Future research directions and the limitations of this investigation are described.
While Augmented Reality (AR) in education holds potential, its practical applications, when compared with other educational technologies, are not fully appreciated. Furthermore, a substantial number of existing investigations have neglected a study of the effects of pedagogical strategies and corresponding instructional designs while implementing augmented reality within the context of learning. Employing the potential of augmented reality, this study developed an inquiry-driven learning structure, labeled QIMS. A primary 5 learning package (students aged 11-12) on plant reproduction was developed, utilizing the QIMS framework. Primary school science lessons were subjected to a quasi-experimental evaluation of three instructional conditions: AR and QIMS, QIMS alone, and Non-AR and Non-QIMS. The study's participant group consisted of 117 students. The quantitative analysis revealed no statistically significant impact of augmented reality (AR) on student academic performance, yet substantial gains were observed in self-directed learning and creative thinking skills after participating in the QIMS inquiry-based learning modules. AR and QIMS usage positively impacted students' critical thinking and the creation of new knowledge, demonstrating notable improvement in efficacy. Furthermore, student academic performance benefited more from integrating QIMS and AR, especially for those lagging behind. Teacher and student interview data, analyzed qualitatively, provides crucial context for understanding quantitative results and points towards effective implementation strategies. Future augmented reality interventions will leverage the insights gained from this study, providing a roadmap for researchers and practitioners to seamlessly integrate AR into pedagogical practices.
Theories surrounding online learning communities in higher education are explored in this paper, alongside their connection to online degree program design. Despite the widespread application of these theories in promoting and maintaining community within online courses, considerations of wider factors impacting perceptions of online community are limited. Our investigation, supported by a thorough examination of the relevant literature, exposes the shortcomings of existing research and presents a framework for analyzing institutional, program-specific, and professional perspectives. At several points in a learner's program, the framework also evaluates the community's prominence as determined from these layers. The presented layers support the framework's assertion that genuine communities are established through a multitude of partnerships, thereby necessitating their inclusion in community research and understanding. Beyond that, it impresses upon educators the significance of guiding students on the intentions behind community development, both during and after the program concludes. The paper, in its concluding remarks, points to the need for further research as online degree programs address community development and maintenance using a more thorough and holistic approach.
Higher education aims to cultivate critical thinking skills in students; however, effectively fostering this multifaceted ability presents a considerable pedagogical hurdle. This investigation examined a brief online learning program that honed the skill of recognizing informal fallacies, a cornerstone of critical thinking. To enhance student engagement, the intervention utilized a bite-sized video learning approach, a methodology that has yielded positive results in previous studies. Precision teaching (PT) principles guided the video-based learning, customizing exposure to enhance fluency in target skills for each learner. Domain-general problem-based training was used in conjunction with PT in one learning setting to encourage generalization abilities. The intervention, structured as two distinct learning episodes, was applied to three groups, each containing 19 participants, differentiated by learning conditions. These groups included a physical therapy fluency-based training group, a combined physical therapy and problem-based learning group, and a self-directed learning control group. A comparable advancement in identifying fallacies was observed in all three groups, using both taught material (post-episode tests) and fresh material (post-intervention assessments). Interestingly, participants who began with lower scores demonstrated more substantial growth than those with higher initial scores. A week later, the knowledge retention tests yielded comparable results across both groups. Within the post-intervention domain-general fallacy-identification assessment, the two physical therapy groups exhibited greater improvement compared to the control group. According to these results, the use of bite-sized video learning technologies, combined with physical therapy (PT) instruction, might lead to a noticeable improvement in students' critical thinking capabilities. Moreover, problem-based training, when used alone or in conjunction with PT, can enhance practitioners' ability to apply learned knowledge to new situations. In this discussion, we scrutinize the pedagogical impact of our research.
Students enrolled in a four-year, public, open-access university were granted the option to attend classes face-to-face, remotely, or through a live stream (a synchronous session on Microsoft Teams). drugs and medicines Despite the face-to-face course sections, the 876 students enrolled in this study were granted pandemic-related attendance flexibility. Exploring the effects of self-regulatory, motivational, and contextual elements on student attendance, academic performance (pass/withdrawal), and satisfaction levels was facilitated by the unique characteristics of this situation. The outcomes of the study demonstrated that a considerable 70% of students engaged with the flexible option, prioritizing the aspects of practicality, selection, and time savings. They found the connections to their instructors agreeable. The participants expressed less satisfaction with the connections to their peers, the capability of smoothly transitioning between different attendance modes, and the effectiveness of the learning technology. Students generally achieved high success rates in the HyFlex courses during the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters, displaying a pass rate of 88% and a withdrawal rate of only 2%. First-year students residing over 15 miles from campus were the most prone to flexing, a group disproportionately represented among those failing. Self-regulatory and motivational drivers were investigated in relation to attendance patterns. The COVID-19 situation and the difficulties in striking a balance between work and personal commitments notwithstanding, a considerable percentage (13%) of students justified their attendance decisions based on the quality of their learning experiences, showcasing their self-regulatory skills. There was a motivational issue among 17% of the students, frequently manifested in their avoidance of learning methods tailored to their needs and their habitual absence from class.
The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic instigated a monumental increase in online instruction, leading researchers to highlight the significance of faculty readiness for this pressing pedagogical shift. In this study, the influence of organizational factors on faculty's online teaching acceptance, measured through behavioral intention and perceived usefulness, was explored. A multilevel structural equation modeling approach was applied to nationwide survey data encompassing 209,058 faculty members across 858 mainland Chinese institutions of higher education. Three key organizational factors—strategic planning, leadership, and teaching quality monitoring—influenced faculty acceptance of online teaching, though their effects varied. A direct relationship was established between strategic planning and perceived usefulness; a direct influence was exerted by leadership on behavioral intentions; and a direct effect of teaching quality monitoring was observed on both perceived usefulness and behavioral intentions. Strategic planning's influence on faculty behavioral intentions was contingent on the perceived usefulness of online teaching, demonstrating a mediating role. This study's findings underscore the practical need for college administrators and policymakers to strategically implement and promote online teaching and learning. Simultaneously, key organizational factors that influence faculty acceptance should be thoughtfully considered.
This study scrutinized the psychometric qualities of the 31-item culturally inclusive instructional design (CIID) scale, utilizing a 7-point Likert scale. Data were gathered from the K-20 educator samples, including training (N=55) and validation (N=80). The data analysis methodology included both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The EFA analysis indicated a distinct five-factor structure, and the CFA results supported this structure with good factor loadings. The reliability indices reached a value of .95. microbiota stratification The value .94 and. Elesclomol Samples allocated to training and validation, respectively. The five subscales, all measuring the same CIID construct, showed considerable correlations between factors. Contrary to a perfect correlation, a non-perfect correlation exhibited a discriminating capability for each subscale, revealing the distinct dimension of the construct. The study's results affirmed the validity and reliability of the instrument for assessing culturally inclusive instructional design, which has significant implications for creating culturally sensitive online learning environments.
Learning analytics (LA) is gaining prominence due to its promise of enhancing diverse educational dimensions, including student progress and pedagogical approaches. The existing body of research pinpointed some correlates of LA integration into higher education, such as the involvement of stakeholders and the open handling of data. A vast body of research in the field of information systems points to the pivotal role trust plays in the adoption of new technologies. Although research has touched on LA adoption in higher education, the significant role of trust in this process has not been extensively studied.