Learning and Collaboration Technologies: New Challenges and Learning Experiences

Making use of existing resources to create teaching material can save effort and yield better quality. Although there are some resources that can be used freely for educational purposes, most come with significant IP protections. A technology is needed that can allow the usage of copyright restricted resources for collaboration in teaching material generation. We propose a system that provides a full record of multiple authorships and contribution shares when resources are used and such a record supports royalty sharing; its system framework is detailed in this paper. We also exploit the advantage of blockchain technology to bind participants when sharing resources and acknowledge other teachers when their teaching materials are used. In addition, the blockchain-based record can provide distributed management with security, transparency and immutability. Thus, teachers who create teaching materials have sufficient evidence to claim authorship. The smart contract on blockchain has two core functions: registering original material to allow sharing as well as recording multiple authorships of the materials used with contribution distribution. With blockchain as its core, it can be extended with addon functions, such as access management, external file storage and external version control system to support complicate editing activities. We use Remix-Ethereum IDE to implement a prototype. Our contributions are two-fold. First, we propose a blockchain-based framework to support the use of copyrighted resources when creating teaching materials. Second, we demonstrate its feasibility in a prototype implementation.

Learning and collaboration are of major importance for organizations to be able to change and improve continually. Interactive learning technologies offer new opportunities for organizations to facilitate sharing of experiences and organizational learning by engaging employees in collaborative and reflective processes. This paper was initiated through an ongoing research project—seeking models or frameworks that could be used to support and analyze these types of processes. We have reviewed the literature to explore how the use of interactive learning technologies can support learning in organizations to improve organizational culture by addressing dilemmas that employees might face in their work-life. Our work revealed that key concepts to achieve this are knowledge sharing, experiential learning, and learning at the individual, group, and organization levels. Furthermore, crowdsourcing is considered as a means of engaging and gathering the inputs and feedback from the employees using learning technologies. The main contribution of this paper is a conceptual framework that addresses a research gap in enhancing the support for reflection processes and organizational learning to improve organizational culture by applying the affordances of methods such as interactive learning technologies, planned group events, and crowdsourcing.

The creativity of individuals is manifested through the products they are able to create, so that the attributes of a product also characterize the individual who created it. Therefore, a way of measuring the creativity of an individual is evaluating and measuring the creative attributes of the products he or she created. This is the basis of the new model we propose to measure creativity. The main elements of the model are the product, its creator and the evaluators that assess it. The products and their creators are characterized by an open set of measurable attributes, identified from the literature. We have also introduced a social way of evaluation, so that large amounts of evaluators could participate in the process. The work of the evaluators is assessed by assigning them a level of confidence. This level of confidence is assigned and updated considering the expertise of the evaluator but also his or her behaviour during the evaluation process. The combination of a large set of evaluators, their anonymity, and their assessment, have led to a more objective and unbiased system of evaluation and measuring.

This paper focuses on orchestration in the digital, augmented classroom, and in particular the challenges involved with content individualization, and on individualized content delivery to a live classroom. The lack of widely adopted efficient digital tools in this area is established via a systematic e-learning literature review and a survey of existing software tools. Mixed methods are used to investigate current orchestration practices and tools adopted by teachers in secondary education institutions in Denmark and Norway. Based on these initial findings, a prototype for a distributed orchestration tool was designed, implemented, and tested using a variation of an A/B experiment, with a group of university students. Test data and post-test interviews showed that the tool was well received and usable even at this early development stage. An interesting discrepancy emerged in our triangulated data about the efficiency in the test tasks: the participants’ perceived, and self-reported, that performance efficiency was lower than what we measured, a phenomenon common when investigating tacit knowledge in practices. These results are discussed, as well as problems with the current prototype and future lines of research.

The Open Educational Resources (OER) movement is overgrowing over the last 15 years, as many institutions adopt the idea of openness and universal access to educational content. Thus, the research and educational material must be open to everyone interested, including students, adult learners, teachers, professionals, managers, and policymakers. With this in mind, the creation and use of OER is a current educational practice for educators around the world. This manuscript aims to provide an overview of all the core elements for creating, using, and sharing quality multilingual and interactive OERs for Language Education. Specifically, the paper provides an extensive summary of existing language OERs and Open Educational Practices (OEPs), including some important definitions, highlighting the most significant characteristics and challenges in adopting OERs for educational purposes. This review will help language teachers, students, and researchers to create, share, and use quality multilingual and interactive OERs for language learning in their teaching practices.

The Automated Phonetic Transcription Grading Tool (APTgt) is an online exam system developed by Auburn University HCI group. This application aims to support faculty in communications disorders to improve their pedagogy and timely feedback for students. This article discusses an attempt to improve teacher’s experience by providing an automated method for exam generation, which can significantly save time while creating exams. The exam entry is created with the AU IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) keyboard and system that grades the exams upon student completion of the exam. The exam is composed of several linguistics words with their pronunciation. Students need to answer the questions by inputting the correct phonetic spells during the exam. The core part in the auto-exam generator is the classification module, which can classify the input words into different difficulty levels. In this paper, we proposed two classification algorithms in the classification module: Rule-based algorithm and Classification and Regression Trees (CART).

A type of spelling test is a regular activity in children’s literacy classes. This traditional paper-based test has application details that need in-person administration. However, the pandemic period required several class adjustments to distance learning and did not exist a digital solution to aid professionals in this assessment. Therefore, our goal is to provide a method to perform spelling assessments for children, even remotely. Using the Design Science Research Methodology, we describe the design study to develop an artifact for children’s spelling tests in this work. We report as findings expectations of literacy professionals and parents for that, and a usability inspection by experts in the artifact developed. The prototype evaluation indicates approximately 73% adherence to specific children’s design recommendations guidelines, more outstanding adhesion than those previously evaluated by the literature using the same guideline. These results indicate our artifact is feasible and can aid children’s literacy in remote learning.

The issue of migrant integration in host communities is of major importance, because its effectiveness can influence employment opportunities, social cohesion, and economic welfare, creating equal opportunities among citizens. One of the greatest challenges towards this goal is the limited knowledge of the language of the host community, which can create miscommunication and additional difficulties to migrants. Basic language training is important, but it is of little help when migrants are confronted with the language used in complex procedures that are required for their inclusion in the new country of residence. This paper, which is descriptive and explorative in nature, focuses on the targeted digital solutions offered by the EU-funded easyRights research project that can help migrants effectively communicate and receive guidance, in order to handle the demands of various inclusion-related procedures that may differ from one country to the other. One of the digital tools presented in the paper aims at facilitating familiarization with the required domain-specific vocabulary, while the second one intends to offer pronunciation training, including training for the domain-specific words, in order to equip migrants with the knowledge and skills they need to communicate effectively. The two digital tools, which could act synergistically, employ advanced technology and are part of a technological pathway, whose aim is to assist migrants exercise their rights in the process of their integration in a new country. Implications are also discussed.

This paper provides a narrative review of learning theories and teaching methodologies that can be used to design training activities for an online or blended training workshop addressed to language teachers. The review was performed in a traditional, narrative manner and revolved around the exploration of recent, influential learning theories, such as Connectivism, Social Constructionism, and Ecological Theory. It also involved an exploration of contemporary teaching methodologies, such as game-based learning, problem-based learning, and virtual exchange, which were deemed important for language teachers in order to get an up-to-date overview of theoretical perspectives and improve their teaching. This review is part of the Digital Competence for Language Teachers (DC4LT) Erasmus+ KA2 project and its ultimate objective was to delineate an array of learning theories and teaching methodologies in order to enable trainers to select the ones that are most suitable for training workshops in digital competence for language teachers. The specific review concludes with implications for the design of a training workshop with replicability and transferability potential for future trainers.

The design of an online open and highly interactive language learning environment is quite challenging as it entails a variety of specific factors to be carefully considered. One of the main challenges of the OPENLang Network project is to create an open and collaborative language learning environment for networking between language learners and teachers across Europe. The OPENLang Network platform envisages to bring together Erasmus+ mobility participants that wish to improve their language skills and cultural knowledge as well as volunteer educators who would like to offer support to all learners and share open language learning resources. This initiative is funded by the Erasmus+ programme and aims at raising language awareness of mobility participants, as well as fostering the Open Education European multicultural and multilingual vision via Open Educational Resources (OERs) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The development of the OPENLang Network language learning environment is based on the design of the OPENLang Network’s Pedagogical Framework. This paper first analyses the pedagogical theories, frameworks, and models applied in the Online Language Learning and Teaching context. Then, it presents the major research findings of the initial OPENLangNetwork’s needs analysis survey which aimed to map and analyse the language needs of the participants involved in long-term mobility activities supported under Erasmus+  Key Action 1. Finally, it presents and analyses the OPENLang Network pedagogical framework which drives the design and development of the OPENLang Network language learning environment.

With the rapid development of the Internet and the improvement of people’s demand level in recent years, E-education has become an industry with great development potential, and E-education applications have become the first choice for young people to improve themselves. More and more Internet companies have been aiming at this potential market, developing various forms of E-education applications to seize the market. However, the fierce market competition leads to the appearance of homogeneous product design and the lack of user preference in interface design. For E-education applications, the design of interactive interface and user experience is a very important part, and a good user experience is the key to users’ continuous use of the application. This paper uses the research method of Kansei engineering to study the interface design of the existing E-education apps, finds out the demand preference of young people for the interface design of E-education applications, and puts forward the theoretical guidance and the design trend that can be used in the future electronic education products.

China is gradually deepening its education reform. Children’s programming education in STEAM education has caused widespread concern, however, there is no corresponding method for teaching aids design. In this paper, we conducted a comprehensive review of literatures on the development and application of STEAM education in China and globally. After analyzing current situation of children’s programming education in China, primary design principles of children’s programming teaching aids are summarized. Service design theory was utilized during the research. Five elements of the children’s programming curriculum system were summarized and design method of children’s programming teaching aids were proposed with analyzing the common points of service design and children’s programming courses. This research integrated service design concepts into children’s programming education, summarized design methods of Chinese children’s programming aids through the relationship of five elements including people, media, scenes, actions, and goals. In addition, this research proposed a new design framework named “Children – Technology – Traditional culture – Children”. The results have positive value for improving the current homogenization of the Chinese programming market, and can promote the emergence of more children’s programming teaching aids with Chinese characteristics.

In the first years of a university degree it is very important to maintain student motivation in order to avoid possible risks of early dropout. To this end, the design of practices focused on the improvement of transversal competences such as Teamwork and Oral Communication allows students to make more motivating progress in their specific knowledge. At the same time, students improve in skills that are highly recognized and required in the professional world. The practical awareness of the student’s level and the current context of hybrid teaching (face-to-face and virtual) derived from the pandemic increase student motivation to improve these competences. These skills are based on work in specific subjects and in a way that is independent of the type of degree/studies being studied, with a homogeneous profile at a national level.

The past 30 years have seen increased adoption of learning management systems (LMSs) in education. Several studies have investigated the usability of LMSs for students. However, very few studies have assessed the usability from the instructors’ perspective. Usability issues can pose challenges for instructors who use LMSs to create, manage and deliver courses. These challenges require instructors to spend extra time and energy on tackling the challenges rather on teaching-related tasks, which will have negative impacts on learners’ experiences and learning outcomes. This paper aims to identify usability challenges in LMSs for instructors. We used Canvas as an example and conducted user testing with 35 university instructors in computer science and engineering disciplines. Pre- and post-interviews were transcribed and analyzed together with the observation data during their use of Canvas to carry out tasks. The results show that, although Canvas has made continuous efforts to improve its usability, instructors still face some usability challenges. Instructors are a diverse user group for LMSs. Further research should consider recruiting participants from other disciplines and investigating other LMSs to identify possibilities for improving general usability of digital tools for instructors.

Research suggests metacognition enhances performance with emerging technologies (e.g., intelligent tutoring systems [ITSs]), where learning goals guide metacognitive processes (e.g., judgments of learning and feelings of knowing). A growing body of evidence has found significant relationships between motivation, metacognitive process use, and performance with ITSs. Yet, most studies do not define metacognition based on its relevance to achieving a learning goal (or multiple learning goals). In this study, we examined 186 undergraduates’ multimodal data captured during learning with an ITS called MetaTutor to analyze whether the stability of change in the proportion of metacognitive judgments initiated on pages containing information relevant to achieving either learning goals 1 or 2. Latent growth curves suggested that the stability of page-irrelevant metacognitive judgments from the first to second learning goal was positively related to performance, but there were no relations between achievement goal orientation. We describe implications for contextualizing metacognition to the model of metamemory and multiple learning goals with an ITSs. Future research utilizing this method could provide insight into designing effective interventions based on what personally motivates learners to engage in metacognition to augment their learning and performance with emerging technologies.

Instant Messaging tools are a part of our technified daily life. Tools such as WhatsApp or Telegram have millions of users that send continuously billion of messages. This can be used in different context and one of them is in Education. An important part of education is students’ interaction and specially how they interact when working together as a team. This paper deals with an analysis of which of this tool is better in this specific context, especially when students are developing teamwork competences. To facilitate the analysis of the messages two Learning Analytics tools were developed and applied in the context of a Computer Science degree subject, with an important increment in students’ number of messages regarding previous years but several issues to explore, such as: how to deal with the students that employs other tools different to this for interacting with peers, how to encourage students to employ instant messaging tools as real communication mechanisms, how to measure messages content and not only quantity or how to identify the acquisition of other competences analyzing the conversations.

To effectively process complex information within intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), learners are required to engage in metacognitive monitoring micro-processes (content evaluations [CEs], judgments of learning [JOLs], feelings of knowing [FOKs], and monitoring progress towards goals [MPTGs]). Learners’ average monitoring micro-process strategy frequencies were used to examine learning gains using a person-centered approach as they interacted with MetaTutor. Undergraduates (n = 94) engaged in self-initiated and system-facilitated self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies as they studied the human circulatory system with MetaTutor, a hypermedia-based ITS. Using hierarchical clustering, results showed a difference in learning between clusters differing in metacognitive monitoring process usage. Specifically, learners who used both CEs and FOKs for a greater proportion of monitoring strategy usage had significantly greater learning gains than learners who used MPTGs. Implications for monitoring strategy usage across different micro-processes and the development of ITSs to facilitate and scaffold learners’ interactions with these micro-processes via prompting are discussed.

In this paper, we present the results of the digital competence assessment survey for language teachers. The survey assessed how language teachers use digital technologies, their attitude towards these technologies, their related skills and competencies, their satisfaction and training needs, and the institutional support they receive. In total, 283 language teachers from 43 countries participated in the survey. The data were collected in 2019. The results indicate that language teachers use various computer-assisted language learning instructional methods. They generally consider that digital technologies are beneficial for the classroom. The lack of training prevents them from using specific technology-based methodologies, in contrast to the lack of technical infrastructure. The majority of the participants are not satisfied with their level of digital language teaching expertise. Two-thirds of those who receive digital competency training at their organizations, report that the training sessions happen irregularly or rarely. At the same time, the majority of the teachers confirm these training to be effective and the skills they received are applied in practice. We discuss the results of the survey in relation to the previous research, policies and practical challenges of the digitalization of language education. The major contribution of the paper is a representation of the teacher’s perspective on the role of digital technologies in their practice. We assume that the new realia of teaching in the context of COVID-19 have changed the overall need in digital language teaching skills among the teachers, as well as the share of the teaching staff who teach online on a regular basis. The future work includes a new survey in order to evaluate the scope of this change.

This study investigated the following hypothesis. Speaking practice using text-to-speech (TTS) technology decreases students’ anxiety and increases their self-efficacy toward making presentations in English in front of their classmates. It was conducted in a university EFL flipped learning course in which a team-based framework was implemented. First-year students who were enrolled in the EFL flipped learning courses at a university in Japan voluntarily participated in this study. A control group and an experimental group were created. Pre- and post-investigation questionnaires on students’ anxiety and self-efficacy about making class presentations in English were conducted. A two-factor analysis of variance (two-way ANOVA) with a mixed design of time period (pre and post) and group (experimental and control groups), and a correlation analysis between the number of times they practiced, and the length of each practice (in seconds) were conducted to validate the above hypothesis. As for presentation anxiety, the main effect of timing was significant (p < .05, partial η2 = .14). There was a decrease in the mean value from pre- to post-questionnaire. Second, as for the presentation self-efficacy, the interaction effect was significant (p < .01, partial η2 = .25). Based on the results of the analyses, it was revealed that that speaking practice using the TTS technology decreased the students’ anxiety and increased their self-efficacy toward making presentations in English. It is anticipated that speaking practice in this manner would lead to students’ increased confidence in the delivery of their presentations.

This research project ultimately aims to achieve high student engagement in learning by utilizing a rubric-based assessment system for students’ self- and peer assessments, as well as teacher assessments and feedback. This system was applied, at a university in Japan, to an English as a foreign language collaborative learning course to improve students’ presentations in English. Engagement in learning is defined in this paper as the communication in the learning process among the participants that can be measured quantitatively and evaluated qualitatively. To achieve engagement in the learning process by the participants, we created a rubric-based assessment system that enables both teachers and students to formatively assess personal performance toward the desired learning outcome by using a rubric, which, simultaneously, would visualize the assessments made by the teachers and the students on the screen of the students’ smartphones. Correlation analyses clarified the relationships among peer assessments, students’ motivations for continuous learning, and students’ course evaluations. There were positive correlations between trust in, and usefulness of, peer assessments; and among usefulness of peer assessments, motivations for continuous learning, and course evaluations. Semi-constructed interviews were also conducted and the results show that peer assessments would lead to improved performances in the students’ next presentations. These findings revealed that peer assessments and the visualization of the assessments by the participants through a rubric-based assessment system encourages the students to achieve mutual engagement in the learning process.

Even though research in the use of cloud technologies in the delivery of online courses is expanding, online language Teacher Education remains an unexplored area. This paper reports on the results of a study conducted during spring 2018 and 2019, in which the G Suite for Education was utilised for the delivery of an online Teacher Education course in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) based on social constructivism and connectivism. It specifically focuses on the benefits and the challenges encountered while using some of the core services of the suite. A total of 24 English language educators from different countries participated in the study. Data were collected through questionnaires administered to the participants before the course, the facilitator’s field notes, the participants’ reflective journals, comments on Google Classroom and Facebook Messenger during the course, and focus groups/interviews after the completion of the course. The results of the study revealed that the G Suite for Education may potentially create the appropriate environment and conditions for learning and professional development. The study also revealed many positive aspects of these technologies as well as challenges encountered. At a time when schools, universities and other educational institutions are moving all of their operations online, this paper can prove useful for all educators, especially language teacher educators, who wish to consider using the G Suite for Education in their practices.

In this paper, we propose a learning strategy feedback system, Nudge for Note Taking Assist System (NoTAS), developed for students to facilitate learning strategies among others in class using nudges. The system has three functions: note-taking function, learning log function, and learning visualization function. The purpose of this study is to develop software to apply nudge theory and to provide feedback on note-taking among students in class. We evaluated the effectiveness of NoTAS for high school students from two perspectives: whether the use of NoTAS interfered with the class and whether the nudges were encouraged in class. From the results of the questionnaires, we found that the students were able to concentrate on learning in the class using NoTAS, and the interface was well-received. Moreover, students can use the learning visualization function of NoTAS to see if other students are note-taking in class. This information promotes learning among students, indicating that the nudge makes achievements regarding learning awareness.

Design thinking is regarded as an effective way of innovation and has a very broad prospect in the educational environment. At present, there are few studies on the influence of design thinking. This study takes the students participating in the design thinking course offered by the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology as the research object, uses the method of a questionnaire survey to explore the influence of single-disciplinary team and cross-disciplinary team on students, and discusses the characteristics and problems of different teams in design thinking education in the environment of higher education. The results show that: 1) after designing the thinking course, the students who participate in the single-disciplinary team and the students in the cross-disciplinary team have similar positive comments on the curriculum plan and its impact, 2) In terms of teamwork, we find that the two types of teams have their own characteristics, and there are also some constraints. This study is expected to supplement the research on the influence of design thinking and provide a reference for the development of design thinking education in the future.

This paper proposes a system that presents outlines of discussions in other groups in the same classroom as co-occurrence networks that reflect the activeness of discussions. The proposed system focuses on discussions conducted by two people during a lecture. The activeness of the discussions is analyzed using nonlinguistic acoustic information, which is calculated based on participants utterances collected by wearable devices. The co-occurrence networks are drawn with emphasizing the active parts of discussions by each group. We conducted an experiment to verify the effect to the participants by applying the proposed system to a lecture, and the effect of presenting the co-occurrence networks was examined in a subjective evaluation. The participants conducted another discussion after observing the co-occurrence networks of the previous discussion, and the second discussion was scored by the lecturer. As a result, the co-occurrence networks reflecting discussion activeness were not evaluated higher than those that did not reflect discussion activeness. This suggests that the variety of topics in the co-occurrence networks may stimulate discussion participants more effectively.

Wearable devices are ubiquitous technology, which is attached to the user itself, allowing it to be available in various everyday life settings. With the growing popularity and increasing affordability of smart wearables devices, their uses are also growing. Traditionally wearables have been used for health and fitness tracking, but now wearable are used for various educational purposes as well. Wearable devices can take the form of daily use accessories like a watch, glasses, clip, necklace, etc. The abundance of form factors brings the question of what preferences people have for these form factors and how prior experience shapes these preferences. In this paper, we explore peoples’ attitudes towards different wearable form factors and their preferences of wearable form factors in an everyday learning context. We conducted a survey-based study to find differences between users with and without prior experience with wearable devices. This study will help designers understand why certain wearable devices are preferred and the role of prior experience. In the survey, nine different fictional scenarios of daily life were presented, and participants were asked to imagine themselves using a wearable for learning in those scenarios. Results show a significant relationship between users’ prior device experience and which form factor of wearable device they prefer to use for learning. Also, participants with prior experience with fitness trackers rated the social influence of wearable devices significantly lower compared to participants without wearable experience.

Artificial Intelligence algorithms’ application to medical data has gained relevance due to its powerful benefits among different research tasks. Nevertheless, medical data is heterogeneous and diverse, and these algorithms need technological support to tackle these data management challenges. The CARTIER-IA platform enables different roles (including principal researchers, IA developers and data collectors) to unify medical data, both structured data and DICOM images, and to apply Artificial Intelligence algorithms to them in a straightforward way through an online web application. However, given the diversity of roles involved in the platform, it is essential to account for its usability. It is necessary that users feel comfortable using the platform as relevant and complex tasks are carried out through its different services (such as the application of algorithms to the stored data, the manual edition of medical images or the visualization of structured data). This work presents a heuristic evaluation of the CARTIER-IA platform to improve its interaction mechanisms and get the most out of its functionalities.

Student response systems (SRS) are a popular and effective tool to promote active learning on site, improving student engagement and attention, motivation and learning performance. Traditionally, SRS are designed for on-site settings. However, the safety measures in relation to the recent COVID-19 pandemic result in remote teaching at an unprecedented scale, with online courses becoming the rule. In this paper, we discuss the utilization of interactive SRS in such remote settings for which they initially were not designed. Over the last term, we conducted several empirical surveys across different groups of Computer Science students on undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and covering a broad age spectrum. The results indicate that, while common interactive features of videoconferencing tools, such as chat or polls, are well appreciated, there is still a need for dedicated SRS with game-based elements and feature sets beyond standard multiple-choice questions.

This paper is based on pre-experimental research that assessed the impact of E-Learning and M-Learning technological intervention to promote mathematical skills learning. The sample consisted of 16 students between 11 and 12 years old (Mage = 11.94, SD = .25). They received an educational technology program for 6 sessions. Pre and posttest measurements were performed to assess direct proportionality knowledge and ability to solve problems with 2 artifacts respectively. The results showed statistically significant differences between the pre and posttest (knowledge t (15) = −7.20, p =  <. 001, d = .88 and ability to solve problems t (15) =  −6.75, p =  < .001, d = .87). Consequently, it is highlighted the improvement that the learning process based on E-learning and M-learning has in the learning process of mathematics, as evidenced after the intervention ended. The data is discussed around the need to incorporate this type of technological tools in the learning of calculation skills and previous research.

The current pandemic presents additional challenges for undergraduate teaching. This is especially true within the clinical years of a medical school where teaching delivery is provided by transient teaching staff with predominantly clinical commitments.Previous work considered the use of an on-line quiz primer to support a flipped classroom approach for encouraging active learning amongst third year undergraduate medical students in lung pathology sessions. Student engagement improved in the face-to-face sessions (more students asking questions and the quality of question improving). However, the final session was delivered online (due to the pandemic) and student engagement declined (no student spoke using a microphone, shared screen or used the chat).The present paper includes details of the final (online) session of 2019–2020 and describes and evaluates both the planned developments for 2020–2021 (additional questions, diagrams within questions and automatic descriptive feedback) and the changes made in response to the continuing pandemic. The aim was to ask: can further developments of the quiz primer improve the engagement of students in a completely on-line delivery?Data was collected via a student perception questionnaire and participant observation. There was a definite improvement in engagement for this year’s online sessions compared to last year’s online session, but this is still below that of last year’s face-to-face (pre-pandemic) sessions. The issue of a steep technological learning curve for teaching staff is particularly relevant to transient users. Therefore additional functionality and usability enhancements are required within videoconferencing systems to align with specific teaching needs.

During this work, we will focus on strategies for understanding learning paths in online courses. Indeed, more and more researchers are interested in the attitude of learners in the learning conditions of online courses. We note that the cameras are often turned off, and different reasons are mentioned, such as the fact of feeling obliged to stare at the camera, the question of the privacy of the home although interfaces allow to create a fictitious decor, and finally that it is not necessarily usual

Educational laboratories are flexible environments that allow learners to learn by practice, fostering their creativity, learning awareness, and collaboration with peers. Bringing these laboratory environments to an online setting is both challenging and necessary, particularly nowadays, when a significant part of learning takes place in online settings. Educational laboratories are well-suited places for learning to code, which is stated to require a great effort from learners, especially for non-STEM learners. This paper presents the design, development, and evaluation of CodeLab, a laboratory-based platform for learning to code through practice. A user-centered design approach was carried out, making learners active members of the design process through different design methods. As a result of two design iterations, CodeLab provides an integrated practice environment with a learning path based on a list of challenges and activities. Learners solve these activities and engage with their learning process by being aware of their own progress. The tool conveys a laboratory experience to non-STEM learners, fostering their practice skills, assessment, and autonomy.

Designing a well-rounded, interesting and effective English language curriculum is important in the context of EFL/ESL, but keeping students constantly motivated and engaged in learning during the process is of equally high significance in order for learning to take place. During the Spring 2020 academic semester, schools and universities around the world were forced to close and move to online teaching and learning as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In effect, instructors were faced with the newfound challenge of transforming their face-to-face lessons into virtual lessons almost overnight. This required the simultaneous utilization of multiple platforms in engaging students both in synchronous and asynchronous learning. This qualitative case study will present my reflections as an English language instructor, as well as my students’ reflections following their experience with online learning by discussing different uses of online tools for language tasks that were deemed interesting and motivating for them. A thematic analysis of the data revealed overall positive attitudes towards both the synchronous and asynchronous modes of learning used in their English language course, with particular preference towards collaborative online learning.

In this paper we investigate status and trends in the pedagogy of Computational Thinking (CT), in Scandinavia and Eastern Asian countries. A more detailed comparison is drawn between two specific countries: Denmark and Taiwan. Combining a literature review on official information about the implementation of this new subject in schools, interviews with experts and practitioners, we identify core aspects in the pedagogy of CT across sociocultural differences, such as: the role and relation between formal and non-formal learning, the relation between CT and other school subjects, coding as an unavoidable part of CT as a subject, the tendency to adopt and adapt globally shared materials originally imported from the North American educational discourse. We also noticed that in Danish primary and secondary schools, current orchestration strategies in CT-related learning activities tend to leverage hands-on tinkering, peer-learning, and collaborative/group-based problem-solving; similar strategies are adopted in Taiwanese clubs. In this respect, we identify a lack of support for group work in existing e-learning tools for coding. Our main contribution is the definition of a scenario and requirements for a new class of e-learning tools, capable of supporting group-based CT learning activities across different culture. We are currently organizing a series of observations of the teaching practices of coding within CT, in cooperation with our network of contacts in Taiwan and Japan. Future work involves the development of a prototype of the new e-learning tool, iteratively, involving experts from Scandinavia and East Asia.

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had wide-reaching effects on the education system. The general response of schools and universities was to shut down non-essential campus operations, as learning and instruction became remote. The switch to remote learning protected against the spread of Covid-19, but it also had secondary effects, like the closure of university labs and libraries. This study seeks to understand if students and faculty had the tools and workspace conditions to continue to teach and learn effectively. The sudden switch to remote learning had the most significant impact on participants whose home environment does not provide for a private workspace. There was a clear trend to engage less. Participants overall find video lectures less engaging. Some participants struggle learning materials. Others changed their approach to academic learning to rely more on self-learning.

This paper investigates the challenges faced by design educators with this new shift in education paradigm, from traditional studio-based learning to online modes of instruction and discussion. The paper reports findings of a study which includes a survey of 150 users of online education and in-depth interviews of ten design educators who are currently taking classes online in India. The findings suggest technical modifications that can be made to designs of online education portals as well as to online design pedagogy so that they can cater to design education in a more efficient manner.

Since cancellation of face-to-face education during the health emergency caused by COVID-19, higher education institutions, have had to guarantee the right to education through virtualization. Therefore, this work analyzes the teaching-learning process adapted to the virtual mode in the students of technical subjects of the professionalizing axis in the industrial engineering career a private university of Ecuador. Quantitative research is performed for this using surveys, performance index collection, and historical data. The method has a comparative scope between two academic periods, contrasting the data before and after the pandemic, the indicators are taken from students and teachers. The analysis of surveys is carried out in 3 components of teaching, in students are obtained: planning and methodology, with 81.1% considered as satisfied; teacher-assisted activities, with 79.1% content with the activities; and in practical activities, with 74.9% according to the tools used. Comparisons of indicators in different academic periods show minimal variations in performance, teachers improve the average performance score by 4.1%, and students drop academic performance by 2.6%. Finally, the correlation demonstrates a similar perception between students and teacher in the learning practice component.

This paper focuses on digital learning environments. More specifically, the paper studies two research questions, namely “comparing with in-class lectures; what are the difficulties with lecturing digitally, and how can these be best mended?” and “when designing digital lecture materials: how can lecturers facilitate so that students are able to achieve the subjects’ learning aims?”. To answer these questions, different approaches were tested in two different subjects, namely in physics and communication and language. Moreover, previous literature and especially Salmon’s e-tivities theory are relevant, and the results are obtained through a questionnaire as well as interviews with the student representatives. The results entail that students participate less from home than on campus, and that the students’ perceived learning outcome is higher when it comes to activities done on campus. Furthermore, although the learning designs were created for collaboration and social interaction, many students avoid engaging in groups. The authors suggest that lecturers need to be aware of students’ insecurities when designing digital learning environments as well as consider providing solution guides. Nevertheless, more research is needed to conclude.

The disruption caused by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic entailing a transfer to the fully online emergency remote teaching (ERT) put many teachers in Russia and across the globe in the role of facilitators, course designers, technical support specialists and psychologists. To address the new challenge, a group of instructors of St. Petersburg University of Information Technologies Mechanics and Optics (ITMO), Russia, attempted to adopt a blended ESL methodology piloted in 2017–2018 and calibrated in the intermittent period to build a Zoom- and LMS-based mostly synchronous upper-intermediate emergency remote General English course for 99 first and second year bachelor’s of science students (7 groups). To increase student satisfaction with the design and content of the course, learners’ needs were monitored during the fall 2020 semester through a series of surveys. To measure student satisfaction with the emergency ESL course, a summative cross-sectional survey, a series of semi-structured interviews and fall 2020 course completion rate were analyzed.