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This meta-analytic study compared the effect of peer-led learning versus non peer-led learning on students' cognitive achievement in post-secondary education. Twenty-eight studies published in English from six countries between 1993 and 2017 were identified and used in the analysis. Result of the analysis on the random-effect model showed a moderate but positive effect, meaning that peer-led learning was associated with higher cognitive achievement than non-peer-led learning. Three study characteristics were examined including duration, student leaders' training, and task type. Only the task type was found significant in moderating the effect of peer-led learning. Student leaders' facilitation of problem-based learning tasks outperformed other types of tasks. Results of this study not only provided suggestions for peer-led learning designers and coordinators but also called for future research of student leaders' readiness as well as online peer-led learning.

It is important to ensure educational equity for students with disabilities in online courses as more courses are taught online during the pandemic. This conceptual paper describes the key barriers for instructors to implement inclusive online classes, particularly technology courses, during the COVID-19 pandemic and suggests specific strategies to mitigate the negative impact on students with disabilities. We hope that this paper will motivate more Information Technology/Information Systems (IT/IS) instructors to implement more inclusive and accessible online courses to keep all students, including students with disabilities, motivated and engaged in online environments throughout the pandemic.

Computer science and computational thinking (CT) education in K-12 schools have been escalating in recent years. A couple of CT instructional models have been proposed to depict the roles of CT in K-16 education. Yet, neither of them discussed CT infusion into a subject course. In this article, we proposed a CT-integration model called TPC[superscript 2]T. In this model, we suggested considering CT as a second subject and using an appropriate technological pedagogical approach to make students' learning of two subjects meaningful and engaging. We implemented this model in a CT-integrated lesson in two sections of a high-school Spanish course. Students worked in small groups and coded three small and one comprehensive digital Spanish-culture stories in Scratch. Results showed that students taking the CT-integrated lesson had the same degree of improvement in their Spanish culture knowledge as their peers who did not take the CT-integrated lesson. Besides, students taking the CT-integrated lesson had a significant improvement in their CT knowledge. At the same time, their CT self-efficacy outperformed those who did not take the CT-integrated lesson. We discussed the results and offered suggestions for researchers and educators at the end of the article.

Team-based learning (TBL) is a type of small-group collaborative learning that promotes students' accountability and intellectual growth. The readiness assurance stage of TBL, though having a great potential of addressing the widespread course preparation problem, has not been given enough attention. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the readiness assurance stage in online and on-campus TBL and to enhance our understanding of how pre-service teachers' interpersonal dispositions affected their learning in both environments. Results of the mixed-method study showed that both online and on-campus modes were effective in improving pre-service teachers' understanding and applying pedagogies in teaching. Students' conceptual understanding of pedagogies was positively associated with their learning behavior and negatively affected by the conformity in online TBL. However, none of the interpersonal dispositions were found to significantly affect pre-service teachers' application of pedagogies in online TBL. Likewise, those interpersonal dispositions did not significantly affect pre-service teachers' understanding and applying pedagogies in on-campus TBL. Based on these results, we offer suggestions for educators and researchers who are interested in implementing or examining TBL.

Informed by the person-object theory of interest, this study deployed a mixed-method concurrent triangulation design and investigated the impact of major/specialization, gender, and module design on preservice teachers' interest in teaching computational thinking. The study was conducted in a flipped computational thinking module hosted in three sections of educational technology courses at two U.S. institutions. Results from the quantitative analysis showed that preservice teachers who did both Scratch coding and physical computing practices had a higher level of interest than their peers who only did the Scratch coding only. Our qualitative analysis found evidence that preservice teachers' interest differed by their gender and major/specialization statuses. At the end, we provided suggestions for future research and practice for teaching computational thinking in teacher education.

Researchers and educators have advocated computational thinking (CT) should be integrated into K-12 settings as early as elementary schools. However, there has been a lack of knowledge of how pre-service K-8 teachers would be engaged in the learning of CT and its integration in different subject areas. In this study, we taught a flipped learning module in an undergraduate Educational Technology course. Pre-service teachers learned and practiced CT knowledge and skills using a block programming app called Hopscotch. Results of this first iteration of design-based research showed that the orchestration of the technology and instructional methods, such as team-based learning, flipped classroom, and pair programming, supported students' transformative learning experience. It improved their understanding and application of CT concepts. Meanwhile, the mixed-method analysis found some instructional issues that needed to be addressed in future iterations. Suggestions were provided at the end of the paper.

As development and operation of the massive open online courses (MOOCs) involve multiple stakeholders to work in cooperation, this paper inquired two key stakeholders in the MOOC development, teaching, and operation: administrators and faculty in 50 higher education institutions in China. We sought the experiences and expectations from MOOC administrators and faculty. The result showed that the government and institutions held either sole or joint leadership in MOOC development and operation. Although colleges and universities in China have established certain mechanisms to develop and operate MOOCs, they faced challenges and issues such as insufficient technical support, inadequate curriculum/instructional design training, and a lack of national curriculum/instructional design and development standards as well as platform standards. In the end, the paper provided some suggestions for improving the development and operation of MOOCs in China.

This study focuses on the use of electronic discussion boards with elementary-aged English as a Second Language (ESL) students. The purpose of the study is to investigate students' communicative competence in a computer-mediated communication environment. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze 956 messages posted by 28 ESL students to the electronic discussion board during a six-week period of time. Changes were found in children's use of language for social purposes and appropriate use of language in different social and cultural settings. Recommendations for teachers include the design of online discussion activities and future considerations of peer assistance in language learning. (Contains 4 tables and 2 figures.)

Many college students are not progressing in the development of their critical thinking skills. Concept mapping is a technique for facilitating validation of one's critical thinking by graphically depicting the structure of complex concepts. Each of our three studies of concept mapping involved approximately 240 students enrolled in four sections of an introductory psychology course. In each study, students in two sections were required to use Cacoo, a free online resource, to construct concept maps of specified complex concepts. In the initial study of the efficacy of concept mapping, students who constructed concept maps scored significantly higher on unit tests, F (3, 240) = 4.17, p = 0.007, p < 0.01, 95% CI, 0.047 ES. In the second study, students, who constructed concept maps during preparation for unit tests, performed significantly higher, F (3, 240) = 8.89, p = 0.000, 95% CI, than students who constructed concept maps after lectures that included the specified complex concepts. The third study found no significant differences between hierarchical and systems types of concept maps for facilitating critical thinking, F (3, 192) = 0.975, p = 0.406, 95% CI, ES = 0.015. Consequently, we conclude that validating one's critical thinking by the construction of concept maps, regardless of type, will tend to facilitate successful performance. Additionally, we submit that graphic depiction, regardless of type, will facilitate comprehension of complex concepts within all disciplines.

This study explored factors that predicted learners' transformative learning in an online employee training program in a higher education institution in the U.S. A multivariate multiple regression analysis was conducted with a sample of 74 adult learners on their learning of a new learning management system. Four types of participants' behaviors were measured and aligned with 3 phases of transformative learning, namely, number of active visits in Phase 1, alignment of personal goals with actual actions in Phase 1, number of posted messages in Phase 4, and program completion in Phase 6. Results showed that prior knowledge was the strongest predictor of the early stages of transformative learning. Financial incentive had an effect on participants' Phase 1 of transformative learning. No significance was observed regarding the impact of personal goals. Implications and suggestions on providing and improving technology online training to employees were discussed in the end of this article for practitioners and researchers.

This study investigates the effectiveness of role assignment in team-based learning (TBL) modules to improve technical writing skills in an undergraduate civil engineering (CE) materials lab course. Four standalone technical writing modules were integrated into the existing lab sequence: (1) logic/technical expression; (2) data representation; (3) references and citations; and (4) ethics and literature reviews. Technical writing skills were assessed using a standard rubric to evaluate lab reports. Two lab sections participated in this study, with one section having peer leaders assigned in each team and the other not having peer leaders. Scores on lab reports were compared between sections. The overall results indicated that TBL modules can improve students' technical writing skills and their perceptions of their abilities over the course of a semester. The TBL team with an assigned team leader was observed to work differently than teams without an assigned team leader, with significant differences occurring with specific group reports. This case study applies a method aimed at improving students' technical writing skills that has potential in other engineering disciplines.

Higher education institutions are using virtual telepresence systems to engage in collaborative course redesign and research projects. These systems hold promise and challenge for inter-institutional work in STEM areas. This paper describes a case study involving two universities in the 4-VA consortium, and the redesign of a shared STEM lab. The purpose of this study was to investigate pedagogical needs across related content areas, and to use findings to make informed lab design recommendations that support beliefs and best practices involving knowledge acquisition. The researchers used several data collection points involving human subjects, site visits and technology testing and evaluation. Results emphasize the need for remote presence in the student-centered and distributed space. Design recommendations are organized into the following categories: general lab space, projection and display, storage, cable management and outlets, videoconferencing, use and management of the lab, computing and mobile devices, software, and training. Further research is proposed.

Abstract One favored approach to teaching computational thinking (CT) and coding skills in PK-12 computer science education is to use educational physical computing and robotics devices (ePCRs). Marrying the physical functionalities and computer coding possibilities, ePCRs show great promise in cultivating PK-12 students’ CT and 21-st century skills. However, in practice, there is a lack of experienced teachers and readily-available ePCR curricula, which poses challenges in classroom integration. Thus, the purpose of this article is to analyze publicly-available ePCR math lesson plans designed for middle school students, especially focusing on lesson characteristics, instructional strategies, assessment plans, and 21st-century skills cultivated. After analyzing 283 publicly-available ePCR math lesson plans, we found that they used a variety of educational technologies. In particular, the majority utilize physical coding and the tools’ functionalities to move, draw, show visuals, and play audio. However, most of the lesson plans are in critical need of research-based instructional strategies and assessment plans and instruments. Our empirical evidence warrants a great need for additional research, design, and professional development in the area of effectively integrating ePCRs into content areas, especially in the aspects of active learning strategies, student-centered assessment, and more profound pedagogies to cultivate students’ 21st-century skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many college students are not progressing in the development of their critical thinking skills. Concept mapping is a technique for facilitating validation of one's critical thinking by graphically depicting the structure of complex concepts. Each of our three studies of concept mapping involved approximately 240 students enrolled in four sections of an introductory psychology course. In each study, students in two sections were required to use Cacoo, a free online resource, to construct concept maps of specified complex concepts. In the initial study of the efficacy of concept mapping, students who constructed concept maps scored significantly higher on unit tests, F (3, 240) = 4.17, p = .007, p < .01, 95% CI, 0.047 ES. In the second study, students, who constructed concept maps during preparation for unit tests, performed significantly higher, F (3, 240) = 8.89, p = 0.000, 95% CI, than students who constructed concept maps after lectures that included the specified complex concepts. The third study found no significant differences between hierarchical and systems types of concept maps for facilitating critical thinking, F (3, 192) = 0.975, p = 0.406, 95% CI, ES = 0.015. Consequently, we conclude that validating one's critical thinking by the construction of concept maps, regardless of type, will tend to facilitate successful performance. Additionally, we submit that graphic depiction, regardless of type, will facilitate comprehension of complex concepts within all disciplines. Keywords: concept mapping, critical thinking, efficacy, timing, type, Introduction Significant percentages of college students successfully complete requirements for graduation without progressing in the development of their critical thinking skills (Arum & Roksa, 2011; Blaich, 2007). Concept mapping has [...]

Grounded as a self-study using arts-based inquiry to explore the experiences of six university faculty members participating in a cross-disciplinary faculty development program, the purpose of this paper is to (1) describe the Madison Research Fellows (MRF) program, and (2) explore the impact of the MRF program. Participating members included assistant professors and researchers in the disciplines of education, sociology, biology, psychology, business and information systems, and instructional technology for distance education. The MRF program described in this paper may provide a model for others who aim to create similar cross-disciplinary collaborations in institutes of higher education. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

Concept mapping, graphically depicting the structure of abstract concepts, is based on the observation that pictures and line drawings are often more easily comprehended than the words that represent an abstract concept. The efficacy of concept mapping for facilitating critical thinking was assessed in four sections of an introductory psychology course. A one-way analysis of variance demonstrated no significant differences among the four groups on the covariate, SAT Total scores. We hypothesized that constructing concept maps depicting the structure of specified complex concepts would facilitate accuracy in critical thinking during preparation for and performance on three unit tests. Subtest scores for students who constructed concept maps were significantly higher on the first two tests but not on the third. On the first two tests, the specified concepts were characterized by coherence and interaction among the subtopics. On the third test, the specified concept consists of two elaborate serials. We conclude that students possess adequate academic skills for learning content in a serial format but require additional skills when the complexity of a concept consists of coherence and interaction among its subtopics. In Summary, our findings support the construction of concepts maps as a strategy for facilitating critical thinking.

This study investigated the effect of peer leadership on students' cognitive achievement in online asynchronous discussions. Undergraduate students from a large online course were randomly assigned into groups for four asynchronous discussions, with each group having two to three peer leaders. Results of the mixed-method analysis revealed that the quality of student leaders' lower-order cognitive achievement in online discussion was significantly better than that of student responders. Student leaders' higher-order cognitive level achievement in online discussion had at least the same quality as that of student responders. Moreover, both students' higher-order and lower-order cognitive achievement in discussions had positive and moderate correlation with students' course achievement. Further study should focus on methods to maximize student responders' cognitive achievement in online peer-led discussions. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

Concept mapping, graphically depicting the structure of abstract concepts, is based the observation that pictures and line drawings are often more easily comprehended than the words that represent an abstract concept. The efficacy of concept mapping for facilitating critical thinking was assessed in four sections of an introductory psychology course. A one-way analysis of variance demonstrated no significant differences among the four groups on the covariate, SAT Total scores. We hypothesized that constructing concept maps depicting the structure of specified complex concepts would facilitate accuracy in critical thinking during preparation for and performance on three unit tests. Subtest scores for students who constructed concept maps were significantly higher on the first two tests but not on the third. On the first two tests, the specified concepts were characterized by coherence and interaction among the subtopics. On the third test, the specified concept consists of two elaborate serials. We conclude that students possess adequate academic skills for learning content in a serial format but require additional skills when the complexity of a concept consists of coherence and interaction among its subtopics. In Summary, our findings support the construction of concepts maps as a strategy for facilitating critical thinking. Keywords: concept mapping, critical thinking, Introduction Criticisms of the quality and outcomes of higher education in the United States continue to generate calls for increased rigor in instruction and in learning. During the early 1980s, [...]

Abstract This study focuses on the use of electronic discussion boards with elementary-aged English as a Second Language (ESL) students. The purpose of the study is to investigate students' communicative […]

Computer science and computational thinking (CT) education in K-12 schools have been escalating in recent years. A couple of CT instructional models have been proposed to depict the roles of CT in K-16 education. Yet, neither of them discussed CT infusion into a subject course. In this article, we proposed a CT-integration model called TPC2T. In this model, we suggested considering CT as a second subject and using an appropriate technological pedagogical approach to make students' learning of two subjects meaningful and engaging. We implemented this model in a CT-integrated lesson in two sections of a high-school Spanish course. Students worked in small groups and coded three small and one comprehensive digital Spanish-culture stories in Scratch. Results showed that students taking the CT-integrated lesson had the same degree of improvement in their Spanish culture knowledge as their peers who did not take the CT-integrated lesson. Besides, students taking the CT-integrated lesson had a significant improvement in their CT knowledge. At the same time, their CT self-efficacy outperformed those who did not take the CT-integrated lesson. We discussed the results and offered suggestions for researchers and educators at the end of the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increased popularity of mobile learning, there is a growing demand on the understanding of how the scalable technology, such as mobile devices, influences individual learning behaviours as well as their learning outcome. A theoretical model was built based on the adaptive structuration theory (AST) and the knowledge spiral theory. Using this model, we examined the relationship between structural sources, individuals' adaptive structural behaviours, and their perceived learning. A Structural Equation Modeling method was employed in our empirical study. Findings indicate that users' task adaptation had a positive influence on their perceived learning, In addition, their exploitive technology adaptation influenced the ultimate perceived learning, but the impact of users' exploratory technology adaptation on learning was mediated by their task adaptation. Contrary to expectations, the effect of computer self-efficacy on exploitive and exploratory technology adaptation was negative, and exploratory technology adaptation negatively affected exploitive task adaptation. A detailed discussion of the findings and implications are provided in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Team-based learning (TBL) is a type of small-group collaborative learning that promotes students' accountability and intellectual growth. The readiness assurance stage of TBL, though having a great potential of addressing the widespread course preparation problem, has not been given enough attention. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the readiness assurance stage in online and on-campus TBL and to enhance our understanding of how pre-service teachers' interpersonal dispositions affected their learning in both environments. Results of the mixed-method study showed that both online and on-campus modes were effective in improving pre-service teachers' understanding and applying pedagogies in teaching. Students' conceptual understanding of pedagogies was positively associated with their learning behavior and negatively affected by the conformity in online TBL. However, none of the interpersonal dispositions were found to significantly affect pre-service teachers' application of pedagogies in online TBL. Likewise, those interpersonal dispositions did not significantly affect pre-service teachers' understanding and applying pedagogies in on-campus TBL. Based on these results, we offer suggestions for educators and researchers who are interested in implementing or examining TBL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]