Electronic Journal of e-Learning

Riding The Wave of Technology Integration by Applying Student-Centered, Blended Learning Course Design Principles in a Human Anatomy Course

Helga Brigritta Hambrock, Daniële Kristen — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This case-study focuses on improving the teaching and learning experience of second year students in a Human Anatomy course at a Health Sciences University in South Africa. The students were underperforming, and the repeaters caused classes to become overcrowded. In search of a solution an instructor of the course and an instructional designer at the University worked on a re-design of the course by including technology and increasing interaction with the course content and peer collaboration as supported by research and best practices. A mixed-methods research methodology was utilized by collecting qualitative and quantitative data. The qualitative data was collected from an interview with the lecturer and a feedback survey from the students. For the analysis of the qualitative data a thematic analysis was applied to identify themes and subthemes which were sorted under the following sub-questions: what were the challenges, successes and suggestions of the newly designed course? Additionally, quantitative data was collected from the students’ grades. The application of technology and increased student engagement proved to be successful, and the study proposes a framework based on best practices and feedback from the lecturer and students for an improved course design for the future.

Prompting Minds: Evaluating how Students Perceive Generative AI’s Critical Thinking Dispositions

Luciana Oliveira, Célia Tavares, Artur Strzelecki, Manuel Silva — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT become increasingly integrated into educational environments, understanding their impact on critical thinking is crucial. Despite growing concerns about AI's potential to diminish students' independent reasoning, there is a lack of research tools specifically designed to evaluate students' perceptions of AI's cognitive capabilities. To address this gap, this study introduces the Perceived Critical Thinking Disposition of Generative Artificial Intelligence (PCTD-GAI) scale, aimed at measuring how students perceive generative AI’s (GAI) six critical thinking dispositions (reasoning, access to justice, search for evidence, search for truth, open-mindedness, and systematicity). While this study validates the scale using ChatGPT, the instrument is adaptable for evaluating other generative AI tools, supporting broader research in AI-driven learning environments, to assess not only how students engage with AI, but also how their reliance on AI may affect their cognitive development and self-regulated learning skills in digital education. To develop and validate the PCTD-GAI scale, the Marmara Critical Thinking Dispositions Scale (MCTDS) was adapted, ensuring relevance to AI assessment while maintaining conceptual robustness. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 931 university students from Portugal and Poland, employing exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA & CFA) to assess the scale’s validity and reliability. The results demonstrate that the PCTD-GAI effectively captures students’ perceptions of ChatGPT’s critical thinking dispositions across six key dimensions. Findings indicate moderately positive perceptions across both countries, with Portuguese students consistently rating ChatGPT marginally higher across domains and showing less response variability, suggesting greater consensus. Notably, perceptions were most neutral in the "truth-seeking" domain, while systematicity received the highest ratings, reflecting ChatGPT’s perceived systematic capabilities among students. These findings have significant implications for e-learning and AI-driven education. The PCTD-GAI scale enables educators to track students’ evolving AI literacy and develop targeted interventions that promote critical AI engagement rather than passive reliance on AI-generated content. Moreover, this research advances the field of e-learning by offering an empirical basis for integrating AI assessment into digital learning strategies, ensuring that AI serves as a cognitive tool rather than a substitute for independent reasoning. The validated PCTD-GAI scale provides a reliable, scalable method for assessing students’ perceptions of AI's cognitive capabilities, supporting evidence-based AI pedagogy, and guiding institutional policies on AI integration in education.

Slideshows as a Tool for Learning and Assessment: Pros and Cons as Perceived by Students

Nitza Davidovitch, Rivka Wadmany — Mon, 12 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In academic studies, some course assignments take the form of presentations. The art of presentation involves conveying messages and one of the methods is by delivering presentations, either face-to-face, synchronously, and/or asynchronously. Presentations require analyzing a topic, processing an article, analyzing ideas, dilemmas, lesson plans, etc. This study examines the benefits and shortcomings of slideshow presentations as a means for learning and as an assessment tool, as perceived by students. The study included 66 respondents, undergraduate students in a department of education at an Israeli university. The study combined qualitative and quantitative tools. From the research findings it is evident that the students perceive the benefits of slideshow presentations as improving learning capabilities, as well as enhancing learning and the student’s personal development. Another benefit emerging from the findings is that students see presentations as a means not only for presenting their knowledge to the lecturer but rather also for conveying information to their peers. Namely, the presentation has meaning both on the academic level and on the collaborative level. This benefit is perceived by the students as very important in the current era, where the collaborative dimension is receiving extensive place and emphasis in processes of teaching, learning, and assessment, as well as constituting part of students’ learning outcomes. Creating a supportive learning community that generates a social-academic climate and boosts one’s sense of efficacy and resilience in an era of change is meaningful and will remain with them in their future jobs as well. Concerning the difficulties experienced by students, they noted that slideshow presentations give rise to stage fright, a finding that tops the list of human fears. At the same time, the students noted as benefit the fact that facing an audience is an important skill that should be mastered, where through use of presentations they can attempt to overcome their inner difficulties and develop. The research findings shed light on the use of slideshow presentations as a tool and as a means for supporting learning and assessment. These findings may contribute to improving students’ learning processes and to assessing their scholastic and personal development. For this purpose, however, it is necessary to train students to experience the preparation of effective presentations and to present to an audience, as well as to develop a culture that entails a collaborative-learning climate suitable for an era of digital innovation. Delivering presentations and speaking to an audience are essential skills in the modern workplace. Students will find themselves in professional situations that require them to present information, usually via slideshows and by conveying messages to an audience of listeners or viewers. It is possible to learn how to present to an audience and to acquire presentation skills, and there are even ways of successfully dealing with fear and enhancing confidence in such situations. Good strategies and techniques will grant the necessary training and tools to prepare and deliver presentations in an efficient and relevant manner.

How Social Media Marketing Drives e-Learning Platform Adoption: A Multigroup Approach

Inés Requez-Cipriano, Martín Mauricio-Andía — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Technological advancements have been instrumental in the evolution of the educational landscape, particularly with the proliferation of electronic learning platforms, which have witnessed significant growth in recent years, offering individuals a diverse array of customised courses. In this vein, the present study seeks to elucidate the impact of social media marketing activities on electronic word-of-mouth and student intention to engage with these platforms. Specifically, we aim to investigate how activities such as entertainment, interaction, trend analysis, personalisation, and advertising, conducted by leading digital e-learning platforms on social networks, shape user behaviour. Furthermore, we endeavour to assess the mediating role of electronic word-of-mouth, with a particular emphasis on the educational attainment level of respondents. To achieve these objectives, we conducted a cross-sectional quantitative study involving a sample of 303 participants, all of whom were users of at least one electronic learning platform. Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyse the proposed model comprehensively. Our findings underscore the substantial influence of social media activities on both electronic word-of-mouth and students' propensity to utilise these platforms. Notably, our multi-group analysis, stratified by educational level, reveals nuanced patterns. Specifically, university and technical users demonstrate a heightened association between social media marketing activities, electronic word-of-mouth, and intention to use, reflecting their urgency in accessing the service and thereby exhibiting a greater receptivity to digital platform activities. Conversely, postgraduate users place greater significance on electronic word-of-mouth, underscoring the importance of authentic user perceptions in shaping their engagement decisions.

The Video Lecture as an Instructional Method of MOOCS: Impact on the Students' Re-Watching Behaviors

Muhammed Shittu, Anna Gorbunova, Christopher Lange, Jamie Costley — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the relationship between instructional delivery that affects students' engagement with video lectures and the need to re-watch video lectures in the context of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), where video lectures are the predominant mode of instruction. Multiple linear regression was used to investigate the relationships between some key characteristics of video lectures— the arrangement of text and graphs that creates eye scanning behavior, audiovisual support, text-image comprehensibility, professor's speech clarity—with the need to re-watch video lectures. The findings from the study reveal that the arrangement of text and graphs, the professor’s speech clarity, and text-image comprehensibility emerge as major factors influencing the need to re-watch video lectures in MOOCs. However, audiovisual support does not significantly influence the need to re-watch video lectures. Consequently, the study sheds light on the positive relationship between the arrangement of text and graphs and the need to re-watch video lectures, highlighting the potential cognitive overload experienced by students when oscillating between textual and graphical information. Similarly, the study also shows how the comprehensibility of text and images impacts students' video lecture rewatching behavior, emphasizing the necessity for clear and comprehensible visuals in instructional materials. Additionally, our findings indicate the significance of speech clarity in video lectures, with clear speech patterns contributing to a reduced need for re-watching video lectures. However, the study notes the limited impact of audiovisual support on students' re-watching behavior, suggesting the need for instructors and content creators to minimize audiovisual distractions in order to create sustained engagement. While previous studies have explored various aspects of student engagement in MOOCs, this research fills a critical gap by specifically investigating instructional delivery affecting engagement behaviors of students and the propensity for such instructional delivery to cause students to re-watch video lectures in Moocs. Thus, these findings highlight key areas for optimizing video lecture design in MOOCs, offering actionable insights for educators and content creators to enhance instructional effectiveness and student engagement in fully online learning environments.

Foresight Study on the Influence of ChatGPT In Peruvian Universities Towards 2033

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article investigates how the integration of ChatGPT could transform Peruvian universities by 2033. Twenty drivers were identified, including digital competencies, critical thinking, academic performance, and motivation. Using a foresight approach, possible future scenarios were generated. The methodology consists of four stages: (1) Exploration of the system to identify key drivers; (2) Validation of the information by applying the Delphi method in real time to confirm these drivers; (3) Construction of scenarios using Schwartz axes and structural analysis; and (4) Validation of scenarios using the Probability, Desirability and Governance (PDG) method. The analysis revealed that the most important and uncertain drivers are related to 'training in critical thinking, feedback through intelligent tutoring, and the development of technological infrastructure,' located in Schwartz's Quadrant III. These drivers are crucial to building four scenarios, including the target scenario dubbed "Overcoming Challenges with Innovation and Technology".

EFL Students’ Perspectives on ChatGPT in Translation: Exploring AI Assistance, Motivation, and Learning Outcomes

Cao Tuong Dinh — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) offer promising opportunities to improve language education, particularly in translation, by providing tools that can enhance both learning processes and outcomes. Yet, how these AI tools are perceived and integrated, especially in areas that demand cultural sensitivity and a nuanced understanding, has not been fully explored, notably from the perspective of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. This study set out to examine how English major students view the use of ChatGPT, a text-based generative AI tool, within translation classes, using the Expectation-Value Theory as a framework. The study involved 62 junior English majors from a university in Vietnam and employed a mixed-methods approach, including pre- and post-course surveys, reflective journals, focus group interviews, and analysis of course grades. Results showed that students generally regarded ChatGPT as a helpful tool for improving translation accuracy, efficiency, and vocabulary skills. They valued its capacity to simplify complex translation challenges, improve sentence flow, and offer a variety of lexical choices, which in turn boosted their motivation and confidence. Students also mentioned that using ChatGPT helped promote collaborative learning by sparking more group discussions, which improved their translation skills. At the same time, they pointed out some limitations, especially how ChatGPT struggled with cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions. Because of this, students had to carefully review and adjust the AI’s suggestions themselves. The study points out that it’s really important to strike a balance between relying on AI tools and sticking with traditional, hands-on translation methods. Tools like ChatGPT can definitely support translation learning, but they can’t take the place of human judgment and effort. When looking at why students were motivated to use ChatGPT, the research found that it mostly came down to how helpful they believed the tool was, how much they valued using it, and how confident they felt about succeeding with it. These factors played a key role in their overall learning results. The study provides useful insights into how AI tools can support online learning by making it more efficient and engaging. However, it also reminds us that human judgment remains crucial, especially in translation tasks that involve cultural understanding. More research is needed to understand the long-term effects of AI in translation education and how well these tools work across different cultural settings.

Building Resilience in Online Higher Education Facilitators: Mitigating Emotional Exhaustion

Liesl Scheepers, Geesje Van Den Berg — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The increasing occurrence of online teaching has introduced unique challenges for facilitators, particularly concerning emotional exhaustion and burnout. The purpose of this study was to understand how online facilitators in higher education experience and navigate these challenges. The paper draws on findings presented in the author’s doctoral dissertation, and explores the relationship between resilience, emotional exhaustion, and self-efficacy and how resilience can serve as a protective factor against emotional exhaustion among online facilitators at a private higher education institution in South Africa. A qualitative research approach was employed, adopting a case study design within an interpretivist paradigm. Data generation was conducted through an initial online survey sent to 1220 facilitators, from which 188 responses were received. The survey aimed to assess facilitators’ levels of self-efficacy, emotional exhaustion and resilience. A purposive sampling strategy, informed by the scores achieved for each section of the survey, was used to identify ten participants for in-depth semi-structured interviews. The sample included five facilitators who demonstrated high self-efficacy and resilience, along with minimal indicators of emotional exhaustion, and five who displayed low self-efficacy levels and resilience, and significant indicators of emotional exhaustion. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes, focusing on work-life balance, the role of technology, adaption versus replication of teaching strategies, and the importance of resilience in maintaining engagement and effectiveness in online teaching. Findings showed that facilitators with high resilience were better able to manage emotional exhaustion. This was mainly because of their ability to establish clear work-life boundaries, use technology effectively, and adapt their teaching methods rather than replicating traditional classroom practices in an online setting. On the contrary, those with lower resilience reported greater emotional strain, challenges in adapting to online teaching, and heightened anxiety regarding the use of online tools. The findings of the study have wider implications beyond the specific institution studied, providing valuable insights for higher education institutions globally. As online education continues to grow, it is crucial to ensure that institutions provide the necessary support strategies for facilitators to build their resilience and ensure their emotional well-being in what can be a challenging teaching and learning environment.