Computers & Education最新文献

{"title":"Assessing information problem solving through a simulation game: Validation evidence from a municipal enforcement official context","authors":"Aranka Bijl ,&nbsp;Sebastiaan de Klerk ,&nbsp;Bernard P. Veldkamp ,&nbsp;Saskia Wools","doi":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105533","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105533","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessing complex vocational skills such as information problem solving is challenging, as it requires balancing authentic, construct-relevant tasks with standardized assessment conditions to ensure fair and meaningful results. This study responds to this challenge by addressing the gap in empirical validation of simulation games for summative assessment by validating <em>Crossroads</em> – a simulation game designed to measure information problem solving among municipal enforcement officials responsible for maintaining public safety. Grounded in the information problem solving model, the assessment focused on three of the model's constituent skills: scanning, processing, and organizing and presenting information. Performance on these skills was operationalized through six subscales. Using a known-groups design, the performance of first-year students, final-year students, and practicing municipal enforcement officials was examined. Participants completed a domain-specific information problem solving task in <em>Crossroads</em>: planning a surveillance route. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to investigate the underlying latent structure of the performance data. The results supported a one-factor model, suggesting that performance across subscales reflects a single underlying construct. Significant performance differences were observed between final-year students and both first-year students and practicing officials. Participants evaluated <em>Crossroads</em> positively in terms of usability and face validity. The findings provide evidence supporting the use of simulation games for summative assessment, demonstrating that <em>Crossroads</em> can elicit and differentiate levels of information problem solving in an assessment balancing authentic task characteristics with standardized assessment criteria. Several limitations highlight directions for future research, including expanding construct coverage, eliminating prior knowledge confounds, and balancing game autonomy with assessment structure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10568,"journal":{"name":"Computers & Education","volume":"244 ","pages":"Article 105533"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145731636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the regulation of learning within mobile mixed-reality environments: Insights from dynamic engagement transitions","authors":"Yu Liu ,&nbsp;Kang Yue ,&nbsp;Yue Liu ,&nbsp;Songyue Yang ,&nbsp;Haolin Gao ,&nbsp;Hao Sha","doi":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105519","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105519","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Analyzing transitions in multidimensional engagement states across regulated learning phases offers valuable insights into learning behaviors at a granular level. Nevertheless, the extraction of multimodal trigger signals to evaluate engagement dynamics remains a critical challenge, particularly within mixed-reality environments. Hence, this study developed a mixed-reality learning system using multi-scaffolding tools as system architectures to integrate regulatory mechanisms along the immersive learning trajectory. Specifically, the color-coded concept maps were designed as the user interface to support planning and goal orientation, while two-tier tests were incorporated as a content structuring mechanism to help learners monitor, evaluate, and adapt learning status. A comprehensive six-dimensional engagement framework was proposed to incorporate interactive, constructive, active, passive, emotional, and behavioral engagement, serving as the theoretical underpinning for the extraction of trigger signals within regulated learning phases and subprocesses. Empirical research was conducted to assess the effectiveness and learner perceptions of this novel mixed-reality learning system, utilizing a 2 <span><math><mo>×</mo></math></span> 2 mixed factorial design, with regulation type (self-regulated vs. peer-scaffolded) as the between-subjects factor and device type (smartphones vs. tablets) as the within-subjects factor. Results from 64 high school students indicated that multi-scaffolding tools significantly enhanced learning achievement across conditions. Smartphones, due to lighter weight and smaller displays, encouraged more physical behavioral engagement, while tablets, with higher resolution and larger displays, fostered greater constructive engagement. Learners in peer-scaffolded learning exhibited higher engagement transition among emotional, active, and constructive states but inefficient learning adaption, whereas learners in self-regulated learning concentrated more on task-oriented behaviors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10568,"journal":{"name":"Computers & Education","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 105519"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145689714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Do school-based ChatGPT policies Bridge or widen gaps in students’ computer and information literacy across gender, socioeconomic status, and immigration backgrounds","authors":"Jia Chen Liu,&nbsp;Alan C.K. Cheung,&nbsp;Hyunwoo Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105536","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105536","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the increasing application of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, many schools have developed school-based policies to regulate teachers' and students' use of these technologies. However, empirical evidence on the effectiveness of such policies remains limited. This study examines the relationship between school-based ChatGPT policies and students' computer and information literacy (CIL), and whether these policies moderate CIL disparities across students' gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and immigration background. The data come from International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2023, where school-based ChatGPT policies are distinguished for teachers and for students, each with three categories: unrestricted use, restricted use, and not allowed. Employing cross-level interaction models with random slopes, three findings emerge: (1) female, higher-SES, and non-immigrant students exhibit higher levels of CIL after controlling for student- and school-level covariates, including school-based ChatGPT policies; (2) policies permitting students' unrestricted use are negatively associated with CIL, whereas other policies for students and teachers show no significant direct relationship with CIL; (3) moderation is observed. Policies allowing teachers' use, whether unrestricted or restricted, narrow SES-related CIL gaps, while those permitting students’ unrestricted use exacerbate digital gender divide. These results highlight the need for well-designed and institution-supported AI use policies to promote equitable digital competence development in schools and to prevent the widening of existing digital divides.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10568,"journal":{"name":"Computers & Education","volume":"244 ","pages":"Article 105536"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145753451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing students’ critical thinking literacy in a generative AI context: Eye movement patterns of deepfake detection","authors":"Hayley Weigelt ,&nbsp;Elad Segev ,&nbsp;Gila Kurtz ,&nbsp;Omri Kahana ,&nbsp;Nohar Raz Fogel","doi":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105529","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105529","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examined, using eye-tracking technology, the gaze patterns of guided exposure to deepfake and authentic portrait images in comparison to unguided exposure to assess their influence on the acquisition and application of critical thinking literacy among first-year Bachelor students. Employing a between-groups experimental design, we analyzed visual gaze patterns between students who participated in the experiment group (n = 24) and those in the control group (n = 44). The results revealed significant differences in visual attention patterns, with the experimental group exhibiting a longer duration and broader distribution of fixations compared to the control group. The experimental group also achieved higher accuracy in identifying deepfake portrait images and exhibited a greater propensity to classify images as GenAI-generated. Nonetheless, both groups overestimated their detection capabilities, with no significant difference in perceived performance. As GenAI technologies continue to evolve, higher education institutions must prioritize the development of the essential 21st-century literacies, integrating cognitive training with technological solutions to combat GenAI-generated misinformation. This research contributes to the fields of GenAI literacy and critical thinking education by providing objective evidence, as measured through eye-tracking, that targeted interventions can significantly alter cognitive processing strategies. Educational practice must balance the development of critical evaluation skills with fostering a realistic awareness of human limitations, thereby preparing students to become discerning consumers and responsible creators in an increasingly complex digital information landscape.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10568,"journal":{"name":"Computers & Education","volume":"244 ","pages":"Article 105529"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145731718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing the deceptive impact of misleading data visualizations: Implications for adaptive data literacy support in computer-based learning environments","authors":"Jihyun Rho ,&nbsp;Martina Angela Rau ,&nbsp;Xiaojin Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105508","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105508","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Misleading data visualizations are increasingly prevalent in digital learning environments, posing significant challenges to learners' ability to accurately interpret quantitative information. While prior research has examined individual types of misleading visual features, few studies have systematically compared their relative impacts on learner comprehension or explored how data literacy moderates these effects. This study addresses these gaps by empirically evaluating the deceptive potential of 14 types of misleading data visualizations and examining how learners’ data literacy influences interpretation accuracy. Using a within-subjects experimental design, 68 undergraduate students interpreted both misleading and non-misleading versions of various charts. Results revealed that certain misleading features, particularly axis-related distortions such as inverted y-axes, irregular x-axis intervals, and dual axes, significantly reduced interpretation accuracy. Although higher data literacy improved performance, some misleading features continued to impair comprehension even among visually literate learners. These findings highlight the need for instructional interventions and learning technologies that explicitly address visual misinformation. We discuss implications for data literacy education, learning design, and the development of educational tools that support critical interpretation of data visualizations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10568,"journal":{"name":"Computers & Education","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 105508"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145554244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Teacher-led robot intervention in early primary school classrooms improves pupil and teacher outcomes","authors":"Amy A.E. Hughes ,&nbsp;Sarah A. Gerson ,&nbsp;Johanna E. van Schaik","doi":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105510","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Programming is often taught through robots in early primary education to support young children's computational thinking (CT), but many teachers lack the confidence and training to use them effectively. This paper presents a school-based robot intervention for children aged 4–7 (n = 430) and their classroom teachers (n = 17), delivered under three conditions: Intervention (robot intervention only), Intervention+ (intervention plus teacher education), and Control (no intervention). The two intervention groups assessed whether teacher education, in addition to classroom robot experience, influenced pupils' prediction and debugging, transferable skills (programming transfer and picture sequencing), and teachers' beliefs (enjoyment, relevance, self-efficacy, anxiety). The intervention improved children's prediction and debugging scores significantly, but only Intervention+ significantly outperformed Control for both prediction and debugging. Performance on the programming transfer and picture sequencing tasks improved across all groups. Teachers in both intervention groups reported improved relevance beliefs, though only Intervention+ showed a significant difference from Control. Self-efficacy also improved significantly in Intervention+ only. These findings offer practical guidance for embedding programming with robots in primary education and underscore the importance of teacher education for significant impact.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10568,"journal":{"name":"Computers & Education","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 105510"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145560042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Think digital, thrive digital: A multilevel exploration from school principals' digital mindset to teachers’ digital flourishing","authors":"Masoumeh Kouhsari ,&nbsp;Junjun Chen ,&nbsp;Kosar Shirzad","doi":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Employing a multilevel modelling approach, this study explored the impact of school principals' digital mindsets on teachers' digital flourishing, both directly and indirectly via teachers' digital self-efficacy. A total of 417 school principals and 3336 teachers in Tehran, the capital of Iran, participated in the study. The results indicate that principals' empathy and agility were directly and positively associated with teachers' digital flourishing, while all four dimensions of principals' digital mindsets-empathy, innovativeness, openness, and agility-were positively related to teachers' digital flourishing indirectly through teachers’ digital self-efficacy. The findings provide valuable insights that can inform policymakers and practitioners in making informed decisions and interventions aimed at enhancing principal digital mindsets, teacher digital flourishing, and ultimately school digital transformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10568,"journal":{"name":"Computers & Education","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 105506"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145560040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The roles of cognitive and metacognitive strategies in game-based virtual reality learning","authors":"Chih-Hung Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105512","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105512","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Virtual Reality (VR) provides immersive learning experiences that can potentially promote learning motivation and performance; however, high spatial presence in VR may impair cognitive and perceptual processing due to resource overload. While current perspectives on multimedia learning emphasize the important role of cognitive and metacognitive strategies, recent studies have suggested that high-immersion VR may, in some cases, be less effective in terms of supporting student learning. Moreover, prior research has depicted distinct learning effects of cognitive and metacognitive prompts. Some studies have declared that cognitive prompts, alone or combined with metacognitive prompts, enhance learning outcomes more than metacognitive prompts alone, while others have highlighted the greater advantages of their combination compared to cognitive prompts alone. A game-based VR learning system with cognitive and metacognitive strategies was designed in this study to support students' inquiry-based science learning activities, and to examine their individual and interaction effects on learning outcomes. A two-factor experimental design was adopted to address the research questions assessing the effects of this approach on students’ science learning achievements, problem-solving tendencies, and self-efficacy. Furthermore, four groups of students aged between 10 and 11 years old participated in the experiment, each following different prompt conditions: cognitive (cognitive vs. non-cognitive) and metacognitive (metacognitive vs. non-metacognitive) mechanisms during the game-based VR learning activities. Results indicated that students learning with cognitive prompts but without metacognitive prompts displayed better learning achievements and stronger problem-solving tendencies compared to those with no prompts. Moreover, students using only cognitive prompts displayed significantly stronger problem-solving tendencies than those utilizing both cognitive and metacognitive prompts. Furthermore, students with cognitive prompts revealed higher self-efficacy than those without cognitive prompts. This study offers new insights into the roles of cognitive and metacognitive strategies in game-based VR learning, highlighting the potential benefits of cognitive prompts for supporting multimedia learning within high-immersion environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10568,"journal":{"name":"Computers & Education","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 105512"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145567455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Young children's Internet of Toys play at home: Status quo and associations with academic performance","authors":"Li Ling ,&nbsp;Nicola Yelland ,&nbsp;Camille Dickson-Deane","doi":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105505","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105505","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Contemporary children are growing up with Internet-connected playthings, often referred to as the Internet of Toys (IoToys), which can extend physical play into the virtual realm. Thus, it is important for parents, educators, and policymakers to understand the possible influences that the IoToys might bring to young children's learning and development. The present study examined 730 Chinese children's (5–8 years old) IoToys play at home from three perspectives including the devices for play, the content of play and the time spent on play. It also explored whether associations existed between young children's IoToys play and their academic performance in early primary school. Findings suggest that over 60% of Chinese young children started to play with the IoToys at or before the age of five. Although the amount of time spent on the IoToys was discovered to have no significant relationship with young children's academic performance, one type of play content showed significant associations. Specifically, social media play on the IoToys was negatively associated with children's academic performance in both literacy (B = −0.375, p &lt; 0.001, 95% C.I. = [-0.566, −0.185]) and mathematics (B = −0.373, p &lt; 0.001, 95% C.I. = [-0.563, −0.182]). Implications for practice and future research are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10568,"journal":{"name":"Computers & Education","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 105505"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145531088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Community of inquiry in motion: Modeling inquiry dynamics with movement analysis (MOVA)","authors":"Shen Ba ,&nbsp;Zachari Swiecki ,&nbsp;Yuanru Tan ,&nbsp;Guoqing Lu ,&nbsp;David Williamson Shaffer ,&nbsp;Dragan Gašević","doi":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105513","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105513","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Collaborative inquiry is a well-established pedagogical approach for fostering learner collaboration, critical thinking, and higher-order thinking skills. However, its complex and dynamic nature presents challenges for educators and learners in monitoring and regulating group interactions effectively. While previous research guided by the community of inquiry (CoI) model has employed descriptive, correlational, and sequential analyses to examine relationships among CoI elements, these approaches often treat such relationships as static, overlooking their evolving interdependence throughout the inquiry process. To address this gap, this study integrated the CoI model with epistemic frame theory (EFT) to conceptualize the dynamic interplay among CoI elements. Based on this integrated framework, the study introduced movement analysis (MOVA), a method for modeling and visualizing collaborative inquiry as transitions between distinct inquiry states, each defined by the collective configuration of CoI presences. MOVA was applied to data collected from a university-level course involving 108 students across two classes, each divided into eight groups. Throughout the inquiry sessions, students generated 1617 messages using a multi-user instant messaging tool. Findings showed that the inquiry states identified by MOVA aligned with the three CoI presences and revealed how these elements co-occurred to fulfill specific inquiry functions. MOVA also expanded the CoI model by demonstrating the evolving interdependence among presences and the cyclical nature of collaborative inquiry. Furthermore, MOVA enabled cross-group comparisons of inquiry processes based on the common set of inquiry states.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10568,"journal":{"name":"Computers & Education","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 105513"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145567454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}