Transitioning from high school to college is challenging for many students. The inability to make successful transitions can affect students’ abilities to integrate into and graduate from college, especially for marginalized students. New student orientations were created to help students navigate their new academic environments. However, with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, all in-person orientation activities defaulted to online formats. As institutions emerged from the pandemic, various blended new student orientation modalities were implemented. This case study focuses on how a university’s new student orientation blended modality (consisting of both online and in-person activities) affected social connectedness as perceived by first-year students. Twenty students were interviewed, leading to three main findings regarding the impact of blended modalities: (a) they motivated these students to transition to college, (b) they helped these students develop a sense of connection to the institution before even stepping foot on campus, and (c) they showed that the combination of online and in-person orientation activities provided a holistic experience for these students. We discuss how blended modalities help build and strengthen connections and a sense of belonging between students and institutions. We conclude with suggestions on how current technology trends in education might be used to adapt blended modalities from their current state to one that could result in more engaging and personalized orientation experiences for first-year students.

The introduction of information and communication technologies (ICT) in elementary education has radically changed the way of teaching and learning in recent decades. In addition, the recent acceleration in the use of online learning due to the pandemic period has increased the reliance on these teaching methods. Online learning has become a popular teaching practice in recent years in parallel with traditional teaching, yet there are still few studies in the literature that delve into a comparison between the two learning situations and in particular studies focusing on these methods within the elementary education are scarce. The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of student-to-student and student-to-teacher interactions that occur in online learning as compared to typical face-to-face classroom interactions, with a specific focus on the elementary school level. The quality of teacher-student interactions was measured using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS; Pianta et al., 2008). Elementary students were selected from 36 classes ranging from second to fifth grade. The total sample included 769 students (48% male). The majority of teachers were female (N = 31, 86%). The study shows that online teaching can have positive or negative effects on the quality of interaction between teachers and students, depending on the dimensions considered and the age of the participants. This study helps to highlight the differences and specificities of interaction and learning processes in the two situations (online and face-to-face): online teaching seems to improve positive climate, behavior management, and didactic learning formats, while face-to-face teaching seems to provide greater teacher sensitivity and better-quality feedback.

The current research elaborates on the effect of the human organization technology fit model, which consists of human, organizational, and technological dimensions, on e-learning readiness in an elementary school teacher education program. The main dataset, comprising 416 student teachers, was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling procedures. The study tested hypotheses linking various factors to e-learning readiness and usage. Statistically significant results demonstrated that knowledge (p = .008), relative advantage (p < .05), compatibility (p < .05), complexity (p <.001), quality (p <.05), and innovation awareness (p < .05) significantly affect e-learning readiness and actual use of e-learning. Specifically, knowledge, relative advantage, compatibility, quality, and innovation awareness exhibit positive impacts, whereas complexity exerts a negative influence. Conversely, the findings indicated no significant relationships (p > .05) between certain correlations, such as computer self-efficacy and e-learning readiness, innovation and actual use of e-learning, and quality and actual use of e-learning. The findings contribute to the development of e-learning, providing practical and theoretical recommendations for its improvement regarding sustainable development goal 4, quality education.

Understanding cultural systems in online learning with voluminous data, such as the engagement of students and teachers, has proven to be challenging. This predicament catalyzed the need for an emerging methodology to assess learning and complex thinking in online environments using statistical tools to analyze qualitative data. Quantitative Ethnography (QE) blends qualitative and quantitative approaches and uses statistical tools in analyzing qualitative data. This study advanced Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA), a QE tool, to analyze the engagement of teachers and students in online research courses of six groups of students. Observation of synchronous classes and asynchronous activities was carried out, 4,137 utterances were coded, and network models of engagements were generated. The findings show that the ENA engagement models among teachers and students in synchronous and asynchronous sessions differed significantly, with the teachers giving more frequent and varied feedback during synchronous classes. The network models of engagement in synchronous classes reveal the co-occurrence of students’ cognitive engagement and teachers’ feedback. When students try to connect with the lesson, they are given corrective feedback, and when they extend their understanding of the content, they are given affective feedback. On the other hand, when students are given prompts during asynchronous sessions, they try to connect. When they simply agree, they are given informative-procedural feedback, and when they emancipate their understanding, they receive affective feedback. This study illuminates the methodological advantages of ENA as an ethnographic tool that mixes qualitative and quantitative approaches in understanding cultural systems and processes in online education.

Despite the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools among students, limited research has examined the underlying mechanisms guiding their adoption in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. Drawing on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) and self-determination theory (SDT), this study examines the factors shaping Indonesian EFL students’ intention and actual use of GenAI for English learning. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected using an online questionnaire from 462 EFL students at three private universities in Indonesia and analyzed with the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4. The results indicated that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, habit, autonomy, and relatedness significantly impacted EFL students’ intention to adopt GenAI for English learning. While competence did not significantly influence behavioral intention, both the SDT components (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and behavioral intention were predictors of actual usage. The integrated framework explained a high proportion of variance (R² = 83.1% for behavioral intention; R² = 77.1% for actual use). These insights advance understanding of the technological and motivational determinants of GenAI adoption in EFL education and offer evidence-based direction for designing effective, equitable, and ethically responsible AI-supported English learning practices.

Students who study university courses online have a higher level of attrition compared with their on-campus counterparts, so online student engagement has become a contemporary concern for teaching faculty. The issue of student engagement is particularly acute in fields such as Guidance and Counselling in Education, which have not traditionally been taught online. Online student engagement suggests that learning success can be enhanced if students are given opportunities to engage cognitively, behaviourally, and affectively. This study took a pragmatic research approach using design-based research to explore whether interactive technologies, which are learner-centred and promote active and participatory learning, can enhance online student engagement. Data were gathered at a mid-sized regional Australian university in a post-graduate Guidance and Counselling course and analysed in response to Redmond et al.’s (2018) online engagement framework for higher education. The results provide specific insights into how three interactive technologies—Padlet, Google Docs and video-embedded quizzes—engaged online students. They show that students valued learning with technology and that all three technologies promoted engagement across the various dimensions. As online counselling courses become more widely accepted, further knowledge is needed about how best to engage the range of students who are studying for people-centred professions such as counselling.

While Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are widely used in higher education, their application and effectiveness for high school students, especially English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners grappling with language barriers in English-Medium Instruction environments, remain underexplored. There is a recognized gap in understanding how high school students’ attitudes toward English, self-regulated learning motivation, online behaviors, and perceptions of course design within bilingual scaffolded MOOCs (courses providing linguistic and instructional support in both students’ native language and English) influence course completion outcomes. A mixed-methods design was employed, involving 115 high school students from Northern Taiwan. Data were collected throughout an eight-week intervention. Results show: (1) those perceiving English as practical demonstrated higher self-regulated learning (SRL) motivation and learning satisfaction; (2) discussion participation was a significant predictor of course completion, while reading materials and watching videos were not significant predictors; (3) students primarily valued content knowledge, learning strategies, and language knowledge, and suggested improvements related to information accessibility and course design, including more explicit instructor guidance. The results suggest that MOOC designers and online educators should foster a positive attitude and belief toward English as a Lingua Franca, increase SRL, and design online lessons featuring easy-to-access materials and interactive activities. This study contributes to the broader discourse on inclusive and accessible online learning for global high school students.

In this literature synthesis, we reviewed qualitative research studies that captured rich descriptions of instructors’ experiences in higher education (HE) as they transitioned from traditional in-person classrooms to online learning environments. We identified articles for review by conducting an ERIC database search that targeted qualitative research since 2010, using terms related to online education, higher education, teacher experience, qualitative research, and change. A careful screening with exclusion/inclusion criteria resulted in 31 articles. The sample represents the lived experiences of more than 200 instructors across various articles representing HE disciplines and contexts. The articles were analyzed for emerging themes in their reported challenges and successes, especially with respect to teachers’ interactions with learners and content. The instructor-participants in the research literature experienced varying levels of satisfaction in designing and facilitating online classes and navigating available technology, with most finding the transition process time consuming and effort intensive. They likewise experienced a range of success in their interactions with their online classes and individual students. Some instructors found opportunities for rich connections in online discussions and one-to-one communication while others struggled to feel a sense of community or perceive students’ needs. These faculty experiences, though collected from many bounded qualitative studies, suggest that teachers new to online classrooms share many challenges in their interactions with students and content. This synthesis offers recommendations for research and practice in higher education, emphasizing how potential online instructors and their institutions can deepen their understanding of the faculty transition to online teaching and collaborate to provide meaningful support.

This quantitative study aimed to determine K-12 teachers’ level of motivation for online teaching and investigate possible differences in motivation according to group demographics. The Online Teaching Motivation Scale (OTMS) (Wiles et al., 2023) was used to collect data from K-12 teachers (N = 62) in the Southeastern United States between October 2023 and July 2024. Participants reported a mean motivation for online teaching of 2.66 (SD = 0.52) on a 4-point Likert-like scale. Significant differences in overall motivation and self-efficacy for online teaching were found when examining content areas (STEM versus non-STEM) and grade bands (elementary, middle, and secondary). Additionally, significant differences in perceptions of administrative support for online teaching were found among grade bands. Finally, teachers’ perceptions of online teaching and learning showed significant differences between grade bands, content areas, and gender. Implications for school and district leaders are discussed based on these differences among demographic groups. Results also imply the need to develop and implement differentiated systems of support to meet the diverse needs of teachers using online tools in their classrooms.

Undergraduate STEM courses commonly evaluate students using timed, high-stakes “traditional” exams. However, the use of such exams may harm cognitive development, attitudes of students toward their discipline, and various categories relating to motivation. Also, implementation of such traditional exams may perpetuate demographic achievement gaps. I hypothesized that the pre-release of exam materials could address such concerns. To this end, I examined the effect of pre-released exam materials on broad student outcomes in a distance education biology course, paying attention to exam performance, attitudes towards the discipline, and various motivational components related to learning. I found that in comparison to a traditional exam system, the pre-release of exam materials did not improve exam performance, attitudes, or motivation of online biology students. Also, pre-released exams did not rescue the achievement gap associated with lower socioeconomic status (SES). Nevertheless, qualitative responses of students to an open-ended survey indicated that pre-released exams offered a unique experience – with reduced anxiety as a major benefit. These data suggest that a pre-released exam system could be utilized to decrease test-taking anxiety in online STEM courses, without exacerbating SES-related achievement gaps. In fact, the pre-release of exam information may increase the authenticity of exams, as it mirrors work in real-life STEM careers. In parallel to the above, I found that remote online proctoring requirements imposed penalties on student exam performance, but maintained favorable attitudes toward the discipline. This suggests that the impact of remote proctors for online STEM students should be more carefully considered.