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Game-based learning researchers have been investigating various means to maximise learning in educational games. One promising venue in recent years has been the use of learning analytics in online game-based learning environments. However, little is known about how different elements of learning analytics (e.g. data types, techniques methods, and stakeholders) contribute to game-based learning practices within online learning environments. There is a need for a comprehensive review to bridge this gap. In this systematic review, we examined the related literature in five major international databases including Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, IEEE, and compiled Proceedings of the International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge. Twenty relevant publications were identified and analysed. The analysis was conducted using four core elements of learning analytics, namely the types of data that the system collects (what), the methods used for performing analytics (how), the reasons the system captures, analyzes, and reports data (why), and the recipients of the analytics (who). This study synthesises the existing literature, provides a conceptual framework as to how learning analytics can enhance online game-based learning practices in higher education, and sets the agenda for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the intersection role of students' epistemic beliefs and gender in argumentative essay writing. In total, 148 undergraduate students from a Dutch university followed an argumentation module, filled out the epistemic beliefs survey, and wrote an argumentative essay. Results showed that students' beliefs about the Internet-specific justification of knowledge did not influence essay performance. On the other hand, beliefs about the nature of scientific knowledge influenced their argumentative essay writing. Overall, there were no gender differences in argumentative essay writing. However, female students outperformed male students in taking a position on the topic. The interaction effects of beliefs about the Internet-specific justification of knowledge and gender in argumentation performance were neutral. There was, however, an intersection effect of students' epistemic beliefs about the nature of scientific knowledge and their gender in argumentation performance. We discuss these results and provide suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to challenges emerging in society, universities are searching for ways to innovate their courses through novel institutional educational policies and practices. Those efforts, however, are often not informed by knowledge about course innovation characteristics university-wide, and are often not supported by processes of reflection questioning the 'who', 'how' and 'for what' of course innovations. This study applied the multifaceted analytical Course Innovation Framework (CIF) in order to explore characteristics of a large set of intended course innovations in a higher education institution in the Netherlands. The application of the CIF enabled a descriptive analysis of multiple characteristics of the intended course innovations. This analysis unveiled university-wide course innovation trends, upon which university stakeholders reflected in order to responsibly guide and transform policy and practices. The study findings show how the application of the CIF helps to gather situated knowledge on university-wide innovation trends, and how reflection on these trends empowers stakeholders to deliberate the culture and values of educational innovation they wish to promote within their institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a sustainable future, equipping sustainability change agents with relevant sustainability competencies is crucial. Among these competencies is system thinking competence – the understanding of complex interrelationships among the dimensions of sustainable development and the impacts of the interrelationships. Learning approaches relevant to fostering sustainability competencies have been studied. However, research is rare on fostering systems thinking competence by simultaneously using multiple, real-world, and innovative learning approaches. To address this gap, we conducted a pre-test–post-test exploratory experimental study involving higher education students (n = 36). The study explored the contributions of field trips and collaborative learning in combination with mobile learning and paper-and-pencil note taking. The study simultaneously implemented a combined set of learning approaches in a real-world environment. The results suggest that the learning approaches and the real-world environment contribute to fostering the systems thinking competence of participants by exposing them to complex real-world systems and enabling the exchanging of diverse ideas among collaborating participants. As such, our study contributes to social constructivist learning discourses in education for sustainable development by indicating specific combinations of learning approaches and environments that facilitate the meaningful engagement and motivation of learners through self-regulated learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a multi-faceted analytical Course Innovation Framework (CIF) that can help institutes of higher education analyze multiple aspects of course innovation. The CIF was constructed by integrating insights from literature, policy documentation and course-innovation practices at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. The resulting CIF considers multiple stages of course innovation – intended, implemented and attained – along with multiple innovation processes organized into the following five clusters: Rationale for the Innovation; Nature of the Innovation; Innovation in Teaching and Learning; Evaluation and Dissemination Strategy; and Consistency and Reflection. University stakeholders experienced the CIF as usable and relevant. This study is intended to generate a multi-faceted understanding of course innovation and to provide university policy-makers and educators with inspiration or even guidance in their efforts to analyze, map and decide upon their course-innovation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst the importance of online peer feedback and writing argumentative essays for students in higher education is unquestionable, there is a need for further research into whether and the extent to which female and male students differ with regard to their argumentative feedback, essay writing, and content learning in online settings. The current study used a pre-test, post-test design to explore the extent to which female and male students differ regarding their argumentative feedback quality, essay writing and content learning in an online environment. Participants were 201 BSc biotechnology students who wrote an argumentative essay, engaged in argumentative peer feedback with learning partners in the form of triads and finally revised their original argumentative essay. The findings revealed differences between females and males in terms of the quality of their argumentative feedback. Female students provided higher-quality argumentative feedback than male students. Although all students improved their argumentative essay quality and also knowledge content from pre-test to post-test, these improvements were not significantly different between females and males. Explanations for these findings and recommendations are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing and assessing individuals’ competence to identify business opportunities is of increasing importance in the current widespread introduction of entrepreneurship programmes in higher education worldwide. However, performance tests to assess opportunity identification competence (OIC) are scarce in the entrepreneurship education literature. This study elaborates on the development and application of such a performance assessment tool: the opportunity identification competence assessment test (OICAT). In the OICAT participants are asked to generate business ideas in the area of sustainable development. This study investigated how bachelor’s students, and master’s students following entrepreneurial courses, identify opportunities. The results suggest that the OICAT is successful in tracking individual differences in OIC. The OICAT could be used as a learning-oriented assessment, helping students find out both what they already can do and what they need for further improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Development Agents (DAs) are employed by agricultural departments to provide capacity development for farmers. In this contribution, the adjustment of a competence profile originally developed for the Province of Esfahan [Karbasioun, M., M. Mulder, and H. J. A. Biemans. 2007. ‘Towards a Job Competency Profile for Agricultural Extension Instructors: A Survey of Views of Experts.’Human Resource Development International10 (2): 137–151] is described for the context of the West Gojjam Zone in Ethiopia. This was necessary because 10 years' time has elapsed since the development of the profile, new insights in competence theory have emerged, and contextual variation needs to be taken into account. Design/methods/approach:Firstly, the competence profile of Karbasioun, Mulder, and Biemans. [2007. ‘Towards a Job Competency Profile for Agricultural Extension Instructors: A Survey of Views of Experts.’Human Resource Development International10 (2): 137–151] was adjusted through a line-by-line conceptual analysis. Secondly, the adjusted profile was validated by 12 experts in a workshop. Thirdly, this profile was thoroughly discussed by four focus groups of DAs, each composed of eight to nine persons. Transcripts of the validation by experts and discussion with DAs were analysed using content analysis. Finally, the profile was further backed up by literature and member checks (which are done by experts in the field). Findings:The study revealed validated competence profile for Development Agents (DAs) with 4 competence clusters and 15 underlying competencies for the Ethiopian context: knowledge on adult education, extension management, communication, and professional ethics, among others. Practical Implications:DAs' recruitment and selection, performance evaluation, and training programmes can be developed using this new competence profile. Theoretical Implications:This study confirms the context-bound, indivisible, interrelated, and developmental nature of competencies which refutes the behaviouristic-functionalistic conceptualization of them. Originality/value:This contribution is a contextual variation and update of the study of Karbasioun, Mulder, and Biemans. [2007. ‘Towards a Job Competency Profile for Agricultural Extension Instructors: A Survey of Views of Experts.’Human Resource Development International10 (2): 137–151] and shows that different contexts of investigating competencies uncover different results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Today’s working life is increasingly characterized by entrepreneurial challenges. Entrepreneurial challenges start at an individual level with the identification of entrepreneurial opportunities, which is acknowledged as one of the key competencies for lifelong learning. Since the identification of entrepreneurial opportunities relies heavily on the opportunity identification competence (OIC) of individuals, understanding the meaning of OIC is relevant. Until now, OIC has been explored in the young entrepreneurship research field. However, entrepreneurship researchers until now have not fully explored OIC. According to several authors, the research on complex problem solving (CPS) in the cognitive research field might contribute to understanding OIC. In this paper, we review the link between OIC and CPS by comparing the cognitive and entrepreneurship research fields. We argue that those who excel in identifying opportunities share core characteristics with high-level complex problem-solvers. We propose to conduct empirical research in the future to investigate the relation between OIC and CPS within a work context in order to gain more insight into OIC. We believe that the cognitive research field contributes to the entrepreneurship research field and provides a deeper understanding of the initial steps of the entrepreneurial process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this exploratory study, the authors introduced an interculturally enriched collaboration script (IECS) for working in culturally diverse groups within a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment and then assessed student online collaborative behaviour, learning performance and experiences. The question was if and how these variables differed for the groups that used an IECS versus groups that used a general collaboration script (CS) that did not include intercultural elements. Using a web conferencing tool, 47 students from a university in Ukraine and a university in the Netherlands worked together in groups to develop project plans on an environmental problem. The groups in the IECS condition showed a higher frequency of so-called contributing behaviour but a lower frequency of planning behaviour, seeking input and social interaction than the groups in the CS condition. The IECS groups also produced better project plans than the CS groups. Future study using a similar experimental set-up but with larger samples is recommended to see if the present results can be replicated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study explored the effects of directed and undirected online peer feedback types on students’ peer feedback performance, argumentative essay writing skills, and acquisition of domain-specific knowledge. The study used a pre-test and post-test design with four conditions (feedback, feedforward, a combination of feedback and feedforward, and undirected feedback). In this exploratory study, 221 undergraduate students, who were randomly assigned to dyads, engaged in discussions about the pros and cons of “Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)”, provided feedback to peers, and wrote an argumentative essay regarding the topic. Results indicated significant differences among the conditions in terms of the quality of provided feedback. This implies that the peer feedback quality can be enhanced or diminished depending on its type. Results also revealed a significant improvement in students’ argumentative essay performance and domain-specific knowledge acquisition without significant differences among conditions. We discuss how the such increase in the quality of essays and learning outcomes might be related to the power of peer feedback regardless of the feedback type. We also discuss why using multiple instructional scaffolds may result in over-scripting that may diminish the power of peer feedback and the effects of the scaffolds themselves in online learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the question was addressed which instructional conditions are required to teach students how they themselves can initiate and perform learning activities aimed at conceptual change. The CONTACT‐2 strategy (a computer‐assisted instructional strategy for promoting conceptual change in the domain of basic physical geography) served as starting point for the design of several training procedures aimed at enhancing self‐regulated learning. With the first experimental condition, strategic support was gradually withdrawn ('faded') within each instructional step, while, with the second experimental condition, the number of steps was reduced as the training continued. The original CONTACT‐2 condition served as control condition. Subjects were 65 fifth‐ and sixth‐graders (primary education). Dependent variables concerned students’ abilities to initiate and perform learning activities aimed at conceptual change, the quality of their conceptions, and their learning performance. Results suggested that ‘fading’ can be a fruitful instructional approach to foster self‐regulated learning aimed at conceptual change, provided that the ‘fading’ procedure is tuned to the students’ actual level of self‐regulated learning: external control should not be withdrawn until students are able (and prepared) to initiate and perform the learning activities being required. When these conditions are met, designing effective training procedures aimed at ‘learning for conceptual change’ seems possible. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Building on the theory of planned behavior, an ex ante and ex post survey was used to assess the impacts of elective and compulsory entrepreneurship education programs ( EEPs) on students' entrepreneurial intention and identification of opportunities. Data were collected by questionnaire from a sample of 205 participants in EEPs at six Iranian universities. Both types of EEPs had significant positive impacts on students' subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. Results also indicated that the elective EEPs significantly increased students' entrepreneurial intention, although this increase was not significant for the compulsory EEPs. The findings contribute to the theory of planned behavior and have implications for the design and delivery of EEPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]