We consider the reference-based approach for Automatic Short Answer Grading (ASAG) that involves scoring a textual constructed student answer comparing to a teacher-provided reference answer. The reference answer does not cover the variety of student answers as it contains only specific examples of correct answers. Considering other language…

Perusall is a relatively new online tool that engages students with content and each other. Within this social learning platform, students annotate content, ask questions, and respond to their peers. This commentary explains some key features of the platform as well as explores the benefits of using Perusall with college students. The authors also…

To create a more collaborative and communicative learning environment, digital tools are often looked to as possible solutions. Miro, an online whiteboard, is one such tool that allows students to easily share ideas and exchange information using a range of different media. Its strengths are its ability to allow real-time sharing and creation of…

Artificial intelligence tools have presented many challenges and opportunities to transform teaching and learning on college campuses. These changes are significant enough to require colleges to take action to create a framework by which faculty and students can navigate the proper usage of these tools. Rather than working to create entirely new…

Digital platforms have become integral to contemporary schooling. Google Classroom, Compass, Office 365, EdQuire, ClassDojo and Canvas are just some of the many platforms that litter students' and teachers' computers today. While students may have only one school to physically attend, there is a labyrinth of digital enclosures for them to navigate…

Access to technology and devices is necessary to deliver high-quality learning experiences. Schools and students that don't have access are at a disadvantage. But giving all students access isn't as easy as it seems. Competing budgetary priorities, uncertainty about the most effective products and services and other constraints make it difficult…

In this contribution to the Platform Studies in Education symposium, Luci Pangrazio, Amy Stornaiuolo, T. Philip Nichols, Antero Garcia, and Thomas M. Philip explore how digital platforms can be used to build knowledge and understanding of datafication processes among teachers and students. The essay responds to the turn toward data-driven teaching…

Ransdell and Rieck (2020) found that distance learning was a physical and mental challenge in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study compares Zoom, Canvas, and smartphone use from 2020 to 2023, when the COVID-19 pandemic has receded. For many students, phones are used more and larger devices less. Students who realize that…

This reflective essay discusses a course redesigned to enhance student belonging and the important role intentional use of technology plays in creating a belonging context. Before the redesign, some course elements aimed to create a belonging context by centering and valuing student choice, and through choice, respect of identity. However, there…

COVID-19 has forced many higher education institutions to move from face-to-face teaching and learning to an e-learning environment. Many institutions had already started to implement blended learning strategies, but lecturers with limited knowledge of multimedia learning could not keep up with the pace. Multimedia learning can enhance learning,…

University classrooms are increasingly populated by students with diverse nationalities and native languages (L1). The growing number of students in English-led classrooms who speak English as a second or lower language (L2) may face added difficulties in understanding the specific task objectives or directions, as explained by native-…

SEERNet is a network of Digital Learning Platforms, researchers, and practitioners with the vision to leverage DLPs as research infrastructure, enabling researchers to ask and answer important questions about learning in ways that are grounded in realistic, widespread use of learning technologies. A first wave of work established the foundation…

This volume presents the second edition of the "Communicative Orientation of Language Teaching (COLT) Observation Scheme." Since the book's original publication, COLT has become well established as a research instrument in L2 teaching and learning. This new edition brings COLT into the 21st century by introducing digital versions of the…

This formative paper reviews the recent expansion in online teacher education programmes for "Education for Sustainable Development" (ESD) in southern Africa. The research informs the design of resource-based learning. An activity systems approach and a preliminary mapping of the design features for online learning for ESD enabled us to…

Productive "Third Spaces" are often an afterthought when designing learning environments, both in a physical sense and online. These areas, properly mediated by technology and designed around humans, can often be a key facilitator for student success. The STAC Model is designed to provide a framework for understanding what makes these…