Purpose This study aims to examine how information anxiety (IA) affects creativity and research productivity (RP) among academicians at a public sector university. Design/methodology/approach The study used a survey method and a structured questionnaire as part of a quantitative research approach. Data were gathered from 258 academicians who were recruited through a convenience sampling procedure by visiting their offices personally. SPSS was used to apply descriptive and inferential statistics for analysis. Findings The findings showed IA prevalence among the survey participants. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean scores of IA and creativity based on age, gender, social background, experience and designation. However, the qualification and ICT proficiency appeared to be associated with IA negatively and creativity skills positively. These results also demonstrated the statistically significant but inverse relationship of IA with creativity and RP. Research limitations/implications These findings had a great influence on the practices and procedures being applied to alleviate information related anxieties, emphasizing the information literacy (IL) interventions for academicians. These results are useful for policymakers, university administration and information professionals engaged in capacity-building of academicians for information education. Originality/value This research provides an invaluable addition to IA literature in particular and creativity research in general, as limited empirical inquiries have appeared so far, suggesting the need for more studies in varied contexts and geographical locations from a theoretical perspective.
Purpose Existing research on gamified flipped classrooms (GFC) has often treated engagement as an overall outcome, leaving limited understanding of how behavioral, cognitive and emotional engagement change over time. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction (FPI), this three-wave quasi-experimental mixed-methods study examined engagement trajectories among undergraduate software engineering students in gamified and traditional flipped classrooms across a 16-week semester. Findings Questionnaire data and post-intervention interviews showed limited and non-sustained differences between the two instructional conditions. More importantly, behavioral engagement remained comparatively stable and cognitive engagement showed only limited temporal variation, whereas emotional engagement was relatively more sensitive to time. Qualitative findings indicated that behavioral engagement was largely maintained by instructional routines and task requirements, cognitive engagement was shaped by pragmatic task-oriented strategies and emotional engagement was more responsive to changing course experiences. Research limitations/implications These findings demonstrate that engagement dimensions do not necessarily develop uniformly within the same instructional environment and support a dimension-sensitive approach to GFC design. Originality/value This study extends GFC research by moving beyond overall or short-term measures of student engagement to examine the semester-long trajectories of behavioral, cognitive and emotional engagement simultaneously. The findings show that these engagement dimensions do not develop uniformly: behavioral engagement remains relatively stable and cognitive engagement shows limited temporal variation, whereas emotional engagement is comparatively more time-sensitive. By integrating SDT with Merrill’s FPI and combining three-wave quantitative data with qualitative explanations, the study provides a dimension-sensitive and temporally informed understanding of how gamification operates within structured flipped classrooms.
Purpose Design tensions can highlight diverging visions, approaches and implementation decisions to support co-design processes. However, tensions can silence participants’ experiences and lead to unproductive outcomes. Researchers have rarely investigated unfolding discourse as facilitators and participants work together to navigate tensions. This paper aims to explore the discourse of co-design facilitators and participants when discussing tensions. Design/methodology/approach The research is situated within a larger design-based implementation project. The authors work with high school students, teachers, informal educators and undergraduate students to co-design an environmental science curriculum that integrates generative artificial intelligence chatbots. The authors ask: What design tensions emerge? How are they facilitated and addressed to support participation from diverse perspectives? How does discourse differ in instances with and without tensions? To answer these questions, the authors analyze meeting transcripts (15 h) and design artifacts to identify the talk moves that support the surfacing, facilitation and negotiation of design tensions. The authors visualize turn-taking patterns and talk move sequences to illustrate how co-design dynamics unfold over multiple talk turns. Findings Surfacing tensions invites more balanced turn-taking and idea co-construction among intergenerational stakeholders, compared to discussions without tensions. Facilitation using reflective and facilitative moves shapes the discussions by decentering researchers’ expertise and inviting contributions from different stakeholders. Originality/value The authors illustrate the use of discourse analysis to highlight important but understudied co-design dynamics. The authors introduce visualizations that can serve as research and reflection tools to support participation in co-design.
Purpose Recent policy reports and scholarly research highlight the potential of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to advance equity in education by improving access, personalizing learning, and addressing disparities. Yet past technological interventions have often fallen short of these ambitions and have sometimes reinforced existing inequalities. This study aims to examine how the distinctive affordances of GenAI interact with the characteristics of education and asks how the pursuit of equity should be conceptualized in light of these new conditions. Design/methodology/approach This study offers a theoretical and conceptual analysis of the connection between GenAI and educational equity. Using complexity theory, it critically reviews the assumptions behind previous technology-driven equity efforts and investigates how GenAI could be used to differently influence learning systems, educational practices, and institutional dynamics. Findings The analysis indicates that realizing GenAI’s potential to promote educational equity requires broadening the ideals that currently guide its integration in two ways. GenAI’s flexibility and capacity to support context-sensitive responses across different levels of the educational system should shift attention from personalization to system-level responsiveness, and from closing achievement gaps to enabling diverse learning pathways. Equity is thus understood not only as equalizing outcomes but also as addressing varied needs, values, and developmental trajectories at all levels of the educational system. Originality/value This study relies on complexity theory to offer a novel conceptual framework for understanding how GenAI’s unique features could support (or impede) educational equity. It moves beyond gap-closing models, centered on personalization, to focus on GenAI’s potential impact on system-level responsiveness, articulating a more dynamic, system-oriented approach.
Purpose This study aims to examine how WhatsApp groups function as informal knowledge management platforms in lecturer–student collaboration within African higher education. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 454 undergraduate students at the University of Ghana. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis and multiple regression. Findings Students reported extensive use of WhatsApp groups for academic knowledge sharing and collaborative learning. Social presence was the strongest predictor of collaborative learning (β = 0.606, p < 0.001), followed by lecturer interaction, engagement and knowledge-sharing practices. Information overload and unequal participation emerged as the principal challenges. Students also expressed strong support for integrating WhatsApp functionalities with the institutional learning management system to improve the organisation and continuity of academic knowledge exchange. Originality/value The study contributes to information and learning sciences scholarship by conceptualising WhatsApp groups as informal knowledge management infrastructures in African universities. It demonstrates how mobile messaging platforms support collaborative knowledge creation while simultaneously generating challenges associated with information overload and unstructured communication.
