This paper explores the affordances of virtual reality (VR) simulations for facilitated model-based reasoning. Thirty-four undergraduate students engaged with simulated scientific models in head-mounted displays and their facilitator in a co-located mixed-presence configuration. We coded the facilitator--participant interactions using the…

Background: Virtual laboratories are used to supplement or even replace physical laboratories in engineering education. Although these virtual laboratories allow students to learn foundational experimental skills, they do not provide the learners with the chance to develop higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). Computational thinking (CT) is an…

Teachers are increasingly using augmented reality (AR) to develop students' higher-order thinking (HOT). As past studies showed mixed results, our "random effects meta-analysis" of 21 effect sizes from 17 studies of 1256 participants determined the overall effect of AR on HOT and accounted for differences across studies via moderator…

Although augmented reality has become one of the most commonly used materials that support learning, especially in learning geometric concepts, it is avoided to be used in the lessons due to its complex structure. At that point, artificial intelligence working as a personal assistant in many fields can help us learn to produce our own model with…

Design thinking and virtual reality continue to infiltrate the K-12 landscape, with incredible promise for fostering deeper engagement with content. Design thinking in particular embodies maker education's beliefs in learning through building, but with the added caveat of solving real-world problems with the consideration of others' perspectives.…

Interactive computer simulations are commonly used as pedagogical tools to support students' statistical reasoning. This paper examines whether and how these simulations enable their intended effects. We begin by contrasting two theoretical frameworks--"dual processes" and "grounded cognition"--in the context of people's…

The concept of computational thinking (CT) has become more prevalent across the engineering education research and teaching landscape. Yet much of the research to date has been more definitional and has not offered many ways to convert CT theory to practice. One prominent set of tools used across engineering disciplines is modeling and simulation,…

This paper considers how a curricular design that integrated computer programming and creative movement shaped students' engagement with computing. We draw on data from a camp for middle schoolers, focusing on an activity in which students used the programming environment NetLogo to re-represent their physical choreography. We analyze the extent…

Situation awareness (SA) is linked with actionable decision-making and clinical judgment in nursing practice. The cognitive processes used in developing SA, outlined in Endsley's (1995) model, is the framework underpinning this study and are interwoven into the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Clinical Judgment Measurement Model…

Capacities for abstract thinking and problem-solving are central to human cognition. Processes of abstraction allow the transfer of experiences and knowledge between contexts helping us make informed decisions in new or changing contexts. While we are often inclined to relate such reasoning capacities to individual minds and brains, they may in…

The construct of static and emergent shape thinking (Moore & Thompson, 2015) characterizes differences in students' reasoning about graphs. In our previous work with middle school students, we found that this construct may also be useful in characterizing students' reasoning about other representations such as simulations and tables. In this…

Recent technologies, like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), have revolutionised education. Whereas AR brings the content to life in the real world, VR makes it completely digital, and MR is a blend of both the physical and virtual worlds. This paper discusses how virtual technology could be used in higher…

Though statistical testing is commonly practiced, the logic of statistical tests is confusing, thinking about distributions is difficult, and the way statisticians formulate expectations as probability distributions is poorly understood. To support instruction, the statistics education community has increasingly utilized simulation-based…

Understanding existing gender differences in the development of computational thinking skills is increasingly important for gaining valuable insights into bridging the gender gap. However, there are few studies to date that have examined gender differences based on the learning process in a realistic classroom context. In this work, we aim to…

This investigation narrates how digital game playing while integrating augmented reality can help enhance higher-order thinking. Digital game playing, when referring to games played on computers, game consoles, or handhelds, can be considered a powerful learning tool in education. The central problem of this investigation lies in the fact that…