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This study explores the practices of distributed teaching presence (DTP) to promote students' shared metacognitive responsibilities in online learning. The DTP practices included providing explicit instruction on DTP techniques and guiding students to label their cognitive presence in online discussion. Data were collected through asynchronous online discussion and a questionnaire survey from 53 students enrolled in a graduate-level course at a northeastern private university in the United States. By analyzing the discussion transcripts, students' cognitive and teaching presences were examined to reveal the influence of the interventions on students' learning engagement. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis were conducted to analyze the 2557 messages created by 53 students. The results showed that guiding students to use DTP techniques credibly improved students' teaching and cognitive presence. We also found that students' teaching presence behaviors were positively associated with peers' cognitive presence and their own higher-level learning. The implications for research and practices in designing and facilitating shared metacognitive learning experience are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulation-based learning environments such as virtual reality (VR) can be promising to help pre-service teachers develop kindergarten-specific classroom management strategies. However, the successful integration of VR in higher education is impeded by limitations regarding the assessment of multifaceted skills such as classroom management strategies. In this paper, we aimed to understand how different assessment instruments lead to aligning or diverging conclusions regarding pre-service teachers' VR-supported over-time development of classroom management strategies in terms of behaviors and beliefs. With a variety of self-reported and observational measures, we gauged distinct aspects of pre-service teachers' classroom management strategies conceptualized as behaviors and beliefs at two time points: before and after practicing in a VR kindergarten classroom. Most measures captured an over-time development of behaviors and beliefs—except for pre-service teachers' self-reported usage of classroom management strategies. Alignment was observed between measures gauging pre-service teachers' classroom management strategies beliefs and between most, but not all, measures of classroom management strategies behaviors: Pre-service teachers' self-reported usage of classroom management strategies do not align with the observations of strategy usage. Our findings emphasize the importance of using multiple instruments to capture, assess, and appraise VR-supported development of distinct aspects of pre-service teachers' kindergarten-specific classroom management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented Reality (AR) can enhance student-centered lab work by bridging the spatial and temporal split between virtual information and observed real-world phenomena. While the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and the Cognitive Load Theory suggest that AR can reduce extraneous cognitive load (ECL) and foster learning, the empirical results remain inconsistent. This re-analysis of three related studies with different target groups and AR devices explores whether learners' spatial abilities and verbal working memory capacity moderate the effect of AR support in lab work settings on ECL and conceptual knowledge gains. Although these moderators could not be confirmed consistently, the results indicate that tablet-based AR holds the potential to support learners with low spatial abilities. Moreover, low verbal working memory learners were demonstrated to be particularly vulnerable to the spatial contiguity failure that can be caused by smartglasses AR. Moderation effects were only observed for ECL but not for conceptual knowledge gains. The findings highlight that the benefit of AR support can depend on learners' cognitive prerequisites and additional contextual factors, such as the AR device used and the age of the target group. The design and implementation of AR-supported lab work environments should account for these factors to optimize the learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) serves as a promising tool to provide adolescents with enriched social experience due to its high-fidelity simulations and multimodal interaction. This study aims to design and develop a multi-user IVR collaborative game utilizing simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)-based inside-out tracking technique to foster social experience among students. Also, this study explored the mechanism by which technology acceptance affected social experience in the IVR collaboration game, focusing on the mediating effects of presence, collective efficacy, and group effectiveness, as well as the moderating effect of social–emotional competence (SEC). Methods: A total of 104 seventh graders from a middle school in Central China participated in this study and completed the questionnaire. Finally, 87 valid questionnaire responses were retrieved. Results: The results revealed that technology acceptance both directly and indirectly influenced social experience. The mediation analysis revealed a key pathway influencing social experience: technology acceptance → presence → collective efficacy → group effectiveness → social experience. However, no moderating effect of SEC was found in the relationship between technology acceptance and social experience, group effectiveness, and social experience. Conclusions: Based on these results, more appropriate IVR interventions could be developed for social–emotional learning among children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we use new experimental data to investigate students' preferences regarding lecture mode and length, and assessment type across two unique dimensions: expected learning and enjoyment. Our main findings are as follows: first, students demonstrate a strong preference against online lectures. Students expect to learn more from, and enjoy, modules that have in-person lectures. Given that one-third of lectures in UK universities are now taught online—up from 4 percent before the pandemic—these results indicate a misalignment with students' preferences. Second, students favour shorter lectures (1 h) over longer lectures (2 h). Students do not expect to learn more from longer lectures—suggesting diminishing expected marginal returns. Third, students prefer individual assignments to exams. Students expect to enjoy and learn more from modules that have individual assignments (as opposed to exams). These findings are robust across two samples of university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metaverse represents a post-reality universe that seamlessly merges physical reality with digital virtuality. It provides a continuous and immersive social networking environment, enabling multi-user engagement and interaction through Extended Reality (XR) technologies, which include Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). As a novel solution distinct from traditional methods such as mobile-based applications, the technical affordance of XR technologies in shaping multi-user social experiences remains a complex, multifaceted, and multivariate issue that has not yet been thoroughly explored. Additionally, there is a notable absence of mature frameworks and guidelines for designing and developing these multi-user socio-technical systems. Enhancing multi-user social engagement through these technologies remains a significant research challenge. This systematic review aims to address this gap by establishing an analytical framework guided by the PRISMA protocol. It analyzes 88 studies from various disciplines, including computer science, social science, psychology, and the arts, to define the mechanisms and effectiveness of XR technologies in multi-user social engagement. Quantitative methods such as descriptive statistics, correlation statistics, and text mining are used to examine the manifestation of mechanisms, potential system factors, and their effectiveness. Meanwhile, qualitative case studies identify specific measures by which system factors enhance multi-user social engagement. The study provides a pioneering framework for theoretical research and offers practical insights for developing cross-spatiotemporal co-present activities in the metaverse. It also promotes critical reflection on the evolving relationship between humans and this emerging digital universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasingly digital nature of modern societies necessitates continually examining how individuals interact in the public sphere. This systematic literature review comprehensively analyzes emerging research on public interaction across diverse contexts. By employing an innovative method of applying artificial intelligence on a large-scale academic corpus, we systematically identified and categorized eight major research clusters: social media and public discourse; public Governance in health and education; urban environments and data systems; group interaction dynamics; complex systems modeling; human-display interfaces; political processes; and public service design. Sub-topic mapping revealed key themes such as digital civic engagement, transport sustainability, behavioral dynamics, and socio-environmental impacts. Our interdisciplinary synthesis highlights public interaction as a multifaceted phenomenon intertwined with technological change, policy decisions, environmental factors, and social constructs. These insights underscore the need for holistic, cross-disciplinary approaches to navigate the challenges and opportunities of public interaction in our rapidly evolving digital age. This review provides a unified knowledge base to guide future research while informing decision-makers on cultivating participatory, adaptive, and sustainable public spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although group work is increasingly used in STEM courses and may lead to improved academic outcomes, there is evidence that some implementations of group work may lead to unintended barriers for certain students' learning. Despite the growing number of neurodivergent undergraduate students, there is limited research on neurodivergent students' experiences with group work in STEM courses. To address this knowledge gap, the current research investigated the experiences of 22 neurodivergent undergraduate students with group work in STEM courses at a range of institution types and in a variety of STEM disciplines. Participants shared experiences with in-class and out-of-class group work assignments for lecture and laboratory courses. Results: Through inductive thematic coding of semi-structured interview transcripts, we identified seven themes impacting participants' experiences. Three themes were individual level: personal characteristics that participants associated with their neurodivergence; strategies for academic success (with subthemes of organization/time management, adaptive communication, and self-advocacy); and beliefs on group work's value. Four themes were group level/classroom level: group dynamics; role in group (including leadership roles); the competitive culture within STEM; and recommendations for instructors. Through a social-relational perspective on disability, we proposed a model showcasing how group and classroom factors serve as supports or barriers to neurodivergent students' full participation in group work, as well as to their sense of belonging. Using the seven themes we articulated, we outlined a set of practices for designing group work assignments. In addition, we propose how pairing inclusive assignment design with instructor reflection and articulating anti-ableist values can support neurodivergent student belonging by disrupting discourses of normalcy in STEM. Conclusions: As one of the first studies exploring the impact that group work in STEM courses has on neurodivergent undergraduates, this work may inform reimaginations of group work practices to better address the needs of neurodivergent STEM students and support a more inclusive culture in STEM classrooms. In addition, our conceptual model may serve as the basis for future research regarding interactions between individual-level and group-level factors associated with neurodivergent students' learning through group work and other active learning practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upon observing the daily lives of older adults, they often experience comfort and emotional stability through nostalgic memories. Hence, this study develops a nostalgic VR game from which older adults can obtain a similar sense of comfort and emotional satisfaction. This study extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) to analyze factors influencing older adults' intention to adopt this VR game. The study involved 102 older adults who participated in the VR experience. The VR game was developed using the Unity engine, designed specifically to trigger nostalgic memories. The analysis shows that the questionnaire was highly reliable. The analysis also revealed that PEOU significantly influences PU (β = 0.559, p < 0.001) and PE (β = 0.694, p < 0.001). PU positively impacts HIPG (β = 0.321, p < 0.05), while ATG strongly influences HIPG (β = 0.270, p < 0.01). The extended TAM model explained 57.3% of the variance in HIPG (R2 = 0.573), indicating the substantial impact of these factors on older adults' intention to engage with the VR game. These results provide valuable insights for developers and healthcare providers aiming to integrate VR as a health tool for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This research aims to identify school principals' practices in integrating technology. Methods: The methodological approach employed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Qualitative or mixed studies that examined school principals' practices in integrating technology into school teaching and learning conducted between 1999 and February 2023, were eligible. Data was searched through Science Direct, Springer, ProQuest, Emerald, Web of Science, Eric, and Google Scholar search engines. Thematic analysis was used to synthesize the findings. Results: Out of 6441 results from primary and supplementary searches, 19 eligible studies were chosen within five framework domains: Establishing and conveying the vision (creating a shared vision of technology integration, sharing vision continuously, and modeling technology use); Facilitating a high-quality learning experience for students (making databased decisions, promoting technological pedagogy, and digital citizenship education); Building professional capacity (creating professional development opportunities, encouraging a professional learning community, embracing job-embedded learning, and encouraging differentiated learning); Creating a supportive organization for learning (providing appropriate resources, promoting a collaborative culture, leading change, supporting risk-taking, and fostering a positive attitude towards technology); And connecting with external partners (cultivating communication networks within society, and involving parents in education). Conclusions: The results revealed notable distinctions in school principals' practices between blended learning and traditional education. Some practices of principals, such as curriculum planning, have become less prevalent. Nonetheless, there is a heightened emphasis on practices like engaging parents in education. Additionally, school principals facilitate students' learning by directly engaging in their tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated the impact of Chemistry-Focused Online Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teacher education on the awareness of STEM among preservice science teachers. A one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental weak design was used to determine changes in preservice teachers’ STEM awareness. During the study, a 14-week Chemistry-Focused Online STEM course was provided to preservice science teachers. As part of this course, the theoretical knowledge about STEM was explained to students, and afterward, they completed two modules. Furthermore, preservice teachers also developed their chemistry-themed STEM lesson plans at the beginning of the course, after explaining theoretical knowledge about STEM at the end. The study group consisted of 17 senior preservice science teachers enrolled in the elective Teaching Chemistry in Elementary Education at a state university in the Marmara region during the spring semester of 2020–2021. The data were collected with the STEM Awareness Scale. The results revealed that chemistry-focused online STEM education enhances preservice science teachers’ STEM awareness. Potential implications from this research suggest that the preservice science teacher participants benefited significantly from chemistry-focused online STEM education while engaging in science and engineering practices and using chemistry knowledge to solve real-life problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative learning has been widely studied in higher education and beyond, suggesting that collaboration in small groups can be effective for promoting deeper learning, enhancing engagement and motivation, and improving a range of cognitive and social outcomes. The study presented in this paper compared different forms of human and robot facilitation in the game of planning poker, designed as a collaborative activity in the undergraduate course on agile project management. Planning poker is a consensus-based game for relative estimation in teams. Team members collaboratively estimate effort for a set of project tasks. In our study, student teams played the game of planning poker to estimate the effort required for project tasks by comparing task effort relative to one another. In this within- and between-subjects study, forty-nine students in eight teams participated in two out of four conditions. The four conditions differed in respect to the form of human and/or robot facilitation. Teams 1–4 participated in conditions C1 human online and C3 unsupervised robot, while teams 5–8 participated in conditions C2 human face to face and C4 supervised robot co-facilitation. While planning poker was facilitated by a human teacher in conditions C1 and C2, the NAO robot facilitated the game-play in conditions C3 and C4. In C4, the robot facilitation was supervised by a human teacher. The study compared these four forms of facilitation and explored the effects of the type of facilitation on the facilitator's competence (FC), learning experience (LX), and learning outcomes (LO). The results based on the data from an online survey indicated a number of significant differences across conditions. While the facilitator's competence and learning outcomes were rated higher in human (C1, C2) compared to robot (C3, C4) conditions, participants in the supervised robot condition (C4) experienced higher levels of focus, motivation, and relevance and a greater sense of control and sense of success, and rated their cognitive learning outcomes and the willingness to apply what was learned higher than in other conditions. These results indicate that human supervision during robot-led facilitation in collaborative learning (e.g., providing hints and situational information on demand) can be beneficial for learning experience and outcomes as it allows synergies to be created between human expertise and flexibility and the consistency of the robotic assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the future of higher education, student learning will become more virtual and group-oriented, and this new reality of academic learning comes with challenges. Positive social interactions in virtual synchronous student learning groups are not self-evident but need extra support. To successfully support positive social interactions, the underlying group processes, such as collaborative group engagement, need to be understood in detail, and the important question arises: How can collaborative group engagement be assessed in virtual group learning settings? A promising methodological approach is the observation of students' non-verbal behavior, for example, in videoconferences. In an exploratory field study, we observed the non-verbal behavior of psychology students in small virtual synchronous learning groups solving a complex problem via videoconferencing. The groups were videorecorded to analyze possible relations between their non-verbal behaviors and to rate the quality of collaborative group engagement (QCGE). A rating scheme consisting of four QCGE dimensions (Behavioral, Social, Cognitive, and Conceptual-to-consequential QCGE) was applied, and non-verbal behaviors during the task were coded based on related research literature. We quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed non-verbal behaviors as indicators of QCGE. The results show that groups use a wide range of nonverbal behaviors. Furthermore, certain non-verbal behaviors are significantly related to specific dimensions of QCGE. These results help to identify relevant indicators of QCGE in virtual synchronous learning settings and thus promote the development of advanced methods for assessing QCGE. Furthermore, the indicators can be discussed as possible anchors for supporting collaborative learning in virtual synchronous groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Constructivist learning theories have emphasized learners' interactions with the environment, which includes their peers. Therefore, student cooperation/collaboration has been considered crucial in science education. However, although there have been many science cooperative/collaborative learning (CCL) studies reported in Korea, there has been a lack of review studies done to delineate trends and elicit implications for future science education research. This study systematically reviewed empirical science and engineering CCL studies reported in Korea. The researchers collected literature via the Korea Citation Index repository and selected 121 papers to be reviewed. The analytical framework was adapted from the cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). The results of a review by two science education experts showed patterns revealed in each component of CHAT, which led to a discussion aimed at comprehensively understanding Korean science and engineering CCL research. Implications for future research and teaching were elicited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Theoretical Educational Science / Kuramsal Eğitimbilim Dergisi is the property of Afyon Kocatepe University, Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Ciencias Sociales (13159518) is the property of Revista de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad del Zulia Venezuela and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: In response to the COVID-19 crisis, this study aimed to introduce a new virtual teaching model for anatomy education that combines Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) and flipped classrooms, aligning with constructivist principles. Method: The Flipped Peer Assisted (FPA) method was implemented in a virtual neuroanatomy course for second-year medical students at Birjand University of Medical Sciences via a descriptive study. The method involved small groups of PAL, with peer learning serving as educational assistants and the teacher acting as a facilitator. Educational content was uploaded to the university's learning management system (LMS). The opinion of medical students regarding the teaching method were evaluated using a 15-item questionnaire on a five-point Likert scale. Results: A total of 210 students participated in the instruction using the FPA method. The analysis of students' scores revealed an average score of 26.75 ± 3.67 on the 30-point test. According to student feedback, this teaching method effectively motivated students to study, enhanced teamwork and communication skills, transformed their perspective on the anatomy course, provided opportunities for formative assessment and feedback, and demonstrated the teacher's dedication to education. Conclusion: The FPA model demonstrates its effectiveness in transforming traditional classroom teaching and fostering teaching and learning in virtual environments, particularly during pandemics like COVID-19. This model holds promise for enhancing anatomy education in challenging circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the influence of learning arrangements in which biology and technology (engineering) are taught in combination on the intrinsic motivation of lower secondary school students in STEM lessons. It is set in the context of STEM promotion to counter an observable decrease in motivation and interest during the school years. In a quasi-experimental design with 413 students (M = 12.53, SD = 0.818), we compare a design-based STEM learning program with two alternative teaching approaches (model building and reconstruction). A comparison of the intervention groups (ANOVA) reveals that the Design group shows significantly higher motivation than the alternatives. A multiple linear regression shows that the motivational starting position (=motivation in standard science/biology lessons), cognitive abilities, and participation in the design approach are significant predictors of intrinsic motivation. The results suggest that design-based, cross-domain learning arrangements can be an effective component of motivation-enhancing STEM instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fusion of education with the digital world is still a developing and crucial phenomenon, especially in light of the growth of metaverse applications and the lingering effects of pandemic-induced educational changes. Learning about the efficacy of platforms like Gather.town becomes increasingly important in this situation. This study explores the changing educational environment, focusing on the widely used technique of small group discussions. Our main goal is to compare the effects of such group discussions in real classrooms against the online setting made possible by websites like Gather.town, especially regarding academic performance. We assessed two separate groups of students using a highly controlled experimental method. One group engaged in traditional, face-to-face small group discussions, while the other participated in discussions within the virtual realm of Gather.town. Our research produced notable results, showing a significant difference in academic achievement between the two modes of interaction. Unexpectedly, the online environment displayed higher standards of academic success. These findings highlight the potential effectiveness of digital platforms in educational initiatives. While conventional, face-to-face dialogues still have significance, incorporating digital technologies could result in equal or better educational outcomes. In essence, this research offers insightful viewpoints to the continuing discussion concerning hybridized learning strategies in the modern educational environment. By highlighting the part played by digital platforms in influencing pedagogical practices, it highlights the potential for such approaches to benefit the future of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science and mathematics teachers face the dual challenge of mastering subject-specific expertise and developing the pedagogical skills necessary for implementing integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) lessons. Research indicates a deficiency in teachers’ pedagogical competencies, particularly in project-based learning (PBL) within STEM context. To address this, the study administered a questionnaire to 245 specialized science and mathematics teachers in Qatar, aiming to examine their competencies and self-efficacy within the realm of technological pedagogical content knowledge. The focus is specifically on its integration with PBL and STEM content. Additionally, the study explores the influence of demographic and contextual factors, including gender, teaching experience, major academic subject, possession of an education certificate, specialization in STEM disciplines, and workload hours, on science and teachers’ competencies and self-efficacy in technology integration when teaching through PBL and STEM approaches. The study’s findings highlight the pivotal role of gender, formal teacher education, and the unique expertise of teachers. Surprisingly, teaching experience and school level did not show significant differences among science and mathematics teachers. However, gender disparities persist, with male teachers scoring higher in technology integration, necessitating ongoing research. Discipline-specific differences underscore the need for tailored professional development. While workload does not significantly impact technology integration, a supportive school culture is crucial, especially in secondary schools. The findings not only deepen our understanding of these factors but also provide valuable insights for crafting targeted interventions, robust professional development programs, and support systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circumstances associated with high levels of achievement in undergraduate studies has not been thoroughly explored in the Australian context. This study investigated factors predicting high academic achievement, defined as maintaining a Distinction average, at undergraduate level. Findings revealed several factors that predicted achievement after two semesters of study. These factors included essay writing skills, with students having satisfactory writing 5.16 times more likely to maintain a Distinction average compared to those with below satisfactory writing; faculty, with students enrolled in Health Sciences 4.63 times more likely compared to students from other faculties; language background, with English-speaking background students 1.67 times more likely compared to English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) students; gender, with females 1.45 more likely compared to males; and age, with older students 1.03 times more likely to achieve high performance compared to younger students. Creating a profile of students likely to excel academically assists decision makers in allocating resources to students less likely to achieve. This research opens the door to further studies investigating whether these factors play a role in predicting student achievement at university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Currently, all over the world we are witnessing a change in online learning methods and a change towards coollaborative learning methods in the online environment. Due to its collaborative and interactive nature, the online learning environment creates a unique opportunity for the development of individual and collaborative learning if appropriate design approaches are used. Accordingly, if the development of learning skills in an exploratory and collaborative community is considered, designing an online collaborative learning environment is a basic and important element. In fact, creating an exploratory and supportive community is necessary to achieve critical and argumentative thinking skills and should be viewed as an educational method. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to design an online collaborative environment based on argumentative peer feedback and to investigate its impact on the critical thinking skills and argumentation quality of educational science students. Methods: The design of this research was pretest-posttest control group design. In order to carry out the research, an online collaborative environment based on argumentative peer feedback was designed and developed. In this environment, students coollaboratively wrote their opinions about the the topic at hand, provided feedback on peer's writings, and then revised their writings based on the comments of their peers. The research population was all undergraduate students in the field of educational sciences of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz in the academic year 2019-2020, and 32 of them were selected as the research sample, and randomly assigned in a pretest-posttest control design, and they were paired as learning pairs (A dyad). The research's measurement tools were the California Critical Thinking Skills Test and a rubric of assessing of students' argumentative writing quality. The reliability of the critical thinking test was calculated using Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 reliability coefficient (KR20=0.69). Kappa test (0.82) was also used to measurethe reliability of the argumentative writing quality rubric. The Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the data. Findings: The results showed that providing and recieving argumentative peer feedback in the online collaborative learning environment increased students' critical thinking skills, and also the quality of argumentation. In other words, the the experimental group outperformed the control groupin term of critical thinking andargumentative writing quality. Conclusion: The results of the research indicated the effect of the online collaborative environment based on peer feedback on the students' critical thinking skills and argumentation quality. In fact, the design of such environments strengthens the students' critical thinking and argumentative skills by taking into account the opportunity it provides for students to reason, examine the opinions of their peers, and finally provide feedback to their peers. Therefore, according to the results, it is suggested that online collaborative learning environment based on argumentative peer feedback should be considered as a suitable tool and approach to improve critical thinking skills and increase the quality of students' argumentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study concentrates on the effects of teacher feedback (FB) on students' learning performance when students are tackling guiding questions (GQ) during the online session in a flipped classroom environment. Next to students' performance, this research evaluates the sustainability in students' self-efficacy beliefs and their appreciation of the feedback. Participants were second year college students (n = 90) taking the "Environmental Technology" course at Can Tho College (Vietnam). They were assigned randomly to one of two research conditions: (1) with extra feedback (WEF, n = 45) and (2) no extra feedback (NEF, n = 45) during the online phase of the flipped classroom design. In both conditions, students spent the same amount of time in the online environment as well as in the face-to-face environment. The findings indicate that students studying in the WEF condition achieve higher learning outcomes as compared to students in the NEF condition. With respect to student variables, we observe no significant differences between the two research conditions in terms of self-efficacy beliefs at various occasions. However, we explore significant differences between the two research conditions in terms of feedback appreciation during the posttest assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher professional vision as a concept is gaining importance in research on teaching, and recently models for studying teacher professional vision and student self-regulated learning (SRL) have been proposed. There are interview and video intervention studies investigating teacher professional vision for SRL, but no real-life classroom research so far. This study investigated the role of student SRL behaviour, as it was reported by students themselves and teachers, in teacher attention distribution as part of teacher professional vision. Ten teachers and their 158 students at high school level in Lithuania took part in the research. The first step of the study resulted in identifying four student SRL-profiles, which differed based on student level of SRL and the extent to which teacher and student assessments coincided: mixed lower-regulated, mixed higher-regulated, systematic lower-regulated, systematic higher-regulated. The profiles demonstrated only a partial overlap in teacher and student judgement of student SRL. The second step of the study explored whether scores of students’ SRL from student and teacher reports were related to teachers’ distribution of visual attention in one lesson. The results showed that only one teacher rating scale of student information-seeking behaviour had a slight correlation with teacher attention. The results imply rather bottom-up trends in teacher attention to students in the classroom when it comes to SRL. Besides, the study results highlight the not directly observable nature of SRL processes and imply a difficulty for teachers to assess student SRL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers’ visual gaze and related reflections on pedagogical actions during pedagogical activities in groups of children under three years of age in Finland. The data were collected from play and teacher-guided activities using mobile eye-tracking glasses, the retrospective thinking aloud (RTA) method, and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that even though the teachers were surprised about some aspects of the visual gaze metrics, they reflected on and gave reasons for their visual gazes on children. When observing gaze data from play, teachers explained the high amount of gaze by citing children’s particular needs. When observing gaze data from guided activities, teachers reflected on children’s unpredictable behavior and noted that the children’s need for support in concentration was linked to more gazes by the teacher. The findings showed that both during play and guided activities, children seeking a gaze and the position of children in the classroom influenced the number of teachers’ gazes. In the teachers’ explanations of their visual gaze and related pedagogical actions, five categories were identified: protection; physical and emotional availability, teaching and learning; facilitation; and initiatives. This explorative study showed that teachers utilize their knowledge concerning children’s individuality, development, and learning when they explain their decisions concerning their visual gaze and pedagogical activities with toddlers. The use of mobile eye-tracking technology is relatively new; therefore, its applications to ECEC are pioneering for the development of the field in relation to the practices and research of toddlers’ groups and groups with older children in ECEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active learning strategies are widely studied, but perspective on their effectiveness in complete undergraduate studies or about their contribution to closing the gender gap are still required. Challenge-based learning has been around for more than a decade. However, results have been collected in limited time and application environments, for example, one semester or one activity in a course. In this work, we present a quantitative study that was applied to results of the National Center for the Evaluation of Higher Education's Engineering Bachelor's Degree Standardized General Examination of 4226 students comparing those who received a traditional educational model and those who received a challenge-based learning educational model. A statistical analysis of communication and disciplinary competencies found that the traditional educational model induces a greater marginal significant result in the test. Additionally, we found that female students perform better in communication competencies while male students perform better in disciplinary competencies. Our results confirm that challenge-based learning is as effective as a traditional educational model when applied during complete undergraduate studies while developing competencies like critical thinking, long-term retention, leadership, multidisciplinary teamwork, and decision-making. Challenge based learning is a prolific learning strategy for evolving into a new way of teaching in undergraduate programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]