The language centre as a laboratory for innovation

Autonomy in language learning is for many language centres in higher education a pedagogical goal. However, although autonomy is a concept that has been associated with language learning for almost 40 years, both the understanding of that concept and its implementation in classroom-settings and in self-access language centres vary considerably. In 2017 and 2018 the Cercles Focus Group on Autonomy worked on a survey that was circulated among Cercles language centres, in order to discover to what extent autonomy is part of the language curriculum. Approximately one fifth of the language centres answered the questionnaire, representing 18 different countries. The results of this survey show that autonomous learning schemes are provided in various centres in the form of self-access language learning modalities, blended learning, learning advising as support for independent and cooperative learning, tutoring and tandem learning. However, the understanding of the notion of autonomy and therefore the pedagogical practices vary considerably. In this article, we illustrate the results of the survey, highlight similarities and differences emerging from it, and critically reflect upon issues addressed by the answers. In addition, we briefly discuss the results of some interviews conducted after the survey with stakeholders at different language centres. Recommendations for the future conclude the paper.

Higher education in Ecuador face new challenges related to improving the quality of teaching and innovation in students´learning. One of the challenges is to integrate research with teaching activities, academic management, and community engagement. The Design-Based Research (DBR) approach becomes key and strategic for effective education and it allows staff to join an interdisciplinary team and influence their immediate context to improve their teaching practice, ensure the quality of the curriculum design, develop contextualized theories about the educational process. Based on a review of the literature, academic manuscripts of design-based research generated by Ecuadorian researchers and studies conducted in Ecuadorian educational contexts in different sources of information -such as repositories of Ecuadorian universities- in the last six years will be selected. In this way, it is proposed that Design-Based Research provides the fundamental epistemological and methodological horizons for faculty to integrate research with curriculum design and teaching practice. Thus, educational research will be more concrete and applicable in the immediate contexts of the professor for their improvement and innovation, and in turn, the practice itself will reformulate the theory that underpins educational action.

Due to the characteristics of educational virtual worlds, the present manuscript underlines the need for a research model that considers the social context as part of its unit of analysis instead of just the individual’s cognitive process and learning. It is proposed that such a research approach could be design-based research (DBR), because the methodology employed by the DBR perspective thoroughly meets the challenges related to understanding how learning occurs inside a complex context of activities and interactions like those that usually take place inside an educational virtual environment. To accomplish this, the DBR employs an iterative methodology, which consists of repeating cycles of design, implementation, analysis, and redesign. This systematic procedure allows theory to emerge during the process and, thus, using DBR a researcher not only understands how to improve the quality of a certain virtual world, but also addresses theoretical issues regarding the theoretical background on which her design was based to revise and extend it. The main objective of this article is to propose the use of design-based research as a viable methodology to do research in a virtual world like Second Life and to describe in detail how to do it. First, the design-based research approach is explained in terms of its origins, its methodological resources, and its theoretical underpinnings. Secondly, considering the characteristics and affordances of virtual worlds, an adaptation is proposed and explained to employ it for a virtual world research project. Finally, an example of a research project is built to show how the proposed design-based research methodology can be applied to plan it and revise its underlying theory.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of science activities prepared through the design-based research (DBR) method on middle school students' creative and critical thinking skills. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quasi-experimental design was employed. The study group consisted of 80 middle school students in Kastamonu, Turkey, randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Design-based science activities were applied in the experimental group, while the control group followed traditional science instruction. Data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests using the Marmara Creative Thinking Dispositions Scale and Marmara Critical Thinking Dispositions Scale. Findings: Results indicated significant improvements in creative and critical thinking dispositions of students in the experimental group compared to the control group. The DBR activities provided students with active problem-solving opportunities, enhancing their ability to generate creative ideas and critically evaluate their work. Highlights: The study highlights that the design-based research approach in science education is more effective than traditional teaching methods in enhancing creative and critical thinking skills. It is recommended for educators and curriculum developers to integrate DBR-driven activities into educational programs.

Over the past couple of decades, remarkable progress occurred in medical education research. However, most of the ongoing research did not seem to have added much to the existing literature. Thus, our understanding has not shown considerable improvement. An extensive search of all materials related to the topic was carried out in the PubMed search engine, and a total of six articles were selected based on the suitability with the current review objectives and analyzed. Design-based research targets complex educational problems in the real world, with an ultimate intention to enhance learning among the students and not justify the superiority of one teaching–learning method. In conclusion, the framework of design-based research plays a significant role in the better understanding and resolving of complex educational problems. Further, considering the encouraging results obtained in different educational problems, it is the need of the hour that all the educational researchers should adopt a design-based research approach for gaining an in-depth understanding of the local educational problems.

This paper reports on a longitudinal, design-based research (DBR) study to promote clinical decision making using a virtual patient (VP) simulation for emergency renal care. The VP was piloted with pharmacy students, then offered as an interprofessional learning exercise for pharmacy and medical students, before being introduced as part of the curriculum. In this paper, the DBR framework used to design, implement and evaluate the VP is described. The iterative changes made and implications for the integration of virtual patient simulation in the pharmacy curriculum are discussed.

Design-based research (DBR) is an innovative methodology for co-creation, but potentials, challenges, and differences between methodological ideals and the real-life intervention context are under-researched. This study analyzes the DBR process in which researchers, professionals, and families co-design a family-based intervention to prevent childhood overweight and obesity in a rural municipality. It involves interviews with six key stakeholders in the co-design process. Data were coded and analyzed using systematic text condensation, while the theory of the “social effectiveness of interventions” developed by Rod et al. (2014) was used as an analytical tool for unpacking the co-creation process and exploring methodological barriers and potentials. The DBR approach contributed with a feeling that everyone’s perspective was important, and the professionals got a new perspective on the families’ experiences with healthy living they did not previously consider. We also found that the iterative design process did not fully align with the organizational structures in the municipality or with the needs of stakeholders, leading to friction in the partnership. This study emphasizes the complexity of using an anti-hierarchical approach within a hierarchical context, and the importance of being aware of how the DBR approach shapes the partnership, as well as of how the social dynamics within the partnership shape the design process.

The research carried out is part of the field of study of Collective Intelligence (CI) with the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Higher Education. The heart of this research was focused on the study, design and construction of electronic tools according to the paradigms of CI, to be applied in Higher Education. As an instrument for the implementation of these tools, an educational model with a collective work approach was designed. The research strategy used was Design-Based Research (DBR), because it investigates a phenomenon in its real context, iterative and incremental, and it is especially recommended for the field of education. DBR in each experimental cycle updates literature, model and tools. Empirical studies were conducted in four universities and fields of study in Latin America and Europe. The refinements demanded by the research strategy provided the scientific and empirical evidence to design ICT tools that meet the requirements of CI. In addition, the results indicate that the educational model and the tools have generated a positive perception in teachers and students about the effects on the teaching-learning process. Based on this fact, the experimental cycles present significant contributions to the research carried out around the CI with ICT tools in Higher Education. La investigación realizada se enmarca en el campo de estudio de la Inteligencia Colectiva (IC) con el uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicaciones (TIC) en la Educación Superior. El corazón de ésta investigación estuvo enfocada en el estudio, diseño y construcción de herramientas electrónicas acorde a los paradigmas de IC, para ser aplicadas en la Educación Superior. Como vía de instrumentación de dichas herramientas, se diseñó un modelo educativo con enfoque de trabajo colectivo. La estrategia de investigación que se utilizó fue la Investigación Basada en el Diseño (DBR), porque investiga un fenómeno en su contexto real, es iterativa e incremental, y está especialmente recomendada para el ámbito de la educación.DBR en cada ciclo experimental actualiza literatura, modelo y herramientas. Los estudios empíricos se realizaron en cuatro universidades y campos de estudio en Hispanoamérica y Europa. Los múltiples refinamientos exigidos por la estrategia de investigación, proporcionaron la evidencia científica y empírica para diseñar herramientas TIC que cumplan con los requisitos de IC. Además, los resultados indican que el modelo educativo y las herramientas han generado una percepción positiva en docentes y estudiantes sobre los efectos en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Basados en este hecho, los ciclos experimentales presentan aportes significativos a las investigaciones que se realizan en torno a la IC con herramientas TIC en la Educación Superior.

The purpose of this research was technology-enhanced research in higher education. Design-based research for creating courses using the management system in the E-Learning 5.0 has proven its promise as a tool useful for both research and design of technology-enhanced learning environments over the last decade (TELEs). In this article, we characterize and explain design-based research characteristics, outline the relevance of design-based research in the creation of TELEs, suggest principles for applying design-based research with TELEs, and address potential challenges in using this approach. This inaugural special issue of Studies in Technology Enhanced Learning focuses on ‘theory,’ a controversial subject. While theory has been criticized for being vague or alienating at times, it is safe to conclude that theory has never been as profoundly rooted in Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) science as it has in many other fields of scholarship.

The rapid evolution of Generative AI (Gen AI) and its integration into higher education necessitates a critical evaluation of teaching and learning practices. Many students already use publicly available AI Digital Assistants (p-AIDA) such as ChatGPT for academic purposes. However, there are concerns around the use of such p-AIDA tools, in particular in terms of data privacy, academic integrity, Intellectual Property (IP), and the impact on the quality of education. We therefore explored the perspectives of AI usage with 106 students in two consecutive studies using a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach. Study 1 explored the lived experiences a demoed prototype of an institutional AI Digital Assistant (i-AIDA) with ten distance learning students. Building on these findings, in Study 2 the preliminary results were validated with a cohort of 96 students using an online survey on whether the development of an i-AIDA might mitigate some of these concerns. By comparing i-AIDA with p-AIDA in two studies our research underscores the potential benefits and limitations of in-house Gen AI tools in enhancing learning experiences without compromising academic integrity, IP or privacy.

The Purdue Repository for Online Teaching and Learning (PoRTAL) was developed as an Open Educational Resource (OER) for graduate students and faculty in higher education settings to enhance their online teaching skills and strategies. The PoRTAL team used a design-based research approach (DBR; Wang & Hannafin, Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(4), 5–23, 2005). In this study context, we used Van Tiem et al.’s (2012) model to identify problems faced by instructors who struggled with or were new to online teaching from a Human Performance Technology (HPT) standpoint. To address the identified needs, we created resources for online teaching and embedded our research within practical activities to further study our design process. Our efforts resulted in an HPT-OER Model for Designing Digital Repositories. The purpose of this paper is to share the DBR process that we used to develop an OER repository within an HPT model.

Making changes and innovation in teaching methods at higher education centers is a routine matter; in such a way that at the present time in many higher educational centers and universities of all over the world these changes can be seen. Meanwhile building motivation for achievement is among issues that researchers are giving more attention to. The present research was conducted with purpose of studying effect of the four teaching methods namely, group discussion, question and answer, demonstration, and lecture on creativity, achievement motivation and academic progress among university students. This research was a Quasi-experimental one. Statistical sample included 270 students of Alborz Farhangian University who were selected by using stratified random sampling method. Assessment tools included Hermense Achievement Motivation Inventory, Abedi Creativity Inventory and academic progress test which were developed by the authors. In order to analyze the data, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), one-way variance analysis (ANOVA) and Turkey post hoc tests were used. Results of analyses showed that the students in discussion group had higher achievement motivation, creativity and academic progress than other groups. On this basis methods of result, question and answer and lecture methods were respectively effective on students’ achievement motivation, creativity and academic progress, But not as much as discussion group.

Language is generally perceived as the medium of communication of ideas and thoughts. Recent technological advancements have aided the processes of language communication. When we speak about technology, we normally refer to computers and digitalization. However, technology indeed refers to anything that is produced, assembled and that makes our lives easier. Social media previously related through television programs of any kind, can now be easily accessed through mobile devices, computers, and video conferencing software. Language teaching and learning in general, and foreign language teaching and learning in particular, have evolved in the digital age, especially as we move from single language users to a more bilingual or even plurilingual society. Foreign language takes on a new meaning in the digital age. With the emergence of Information and Instructional Technologies and their influence on teaching and learning it becomes a must to equip faculty members and students with the necessary skills to handle these developments and utilize their benefits in teaching and learning. The swift development of new technologies and their universal application in education requires innovative methods and approaches in teaching and learning a language in the digital age. This paper provides an overview of how technology has evolved in time and how it contributes to language communication, alongside political, economic and social lines in the Republic of Macedonia in general and at the Southeast European University in particular. The Mission of the University is to seek excellence in teaching and research within the higher education system in the Republic of Macedonia, by offering equal opportunities for all based on impartiality and merit. One of the key elements of the mission of the University includes active cooperation with universities in the Republic of Macedonia as well as with international universities. The main aim under which the university is governed and managed is to contribute to higher education in the Albanian language, through a mutual interethnic understanding and aims to provide a multilingual and multicultural approach to teaching and research by developing study programs according to broad European and international standards. In this respect, we will also focus on the latest trends in the area of language learning in the digital age and the efforts that our university is making in order to keep in step with them, especially through several of its units that have been specifically established with this mission in mind, such as the e-learning center and the language center.

The growing cultural diversity of higher education calls for systematic and curriculum-embedded approaches to the development of students’ intercultural competence. This article explores strategies for fostering intercultural sensitivity and effective cross-cultural communication, drawing on Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) and Deardorff’s intercultural competence framework. The study situates these frameworks within an Internationalization at Home perspective, emphasizing the role of intentional pedagogy, assessment, and attention to the hidden curriculum in supporting intercultural learning. Adopting a design-based pedagogical research approach, the study examines how intercultural competence frameworks can be operationalized through developmentally sequenced classroom interventions in higher education. The pedagogical framework and activities, including cultural artifact presentations, critical incidents, simulations, role-plays, and structured reflective practices, were developed and implemented in culturally diverse bachelor’s and master’s level courses in Spanish higher education institutions within the Erasmus+ MULTICLASS project. Classroom-based evidence collected in Spanish higher education contexts, including reflective discussions, written reflections, and observed communicative behaviors, indicates that approximately 70% of students (n = 44; N = 63) demonstrated observable progression in intercultural sensitivity, most commonly from Minimization toward Acceptance. The contribution of this article lies in linking established intercultural competence models with practical guidance for curriculum design and pedagogical sequencing within Internationalization at Home contexts.

Software design problems are often characterized as ill-structured because the requirements are not clearly defined. These problems offer various solution paths and the criteria used to select the solution may not be known initially. The expertise and experience of designers play a crucial role in determining the quality of software design. Less experienced designers often tend to prematurely narrow down their options to a single solution without fully exploring the problem-solution space. This tendency has a negative impact on the overall quality of software design. Studies have shown that systematically expanding the problem space before reducing to problem formulation and exploring the solution space before reducing it to a single solution (expand-reduce skills) improves the quality of the design. We have designed and developed a technology-enhanced learning environment (TELE) named Fathom for scaffolding expand-reduce (ER) skills in software design problems in a data structures course. In this paper, we present three cycles of design, development, and evaluation of Fathom based on the design-based research (DBR) approach. In the first DBR cycle, we identified and evaluated Fathom’s pedagogical features in learning ER skills. In the second cycle of DBR, the aim was to improve the design of Fathom for the learning and transfer of ER skills. Fathom was revised in the third cycle of the DBR to scaffold metacognitive skills. The main contribution of this research is pedagogical design for facilitating the learning of expand-reduce skills in solving software design problems.