's perception of the robot's character or capabilities. A total of 27 out of 369 articles were reviewed based on several criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]