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Abstract This emerging technology report discusses Google Gemini as a multimodal generative AI tool and presents its revolutionary potential for future educational technology. It introduces Gemini and its features, including versatility in processing data from text, image, audio, and video inputs and generating diverse content types. This study discusses recent empirical studies, technology in practice, and the relationship between Gemini technology and the educational landscape. This report further explores Gemini’s relevance for future educational endeavors and practical applications in emerging technologies. Also, it discusses the significant challenges and ethical considerations that must be addressed to ensure its responsible and effective integration into the educational landscape.

This study, which investigates the pursuit of sustainable development through teachers’ perspectives on environmental education awareness, has a global impact. In formal education, teachers play a critical role in delivering sustainable development content and fostering necessary skills to achieve Sustainable development Agendas (SGDs). Consequently, to familiarize with teachers’ perspectives is necessary. A questionnaire was designed to collect data about the participants’ views, understanding, and perception of the role of education in a sustainable future. The Likert scale tool has been employed to analyze quantitative data from a randomly selected sample of eighty-seven teachers, aiming to derive insights for the analysis of environmental education from their perspectives. The results of the multiple regression analysis, chi-square test, T-test, and Cronbach’s alpha indicate that environmental education plays a significant role in preparing children for a safer future, both in Pakistan and globally. The findings show that the null hypothesis is rejected x2(10) = 43.5, p ≤ 0.05. Consequently, there is a significant relationship between educational institutes’ environmental education approach and teachers’ perspectives in promoting environmental sustainability. The devastating climate changes enhanced the importance of environmental education as a future of educational policies for children at an early education level, making this study a significant contribution to the global discourse on sustainable development.

This study examined instructional practices and challenges English language teachers face in elementary schools. This study used a phenomenological approach and a mixed-method design. The data were collected through four tools: questionnaires, case studies, interviews, and observations in eight elementary schools in which eight educators and two hundred students participated from schools of three districts in central Punjab, Pakistan. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of teachers and students regarding the current pedagogical and instructional practices employed in English language classes. This study identified issues related to the lack of professional training and qualifications, overcrowded classrooms, cultural and social barriers, limited availability of the latest resources and technology, and a lack of parental cooperation. The findings suggested revisiting teachers’ professional development programs, focusing on innovative teaching methods, incorporating technology into language teaching classes and classroom materials development, and adaptation preparation. It further suggested that teachers with low levels of professional qualifications and training should consider focusing on specific approaches to meet the challenges they face in language classes instead of general teaching approaches.

This study explores the emerging trends in e-learning from the perspective of university faculty, who play a crucial role in shaping the future of education. The rapid shift to digital education during and after COVID-19 has presented challenges for university faculty to grapple with new e-learning technologies. A qualitative research design was used to develop deep insights into upcoming e-learning trends. Data were collected from a sample of 70 teachers (35 males and 35 females) through a random sampling from the university faculty in the capital territory of Pakistan. The data collected through semi-structured interviews was analyzed qualitatively for thematic analysis using a fuzzy inference system on MATLAB, resulting in a system accuracy of 92% and a miss rate of 8%. The study identified important e-learning trends such as artificial intelligence, video-based learning, social collaboration, mobile learning, gamification, and micro-learning, emphasizing their potential for engagement and outcomes. The implementation of these strategies can significantly impact the education system, particularly on learning systems. The findings underscore the importance of universities focusing on strategic planning and faculty development. Moreover, institutes that adopt ethical policies can transform the academic environment and establish innovative structures that benefit both teachers' work and foster students' engagement, ultimately leading to improved efficiency and effectiveness. The study's findings are crucial for shaping the future of e-learning and its potential impact on the education system.

Understanding how second language proficiency and other key learner characteristics relate to language learning anxiety subcomponents can help inform the type and quantity of content instructors approach foreign language (FL) students with when teaching English. This study seeks to understand how FL proficiency (i.e., TOEIC reading, TOEIC listening, and self-reported), FL study experience, and gender influence levels of foreign language classroom anxiety and second language writing anxiety. To accomplish the research goals, 245 students completed a questionnaire measuring foreign language classroom anxiety and second language writing anxiety. Three hierarchical linear regressions were used to test the study’s models, and structural equation modeling was used to confirm and illustrate the observed relationships. Overall, self-reported FL proficiency was a stronger predictor of anxiety than actual FL proficiency. Findings further indicate that FL listening and self-reported proficiency significantly negatively correlate with FL speaking anxiety but not writing anxiety. Only FL reading proficiency significantly influenced FL writing anxiety; however, this relationship disappeared when self-reported FL proficiency was added to the model. Further, differences in how FL proficiency influences FL anxiety when controlling for years of experience studying EFL and gender are discussed. Recommendations on how instructors can approach language instruction to assist highly anxious students in the EFL context are also discussed.

Implementation of digital tools has become a popular practice by teachers to increase student involvement within the classroom. Various technologies are being utilized by educators to help students engage with lessons and enjoy the overall learning experience. Additionally, findings from recent research have indicated that the adoption of digital tools has influenced the learning gaps between genders, specifically in relation to student preferences and gender differences. Despite significant educational development toward gender equality, there is still ambiguity regarding the learning needs and preferences of male and female students within the EFL classroom. The current study examined gender differences in engagement and motivation while using Kahoot! in EFL English literature courses. The study recruited 276 undergraduate female and male students from two English language classes (i.e., both classes were taught by the same male instructor) and surveyed 154 female and 79 male students from those classrooms. The significance of the study lies in determining whether gender impacts the way learners perceive and experience game-based curricula. In this sense, the research found that gender does not, in fact, impact the learner’s level of motivation and engagement within game-based classrooms. A t-test revealed that no significant difference between male and female participants had been observed by the instructor. Future studies could fruitfully examine gender differences and preferences in digitized educational settings. Further work is certainly required for policymakers, institutions, and practitioners to disentangle the complexities regarding the role of gender in shaping the experiences of learners in the digital era. In future research, more research is needed to apply and test external factors like age that might impact learners' perception and performance in a game-based curriculum.

The rise of the internet has generated a need for fast online translations, which human translators cannot meet. Statistical tools such as Google and Baidu Translate provide automatic translation from one written language to another. This study reports the descriptive comparison of the machine-translation (MT) with human translation (HT), considering the metadiscoursal interactional features. The study uses a parallel corpus consisting of 79 texts translated from Chinese to English by professional human translators and machine translations (Baidu translate & Google translate) and a comparable reference corpus of non-translated English text. The statistical analysis revealed no statistically significant difference between Baidu and Google translate regarding all types of metadiscoursal indicators. However, the findings of this study demonstrate significant disparities in the interactional characteristics of various HT and MT groups. Compared to the metadiscourse features in non-translated English political texts, human translators were found to outperform machine translations in the use of attitude markers. In contrast, the distribution of directives in machine-translated texts is more native-like. In addition, MT and HT have utilized a significantly smaller number of hedges, self-mention, and readers than non-translated texts. Our results indicate that the MT systems, though still calling for further improvement, have shown tremendous growth potential and may complement human translators.

Pakistan being a young country is struggling to provide employment opportunities. However, entrepreneurship is a perceived strategy for reducing unemployment. The trend of entrepreneurship is also emerging among university students. Thus, the ratio of entrepreneurial intention and start-ups is also increasing among university students and graduates. Therefore, this study aims to examine the role of personality traits in the entrepreneurial intentions of young entrepreneurs. Considering this, qualitative methodology was employed with the case study as the research design. A single case of a university with three different departments was taken. In total, n = 9 entrepreneurs were purposely selected from business (n = 3), computer science (n = 3), and education (n = 3) departments. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis of their ventures and success stories. This study followed research ethics, including volunteer participation, confidentiality, and reciprocity. The collected data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The findings reveal three main themes: the desire to be an entrepreneur, learning attitude, and personality traits are the leading factors in the entrepreneurial intentions of students and graduates. However, within these themes, the effect of personality traits (consistency and determination, discipline and locus of control, and risk-taking and tolerance) is found to lead to entrepreneurial intentions among young entrepreneurs. This study concludes that most entrepreneurs believe that the role of personality traits is evident in entrepreneurial intentions. Moreover, the personality traits are further strengthened with entrepreneurial experience and help continue entrepreneurship.

The issue addressed here concerns how second language (L2) speaking strategies mediate the relationship between L2 writing strategies and the social presence component of the community of inquiry (CoI) framework within the context of fully online courses that combined learning management system (LMS) for writing tasks and videoconferencing for live classroom discussion. L2 writing strategies related to planning and reviewing contribute to composing tests that students want to upload, present, and discuss, and this sharing is expected to foster classroom social behaviors and consequent language gains. For the current study, a cross-sectional survey of 256 university students was initiated to investigate the mediating effect L2 speaking strategies have on the relationship between L2 writing strategies and social presence. The results indicated positive path coefficients between review strategies and speaking strategies, review strategies and social presence, planning strategies and speaking strategies, and speaking strategies and social presence. Further, speaking strategies explain the relationship between planning strategies and social presence, indicating full mediation. Partial mediation was found for the path between review strategies and social presence. Recognizing how L2 writing and speaking strategies relate to one another and how that relationship influences a CoI illustrates the interconnectivity between language skills. Evidently, increased attention to planning and reviewing strategies results in a final composition worth sharing and discussing, and such sharing and discussion are building blocks to a vibrant social presence.

The use of worked examples has been shown to be an effective instructional method for reducing cognitive load and successfully engaging in problem-solving. Extant research often views worked examples as an integrated part of direct instruction. Studies have examined the problem-solving effects of worked examples used in tandem with instructional explanations. However, a gap exists in research focusing on the individual problem-solving effects of example-free instructional explanations and worked examples containing no instructional explanation. This study uses a method in which worked examples are separated from direct instruction to examine the problem-solving effects of individual parts of such instruction, namely example-free instruction and worked examples containing no instructional explanation. Considering the importance of critical thinking skills in the current educational environment, the current study was conducted on a group of university students (n = 32) studying critical thinking in South Korea. Results showed that example-free instruction was more effective for problem-solving than worked examples containing no instructional explanation. Additionally, participants reported more efficient cognitive processing ability when critical thinking problems were presented through instructional explanation rather than worked examples. These results allow for a granular look at the different aspects of direct instruction and their effects on cognitive load and problem-solving.

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected the entire globe, and various mythologies argue about its diagnosis, cure, and prevention. Globally, as of September 18th, 2020, there have been 30.055 million confirmed cases, including 0.943 million deaths. The nationwide closures are impacting over 60% of the world’s student population. This study aimed to explore the social distancing policies and universities' reopening after COVID-19 in G20 countries (19 member countries and the European Union). Design and Methods: The study is based on documentary analysis. G20 members represent around 80% of the world’s economic output, two-thirds of the global population (including more than half of the world's poor), and 75% of international trade. Based on documentary analysis, the study revealed that there is a policy dilemma among G20 countries regarding school reopening and a variety of conflicting policies within each country. Results: Based on a sample of 838 universities in the USA, 66% of universities (552 of 838) plan for in-person instruction, while only 7% are planning for a completely online teaching mode in the fall 2020 semester. Conclusions: Interestingly, none of the private universities in this study are planning to implement an online teaching mode. Policymakers need an integrated set of policy guidelines for school reopening, considering the evaluation of current COVID-19 pandemic circumstances and social distancing capacity.

Background: The spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has resulted in a drastic alteration to billions of individuals’ emotional, physical, mental, social, and financial status. As of July 21st, 2020, there had been 14.35 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 0.60 million deaths in 216 countries. Design and Methods: The study explores health and well-being in universities within the G20 countries (19 member countries and the European Union) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample selection of these countries was considered since it serves around 80% of the world’s economic output, two-thirds of the global population (including more than half of the world's poor), and 75% of international trade. Specifically, due to this public health concern, schools' nationwide closures are impacting over 60% of the world’s student population to promote their quality of life and well-being. Results: This study investigates the G20 policies and procedures within higher education regarding health and well-being measures during the COVID-19 epidemic. The findings reveal that the lockdown, social distancing, and self-isolation requirements are stressful and detrimental for many individuals and have caused students' health and well-being concerns. Conclusions: Several countries within the G20 have taken significant steps to support health and well-being issues for university students; however, numerous countries are far behind in addressing this issue. Hence, government leaders of G20 countries, policymakers, and health providers should promptly take the necessary measures to regulate the outbreak, improve safety measures to decrease disease transmission, and administer those who demand medical attention.

The research reported here represents a qualitative case study that engaged teachers as participants over a prolonged period, examining their teaching practices and agentive roles in the language development of their students. This study draws on a social constructivist framework and transformative learning theory, both of which approach the learner as an agentive self and in the socio-cultural context of language learning. Data collection took place at an all-female university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It includes face-to-face semi-structured interviews of six teachers from two different classrooms, classroom observations (of two of the six teachers), and audio recordings of instructional practices. The findings reveal that the implementation of autonomous learning is a significant factor in students’ intrinsic engagement and motivation to develop vocabulary knowledge. This study aims to offer guidance to language teachers and researchers who advocate for learner autonomy and innovative classroom practices. It recommends new strategies for cultivating learner autonomy in English education, both in the KSA classroom and elsewhere.

Purpose - An examination of the research literature suggests that no attempt has been made to examine learner autonomy development within female university-level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Given that English has become the world’s predominant lingua franca for academia, business, and politics, the purpose of this paper, therefore, is to fill this gap in the literature. Design/methodology/approach - This is a qualitative case study that aims to explore learner autonomy in vocabulary development. Findings - The results showed that teachers are cognizant of the concept of learner autonomy. However, they are not all certain of the benefits of autonomous vocabulary learning. This study reveals how six adult learners’ levels of autonomy are highly influenced by their teachers’ practices. This study draws out suggestions for English language teachers who promote learner autonomy theory and practice. It also offers specific guidance, models, and adapted learning approaches of how to promote autonomy inside the classroom. Research limitations/implications - This study encountered several limitations. The first is time: the study took place over the course of two months in the Summer of 2016, when students were fully encumbered with schoolwork and social duties. The recruitment of participants during that time was a challenge. Some of the students who agreed to participate in the study were not fully engaged in the research. Additionally, the study faced difficulties with faculty commitment – one of the professors delayed the interview session multiple times and perceived some of the interview questions negatively. In addition, Dickinson’s (1993) characteristics of learner autonomy are largely related to the opportunities that are presented to the students by the teacher. It appears that Dickinson’s scale was meant to be used to identify students’ level of autonomy, particularly inside the classroom. However, because of some of the examples of activities pertaining to how they learned vocabulary outside the classroom, they were not related to classroom teaching. Also, the number of the participants is limited in this study. Practical implications - A future study could be undertaken to measure and quantitatively analyze learners’ vocabulary development on a larger scale. Research could also be conducted using a pretest, an intervention, and a posttest to measure the effectiveness of learning vocabulary autonomously. In addition, other pedagogical approaches could be utilized to measure EFL students’ intrinsic motivation and autonomy, which play critical roles in learning. Allowing learners to self-select their preferred method of learning can help them to develop their vocabulary knowledge. The findings from this study reveal that learner autonomy plays a significant role in enhancing EFL students’ vocabulary development. Originality/value - When students learn vocabulary autonomously, they are better able to source the lingua franca’s core pronunciation of a word and its spelling without the influence of the teacher’s cultural background. Given the magnitude of teachers’ workloads, they may lack the time for designing lessons that adequately meet the needs of diverse learners. Therefore, the practical way to ameliorate the problem of inadequate time is to provide them with methods (e.g. using strategies such as inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, and project-based learning) that they can use to more readily foster learner autonomy.

This study examines the role of ChatGPT as a writing assistant in academia through a systematic literature review of the 30 most relevant articles. Since its release in November 2022, ChatGPT has become the most debated topic among scholars and is also being used by many users from different fields. Many articles, reviews, blogs, and opinion essays have been published in which the potential role of ChatGPT as a writing assistant is discussed. For this systematic review, 550 articles published six months after ChatGPT's release (December 2022 to May 2023) were collected based on specific keywords, and the final 30 most relevant articles were finalized through PRISMA flowchart. The analyzed literature identifies different opinions and scenarios associated with using ChatGPT as a writing assistant and how to interact with it. Findings show that artificial intelligence (AI) in education is a part of the ongoing development process, and its latest chatbot, ChatGPT is a part of it. Therefore, the education process, particularly academic writing, has both opportunities and challenges in adopting ChatGPT as a writing assistant. The need is to understand its role as an aid and facilitator for both the learners and instructors, as chatbots are relatively beneficial devices to facilitate, create ease and support the academic process. However, academia should revisit and update students' and teachers' training, policies, and assessment ways in writing courses for academic integrity and originality, like plagiarism issues, AI-generated assignments, online/home-based exams, and auto-correction challenges.

Normative grading compounded with socio-educational conditions in East Asian countries amplifies the effect competition beliefs have on learning outcomes. Competition beliefs may be especially influential in videoconference courses since some students feel reluctant to interrupt the instructor, avoid talking over others, or dominate the class conversation. This study investigates how instrumental motivation relates to competitiveness and how that relationship influences foreign language (FL) anxiety and learning outcome beliefs among students attending video conference EFL courses. To this end, structural equation modeling was used to model the relationships between instrumental motivation, academic competitiveness, FL performance anxiety, and learning outcome beliefs. Further, the indirect effect of academic competitiveness and FL anxiety was identified. A cross-sectional survey design for a mediation analysis was implemented among 318 South Korean EFL students attending classes taught remotely that combine videoconference and learning management system (LMS) features. Results indicate that South Korean university students have high levels of instrumental motivation to learn English. Further, instrumental motivation had a positive relationship with FL performance anxiety, indicating feelings of anxiousness among motivated students in South Korea's competitive learning environment. This positive relationship vanished when academic competitiveness was added to the model, indicating full mediation when accounting for confidence in outcompeting classmates. Lastly, negative mediation on learning outcome beliefs was observed with increasing levels of FL performance anxiety. Highly competitive students are prone to the negative consequences of FL performance anxiety, which negatively influences perceived learning outcomes. These findings along with pedagogical implications are discussed.