Mobile instant messaging (MIM) has become the most popular means for young people to communicate. MIM apps typically come with a myriad of features that educators may leverage to increase student learning. However, it remains poorly understood to what extent and in what aspect MIM can facilitate student engagement. We address the gap by comparing…

In the ever-changing digital era, the surge of online informal language learning platforms has revolutionized the way we learn new languages. This dissertation delves into the critical role of interactional feedback (IF) in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC), a cornerstone for optimizing these digital learning spaces. Anchored in…

The integration of web-based discussion tools in education has expanded rapidly, yet their pedagogical use remains largely unstructured, often resulting in fragmented discussions and limited learners' engagement. This gap reflects the absence of empirically grounded instructional models that align digital discourse with principles of collaborative…

The study examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced gamification on learning outcomes and motivation in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. A mixed-methods approach and quasi-experimental design were employed to compare the effectiveness of three instructional strategies: adaptive learning paths, conversational agents,…

The onset of the 2020 pandemic caused traditional in-person library instruction to expeditiously move to virtual environments. In an effort to maintain the personalized human touch and interactions that occur between librarians, students, and faculty, the constructs of teaching presence were embedded into online informational literacy sessions at…

Increasingly postgraduate courses are delivered online to meet professionals' demands for life-long learning. The research examined the efficacy of students critiquing each other's seminal work, by either direct exchange or via online fora, as a structured part of their formal assessments. A total of 377 students across three experimental and two…

Chatbots hold the promise of revolutionizing education by engaging learners, personalizing learning activities, supporting educators, and developing deep insight into learners' behavior. However, there is a lack of studies that analyze the recent evidence-based chatbot-learner interaction design techniques applied in education. This study presents…

Purpose: With the growth of digital education, students increasingly interact in a variety of ways. The potential effects of these interactions on their learning process are not fully understood and the outcomes may depend on the tool used. This study explores the communication patterns and learning effectiveness developed by students using two…

The research described in this article explored the efficacy of a novel teaching strategy to recreate classroom debates online. Using a structured approach and collaborative group work, the researchers developed an approach that students found very useful in six different dimensions: enhancement of active learning, critical thinking, interaction…

Online English language teaching can now be facilitated by communication technology, which allows easy access to interaction with native speakers. Nevertheless, this industry subscribes to an assumption that native speaker English teachers (NESTs) are the gold standard of language whereas the non-native speaker English teachers (NNESTs) are…

This study was performed to investigate the impact of the virtual classroom on second/foreign language (L2) interaction. A total of 90 Saudi female undergraduate students participated in this study. All participants were enrolled in an English language course in the Preparatory Year Programme (PYP) at a Saudi English Language Centre (ELC), with…

Multiple theoretical frameworks support the notion of interactional feedback as facilitative of second language (L2) development. However, research demonstrates that learners often avoid providing feedback during peer collaborative work, thus failing to take advantage of key opportunities for language learning and development. Recent studies have…

Theoretically emerged from Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of mind (SCT), Dynamic Assessment (DA) highlights the notions of mediation and reciprocity as the dynamics of learners' progress toward independent functioning. As a qualitative inquiry into the nature of Iranian EFL learners' development in DA based academic writing courses, this study…

This study, conducted by graduate students, investigated student perceptions of an online course orientation: WyoCourses Orientation Course. This process began with a university-wide change to a new learning management system (LMS). We carried out focus groups with a small group of students about the tools they used, how they interacted with…

The number of publications on live online teaching and distance learning has significantly increased over the past two years since the outbreak and worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, but more research is needed on effective methodologies and their impact on the learning process. This research aimed to analyze student interaction and…