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The motivation to participate in ensemble rehearsals may be influenced by the rehearsal environment. With the emergence of the virtual rehearsal environment, there is a need to gain a better understanding of how online rehearsals affect participation decisions. The purpose of this study was to determine the applicability of one theory of motivation, Self-Determination Theory, to older adults' decisions to participate or not participate in virtual rehearsals. Respondents (N = 49) included participants (n = 20) and nonparticipants (n = 29) who completed the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (n.d.) and the "Modified Computer Self-Efficacy Scale" (Laver et al. 2012). Mann--Whitney U comparisons indicated that nonparticipants had significantly lower ratings on the Perceived Competence and Value/Usefulness subscales on the IMI, in addition to significantly lower feelings of self-efficacy on the MCSES. Overall, the results seem to support the use of Self-Determination Theory to explain differences in the decision of New Horizons band members to participate in online rehearsals. To encourage participation in virtual ensembles, there is need to confirm ensemble members are comfortable with the technology and understand the value and usefulness of the activity itself.

This paper explores the relationship between students' digital competence acquisition, teaching practices, and teacher professional learning activities. We analysed insights provided by 59,452 teachers through SELFIE, an online self-reflection tool for schools' digital capacity. Using ordinary least squares regressions with school fixed effects, we focus on students' digital competence and find that the use of digital technologies in cross-curricular projects is the teaching practice most related to the acquisition of students' digital competence. On the other hand, we also find that teachers' participation in teacher networks is highly correlated with the implementation of cross-curricular projects with digital technologies. The results further suggest that the use of digital technologies for teacher collaboration (in professional learning activities and in implementing cross-curricular projects) can have great potential and importance in the digital age, both for teachers and learners.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the technostress effects on the students' expectancy in their academic performance. Three main factors were used as predictors, namely techno-complexity (TC), techno-insecurity (TIS) and techno-overload (TO), to measure the students' performance expectancy via the mediating effects of student satisfaction (SS). Design/methodology/approach: A total of 234 survey-based online questionnaires were filled by students from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM). Based on the data, the hypothetical model was tested statistically using the Partial Least Square--Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), specifically the Smart Partial Least Square (SmartPLS) version 3.3.2. Findings: The results indicated that SS mediated the relationship between TC, TIS and performance expectancy. Nevertheless, the two predictors (TC and TIS) negatively affected SS, whereas SS positively affected the performance expectancy. The findings further revealed that reducing TC and TIS could increase SS and their expectancy to achieve better academic performance. Practical implications: This study proposed that higher learning institutions provide an innovative and user-friendly platform for the online learning environment. Consequently, this improvement could increase SS with the online learning experience and motivate them to expect better academic achievement. Originality/value: This study also contributed to the existing literature by building and testing a technostress model and articulating the inter-relations between SS and performance expectancy.

This study explores the potential of social learning platforms (SLPs) to enhance female students' learning experiences in Saudi higher education and address socio-cultural constraints. It examines the advantages and disadvantages of SLPs from the perspective female students and analyses the impact of personal beliefs on their perceptions of SLPs. The study includes a mixed-methods approach, combining a survey questionnaire (n= 87) and semi-structured interviews (n= 3). Results indicate that female students generally perceive SLPs as beneficial, despite implementation challenges. Preference for male instructors and family teaching preferences vary among participants. Computer experience was found to influence perceived advantages of SLPs. Qualitative analysis provides deeper insights, including educational, cultural, and economic aspects. The study offers recommendations for future research and implications for enhancing the learning experiences of female students in conservative higher education systems.

Understanding how individuals collaborate with others is a complex undertaking, because collaborative problem-solving (CPS) is an interactive and dynamic process. We attempt to identify distinct collaborative problem-solver profiles of Chinese 15-year-old students on a computer-based CPS task using process data from the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA, N = 1,677), and further to examine how these profiles may relate to student demographics (i.e., gender, socioeconomic status) and motivational characteristics (i.e., achieving motivation, attitudes toward collaboration), as well as CPS performance. The process indicators we used include time-on-task, actions-on-task, and three specific CPS process skills (i.e., establish and maintain shared understanding, take appropriate action to solve the problem, establish and maintain team organization). The results of latent profile analysis indicate four collaborative problem-solver profiles: "Disengaged," "Struggling," "Adaptive," and "Excellent." Gender, socioeconomic status, attitudes toward collaboration and CPS performance are shown to be significantly associated with profile membership, yet achieving motivation was not a significant predictor. These findings may contribute to better understanding of the way students interact with computer-based CPS tasks and inform educators of individualized and adaptive instructions to support student collaborative problem-solving.

The use of tablets by young children is increasing and more research is needed to understand how to evaluate and map the emergence of digital writing. To explore this, children (aged 2-5 years; N = 48) were asked to write on an iPad using a drawing app (1×10-minute session/week over 9 weeks). Traditional frameworks for early writing development were used to map the types of marks young children created with their fingers on iPads. The types of digital writing children created ranged across 'scribble marks', 'invented marks', 'invented letters', 'conventional letters', and 'word writing'. In contrast to viewing children as having writing abilities at only a single level of writing development, individual children were observed to produce digital marks representative of different stages of writing development. Providing new ways of mapping the emergence of digital mark making will help early childhood educators better understand digital writing development.

The outburst of information technology in the later parts of the twentieth century has taken the whole world into its scope. There is an ever growing use of computers in the workplaces and universities. The purpose of this study was to measure the attitudes of the English language university instructors towards the use of computers. It was a descriptive study and data was collected by a survey. This study's population consisted of two hundred university instructors equally divided into male and female. These instructors were randomly selected from different universities. The findings revealed that there was a significant difference between the views of the males and females instructors. Moreover, those who had no professional qualification had the highest mean score. The English language university instructors should be trained in the use of computers so that they might be able to use them more effectively in classroom settings.

This study was carried out within the scope of the Basic Information Technologies Use (BITU) course given to formal education students in classroom and distance education environment. The aim of the study was to determine the perspectives of students regarding the course and distance education environment. Case study, which is one of the qualitative research methods was used in this research. The sample, which was a group of 303 students, contained 273 freshmen from the Faculty of Agriculture (FA), the Faculty of Forestry (FF), the Faculty of Fisheries (FoF), and 30 students from various associate degree programs, who repeated the course. Data were collected through the interview forms. During the analysis process, "data reduction", "data display", "conclusion drawing/verification" steps were carried out. The study revealed that the students generally found the course necessary, and that distance education was considered to be positive mostly due to the location independence, and negative mostly due to the internet connection problems and lack of communication. While more than half of the distance education students thought that they learned the subject efficiently, the majority of them preferred taking the course in the formal education environment. The study revealed that the rate of attendance and watching recorded lecture videos was not as high as expected. From the findings of this study, it can be suggested that arrangements be made to increase the level of communication in the distance education environment, and that students be encouraged to do more hands-on activities.

Although many practicing teachers have not experienced teacher preparation programs that teach cyber security (Pusely & Sadera, 2011) or are familiar with cyber principles (Authors), embedding these ideas into instruction in a variety of content areas is essential for promoting cyber literacy and citizenship. This study explores a professional development program that provided middle and high school teachers across disciplines with opportunities to explore, first as learners and then as educators, cyber citizenship and programming concepts with explicit connections to the cybersecurity principles and concepts. Participating teachers experienced inquiry-based learning, focused classroom discourse, and collaborative learning that centered on GenCyber Cybersecurity First Principles and GenCyber Cybersecurity Concepts (GenCyber, 2019). Results indicated the professional development enabled teachers to iteratively reflect on best practices in cyber education while learning and applying the content of GenCyber Principles within the context of their own field of study.

Higher education institutions consider student satisfaction to be one of the main factors in determining the quality of their online learning. The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable, valid, and practical instrument to measure online students' satisfaction as well as to explore the psychometric and theoretical concerns surrounding the construct validity of existing satisfaction scales. The study was carried out in 2017-2018 fall and spring with participants consisting of freshmen who took the online course in a state university (N[subscript fall]=1585; N[subscript spring]=1206). In this study exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (Study 1-N[subscript EFA]=921) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (Study 1-N[subscript CFA]=664; Study 1-N[subscript CFA]=1206) were performed to assess the construct validity of the scale's measures. As proof of validity, the effect of gender on satisfaction was examined, for which independent sample t-test was performed. For the criterion validity, the relationship between computer and internet self-efficacy and satisfaction scores of the learners was examined. The finalized version of satisfaction scale, consisting of eight items, demonstrated that the scale is suitable for general use. Suggestions for future researchers and practitioners are proposed.

Mathematics as a discipline requires abstract operations under many sub-learning areas is considered hard by students to learn. In this respect, it has become indispensable to make mathematics teaching processes fun and to structure teaching procedures by using different teaching methods, techniques or materials. In this context, the purpose of the study is to determine the teachers' views of 7th grade students about the use of geogebra on lines and angles. The case study approach and focus group interview method were used in the study. In this context, 14 students studying in the city of Ankara were taught within the framework of the activities on lines and angles and carried practice out. At the end of these practices, a focus group meeting was held with the students, and the data provided from these interviews were expressed with sample sentences. In this regard, 3 activities were developed by the researcher for each of the two different acquisitions under the sub-learning area relating to the teaching of lines and angles. According to the results of the research, it was concluded that geogebra makes mathematics learning processes fun and enjoyable, helps students in concretizing abstract concepts often found in mathematics, and that students with low computer literacy have hardship in applying geogebra activities.

As online learning is becoming very popular in formal educational settings and in individual development, online exams are starting to be recognized as one of the more efficient assessment methods. Online exams are effective in either blended or traditional forms of learning, and, when appropriately used, bring benefits to both learners and the learning process. However, learners' perceptions of online exams in developing countries have not been widely studied despite the potential of such research for contributing to more effective use of online exams in these countries. Thus, this study served two purposes. First, it aimed to investigate students' perceptions of online exams at a state university in Turkey, and at a state university in Kyrgyzstan. Second, the study compared the results. Structured as a mixed study, the research was conducted during the 2018-2019 fall term. The participants were 370 undergraduate students taking first-year courses online. Quantitative data considered learners' perception scores gathered via a survey, whereas qualitative data considered learners' opinions in response to an open-ended question. According to the quantitative analysis, learners' perceptions differed according to gender, major, and prior online course experience variables. In addition, Turkish and Kyrgyz learners differed in that Turkish learners found online exams less stressful and more reliable and fairer than traditional paper-based exams when compared with their Kyrgyz counterparts. The qualitative analysis provided important results for future planning in both institutions.

Following the spread of COVID-19, many parts of the world have fully shifted to virtual education. Issues regarding students' readiness for this mode of education have been the main concerns in countries where students are not used to virtual classes. This article presents a case study that investigated the perceptions of Saudi university students towards learning via Blackboard (BB), during the unusual mode of delivering education caused by COVID-19. The aim was to identify the merits and challenges of online learning in order to understand the students' learning experiences during the pandemic period and suggest practical solutions. The participants were 25 university students majoring in the English language at the bachelor of arts level. The instructor (the author) taught them classes on morphology. Based on an analysis of the students' learning logs, the students preferred the asynchronous environment to the synchronous one due to its flexibility. However, unlike research findings identified in relevant studies on virtual education for language learning, the present study reveals that virtual education is not always appealing for students. This study is one of the few studies that compare the synchronous and asynchronous aspects of BB in the Arabian contexts. It is hoped that this study will help university authorities to set out more practical educational plans in the case of emergencies. Also, this study will inform the practices of university instructors and designers of professional development courses in the near future.

Learning cybersecurity awareness builds on basic information technology concepts and digital literacy skills. In an effort to raise cybersecurity awareness among information technology students, this paper describes a series of three different interactive sessions offered to students of all levels at a business university. The sessions introduced cybersecurity awareness through identifying actual breaches and incidents, using open source intelligence tools, and participating in a capture the flag style competition. Student comments in blog posts and interviews after these sessions show the relevance of cybersecurity awareness in their daily lives and a general sense of surprise, amazement and concern at how much personal information is readily available online.

Today technology takes over the burden of men with a lot of developments and innovation. In the education field, many developments can be seen too. The concept of 'readiness' is one of the most important key factors in E-learning. As readiness makes learning easier, e-learning becomes easier as well. However, E-learning seems required under today's conditions. Even though Physical Education and Sports are based commonly on practising, it is possible to consider e-learning in the sports field. The purpose of this study is to determine readiness levels of sports science faculty students towards e-learning concerning some variables. The sample and population of this study consisted of 348 sports science faculty students (215 males, 133 females) from Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trakya, Siirt and Mus university. In this study 'Readiness of University Students Towards E-learning Scale' developed by Yurdugül and Demir (2017) and a question form developed by researcher were used as a data collection tool. The scale consists of 33 items and 6 factors including computer self-efficacy, internet self-efficacy, online communication self-efficacy, self-directed learning, learner control and motivation towards e-learning. Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale was found as 0.93. In conclusion, sports science faculty students have readiness for e-learning. However, when subdimensions were compared in itself, motivation towards e-learning, self-learning, and learner's control subdimensions were determined to have significant differences.

This research analyzes the profile of students on MOOC (massive open online courses) courses within the framework of the ECO project (E-learning, Communication and Open-Data: Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning) promoted by the European Union. An analysis of the profile of students enrolled in the five editions of the course entitled "Educational innovation and professional development. Possibilities and limits of technology" has been conducted based on the following objectives: (a) gain knowledge about the profile of students; (b) identify the students' perception of their level of digital competence for participating in the course; (c) find out what their real expectations were when they enrolled on the course; and (d) suggest proposals for improving the design of the course based on the study carried out on the student profile. This research shows the tendencies of students enrolled on these types of training processes and suggests improvements in the design of the course in order to satisfy the participants' motivations and expectations. In this regard, the results suggest that the design of MOOCs should be based on a sustainable, social and communicative curricular approach while at the same time greatly enhancing interaction and collaborative work.

This study compares computational thinking skills evidenced by two groups of students in two different secondary schools: one group per school was studying a qualification in Computer Science. The aim was to establish which elements of computational thinking were more prevalent in students studying Computer Science to a higher level. This in turn would evidence those elements likely to be present from their earlier computing education or through their complementary studies in Science or Mathematics, which all students also studied. Understanding this difference was important to identify any increased competence in computational thinking that was present in the Computer Science groups. Interviews involved a set of questions and a maze activity designed to elicit the sixteen students' computational thinking skills based on the Brennan and Resnick (2012) model of computational concepts, practices and perspectives. Analysis of students' responses showed surprisingly little difference between the computational thinking practices of the two groups in relation to abstraction, decomposition, evaluation, generalisation/reusing, logical reasoning and debugging/testing. The study concludes that general computational thinking skills can be developed either at a lower level of study or in cognate curriculum areas, leaving computer science as the rightful locus of computational thinking for automation.

In parallel with the development of technology and increase in knowledge, learning-teaching environments have changed, and an understanding has taken into basis that students are active and responsible for their own learning. In accordance with this situation, inquiry-based learning approach and technology integration have come to an important point in science curricula in our country. In the study, it was aimed to investigate the effectiveness of web-based science material developed on the guided inquiry approach on students' information and communication skills. In the current study, embedded design was selected amongst mixed methods. First, web-based material was developed compatible with the guided inquiry approach for the systems in our body unit at sixth grade. Then, the developed material was applied during eight weeks by three teachers in three different classes and its effectiveness was examined. A total of 155 sixth grade students, 71 of whom were in the experimental group and 84 in the control group, participated in the study. In the study, "Information and Communication Skills Perception Scale" was used as a quantitative data collection tool and an observation form was used as the qualitative data collection tool. As a result of the study, although there was an increase in the information and communication skills perception scores of the students in the experimental group in which the web-based science material was applied according to the guided inquiry approach, it was understood that this difference was not significant [t(70)=-3.76, p>0.05]. Even though there is an increase in information and communication skills, it is thought that this increase is not significant in terms of the students' perceptions of information and communication skills as these students were born into the technology age, developed high perception towards information and communication skills through their own tablets, computers, phones and other similar medium.

e-Learning systems nowadays become vital for many universities in developing countries. They are useful for increasing educational quality and providing students with high-quality learning resources. However, how to attract students to use e-learning systems and how to improve their learning outcomes through e-learning are still difficult questions. This paper presents a survey study with 357 students from universities in Vietnam. The analysis results showed that e-learning acceptance was influenced by five factors including university support, students' computer competency, infrastructure, content and design of courses, and student collaboration. Besides, the learning outcome was influenced by e-learning acceptance and student collaboration. Finally, some recommendations were suggested to improve e-learning acceptance and learning outcome of students in Vietnam.

The aim of this study was to investigate the digital literacy skills and metaphorical perceptions of teacher candidates. The mixed approach has been used in the analysis. The quantitative dimension of the study consists of the "Digital Literacy Scale" scores collected from the teacher candidates, and the qualitative component is made up of the metaphors they have developed about the definition of digital literacy. The study was carried out with 297 prospective teachers who are pursuing their education at the Faculty of Education in Turkey. When the results of the study were analyzed, it was found that there was no significant difference between the digital literacy scores of the teacher candidates and the departments in which they were trained, but there was a significant difference in the grade and device ownership variables. The definitions were reached as a result of the study of the metaphors that were grouped under the headings "vitality," "integrity," "guidance," "complexity", and "eternity."

The study examined the Impact of Peer-Mediated Learning on achievement and motivation in computer science among senior secondary school students in Minna metropolis, Niger state. The study adopted a randomized pre-test, post-test control group design. Two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select four (4) Private Secondary Schools from Minna, Metropolis. Eighty (80) Students were drawn from the four Secondary Schools as sample size through stratified random sampling technique. Validated Test Instrument; Basic Computer Skills Acquisition Test (BCSAT) and Questionnaire: Motivated Strategy for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) vetted by experts from Computer Science and Educational Technology Departments were used for data collection. The BCSAT was made up of 20 items multiple-choice objective test questions to test students' cognitive knowledge and 5 practical questions, each comprising steps that tested students' computer practical skills while MSLQ, a Likert scale with 31 items was used to determine the motivational beliefs of students taught computer skills. ANOVA and Kruskal Wallis H test was used for data analysis and was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of students taught using Peer-Mediated Learning (PML) than those taught using conventional method. The study further revealed that students' motivation towards PML were significantly positive when compared to the students taught using conventional method. Based on these findings, the researchers recommended that Secondary Schools should adopt PML for effective teaching and learning of computer skills related concepts in Computer Science.

The advancement of educational technology enables universities to provide various online courses to fit the needs of different learners. However, the question is -- how do adult learners learn in this digital age, especially for those who had learned and developed their digital skills through experience and by self-exploring at their workplace? As such, a case study in Malaysia was conducted to examine learning experiences exhibited by middle-aged learners, also known as digital immigrants, in an e-learning environment. Fourteen new students from the first semester of a first-year programme in a private university, with ages ranging from 40-55 years, participated in the study. Face-to-face interviews were conducted and observations were performed in Learning Management System (LMS) and WhatsApp groups for a semester. This study has pointed out that the digital immigrants require human-to-human interaction in elearning. The forming of virtual groups using the WhatsApp application is also very important to digital immigrants. Conclusively, blended learning mode in the e-learning environment which still allows interaction between humans is still the best choice for these digital immigrants, while technology is an alternative tool for the learners to complete their studies.

Training foreign language teachers for 21st century requires the consideration of digital skills as well as the change of focus from more structural foreign language instruction to more discourse oriented foreign language instruction. In this context, pre-service language teachers need to learn language teaching methodology and instructional technologies likewise. Thus, when those pre-service language teachers start their careers in classrooms, they could function effectively and could bring diversity for their learners. In this study, the aim is to introduce pre-service language teachers with 3D Virtual Learning Environments where they can produce their 3D digital narratives that could also be labeled as Machinima. Some 89 prospective teachers attended the activities around this study, who were later evaluated by triangulated data collection methods of both quantitative and qualitative nature, such as reflective essays, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Those teachers mainly reported positive experience views with the end-product machinima like having learnt another perspective for language instruction, gaining self confidence for their prospective job, learning about a useful tool which they can utilize as a compensation in their teaching. However, they also reported some problems like technical issues that hindered the production of their group machinima.

The translation industry has witnessed rapid technological improvements in recent years. This rapid improvement is ascribed to a huge demand for the workload. Using a computer in the field of translation is very important due to the huge demand for fast and accurate translation. Translation tools came to existence due to the low proficiency of machine translation. CAT tools have become essential for many institutions, companies, and organizations. CAT tools increase productivity and minimize translation costs. The purpose of this study is to scrutinise the attitudes of professional translators and translation students towards CAT tools in Yemen. The questionnaire of this study was composed of 27 statements distributed to four constructs. The link of the questionnaire was distributed via WhatsApp to the participants. The other tool was an online interview about some issues related to CAT tools. These responses were analysed qualitatively. The researchers distributed the questionnaire to 250 people, and the valid responses of the participants were 56. The analysis shows that they have positive attitudes towards CAT tools. The results of the study show that professional translators and translation students show a positive attitude. Unexpectedly, the profiles of the participants do not play any role in their attitudes towards CAT tools.

South African universities' use of digital technologies in learning has increased in recent years. Given that social exposure, the context and pedagogic uses of technology influence learning expectations and learner involvement, it is important to understand students' experiences of the use of different technological tools. This article employs activity theory as a lens to explore how students with different levels of prior knowledge experienced the use of e-mail feedback. The feedback involves content discussion and comments on assessment drafts in a modular learning environment of a unit of undergraduate study at one of the country's universities. The students reported mixed experiences of the level of personal control and responsibility for their learning. The article explores the findings' implications for teaching and learning praxis in the university and makes suggestions for further research.

Background: IsiXhosa students enrolled for the BEd Foundation Phase qualification at a university in South Africa failed their first year in identified at-risk subjects, namely Mathematics in Education, Language in Education and Computer Literacy. The students stated the reasons for failure as not understanding the concepts and terms of the subjects presented to them in English. Objectives: A tutoring programme was initiated in the home language of the students with the aim of improving their understanding and chances at success. Method: Semi-structured interviews and reflective journals within a qualitative case study were used to understand how the tutees and tutors as key role players, the programme coordinator, lecturers in the three subjects and the tutor trainer experienced the tutoring programme. The study was framed within social constructivist theory and an interpretative paradigm employed for analysis of data. Results: The findings suggested that tutoring in their home language grants isiXhosa students an improved understanding of the concepts and terms of the course material, which they had difficulty understanding. Conclusion: Tutoring in the home language should become a mandatory practice for students whose home language is not the language of learning and teaching in the institution. The study contributes to knowledge on how tutoring in the home language provides isiXhosa students access to the curriculum by assisting them in minimising their struggles with English as the language of learning and teaching.

The present study aimed to determine the effect of individual cyber security skills of pre-service teachers on their attitudes towards computer-assisted education. Thus, the present research was designed as a correlational study. The study participants included 241 senior pre-service teachers in different departments at Manisa Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Education during the 2019-2020 academic year the fall semester. The data were collected with the "Personal Cyber Security Provision Scale" and "The Attitude Toward Computer-Assisted Education Scale." Based on the study findings, pre-service teachers should improve their competency in cyber security. Furthermore, pre-service teachers who owned a personal computer had higher scores in maintaining personal cyber security and had better attitudes towards computer-assisted education. Besides, it was observed that there were differences between personal cyber security scores of pre-service teachers and their attitudes towards computer-assisted education based on their departments. Furthermore, it was identified that the personal cyber security achievement score was a significant predictor of the attitude towards computer-assisted education. In the final section of the study, various recommendations are presented for future studies and applications on the subject.

Preventing attrition for racially minoritized, first-generation, and low SES postsecondary students continues to be a challenge despite significant efforts of educational researchers, college administrators, and high school teachers and counselors. Cultural capital (skills necessary to successfully navigate an environment) may help to explain and address this issue. Applying cultural capital and college readiness frameworks, we attempt to better understand the challenges four racially minoritized, first-generation, low-SES students face in attempting to get a "read" (understand the workings) on college. Students were in their second semester of their first year and on academic probation. Each participated in interviews and journal writing throughout one semester. Analysis revealed that cultural capital served as a foundation for reading the college environment in four key areas required for college readiness: understanding and calculating GPAs; computer literacy required for completing assignments; understanding the course listing and registration process; and finding other campus resources for addressing needs.

As countless regional, national, and international accrediting bodies continue to employ student engagement measures as mechanisms for quality assurance, universities become more intent on achieving this important gauge of student success. Specifically, the growth in enrollment in distance learning programs adds a unique level of complexity leading researchers to search for ways to increase engagement in the online course environment. Organizations continue to value teamwork and many instructors have incorporated group work into their online courses to teach students this important skill. The present study examines the impact of student engagement on group satisfaction. Furthermore, this research places student engagement at the center of a structural equation model to determine both predictors and outcomes of this important element of student learning. Specifically, this analysis examines whether students' perceptions of computer self-efficacy impact student engagement and group satisfaction in online business courses. Our findings indicate that computer self-efficacy leads to student engagement and, further, that student engagement influences group satisfaction. Importantly, the relationship between student engagement and group satisfaction is mediated by group expectations. Discussions of findings can be utilized to understand the factors that lead to student engagement and its outcomes in online courses.

Computer science education has seen a large national push to be included in the K-12 curriculum (Fluck, Webb, Cox, Angeli, Malyn-Smith, Voogt, & Zagami, 2016; Theresa Avancena & Nishihara, 2014; Veletsianos, Beth, Lin, & Russell, 2016; Yadav, Gretter, Hambrusch, & Sands, 2016). Students are leaving schools and entering an economy driven by technology and by a need to understand how to use and develop that technology (Armoni & Gal-Ezer, 2014; Bozick, Srinivasan, & Gottfried, 2017; Burke, 2016; Stuikys, Burbaite, Blazauskas, Barisas, & Binkis, 2017). As the State of South Dakota begins the process of reexamining their graduation requirements, the State Department of Education should consider the importance of computer science education in the curriculum as a standalone graduation requirement. Three aspects of computer science call for its inclusion in the curriculum. These three aspects include introducing computer science at elementary or middle school grade levels, ensuring the computer science courses contain skills that can be transferred to other subjects, and providing the necessary skills to meet the changing demands of today's society. Including computer science in the curriculum will force high schools in South Dakota to examine their curriculum to identify where changes can be made to make room for the necessary computer science course or courses. The inclusion of computer science in the South Dakota graduation requirements would also force the State Department of Education to create professional development opportunities, possibly with the help of higher education or local technology companies, for teachers to develop better pedagogical strategies. The policy brief that follows outlines the argument, expands on the important aspects, and describes the implications of the inclusion of computer science as a standalone requirement in the South Dakota high school graduation requirements.

Since it has been well established that students? learning and achievements depend hugely on teachers? ability and competency, this study was aimed at investigating the issues of computer literacy and mathematics competency in human resource development among pre-service teachers. Two test instruments, the mathematics competency test (MCT) and the computer appreciation test (CAT) were used for data collection. The study was guided by two research questions and two corresponding null hypotheses tested at the 0.05 level of significance. The result obtained showed that mathematics competency and computer literacy had significant influence on pre-service teachers? performance. Those competent in Mathematics with understanding of computer applications performed better in both MCT and CAT. Gender was also found to be a big criterion in determining the differences in the mathematical and computer skills among pre-service teachers. From these findings, the study recommends that institutions involved in the 21st century teacher preparation programme should ensure that their products are potential teachers with high quality training, rooted in mathematics competency and computer literacy and in tandem with current global best practices.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between e-learning readiness and academic achievement in an online course in higher-level education. The survey method was employed when collecting the study data, and the data-collection instrument used was the E-Learning Readiness Scale. The scale comprises 33 items and six sub-dimensions, including (1) computer self-efficacy, (2) internet self-efficacy, (3) online self-efficacy, (4) self-directed learning, (5) learner control, (6) motivation toward e-learning. The study participants comprised 153 freshmen who were taking an online English as a Foreign Language course. A relational model is proposed in this study to measure the predicted levels of readiness on academic achievement in online learning. Reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, linear regression analysis, and structural equation modelling were used to analyze and model the study data. Results indicated that self-directed learning is the strongest predictor of academic achievement, while motivation toward e-learning was found to be another predictor of academic achievement. Internet/online/computer self-efficacy and learner control were not found to be among significant predictors of academic achievement. It is concluded that, especially with the spread of Covid-19 worldwide, education is currently switching from face-to-face to online learning in an immediate and unexpected way; therefore e-learning readiness has to be carefully taken into consideration within this new educational paradigm.

This study aimed to examine the pre-service visual arts teachers' perceptions of computer self-efficacy and attitudes towards web-based instruction studying at the Faculties of Education. Their perceptions of computer self-efficacy and attitudes towards web-based instruction were compared by the variables of gender, class and academic success based on causal comparison method. The participants of the study consisted of 250 pre-service teachers who received visual arts education at the Faculties of Education at Marmara, Necmettin Erbakan, Atatürk and Gazi Universities. Data were collected through Perceptions of Computer Self-efficacy Scale and Attitudes Towards Web-based Instruction Scale. The findings showed that the pre-service visual arts teachers' perceptions of computer self-efficacy and attitudes towards web-based instruction were high. In addition, pre-service teachers' perceptions of computer self-efficacy and attitudes towards web-based instruction differed by gender and year of study. There were significant positive correlations between pre-service visual arts teachers' perceptions of computer self-efficacy and attitudes towards web-based instruction.

The purpose of this study was to experimentally test the impact of the author's Concept and the corresponding educational and methodological support on the technological development of the pedagogical process (based on teaching Fine Arts to pre-schoolers). Quantitative research methods like surveys, interviews, questionnaires, tests, tutor observation check-lists, students' and learners' performance records experiment were utilised. Three knowledge field and measurement and evaluation experts were involved to assess the validity of the instruments. The Internal reliability of the questionnaire was validated through running the Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 that resulted in a reliability coefficient, which was 0.72 and indicated internal reliability. The variables to this experiment were the students' creativity, learning performance, computer skills, motivation of the professional growth and preschool learners' creative and cognitive thinking and communication skills. It has been found that there was the dynamics in the variables of both student-teachers and children. The mean values for the CG students increased by 0.65 points on average in every variable after the participating in the experiment and the mean figures for children improved by 0.70 points on average as well which proved that the designed model had been efficient in upgrading the pedagogical process at preschools and developing students' future job-related competencies like creating an interactive technology-mediated and game-based learning environment in Fine Arts which could encourage children's initiative, creativity curiosity (autonomous cognitive activity) and collaboration along with creation of an emotionally significant situation for autonomous activity of both an individual and a group in which a child's right to their own evaluation, opinion are welcomed. The results met objectives of this study, boosted previous knowledge, and filled the research gaps. After the treatment, there was a 10-12% improvement in learning performance, 7-9% in the EG students' creativity, 8-10% in computer skills, and 10-11% in motivation of the professional growth and 8-10% in preschool learners' creative and cognitive thinking and communication skills. The course and methodical complexes for Arts and Design can be recommended for use in the pedagogical process of preschool groups and classes of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In 2019, educators at Beehive Montessori School (Beehive) in Western Australia implemented their self-defined digital literacies framework. The framework guided their approach to, and use of, digital technologies in their classrooms. Doing so came out of a whole school action research project in which the school became a hub for inquiry and educators, and researchers worked together to identify issues and develop improvement processes. At the project conclusion, the educators and researchers had collaboratively defined a solution that met the mandated curriculum needs and fitted with the school autonomy. Most importantly the project and the solution empowered educators, as it aligned with the school-identified virtues and utilized the three-period lesson to teach it, all of which was consistent with Montessori pedagogy.

The aim of this study is to examine the views of students about the procedure, content and benefits of the computer literacy course conducted by distance education in terms of active and passive participants and non-participating students. Sixty-one faculty of education students, who had taken the Computer Literacy course at a private university, participated in this qualitative study. The data obtained from the opinion form consisting of open-ended questions were analyzed by content analysis. According to the results, the students found live course recording videos most useful and generally had a positive views about the course being given by distance education. When asked about their preferences, it was seen that half of the active participant students preferred distance education and the other half preferred face-to-face education, the majority of the passive students preferred distance education and non-participant students preferred more face-to-face education. It was seen that watching the recorded course videos for active students and preparing homework for passive or non-participating students help them learn the course more easily. In order for the course to be learned more effectively, it is necessary to have attendance requirement according to the passive students and face-to-face education according to the non-participant students.

This research determined the perception toward online education among faculty in a State College in the Philippines. This study used a descriptive online survey involving a sample of 27 faculty members. Statistical tools employed were descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. Research findings indicated that the majority of faculty had intermediate computer competency and had no training in online teaching, with only a few having a very stable internet connection. Faculty considered online education to result in more academic dishonesty, impersonal and lack feeling compared to face-to-face classes, and difficult to manage in terms of technology. Additionally, faculty were undecided if they are in favor of online education. The faculty significantly differed whether they are in favor of online education based on age, sex, college, educational attainment, years in teaching, academic rank, level taught, and employment status. Faculty of Higher Education Institutions must be provided with continued support and training as they adapt to the new normal in the higher education landscape and as they embrace the instructional challenges brought by the Coronavirus disease 19 pandemic.

The present study aimed to explore the impact of distance education on the learning outcome of students in computer skills course in Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University in Al-Sulail, Saudi Arabia. In this study, the learning outcome is represented in the students' academic achievement. The researcher adopted an experimental approach. He selected a sample consisting from 80 male students from 4 sections of a computer skills course. Those students were divided equally into control and experimental groups. The members of the control group were taught through adopting a face-to-face instructional approach. They attended 4 face-to-face lectures. The members of the experimental group were taught online through using the Blackboard system. The researcher used a pre-test and a post-test for assessing students' academic achievement. SPSS program was used. It was found that both groups share similar levels of computer literacy. It was found that distance education has a significant positive impact on students' academic achievement in the computer skills course. The researcher recommends adding online instructional activities to the curricula used in Saudi universities.

The COVID-19 pandemic worldwide evidenced the need to revise and strengthen the current perspective of the role of technology in nontechnology- based classes. The current situation requires the revision of practices and basic knowledge of computer literacy and use. Traditionally, technology in the process of language learning has been considered anecdotal. As a result, many teachers do not have the necessary skills to implement proper technology-supported classes. Being that the case at Universidad de Alcalá (Spain), we looked at the students' needs in integrating a number of different applications in the classroom in order to provide them with additional technological skills. Twenty-two pre-service teachers enrolled in the College of Education prepared a whole package of applications for computer and mobile phones by working cooperatively. This paper looks at their attitudes towards technology learning and implementation. A Likert-scale questionnaire was developed to assess their attitudes. Results indicated that students do not evidence as much interest as expected despite their limited ability to implement the package.

Covid-19 global pandemic has extensively affected various dimensions in life and changed socioeconomic behavior in society. In line with this, the tremendous growth of digital technology has brought about a positive influence on social education and "muamalah" (literally "transaction") activities due to, indirectly, the enactment of large-scale social restriction policy (LSSR) in the capital city of Indonesia: Jakarta. Consequently, digital transaction has increased immensely as digital technology ensures more safety and effectiveness. Furthermore, the policy has created new perspectives in social education towards the use of digital technology and societies are prompted to learn how to use it. Learning from the background, the authors employ the risk-need-responsive model (RNR model) and conditional approach in this study as a conceptual framework to reveal the impact of "Muamalah" social education on digital payments for corruption prevention for public services in Indonesia. In addition, quantitative research design is also applied in this study by distributing questionnaires to as many as 300 respondents in Jakarta randomly chosen as a sample. This study revealed that they were influenced by LSSR. Data collection techniques are questionnaires combined with literature studies. This research has a novelty as it attempts to fill the impact of "Muamalah" social education on digital payments for corruption prevention and is derived from people's responsiveness affected by Covid-19. The results revealed that although people were forced to use digital payments due to emergency conditions, in fact, social education has brought about major changes in social dynamics. The impact of "Muamalah" social education on digital payments has improved individual cognitive learning abilities, demonstrated more wise actions and changed social behavior for better life. Furthermore, the impact of "Muamalah" social education on the use of digital payments in preventing corruption or digital anti-corruption likely minimizes corrupt practices in the public service sector. This research is likely a useful reference for stakeholders, especially the government, as a blueprint for preventing corruption by considering aspects of social education and the growing "Muamalah" principle of digital payments in society.

The COVID-19 pandemic has tremendously affected higher education systems in Russia and all over the world, forcing to transform curriculum into an online format, which is a challenge for all the educational process participants. The current study discusses the implementation of online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the Russian higher education context and investigates the challenges experienced by university teachers during this period to define their readiness for online education. To address the above-mentioned issues, a study was conducted in Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. A variety of methods of scientific and pedagogical research were used including systematic structural analysis, synthesis, work with research papers, the generalization of experience and experimental work, observation, surveys, etc., with 87 university teachers asked to respond to several sets of questions describing their online teaching experience after the launch of online education amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis of the participants' answers helped to identify the following main challenges experienced by university teachers: computer literacy level, the university electronic environment and support, academic staff readiness and students' readiness for online learning, the last two being the most important hindering the implementation of the efficient online education process. It was also underlined by most respondents that methodological work of a teacher in a digital educational environment differs from conventional teaching methods. Thus, psychological, technological, methodological support and teachers' professional development programs are of vital importance to minimize the negative impact of the rapid changes of the educational process and to ensure efficient online education.

This article focuses on the development of an educational outdoor adventure mobile app while presenting findings that were derived from various case studies that we conducted using it. The mobile application, called RouteQuizer, is complemented by a web application and a database, forming a system that enables teachers to create educational treasure hunt activities for their students and monitor their performance. The aim of the research was to create a system that would exploit all possible Outdoor Adventure Education (OAE) and treasure hunt benefits while excluding possible smartphone use negative consequences. The development of the system took place in Greece and began in December 2017, by conducting a nation-wide research examining Greek secondary teachers' Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literacy and perceptions on smartphone use and outdoor activities. By June 2018, 700 questionnaires were collected. In order to test the system, in March 2018, we conducted a pilot case study in Lesvos island Greece and between July 2018 and February 2020, we conducted four additional case studies and a teacher training program, all of which took place in Lesvos island Greece. During the development process of the mobile application, we focused on the participatory aspect of the process, paying special attention to the teacher and student evaluation during the design and prototyping phases. Considering that the system is educational we research whether the mobile application provided effective learning outcomes and whether it benefited students' social and physical skills. The results that we collected suggest that the mobile application is an effective learning tool while mobile learning and treasure hunt benefits have been repeatedly confirmed during the case studies. Greek teachers and students also proved to be capable smartphone and computer users, and reported being willing to participate in similar activities in the future.