This paper reports how robot-assisted language learning (RALL) impacts Japanese adults' English speaking skills. With existing research on RALL focusing on children, there is little evidence indicating RALL's effects on adults. We developed a RALL system comprising a robot, a tablet, and designed learning materials for speaking practice. To…

Computational thinking (CT), the ability to devise computational solutions for real-life problems, has received growing attention from both educators and researchers. To better improve university students' CT competence, collaborative programming is regarded as an effective learning approach. However, how novice programmers develop CT competence…

The present study aims to investigate the effects of smartphone use by college students on their perceived academic performance. Using five hypotheses derived from the literature related to smartphone use, the initial model was set up for path analysis to reveal the relationships among variables regarding college students' smartphone use in the…

A semantic diagram tool is proposed in this study in order to structure collaborative problem solving (CPS) based on cognitive load theory (CLT). To investigate its effects on transaction cost and the deepening of user understandings, a comparative quasi-experiment was designed and conducted with 49 participants from a university in East China.…

The use of e-assessment methods raises important concerns regarding the reliability and validity of these methods. Potential threats to validity include mode effects and the possible influence of computer-related attitudes. Although numerous studies have now investigated the validity of online assessments in noncourse-based contexts, few studies…

The case study was carried out at a third-level college in Ireland to investigate the performance of a student population completing a first year computer architecture module using a flipped learning approach against a traditional chalk and talk approach. The study was completed over a 2-year period with the same lecturer delivering both…

Information seeking (IS) has become a critical activity in video-based environments. Up to now, the effects of support on information seeking (i.e., scaffolding) have seldom been assessed. The twofold aim of the current study was to (a) assess the effects of scaffolding on IS in videos and (b) determine the characteristics of the users' mental…

Learning and teaching algebra concepts are frequent problems for both students and teachers alike. Students struggle to learn algebra, and teachers struggle to identify the best way to teach algebra. It is recurrent that teachers use instructional methods that promote memorization, and, consequently, the learning process may prove unsatisfactory.…

In Mexico, approximately 504,000 students pursue a bachelor's degree by means of distance or blended programmes. However, only 42% of these students conclude their degree on time. In the context of blended learning, the focus of this research is to present a causal model, based on a theoretical framework, which describes the relationships…

There has been a recent acceleration in the use of lecture capture technologies (LCT) in higher education institutions. The present study focuses on an LCT system, by the name of ClassBoost, which has recently been introduced in some classes in an academic college of education in Israel. The system encourages collaborative learning skills at…

Less than optimal student success in gateway courses figures prominently in college noncompletion. Past findings suggest that "U-Pace" instruction holds promise for increasing student success. However, all published studies of "U-Pace" instruction were conducted in the gateway course context of introductory psychology. The…

Highly interactive and complex content within e-learning induces high levels of intrinsic load. Self-regulated effort represents one strategy that may help learners overcome such issues within e-learning. Using intrinsic load items representative of content complexity, germane load items representative of learning, and self-regulated effort items…

In this study, we used eye-tracking methodology for deeper understanding of the refutation text effect on online text comprehension. A refutation text acknowledges the reader's alternative conceptions about a phenomenon, refutes them and presents the correct conceptions. We tested two hypotheses about its facilitation effect: the coherence…

In large class settings, individualized student-teacher interaction is difficult. However, teaching interactions (e.g., formative feedback) are central to encouraging deep approaches to learning. While there has been progress in automatic short-answer grading, analysing student responses to support formative feedback at scale is arguably some way…

This study investigated students' evaluating process and their perceptions of peer assessment when they engaged in peer assessment using Calibrated Peer Review. Calibrated Peer Review is a web-based application that facilitates peer assessment of writing. One hundred and thirty-two students in an introductory environmental science course…