Explore the vast range of titles available.

This study investigates learner engagement in pedagogic task performance by triangulating multiple sources of data to gain insight into the cognitive and affective processes that take place on a range of tasks and how they engage learners of different target languages. The study provides a detailed analysis of 4 learners' second language (L2) performance (2 first language [L1] Japanese learners of English; 2 L1 Japanese learners of Chinese). All learners completed an identical set of 12 communication tasks in 3 discourse genres (instruction, narrative, and opinion) in a learner-generated (LGC) and teacher-generated content (TGC) condition. The performances were followed by immediate stimulated video recalls and questionnaires on perceived levels of anxiety and motivation during each task. Triangulation of these data sources revealed that both the English and Chinese learners were more socially and emotionally engaged in LGC tasks than in TGC tasks and that this engagement was associated with more fluent and accurate, but less complex, speech. The difference between the Chinese and English learners was in their self-reported preferences and levels of anxiety and motivation while performing the tasks in the respective conditions. Based on the learners' background profiles, this difference in subjective response to the tasks is attributed to previous experience with formal L2 instruction. (Verlag).

Despite the massive growth and benefits of online learning platforms, engaging and retaining learners showcases a major challenge in the present scenario. There is a dearth of literature on measuring the antecedent factors of learner engagement behavior through mediating effect in the online learning context. Therefore, the current study was designed to empirically confirm the factors influencing the learner's engagement in online learning platforms through the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework. The data was collected from 336 learners who have accessed online learning platforms. Structural equation modeling was tested to evaluate the proposed relationships in the conceptual framework. The results identified performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, learner self-efficacy, and e-learner's intention to use behavior as key antecedents of e-learner's engagement behavior in the online learning platform. Subsequently, the e-learner's intention to use behavior played a significant role as a mediator in influencing the e-learner's engagement. The novelty of the study is to offer statistical significance on limitedly studied phenomena in online learning towards investigating the e-learner's intention to use behavior as mediation in envisioning e-learner's engagement behavior. Additionally, the study theoretically contributes to the existing body of literature. Also, the study findings underscore the need for organizations, policymakers, and academic institutions to develop online learning platforms that enhance learners' engagement behavior.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can be enhanced with the so-called learning-by-doing, designing the courses in a way that the learners are involved in a more active way in the learning process. Within the options for increasing learners’ interaction in MOOCs, it is possible to integrate (third-party) external tools as part of the instructional design of the courses. In MOOCs on computer sciences, there are, for example, web-based Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) which can be integrated and that allow learners to do programming tasks directly in their browsers without installing desktop software. This work focuses on analyzing the effect on learners’ engagement and behavior of integrating a third-party web-based IDE, Codeboard, in three MOOCs on Java programming with the purpose of promoting learning-by-doing (learning by coding in this case). In order to measure learners’ level of engagement and behavior, data was collected from Codeboard on the number of compilations, executions and code generated, and compared between learners who registered in Codeboard to save and keep a record of their projects (registered learners) and learners who did not register in Codeboard and did not have access to these extra features (anonymous learners). The results show that learners who registered in Codeboard were more engaged than learners who did not register (in terms of number of compilations and executions), spent more time coding and did more changes in the base code provided by the teachers. The main implication of this study suggests the need for a trade-off between designing MOOCs that allow a very easy and anonymous access to external tools aimed for a more active learning, and forcing learners to give a step forward in terms of commitment in exchange for benefitting from additional features of the external tool used.

With the blended learning widespread in higher education, the research on the factors which can influence the students’ engagement and their working mechanism has become more and more valuable. In this study, college students’ perception on three aspects, i.e. their cognitive engagement and emotional engagement in two different activities, the activity features and teachers’ roles, has been collected through both questionnaires and interviews. Repeated variance measurement, Pearson correlation analysis and General linear regression have been used to process the quantitative data. Thematic analysis has been used to process the qualitative data. The results show that the cognitive engagement and emotional engagement in Teacher’s Q & A and Online discussion are significantly different (F CE  = 10.32**, ŋ 2  = 0.07; F EE  = 29.60***, ŋ 2  = 0.17). Students’ emotional engagement and cognitive engagement in activities are affected by various task features and teacher’s roles. Pedagogical implication and suggestions for further research have also been provided.

Despite the growing importance of MOOCs and their application in face-to-face classes since 2020, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, existing literature offers limited research on the factors affecting the quality of hybrid MOOC (hMOOC) learning, particularly from a psychological perspective. Thus, based on the 3P model of teaching and learning, this study aims to build a psychological pathway to empirically investigate the indicators of, and their relationship with, hMOOC learning outcomes by examining task value belief and relational quality as presage variables, and learner engagement and knowledge sharing as process variables, leading to learner satisfaction as the product. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 750 undergraduate learners with prior experience in hMOOC learning in higher educational institutions of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), path, and mediation analyses were conducted based on structural equation modeling (SEM). The results confirmed the hypothesis that task value belief and relational quality both significantly influenced learner satisfaction in hMOOCs. Task value belief exerted indirect effects on satisfaction through learner engagement. However, it failed to predict satisfaction through knowledge sharing indirectly. Instead, task value belief affected learner engagement first and then knowledge sharing, which finally impacted satisfaction, revealing the linear relationship of TVB→LE→KS→SA. Moreover, relational quality had an indirect effect on satisfaction through both learner engagement and knowledge sharing, indicating the interrelationships of RQ→LE & KS→SA. Theoretical and pedagogical implications are discussed in the conclusion.

Digital storytelling (DST) is an innovative pedagogical approach that integrates multimedia creation, personal narrative, and autonomy in L2 education. Yet, its influence on learner engagement remains underexplored in asynchronous delivery modes and non-conventional language learning settings, common in post-pandemic instructional practice. This study thus examines the engagement patterns of 34 student-teachers of English in an afterschool asynchronous DST task about teacher identity. The study further scrutinises their emotional engagement, given its impact on other engagement domains, and its relevance for online instructional design. Data were collected through a background information questionnaire, a validated student engagement questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews that focused on emotional engagement. Questionnaire data were analysed quantitatively using descriptive statistics and repeated measures ANOVA, and interview data were examined qualitatively using thematic analysis and specific emotional engagement-related frameworks. Results indicated participants’ higher cognitive and behavioural engagement, and lower emotional engagement. Their emotional engagement comprised positive emotions and anxiety, which emerged from specific subjective task values, autonomy, and task affordances in interaction with self-imposed personal standards and perceived digital skills. These findings challenge the common conceptualisation of emotional engagement merely as positive affect in L2 tasks and signal the importance of task- and learner-related factors in an engagement-driven online L2 pedagogy.

Second language (L2) learner engagement has been a key theme in applied linguistics over the past two decades; however, teachers' voices have been largely absent from L2 learner engagement research. In addition, little is known about what learner engagement means to L2 language teachers. Through semi-structured, in-depth interviews, this study aims to capture the conceptualizations of learner engagement and the perceptions of the factors facilitating or hindering learner engagement in L2 learning in a Saudi university context, as expressed by 12 English as a Foreign Language university (EFL) teachers. The data analysis method used was inductive thematic analysis. The findings revealed that, for the participating teachers, learner engagement is a multifaceted concept, although it was commonly seen in terms of the behavioral and affective dimensions. Teachers' perceptions of the factors that facilitate or hinder the promotion of learner engagement were also explored, and among these, the most salient factors were learners' attributes and behaviors, teachers' pedagogical practices, student-teacher rapport, social context, institutional policies, and broader educational system. This study underscores the urgent need to acknowledge the importance of L2 teachers' perceptions of learner engagement within and beyond the EFL classroom. It emphasizes the crucial role of continuous professional development in empowering teachers to enhance their skills in engaging learners and effectively addressing the challenges they face.

As Higher Education (HE) institutions expand their digital resources, students may be struggling to engage effectively with these tools. Academic help-seeking (AHS) is a useful framework for exploring help-seeking behaviour and could be applied to HE contexts, yet its application has been reported as inconsistent. Given the possible utility of this concept to support the growth in technology, a review of how academic help-seeking theory is applied in digital contexts can help to consolidate current understanding and guide future research. This scoping review examines the intersection of AHS and digital technology use in HE through analysis of peer-reviewed literature (2019–2024). Several gaps emerge: bias towards human-centred support, limited investigation of help-avoidance behaviours, insufficient attention to early help-seeking stages, and few studies examining spontaneous help-seeking in authentic digital learning environments. These findings indicate the need for expanded theoretical frameworks that better reflect modern learning behaviours and environments, alongside more diverse research approaches to understand how students integrate both human and non-human help sources in contemporary HE contexts.

This study examines whether technology-based performance tasks can mediate communicating in English and enhance language learner engagement. This study investigated how low-proficiency Japanese English-language learners could change their attitude toward communicating in their target language by completing a performance task that involved making and presenting a digital portfolio, requiring linguistic and contextual self-mediation. The study adopted a questionnaire with two types of questions: one type was scored on a three-point Likert scale and the other included open-ended questions about the performance task; the questionnaire was completed by 33 and 28 students in the first and second semesters, respectively. Data from the open-ended questions were analyzed qualitatively from a phenomenological perspective. Students’ comments showed that they positively engaged in the performance task throughout the two semesters by reflecting on themselves as English learners, with some difficulty mediating in their first and second languages. Plain Language Summary This study aimed to examine whether technology-based tasks could help Japanese English-language learners with low proficiency in English improve their communication skills and increase their engagement in language learning. The researcher focused on a specific performance task involving the creation and presentation of a digital portfolio, which required the learners to independently navigate and understand language and context. Data was collected through a questionnaire, which included three-point Likert questions and open-ended questions about the performance task. A total of 33 students completed the questionnaire in the first semester, and 28 students completed it in the second semester. The researchers analyzed the qualitative data from the open-ended questions using a phenomenological perspective to gain insights into the students’ engagement with the performance task over two semesters. The findings indicated that the students actively participated in the task and exhibited a positive attitude toward it. They also reflected on their experiences as English learners. However, they encountered challenges when mediating between their first language (Japanese) and their second language (English). In conclusion, the study revealed that technology-based performance tasks can facilitate English communication and enhance learner engagement. The participants’ positive engagement suggested that the task had a beneficial impact on their attitudes toward communicating in English. Nonetheless, the study had limitations, such as a relatively small sample size and a focus on low-proficiency Japanese English-language learners. Therefore, caution should be exercised when generalizing the results to other populations or proficiency levels.

Students’ engagement has been a hot topic since the origin of teaching and learning; and is developing rapidly with time and technology. With the recent advances in Information and Communication Technology (e.g, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and 5G), it is a need of the hour to revive its smart use in academia. In underdeveloped countries, parents are offended by financial burdens and educating children is not a priority, resulting students are not effectively engaged in learning. Smartphones are mostly used for fun and entertainment, why not for teaching, learning and monitoring to reshape pedagogy. This study investigated the role of social media in learners’ engagement (l = 734) by making a productive relationship among the parents (p = 400), teachers (t = 21) and Principal in underdeveloped countries’ schools. The results of the study are promising. The statistics for 2018-2019 (i.e, without social media), shows only 3% to 4 % parental participation in meetings and scarce teachers interest in schooling, resulting in the learner disengagement. However, the statistics from 2019-2020 (i.e, use of social media), shows improvements in the parental engagement up to 20% and teachers engagement up to 70%, resulting in a productive learners engagement. It is worth mentioning here that the school (located in the village), learner average attendance increased to 95% (dropped the truancy to almost zero), which got higher authorities admiration.