Human and animal behaviors are influenced by goal-directed planning or automatic habitual choices. Reinforcement learning (RL) models propose two distinct learning strategies: a model-based strategy, which is more flexible but computationally demanding, and a model-free strategy is less flexible yet computationally efficient. In the current RL…

Large language models (LLMs) hold significant potential to enhance online learning by automating responses to learner queries and offering personalized, scalable support. However, concerns about bias in LLM-generated responses present challenges to their ethical and equitable use in educational settings. This study explores fairness and…

Implicit motor sequence learning is necessary to perform daily activities and is susceptible to age-related deficits. We examined how aging affects the learning of deterministic and probabilistic sequences assessed using the serial reaction time task and related variants. Both young and older adults demonstrated within-session learning of both…

K-12 educators are increasingly implementing inquiry-based learning as a way to foster problem-solving within their learning contexts. However, the literature identifies that teachers adapt inquiry-based learning on a number of contextual characteristics. This is important because if teachers diverge from its theoretical foundation, one might…

This paper reports on a study of a graduate-level interdisciplinary problem-based learning (iPBL) course focused on equity in local educational policy. The course combined principles of problem-based learning, project-based learning, and interdisciplinary learning by enabling students to collaborate across disciplines while navigating a complex…

This study examines the effect of blended learning (BL) practices on students' academic achievement in higher education settings through meta-analysis and meta-thematic analysis based on the data derived from document analysis. To comprehensively understand the effect of BL practices on students' achievement in higher education settings, the…

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of implementing a differentiated instruction strategy on developing writing skills among students with learning disabilities in Jordan. The research adopted a quasi-experimental approach, designing a training program tailored to the individual needs of the students. The program included 23 training sessions…

Early years education begins with the rejection of the notion that children are deficient adults. But it has culminated in a deep and abiding concern for learning difficulties, particularly in the field of reading. The purpose of this paper is to reconcile the seeming contradiction between the former view, which appears to eschew the concept of…

Cognitive load theory describes the mechanisms for the transfer of information from human working memory to long-term memory. This theory posits that increasing the number of interactive elements, such as interconnections, may increase cognitive load. This study investigates the impact of interconnections in concept maps on cognitive load,…

This research explores how nature-based loose part play helps unfold young children's learning connected with the natural world in the Kindergarten Program. It uses action research to investigate nature-based loose parts play in connection with the Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum to provide unique insights into identifying and addressing action…

The lack of consensus about gender-inclusive language (GIL) in German poses growing challenges for English-speaking German as a foreign language (L2 German) students and instructors. Whereas students often struggle to convey the same gender sensitivity that is generally available in English into their second language (L2), instructors are equally…

In this study, we examined the longitudinal reciprocal relationships among mastery goals, autonomous motivation, and motivation instability. In the hierarchical model of motivation, mastery goal for overall course subject learning has been positioned at the contextual level, while autonomous motivation and motivation instability during a specific…

Nathalie Sinclair's MERGA 2024 keynote challenged us to communicate video data in ways that provide the reader with a more holistic and embodied experience of the data. In this methodological position paper, we take up this challenge. Through video analysis of a pre-school child and her mother engaging about counting in threes (prompted by the…

Bioinformatics and computational biology have become indispensable in modern biological research, yet introductory resources remain scarce. "FILTERED," an innovative online educational tool that introduces high school students to fundamental bioinformatics concepts through engaging puzzle-based gameplay, was developed to address this…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in education, but mostly to support individual teaching and learning. However, there are good reasons to think that thinking together and solving problems together, Collective Intelligence (CI), is also a valuable outcome of education. Accordingly, our main research question is: How can AI be…