We present a microservice architecture for large-scale automated scoring applications. Our architecture builds on the open-source Apache Storm framework and facilitates the development of robust, scalable automated scoring applications that can easily be extended and customized. We demonstrate our architecture with an application for automated…

This study is the first to systematically investigate the extent to which apps for children aged 0-5 foster play and creativity. There is growing evidence of children's use of tablets, but limited knowledge of the use of apps by children of children of this age. This ESRC-funded study undertook research that identified how UK children aged from 0…

There have been increasing calls for applied researchers to see and utilize effect sizes as the primary outcomes of their research. However, this sometimes places a methodological burden on researchers whose primary interests are substantive. Motivated by a desire to help applied researchers better report effect sizes and their confidence…

One of the most widely researched issue on higher education relates to exposed paths that lead to academic success. Nowadays information systems represent an essential part of the education sector in many universities. In particular, the increasing of the number of students in higher education in Portugal leads to the progressive increase of…

With the wide availability of mobile devices and the growing interest in social media, numerous applications have emerged to support student engagement in the classroom. There is conflicting evidence, however, on whether the engagement benefits of such applications outweigh their potential cost as a source of disaffection. To investigate these…

An understanding of acid-base reactions is necessary for success in chemistry courses and relevant to careers outside of chemistry, yet research has demonstrated that students often struggle with learning acid-base reaction mechanisms in organic chemistry. One response to this challenge is the development of educational applications to support…

The popularity and use of smartphone apps for language learning have significantly grown in Iran over the past years. Despite this growth, empirical data on students' choice of such apps, their perception towards them, and the impact of external factors on their attitude remains scant. In an attempt to contribute to this research base, a…

Recently, a new source of data with great potential for use in the mathematics classroom has become available. The smartphones in our pockets are packed with sensors. Most phones have at a minimum global positioning, accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope sensors. We give an example of the collection and analysis of global positioning sensor…

Smartphone ownership estimates indicate the vast majority of young people are engaging with smartphone devices. The medium offers a promising opportunity for psychologists to connect with young people seeking help to traverse challenges with mental health, behaviour, learning and wellbeing. However, the views of young people using apps alongside…

A Multi-touch table functions as a tablet, but allows multiple children to move around and manipulate the screen simultaneously. Using social cognitive theory (Bandura 1997) to analyze group dynamics, this study examined computer-supported collaborative learning. Children were observed and recorded for 20 min, three times a week for 5 weeks as…

In three studies, we examined children's geography learning from a physical puzzle and an app designed to mimic the puzzle. In Study 1, 5- and 6-year-olds were taught Australia's states by an experimenter using a puzzle or were taught by an app. Children learned significantly more states from instruction with the puzzle than when they used the app…

In three studies, we examined children's geography learning from a physical puzzle and an app designed to mimic the puzzle. In Study 1, 5- and 6-year-olds were taught Australia's states by an experimenter using a puzzle or were taught by an app. Children learned significantly more states from instruction with the puzzle than when they used the app…

Estimote Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons deployed throughout a university campus enabled the creation of interactive tours for prospective and accepted students at Fall and Spring open house events. By configuring their mobile devices with an app to detect the beacons' signals, participants could view webpages containing information based on…

In the information age, where all answers are just a click away, curiosity, the intrinsic drive to learn, becomes of paramount importance. How easy is it to prime for curiosity and what are its effects? What simple interventions can be used to enable curiosity-driven behaviors? We have conducted a large-scale study to address these questions,…

The authors explored adolescents' literacy practices and identities on newly popular story-sharing platforms. For budding readers, writers, and designers, these sites represent new media ecologies. With a mixed-method case study of 40 globally dispersed adolescents, the authors chronicled literacy roles, identity stances, and practices on the…