Mixed methods research is becoming more prevalent in educational technology due to its potential for addressing complex educational problems by integrating qualitative and quantitative data and findings. At the same time, a growing chorus of researchers laments the quality and rigor of research in this field. Mixed methods studies which…

Educational Design Research (EDR) employs a diverse range of methods to study learning, teaching, design, and technology--and new ones are shared in this special issue. We contend that a focus on methods inherently requires examination of the questions they are used to answer and the ways in which the resulting findings advance scientific…

Understanding experiences in online educational settings is crucial to improving teaching and learning. The purpose of this paper is to describe "Narrative Inquiry" as a research methodology that has the potential create the relational opportunities necessary to understand experiences in online learning environments. In this article, I…

Since 1983, the Instructional Theory Framework (ITF) (and its subsequent improvements) has guided instructional designers and researchers in designing and developing useful learner experiences (LX). For the past 40 years, the ITF was laser-focused on the selection of instructional methods, downplaying delivery methods (media) and management…

The aim of this paper was to explore the use of autoethnography methodology, a non-traditional and reflective approach, in educational technology research. Autoethnography involves a critical analysis of personal experiences and stories being positioned within the larger cultural, political, and social context. Following an overview of the origin…

Considering the increasing importance of educational technologies and the debates about the role of technology in education, it is of great importance to reveal research trends in educational technologies. It is also possible to present the big picture of trends and the comparative role of the UK in this picture, which is one of the main countries…

Engagement has been recognized as one of the most important factors of learning and achievement in academic settings. Research on engagement has been gearing toward a "person-in-context" orientation, where both personal characteristics and contextual features in relation to students' engagement are considered. This orientation allows a…

Facebook is widely used and researched. However, though the data generated by educational technology tools and social media platforms other than Facebook have been used for research purposes, very little research has used Facebook posts as a data source--with most studies relying on self-report studies. While it has historically been impractical…

This paper presents a systematic literature review characterizing the methodological properties of usability studies conducted on educational and learning technologies in the past 20 years. PRISMA guidelines were followed to identify, select, and review relevant research and report results. Our rigorous review focused on (1) categories of…

This review builds on prior reviews by synthesizing thirty studies that examined the effects of background music (BM) on learning from 2008 to 2018. Each study was coded based on key methodological features, BM's characteristics, and reported BM effects on learning (i.e., negative, neutral or positive). Frequencies and percentages were used to…

In the field of educational technology and instructional design, research methods are emerging that aim to curate different forms of knowledge and insights beyond traditional research studies, or what Reigeluth and An (in Reigeluth and Carr-Chellman (eds) Instructional-design theories and models: Building a common knowledge base, Lawrence Erlbaum…

With a focus on methodology and research process, this paper explores researcher collaboration in the development, implementation, analysis, and dissemination of a multi-institutional study of teacher educators' perspectives on technology infusion. At the conclusion of the 2018 National Technology Leadership Summit (NTLS), attendees recommended…

This study examines the research methods, topics, and trends of empirical MOOC research to gain a comprehensive understanding of the MOOC phenomenon through reviewing 541 empirical MOOCs research published from 2009 to 2019. The results indicate that: (1) the majority of studies adopted quantitative research methods followed by mixed research…

This study investigated the case-based method (CBM) instructional-design theory and its application in designing self-directed online instruction. The purpose of this study was to validate and refine the theory for a self-directed online instruction context. Guided by formative research methodology, this study first developed an online tutorial…

The development of learning environments based on full-body interaction has become an increasingly important field of research in recent years. However, the design and evaluation strategies currently used present some significant limitations. Two major shortcomings are: the inadequate involvement of children in the design process and a lack of…