Search Results (47)

This study explores how students, teachers, and mentors participating in the EdTech Mentor Project experienced the integration of digital tools within inclusive, service-learning-based STEM education. Drawing on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the research employed semi-structured interviews and participatory video to capture the lived experiences, perceptions, and challenges faced by participants across diverse and often underserved educational contexts. The findings reveal that digital tools empowered both students and teachers by fostering engagement, creativity, and a sense of agency. However, significant barriers were also identified, including limited internet connectivity, lack of technical infrastructure, and digital literacy gaps. Mentorship emerged as a crucial support mechanism, offering both technical guidance and emotional encouragement, especially in remote or isolated settings. Moreover, the project played a vital role in building community and reducing feelings of professional and academic isolation, particularly through collaborative learning environments facilitated by mentors. This research contributes nuanced insights into the intersection of technology, inclusion, and community-based learning in STEM education. It highlights the importance of equitable access, sustained mentorship, and participatory practices in ensuring that EdTech initiatives are not only innovative but also inclusive and empowering for all involved stakeholders. Full article

With increasing digitalization of learning environments, concerns regarding the psychological effect of seductive interface design on the motivational level and cognitive health of learners have been raised. This research investigates the effects of certain persuasive and adaptive design elements, i.e., Perceived Persuasiveness of Platform Design (PPS), Frequency of Nudge Exposure (NE), and Perceived Personalization (PP), on intrinsic motivation in virtual learning environments (INTR). We draw on Self-Determination Theory, Cognitive Load Theory, and Persuasive Systems Design to develop and test a conceptual model featuring cognitive overload (COG) and perceived autonomy (PAUTO) as mediating variables. We used a cross-sectional survey of university students (N = 740) and used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) for data analysis. The findings show that all three predictors have significant impacts on intrinsic motivation, with PP as the strongest direct predictor. Mediation analyses produced complementary effects for NE and PP in that these traits not only boosted motivation directly, but also autonomy, and they decreased cognitive overload. Alternatively, PPS showed competitive mediation, boosting motivation directly but lowering it indirectly by increasing overload and decreasing autonomy. Multi-Group Analysis also revealed that such effects differ by gender, age, education, digital literacy, exposure to persuasive features, and use frequency of the platform. The results underscore the imperative for educational technology design to reduce cognitive load and support user control, especially for subgroups at risk. Interface designers, teachers, and policymakers who are interested in supporting healthy and ethical digital learning environments are provided with implications. This work is part of the new generation of research in the field of the ethical design of impactful education technologies, focusing on the balance between motivational-enabling functions and the psychological needs of users. Full article

This feature paper explores the comparative pedagogical roles of concrete and virtual manipulatives in preservice mathematics teacher education. Based on a design-based research (DBR) methodology, this study investigates the effects of tangible tools (e.g., base-ten blocks, fraction circles) and digital applications (e.g., GeoGebra Classic 6, Polypad) on preservice teachers’ problem solving, conceptual understanding, engagement, and instructional reasoning. Data were collected through surveys (n = 53), semi-structured interviews (n = 25), and classroom observations (n = 30) in a Spanish university’s teacher education program. Key findings show that both forms of manipulatives significantly enhance engagement and conceptual clarity, but are affected by logistical and digital access barriers. This paper further proposes a theoretically grounded model for simulating manipulatives through ICT-based environments, enabling scalable and adaptive mathematics teacher training. By linking constructivist learning theory, the Technologically Enhanced Learning Environment (TELE) framework, and simulation-based pedagogy, this model aims to replicate the cognitive, affective, and collaborative affordances of manipulatives in virtual contexts. Distinct from prior work, this study contributes an integrated theoretical and practical framework, contextualized through empirical classroom data, and presents a clear plan for real-world ICT-based implementation. The findings provide actionable insights for teacher educators, edtech developers, and policymakers seeking to expand equitable and engaging mathematics education through simulation and blended modalities. Full article

Objectives: This study empirically examined the effects of a digital game-based physical activity program (AI-FIT) on elementary school children’s health-related physical fitness while exploring the role of educational technology (EdTech) as a practical solution to post-pandemic physical inactivity. Methods: This study was conducted over a 12-week period, from September to December 2024, with 40 students (grades 4 to 6) from an elementary school located in a mid-sized city in South Korea. The participants had a mean age of 10.8 years (SD = 0.69). The experimental group (n = 20) participated in the AI-FIT program, while the control group (n = 20) received regular physical education classes. To ensure baseline equivalence between the groups, propensity score matching was employed. Health-related physical fitness was assessed through pre- and post-tests, including flexibility, muscular endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance, explosive power, and Physical Activity Promotion System (PAPS) grade. Analyses were conducted using both dependent (paired) and independent t-tests, along with effect size calculations (Cohen’s d), to examine within-group and between-group differences. In addition, gender-based subgroup analyses were performed to examine potential differences in responsiveness to the intervention. Intervention: Results indicated that the AI-FIT program had a large effect on flexibility (d = 0.90) and muscular endurance (d = 0.80) and a moderate-to-large effect on PAPS grade (d = 0.69). In contrast, no statistically significant improvements were observed in cardiorespiratory endurance or explosive power. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a digital program integrating AI-based personalized exercise prescriptions and gamification elements can effectively enhance the health-related fitness of elementary students. Moreover, this study supports the educational efficacy of EdTech-based interventions in physical education settings. Full article

In line with the principles of the circular economy, this study aimed to develop a pyrolysis-activation regeneration process capable of producing highly porous carbon materials from spent granular activated carbon (GAC), which was generated by a high-tech electronics manufacturing company in Taiwan. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and other thermochemical analyses were first conducted to investigate the thermal decomposition behavior of the spent GAC. Subsequently, the thermal regeneration system was employed to perform the N₂ pyrolysis and CO₂ activation experiments under various process conditions (i.e., 800, 850, and 900 °C for holding 0, 30, and 60 min, respectively). Analytical instruments included a surface area and porosimeter for pore property analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for porous texture observation, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) for surface elemental distribution analysis. The results revealed that the pore properties of thermally regenerated GAC were significantly improved compared to the spent GAC, indicating the effective removal or decomposition of adsorbed organics and deposited substances under the process conditions. Additionally, thermal regeneration via physical activation with CO₂ led to enhanced pore properties compared to simple pyrolysis. The maximum BET surface area achieved exceeded 720 m²/g, which was greater than those of spent GAC (approximately 425 m²/g) and N₂-pyrolyzed GAC (approximately 570 m²/g) under the same regeneration conditions (i.e., 900 °C with a 30 min holding time). Full article

Adopting educational technology remains a critical challenge in developing countries, particularly given limited resources and the urgency of achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 by 2030. This paper aims to create and validate a model for educational technology adoption for developing countries (ETADC) that addresses the gaps in existing models by incorporating education-specific factors and local contexts. The ETADC model integrates foundational theories with local and educational elements within the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, empowering educators to enhance teaching–learning experiences for a tech-driven world. The ETADC framework includes six components—four sourced from established theories and two based on research into the experiences of in-service and pre-service teachers in developing countries regarding educational technology adoption. These components formulate an appropriate model for evaluating, identifying, and implementing educational technologies within developing countries’ educational contexts. Validation through meta-analysis and two-stage structural equation modeling in R Studio version 4.4.0 with data from 30 high-impact studies (sample size N = 8934) confirmed the model’s effectiveness, showcasing a strong fit and significant path coefficient. This model has been used to evaluate certain educational technologies for further adoption. ETADC offers a practical and scalable roadmap for sustainable EdTech adoption, potentially supporting educational transformation and development worldwide, particularly in under-resourced contexts. Full article

The growing attention to virtual reality (VR) suggests that immersive technologies will be widely applied across various contexts, including education. However, conceptual divergences and a lack of understanding regarding the learning process in immersive virtual environments reveal the nascent understanding of the use of immersive virtual reality (iVR) and its benefits in educational contexts. Against this backdrop, this article presents a proposed pedagogical framework aimed at aligning the affordances of iVR environments—such as immersion, interactivity, and embodiment—with educational objectives, thereby enhancing learning experiences. Developed through a design-based research (DBR) methodology, the framework integrates theoretical contributions from the CAMIL model and the XR ABC framework in conjunction with the revised Bloom’s taxonomy. The structure organizes immersive experiences into three levels—Absorb, Experience, and Explore—which are distinguished by the interactivity and complexity of the proposed tasks. Each level is mapped to the cognitive domains and dimensions of knowledge, promoting the progressive development of cognitive and psychomotor skills. It is posited that aligning the technological features of the environment with educational objectives and the level of active student engagement can facilitate learning in immersive environments. Full article

Fire hazards are an increasing concern in several high-tech industries of public importance, particularly where textile fabrics are used in abundance. In this study, a novel layer by layer deposition method was utilized to develop a fire-retardant coating on cotton fabric. The method involves a hybrid cationic solution consisting of chitosan and branched polyethyleneimine, while bentonite clay was used as the anionic species. The treated fabric was characterized using SEM, VFT, and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). SEM and EDS profiling confirmed the successful deposition of the (BPEI/CH + BNT) species on the surface of the cotton fabrics. FTIR analysis shows changes in chemical composition between the uncoated and coated samples, as confirmed by modifications in peaks at 3621 cm⁻¹, 1023.3 cm⁻¹, 1631 cm⁻¹, and 614.8 cm⁻¹. Finally, the thermal degradation behavior of pre-coated and post-coated samples was evaluated using thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis within a temperature range of 25 °C~700 °C, where the highest residue of ~19.83% was observed at 700 °C for the D-BPCB-30BL sample, signifying highly improved thermal stability compared to uncoated cotton. Full article

The rising integration of AI-driven assessment in education holds promise, yet it is crucial to evaluate the correlation between trust in general AI tools, AI-based scoring systems, and future behavioral intention toward using these technologies. This study explores students’ perspectives on AI-assisted assessment in higher education. We constructed a comprehensive questionnaire supported by relevant studies. Several hypotheses grounded in the literature review were formulated. In an experimental setup, the students were tasked to read a designated chapter of a paper, answer an essay question about this chapter, and then have their answers evaluated by an AI-based essay grading tool. A comprehensive data analysis using Bayesian regression was carried out to test several hypotheses. The study finds that remote learners are more inclined to use AI-based educational tools. The students who believe that AI-based essay grading is less effective than teacher feedback have less trust in AI-based essay grading, whereas those who find it more effective perceive more benefit from it. In addition, students’ affinity for technology does not significantly impact trust or perceived benefits in AI-based essay grading. Full article

This survey paper examines the applications, methodologies, and future prospects of multimodal large language models (MLLMs) within the educational landscape. MLLMs, which integrate multiple data modalities such as text, images, and audio, offer innovative solutions that enhance learning experiences across various educational domains, including language acquisition, STEM education, interactive content creation, and medical training. The paper highlights how MLLMs contribute to improved engagement, personalized learning paths, and enhanced comprehension by leveraging their ability to process and generate contextually relevant content. The key findings underscore the transformative potential of MLLMs in modern education, suggesting significant improvements in both learner outcomes and pedagogical strategies. The paper also explores emerging trends and technological advancements that could shape the future of education, advocating for continued research and collaboration among stakeholders to fully harness the capabilities of MLLMs. As the integration of MLLMs into educational settings progresses, addressing ethical considerations and ensuring equitable access remain critical to maximizing their benefits. Full article

Through the pivot to emergency remote teaching during the pandemic, most universities have managed to become ‘digital’, at least in the delivery of educational programmes and business operations. And yet, the purposeful design and use of technology for education is far from the reality of such a pivot and remains difficult to achieve. While most universities outline some level of digital transformation as part of their innovation narrative and strategies, there is only a limited number of universities that adopt the culture of co-creation. This paper illustrates a bottom-up approach to the co-creation of a new digital and medical education strategy in a London-based Russell Group university to bring on change that is fit for purpose. The findings include the key insights, specifically, the five key values of what the community believed to be crucial—(i) broadening access to education, (ii) flexibility, efficiency and convenience, (iii) authentic learning, (iv) business proposition, and (v) pastoral care; and the eight areas of opportunities and challenges—(i) human relationships, (ii) co-creation, (iii) digital engagement, (iv) digital pedagogy, (v) digital literacy, (vi) edtech and IT infrastructure, (vii) support, and (viii) digital assessment and feedback. This paper also outlines the strategic project plans that were generated and since implemented as a result of the co-creation process. The limitations and future directions of this study are also noted. Full article

Education systems globally are increasingly being shaped by the logics, assumptions and pedagogical underpinnings of educational technology (EdTech) products, services, programmes, policies, and systems. These often promote rationalistic, secular, universal, objectivist, (post)modernist, written, behaviourist, and individualistic ways of being, marginalising religious, spiritual, oral, subjective, critical, and communitarian ways of being. Given that technological ways of being have been propagated globally, these logics are no longer predominantly promoted by those in the Global North, but by techno-solutionists globally, although the core-to-periphery flows of ideology and funding are still prominent. This article develops a conceptual and analytical framework for decolonising and desecularising the field of EdTech. Concepts are drawn from various discourses: the desecularisation of knowledge to set the ontological framing; embodied cognition to set the epistemological framing; and social justice and decolonial discourses to set the axiological framing. From this, the article develops the Dimensions of Human Injustice Analytical Framework—covering material, ontological and epistemic, and (geo)political injustices—to assist policymakers, educators, EdTech developers, and international development practitioners in identifying and confronting coloniality in their EdTech. Acknowledging the complexity and contentions within decolonial thought, this article does not claim a unified stance on achieving justice but aims to offer a tool for deconstructing and questioning injustices. Full article

This paper critically examines the neo-liberal conceptualization of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD), which imposes the linear and simplistic notions of empowerment and development on the users from the global South. Using the rapidly growing EdTech segment in India as a case, this paper observes that EdTech has been touted as a magic multiplier and a savior for countries like India that aspire to educate their large populations. This has prompted EdTech companies to pursue platformization and templatization to accomplish scalability and standardization in EdTech use. Based on immersive ethnographic research with youth from low-income families in three Indian cities—Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Vadodara—we argue that the practices of young people concerning EdTech resist standardization. Our analysis reveals that three major factors—challenges of access and autonomy, continued relevance of place-based learning and in-person interactions, and uneven quality and rigor—influence low-income students and families to not completely buy the promise of access, equity, and quality that EdTech companies and governments advance. We explore the significance of the socio-economic and cultural contexts of young learners in the global South context and argue that they aspire for personalization, place-based experiences, guidance/mentorship, high grades, and in-person interactions instead of standardization. They do not fully benefit by the experimentation, DIY practices, and tech-lead learning opportunities and resources offered by EdTech platforms in their current state. Full article

This study examines the crucial role of chief executive officers (CEOs) in post-acquisition integration, focusing on Chegg, a prominent ed-tech company in a rapidly evolving industry. Analyzing CEO actions post-acquisition through interviews and metrics, we find that a three-year CEO retention period significantly contributes to successful integration at Chegg. This research emphasizes the importance of understanding ideal CEO retention and their strategic actions, offering insights for more successful post-acquisition integration and long-term economic benefits. Full article