Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) offers promising opportunities to enhance online discussions in higher education by providing timely feedback, supporting knowledge construction, and facilitating student engagement. However, questions remain regarding how GenAI should be pedagogically integrated into discussion-based learning and whether its use promotes meaningful rather than superficial engagement. This chapter synthesizes findings from twelve empirical studies examining GenAI integration into online discussions across diverse higher education contexts, including online, hybrid, flipped, and face-to-face courses incorporating online discussion activities. The synthesis examines technological approaches, pedagogical goals, implementation strategies, and effects on students’ cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement. Cognitive engagement refers to the depth of students’ thinking and intellectual effort; behavioral engagement concerns observable participation in academic activities; and emotional engagement reflects students’ feelings, interest, and connection during learning. Findings indicate that effective GenAI-enhanced discussions depend more on intentional pedagogical design than on technological sophistication. Studies employed diverse approaches, including custom-built systems, repurposed communication platforms, and existing learning management system discussion forums. Across studies, structured scaffolding, Socratic questioning, personalized feedback, and guided critical evaluation were particularly important for promoting deeper engagement and knowledge construction. Most studies reported improvements in cognitive engagement, often accompanied by enhanced behavioral and emotional engagement. However, critical gaps persist in understanding how AI limitations, such as bias and inaccuracies, affect learning and how to preserve human agency in AI-augmented environments. As institutions increasingly adopt GenAI for discussion-based learning, addressing these gaps will be essential to ensuring equitable learning experiences that augment rather than undermine students’ critical thinking and agency.

This study investigates the concurrent implementation of resilience and sustainability concepts into undergraduate engineering curricula. Specifically, it examines the instructional strategies the faculty adopted, the most important aspects and applications of the two concepts, and the challenges faced in implementation. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with eight faculty members from four engineering disciplines. Faculty members employed various instructional strategies such as general discussions, project-based learning, and guest lectures. They considered practicality, the triple bottom line principle, and liability and environmental issues to be the most important aspects of sustainability. They also considered resiliency and rapidity or time recovery to be the most important aspects of resilience. Time constraint was the most common challenge for implementing resilience and sustainability. Packed curricula, struggles in finding the right strategy, students’ lack of motivation, and difficulty in teaching such concepts in introductory courses were also major challenges. As a result, students showed improvements in knowledge and attitudes, particularly regarding sustainability. This study offers practical insights for embedding both concepts into engineering education and recommends further research into instructional strategies and documentation to support integration.

This mixed-methods study investigated the effect of a flexible blended learning (FBL) instructional program on high school students' college readiness. FBL, a variation of blended learning (BL) utilized in the high schools in this study, combines in-person and online instruction while providing students with greater flexibility and autonomy to choose when, where, and how they engage with coursework, thereby increasing students' ownership over their learning. By analyzing students' ACT scores, GPAs, course grades, and survey responses, the study found that FBL had mixed outcome on student academic achievement but supported the development of essential self-regulation skills, which are critical for college readiness. Students in FBL courses demonstrated significantly higher ACT scores and GPAs compared to their peers in traditional classes. Although FBL course grades and AP exam scores were mixed, students reported increased self-monitoring and persistence to complete coursework as a result of participating in FBL. These findings suggest that FBL empowers students to become more self-directed learners, better preparing them for the challenges of post-secondary education.

There has been a limited amount of research that has attempted to determine teaching strategies using adaptive learning systems. Most studies have attempted to measure success of the use of these technologies based on improvements in students’ test scores but have lacked to provide any information regarding the pedagogy implemented while using the tool or teachers’ perceptions of it. A basic qualitative study was conducted where five Chicagoland high school mathematics teachers, who used the Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) system, were interviewed three times during one academic school year. This study asked participants to share first-hand experiences and perceptions of using ALEKS as the main learning tool. Teachers used ALEKS for assessing student understanding through its quizzes and assignments, analyzing student progress, and allowing students to practice and receive feedback on mathematical concepts. The findings of this study indicate that teachers found ALEKS to be easy to use and useful in their teaching. Specifically, teachers cited the assessment tools, built-in feedback, ability to personalize learning, and the accessibility of learning tools for students as useful in their teaching.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolutionizes education by supporting personalized learning, critical thinking, and problem solving through tools like intelligent tutoring systems and adaptive platforms. Visionary educators recognize AI’s potential in the classroom. According to IBM, AI will not completely replace humans, but those who use AI will replace those who do not. This statement emphasizes the importance of integrating AI in K-12 education. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of AI tools and platforms for K-12 education, with the hope of serving as a practical reference for teachers to use these tools. This review discusses the definitions and types of AI for education. It further identifies and reviews currently available and popular AI tools and their applications in K-12 education. It offers quick references for teachers on how they can harness various AI tools for different teaching and learning purposes, along with addressing ethical concerns such as data privacy and algorithmic biases. This article classifies AI tools on the basis of instructional, administrative, and analytical usage to address diverse needs, enhance teaching and learning, provide personalized instruction, and predict student outcomes. This review also provides information for teachers to choose appropriate AI tools for specific purposes. The use of AI tools and associated concerns in the K-12 classrooms are also discussed, encouraging teachers to create more dynamic, inclusive, and effective learning environments while preparing students for the future. This article also offers future directions for researchers and product developers regarding the use of AI in K-12 education.

The key to successful K—12 online learning may rely more on the quality of instruction than the medium used to deliver that instruction (Rice, 2012). The quality of online instruction and teachers' professional development concerning teaching online remains a critical issue, as well as a challenge, in the field of K—12 online teaching (Fisk, 2011). Higher education institutions are beginning to address this issue by providing teachers with K-12 online teaching certificate or endorsement programs. Boise State University (BSU) is one such institution.

Purpose This paper aims to identify computational thinking (CT) in 4th to 6th grade students in the context of project-based problem-solving while engaged in an after-school program. Design/methodology/approach This case study approach was selected due to its suitability for answering “how” or “why” questions about real-world phenomena within a set context (Creswell and Poth, 2018; Yin, 2018). This was an appropriate fit given the context of an after-school program and the research question asked how to identify learners’ demonstrated CT through project-based learning hands-on activities and problem-solving in a naturalistic environment. Findings Results show that heuristics, algorithms and conditional logic were observed more than other components of CT such as data collection, simulations and modeling. Descriptions of common activities in a naturalistic learning environment are presented to illustrate how the students practiced CT over time, which could help readers develop an understanding of CT in conjunction with hands-on problem-solving activities in elementary students. Identifying and classifying CT in this study focused on students’ learning process. Originality/value This study contributes to the challenging field of evaluating CT while focusing on observable behaviors and problem-solving activities with various degrees of teacher’s facilitation instead of final artifacts. Implications for researchers and educators interested in integrating CT in K-12 learning and its assessment are discussed.

This study investigates the outcome of implementing sustainability and resilience into an undergraduate construction management curriculum. Specifically, it examines the student's knowledge and attitudes toward sustainability and resilience before and after they were introduced to such concepts. Students' knowledge of sustainability was significantly improved in the post survey. However, neither students' attitude toward sustainability nor students' knowledge of resilience was significantly improved. The mixed results call for further investigations in both integrating sustainability and resilience and how to measure such concepts in educational settings - a highlighted challenge of such integration. This study provides insights into integrating sustainability and resilience in an undergraduate construction management curriculum to meet growing demands for sustainable construction practice.

This study investigated the technologies and tools used to support upper-level elementary students’ engineering design and problem-solving activities in a bridge design and building challenge. The study was conducted in an eight-week after-school program with a total of 36 4th to 6th grade students in small groups of four to six students. Analysis of students’ group work based on video recordings revealed the use of a variety of technologies and tools. The results show that the use of technology was engaging and critical for helping students solve the engineering design problem and complete the design challenge. The use of disciplinary tools such as shake tables which are typically used by professionals also allowed students to perform certain tasks like professional engineers. Student focus group interviews showed students enjoyed the use of various technologies and tools during the design challenge. The study has implications for using technology to support K-12 students’ engineering design and problem-solving activities, which include the authentic use of technologies and tools can transform learning and support critical problem solving and design thinking. The study also provides an example for instructors on how to use various technologies to engage and motivate students in hands-on engineering design tasks.

This study reports a pre-college initiative that aims to integrate computational thinking (CT) in an integrated STEM learning environment in community centers' after-school programs for upper-level elementary school students. The initiative takes a collaborative approach that engages a range of stakeholders including higher institution's STEM educational researchers and disciplinary experts, a school district, three community centers and their satellite campus that serve Title I schools, and both in-service and pre-service teachers to develop and implement an integrated “STEM + CT” curriculum. The design and development of the integrated STEM+CT curriculum was guided by project-based learning (PBL) that engages students in sustained project-based activities and requires students to apply multiple STEM content knowledge and skills to solve a problem, in after-school programs where they enjoy large blocks of dedicated time to learn and practice CT and STEM. The implementation of the curriculum was led by in-service teachers in community centers' after-school programs who serve as facilitators and learners, and bring a depth of pedagogical knowledge, and who also benefit from such sustained interactions. This collaborative initiative brings relevant stakeholders together and helps build a researcher-practitioner partnership that aims to design, study, improve, and scale innovations in teaching and learning, which facilities the solving of a shared challenge of educational practice - how to integrate CT in K-12 STEM learning? - in this study. Lessons learned from the collaborative process are also discussed.

This quantitative study examined self-efficacy as a factor in teachers’ technology use and integration efforts in urban K-12 classroom settings of 327 Catholic school teachers in Southern California. This study employed an online survey that utilized the Technology Integration Confidence Scale (TICS) version 3, an instrument developed by the first author which is aligned to the ISTE (2017) Standards for Educators, and found that, on average, participating teachers had a fair level of confidence (i.e., they are fairly but not highly confident) in both using and integrating technology ( M = 3.2, SD = .73). Accordingly, the study established participating teachers’ level of confidence in using and applying technology through sustained continuous professional development intervention as a key implication that influenced teachers’ self-efficacy in leveraging technology for professional practice.

In this paper, we share our approach and the process for qualitative analysis of online video data recorded during an after-school robotics program that emphasized computational thinking (CT). Online research strategies may be necessary for various reasons such as when working with a geographically distributed research team, when conducting research with students in an online program, or when resources are inaccessible due to campus closures like those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We followed a three-stage process during qualitative analysis of the videos that included planning and setup, online analysis of videos, and structural coding of memos to explore patterns across the data. Analysis was conducted with a combination of technologies including Google Drive for collaborative coding online and NVivo to collate and summarize findings. The methods and process we describe are readily applicable to other research studies that include video as part of the data set.

Project-based learning (PBL) has a positive impact on student motivation, students’ perceived learning, and performance. However, many teachers are reluctant to adopt PBL. This mixed-methods study examined in-service teachers’ learning experiences of planning and implementing PBL situated in a graduate level PBL course and sought insight into the challenges and ways to overcome the challenges in implementing PBL in practice. Results indicate that teachers’ confidence about their ability to plan and implement a PBL project improved upon completion of the course. Nevertheless, teachers cited various obstacles, such as a lack of mentoring, planning time and implementation experiences, which had prevented them from complete implementation of PBL in teaching. Possible ways to overcome the challenges in adopting PBL include school support, opportunities for experience and practice with PBL, and peer collaboration. The study also showed that a semester-long course focused on designing and developing a PBL project of teachers’ choice was effective in helping increase their confidence and experience in potential implementation of PBL in classroom practice. This study contributes to the implementation of PBL in classrooms and teacher education as well as teacher professional development on the PBL approach.

This study describes the design and implementation of an integrated STEM + computational thinking (CT) curriculum, which was guided by project-based learning, for integrating CT in after-school programs. The study examined teachers and students’ reactions to the curriculum and the challenges in implementing such a curriculum. Results show that most students and teachers reacted positively toward the curriculum. Main challenges to implementing such a curriculum were also identified. Lessons learned from the curriculum implementation are discussed. The study contributes to the integration of CT and development of CT in students. It also contributes to teacher professional development regarding CT integration.

Computational thinking (CT) is a thought process designed to help students better solve complex problems using mental tools such as decomposition, abstraction, heuristics, data collection, algorithms, modeling, and communication (Wing, 2006). This study is part of a larger National Science Foundation funded STEM+C (computing) study that integrates CT in informal STEM learning. The informal STEM+CT curriculum resulted from the large study was guided by project-based learning (PBL) to help 4th to 6th grade students practice CT in the context of problem solving. Twenty-four teachers have worked with small groups of students in an afterschool community center program over an 8-weeks period. The larger STEM+C study also encouraged teachers in adapting the informal STEM+CT curriculum in their own classrooms, which eight of the 24 teachers have done so. This study investigates the participating teacher's perspective on implementing CT into elementary classrooms after they had facilitated the STEM+CT curriculum in community centers' after-school programs via interviewing 12 of the 24 teachers. The current study focuses on the challenges and issues regarding implementing CT in elementary classrooms. The results show that teachers collectively place the lack of time and the lack of professional development as the major obstacles in integrating CT into elementary classrooms.

Received Apr 22, 2021 Revised Sep 23, 2021 Accepted Nov 29, 2021 Project-based learning (PBL) has a positive impact on student motivation, students’ perceived learning, and performance. However, many teachers are reluctant to adopt PBL. This mixed-methods study examined in-service teachers’ learning experiences of planning and implementing PBL situated in a graduate level PBL course and sought insight into the challenges and ways to overcome the challenges in implementing PBL in practice. Results indicate that teachers’ confidence about their ability to plan and implement a PBL project improved upon completion of the course. Nevertheless, teachers cited various obstacles, such as a lack of mentoring, planning time and implementation experiences, which had prevented them from complete implementation of PBL in teaching. Possible ways to overcome the challenges in adopting PBL include school support, opportunities for experience and practice with PBL, and peer collaboration. The study also showed that a semester-long course focused on designing and developing a PBL project of teachers’ choice was effective in helping increase their confidence and experience in potential implementation of PBL in classroom practice. This study contributes to the implementation of PBL in classrooms and teacher education as well as teacher professional development on the PBL approach.

Establishing a sense of community is important for student success in online learning environments. However, how online graduate students experience a sense of community in higher learning institutions providing their courses or degree is an area not fully explored. This article reports the results of an investigation into how graduate students in a fully online program perceived their sense of community to their institution. Further discussion of how the institution supported, or could better support, its students through services and/or aid follows. A mixed methods approach was utilized with three distinct phases. Although students in this study perceived a somewhat low sense of community, the interviews and mixed data helped provide insights on how a sense of community could be improved. The implications of this study may provide further understanding into the support and sense of community experienced by an increasing population of fully online learners.

This paper provides the first review and illustration of technology-use strategies for supporting student learning in different integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning environments. An integrated STEM learning environment may focus on integrating and learning science and mathematics or integrating and learning engineering and technology simultaneously for multiple levels of learners. An integrated STEM learning environment breaks down disciplinary boundaries and allows students to apply multidisciplinary knowledge in solving problems. This study illustrates four technology-use strategies to support student learning in an integrated STEM learning environment: a) providing authentic learning contexts, b) offering web-based inquiry environments, c) expanding learning through immersive and interactive technology, and d) transforming students from consumers to creators. It also addresses the challenges that manifest in integrated STEM learning environments. The study provides practical implications and research directions for technology-supported learning in integrated STEM learning environments.

This chapter explores how six primary school students used their knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to complete a task in a robotics activity. It was designed to help students learn about programming and to build Lego robots that detect water in a simulated Mars model using Lego Mindstorms EV3. We explored students’ scientific-mathematics discourse to examine their use of scientific words to communicate their thinking through teamwork interactions and their course of actions to solve problems in various situations. We expanded Sfard’s discursive framework to analyze students’ scientific-mathematical discourse regarding their use of words and routines. Our extensive video analyses not only identified the overlapping concepts in STEM but also determined common observable practices in STEM disciplines. We discuss various student learning opportunities in the robotics activity and the challenges that arose in learning the concepts among STEM disciplines.

This study investigated the outcome of project-based, airplane design activities on promoting computational thinking (CT) in sixth grade students in the context of an integrated STEM learning environment. A curriculum unit of airplane design activities was implemented in a sixth grade classroom over 10 days. The students' CT skills measured by the Bebras Challenges were significantly improved after their completion of the airplane design curriculum unit.