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In response to disruption to education during the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile phone-based messaging has emerged in some instances as an accessible, low-connectivity way of promoting interactivity. However, no recent reviews have been undertaken in relation to how social media and messaging apps can be used to effectively support education in low- and middle-income countries. In this scoping review, 43 documents were identified for inclusion, and three main thematic areas emerged: supporting student learning (including interacting with peers and other students, peer tutoring and collaborative learning; and interacting with teachers, through content delivery, teaching and assessment); teacher professional development (including structured support and prompts, and informal communities of practice); and supporting refugee education. The discussion and findings are both of practical use, to inform responses to the current pandemic and designing initiatives in the future, and will also be useful for advancing research in this expanding field.

The pursuit of greater research 'impact' has become embedded within Higher Education, through links to perceived value for money, and reified through institutional auditing processes. Academics are frequently encouraged to use social media to facilitate public engagement and enhance research impact, as it offers the potential to connect with more diverse, non-academic audiences. However, little is known about the relationship between the use of social media and academics' own perceptions of research impact and public engagement in practice. In this paper, an analysis of text responses from a survey of academics (n = 107) is presented. This includes what academics perceive to be examples of high-impact interactions through social media, and how this is mediated by different platforms. The findings have practical implications for social media training for academics and also suggest that institutional definitions of research impact may not account for the range of scholarly engagement social media platforms can facilitate.

Jusoor's Refugee Education Program helps Syrian refugee children living in Lebanon integrate back into formal schooling. When schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the refugee program adapted to distance learning by developing Azima, a novel program that used WhatsApp to enable children to keep learning. Azima had to respond immediately to the emergency context while maintaining high education standards, and it also needed to find an effective way to test and refine its content quickly. To do this, the Azima program adopted an innovative experimental approach called a sandbox. A sandbox model operates in rapid iterative cycles and uses multiple methods to quickly test a program's assumptions about how it will meet its goals. In this field note, we use Azima as a case study to report on our experience of applying the sandbox model. We reflect on the benefits and limitations of this novel approach in supporting the use of education technology in a crisis situation.

The need to demonstrate the impact of research has become an important issue in the Higher Education sector in the UK. This has been taken care of through the introduction of 'impact case studies' as part of the research excellence framework (REF). The aim of the study presented in this paper was to understand the role that educational technology (and related terms) played in the 2014 REF impact case studies, using the public online database of case studies as a data source. Searches for 11 educational technology-related terms yielded a sample of 125 unique case studies. Although this represents only 1.9% of the total case studies, educational technology is clearly playing a role. The cases comprised two major subgroups: those where educational technology was the focus of the research (mainly associated with cases in education and computer science), and those where educational technology was used as a route to achieving impact (mainly in health-related subjects). The findings have implications for the contributions that educational technology and educational technologists can make in enhancing and supporting this important issue within their institutions.

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in school closures at an unprecedented scale and prompted educational systems to find alternative teaching models at short notice. The role for educational technology in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has recently become the focus of much discussion. While prompted by the pandemic, the discussions surface latent issues in educational systems, and the perspectives and ambitions of organisations in relation to educational technology and LMICs. The influence of the discussions during this period is likely to extend beyond the initial crisis, and warrants investigation. This paper presents a thematic analysis, using a grounded theory approach, of documents published online between February and April 2020. Five themes emerge, in relation to access, responses, support from carers, teachers and communities, educational quality and the future.

Academics are increasingly encouraged to use social media in their professional lives. Social networking sites are one type of tool within this; the ability to connect with others through this medium may offer benefits in terms of reaching novel audiences, enhancing research impact, discovering collaborators, and drawing on a wider network of expertise and knowledge. However, little research has focused on the role of these sites in practice, and their relationship to academics' formal roles and institutions. This paper presents an analysis of 18 interviews carried out with academics in order to discuss their online networks (at either Academia.edu or ResearchGate, and Twitter) and to understand the relationship between their online networks and formal academic identity. Several strategies underpinning academics' use of the sites were identified, including: circumventing institutional constraints, extending academic space, finding a niche, promotion and impact, and academic freedom. These themes also provide a bridge between academic identity development online and institutional roles, with different priorities for engaging with online networks being associated with different career stages.

Emergencies can cause disruption to education. This study is unique in providing the first empirical systematic review on teacher support for Emergency Remote Education (ERE) from 2010 to 2020. A total of 57 studies emerged from the PRISMA search. This mixed-method study used deductive and inductive iterative methods to examine the data. The data reveal teacher support strategies from across 50 different high and low-income countries. Few studies focused on a teacher's subject and the age range taught. In the examination of professional development provided to prepare K-12 teachers to conduct ERE, eight codes emerged from the grounded coding as: (1) prior preparation, (2) understanding ERE, (3) needs analysis, (4) digital pedagogical strategies, (5) technology tools, (6) frameworks, (7) digital equity, and (8) mental wellness.

The web has had a profound effect on the ways people interact, with online social networks arguably playing an important role in changing or augmenting how we connect with others. However, uptake of online social networking by the academic community varies, and needs to be understood. This paper presents an independent, novel analysis of a large-scale dataset published by Nature Publishing Group detailing the results of a survey about academics use of online social networking services. An open coding approach was used to analyse 480 previously unused text responses. The analysis revealed a wide range of benefits and also problems associated with engaging with online networking, and tensions within this. The analysis provides further insight into the nuances of uptake, by exploring clusters of co-reported benefits and problems within the qualitative analysis. The findings will help move forward current debates surrounding social media use by academics from being viewed in solely beneficial terms, towards an understanding of the problems and tensions that arise through academic work online.

The use of SMS messaging for education has grown in recent years, with particular attention recently during the Covid‐19 pandemic. Mobile phones often have high levels of ownership in low‐income contexts compared to computers, and lower connectivity requirements, which arguably make this a more equitable medium than data‐heavy online instruction, for example. However, given that gender can be a factor to influence mobile device access and use, it is also important to consider educational applications through a gender lens, to avoid further exacerbating digital divides. In this paper, we present an analysis of server log and evaluation data in relation to a literacy‐focused initiative for primary‐aged learners carried out in Kenya as part of the Tusome programme and through the SMS‐based M‐Shule education platform, which does not require an Internet connection or smartphone to run. The extent of engagement with the platform varies according to gender and location within the country. The data also demonstrate a positive impact on learning outcomes regardless of learners' gender and location. Furthermore, the learning gains are shown to be relatively cost‐effective in comparison with educational technology interventions in similar contexts. The findings show that this low‐connectivity adaptive model has a positive impact on learning outcomes. It is a scalable approach to support a range of learners in Kenya, providing more support to learners who need it, and leading to increased foundational learning outcomes overall. As such, the findings will also be of highly relevant to other low‐connectivity contexts. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Mobile phones can be used as a means to support learning, through mobile learning and SMS, particularly in low‐connectivity contexts, although there is a lack of rigorous evidence of impact upon learning outcomes. Mobile phone device ownership tends to be higher than computer or wired Internet connections in many low‐income contexts. Software applications which adapt to the learners' level have shown good potential for gender‐equitable learning outcomes in low‐income contexts; however, these often require an Internet connection in addition to computers or tablets to be run on. What this paper adds There is a lack of contextually relevant evidence of the impact of SMS‐based mobile learning applications in low‐resource and low‐connectivity contexts upon learning outcomes. Through analysis of data generated via an experimental design, this study provides evidence that literacy materials delivered through an SMS‐based educational platform—M‐Shule—can have a positive impact upon learning outcomes. Furthermore, gains are equitable in terms of learners' gender, and location, within Kenya. Implications for practice and/or policy Mobile phones can be an effective way of reaching learners to provide additional educational support as part of existing education programmes in low‐connectivity environments. Learning gains using M‐Shule are evidenced as significant and relatively cost‐effective. Existing high‐quality learning materials developed in other media can be effectively adapted to SMS to reach learners particularly who are out‐of‐school or during periods of educational disruption. What is already known about this topic Mobile phones can be used as a means to support learning, through mobile learning and SMS, particularly in low‐connectivity contexts, although there is a lack of rigorous evidence of impact upon learning outcomes. Mobile phone device ownership tends to be higher than computer or wired Internet connections in many low‐income contexts. Software applications which adapt to the learners' level have shown good potential for gender‐equitable learning outcomes in low‐income contexts; however, these often require an Internet connection in addition to computers or tablets to be run on. What this paper adds There is a lack of contextually relevant evidence of the impact of SMS‐based mobile learning applications in low‐resource and low‐connectivity contexts upon learning outcomes. Through analysis of data generated via an experimental design, this study provides evidence that literacy materials delivered through an SMS‐based educational platform—M‐Shule—can have a positive impact upon learning outcomes. Furthermore, gains are equitable in terms of learners' gender, and location, within Kenya. Implications for practice and/or policy Mobile phones can be an effective way of reaching learners to provide additional educational support as part of existing education programmes in low‐connectivity environments. Learning gains using M‐Shule are evidenced as significant and relatively cost‐effective. Existing high‐quality learning materials developed in other media can be effectively adapted to SMS to reach learners particularly who are out‐of‐school or during periods of educational disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This analysis is based upon enrolment and completion data collected for a total of 221 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It extends previously reported work (Jordan, 2014) with an expanded dataset; the original work is extended to include a multiple regression analysis of factors that affect completion rates and analysis of attrition rates during courses. Completion rates (defined as the percentage of enrolled students who completed the course) vary from 0.7% to 52.1%, with a median value of 12.6%. Since their inception, enrolments on MOOCs have fallen while completion rates have increased. Completion rates vary significantly according to course length (longer courses having lower completion rates), start date (more recent courses having higher percentage completion) and assessment type (courses using auto grading only having higher completion rates). For a sub-sample of courses where rates of active use and assessment submission across the course are available, the first and second weeks appear to be critical in achieving student engagement, after which the proportion of active students and those submitting assessments levels out, with less than 3% difference between them.

The past two years have seen rapid development of massive open online courses (MOOCs) with the rise of a number of MOOC platforms. The scale of enrolment and participation in the earliest mainstream MOOC courses has garnered a good deal of media attention. However, data about how the enrolment and completion figures have changed since the early courses is not consistently released. This paper seeks to draw together the data that has found its way into the public domain in order to explore factors affecting enrolment and completion. The average MOOC course is found to enroll around 43,000 students, 6.5% of whom complete the course. Enrolment numbers are decreasing over time and are positively correlated with course length. Completion rates are consistent across time, university rank, and total enrolment, but negatively correlated with course length. This study provides a more detailed view of trends in enrolment and completion than was available previously, and a more accurate view of how the MOOC field is developing.

The rise of social media and its permeation into all aspects of social life has in turn led to its adoption and use by academics in their professional lives. Social media, and social networking sites in particular, require profiles and cultivation of an online identity. An individual may use a range of online platforms, and existing models of online academic identity have only examined a limited number of platforms. This study draws upon previous literature to test a model of academic online identity, across a wider range of platforms and participants. This paper presents the results of a survey-based study, which asked academic about the information shared and perceived audiences at a range of platforms and was completed by 198 participants. The findings support the idea that online academic identity aligns with a continuum between personal and professional concepts of identity. In examining the information shared through different sites, three main identity fragments were identified, which enabled the way that academic identity is refracted through different platforms to be further characterised.

There has been little research into the impact of textbook costs on higher education in the United Kingdom. To better understand textbook use patterns and the issues faced by UK students and educators the UK Open Textbooks Project (2017-2018, http://ukopentextbooks.org/) conducted quantitative survey research with United Kingdom educators in September 2018. This article reports on the findings of this survey, which focussed on awareness of open educational resources; textbook use and rationale; awareness and use of open textbooks; and open licensing. Results reveal fertile ground for open textbook adoption with potential to support a wide range of open educational practices. The findings indicate strategies for supporting pedagogical innovation and student access through the mainstream adoption of open textbooks.

Postgraduate students involved in delivering undergraduate teaching while working toward a research degree are known as graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). This study focused upon the problems and benefits arising from this dual role as researchers and teachers, as perceived by GTAs at the University of Cambridge. To this end, GTAs at Cambridge were invited to participate in an online survey (n = 153). Teaching is seen to offer a wide range of benefits to GTAs, including benefits to the GTAs' own research, transferable skills development, career development and teaching skills. Time pressures emerged as the principal problem associated with the role. The data are consistent with findings from previous studies, while also providing further detail about the nature of the benefits and problems. In particular, additional insights are offered relating to benefits and problems associated with different teaching activities, and disciplinary differences.

This paper draws upon the experience of an interdisciplinary research group in engaging undergraduate university students in the design and development of semantic web technologies. A flexible approach to participatory design challenged conventional distinctions between "designer" and "user" and allowed students to play a role in developing technological and pedagogical insights as well as their own domain knowledge. The use of semantic web technologies in particular facilitated student engagement with issues around the classification, structuring and representation of knowledge, the relationships between data and concepts, and data quality and standardisation. Through the presentation of two case examples of the development of semantic web tools, it is argued that this is an effective means by which student learning can be aligned with research activity and with models of learning as knowledge construction: not only in the subject domains of their study, but in relation to learning and learning technologies as well. (Contains 6 notes and 2 figures.)

The Plant Sciences Pedagogy Project conducted research into undergraduate teaching and learning in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge and has translated the research findings into interventions to improve support for student learning. A key research objective for the project was to investigate how teachers within the Department support student learning in small group tutorials. This was undertaken using questionnaires, focus groups and interviews. During focus groups students reported that they valued tutors who were able to anticipate topics that they found difficult to master. The threshold concepts framework provided a medium for discussion about these troublesome areas in this discipline area and a number of threshold concepts were identified by interviewing teaching staff. The topics that emerged from this were used as focal points for development of new online resources for students. As threshold concepts are typically difficult to teach, they are challenging to one's own practice as a teacher. Threshold concepts may provide a good focus for continuing professional development of teaching staff. (Contains 2 figures.)

While much attention has been given to the changing spaces of education introduced by new technologies, the impact of spatial theory on the discussion of such education is less well developed. Drawing upon empirical evidence from the Ensemble research project, this article examines spatially some of the possibilities and constraints that arise in the introduction of semantic technologies into case-based learning in higher education. While the affordances of the semantic web provide a technological basis for the development of flexible tools and associated pedagogies in ways that could enhance case-based learning, there are many tensions in this process. In this article, we draw upon certain aspects of spatial theory to examine the ways in which the mobilities and openings made possible by the introduction of semantic technologies also entail mooring and boundary marking in order to give the technologies specifically educational purposes. We suggest how educational practices can be considered theoretically as spatial orderings and some of the implications.