Virtual reality is a rapidly growing technological innovation that continues to garner attention for use in education. This self-study of two teacher educators spans immersive head-mounted virtual reality implementation from 2014-2023 with middle-grades students, preservice teachers, and adult learners. Empirical data sources include learner…

This article investigates an artificial intelligence language model, ChatGPT, and its ability to complete graduate-level instructional design assignments. The approach subjected ChatGPT to a needs, task, and learner analysis for a 12th-grade media literacy module and benchmarked its performance by expert evaluation and measurements via grading…

The flipped classroom approach has grown in various disciplines; however, only few research studies are conducted in social sciences at K-12 settings. This action research investigated the impact of implementing a flipped classroom approach on students' motivation and learning the content knowledge in a suburban high school introductory psychology…

Although digital personalized learning (DPL) is assumed to be beneficial for the student as well as the teacher, the implementation process of DPL tools can be challenging. Therefore, the aim of our study is to scrutinize teachers' perceptions towards the implementation of DPL in the classroom. A total of 370 teachers from primary and secondary…

This case study using collaborative autoethnographic methods explores the experiences of two K12 practitioners as they implemented, and continue to implement, human performance improvement (HPI) in their professional practice. The connection between HPI and instructional design and technology is well documented, but there is not much empirical…

This study aims to examine the current experiences of high school students in computer science (CS) courses and the factors that motivated them to continue their future enrollment. The participants were 603 high school students in grades 9 through 12 in Indiana, all of whom enrolled in at least one CS course during the 2020-2021 academic year.…

There has been a move toward personalized learning and alternative types of authentic assessment in K-12 education. This shift has been partly driven by increases in the available technology that can support those types of changes. This qualitative study aimed at understanding the experience of learners in a first-year physics class working with…

To broaden participation in robotics education, a free, after-school robotics program has been designed and developed at a public university. As part of a longitudinal study, this paper reports the first iteration of the program, offered to 12 students from Grades 3 through 7 in spring 2022. Three preservice teachers were trained as…

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an urgent need for professional development (PD) experiences to support teacher learning across hybrid and digital contexts. This study investigates teachers' experiences in a Virtual Pivot, a PD workshop designed to support computational thinking integration into disciplinary teaching. Participants were 151 middle and…

Current research surrounding online computer science education emphasizes the need for high-quality professional development opportunities. However, there is a gap in research in the inclusion of online computer science educators to identify needs and strategies that make the online computer science courses effective. Through a…

This study explores differences among strategies used by eighth grade students with varying degrees of success in determining the credibility of an online website. A concurrent think-aloud protocol elicited verbal reports of what the students were thinking as they sought to determine the credibility of the site and screen recording software…

Full-time K-12 online learners faced little impact when schools had to rapidly transition to remote learning in March 2020. Essentially, everyone found themselves in the same position that full-time K-12 online learners had been prior to the pandemic. It is the experiences of supplemental K-12 online learners, those students who normally have…

When school buildings closed in Spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many teachers began instructing with online technologies. Schools in the United States remained obligated to provide all students access to learning under federal laws in these challenging circumstances. The purpose of this study was to learn from teachers of students with…

In this paper, we describe the design, development, and implementation of a curriculum based on teaching computer science using an industry-standard game-design software: Unity 3D. We discuss the theoretical underpinnings of our instructional design process and steps we have taken to introduce complexity and maintain student motivation. We discuss…

The primary focus of our project is to create STEM-based learning opportunities for secondary students (grades 6-12) through the out-of-school space that aligns with the workforce needs of two critical STEM-related sectors: National Security and Defense, and Advanced. Manufacturing (ROI, 2017). In this learning environment, students will encounter…