This paper provides an experience report on a co-design approach with teachers to co-create learning analytics-based technology to support problem-based learning in middle school science classrooms. We have mapped out a workflow for such applications and developed design narratives to investigate the implementation, modifications and temporal…

Self-direction has become an important skill in the 21st century. To cultivate learners with a high level of self-direction, it is necessary to diagnose their self-directed learning (SDL) ability. This study diagnosed and predicted learners' SDL ability based on their actual SDL behaviours. The study was performed in a self-directed 3D design…

Game-based assessment (GBA), a specific application of games for learning, has been recognized as an alternative form of assessment. While there is a substantive body of literature that supports the educational benefits of GBA, limited work investigates the validity and generalizability of such systems. In this paper, we describe applications of…

This article reports on a trace-based assessment of approaches to learning used by middle school aged children who interacted with NASA Mars Mission science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) games in "Whyville," an online game environment with 8 million registered young learners. The learning objectives of two games…

Prior research has shown that game-based learning tools, such as DragonBox 12+, support algebraic understanding and that students' in-game progress positively predicts their later performance. Using data from 253 seventh-graders (12-13 years old) who played DragonBox as a part of technology intervention, we examined (a) the relations between…

In today's information age, developing data science competencies has become vital to fostering responsible citizenry. However, the actual techniques learners need to become proficient in are still somewhat "in-construction", as the relatively new field of data science is constantly expanding to meet new data-related demands. Data science…

This interdisciplinary research examines how Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) and the L2 Motivational Self System (consisting of "the ideal L2 self" and "the ought-to L2 self") are linked with Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE). Together, these are flourishing research areas in computer-assisted language learning,…

In language courses, it is important to foster students' systematic thinking and to develop their competence to express, appreciate, criticize and reflect, in particular in such courses as classical Chinese, which aim to develop students' cultural and literature knowledge. Problem posing is a promising strategy to achieve this objective. However,…

It is difficult to motivate learners to seek out and persist at challenging learning tasks where failure is likely. However, in game environments, people seem highly motivated to engage with challenges and respond productively to failure. Many typical game features purportedly enhance intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy, which should improve…

Games have been regarded as a potential vehicle for enhancing student learning. Previous studies mainly focused on learning outcomes; however, the learning processes and dynamic in-game behaviours of students who are immersed in a game context are relatively undiscovered. The purposes of this study were to develop an educational game, "Bio…

Science-related competencies are demanded in many fields, but attracting more students to scientific educations remains a challenge. This paper uses two studies to investigate the value of using Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) laboratory simulations in science education. In Study 1, 99 (52 male, 47 female) seventh (49) and eighth (50) grade…

The increased availability and development of immersive technologies have given students growing opportunities to engage in different educational subjects. However, there is a lack of empirical research exploring the educational influence of using Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) in science classrooms. To address this gap, this study developed a…

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become an international priority. STEM education provides students with interdisciplinary knowledge and promotes the cultivation of high-level skills. However, STEM training opportunities for teachers are rare, which results in fewer opportunities for primary and secondary…

In this study, we explore the potential of a natural language processing (NLP) approach to support discourse analysis of in-situ, small group learning conversations. The theoretical basis of this work derives from Bakhtin's notion of speech genres as bounded by educational robotics activity. Our goal is to leverage computational linguistics…

A major goal of contemporary education is to teach students how to learn on their own. Assessments have largely lagged behind this goal, because they measure what students have learned and not necessarily their learning processes. This research presents Posterlet, an assessment that collects evidence regarding the strategies that students choose…