This work considers group discussion data, as recorded in video conferencing settings, and demonstrates the ability to use readily available computational tools to glean important information characterizing the dynamics of the group discussion. In particular, our toolbox reveals a number of important characteristics of a discussion, including who…

Background: Forums in massive open online courses (MOOCs) enable written exchanges on course content; hence, they can potentially facilitate learners' cognitive engagement. Given the myriad of MOOC forum messages, this engagement is commonly analysed automatically through the linguistic features of the messages. Assessing linguistic features of…

In introductory math courses such as precalculus, students often have difficulty with assignments that require explanations or synthesizing knowledge. When students receive low scores on such assignments, instructors often wish to help students understand the material they struggled with. A common strategy is to allow the students to revise and…

Existing research has highlighted the key role of observation and reflection in teacher learning during lesson study interventions, and how challenging it can be for pre-service teachers. This study focuses on the post-lesson discussion phase and on the observation of the research lesson of a lesson study process. It is carried out with early…

Discussion-based outcomes of organic chemistry laboratory experiments form a powerful tool to create a learning environment, facilitate teamwork, and build scientific skills and analytical ability for undergraduate science students. A Knoevenagel-type condensation reaction was selected to demonstrate these results by taking phenylacetonitrile and…

This transformative autoethnography focuses on the authors' learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a result of their participation in university diversity-related book clubs and subsequent extensive dialogue with one another. The paper features three implementation vignettes where the authors engage in critical self-reflection…

In this research, we investigated whether online discussions can significantly benefit students' learning in online courses. We designed an experiment by dividing 129 students who enrolled in four fully online "Introduction to Microeconomics" courses taught by the same instructor into four groups (one control group and three experimental…

To fulfil its third mission and equip students with the appropriate competencies to address complex societal issues, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) offers undergraduates the chance to learn about issues that transcend the confines of their own discipline through the cross-disciplinary Broader Mind Course (BMC). This study investigates to what…

Literature circles are a socially supportive context in which students can cultivate their reader identities. This is especially promising for students with lower reader self-efficacies. This qualitative multiple case study explored the positioning practices of four Grades 5-6 students with comparatively low reader self-efficacy. In literature…

Curricular innovations in English language programs have placed increasing emphasis on providing opportunities for students to speak in the classroom, often through communicative group activities. However, despite decades of advocacy for small group talk, a rigorous conception of the quality of talk in these groups is lacking, particularly in the…

No higher-order skill will be more important for pupils to develop in the twenty-first century than critical thinking. Schools should integrate it into their curricula, thereby allowing students to acquire new skills in preparation for a dynamic and rapidly changing labour market. Educators, psychologists, and philosophers agree on the importance…

In this article, the authors offer strategies on how to make use of English language learners' (ELLs') linguistic repertoire and reframe their diverse skills as valuable assets to create more equitable and inclusive learning environments. The authors provide an example of a task that reframes language as an asset. The authors also discuss the…

Persuasive arguments attribute academics' persistent struggles in making time for writing to the increasing demands of a marketised sector on the academic role (Dickson-Swift et al. 2009; Macleod, Steckley, and Murray 2012). Whilst a significant body of literature promotes different writing interventions as potential solutions, the challenge of…

The recurrent reminders that climate changes are man-made and demand action, calls for the development of novel teaching approaches which besides transferring information, solutions, and values, also allow students to engage in critical reflections and through common inquiries strengthen their decision-making abilities and sustainable commitment.…

This article examines pre-service language teachers' perceptions of learning and teaching and how differentiation manifests itself in them. The 67 participants visualised 'an ideal language learning situation' and complemented a number of teaching-related metaphors, for instance, 'A teacher is like…' and 'A learner is like…' in the first session…