Feedback is a crucial element in supporting student learning, yet little is known about how students’ perceptions—rather than just the quality and quantity of feedback—impact their experience. This study addresses this gap by first identifying four key dimensions of students’ perceptions of feedback: intimacy, intellectual respect, efficiency, and credibility. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design with 129 undergraduates in an online discussion context, we examined how feedback source (teacher vs. machine) and target (participatory vs. cognitive) influenced these perceptions. Furthermore, we assessed how these dimensions predicted two outcome variables: behavioral intention and perceived effectiveness. A two-way MANOVA revealed that students perceived teacher-generated feedback significantly more positively than identical machine-generated feedback. Interaction effects between source and target were also found, particularly regarding credibility. Multiple regression analyses revealed that efficiency was a key predictor of behavioral intention, while intellectual respect and credibility emerged as key predictors of perceived effectiveness. The findings suggest theoretical and practical implications for design and use of feedback in online learning, advocating for a future that values teacher–machine complementarity.

The Advancing Culturally-Relevant Computing Project is a collaboration between researchers and practitioners in Hawai'i focused on preparing elementary teachers to meaningfully incorporate culturally relevant Computer Science (CS) into their classrooms. This paper introduces a hybrid instructional design framework designed to facilitate the process of creating lessons that effectively integrate CS and cultural learning outcomes. Grounded in the first three phases of the ADDIE instructional design model-Analysis, Design, and Development-the framework incorporates diverse perspectives to ensure a balanced and intentional integration of culture. Using this framework, the project developed five culturally relevant computing modules, which were evaluated by in-service public school teachers (n = 96) during professional development workshops. Preliminary findings suggest that the modules were well-received, with teachers emphasizing their practicality and alignment with the multicultural needs of classrooms in Hawai'i.

RadGrad is a curriculum initiative implemented via an application that combines features of social networks, degree planners, individual learning plans, and serious games. RadGrad redefines traditional meanings of "progress" and "success" in the undergraduate computer science degree program in an attempt to improve engagement, retention, and diversity. In this paper, we describe the RadGrad Project and report on an evaluation study designed to assess the impact of RadGrad on student engagement, diversity, and retention. We also present opportunities and challenges that result from the use of the system.

The aim of this study was to examine if—and to what extent—a sensory modality's conceptual congruency influences learning in digital environments. Building on previous work in multimedia and embodied learning, the study used custom software to systematically vary the conceptual congruency of two sensory modalities (aural and bodily-kinesthetic). One hundred seventy-nine (N = 179) elementary students with prior knowledge of addition used the software as an introduction to multiplication. Results found that the participants who experienced more conceptual congruency in the aural and bodily-kinesthetic modalities demonstrated greater understanding of the target concept as measured by paper-based tests. In addition, the findings revealed the two modalities worked in a combinatorial fashion, suggesting a more-is-better impact on participant understanding. The study concludes with a discussion of the findings, along with an exploration of the theoretical and practical implications for designing sensory experiences that influence learning.

Culturally-relevant computing has been discussed as a way to promote K-12 Computer Science education and address ongoing challenges related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. What is not well understood about the practice of culturally-relevant computing, however, is how to bring together existing cultural frameworks and Computer Science curricula effectively. To help address this area, focus group interviews were conducted with ten ( n = 10) in-service Computer Science teachers working in the multicultural context of Hawai’i. The focus group sessions were designed to reveal teachers’ perceptions of the principles and processes involved in designing and implementing culturally-relevant CS lessons and resources. Results revealed a number of key themes, including important variations in the practitioners’ philosophical and operational approaches to culturally-relevant computing. The paper ends with a detailed discussion of the findings and their implications for designers, practitioners, and researchers working in Computer Science education.

This paper is in response to the article entitled, “MOOCocracy: the learning culture of massive open online courses” (Loizzo and Ertmer, Educational Technology Research and Development, 64, 1013–1032: 2016). After summarizing the original study, this paper examines the value of Loizzo and Ertmer’s (2016) finding that massive open online courses (MOOCs) support a unique adult learning culture comprising a social learning democracy. It suggests a number of ways researchers can apply the concept of a learning culture and the themes of MOOCacracy to other online contexts and audiences. The paper also addresses some limitations of the original study—such as the need to ensure the themes of social learning democracy apply to content areas outside of the social sciences. The perspective concludes with suggestions for future research on the applicability and appropriateness of MOOCocracy in K-12 settings and the knowledge and skills leaners may need to participate in and benefit from a social learning democracy.

Purpose As the field of Computer Science (CS) continues to diversify and expand, the need for undergraduates to explore career possibilities and develop personalized study paths has never been greater. This reality presents a challenge for CS departments. How do the students striving to become competent professionals in an ever-changing field of study? How do they do this efficiently and effectively? This study addresses such questions by introducing RadGrad, an online application combining features of social networks, degree planners and serious games. Design/methodology/approach RadGrad application is designed to promote participation in extracurricular activities, value real-world experience and provide guidance for students planning their degrees. What follows is an exploration of how the application was designed, along with an analysis of how students used it in its first year. Findings Findings suggest RadGrad helped students to participate in relevant community activities and take an active role in planning their degrees. Originality/value The paper describes the features of the application, introducing how the concept of Innovation, Competence and Experience (ICE) scores – rather than a GPAs – were used to motivate undergraduates to participate in extracurricular activities. Initial results suggest RadGrad and the concept ICE scores can be applied to any field where students are encouraged to gain real-world experience as part of their degree program. Lessons learned and future directions are discussed.

While many academic conferences are transitioning to online events, this article aims to share several strategies used by the organizers of a well-established online-only conference. The Teaching, Colleges, and Community (TCC) Worldwide Online Conference recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. After a brief review of TCC's history, four strategies that organizers have identified as helping conference goers feel oriented, welcomed, connected and engaged are described. These strategies include offering a "pre-conference" orientation, including regional keynote speakers, creating opportunities for informal exchange, and encouraging participation with digital credentials.

Traditional paper science notebooks have served the purpose of engaging learners in the scientific practices, however, as with many things, paper is being replaced by digital. This study examined the digital notebook entries of students to consider the affordances and limitations of digital science notebooks versus traditional paper science notebooks. Affordances were related to the use of audio, ability to copy and paste, take photographs, and include material from the internet. Limitations included the time it took students to write and/or draw tables, and the potential learning opportunities lost from close observation through drawing to photographs. This study highlights how a digital science notebook can also integrate technology in a manner that promotes active learning and critical thinking. Based on the notebook entries examined, we suggest that the affordances outweigh the limitations and encourage further research on digital science notebooks.

This study examined the relationship between elementary students’ domain-specific and game-specific motivations in the context of educational videogames. Using a quasi-experimental design, thirty ( N = 30) sixth grade students were assigned to two groups based on their level of motivation for the domain of math (higher math motivation vs. lower math motivation). They then played a videogame involving mathematics fifteen times over a two-week period. During this time, participants’ in-game performances were recorded, along with their levels of motivation for the videogame and the domain of math. The results showed that the participants played the game at the same level of skill regardless of their initial level of motivation for the domain of math. Similarly, participants expressed high levels of interest, effort, pressure, and value for the game despite their varied levels of math motivation. However, the two groups reported significantly different levels of perceived competence involving the videogame. Further still, participants with lower levels of motivation for math reported a significant decrease in their self-reported ability perceptions in math, which did not occur for participants with higher levels of motivation for math. The study concludes with a discussion of the relationship between learners’ domain-specific and game-specific motivations and the implications for future game-based learning research.

This perspective reviews the technical and educational accomplishments represented by Liu et al.’s (Educ Technol Res Dev 67: 1307–1331, 2019) computer-assisted language learning system. It then zooms out to view the system as an example of what the future of “shifting to digital” might look like. This is done by demonstrating how the authors’ system aligns with two emerging trends in education: datafication and personalized learning. The perspective concludes with constructive feedback and recommendations for future research.

RadGrad is a curriculum initiative implemented via a web-based application that combines features of social networks, degree planners, and serious games. RadGrad redefines the traditional meaning of "progress" and "success" in the undergraduate computer science degree program, with the ultimate goal of improving student engagement, diversity, and retention. In this paper, we relate RadGrad to other curriculum initiatives, overview its key functionality, present results from an evaluation conducted during its first year of deployment, and discuss our lessons learned and future directions.

Despite the perceived value of extracurricular experience, higher education relies heavily on grade point average (GPA) as a measure of undergraduates’ academic success. When used as a singular standard assessment, GPA, which is based on student progress and completion of coursework, may inadvertently steer undergraduates away from valuable out-of-class experiences that might enhance their employability after graduation. With this premise in mind, the current study proposes to supplement GPA scores in an undergraduate Computer Science program with a wholistic assessment known as an Innovation, Competency, and Experience (ICE) score. The ICE score is a point system for documenting and rewarding students’ extracurricular activities, in addition to their GPA scores. We designed and developed a web-based technology platform called RadGrad to implement ICE scores and promote student engagement and participation in extracurricular activities. Preliminary data shows that over 36% of students started to use RadGrad, even though its use was completely voluntary. More than half of those students planned and participated in various extracurricular activities, ultimately earning ICE points. Importantly, the ICE score deployed through RadGrad demonstrates the potential value of a supplemental assessment to GPA, which can promote extracurricular experiences relevant to students’ future careers beyond coursework.

This study examines how tablet-based note-taking applications can be integrated into elementary science classes as digital science notebooks.A teacher from a public charter school, with 20 students in grades four and five, implemented a tablet-based note-taking application in her science classroom for a semester.At the end of the semester, an interview was conducted with the teacher to better understand her experiences integrating the tablet-based note-taking application into her science lessons.To understand how students used the application, the researchers also conducted a survey and observed the science classroom.This paper presents findings from the interview and the classroom observations, and discusses the potential of technology to facilitate student engagement with scientific-inquiry and science-related writing. ObjectivesThe integration of science and literacy has been a topic of interest for the past decade or more.The use of science notebooks as a means to integrate science and literacy is prevalent in elementary classrooms (Baxter, Bass, & Glaser, 2001;Fulton & Campbell, 2014;Fulwiler, 2007).However, writing related to the scientific practices, such as constructing explanations and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information, has been considered a difficult task, especially for primary-aged students.In addition, the limitations and challenges of using traditional paper-based notebooks as science notebooks have been discussed.For example, Ruiz-Primo, Li and Shavelson (2008) found that teachers provide little feedback on students'

Drawing on dual-process theories of cognitive function, the degree to which spatial contiguity influences incidental learning outcomes was examined. It was hypothesized that spatial contiguity would mediate what was learned even in the absence of an explicit learning goal. To test this hypothesis, 149 adults completed a multimedia-related task under the guise of usability testing. As participants interacted with the environment, incidental learning material was displayed on the screen with varying degrees of spatial contiguity and without explanation. Upon completion of the task, participants were administered an unexpected retention test assessing their knowledge of the incidental learning material. The results produced clear evidence that spatial contiguity influenced what was learned automatically without conscious processing. The paper ends with a discussion of the implications of dual-process theories for multimedia learning design and research.

This study presents a two-course sequence of graduate instructional design courses that were developed and implemented using a flipped classroom model for both online and face-to-face contexts. This model is an instructional strategy that reverses what is traditionally done at home and what is done at school, such as watching video lectures at home and working authentic problems in class. The presentation will 1) demonstrate how the two courses were designed and developed, 2) share findings from student responses on surveys regarding perceptions and satisfaction with the new model, and 3) discuss the successes and challenges of implementing these courses.