This article examined digital learning engagement as the out-of-school learning component that reflects informally emerging socio-digital participation. The gap hypothesis proposes that students who prefer learning with digital technologies outside of school are less engaged in traditional school. This hypothesis was approached from the framework…

Informal STEM educators, teaching in out-of-school environments, have few opportunities for professional development. These educators often have widely varied professional backgrounds and areas of expertise, which can lead to rich opportunities for learning with and from other informal STEM educators in the context of professional learning…

Self-directed learning is a fundamental competence for adults living in our modern world, where social contextual conditions are changing rapidly, especially in a digital age. The purpose of the present article is to review key issues concerning self-directed learning in terms of (1) what are the historical foundations of the self-directed…

School closures because of natural phenomena, such as COVID-19, underscore long-standing gaps in access to science education in the United States of America, particularly for young students. When educators have to pivot to deliver virtual instruction, it is important to identify feasible remote learning strategies for science content across formal…

This paper aims to propose a design framework for learning technologist to design and develop a mobile learning app in the context of eating healthy. In other words, this study offers a number of theoretical and practical implications that can assist developers in creating more effective mobile apps. In exploring the research behind the…

This study investigated to what extent quantity (frequency/amount of time) and quality (diversity) of informal digital learning of English (IDLE) activities was conducive to second language (L2) vocabulary outcomes. Data (n = 77) were gathered quantitatively and qualitatively through a questionnaire, English vocabulary tests (ie, measuring…

Though it is well known that museums should embrace digital learning, many museum websites have not fully utilized digital learning resources, especially in interactive ways. In fact, in a survey of 225 websites of selected U.S. cultural institutions that have informal science education at the heart of their operations, we found that just 5% of…

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for informal health science education, which traditionally involves face-to-face programming. We describe the adaptation of hands-on environmental health science kits for online and socially distanced informal education with diverse audiences. These hands-on science kits were traditionally…

These proceedings contain the papers and poster of the 17th International Conference on Mobile Learning (ML 2021) and 8th International Conference on Educational Technologies (ICEduTech 2021), which were organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS). Due to an unprecedented situation caused by the…

Lifelong learning opportunities are readily accessible through the hybridization of digital learning contexts--from formal to informal--in today's globally networked knowledge society. As such, expanded learning opportunities generate a continuum of learning contexts and experiences mediated through digital technology. Consequently, there is an…

While previous interventional studies on English as an international language (EIL) have focused on the role of teachers, recent studies have begun viewing how students engage autonomously in informal digital learning of English (IDLE) activities that are associated with their perception of English varieties and cross-cultural communication…

This study investigated the relationship among informal digital learning of English (IDLE) practice, a high-stakes English test, English productive skills, and perceptions of English as an international language (EIL). Eighty-nine English as a foreign language (EFL) undergraduate students across three South Korean cities participated in the study.…

The professional development of principals is a key element in improving the quality of educational systems. Although it is common for the training of educational leaders to be associated to formal pre- and in-service principal development programmes, informal learning opportunities are increasingly common. However, research analysing informal…

Purpose: Information about the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine can be challenging to communicate to children. The purpose of this study is to understand how a children's eBook can help facilitate conversations between children, families and educators about the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: A children's eBook Q-Bot: The Quarantine Robot…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report the change in students' STEM perceptions in two different informal learning environments: an online STEM camp and a face-to-face (FTF) STEM camp. Design/methodology/approach: For this quasi-experimental study, 26 students participated in an online STEM summer camp and another 26 students participated…