Simulated testing has become more prevalent in higher education, especially as competency-based institutions begin to incorporate micro-credentials and skills certificates into their curriculum. Competency-based assessment falls outside traditional norm-based testing practices used in K-12 education, and is largely focused on criterion referenced…

In this study, we gauge the perceptions of novice computer programmers about Second Life (SL) as a digital learning environment for concept understanding in computer programming. SL is chosen as the learning environment because it offers, within a constructivist frame, the use of learner-centered pedagogies for designing curriculum. We adopt a…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role textbooks can play on writing complexity and lexical density as a proxy for critical thinking and ultimately learning, in relation to argumentative and summative writing when integrated with a virtual reality experience. In this study, differences in writing complexity and lexical density…

As an emerging learning platform, game-based immersive virtual reality learning environments (GIVRLEs) have the potential to solve difficult teaching problems. This study designed a GIVRLE by integrating knowledge of quadratic functions into gameplay. Forty seventh graders who had never acquired that knowledge played the game and took pre- and…

Virtual Reality (VR) has been used to enhance EFL learners' speaking skills due to its immersive and interactive features. This study thus investigated the effects of VR on elementary school students' English-speaking performance and such affective variables as their willingness to communicate (WTC) and learning autonomy. Fifty-six EFL sixth…

Patronage of public libraries in Nigeria has declined over the years and is in urgent need of revitalization. Outreach efforts would revitalize the interest of university students in the patronage of public libraries in Nigeria because they need access to resources, especially when on holidays. The study investigates the outreach programs used to…

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that is being used in a wide range of fields such as medicine, gaming, psychology and sociology. The use of VR is promising in the field of education and requires investigation, but research on the use of VR in education is still limited. This enables the exploration of new territories, and design…

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically disrupted schooling around the world. Social distancing requirements have resulted in many countries closing physical school buildings or remaining open but delivering a hybrid model of off-site and on-site teaching and learning. This poses a variety of challenges for Initial Teacher Education (ITE)…

The first part of the paper offers the characteristics of the affective variables of willingness to communicate, motivation, language anxiety and boredom as located within the framework of the complex dynamic systems. The second part aims to discuss the results of a study intended to examine the effect of "Second Life" on two English…

Virtual labs provide space for students to iteratively test, observe, and revise their understanding so as to improve their scientific literacy. However, one of the challenges that students face is that they need to think and act like scientists so as to be sensitively alert to methodological flaws and various sources of error. This study thus…

A prescribed English language textbook often directs classroom teaching practices in secondary school classes in EFL contexts, such as in South Korea. The textbook is often accompanied by multimedia resources which are delivered to students as input at a regulated pace with limited opportunities for communicative interaction or spoken output. Such…

This exploratory sequential mixed methods study explored how African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic, and Native American (ALANA) students develop a sense of belonging within higher education at one private, Predominantly White Institution (PWIs) within the United States when co-curricular programs are offered within the…

Digital game-based and gamified technologies hold much promise to promote the development of learners' conceptual knowledge. This efficacy study used desktop virtual reality (dVR) to investigate how the place-based digital gameful learning experience (DGLE) "Watershed Explorers", implemented as a curriculum enhancement activity, impacted…

Little studies have been conducted on the question of the use of augmented reality technology in the education field. The effects of augmented reality technology on the educational environment of tertiary students need to be further explored. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of augmented reality technology in…

Intercultural communicative competence (ICC) is the ability to interact and communicate appropriately with people from different cultures. The lack of ICC among non-native speakers has resulted in misunderstandings during interactions. Although Malaysia is a multicultural country, there has not been much emphasis in developing ICC in the…