Education Sciences

Artificial Intelligence in Education is expanding rapidly, yet the adaptation of chatbots to specific reading-comprehension levels remains underexplored. This mixed-methods study presents Lectobot, a conversational agent designed to provide personalized scaffolding across three levels of reading comprehension (literal, inferential, and critical). First, we conducted a diagnostic assessment with first-year undergraduates (N = 58) using validated instruments: COMPLECsec (reading comprehension), EMA (Academic Motivation Scale), and MARSI (Metacognitive Strategies). Non-parametric analyses (Kolmogorov–Smirnov; Mann–Whitney U with Benjamini–Hochberg adjustment) indicated wide heterogeneity in comprehension (median global accuracy ≈ 55%) and a predominance of extrinsic motivation, with selective use of problem-solving strategies. These findings informed design rules for Lectobot (text selection, adaptive task difficulty, and strategy prompts). In a five-week implementation with a focus group (n = 8), semi-structured interviews were transcribed and coded in MAXQDA, guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (perceived usefulness and ease of use). Students perceived Lectobot as useful for text understanding and synthesis and moderately easy to use; reported difficulties were mainly technical (access and session continuity), leading to actionable design improvements. We discuss ethical and practical implications for personalized scaffolding in higher education and outline avenues for larger-scale evaluations and broader grade levels.

Background: Game-based learning (GBL) grounded in constructivist and experiential learning theories has emerged as a promising strategy to improve engagement, motivation, and knowledge retention in higher education, particularly within STEM disciplines. Methods: This mixed-methods study evaluated the impact of GBL on student engagement, self-efficacy, and knowledge retention in undergraduate biology and architecture courses—two fields where GBL remains underexplored. Results: Thirty-three students (age 19.6 ± 1.6 years) participated, with near-equal representation from biology (51.4%) and architecture (48.6%) majors. Following GBL implementation, students reported significantly higher levels of engagement, participation, and perceived retention (p < 0.0001; effect size V ≥ 0.43). Biology students demonstrated greater gains in engagement and retention, while architecture students showed stronger improvements in participation and self-confidence. Qualitative feedback highlighted GBL’s interactivity and enjoyability, though some students noted distractions and accountability as challenges. Conclusions: Despite limitations such as small sample size and reliance on self-reported outcomes, the findings suggest that GBL is an effective, student-centered instructional tool with distinct benefits across disciplines. Broader, longitudinal studies using objective assessments are recommended to further validate its impact and inform scalable applications in STEM education.

This study aimed to explore the interplay of technological pedagogical content knowledge of games (TPACK-G) and digital game acceptance among pre-service teachers. The relationships between the components of technological pedagogical content knowledge of games and game acceptance factors were explored. The effect of game acceptance levels on technological pedagogical content knowledge of games was also examined. The sample of this study was pre-service teachers enrolled in undergraduate courses from a university in the northeast United States. The data were collected using an online survey. Quantitative methods were used to analyze the data. Results indicated that there were significant positive correlations between TPACK-G and game acceptance components. Pre-service teachers’ TPACK-G, including game knowledge (GK), game content knowledge (GCK), game pedagogical knowledge (GPK), and game pedagogical content knowledge (GPCK), significantly differed in terms of game acceptance levels. The results contribute to the literature of game-based learning. Discussions and suggestions are provided following major findings.