{"title":"How do help-seeking and help-abuse affect learning achievement in an interactive learning environment?","authors":"Andreas Schulz, Johannes Voermanek","doi":"10.1016/j.caeo.2025.100247","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.caeo.2025.100247","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Students' help-seeking behavior plays a central role in successful learning with interactive learning environments (ILEs), such as intelligent tutoring systems that provide on-demand help, including step-by-step hints or strategic help for solving mathematics problems. However, learners can also abuse the help offered when trying to successfully complete an ILE by using the hints provided primarily to find the required solution with as little effort as possible, rather than using the hints to support their learning efforts. This type of help abuse by learners undermines the purpose of an ILE. The present study investigated the extent to which self-reported help-abuse of 322 student teachers mediates the effect of observed help-seeking on learning number conversion in an ILE. Further, we examined the moderating effects of prior knowledge and academic self-concept in mathematics (MSC) on the effects of help-seeking and help-abuse on learning. The results showed that increased help-seeking had a significant negative impact on learning achievement. However, this could only be observed for the use of step-by-step hints, but not for the use of strategic help. The extent of self-reported help-abuse largely mediated the negative influence of observed help-seeking on learning achievement. The study indicates that step-by-step hints in ILEs could be faded out in the learning process and that more emphasis should be placed on strategic help that encourages self-explanations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100322,"journal":{"name":"Computers and Education Open","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100247"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143552699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"TPACK in context: An updated model","authors":"Dominik Petko , Punya Mishra , Matthew J Koehler","doi":"10.1016/j.caeo.2025.100244","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.caeo.2025.100244","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework has evolved significantly since its introduction, particularly in its treatment of context. The original model acknowledged contexts through a dotted circle surrounding the framework's core components; however, understanding and operationalizing these contexts has remained challenging for researchers and practitioners. We address this challenge by proposing a new conceptual synthesis that bridges two prominent approaches to context in TPACK: contexts as external influences and Contextual Knowledge (XK) as a distinct knowledge domain. We argue that both perspectives are essential and complementary. Drawing on research from cognitive psychology, teacher expertise, and situated learning, we argue that TPACK exists simultaneously as teacher knowledge that is shaped by external contexts (contextualized knowledge) and as knowledge about educational environments (Contextual Knowledge). This dual nature is reflected in our proposed model, which maintains the original framework's dotted circle representing external contexts while incorporating XK as an additional knowledge domain. This reconceptualization provides theoretical clarity and practical utility for understanding how teachers develop and apply their technology integration knowledge across different educational settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100322,"journal":{"name":"Computers and Education Open","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100244"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143180121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ali Farooq , Amani Alabed , Pilira Stella Msefula , Reham AL Tamime , Joni Salminen , Soon-gyo Jung , Bernard J. Jansen
{"title":"Representing groups of students as personas: A systematic review of persona creation, application, and trends in the educational domain","authors":"Ali Farooq , Amani Alabed , Pilira Stella Msefula , Reham AL Tamime , Joni Salminen , Soon-gyo Jung , Bernard J. Jansen","doi":"10.1016/j.caeo.2025.100242","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.caeo.2025.100242","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a comprehensive systematic review of the use of student personas in education, drawing insights from 83 publications identified through the ACM Digital Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. The analysis reveals that qualitative methodologies dominate persona development, with limited adoption of data-driven algorithmic approaches. Most studies constructed small persona sets—typically four or fewer—focusing on dimensions such as behaviors, beliefs, goals, needs, experiences, perceptions, and demographics, contrasting with larger sets found in industry. Predominantly featured in educational conferences, student personas were employed to (1) understand user needs, goals, and behaviors, (2) support the design and development of learning systems, (3) enhance teaching and learning practices, (4) facilitate persona-based roleplaying, and (5) promote diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility. However, the assessment of personas’ impact in these areas remains minimal. The findings suggest significant opportunities for the educational sector to leverage algorithmic methods to advance persona creation and broaden their application scope.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100322,"journal":{"name":"Computers and Education Open","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100242"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143180122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elena Florit , Pietro De Carli , Antonio Rodà , Kate Cain , Lucia Mason
{"title":"Reading from paper, computers, and tablets in the first grade: The role of comprehension monitoring","authors":"Elena Florit , Pietro De Carli , Antonio Rodà , Kate Cain , Lucia Mason","doi":"10.1016/j.caeo.2025.100243","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.caeo.2025.100243","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent meta-analyses indicate poorer comprehension when reading from computers or handheld devices compared to paper-based reading of informational texts. Meta-analyses also suggest that this screen inferiority effect may be linked to individual differences in metacognition. However, most paper vs. screen research to date has been conducted with university students. This study investigated whether the inferiority of screen-based reading from computers and handheld devices for informational texts is evident in beginner readers and related to comprehension monitoring skills. In a within-subjects design, first graders' (N = 58; M<sub>age</sub> = 6.8 years) comprehension of main point, literal and inferential information was assessed using one narrative and one informational (i.e., descriptive) text read on paper, computer (laptop), and tablet. Comprehension monitoring was assessed through an inconsistency detection task. A standardized measure of reading comprehension was included as a control in the main analyses. Supplementary analyses controlling for word reading accuracy and medium preferences were also run. Linear mixed models showed superiority of main point comprehension for descriptive texts presented on tablets and inferential comprehension for narrative over descriptive texts, independent of medium. Results for literal comprehension were mixed. In addition, comprehension monitoring was related to main point and literal comprehension regardless of medium and had a greater effect on descriptive than narrative text comprehension at the inferential level. A screen inferiority effect was not detected in beginner readers' comprehension of texts from two digital mediums. Text comprehension was supported by metacognition, independent of medium.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100322,"journal":{"name":"Computers and Education Open","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100243"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143180124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Markus Wolfgang Hermann Spitzer, Leif Erik Langsdorf, Eileen Richter, Torsten Schubert
{"title":"Low-performing students benefit mostly from Open-Book Examinations","authors":"Markus Wolfgang Hermann Spitzer, Leif Erik Langsdorf, Eileen Richter, Torsten Schubert","doi":"10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100239","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100239","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Online open-book examinations have become a true alternative to online closed-book examinations. However, mixed evidence exists on whether students’ examination outcomes differ between the two examination formats and little is known about whether the two examination formats affect all students equally, or whether lower-performing students are affected differently than higher-performing students. Here, we compared examination outcomes of two groups of students (open-book students =112; closed-book students =83) of a cognitive psychology lecture, while controlling for examination item difficulty. We observed significantly higher outcomes for the open-book group than for the closed-book group. The open-book group also spent more time on their examination. In addition, our findings indicated that especially lower-performing students in the open-book group had higher examination outcomes relative to the lower-performing students in the closed-book group. This result was further substantiated by relatively more students who passed the open-book examination than the closed-book exam. We conclude that open-book examinations lead to increased examination scores and that particularly lower-performing students benefit mostly from this examination format.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100322,"journal":{"name":"Computers and Education Open","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100239"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143180123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Instructor Maladaptive and Adaptive Relational Styles (I-MARS) as drivers of online-student retention and satisfaction","authors":"Stamatis Elntib","doi":"10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100238","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100238","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study retrospectively assessed forum and module-based email communications between instructors and students. The data set analysed consisted of 40.000 forum posts and 10.000 Blackboard emails matched with 522 end of module student surveys extracted from 57 asynchronous and 100 % online postgraduate modules. Using structural equation modelling, it was demonstrated that adaptive and maladaptive instructor interpersonal behaviors were inversely related. Student retention during the first two weeks was positively associated with instructor adaptive and maladaptive (mainly passive) forum behaviors and negatively associated with instructor disengagement from the forum discussions. Student retention from week 3 onwards was positively associated with adaptive forum and email instructor communication and with instructor active attempts to embrace student autonomy but was negatively associated with instructor empathy. Maladaptive email instructor behavior negatively predicted student-satisfaction. Diagnosing and mapping the archetypal relational styles instructors use to engage with students may allow a better understanding of the interpersonal dynamics of online student retention and satisfaction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100322,"journal":{"name":"Computers and Education Open","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100238"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143180125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dana AlZoubi , Evrim Baran , Aliye Karabulut-Ilgu , Anasilvia Salazar Morales , Stephen B. Gilbert
{"title":"From concept to classroom: Developing instructor dashboards through human centered design","authors":"Dana AlZoubi , Evrim Baran , Aliye Karabulut-Ilgu , Anasilvia Salazar Morales , Stephen B. Gilbert","doi":"10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100234","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100234","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dashboards visually provide automated feedback and communicate classroom data that instructors cannot otherwise recall. To date, dashboards have been designed more from a technical than a pedagogical perspective. Although researchers have called for a human-centered approach to dashboard design, research documenting design processes has been limited in the literature. In the present study, a human-centered approach was employed to design an instructor dashboard. The design processes and illustrative prototypes are presented, along with the features participant instructors perceived to be the most and least helpful. The integration of a human-centered approach to guide the processes involved in designing actionable instructor dashboards is also discussed. Three components of a human centered approach are recommended: (a) designing with multiple stakeholders, (b) aligning pedagogy with analytics, and (c) training on data use. This research contributes to the field by demonstrating how human-centered design can bridge the gap between technological potentials and pedagogical features in instructor dashboards, ultimately leading to effective integration of such tools in higher education classrooms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100322,"journal":{"name":"Computers and Education Open","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100234"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143130307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yaoyao Zhang, Christina Ioanna Pappa, Daniel Pittich
{"title":"Exploring user-generated content motivations: A systematic review of theoretical perspectives and empirical gaps in online learning","authors":"Yaoyao Zhang, Christina Ioanna Pappa, Daniel Pittich","doi":"10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100235","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100235","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Technological advancements, digital transformation, and the increasing prominence of web-based platforms have significantly expanded the pool of online content producers, particularly within the User-Generated Content (UGC) model. This study comprehensively reviews the literature on UGC- generative motivations published from January 2005 to December 2022. Using the Web of Science (WoS) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases, we updated retrieving English and Chinese literature in June and November 2024, respectively. We screened the identified studies based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in 63 and another 3 primary studies. These studies were analyzed to extract 13 distinct UGC-generative motivations, 46 motivation influence factors, and 22 most empirically supported theoretical perspectives. The relationship between motivations and motivation influence factors was classified into intrinsic, extrinsic, personal, and technical levels. Our findings indicate a notable gap in empirical research regarding UGC generation from the perspectives of knowledge ecosystems and cognitive surplus, particularly in the context of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) online learning. The study underscores the importance of leveraging cognitive surplus to enhance the UGC knowledge ecosystem, specifically recommending targeted strategies for educators and platform designers to motivate TVET teachers to contribute to UGC effectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100322,"journal":{"name":"Computers and Education Open","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100235"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143130305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Placing TPACK in context: Looking at the big picture","authors":"Dominik Petko , Matthew J Koehler , Punya Mishra","doi":"10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100236","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100236","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This special issue of Computers and Education Open focuses on the dynamic relationship between teacher knowledge for technology integration and contextual factors. It examines how contexts and contextual knowledge influence the development, application, and enactment of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) across various educational settings. Articles in this issue address critical topics, including the investigation of TPACK in international settings, its alignment with local contexts, strategies for measuring TPACK in specific environments, approaches to training TPACK in applied settings, and the implementation of TPACK in new and evolving contexts. By exploring these dimensions at micro-, meso‑, and macro-levels, this collection contributes to a deeper understanding of how contextual factors shape TPACK, offering valuable perspectives for advancing research and practice in technology-enhanced education.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100322,"journal":{"name":"Computers and Education Open","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100236"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143130306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Define, foster, and assess student and teacher AI literacy and competency for all: Current status and future research direction","authors":"Thomas K.F. Chiu , Ismaila Temitayo Sanusi","doi":"10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100182","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100182","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":100322,"journal":{"name":"Computers and Education Open","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100182"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141031373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}