In computer technology, statistics, and business courses that I have taught over the past decade, students have worked in groups/teams. I assumed students communicated with teammates within the Learning Management System (LMS). In 2017, I was surprised to discover students were using GroupMe. To help me understand the attraction, I signed up for a…

The ability to collaborate online is an essential skill that allows learners to bring together diverse perspectives to deepen understanding regardless of physical location. As online learning and hybrid workplaces have become more prevalent since the COVID-19 global pandemic, the critical nature of this skill has become particularly relevant for…

Online discussions have become important educational activities through which collaborative learning and knowledge construction can be facilitated. This study explores the use of two online discussion tools, online discussion board and VoiceThread, for supporting online course discussion activities among a group of graduate students and…

Background: Coaching researchers have stressed the need for critical reflection in practitioners, as an important tool to facilitate development. In parallel, however, coaches' preference for more informal development methods are well documented. The increased impact of social media and other online applications offers new ways to pursue these…

The role of practice has been largely overlooked in second/foreign (L2) pragmatics research. Furthermore, very few studies have directly compared the effects of different "practice contexts" (e.g. practice in a telecollaborative context versus practice in a face-to-face context) on L2 learners' pragmatic competence (e.g. in compliment…

Creating an engaging online course where students feel part of an online community can be challenging even for the most experienced online educator. Online discussions are a common tool used to connect students in online courses, but it is often limited to text-based posts. This international research study compared the use of text-based versus…

With the rapidly expanding availability of online courses, concerns have been raised about student engagement and connection within the online environment. Using an experimental design, we examined the effects of video camera, microphone (audio), and chat box communication on students' experiences of social presence, peer rapport, motivation,…

This study addresses interculturality and Intercultural Competence (IC) by connecting university students in Spain and Sri Lanka through the use of the Soqqle app, an education-based video app. The students were asked to create five videos independently using English as a lingua franca and upload each video to the app related to the assigned…

The purpose of the current study was to determine the impact of different forms of feedback (text/image/video) on the transactional distance (TD) perceptions and critical thinking skills (CTS) of the learners in online collaborative discussions. The study was designed as a quasi-experimental study and was carried out with the participation of 104…

In this paper we review selected significant developments in the use of digital technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics over the last five years. We focus on a number of important topics in this field, including the evolvement of STEAM and critical making as well as the process of redefining learning spaces in the transformation of…

Research exploring undergraduates' tool preferences in tertiary mathematics is currently limited. In this paper, we explore the tools mathematics and engineering students use when studying mathematics and the ways undergraduates combine these tools. Results from our survey (N = 628) showed that students in our sample use mostly their notes, the…

With increasing global interconnectivity, effective cross-cultural interaction has become crucial for global citizens. However, learners in non-English speaking countries often lack practical English communicative skills and opportunities for authentic language practice. This study explores the effectiveness of a virtual exchange programme in…

During our six-week Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) module (Oct.-Nov. 2019), 58 students jointly developed task-based projects on expressions of popular culture in Albany (USA) and Caracas (Venezuela). In teams of seven to eight participants, learners from both countries reflected on variations of popular culture through…

This classroom-based action research aimed to determine the applicability of implementing Collaborative Learning in online setting to help students develop their interaction with one another and improve their academic performance. Participants of the study consisted of Grade 8 intact pilot section of a public school in an urban community which…

This essay expounds on the merits and demerits of two social studies instructional strategies (cooperative learning and discussions) through virtual means in the current COVID-19 global pandemic, and offers eight helpful guidelines in addressing the strategies for social studies instructors. The merits of virtual cooperative learning and…