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Research informing adult education teachers' didactic practices in distance education is scarce. Approaching the adult learner's perspectives on how distance education is perceived is key to informing future initiatives. This study explores adult learners' perception of distance education, concentrating on aspects such as, social presence, course structure, and perceived learning and satisfaction. A survey was distributed to teachers (n = 78) in five schools organising adult distance education. Findings show that teacher accessibility and course structure correlated positively with social presence and perceived learning and satisfaction. Overall, adult learners are satisfied with their distance teaching. A challenge facing adult distance education is to create a sense of social presence despite the high demand for flexibility. Thus, we explored learner perceptions of benefits and challenges in distance education and structured these into social, cognitive, spatio-temporal, emotional, and technical dimensions. Findings reveal that one challenge in the social dimension was a lack of connection with peers, and a benefit in the cognitive dimension referred to autonomy and self-regulation. These findings are important as educational institutions and policymakers may strive for high flexibility, which in turn may lead to lower group cohesion and a lack of social presence.

This multi-case study examines the educational change in municipal adult education (MAEd), during and directly after the Covid-19 pandemic. Applying Fullan’s educational change perspective, we analyze teachers’ professional development in terms of evolving materials, changing pedagogies, and altered beliefs about teaching and learning. Data were collected in 2020-2022 from questionnaires, interviews, and question-answer sessions with MAEd teachers (n=140) from the three largest cities in Sweden. The findings demonstrate a pronounced exploration of disparate learning theories, growing recognition of online and hybrid modes of education delivery, remediation of materials, and raised attention to teaching quality and design with clarity and structure. Besides signs of professional development, the study provides empirical evidence for institutional adaptation to respond to crisis, learn from experiences and emerge prepared for future challenges. Conclusively, the study findings indicate that sustainable reshaping of MAEd requires proactive and strategic leadership that aligns with policy and national directives and grassroots initiatives. . © 2024 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.

In Sweden, 95% of adult learners at the compulsory school level and 47% at the upper secondary level were foreign-born in 2022. This explains why language learning is in high demand among migrants and why the contribution of Municipal Adult Education in improving employability and fostering inclusivity is paramount. Teachers are expected to design learning activities across synchronous and asynchronous modes to ensure that learners engage. While there is a general call for more research on student engagement in various online learning contexts there are also specific and significant gaps in research in relation to the design, implementation, and evaluation of Learning Sequences and empirical studies of adult education, such as the didactic practices of adult education teachers. This study seeks to contribute by investigating how educational modes influence learner engagement and can inform future learning designs. Over a nine-month period, observations (n=34), were made in both asynchronous (n=25) and synchronous (n=9) modes of second language learning settings, examining teachers' instructional designs. Analysing how designs facilitate learner engagement across learning sequences through Sequential Pattern Mining and Social Network Analysis, the findings show that engagement is significantly influenced by both learning design and mode of delivery. The findings suggest that a combined approach, merging synchronous and asynchronous modes, could significantly enhance learning outcomes. Notably, cognitive engagement—traditionally associated with the self-directed and autonomous nature of asynchronous learning—emerges as a vital component with a broader function. Learning activities characterised by cognitive stimulation frequently precede those fostering other engagement types (behavioural, social, emotional), unveiling cognitive engagement's pivotal role not merely in individual learning but also as a bridging mechanism. This bridging capacity of cognitive engagement

It is an exciting time to take up the baton to lead one of the flagship journals of the British Educational Research Association (BERA). After a decade of publication, Review of Education (RoE) has received its inaugural Impact Factor of 2.4, published a growing num- ber of special issues that focus on a range of educational topics, and been led and supported by a team of experienced and dedicated editors, international editorial board members and peer reviewers. RoE publishes high-quality primary studies and reviews that have substantial national and international impact. Building on the wonderful work of the previous editorial team, we are dedicated to continuing to uphold this commitment of large-scale and impactful studies in educational research. In this editorial, we set out our three-fold vision and ambitions for the journal: (1) to solidify the journal's status as a premier platform for disseminating meth- odologically rigorous and innovative evidence syntheses in educational research in all fields of study; (2) to strengthen its position as a leading advocate for open science practices; and (3) to enhance support for the involvement and development of early career researchers (ECRs) from all parts of the world, including the provision of active mentoring opportunities. © 2024 British Educational Research Association.

Socio-technical imaginaries of preservice teachers are an important area of inquiry that warrants exploration, partly because teachers need to be prepared for teaching in a digital society and partly because they will enter schools and influence education in their own right. In this paper, we examine the socio-technical imaginations of pre-service teachers in relation to future assessments in education. Socio-technical imaginaries reflect values and priorities and play a significant role in fostering agency and ownership in meeting and managing the development of future practices, thus contributing to a higher quality of education and professional development. Pre-service teachers (n=21) were instructed to write journal reflections and narratives during a speculative future intervention as part of a teacher training programme. In this study, we sought to explore how pre-service teachers perceive the role of technology in shaping future educational assessment practices. The data was analysed using thematic analysis and discussed through the lens of Information Systems Artefact. The findings indicate both teacher scepticism and robust agency as digital innovations emerge in the learning landscape. This paper will be valuable for stakeholders aiming to promote responsible digitalisation, educators, and educational researchers interested in understanding and adapting to the evolving landscape of technology in education.

Adult education often offers both asynchronous and synchronous modes of online learning to provide flexibility for learners. However, there is a limited understanding of engagement in these modes within adult education. This study aims to explore how the behavioural, cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions of engagement are facilitated in asynchronous and synchronous modes. A mixed-methods approach was used, involving observations and interviews with a total of 33 participants, conducted between April and December 2021. The study examined both Asynchronous Distance Education (ADE) and Synchronous Distance Education (SDE) classes. The findings indicate a significant correlation between the mode of delivery and how engagement is facilitated. ADE designs exhibited a wider variety of engagement facilitation compared to SDE. Furthermore, specific engagement dimensions were found to be more prominently supported in either ADE or SDE classes. To address the one-sided focus on engagement in each mode, teachers should actively design learning activities that promote varied ways for learners to engage in the learning process. This development is crucial as one-sided engagement, particularly in assimilative learning, has been associated with lower academic performance.

Student engagement has been identified as a critical construct for understanding and predicting educational success. However, research has shown that it can be hard to align data-driven insights of engagement with observed and self-reported levels of engagement. Given the emergence and increasing application of learning analytics (LA) within K-12 education, further research is needed to understand how engagement is being conceptualized and measured within LA research. This scoping review identifies and synthesizes literature published between 2011-2022, focused on LA and student engagement in K-12 contexts, and indexed in five international databases. 27 articles and conference papers from 13 different countries were included for review. We found that most of the research was undertaken in middle school years within STEM subjects. The results show that there is a wide discrepancy in researchers' understanding and operationalization of engagement and little evidence to suggest that LA improves learning outcomes and support. However, the potential to do so remains strong. Guidance is provided for future LA engagement research to better align with these goals., Part of ISBN 9781450398657QC 20230801

Aktuell forskning från Norge, Danmark och Storbritannien visar att elever i dessa länder, som brottas med sjukdom, kan stödjas i att fortsätta delta i skolans sociala sammanhang och ta del av undervisningen med hjälp av så kallade telepresence-robotar. Studierna visar att robotarna kan hjälpa elever att ha kontakt med klasskamrater och delta i undervisningen, men att användning av dem inte sker helt utan utmaningar.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted the education of disadvantaged groups, relegating already marginalized people. It required their teachers to rapidly develop digital competencies to ensure that their students could overcome potential challenges and succeed in their education. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the pandemic on the development of professional digital competence of teachers working with adult migrant learners. By analyzing responses from questionnaires, a workshop and interviews with Swedish Municipal Adult Education (MAE) teachers working in migrant-dense areas in Sweden, we identify notions and perspectives of Teachers’ Professional Digital Competence (TPDC). We explore the challenges they encountered and the skills they deemed essential for managing them. The findings show the necessity of teachers considering learners’ study conditions, development of digital literacy skills, and cultural awareness to ensure inclusive online education for migrant learners.

The need for digital competence is reflected in national and international visions, goals, and strategies. Designing engaging learning activities is, for example, included as a standard for quality online learning. However, suppose measures are aimed at a larger group of professionals. In that case, these may be so general that they cannot inform ways forward concerning the digital skills needed for teachers to design engaging online learning activities. The rationale for this study is that municipal adult education, and particularly teaching practices, has not been well-explored. In addition, as that digital design practices may vary locally, and may have developed after the pandemic, this intervention approached digital competence as the ability to stimulate learner engagement through the design of online learning activities. Such an approach is critical, as supporting learners' engagement online differs from supporting engagement in co-located settings. However, capturing digital competence may be challenging. Research has shown that how teachers orchestrate digital technologies for learning influences how learners engage, where the social dimension of engagement (for example, collaboration and interaction) is directly affected by the teacher's ability to design. Thus, poor peer collaboration participation can be linked to poor Learning Designs (LD). Data were collected between April 2021 and January 2022. Observations (n= 33) were conducted with teachers (n=20). The data consists of observations and interviews when teacher demonstrate their LDs in asynchronous learning situations (n=24) and video recordings, observations and interviews of synchronous lessons (n=9). The data was analysed using pattern exploration and descriptive statistics. The analysis process revealed several challenges. For example, that too broad measures will not provide nuanced insights. Instead, how engagement was facilitated when exploring nuances of behavioural, cognitive, emotional and

Förord Att arbeta digitalt ar inte nytt, men färändringen kan väcka frågor som: "Hur får man till ett lärande och ett engagemang online?" eller "Hur designar man for ökat engagemang?". Det finns många böcker som tar upp undervisning, men vi har upplevt att konkreta exempel ofta är rudimentära, eller inte är kopplade till engagemangsteori och design. I Sverige saknas det i dag nationella riktlinjer for att säkra att undervisning online är kvali­tativ. I USA används sedan 2007 The National Standards for Qualitative Online Learning. Där pekas förmågan att kunna skapa engagerande lärandeaktiviteter ut som ett centralt kriterium for undervisningskvalitet. Det är mot den har bakgrunden som vi valt att skriva en bok som tar upp konkreta tips kring lektionsplanering och engagerande lektionsdesign för gymnasieskola och vuxenutbildning. Under tiden som vi skrev boken kom vi att inse att det finns ett stort behov av ett bredare samtal som reflekterar de undervisningspraktiker som växt fram under och efter pandemin. Den här boken kan därfor användas som kurs- eller fortbildningslitteratur, för lärarstuderande och yrkesverksamma inom utbildningssektorn. De inklu­derade teorierna och lärandeaktiviteterna kan inspirera fler lärarpraktiker än de inom gymnasieskola och vuxenutbildning (komvux). Boken kan även inspirera och nyansera förståelsen av undervisningspraktiker för politiska beslutsfattare, huvudmän, verksamma skolledare, utbildningsledare, skol­utvecklare, lärare, specialpedagoger, speciallärare och IT-pedagoger som söker en inblick i det digitala lärandelandskapet. Att skriva en bok görs inte i en handvändning, därför vill vi tacka alla de som bidragit till framtagandet av den har boken. Alla elever vi sjaäva haft. Alla kollegor och lärare som berättat om sin praktik, delat med sig av sina tankar, erfarenheter, utmaningar och lösningar. Alla lärare som under forskningsprojekt deltagit i intervjuer och bjudit in till observationer i sina klassrum, och alla lärare som varit

Engagemang och motivation är distinkta fenomen, men ändå ofta begrepp som används överlappande eller synonymt. Trots att lärares uppfattning av elevers engagemang influerar både hur lärare interagerar med eleverna och elevers betyg, har vi lite kunskap om hur lärare förstår och ser på elevers engagemang, i synnerhet när lärande sker online. Denna studie undersöker genom mixade metoder lärares initiala och fördjupade förståelse av elevers engagemang och disengagemang i digitala lärmiljöer. Tolv lärare, som regelbundet bedriver hybrid-, fjärr- eller distansundervisning i grund-, gymnasieskola eller vuxenutbildning, intervjuades två gånger och ombads att fylla i en dagbok kring elevers engagemang mellan intervjuerna. Resultaten visar att majoriteten av lärarna gradvis ökade sin användning av ordet engagemang medan användningen av ordet motivation minskade. Resultaten speglar en övergång från en vag och generell förståelse för engagemang till en mer specifikt och situationsbunden. Det visade sig att lärare ofta försöker påverka elevernas engagemang via motivation, men att insikter i motivation inte kan stödja hur lärare designar engagerande lärande aktiviteter. Sammanfattningsvis är ett professionellt språk en förutsättning för kollegial dialog, vilken behövs för att nå en ökad förståelse kring elevers faktiska engagemang i, eller disengagemang från, lärande, så att dessa insikter kan informera utvecklingen av lektionsdesign och den egna praktiken.

Under åren 2019–2022 har åtta skolhuvudmän tillsammans med Ifous och forskare från Åbo Akademi, Stockholms universitet och Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan arbetat med att utveckla fjärr- och distansundervisningen i sina respektive verksamheter. Syftet med FoU-programmet har varit att vidareutveckla fjärr- och distansundervisningens didaktik och utveckla lärarrollen för att stödja elevernas kunskapsutveckling. Utvecklingsarbetet har haft som syfte att stärka skolhuvudmännens förmåga att erbjuda fjärr- och distansundervisning av god kvalitet och i förlängningen bidra till en mer likvärdig utbildning. Vidare har programmet syftat till att genom samverkan mellan skolans professioner och forskare öka kunskapen kring undervisning i digitala miljöer.Totalt har cirka 65 lärare, rektorer, skolchefer, verksamhetsutvecklare, utvecklingsledare och samordnare i fyra olika skolformer i Linköpings kommun, Pajala kommun, Region Gotland, Region Östergötland, Storumans kommun, Torsås kommun, Värmdö kommun och Ålands landskapsregering under programmets tre år arbetat med tre teman: social kommunikation, lärmiljöer och bedömning., DigiLi

Engaging students in their learning, and within their learning community, is a key goal of educators. However, ongoing discussions about its nature, conceptualization, and measurement have led to a diffusion of the concept’s understanding, and ability to apply it within both research and practice. This chapter draws on theoretical and empirical primary and secondary ODDE research, and provides an overview of student engagement and disengagement, particularly as they relate to educational technology. The four dimensions of behavioral, affective/emotional, cognitive, and social (dis-)engagement are presented, alongside example indicators. In addition, a bioecological model of student engagement is explored with explicit links to digital learning. The chapter concludes by providing open questions and directions for future research, including further emphasis and exploration needed on the role of social engagement in ODDE contexts, as well as disengagement as a separate construct.

It can be challenging for teachers to engage students online; to know whether students are engaged or not. Online engagement can be perceived differently than in-class engagement. Research has shown that teacher perceptions of student engagement affect how they interact with students as well as students’ grades. It is critical to understand how teachers perceive engagement, not least in an online setting, to inform practices and research. This study explores Swedish teachers’ understanding of student online engagement and disengagement. A Mixed Method Grounded Theory study was designed as an intervention with an interview-diary-interview format. Twenty interviews with teachers (n = 10) who regularly teach hybrid, remote or distance classes in K-12 education were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The results show that teachers express understanding at the macro and micro level of engagement and would report different combinations of engagement and disengagement at different levels of engagement. The results informed an engagement model with a complex construct without inherent boundaries; teachers rated student engagement both below and above the suggested scale. The contribution to theory with included models is discussed. © 2022 The Author, Digital Learning Environments – Equality in remote and distance education

As many of our readers can no doubt attest, engaging young learners in online and blended learning can be challenging, and during the height of the pandemic when in lockdown, particularly so. The critical nature of student engagement in online and blended learning has been highlighted to teachers, school leaders and parents alike. Online, teachers cannot rely on enthusing or motivating students through their personality alone, trusting that their engaged and positive persona will somehow seep through the screen and lead to engagement. Instead, they must continue developing their skills in understanding online engagement and designing engaging learning activities beyond what was learnt during the pandemic, particularly given the move for many schools to continue implementing forms of hybrid, blended and online learning going forwards. The articles in this issue reflect the current position of engagement research as follows: the first and second papers both explore how engagement can vary in the different phases of learning. The third and fourth articles explore disengagement, while the fifth, along with the sixth and final article, focuses on supporting and informing teacher professional development.

Current approaches to assessing digital competence in education may be too broad to support teachers in developing their online learning designs in specific subjects. During the pandemic, studies have identified that the development of teaching practices (and subsequently their learning designs) has taken a leap. However, because digital cultures differ between schools, local approaches need to survey how their practices have developed and what emerging practices can become good examples for others. Using a descriptive multiple case (n = 20) study methodology with observations, interviews (n = 33), and a survey, 12 elements in second language online learning designs (LDs) that seemed to engage learners and support online learning were identified. Data were analysed using pattern matching and descriptive statistics. Post observation, teachers were asked to rate the importance of the ability to include the element and how difficult they perceived its implementation would be. A case overview was used to contrast the survey. Results reveal that the number of digital technologies has little to do with the complexity of designs, and teachers with relatively few digital resources can offer more complex LDs. While most teachers rated the elements suggested as easy, the observations did not support this. However, around 30% of the teachers rated at least seven important elements as difficult or very difficult and designing learning activities that stimulate engagement in nuanced ways was considered challenging. This paper proposes that, identifying local elements may be a suitable way forward to support professional development, as well as to reframe teachers’ digital practices post Covid-19.