As generative AI tools are increasingly popular in today's teaching and learning process, challenges and opportunities occur at the same time. Self-directed learning has been regarded as a powerful learning ability that supports learners in informal learning contexts and its importance rises in salience when incorporating AI into learning. This…

Undergraduate enrollment in online courses has been trending upward over the past decade, despite declining enrollment overall. With the onset of COVID-19 during the Spring 2020 semester, more undergraduates were suddenly thrust into online courses. Although learning outcomes for face-to-face and online courses may not differ, some students may…

This scoping review summarizes studies on passive participation in collaborative online learning activities that used computer-mediated communication tools in school settings. A total of 42 articles spanning about 20 years were explored. ERIC and three main journal indexes from Web of Science were used to locate articles. For each year searched,…

One student success factor in higher education is students' readiness to learn. An increasing number of students are learning in multiple modalities and the boundaries between course modalities continue to blur. In this context, there is a need to reassess readiness for online learning in ways that can serve "all" 21st century learners.…

This study explores how online instructors use different instructional strategies to engage learners, and the active learning indicators that they look for among their students. Additionally, it examines how modality--synchronous versus asynchronous--and instructor learner-centeredness relate to instructional strategy choices. Using a mixed…

There is increasing interest in the application of game-based learning approaches to education. Educators across a wide range of contexts are using digital games such as educational escape rooms to promote learner motivation and support skills development. Whilst the literature describes multiple game-based learning theories that can underpin such…

Students enrolled in online courses tend to be less successful as measured by the rate of A's, B's, and C's than students enrolled in face-to-face courses. Yet little work has been done addressing whether these gaps vary depending on students' broader relationship with the university, including whether they are degree-seeking students and whether…

This research investigated the potential of learning analytics (LA) as a tool for identifying and evaluating K-12 student behaviors associated with active learning when using video learning objects within an online learning environment (OLE). The study focused on the application of LA for evaluating K-12 student engagement in videobased…

In higher education, motivational factors are considered one of "the strongest predictors of academic performance" (Honike et al., 2020, p. 1). A meta-analysis of face-to-face (f2f) courses (Richardson et al., 2012) supports these claims, finding a strong correlation between performance self-efficacy and academic performance (r = 0.59),…

Social presence is one key factor for successful learning in socio-constructivist learning environments, such as in online-courses based on the Community of Inquiry Framework. Teachers need easily interpretable and pedagogically relevant information to monitor social presence and to intervene if needed while a course is running. Social network…

Despite extensive research on feedback models, there is still sparse empirical evidence of their validity and application in higher education learning settings, whether online, hybrid, or face-to-face. Understanding how a feedback framework--integrated in the instructional cycle--is perceived by the learners can provide empirical support about its…

The last decade has brought far-reaching changes in higher education, leading institutions to shift some or all instruction online. This shift to distance learning has contributed to a more significant need for active learning: changing students from passive knowledge consumers into proactive knowledge producers using interactive teaching…

Bichronous online learning is the intentional blending of asynchronous and synchronous online learning experiences. Twelve award-winning online instructors participated in interviews to discuss best practices they use, and benefits and challenges in bichronous online courses. When sharing best practices for bichronous online courses, online…

The First2 Network is an alliance of higher education institutions across the State of West Virginia striving to improve science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) education by supporting rural, first-generation, and underrepresented college students pursuing STEM majors. Over the summers of 2019 and 2020, the First2 Network delivered…

Fully online courses and degree programs are popular with students. These courses should provide the rigor and value of traditional learning in a face-to-face classroom to ensure mastery of concepts and learning objectives. This research expands previous work to investigate the effectiveness of online laboratory exercises in enhancing student…