As one of the core skills of the 21st century, computational thinking has received increasing attention from educators and researchers. Although some research has been conducted on computational thinking, few studies examined the impact of learning activities on students' computation thinking skills from the perspective of cognitive development.…

In this paper we propose a universal curricular framework that is intended to aid K-6 schoolteachers holistically and humanistically developing their students' computational thinking (CT) skills (e.g. algorithmic thinking, abstraction, decomposition, generalization, patterns recognition, evaluation, and logical thinking). This framework, which can…

With the emergence of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, modern technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big data are profoundly transforming the education ecosystem. The development of education is not only faced with huge challenges but also contains rare opportunities. New concepts such as deep learning, adaptive learning,…

The properties of a blockchain such as immutability, provenance, and peer-executed smart contracts could bring a new level of security, trust, and transparency to e-learning. In this paper, we introduce our proof-of-concept blockchain-based e-learning platform developed to increase transparency in assessments and facilitate curriculum…

This article presents a role-play game for software project management (SPM) in a three-dimensional online multiuser virtual world. The Opensimulator platform is used for the creation of an immersive virtual environment that facilitates students' collaboration and realistic interaction, in order to manage unexpected events occurring during the…

Basic social interaction and executing certain tasks can be difficult for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The symptoms of such behaviour include inappropriate gestures, body language and facial expressions, lack of interest in certain tasks, cognitive disability in coordination of limbs, and a difficulty in comprehending tasks'…

This paper presents the eight Learning Events Model (8LEM), a pedagogical reference framework which was used, in more than 100 online courses, as a starting point for instructional planning. Besides supporting teachers in early stages of the learning design continuum, the paper shows how this learning/teaching model, as a professional development…

This article focuses on how the teachers' pedagogical awareness is displayed and shaped while they learn to use information and communication technology (ICT) in their teaching and the aim here is to increase our understanding of university teachers as learners and as developers of their pedagogical awareness. The pedagogical awareness of teachers…

This article focuses on an evaluation of the impact of an innovative instructional design of internships in view of a new integrated pharmaceutical curriculum. A key innovative element was the implementation of a computer-supported collaborative learning environment. Students were, as part of their formal curriculum, expected to work in a…

Online education is used for a variety of purposes in higher education. Two such purposes are improving one's performance over time and understanding one's professional development in the context of online teaching and learning. Relying on data from online staff development courses delivered in five Spanish universities, this article explores…

This study focuses on a synchronous e-class project which was developed to increase the effectiveness of a second year advanced reading course within the Distance English Language Teacher Training (DELTT) program in Turkey. The aim of the study is to explore the perceptions of learners who participated in the e-class application and the impact of…

Group-based learning is being introduced into many settings in higher education. Is this a sustainable development with respect to the resources required? Under what conditions can group-based learning be applied successfully in distance education and in increasingly flexible campus-based learning? Can networked support facilitate and enrich…

The aim of the present study was to investigate those factors influencing performance in solving story problems in a web-based environment. A situational simulation, "Hiking across Estonia," was explored by two samples of voluntary groups of students, comprising 65 and 50 groups, respectively. They solved 25 ecological and environmental story…