While extensive studies on informal online learning have been well documented to afford teachers' collaborative learning and knowledge sharing, little is still known about their motivational factors regarding the continuance intention of informal online learning. To this end, an extended expectation confirmation model (ECM) was proposed including…

This paper studies the circulation of learner emotions during a tertiary chitchatting e-tandem called "Bab(b)elade." In this online collaborative language learning project, students of French and Dutch develop each other's foreign language competence in an informal setting, away from 'classic' academic requirements. Using questionnaire…

Many professionals consider computational thinking an essential skill in the twenty-first century. Furthermore, some studies demonstrate that computer-based networking skills and digital environments can improve computational thinking. A challenging question to be addressed is whether informal learning in a digital context is related to…

Scholars have often highlighted the intrinsic features of technology to support the generation and sharing of ideas (Craft 2011). By studying user interactions within informal online communities, researcher can elucidate the ways technology impacts creativity and learning within these groups. This qualitative content analysis (Hsieh and Shannon…

Purpose: The purpose of this conceptual paper is to describe how the affinity space concept has been used to frame learning via social media, and call for and discuss a refresh of the affinity space concept to accommodate changes in social media platforms and algorithms. Design/methodology/approach: Guided by a sociocultural perspective, this…

Engagement with online media among learners is closely linked to language proficiency and cultural comprehension, offering a platform for enhancing English language skills. This has given rise to the field of online informal learning of English (OILE), with numerous studies exploring learners' habits in this domain and indicating positive impacts…

Despite the continued use of social media in educational contexts, there remains skepticism about whether platforms like Twitter can actually contribute to learning. In this paper, we argue that such skepticism is based on an overly narrow conception of learning that focuses on academic performance and disregards other manifestations. To advance…

The social responsibility of college students in the later stages of adolescence for sustainable development is emphasized, and the role of universities has become a crucial task. This study aimed to explore the level of college students' cognition, attitude, and behavior towards sustainable development and the association among them through the…

Contemporary young students in Asia and in the Nordic region are increasingly learning English outside the classroom by using technology (a.k.a. Informal Digital Learning of English [IDLE]). This comparative study examines to what extent "IDLE" influences Korean and Swedish students' "willingness to communicate in a second language…

"Online learning"--learning that involves interactions that are mediated through using digital, typically internet-based, technology--is pervasive, multi-faceted, and evolving, creating opportunities and challenges for educational research in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this special issue, we advance an interdisciplinary agenda…

This study reviewed evolving research trends in online, distance, and blended learning over the past ten years through co-citation analysis. Related peer-reviewed research articles in the Web of Science were obtained and the references in the articles were analyzed. The result showed that literature review and meta-analysis studies on distance…

With the help of digital media and networking technologies, today's learners are increasingly participating in the consuming, producing, and disseminating of new meanings in various modes such as text, image, sound, video, or all together--particularly in online communities--forming new identities as knowledge producers. By using online…

Productive "Third Spaces" are often an afterthought when designing learning environments, both in a physical sense and online. These areas, properly mediated by technology and designed around humans, can often be a key facilitator for student success. The STAC Model is designed to provide a framework for understanding what makes these…

This study explored how the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum, an informal online language learning community in China, functioned to support its members to improve their English writing proficiency. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) model was used as the theoretical framework to explore the existence of teaching presence, cognitive…

This study uses Critical Discourse Analysis and Social Network Analysis to examine an online peer mentoring site created to unite first-year and third-year preservice teachers enrolled in an undergraduate teacher education program. The peer mentoring site was developed to provide both first-year preservice teachers and more experienced peers the…