Search Results (13)

Technologies such as XR (Extended Reality), in the form of VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality) and MR (Mixed-Reality), are being researched for their potential to support higher education. XR offers novel opportunities for improving understanding and engagement of computer science (CS) courses, abstract and algorithmic thinking and the application of knowledge to solve problems with computers. This narrative literature review aims to report the state of XR adoption in the university CS education context by studying pedagogical benefits, representative cases, challenges, and future research work. Recent case studies have demonstrated that VR innovations are supportive of algorithm and data structure visualization, AR in programming and circuit analysis contextualization, and MR in bridging the experimental practice on virtual with real hardware within computer labs. The potential of XR to enhance engagement, motivation, and complex content understanding has already been researched. However, ongoing obstacles remain such as the high cost of hardware, technical issues in practicing scalable content, restricted access for students with disabilities, and ethical considerations over privacy and data protection. This review also presents XR, not as a substitute for traditional pedagogy, but as an additive tool that, in alignment with well-defined curricular objectives, may enhance CS learning. If it overcomes these deficiencies and progresses appropriate inclusive evidence-based practices, XR has the potential to play a powerful role in the future of computer science education as part of the digital learning ecosystem. Full article

Multimodal assignments can improve student engagement, offer different paths for meaning-making or accessing information, and shift top-down power structures often inherent in traditional classrooms. However, despite the growing interest in including multimodal assignments in courses, many instructors still struggle with how to assess them and may continue to value print-based modes. This qualitative study, framed through social semiotics, aimed to explore why instructors in higher education include multimodal assignments and their corresponding assessments in their teaching and how they design and implement the assessments. Based on the analysis of focus group data, findings indicate that although there is a shared purpose of creating multimodal assignments and assessments to reinvent instructional practices to be more inclusive and equitable, instructors operate in the continuous process of rethinking and refining of what counts as “good” multimodal assessment. Furthermore, the implications for professional development programs emphasizing equity-centered pedagogies are discussed. Full article

Architectural education programs are rapidly expanding the use of immersive technologies worldwide. An increasing number of architecture schools have incorporated 360-degree videos as one of the accessible and cost-effective immersive tools. Despite their availability and ease of use, research on their effectiveness as a learning tool in architectural pedagogy remains limited and mostly focused on architectural design education. Few studies have discussed their application in theoretical courses and their potential to support cognitive understanding of architecture. Learning cultural heritage is considered a foundation of architectural theory. This study examines how the utilization of 360-degree videos, compared to conventional 2D videos, supports spatial cognition, learning performance and experience in cultural heritage education among undergraduate architecture students. An educational experiment was conducted with 89 students in their second year of the architecture degree at the Applied Science Private University, Jordan. Both 360-degree videos and conventional 2D videos were inserted as learning tools within the curriculum of History of Architecture 1 and 2 courses. A mixed-research-method framework, including observation and a post-test survey, was carried out. Using SPSS and Excel programs, the data were analyzed through a set of statistical analyses such as paired-sample t-tests, AHP, and basic descriptive analysis. The findings demonstrate that students were highly immersed and motivated when using 360-degree videos. Compared to conventional 2D videos, 360-degree videos enhanced students’ spatial cognition, performance, engagement, and participation levels in both face-to-face and online courses. These results suggest that 360-degree videos can serve as a sufficient, low-cost, and equipment-free learning tool, responding to the urgent need to utilize technologies in both theoretical and practical architectural pedagogy. Full article

Ireland, historically a country of emigration, has transformed into a hub of immigration. Today, over 200 languages are spoken among its 5.25 million residents, with approximately 750,000 individuals speaking a language other than English or Irish at home. This growing linguistic diversity is increasingly reflected in Irish primary classrooms, where teachers are called upon to support students from a wide range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds). In response, Teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL) modules have expanded across initial teacher education (ITE) programs in Ireland. This study examines over two decades of teacher development initiatives, tracing a shift from an earlier bilingual model—where multilingualism was viewed primarily as second language acquisition—to a more expansive, European-informed vision of plurilingualism. Drawing on recommendations for reflexive, linguistically and culturally responsive education, this research adopts an insider/outsider discursive case study approach to explore student teachers’ preparedness to support multilingual learners in Irish primary schools. Conducted through a collaboration between an Irish teacher educator/module coordinator and an intercultural education specialist, this study employs reflexive thematic analysis) of student teachers’ self-reports from a twelve-week elective module on linguistic and cultural diversity within a Primary Bachelor of Education program. Data were drawn from surveys (n = 35) across three module iterations in 2019, 2021, and 2023. Findings indicate student teachers’ growing awareness of language teaching strategies and resources, developing positive orientations toward inclusive and plurilingual pedagogy, and emerging skills in professional collaboration. However, areas for further development include strengthening agency in navigating real-world multilingual teaching scenarios and embedding deeper reflexivity around linguistic identities, integrating students’ home language and intercultural learning. The paper concludes with recommendations to expand access to language teaching resources for diverse student profiles and support collaborative, shared EAL leadership through professional learning communities as part of teacher education reform. 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

Blended and virtual learning have become an integral part in international higher education, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the European Union’s Digital Education Action Plan. These modalities have enabled more inclusive, flexible, and sustainable forms of international collaboration, such as Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and Blended Intensive Programs (BIPs), reshaping the landscape of global academic mobility. This paper introduces the INVITE Learning Design Framework (LDF), developed to support higher education instructors in designing high-quality, internationalized blended and virtual learning experiences. The framework addresses the growing need for structured, theory-informed approaches to course design that foster student engagement, intercultural competence, and motivation in non-face-to-face settings. The INVITE LDF was developed through a rigorous scoping review of existing models and frameworks, complemented by needs-identification analysis and desk research. It integrates Self-Determination Theory, Active Learning principles, and the ADDIE instructional design model to provide a comprehensive, adaptable structure for course development. The framework was successfully implemented in a large-scale online training module for over 1000 educators across Europe. Results indicate that the INVITE LDF enhances educators’ ability to create engaging, inclusive, and pedagogically sound international learning environments. Its application supports institutional goals of internationalization by making global learning experiences more accessible and scalable. The findings suggest that the INVITE LDF can serve as a valuable tool for higher education institutions worldwide, offering a replicable model for fostering intercultural collaboration and innovation in digital education. This contributes to the broader transformation of international higher education, promoting equity, sustainability, and global citizenship through digital pedagogies. Full article

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) provide borderless opportunities to engage with content and ideas, with prospective participants from around the globe being able to easily register. The course featured in this study focused on the social and emotional well-being of adolescents, selected because of a recognized need for professional learning related to this topic. It was purposely designed for delivery as a MOOC and was designed as a 6h program around four topics to be completed over two weeks in asynchronous mode. It was delivered seven times from 2019 to 2023, with 32,969 individuals enrolled across these deliveries. The effectiveness of engaging in the course for professional learning purposes is of particular interest to this study. To that end, a convergent mixed methods study was conducted. First, quantitative and qualitative survey data collected at various course stages were examined to reveal the demographic characteristics of participants and their experiences in the course using data from surveys and comments about their experiences. The findings revealed, among other factors, that 65% were female, with just under half (47%) aged 45 years or less, nearly half (44%) held a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of qualification, and 48% were employed within the teaching and education sector. The most active learners were from Europe (48%) and Asia (27%), with active learners from a total of 178 countries. The course has a high course retention index, with 51% of learners completing 51% of the course and 8383 learners completing 90% or more of the course. The qualitative findings reveal the strongly positive experiences reported by the active participants. Secondly, we examined the effectiveness of the MOOC for participants’ professional learning needs by assessing the course using a framework with ten domains related to its core design features, modified for use by the course designers as a self-reflective tool. We found that the domains that scored the lowest were collaboration, interactivity, and, to a lesser extent, pedagogy. The study’s limitations include the incomplete data provided as part of the MOOC protocols, and the use of a self-reflection tool, which may inadvertently incorporate bias. This study points to these gaps in the data, including the need to access longitudinal data that go beyond a focus on the design of courses to extend to the impact and outcomes of the experience. Full article

Throughout the globe, there is growing attention being paid to issues of equity and efforts to produce more equitable student learning outcomes in schools, and much of the scholarship internationally has begun to center school leaders as key drivers of more equitable conditions. Indeed, in the United States, persistent inequities in education have highlighted the need for K-12 principals who can effectively support diverse students. Effective leader preparation and development, particularly with a focus on equity, is crucial, as it equips school leaders with the knowledge and skills to create inclusive and equitable learning environments. U.S.-based research highlights that high-quality, equity-centered preparation programs can significantly impact student outcomes, emphasizing the importance of integrating equity-focused training in leadership development. However, we know less about the design of high-quality preparation programs oriented around equity, and scholars have noted that current programs are often ill-equipped to prepare equity-centered leaders. Therefore, this study provides an integrative review of the U.S.-based equity-centered principal preparation literature to extract learnings from several types of publications, including descriptive and empirical studies, literature reviews, and conceptual essays. This study provides insights into four key elements of equity-centered principal preparation and development: program vision, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. This review consolidates insights from the existing literature into a single, accessible article, offering valuable learnings for program faculty, others who prepare school principals, and researchers focused on equity-centered preparation. Additionally, while centered on the U.S. context, this review is likely to be of value to leadership preparation and development programs in other national contexts, particularly those that have more recently begun to form. Full article

Against a backdrop of calls for increased access and participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in the United States have emerged as critical access points for Latina/o/x and other Students of Color. Federal grants can become important levers for building institutional capacity for broadening participation in STEM and transforming HSIs toward better serving Students of Color, specifically as it relates to curricula and pedagogy. In this study, we focus on the engineering faculty at an HSI who are participants in a National Science Foundation-funded, equity-focused professional development program. Operationalizing Bonilla-Silva’s color-evasive racial ideology framework, we use content analysis techniques to explore how engineering faculty discuss race and racism as part of the professional development experience. First, we find that engineering faculty largely rely on color-evasive racial frameworks (i.e., abstract liberalism, minimization of racism) when describing their motivations for participating in the program. Moreover, we find that engineering faculty responses depict a range of surprise and familiarity when reflecting on issues of race and racism. Finally, regardless of prior exposure to module concepts, at the end of the program, the majority of action projects reflect a recognition of race and racism as important. Full article

In the context of English as a global language, compulsory English language education at the primary level has become an inevitable trend in many non-English-speaking countries, including Vietnam. However, there have been concerns regarding how English language policy is realised across contextual settings, especially in rural and remote areas of Vietnam. Based on language-in-education goals, this article investigates English language policy implementation in Vietnam’s rural and remote areas from the perspective of primary English teachers from 2008 onwards. The present paper employs a desk review of existing literature, policy analysis, and semi-structured interviews. Data collected from multiple sources show the inequality of access to English language learning in the rural localities. The findings also indicate a significant gap between the current English language policy goals and implementation in the rural primary sector regarding slow execution, curriculum variations, limited teaching resources, inappropriate pedagogy, and assessment. These problems have been accelerated due to a shortage of teachers as well as inconsistency and limitations related to pre-service teacher training programs and recruitment. Identifying significant challenges of English language policy implementation in the Northwest of Vietnam helps shed light on primary English education in remote and marginalised regions. Therefore, the recommendations target policy makers, teacher educators, and stakeholders to assist primary English teachers in rural areas to improve and advance the success of primary English education in Vietnam’s remote areas and beyond the specific context to which it refers. Full article

The objective of this study is to describe and analyze comparatively the Programs of Access to Pedagogies (PAP) of Chilean private universities, in order to know how this policy has been developed in this type of institution. After an exhaustive and meticulous treatment of the information contained in the 11 private university programs in Chile, categories were created for later analysis, based on the criteria contained in the programs. The results were analyzed based on pre-established analytical criteria, within which three to seven categories were found that allow the description and analysis of the PAPs. Among these, categories related to “Development of skills”, “Pedagogical vocation”, “Promotion of equity”, “Academic performance”, “Transversal skills” and “Academic support” stand out, being found in eight programs of the 11 analyzed. Although the Programs of Access to Pedagogy careers, established objectives, eligibility criteria, permanence criteria, camping, among others, follow the law, these programs have limitations, due to their heterogeneous construction, which translates into the interpretation of the laws, for which a series of challenges emerge, all of them associated with the search for strategies to strengthen the attraction and training of future good teachers. Full article

Environmental and technological preferences correlate. Both are empirically accessible via established instruments such as the Two Major Environmental Value model (2-MEV) with “preservation” (PRE) and “utilization” (UTL), and the technology questionnaire with “interest in technology” (INT) and “social aspects of technology” (SOC). Additionally, “appreciation of nature” (APR) was monitored with a seven-item scale. We used these instruments to assess the preferences of freshmen in five different areas of study (law, economics, science, pedagogy, cultural studies). All subsequent analyses unveiled positive relations between appreciation and preservation, between the two technology subscales, as well as between utilization and social aspects of technology. Negative relationships appeared between preservation and utilization, preservation and both technology factors, as well as appreciation and social aspects of technology. In all subsamples, preservers (individuals with preservation preferences) showed little interest in technology or its social aspects; utilizers scored high in social aspects of technology, whereas appreciators displayed no interest in it. The freshmen’s areas of study seem to predict consistent tendencies to (biocentric) preservation or (anthropocentric) utilization. Moreover, females were more likely to preserve and appreciate nature whereas males preferred utilization along with interest in technology as well as in the social implications of technology. The observed differences can be used to develop new and improve existing educational programs; recommendations are discussed. Full article

One way to view ‘equitable pedagogy’ is through an opportunity to learn (OTL) lens, meaning that regardless of race, class, or culture, a student has access to rigorous and meaningful content, as well as appropriate resources and instruction necessary to learn and demonstrate understanding of that content. Assessment holds a unique position in the classroom in that it can both uncover whether inequitable conditions exist (i.e., performance gaps, denied OTL) and provide an OTL by mediating communication between teacher and students regarding learning progress and what is important to learn. Nevertheless, individuals entering teacher education programs often hold deficit views toward marginalized students, such as Language Minorities (LMs), believe that assessment strictly serves to evaluate learning, and do not do consider how language and culture influence student thinking–views supplanting assessment’s role at supporting an equitable pedagogy for LMs. Through surveys, interviews, program artifacts, and classroom observation, I report on a case study of one pre-service physics teacher, Dean, to depict how his expertise at assessing science did evolve throughout his yearlong teacher education program in terms of (a) becoming more knowledgeable of the role of language and (b) developing a belief in incorporating ‘discourse’ while assessing science. Within the case study, I analyze one particular episode from Dean’s teaching practicum to highlight remaining challenges for pre-service teachers to integrate science and language in classroom assessment—namely, interpreting students’ use of language along with their understanding of core science ideas. The findings underscore the need for connecting language and equity issues to content-area assessment in teacher preparation. Full article