International Journal of Research in E-learning

Editorial

Eugenia Smyrnova-Trybulska — 2024-06-29

The Editorial Board of International Journal of Research in E-learning (IJREL) is privileged to present a new volume 10(1) 2024. The content of the current issue was divided into three chapters. The first chapter is devoted to Theoretical, Methodological and Practical Aspects and Psychological Determinants of ICT and E-Learning in Education and includes three articles. The second contains also three articles concerned with Innovative Methods and Technology in Education. The third concerns Research on Distance, Online and Blended Learning before, during and after the pandemic time of COVID-19 and includes two articles.

MOOCs: Global Business Goals and Local Educational Strategies

Anna Ślósarz — 2024-03-29

MOOCs are prepared by universities, research centers, business and governmental bodies. That is a device with which academic centers spread state-of-the-art knowledge, while business entities facilitate the development of competencies, particularly in business, economics and IT. The paradox is that although MOOCs courses are open to global users, they contain distinctive features of their inventors’ and administrators’ culture because they have been created locally. In order to identify the cultural characteristics evident in the content of MOOC courses, 267 courses on creative writing posted on five platforms were analyzed: Coursera (USA), FutureLearn (UK), XuetangX (China), JMOOC (Japan) and Skill Academy (Indonesia). Skill Academy and Coursera were focused on business-marketing goals, although they represented different cultures. Chinese, Japanese and Indonesian courses reflected the responsiveness of those cultures and were people- and affiliation-oriented. They employed a holistic approach to teaching (emphasis on context), i.e. operated with live lectures, which had not happened on Western platforms. Therefore, the conviction that MOOC is a mirror of the culture in which it was created should be considered a myth. It is the MOOC platform that presents the interests of the administrators and owners. Platform owners differ in their goals: academic (general knowledge transfer becoming a thing of the past after the commercialization of Coursera and edX), marketing (focused on gaining customers and employees) or economic-political (XuetangX). For a MOOC to be useful to representatives of another culture, not only translation into another language is needed, but also a proper modification of learning objectives and methods.

Evaluating the Impact of Gamification on Learning Effectiveness in Technical Vocabulary Instruction

Iwona Mokwa-Tarnowska — 2024-05-22

With the rise of digital education, the integration of gamified elements has emerged as a potential strategy to enhance student engagement and comprehension in various academic disciplines. This study seeks to evaluate the impact of gamification on learning effectiveness in the domain of technical vocabulary instruction during an online course. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving data collection from students enrolled on an online technical vocabulary programme offered by the Language Centre at Gdansk University of Technology. A quantitative analysis of placement test scores, the frequency of using course material and final grades was conducted to understand their impact on learning outcomes, and data from surveys provided insights into students' perceptions and experiences with gamified activities. The findings indicate that the incorporation of gamification positively influenced learning effectiveness during the online course. Participants demonstrated higher levels of motivation, active participation, and a deeper understanding of technical terminology achieved through gamified interactions. The study's outcomes contribute to the growing body of research on gamification's potential benefits in online learning environments, especially in the context of technical vocabulary instruction, and offer valuable implications for educators and course designers seeking innovative approaches to optimize learning experiences in virtual settings.

Formation of Socially Successful Personality of Adolescent Pupils by Means of Gamification (Kyiv City, Ukraine)

Valeriia Necherda — 2024-05-08

The research highlights the essence of gamification and the approbation of the curriculum with elements of gamification "Social successfulness" in the educational process of educational institutions. Theoretical methods are applied – analysis, synthesis, comparison, systematization, generalization of materials from psychological and pedagogical sources regarding the problem of social successfulness and the possibilities of its formation in adolescents in the conditions of out-of-school and general secondary education institutions, specification for harmonizing the content of the curriculum "Social successfulness" and its process approvals; empirical methods – observation, questionnaires for collecting empirical information, blitz surveys concerning the awareness of the characteristics of a successful personality. The authors consider gamification as a set of various tools and mechanics that contribute to the significant enrichment of the educational process with entertaining, educational, educational, motivational, and social-communicative components. The researchers characterized the educational program "Social successfulness", in particular, determined its target orientations and key competencies of teenagers, highlighted the gamification tools necessary for the implementation of the program, found out that the mixed format is the optimal format for its implementation, as it combines the advantages of offline and online learning and can be effective in conditions of increased danger associated with martial law. The article carried out a pedagogical reflection and found out that, according to the results of the blitz survey, teenagers verbalize the two most common portraits of a socially successful personality (based on external indicators of success and personal qualities), according to the results of the questionnaire, the majority of respondents positively perceived game tools and recognized her own activity during training with the use of gamification as productive. The issue of using gamification tools for children of different ages, including those with special educational needs, and the creation of an algorithm for using gamification elements in various educational institutions require further research.

Interactive RShiny Reports – Independence and Autonomy in Medical Data Visualization

Justyna Marcinkowska — 2024-04-10

The article discusses the use of the R language, especially the RShiny tool, to create interactive reports in the field of medical data analysis. The authors emphasize the need for an interdisciplinary approach to teaching statistics among medical students. An alternative to traditional static reports was presented, proposing the creation of interactive web applications that enable exploration, analysis and visualization of medical data changing in real time. The use of the R language as an open source tool allows for the development of medical students' competences in the field of data analysis and the adaptation of research tools to individual needs. A draft lesson plan using sample medical data on cervical cancer was also presented, along with a proposal for specific analyzes of these data and their visualization using interactive RShiny reports. The article ends with a discussion on the role of learning the R language in the education of students of Polish medical universities and the need to expand the educational offer for them with courses in data analysis in an open source environment.

Application of AI Technologies in STEAM School Education

Todorka Głushkova — 2024-04-10

Artificial intelligence is increasingly and relentlessly entering all areas of our lives, including the field of education. These technologies offer numerous advantages and opportunities in carrying out various activities and tasks throughout the entire educational process. This article discusses some aspects of applying AI technologies to enhance personalization, accessibility, and interactivity in school education, especially in STEAM interest clubs. The authors aim to propose approaches for the successful integration of AI in the work of teachers and facilitators during the pre-planning phase of lessons, the preparation of personalized assignments for students, the process of testing and assessing knowledge, as well as in students' group and project work. The article shares the experience of teaching in a robotics club with 6th-grade students in a middle school. It also highlights the potential of certain chatbots to support and enrich the programming process. The authors also draw attention to some problems and challenges associated with the ethical and responsible use of these technologies

Exploring the Educational Efficacy and Potential of 24-Hour Hackathon Programming Marathon – HackEmotion

Małgorzata Przybyła-Kasperek — 2024-06-07

This paper addresses the issue of modern didactics and student motivation for self-learning as well as tackling significant practical challenges. In technical and STEAM education, achieving high levels of motivation is particularly important, as students often become overwhelmed by the vast amount of information and opportunities which lead to diminished interest. At the Institute of Computer Science at the University of Silesia in Katowice, a Hackathon – a 24-hour programming marathon – was organized to enhance student engagement. During this event, students confronted a critical problem in modern societye: emotion recognition. The goal was to develop solutions and help for fostering emotion recognition skills in young people with real-world implementation potential. Additionally, students tested their abilities under time pressure, honed their group work competencies, and faced real-time problem-solving scenarios. This paper presents an evaluation of the event’s impact and analyzes the results of a post-event survey, providing feedback to improve the quality of future Hackathons. The main research questions we posed during the research were: RQ1: At what level of quality was the Hackathon event organized? Whether students were well informed and felt cared for during this event? RQ2: What aspects and properties motivate students most to take part in events organized at the university like Hackathon? RQ3: What competencies, knowledge and skills were developed by participants in the Hackathon? RQ4: Do students consider issues related to recognizing emotions important and the created applications possible to use in practice? In this paper, we answer these questions using statistical analysis as well as simple machine learning models.

Relationship with Parents, Symptoms of Depression and Internet Addiction among Adolescents During the Pandemic Period

Roman Solecki — 2024-05-08

The research presented in this article aimed to answer the following question: what is the role of social support and quality of family relationships in the context of depressive symptoms and abuse of the Internet during the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning among adolescents?

The study was conducted among 619 adolescents aged 11-15. The survey questionnaire was constructed from standardised research tools. The study showed that 40.0% of the students had increased depressive symptoms. Heavy Internet use affected 16.0% of the respondents, including 9.2% of those who had aggravated symptoms of depression and addiction at the same time. At the same time, it was noted that girls, compared to boys, were more often found amongst adolescents experiencing symptoms of depression.Students belonging to the group with depressive and addictive symptoms experienced significantly more difficulties in their relationships with family members compared to the group without symptoms. Students showed less severity of depressive symptoms if they rated their relationship with their parents as positive. The results showed that the quality of family relationships is most important for the normal functioning of adolescents without depressive symptoms, also in a pandemic situation.

E-tutors’ Understanding and Level of Confidence in Using a Technological Pedagogical Knowledge Model in Open Distance E-Learning

Mpipo Zipporah Sedio — 2024-06-11

The article aimed to investigate the perspectives of e-tutors regarding the importance of Technological Pedagogical Knowledge in an Open Distance e-Learning Institution. The article employs a quantitative survey method to allow students to articulate their impressions of how e-tutors leverage their topic expertise to impart knowledge. The study includes 350 students who are enrolled in a module. Its objective was to gain insights, using quantitative analysis, into the techniques used by e-tutors in delivering content. During the delivery of content, e-tutors provided explanations and support for different viewpoints, taking into
account students’ input on the choice, execution, and overall impact of teaching methods. The collected data were arranged and presented in tables. E-tutors recognized the use of Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK) to assist and enhance online student activities. Therefore, it was found that constructivism could help to incorporate the TPK framework, thereby enhancing students’ understanding of the instructional design process. However, the study discovered a lack of comprehension among e-tutors regarding the TPK concept in relation to curriculum design.