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Background: Taiwan's higher education institutions prioritize interdisciplinary knowledge and cultural competence in cultural design, emphasizing the value of immersion in the local environment to develop cultural competence. However, challenges arise from the disappearance of traditional local lifestyles and limitations of traditional outdoor lectures such as group size and learning environment. Mobile augmented reality technology serves as a personal learning tool to overcome these challenges, enabling learners to uncover hidden knowledge in scenic locations and improving learning efficiency. Objective: The study utilized learning analytics to investigate the impact of using mobile augmented reality on enhancing learners' cultural competence. Methods: The study used both qualitative and quasi‐experimental quantitative research to evaluate the effects of mobile augmented reality on cultural competence. A total of 78 third‐year university students participated in the study, with 37 of them using mobile augmented reality to learn about culture. The researchers utilized both the Mann–Whitney U test and interviews to compare the effectiveness of mobile augmented reality with that of a 'real' tour guide in field courses. Results: The experimental results indicate that learners were able to continuously seek and find information about local culture through field exploration with mobile augmented reality, resulting in similar effects to those of attending a live lecture. Conclusions: It showed that incorporating mobile AR into field visits can create gamified and active learning scenarios that enhance immersion and drive active learning in local culture. The results in greater cultural knowledge and understanding, leading to the development of cultural competence in students. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: There is a heightened emphasis on cultivating and demonstrating cultural competence across various fields due to the significantly grow of cultural and creative industries.Relying solely on traditional classroom teaching for learning about local culture may result in a diminished impact, as a comprehensive understanding of culture necessitates a keen sense of life.To address the limitations of traditional classroom lectures, educators continuously strive to enhance teaching methodologies by developing innovative approaches, such as experiential learning and community‐based learning, which involve hands‐on activities and real‐world engagement to foster increased learning motivation and improved effectiveness.Augmented reality (AR), a technology that overlays virtual images onto real scenes in real time, has gained extensive usage in diverse fields such as medicine, national defence, education, and entertainment, offering interactive gaming experiences and providing an opportunity to experience the culture and past lives of locals in the field, enhancing learners' understanding of cultural history and creating immersive encounters during visits.Particularly in digital learning, the integration of AR enables learners to engage with additional content through mobile devices, fostering an immersive and gamified learning experience. What this paper adds: The use of the AR app for learning about the local culture yielded comparable outcomes to traditional guided tours.Participants actively engaged in self‐directed learning and demonstrated a sense of initiative while utilizing AR.The flexibility and autonomy provided by field learning, which extended beyond the course period, allowed participants to revisit the field and explore at their own pace using AR.Demonstrates that participants took control and responsibility for their own learning, leading to an enhancement in learner autonomy.Participants who utilized the Roaming Jingliao AR system to explore cultural scenarios exhibited enhanced knowledge and attitudes regarding cultural competence, specifically in areas such as cultural understanding, rice food cultural knowledge, Songjiang folk arts, and skills and practices, which can be attributed to the immersive and autonomous nature of AR‐based knowledge learning in outdoor guided courses, minimizing the influence of external environmental factors and facilitating a deeper understanding of the content compared to traditional guided tours. Implications for practice and/or policy: The findings of this study highlight the importance of considering the limitations associated with a relatively small sample size when conducting research within a university curriculum. To enhance the validity and reliability of future studies, practitioners and policymakers should prioritize the inclusion of larger and more diverse samples, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of AR technology on cultural learning and informing evidence‐based practices and policies.The study's focus on a specific group of participants and their contextual background highlights the need for future research to include participants from diverse educational settings and cultural backgrounds, ensuring that the findings are more applicable and relevant to a broader population. Practitioners and policymakers should consider the importance of inclusivity and diversity when designing and implementing cultural learning interventions using AR technology.The recognition of technological limitations highlights the importance of considering the specific AR system used in cultural learning interventions. Practitioners and policymakers should be cautious when adopting AR technologies and recognize that different AR systems or platforms may yield different outcomes. Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of various AR systems and platforms to inform decision‐making regarding the selection and implementation of AR technologies for cultural learning initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social network awareness (SNA) enables students to know the online learning context of peers in computer‐supported collaborative learning (CSCL) and it has been used to improve peer interaction and participation in collaborative learning tasks. Mobile learning enables students to access learning content and discuss content with peers regardless of location or time. Because almost every college student has their own mobile device and social networks are ubiquitous in their daily lives, a mobile learning application with social networking is promising for promoting effective learning if students are willing to continually use the application. However, few studies have investigated this. Objectives: In this study, SNA was integrated into a mobile‐based assessment (MBA–SNA). The study investigated whether students were willing to persist in the use of MBA–SNA and the factors influencing this intention. Methods: A 1‐month experiment was conducted to investigate the research question on the basis of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). Results: The results demonstrated that (1) students were willing to continue using the MBA–SNA, (2) the incentives influencing behavioural intention (BI) in initial use and continual use differed, and (3) social influence (SI) and perceived playfulness (PP) were the two key determinants of continual use. Implications: The SNA increases the positive impact of SI and PP on MBA continual use so that continual use can be assured. Future research should integrate SNA into other mobile learning apps (e.g., mobile collaborative writing or discussion apps) to enhance continued system use and learning effectiveness. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: A number of studies have investigated the use of mobile devices to collaborate digitally within small teams and larger classes whilst providing knowledge‐sharing features.Social network awareness (SNA) mechanism can enhance the participation of collaborative learning task and knowledge sharing.However, few research explores the potentials and benefits of the combination of SNA with mobile apps. What this paper adds: This study firstly integrates the SNA into a mobile collaborative APP, namely mobile‐based assessment with SNA (MBA‐SNA).Students are willing to continuously use the MBA‐SNA.The incentive factors influencing behavioural intention at the initial use and continuous use slightly differ.Social influence (SI) and perceived playfulness (PP) are the most crucial determinants to continuous use. Implications for practice and/or policy: It should be investigated whether students are willing to continuously use a new e‐learning system and the factors influencing this intention.SNA increased the effects of SI and PP on MBA continual use, thereby ensuring MBA continual use.Future studies can combine SNA with other mobile learning apps (e.g., mobile collaborative writing or discussion apps) to enhance continued system use and learning effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research has examined the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in English language teaching. However, to the best of our knowledge, none of the earlier studies that investigated integrating AR and VR "wearables" into teaching and learning English based on the attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) motivation model compared the differences in learning motivation and performance between traditional teaching methods and those using AR‐ and VR‐based using wearables. Objectives: To create a thematic learning environment based on learners' lived experiences and provide them with an immersive English course that extends textbook knowledge using a technology‐assisted real‐life learning context. Method: This study used a quasi‐experimental research design. A total of 119 participants were spilt into three learning groups based on teaching tools: traditional methods and AR‐ and VR‐based wearable devices. The performance of each group was evaluated through three stages using appropriate educational tools for traditional, AR‐, and VR‐based classrooms, followed by semistructured interviews. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to investigate the inference learning performance (remembering and analysing) of the four ARCS dimensions with the three teaching methods. Results: The results showed that confidence and relevance were positively correlated with learning performance in the VR‐based wearable group. In the context of the ARCS model, learners' confidence predicted learning performance and the remembering subdimension when VR‐based learning materials were used. Implications: These results suggest that, compared to traditional teaching methods, VR‐based wearables make it easier to create a highly immersive learning environment and are more likely to help learners find the correct words, improve their accuracy, and increase their confidence and sense of accomplishment in the entire learning process. Lay Description: Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) allow learners to apply memorized subject knowledge to real‐life scenarios.The attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) motivation model enhances learning. What this paper adds: The study proposed the integration of AR and VR with "wearables" for teaching English.The study investigated the differences between how the teaching materials designed to incorporate different technological devices with the four ARCS dimensions predict their learning performance (remembering and analysing). Implications for practice and/or policy: The ARCS motivation model‐based design allows learners using VR‐based wearables to learn English through multiple interactions in real‐time.Integrating daily life experiences with course materials can attract learners' attention in the early stages of teaching.VR‐based learning creates a virtual learning environment relevant to the learners, allows them to learn English thematically in an immersive environment, and allows them to interact with the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Implementing English medium instruction (EMI) has become a proliferating measure in higher education to embrace globalization. Nevertheless, university students reported various challenges in taking EMI courses. Objectives: This study investigated the effect of the computer‐mediated terminology pretraining on university students' EMI success, regarding their efficacy in taking EMI courses, self‐directed learning (SDL), and EMI performance. Methods: Participants were 86 university students enrolled in two EMI educational psychology courses. Students in the experimental group were assigned computer‐mediated terminology pretraining tasks for 13 consecutive weeks, while those in the control group did not receive the pretraining assignment. Both groups were taught using the problem‐based learning (PBL) pedagogy with a computer‐mediated structured whiteboard. Results and Conclusion: The study findings showed that the computer‐mediated terminology pretraining enhanced learners' response efficacy. Both groups increased their SDL under the PBL pedagogy. Besides, multigroup comparison results demonstrated that efficacy in EMI positively predicted SDL, which was related to better EMI performance in the experimental group but not in the control group. Notably, students conducting computer‐mediated terminology pretraining remitted the influence of English ability on their EMI performance. Major Takeaways from the Study: Implications for instruction were made to use the combined strategy of the computer‐mediated terminology pretraining and PBL in EMI courses to facilitate university students' efficacy in taking EMI courses, self‐directed learning behaviours, and EMI performance. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Implementing English medium instruction (EMI) courses has become a prevalent measure for higher education to embrace globalization.Some students hold positive attitude toward taking EMI courses, while others hold negative attitude toward taking EMI courses.Correlational research showed that individual differences, such as English proficiency, self‐efficacy in EMI, and academic language skills, are associated with EMI success. What this paper adds: This study adds to the literature in EMI success to investigate how computer‐mediated terminology pretraining under problem‐based learning (PBL) pedagogy will affect learners' efficacy in EMI, self‐directed learning (SDL), and EMI performance.The computer‐mediated terminology pretraining enhances learners' efficacy that their efforts or responses in taking the EMI course are effective.Students' efficacy in taking EMI courses promotes their self‐directed learning; moreover, self‐directed learning behaviours in EMI is associated with better EMI performance for students with computer‐mediated terminology pretraining but not for those in the control group due to the influence of English ability.The computer‐mediated terminology pretraining can compensate the effect of individual differences in English ability on EMI performance. Implications for practice and/or policy: Instructors can assign the computer‐mediated terminology pretraining before the face‐to‐face EMI session to prepare learners with the basic understanding of the professional concepts for the complex PBL activities.Effective pedagogical support, such as combined strategy use of computer‐mediated terminology pretraining and PBL, can enhance learners' efficacy in EMI and help them plan and prioritize their learning progress to achieve better EMI performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Digital game‐based learning (DGBL) has been shown to be an effective strategy for promoting learning motivation. However, a lack of attention has been paid to investigating the effects of individual differences on elementary students' reading motivation and in‐gaming achievements in DGBL. Objectives: This study developed an educational mobile game to facilitate learners' reading activities, and investigated how prior knowledge and gaming experience affected learners' reading motivation, gaming motivation, perceptions and in‐game achievements. Methods: A total of 53 third to fifth grade elementary school students participated in this study, and were divided into the high prior knowledge (HPK)/low prior knowledge (LPK) and the high gaming experience (HGE)/low gaming experience (LGE) groups. Results and Conclusions: The HPK learners had higher reading motivation, perceptions, gaming and social achievements than the LPK learners, whereas they had similar gaming motivation and reading achievements. In addition, the HGE learners had lower reading motivation, reading and gaming achievements than the LGE learners, whereas they had similar gaming motivation, perceptions and social achievements. Moreover, correlational results showed that similarities and differences were observed between the HPK/LPK and HGE/LGE learners. Implications: The findings of this study suggest that learners' prior knowledge and gaming experience play influential roles in reading motivation, gaming motivation, perceptions and in‐game achievements. A framework is proposed for researchers or game designers to develop personalized DGBL systems to accommodate the HPK/LPK and HGE/LGE learners' individual needs or preferences in DGBL. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Reading motivation is a critical factor influencing reading performance.Students have difficulties developing reading skills due to a lack of reading motivation, and therefore need additional support.DGBL has been shown to be an effective strategy for promoting learning motivation.Relevant empirical research investigating the impact of individual differences on reading in DGBL is scarce. What this paper adds: A mobile game‐based reading app was developed to facilitate elementary students' reading activities.This study provides understandings of the impact of prior knowledge and gaming experience on reading motivation, gaming motivation, perceptions and in‐game achievements in DGBL.The HPK learners had higher reading motivation, perceptions, gaming and social achievements than the LPK learners, whereas they had similar gaming motivation and reading achievements.The HGE learners had lower reading motivation, reading and gaming achievements than the LGE learners, whereas they had similar gaming motivation, perceptions and social achievements. Implications for practice and/or policy: Educators should consider adopting DGBL to facilitate students' reading activities.Prior knowledge and gaming experience play influential roles in reading motivation, gaming motivation, perceptions and in‐game achievements.Learners' prior knowledge and gaming experience should be taken into account when designing learning activities in DGBL.A personalized DGBL system should be developed to accommodate the needs and preferences of the HPK/LPK and HGE/LGE learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many gamification applications (apps) have been designed to motivate students to learn particular content. Based on the brain activation approach, the present study adapted an app, named Shaking‐On, which requires students to shake their mobile devices to send their answers to multiple‐choice questions to the teacher. Students then learn from their performance. Objectives: To understand how this approach can stimulate participants' emotions when achieving their learning goals, the present study compared Shaking‐On to Kahoot! by checking participants' gameplay anxiety, learning interest, perceived learning value, and learning achievement while learning the Taiwanese language. Methods: The students were divided into two groups to play with one of the two apps, Shaking‐On or Kahoot!, as part of a quasi‐experimental study in which they used the assigned app six times in 6 weeks. Moreover, a questionnaire was distributed to participants and 151 useful responses from the Shaking‐On group, and 148 from the Kahoot! group were returned. Results and Conclusions: After statistical analysis, the results of this study revealed that besides no difference in gameplay anxiety when comparing the two groups of students, there were significant differences in game interest, flow experience, perceived learning value, and learning achievement, further indicating that Shaking‐On with hands‐on shaking outperformed Kahoot!. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The adoption of technology in learning pedagogies should enable students to interact with their technological devices in a fun way and there needs to be interested during the learning process.Different designs of e‐learning platforms have different functions for students to interact that promote in them different psychological outcomes, by shaping their learning behaviours and enhancing their motivation and engagement. What this paper adds: The present study adapted an app, named Shaking‐On, which requires students to shake their mobile devices to send their answers to multiple‐choice questions to the teacher, students will then learn from their performance.To understand how this approach can stimulate participants' emotions in achieving learning goals, the present study compared Shaking‐On to Kahoot! by checking participants' gameplay anxiety, learning interest, perceived learning value, and learning achievement when learning the Taiwanese language. Implications for practice and/or policy: The research on the application of CATML to education is increasing, but there has been less research in the field of Taiwanese languages.The studies related to digital game‐based learning, there are few studies that compare games with different operation movements. Therefore, this study can be used as a reference for the application of cognitive and affective theories of multimedia learning to study the field of learning other native and disappearing languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Performance goal orientations are influential motivational factors for predicting learning performance. However, a lack of attention has been paid to investigating the effects of performance goal orientations on learning performance and in‐game performance in the context of digital game‐based learning. Objectives: This study implemented a game‐based English vocabulary learning system and investigated how performance goal orientations affected learners' learning performance and in‐game performance. Methods: A total of 59 non‐English major university students participated in this study, divided into performance‐approach learners (PAPL) and performance‐avoidance learners (PAVL) based on their performance goal orientations. The English vocabulary listening test and log data were collected for conducting quantitative analyses. Results and conclusions: The results showed that the PAPL outperformed the PAVL in learning performance, whereas the two groups demonstrated similar gain scores and overall in‐game performance. Moreover, the results showed that the PAVL's learning performance was strongly associated with all aspects of in‐game performance in the learning activities. Conversely, the PAPL's learning performance was only associated with two aspects of in‐game performance in the competition activities. Implications: The findings of this study suggest that performance goal orientations play significant roles in both learning performance and in‐game performance, which could benefit the PAVL's in‐game performance, which is a substantial factor in promoting their learning performance via DGBL. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Digital game‐based learning (DGBL) has been widely adopted in various subject areas.DGBL is an effective learning approach for language learning.Performance goal orientations are influential motivational factors in predicting learning performance.Relevant empirical research on performance goal orientations in DGBL is scarce and inconclusive. What this paper adds: A game‐based English vocabulary learning system was developed based on the considerations of different characteristics of performance goal orientations.This study provides understandings of the impact of performance goal orientations on both learning performance and in‐game performance in DGBL.Performance‐approach learners outperformed performance‐avoidance learners, whereas the two groups demonstrated similar gain scores and overall in‐game performance.Performance‐avoidance learners' in‐game performance is a substantial factor in promoting their learning performance via DGBL. Implications for practice and/or policy: Educators should consider adopting game‐based assessment to reduce the gap between learners with different performance goal orientations.DGBL can be a potential approach to supporting different performance goal orientations, but it is particularly beneficial to learners with performance‐avoidance goals.Learners with different performance goal orientations need different types of learning activities to achieve better performance.A personalized DGBL system should be developed to accommodate the needs and preferences of learners with performance‐approach and performance‐avoidance goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Collaborative computer simulations are available on some online platforms which support students at distributed locations to synchronously collaborate on the simulations to learn sciences. However, how students collaborate with each other in collaborative simulations is not clear. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate whether functional interdependency would influence learning. Methods: Two collaborative learning models with different functional interdependencies were examined (the synchronous model and the distributed accountability model). Multiple data sources obtained from 64 students were collected and analyzed. We discuss the collaborative learning with two levels of factors: the individual‐level factors (i.e., individual perceptions of teamwork quality, visual attention and learning performance before and after a simulation activity) and the pair‐level factors (i.e., discourse data and joint attention). Given that the pair‐level factors in the collaborative learning environment may affect the individual‐level factors, we further discuss the interactions of the two levels of factors in different collaborative learning models with hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analysis. Results and Conclusions: The analytical results of the individual‐level factors found participants in the distributed accountability model demonstrated more frequent and longer attention to the learning activity. Furthermore, the results indicated that the two simulation learning activities would enhance the participants' learning performance except in Q2. For the pair‐level factors, the results demonstrated that the participants in the distributed accountability model showed more active discourse segments but similar joint attention patterns in the learning activity. The results of the HLM analysis indicated that the students in the distributed accountability model had to collaborate with their partners through more constructive dialogue, and focused on the same areas of interest to enhance their learning performance, as the complexity of the distributed accountability design was implemented in a simulation learning activity. Major takeaways: We found that the increase of functional interdependency cannot guarantee students' learning effect in collaborative learning and may hinder the communication that is needed during collaboration. Researcher may need to consider other collaboration tools to enhance the reciprocal reflection. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Collaborative simulations are helpful in making the learning process cohesive.The learning effects of functional interdependence in collaborative learning are under debate. What this paper adds: We examined collaborative learning models with different functional interdependencies.We discuss the collaborative learning with the individual‐, the pair‐level factors and their interactions Implications for practice and/or policy: The importance of decreasing cognitive load induced by simulation with high functional interdependency.It is necessary to increase participants' transactive and constructive engagement in collaborative models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) can promote design performance, and may generate a high cognitive load and affect creative design thinking as well. In order to examine the effect of VR application on cognitive load and engineering design creativity, this study recruited 81 eighth‐grade students as participants and employed a non‐equivalent‐groups quasi‐experimental design to examine how VR application influences creativity components and creative performance. A creativity component scale (creative motivation, creative thinking, and professional cognition), a measurement of creative performance, and a cognitive load scale were used to collect data. The study also investigated the ability of VR application to predict creativity components and creative performance, using cognitive load as the mediator. The conclusions are as follows: (1) VR application had marked effects on professional cognition and creative motivation but no effect on creative thinking skills. (2) VR application had marked effects on the novelty and usefulness aspects of creative performance, particularly with respect to usefulness. (3) VR application had marked effects on extraneous and germane cognitive load, but no influence on intrinsic cognitive load, and (4) Both VR application and cognitive load were able to predict creativity components and creative performance. Their abilities to predict creative performance approached an acceptable level. Nevertheless, VR application had no effect on general creative thinking skills; therefore, other teaching strategies are needed to strengthen creative thinking. Lay Description: What is already known about this topicVirtual reality (VR) can transmit complex knowledge.Virtual reality (VR) can promote design performance.What this paper addsInfluence of VR application on creativity components and creative performance.Ability of VR application and cognitive load to predict creativity components.Ability of VR application and cognitive load to predict creative performance.Implications for practice and/or policyUsing VR teaching to improve learning effects and creativity in high‐risk, expensive, and inaccessible learning fields.Using VR teaching to practice repeatedly, and facilitate basic understanding of the application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]