Research finds that engaging students in online deliberations requires three components: (1) designing a space specifically for deliberations, (2) a structured pattern that requires consistent interactions, and (3) a process guided by academically guided outcomes. Using these three components, deliberations become a routine where students share…

Collaboration scripts are widely employed in online collaborative learning to enhance student engagement and facilitate collaboration. However, the optimal level of scripting remains a subject of debate. This study aims to address this issue by designing and developing different types of collaborative scripts implemented through conversational…

Purpose: This paper aims to test if team reflexivity is a countermeasure to the detrimental effect of team virtuality on team performance improvement, in decision-making teams. Design/methodology/approach: Study 1 regarded 210 individuals (N = 44 teams) executing five decision-making tasks. Study 2 regarded 60 individuals (N = 20 teams) executing…

Higher education is faced with the question of how large numbers of students can be supported to learn complex skills without increasing teachers' supervision time proportionally and while preserving, or preferably improving, quality. Practicing skills only once does not work. Students need repetitive practice, feedback, and structured support to…

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to assess the impact of the synchronous online teaching strategy on higher degree research students, particularly those dealing with isolation. The aim is to enhance their coping mechanisms and writing productivity, fostering a supportive learning environment. Design/methodology/approach: This study…

Background: 'Snack writing' is a term coined to describe regular short bursts of writing on a larger academic writing task. There is extensive research on academic writing, but research on 'snack writing' is limited. Moreover, the idea of 'snack writing' in an online environment is not evident in the literature. Objectives: The study objectives…

In 2019, I refreshed a tertiary writing unit in which, across two assignments, students planned and then produced their own creative non-fiction work. Peer workshopping was an important pedagogical tool to help students bridge the gap between their creative non-fiction plan and their final submission. In the discipline of Writing, peer…

In this teaching article I discuss the pedagogical implications of a classroom activity in which students work reflectively with instructor feedback that has been provided to their writing. Using the "comments" feature in Google Docs, instructors create a dialogue with students through "feedback conversations," in which…

In recent years, research in multimodality has established the benefits of using multiple semiotic modes like image, sound, and text in digital second language (L2) communication. However, researchers have yet to investigate how L2 learners make meaning through embodied modes--or gestures and facial expressions. Grounded in the social semiotic…

This article documents the changes undergone by a telecollaboration project between a Japanese university and a university in Romania. While the size of the project diminished with every passing year due to extrinsic and intrinsic causes, the quality of the exchanges improved. It became apparent that the main goals of the collaboration --…

Online learning is one of the fastest growing trends in education. A practical problem faced by instructional designers and online instructors is how to design an interactive learning activity that benefits content mastery without adding technological barriers. The online discussion forum provides quick solutions because it is usually ready for…

College students' autonomous learning (AL) is becoming more important in the information era. The flipped classroom model is gaining great attention, for it is viewed as one of the most effective teaching strategies for accelerating students' AL. Undoubtedly, educators play a significant role in this process. Using a sociocultural lens, this…

This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of ePortfolio experiences among health professions students at a major Australasian research-intensive university. This exploratory study of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) aims to understand the experiences and perspectives of students introduced to program-level ePortfolios…

This research examined the phenomenon of spiritual growth in students taking an online religious education course at Brigham Young University-Idaho. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 students who reported positive gains in spirituality as a result of the course. Students described their experience in the online course and the…

Pen pal exchanges have been used for years to promote cross-cultural communication. In educational settings, pen pal projects have served additional purposes. One is providing English language learners (ELLs) with a safe but realistic context in which language skills can be practiced and learner motivation increased. This study investigates the…