Educational Technology - Artificial Intelligence
A. Mehri; E. Sadipour; F Dortaj
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Artificial intelligence has significantly changed the perspectives and methods of education and learning as a new educational technology. A segment of artificial intelligence includes natural language processors that can produce human-like texts, such as AI chatbots. Due to ...
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Background and Objectives: Artificial intelligence has significantly changed the perspectives and methods of education and learning as a new educational technology. A segment of artificial intelligence includes natural language processors that can produce human-like texts, such as AI chatbots. Due to their abilities to understand human language and answer users' questions, AI chatbots are recognized as important tools for education and learning. However, because the use of AI chatbots in education is still a recent development, there are currently very few studies on the effectiveness of this technology in learning. Accordingly, this research aims to examine the effects of AI chatbot-based blended learning in psychology on self-directed learning, student engagement, and critical thinking disposition among 11th-grade female students in the humanities in Zanjan.
Methods: This research was applied in purpose and quantitative in the nature of the collected data. It employed a quasi-experimental method with a pre-test and post-test design, involving a control group. The statistical population for this study comprised all 11th-grade female students in the humanities in Zanjan. A multi-stage cluster sampling technique was used, wherein one public girl’s high school in Zanjan, specifically Roghani Zanjani School, was randomly selected for the study, and two classes of students were assigned to the experimental and control groups. The sample consisted of 45 participants, divided into 21 in the experimental group and 24 in the control group. Data collection tools included the Self-Directed Learning Questionnaire by Fisher et al. (2001), the Academic Engagement Questionnaire by Reeve and Tseng (2011), and the Critical Thinking Disposition Questionnaire by Ricketts and Rudd (2005). The educational intervention spanned 8 sessions, each 90 minutes long, using the Sider software that offers and supports the ChatGPT AI chatbot. Given the multi-dimensional nature of all three dependent variables and the implementation of pre-tests, Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) was utilized, and the pre-test and post-test data were analyzed with SPSS version 26.
Findings: The analysis of the data using statistical measures such as mean and standard deviation showed that the mean scores of the post-test for the experimental group increased in comparison to the control group across all three dependent variables when compared to the pre-test. Furthermore, the results from the multivariate analysis of covariance indicated a significant difference in self-directed learning, academic engagement, and critical thinking disposition between the experimental and control groups at the post-test (p < 0.01). Thus, given the higher mean scores of the experimental group in the post-test relative to those in the control group, it can be concluded that the AI chatbot-based blended learning approach in the psychology course proved effective in increasing self-directed learning, academic engagement, and critical thinking among 11th-grade female students in the humanities in Zanjan.
Conclusion: Drawing on the findings from this research, we can conclude that the use of AI chatbots in conjunction with the formal psychology curriculum has great potential to enhance self-directed learning, academic engagement, and critical thinking disposition. However, there is a concern that dependence on the AI chatbot could result in diminished academic engagement, with learners potentially accepting the output data without critical evaluation. Therefore, it is recommended that educators and learners utilize AI chatbots as educational complements and learning aids while considering ethical educational implications, stressing the importance of teacher supervision and instructing adolescents in self-regulation. It should also be noted that this study had limitations, including a lack of resources and prior research, restrictions on access to AI chatbots for IPs within Iran, and various hardware and software challenges in installing the AI chatbot software.
Gamification
Z. Morovati; N. Mohammadhasani; Y. Mahdavi Nasab
Abstract
Background and Objectives Learning reading and writing skills in the first grade is crucial and fundamental. It has always been considered highly important for students to learn these skills at an early age. By learning to read in elementary school, students can accurately and comprehensively read various ...
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Background and Objectives Learning reading and writing skills in the first grade is crucial and fundamental. It has always been considered highly important for students to learn these skills at an early age. By learning to read in elementary school, students can accurately and comprehensively read various texts, including words, sentences, and simple texts. Strengthening their reading skills enables students to understand and benefit from the information available in books, newspapers, magazines, and other resources, which is essential for effective learning and progress in different subjects. Moreover, learning writing skills is also of great importance in the first grade. With this skill, students can express their thoughts, ideas, and experiences fully and accurately. They can arrange sentences in a logical order, use correct grammar rules, and form paragraphs correctly. This fundamental skill is crucial for written communication in the future and helps students develop strong analytical skills, creativity, and oral communication abilities. Engaging students in the learning process is one of the major challenges faced by teachers. Therefore, the use of an engaging learning method has become a concern for teachers in the field of teaching and learning. This study aimed to investigate the impact of gamification with badges on reading and writing skills as well as academic engagement among first-grade elementary school students.Materials and Methods: The research population consisted of all female first-grade students in Qazvin province during the academic year 2020-2021. A cluster sampling method was used to select the sample from different classes across the city. The sample size included three groups of 25 students each, divided into two experimental groups (gamification with badges and gamification without badges) and one control group. The research design employed a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The research instruments included researcher-developed reading and writing skill tests and the Rio Academic Engagement Questionnaire. The reliability of each measure was calculated using Cronbach's alpha. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, including means and standard deviations, while inferential statistics included Analysis of Covariance and Tukey's post hoc test using SPSS software.Findings: The results of the Analysis of Covariance indicated that the use of gamification had a significant effect on reading skills (F = 6.166, p< 0.003) and writing skills (F = 4.88, p< 0.010), as well as academic engagement (behavioral: F = 134.462, p < 0.000; emotional: F = 43.546, p< 0.000; cognitive: F = 348.598, p< 0.000; and agentic: F = 349.853, p< 0.000). Furthermore, Tukey's post hoc test revealed that the gamification with badges group outperformed the gamification without badges group in three subscales of the academic engagement (behavioral, agentic, and cognitive).Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrated that the use of gamification had a positive impact on reading and writing skills as well as academic engagement among elementary school students. Some recommendations include utilizing gamification strategies to create interactive, engaging, and lively learning environments, designing gamified learning environments to enhance motivation, participation, collaboration, and engagement, and exploring the effects of gamification (e.g., leaderboard) on increasing students' teamwork abilities.
Education technology -training course
M. Norollahi; H. Zangeneh; M. PourJamshidi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The central objective of the educational system is to cultivate student success, promote academic progress, and foster meaningful and enjoyable learning experiences. Achieving these aims hinges significantly on student engagement in the learning process, as its absence may ...
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Background and Objectives: The central objective of the educational system is to cultivate student success, promote academic progress, and foster meaningful and enjoyable learning experiences. Achieving these aims hinges significantly on student engagement in the learning process, as its absence may lead to academic failure and suboptimal outcomes. Numerous factors influence students' academic engagement quantity and quality, warranting thorough investigation. This need has been accentuated by the widespread implementation of virtual education during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been associated with declining academic performance and reduced interest in learning among students. In response to this challenge, examining the factors that impact academic engagement, including the support provided by teachers, parents, and classmates, and integrating new technologies that have become integral to the educational landscape is essential. However, utilizing these new technologies also brings unique challenges, notably technology anxiety, wherein students may experience fear and apprehension when confronted with technology-related tasks. The present research explores the relationship between the type of social support and learners' level of academic engagement, considering the mediating and moderating role of technology anxiety. By elucidating such relationships, this study aims to propose innovative and contemporary solutions that effectively harness social support, ultimately ensuring educational success and fostering positive learning experiences amidst the complexities of modern education.Materials and Methods: The research adopted a quantitative and survey-correlation methodology. The statistical population comprises 528 eighth-grade high school students (264 girls and 264 boys) from Famnin City during the academic year 2021-2022. Initially determined as 225 individuals using Karajesi and Morgan's table and selected through random cluster sampling, the sample size was later increased to 402 participants (221 girls and 181 boys) to enhance generalizability. The research instruments consist of Reeve's 2013 Academic Engagement Questionnaire, Dimrai and Maleki's 2002 Social Support Questionnaire, and Bandalos and Benson's 1990 Computer Anxiety Questionnaire. Convergent and divergent validity assessed the items' validity, while Cronbach's alpha, combined reliability, and Spearman's tests measured item reliability. The presented model and results were analyzed using structural equations and Spearman's correlation test.Findings: The findings from the structural equations analysis indicate a significant relationship between social support and the extent of student academic engagement mediated by technology anxiety. The social support provided by parents, teachers, and classmates exhibits both direct and indirect effects on students' academic engagement. This support, comprising instrumental, informational, emotional, and evaluative aspects, positively influences students' engagement in various technological aspects, including communication, work success, confidence, and intimacy. Consequently, technology anxiety is reduced, increasing academic engagement across behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and causal dimensions. Furthermore, this positive effect remains evident even when not considering technology anxiety as a mediating factor.Conclusions: The research findings highlight the crucial and fundamental role of parents, teachers, and classmates in addressing students' challenges, particularly in the realm of technology and its application in education. These key stakeholders can provide essential support to students, facilitating the resolution of technological issues. Recognizing their significant impact, policymakers and educational authorities should harness these valuable resources to enhance the quality of online education. Implementing targeted programs and plans to encourage parents, teachers, and classmates to offer increased social support will ultimately improve the overall learning experience and academic engagement.
Education technology - Lifelong learning
M. Moayeri
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Nowadays, one of the most basic things in education and learning is the use of technology in educational environments. By using the latest technology in the world, the level of learning can be significantly improved and therefore, the level of public awareness can be raised. ...
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Background and Objectives: Nowadays, one of the most basic things in education and learning is the use of technology in educational environments. By using the latest technology in the world, the level of learning can be significantly improved and therefore, the level of public awareness can be raised. This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of augmented reality-based mathematics education in cyberspace on student teachers’ lifelong learning and their academic engagement and also comparing it with the existing (traditional) method.Methods: The research method used in this study was quasi-experimental research method with a pretest-posttest experimental-control group design. The statistical population of the study included all student teachers with elementary education major in Shahid Beheshti university of Hormozgan. A total number of 40 participants were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (20 subjects in each group). The control group was traditionally ran based on cyberspace (Adobe Connect), and the experimental group was based on augmented reality-based method in cyberspace. The participants in experimental group were trained in 6 one-hour sessions by installing Microsoft Math Solver application on their cellphones. Research instruments included the Lifelong Learning Questionnaire of Wetzel et al. (2010) and Academic Engagement Questionnaire of Schaufeli et al. (2002)Findings: Findings of this study revealed that augmented reality-based mathematics education in cyberspace affected the student teachers’ lifelong learning and academic motivation, and increased their lifelong learning and academic engagement.Conclusion: According to the results of the experiments, the performance of the experimental group in using mathematics education based on augmented reality in cyberspace and its effect on lifelong learning and academic motivation were reported to be useful and effective. Augmented reality technology can be used as an educational method that not only draws students' attention to the subject being taught, but also due to its appropriate and user-friendly visual interaction procedures, it can provide a deeper learning while allows for being integrated with reality and thereby, can be considered as a competitor to traditional teaching tools. Also, the fascination of this type of teaching increases the interest in the environment and leads to the enthusiasm and interest of people, which is one of the important components for learning. In general, the augmented reality-based teaching method increases the student-teacher understanding of themselves and boost the speed of learning, and as a result, leads to learning desire, which increases their effort. Expanding the information of student teachers in the field of augmented reality education and holding in-service courses for teachers and providing augmented reality-based education are some of the practical suggestions of this article.
Electronic learning- virtual
M. Minaeinezhad; Y. Mahdavi Nasab; N. Mohammadhasani
Abstract
in the learning process of students; one of these technologies is educational multimedia. Among the principles and criteria of multimedia production is the use of educational agent in its design. An educational agent is an animated character that talks and is embedded in educational computer programs ...
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in the learning process of students; one of these technologies is educational multimedia. Among the principles and criteria of multimedia production is the use of educational agent in its design. An educational agent is an animated character that talks and is embedded in educational computer programs and helps to provide multimedia content or students' participation in learning. Although there have been numerous studies with the aim of investigating the effect of the educational agent in education, there has been no research regarding the use of several educational agents with different roles in educational multimedia. In this study, using multimedia with one educational agent and multimedia with three educational agents (each of which has a different role), and the effect of educational agents on learning, retention and academic engagement of students in science course was investigated.Methods: The statistical population of the research included all sixth-grade students in Khorram Abad in the academic year of 2020-2021. Using random sampling method, three classes of 30 students were selected among the sixth-grade classes of Khorram Abad schools and were randomly assigned to experimental groups. The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design. The research tools included a researcher-made learning test, a retention test, and Rio's academic engagement questionnaire, and the reliability coefficient was calculated as 0.821 using Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the academic engagement questionnaire. The classrooms were taught simultaneously and separately for four sessions using educational multimedia tools developed by the researcher.Findings: The results of covariance analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental science course scores in the groups (F=68.42, P<0.005) and the use of educational agent had a significant effect on learning. The difference in the average scores of the post-test learning of students who were trained with one educational agent (experiment group one) and students who were trained with three educational agents with different roles (experiment group two) was -9.35 and with 95% confidence of using three educational agents was more effective than using an educational agent and led to better learning of science lessons. In the retention variable, the results showed that there was a significant difference between the scores of the experimental groups (1 and 2) and the control group (F=7.6, P<0.05) and the use of an educational agent had an effect on retention compared to not using an educational agent and the presence of an educational agent in the education process led to better retention of information in the memory in the long run. The difference between the average scores of the memory test of the students of experiment group one and the students of experiment group two was -0.928 and there was no significant difference between the use of three educational agents compared to the use of one educational agent. In the variable of academic engagement, there was a significant difference between the grades of groups (F=7.24, P<0.05) and the use of educational agents had a significant effect on academic engagement, and the students of experimental groups 1 and 2 who were trained with educational agents. They had more engagement in academic assignments and tasks. Moreover, according to the results, using three educational agents with different roles was more effective than using one educational agent and caused more active engagement of experimental group 2 in doing the academic assignments of the science course.
e-learning
F. Zamani; B. Talebi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The use of information and communication technology in schools is one of the symbols of classroom intelligence which has become more prominent with the advent of virtual social networks and has become widespread with the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. One of the major ...
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Background and Objectives: The use of information and communication technology in schools is one of the symbols of classroom intelligence which has become more prominent with the advent of virtual social networks and has become widespread with the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. One of the major results of this pandemic is that the application of information and communication technology in schools can lead to the promotion of students' academic engagement. The purpose of this study is to explain the effects of language learners' use of social networks on their academic engagement in learning the English language.Methods: This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive and correctional in nature. The statistical population in this study includes all of the 1874 language learners in Iran Language Center - Tabriz Branches, who were studying English in the spring semester of 2016. From this number of students, based on Krejcie and Morgan table, 204 people including 90 girls and 114 boys were selected, first using the stratified random sampling method equally according to the branches of the Center and in the next stage, using the relative stratified random sampling method according to gender. The criteria for inclusion in the study were regular class attendance and taking the mid-term and final exams as well as the interest in continuing participating in the research and providing the required information. Moreover, the criteria for exclusion from the study were lack of class attendance or lack of interest in providing the required information. The instruments used in this study were the Academic Engagement Questionnaire (α₌0.96) and the Educational Use of Social Networks Questionnaire (α₌0.96). Both questionnaires are based on the Likert scale and 5 degrees. In order to analyze the data, the test of structural relationships and prediction with PLS software at the significance level of 0.05 was used.Findings: Descriptive statistics showed that the average academic engagement was 93.82 ±14.2, the average behavioral engagement was 30.27 ± 4.41, the average emotional engagement was 33.8 ± 5.8, the average cognitive engagement was 29.57 ± 5.47, the average educational use of social network for classroom activities was 22.97 ± 9.7, the average educational use of the social network for extracurricular activities was 33.38 ± 8.95 respectively. The use of structural relationships test with PLS software showed that there was an increase in the students' academic engagement, behavioral engagement and emotional engagement with increasing their educational use of social network for classroom activities (p₌0.05). Moreover, there was an increase in academic engagement and emotional engagement of students with an increase in their educational use of social network for extracurricular activities (p₌0.05). The effects of learners’ educational use of social networks for classroom activities on their cognitive engagement and the effect of the learners' educational use of social networks for extracurricular activities on their behavioral engagement and cognitive engagement were not significant (p >0.05). According to the corrected coefficient of determination (0.17), changes in academic engagement can be predicted based on the educational use of language learners of the social network.Conclusion: By increasing the use of technologies based on virtual social networks in the classroom, principled planning and appropriate content regulation can improve academic engagement in language learners. Launching various educational software applications during the Covid-19 pandemic is a good opportunity for appropriate use of information and communication technology in schools and foreign language classes in language teaching centers which will be a good investment to promote academic engagement in language classrooms.
