Background: Although problem based learning has a great potential to promote learning outcomes as well as cognitive abilities, the number of previous studies investigating this potential on critical thinking, reading comprehension abilities and attitudes in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context is scarce. Also, the number of studies…

Background: Driven by the ongoing need to provide high-quality learning and teaching, universities recently have shown an increased interest in using learning analytics (LA) for improving learning design (LD). However, the evidence of such improvements is scarce, and the maturity of such research is unclear. Objectives: This study is aimed to…

Background: The rising importance of digital technologies in everyday communication has played a key role in processes of political polarization and rising mistrust and intolerance. We suggest this crisis could be productively conceptualized as a crisis in perspective-taking--the tendency and competency to actively consider others' mental and…

Background: Measuring students' self-regulation skills is essential to understand how they approach their learning tasks in order to identify areas where they might need additional support. Traditionally, self-report questionnaires and think aloud protocols have been used to measure self-regulated learning skills (SRL). However, these methods are…

Background: Since about 2010 e-learning has been embedded in educational practice and has become, surely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, increasingly important. Objectives: Although much has been written about e-learning, little is known about crucial didactic and pedagogical design principles for e-learning. This review tried to fill that gap.…

Background: The COVID-19 has accelerated the transition to blended learning (BL) in higher education, prompting a need for further investigation into the efficacy of self-regulated learning strategies (SRLS) in these new educational environments. Objective: The primary goal of this research is to assess the effectiveness of SRLS in BL in higher…

Background: The introduction of Small Private Online Courses (SPOCs) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction at Higher Vocational Colleges (HVCs) signifies a shift in education. Understanding the factors that affect deep learning in this SPOC context is crucial for improving educational outcomes. Objectives: By employing grounded…

Background: Leaderboards are among the most popular gamification elements in education. Some studies have implemented leaderboards and reported their individual effects on students' learning. Despite the emergence of relevant empirical studies, most of the existing reviews have only investigated the holistic impact of gamification. No previous…

Intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) can provide inner loop feedback about steps within tasks, and outer loop feedback about performance on multiple tasks. While research typically addresses these feedback types separately, many ITSs offer them simultaneously. This study evaluates the effects of providing combined inner and outer loop feedback on…

Background: Online interaction in blended learning is leveraged through social presence and convergence. However, little systematic work currently exists on how researchers have explored these challenges in higher education institutions and no studies have synthesised these challenges. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to give a novel…

Background: Delivering effective feedback to large groups of students represents a challenge for the academic staff at universities. Research suggests that undergraduate students often ignore the Elaborated Feedback (EF) received via digital learning environments. This may be because instructors provide feedback in written format instead of using…

Background: This study investigates the effects of higher and lower-level text processing strategies on both higher and lower-level processing skills and cognitive load using the computer-assisted interactive reading model (CAIRM) as the educational intervention framework. Objectives: The objectives of this study are to examine the effects of the…

Background: Effective learning in computer programming courses has been a constant challenge for university teachers and has become a relevant competence for current professionals. The literature on gamification in learning presents mixed results, mainly due to problems in instructional design and inconsistency in gamification. Studies with…

Background: The rapid globalization along with the growing trend of openness and sharing approach enabled widespread of digital technologies all over the world. However, we can still find differences between countries in technology use and perceptions of usefulness for learning. Understanding students' use of educational technology and their…

Background: Blended online courses, which combine synchronous and asynchronous online activities, have expanded rapidly in higher education. How to enhance student engagement in such courses is unclear, although it is recognized that student engagement is malleable through instructional strategies. Objectives: Given the above, this study aims to…