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Many universities, especially in low-income countries, have considered the potential of cloud-supported collaborative learning in planning and managing students’ learning experiences. This is because cloud tools can offer students the necessary skills for collaboration with one another and improving communication between all users. This study examined how cloud tools can help students engage in reflective thinking, knowledge sharing, cognitive engagement, and cognitive presence experiences. The impact of these experiences on students’ functional intellectual ability to construct knowledge was also examined. A quantitative questionnaire was used to collect data from 150 postgraduate students. A reflective–formative hierarchical model was developed to explain students' knowledge construction in the cloud environment. The findings revealed a positive influence of cognitive engagement, knowledge sharing, and reflective thinking on students’ knowledge construction. Outcomes from this study can help decision makers, researchers, and academicians to understand the potential of using cloud-supported collaborative tools in developing individuals’ knowledge construction.

The recent movement to integrate the flipped classroom model into higher education has resulted in significant changes that affected both teaching and learning practices in different ways. After almost a decade of research on the flipped classroom model, different emergent outcomes have been reported in a domain specific context. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the flipped classroom implementation in a university context, a review of the literature on the use of flipped classroom in a university context was conducted. This study was guided by interpreting the previous research findings according to the domain of utilization, opportunities, challenges, and extensions to the conventional flipped classroom model. This study found that the utilization of flipped classroom in various disciplines is mainly advocated to promote students’ engagement, metacognition, attitude, performance, understanding, and achievement, as well as other learning outcomes. The key challenges of this method, shared across all disciplines, were devoted to the length of the video/digital materials and time required for instructors to prepare the learning materials and for students to master it. Recommendations for policy makers and other crucial insights for the future studies were highlighted.

With the recent development in mobile devices and mobile services, mobile learning (m-learning) has become one of the most common research topics across Arab Gulf countries (AGC). The literature showed an inconsistent usage of m-learning in these countries. This paper sheds light on the progress of m-learning use in AGC, as well as offering recommendations to improve its adoption success. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify the current evidence on the use of m-learning in AGC across several groups of instructors and students. The results from reviewing 31 previous studies showed that students’ and instructors’ acceptance and use of m-learning were the main topics of concerned. In addition, the lack of research on leadership and policy practices in AGC may lead to technology failure. The key recommendations on best practices related to the use of m-learning in AGC were presented and discussed.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are among the latest e-learning initiative that have gained a wide popularity among many universities. Student dropout in MOOCs is a major concern in the higher education and policy-making communities. Most student dropout is caused by factors outside the institution’s control. In this study, a multiple-criteria decision-making method was used to identify the core factors and possible causal relationships responsible for the high dropout rate in MOOCs. Twelve factors, distributed across four dimensions, related to students’ dropout from online courses were identified from the literature. Then, a total of 17 experienced instructors in MOOCs from different higher education institutions were invited to assess the level of influence of these factors on each other. The results identified six core factors that directly influenced student dropout in MOOCs, these were: academic skills and abilities, prior experience, course design, feedback, social presence, and social support. Other factors such as interaction, course difficulty and time, commitment, motivation, and family/work circumstances were found to play a secondary role in relation to student dropout in MOOCs. The causal relationships between the primary and secondary factors were mapped and described. Outcomes from this study can offer the necessary insights for educators and decision makers to understand the cause–effect relationships between the factors influencing MOOC student dropout, thus providing relevant interventions in order to reduce the high dropout rate.

Personalization of the user interface (UI) to certain individuals’ characteristics is crucial for ensuring satisfaction with the service. Unfortunately, the attention in most UI personalization methods have been shifted from being behavioral-personalization to self-personalization. Practically, we explored the potential of linking users’ personality dimensions with their design preferences to shape the design of an interface. It is assumed that such design may effectively promote users’ satisfaction with the service. A total of 87 participants were used to design the UI for certain personality types, and 50 students were used to evaluate their satisfaction with the UI. The results that UI designed based on the users’ personality characteristics helped to stimulate their satisfaction in a mobile learning context. This study offers a new way for customizing the design of the interface based on the correlational link between individuals’ preferences and the structure of personality characteristics.

Within the rapid integration of AI into educational settings, understanding its impact on essential cognitive skills is crucial for developing effective teaching strategies and improving student outcomes. This study examines the influence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills in higher education. Our research specifically investigates how the perceived ease of use, usefulness, and learning value of GenAI tools might influence students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and whether self-regulation serves as a mediator in this relationship. Utilising a quantitative approach, we surveyed 223 students and analysed their responses using a structural equation modelling method. The results reveal that the ease of use of GenAI significantly enhances self-regulation, which in turn positively impacts both the critical thinking and problem-solving abilities of students. However, the perceived usefulness and learning value of GenAI were not found to significantly influence these skills through self-regulation. These findings suggest that, while AI tools can offer an environment conducive to developing higher-order cognitive skills, this might not necessarily translate to the enhancement of students’ skills. This research contributes to the ongoing literature on the role of technology in education by highlighting the importance of designing GenAI tools that support self-regulated learning. Furthermore, it calls for educators and developers to focus not just on the functionality of AI, but also on how these tools can be integrated into curricula to effectively support critical thinking and problem-solving. The practical implications of our research highlight the need for AI tools that are user-friendly and aligned with educational goals, enhancing their adoption and effectiveness in improving student outcomes. It is crucial for educators to integrate strategies that promote self-regulation within AI-enhanced learning environments to maximise their impact on student learning.

This study explored online users’ sentiments about the use and application of Extended Reality (XR) in higher education. X social media platform was used as the main source for assessing users’ perceptions of XR in teaching and learning. A topic modelling approach was used to identify and compare main themes and topics in relation to the use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)/Mixed Reality (MR). The sentiment and polarity of each topic were assessed and compared across these technologies. The results revealed three themes for VR (self-directed learning, creativity-promoting environments, and challenges and concerns) and three themes for AR/MR (guided and oriented learning experience, playful and flexible learning experience, and challenges and concerns). The results also demonstrated significant differences in users’ sentiments, with VR use in higher education achieving higher positivity, anticipation, trust, and joy compared to AR/MR. Findings from this study are unique in the sense that they offer a comparative perspective on XR inclusion in university teaching and learning. The findings can direct policy makers in higher education about the suitability and feasibility of using certain XR technologies in facilitating their digital transformation goals.

COVID-19 dramatically influenced students’ and staff’s learning and teaching experiences and approaches to learning. While many papers examined individual experiences in the context of higher education, synthesising these papers to determine enabling and hindering influences of digital adaptation was needed to guide the next phase of online learning reforms. This study explored the main dimensions of digital technology adaptation in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The consequences for student and staff experiences and what aspects should be sustained and developed were discussed in this review. A total of 90 articles (published between 1st January 2020 and 30th June 2021) were identified and analysed based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses framework. Four dimensions (with associated sub-factors) were found to influence student and staff experiences: techno-economic; personal and psychological; teaching, learning and assessment; and social. The findings highlighted that an integrated approach, across institutional, technical platforms, and individuals would be required to sustain digital learning initiatives during the crisis time.

In developed nations, the advent of distributed ledger technology is emerging as a new instrument for improving the traditional system in developing nations. Indeed, adopting blockchain technology is a necessary condition for the coming future of organizations. The distributed ledger technology provides better transparency and visibility. This study investigated the features that may influence the behavioral intention of energy experts to implement the distributed ledger technology for the energy management of developing countries. The proposed model is based on the Technology Acceptance Model construct and the diffusion of the innovation construct. Based on a survey of 178 experts working in the energy sector, the proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling. The findings showed that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, and cost saving had a positive and significant impact during the blockchain technology adoption. However, innovativeness showed a positive effect on the perceived ease of use whereas an insignificant impact on the perceived usefulness. The present study offers a holistic model for the implementation of innovative technologies. For the developers, it suggest rising disruptive technology solutions.

Due to the importance of design guidelines in facilitating user experience and promoting efficiency, it is essential to determine the effectiveness of certain design guidelines for a specific population. There have been a number of challenges reported in the literature when designing learning courses for Arabic users. Confirming the suitability of design guidelines for specific users’ needs can be challenging in the context of the Arabic language. This is mainly due to the unique characteristics of this language, which contribute to users’ satisfaction with the interface. This study evaluated the feasibility of using Arabic User Interface (UI) guidelines for tablet PCs. The UI guidelines were developed, evaluated, and refined using the Delphi technique. A total of six UI design experts were recruited for this study. The results revealed a number of guidelines that can be used in the design of Arabic UI. The proposed guidelines can standardise the design of Arabic UI by offering future directions on how to effectively apply design principles for tablet PCs.