The research study explored online language learners' self-directed language learning (SDLL) experiences, benefits, motivations, and challenges when employing educational tools like Duolingo in an out of classroom context. To gain insights into SDLL, in-depth and semi-structured interviews with 10 Duolingo users were conducted. Study results…

According to decades of research in educational psychology, learning is a social process that is enhanced when it happens in contexts that are familiar and relevant. But because of the skyrocketing popularity of data science, today we often work with students coming from an abundance of academic concentrations, professional, and personal…

A newly emerged micro learning service offers a flexible formal, informal, or non-formal online learning opportunity to worldwide users with different backgrounds in real-time. With the assist of big data technology and cloud computing service, online learners can access tremendous fine-grained learning resources through micro learning service.…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how elementary teachers use different social media platforms to connect with other teachers for informal professional learning. The researcher sought to understand how elementary teachers decide which platform(s) to use and how their expectations vary among different social media platforms.…

The way in which informal learning in a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) is coordinated is poorly understood. Conversation -- with teachers, friends or family -- contributes to the processes involved in meaningfully negotiating resources. While institution-centric education creates contexts for conversations and codifies educational attainment,…

The Internet, and more specifically, social media applications, have been incorporated into the daily lives of many people in society. This transition has implications for what can be learned, what kind of learning is happening, and what in-person actions digital learning can lead to. This qualitative study reframed digital learning in an informal…

The rapid advancement of mobile and computing technologies has made the enjoyment of music in the video gaming experience more accessible and affordable, and has raised the interest of educators in the affordances of music-related games for informal music learning. This study aimed to examine the educational affordances of music-related games…

Purpose: Digital technology's integration into education has transformed learning frameworks, necessitating the exploration of factors influencing students' engagement in digital informal settings. This study, grounded in self-determination theory (SDT), proposes a model comprising artificial intelligence (AI) competence, chatbot usage, perceived…

This case describes the redesign of a mobile eReader application. The purpose of the redesign was to convert an existing eReader from a means of only reading books into a tool for informal learning. The case reports how the design team's definition of informal learning evolved throughout the product development process, and how design decisions…

This study examines the strategies used by teachers during a series of self-directed online learning (SDOL) experiences. Over a period of four months, the authors met with 12 practicing elementary teachers three separate times. During the meetings, the teacher participants informally used the internet for their professional learning in literacy.…

Mobile devices and apps have become a standard for the museum experience. Many studies have begun to explore the impact mobile apps may have on user experience and informal learning. However, there has been relatively little research on how visitor groups interact collaboratively while using these devices in computer-supported collaborative…

This paper explores the citizenship learning of Chinese young adults through examining their participation on Weibo (the biggest micro-blogging service in China). Interview data collected from 31 young mainland Chinese adults contained their reflections on their everyday online participation on Weibo. Using the theory of communities of practice,…

This mixed methods case study presents the experience of a group of middle school students in a year-long, after-school computing programme in a large, inner-city school district in the southeastern United States. The purpose of this research is to explore informal educational strategies that are conducive at giving underrepresented minority youth…

Micro-learning is a modern learning approach hailed for improved course completion by learners and retention capability. Micro-learning relies on technologies of various types to offer improved learning experiences to learners anywhere and anytime. Micro-learning platforms of various types offer course managers and educators features for managing…

We know little currently about how new digital tools have effected changes in Jewish studies learning environments and processes -- although technologies play a central role in contemporary discussions of learning. This study aims to understand how learners collaboratively interpret Jewish sacred texts using informal online collaborative learning…