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Social media as a fast-growing mode of communication has disruptive tendencies that create language change in digital contexts. A global trend of language transformation from words to pictograms (graphicons) in digital communication is observed in messaging language use, usually initiated by the young people in online interactions which eventually becomes established. This paper examines the functional use of graphicons such as emoji, sticker, GIF and meme as effective communication tools in digital conversations. Specifically, the study aims at exploring usage trends and meaningful ways the visual icons are used to achieve communication goals with or without texts. Data was purposefully drawn from 309 screenshot messages obtained from the respective class representatives of the selected classes’ WhatsApp platforms of students in Accounting, Computer and Systems Engineering Departments of the University of Lagos. 203 google questionnaires and follow-up unstructured interviews were also used to collect data. Pragmatic analysis of data was conducted using the Gricean cooperative principles or conversational maxims as the theoretical underpinning. Results show that emoji and sticker in particular, are an intrinsic part of young people’s social media communication with strong chances of sustained usage. They are used mainly for reaction, rapport management and message clarification. New functional and more expressive graphicons are recommended for technological devices. This paper not only expands literature in the field of linguistics, but also contributes to the fields of digital/computer communication and language development. It also fosters knowledge, facilitates understanding in digital user experience and adds pedagogical stimulus for students and software developers.

In contemporary society, information and communication technology permeates every aspect of human life, including education. This study investigates the impact of WhatsApp chatbot technology and Glaser's teaching approaches on the academic performance of economics education students in tertiary institutions. Grounded in activity theory, the study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test/post-test control group. Initially, the study sampled 324 final-year education economics students, selecting a subset of eighty-three participants for the study. The Performance Economics Ability Test (PEAT) served as the study’s data collection tool, validated through rigorous content, construct, and criterion-related validity analyses, with a reliability coefficient of 0.75. Statistical analyses, such as mean comparisons and standard deviations, were conducted to address the research question. Findings reveal a significant variance in the mean performance scores of students exposed to WhatsApp chatbots compared to those instructed through Glaser's pedagogical approach, highlighting the potential of ICT-enhanced learning environments in tertiary institutions. Therefore, the study recommends the seamless integration of WhatsApp chatbot technology into the pedagogical landscape of economics education, with implications for policy-making and instructional practices. However, the study acknowledges the limitations inherent in the study design and suggests avenues for future research to address these limitations and further clarify the dynamics of ICT-mediated learning environments. 

In this paper, we present ChatDashboard, a framework for collecting, linking, and processing donated WhatsApp chat log data. The framework consists of the WhatsR R package for parsing, anonymizing, and preprocessing donated WhatsApp chat logs, the ChatDashboard R Shiny web app for uploading, reviewing, and securely donating WhatsApp chat logs, and DashboardTester, an automated script for testing the correct setup of the framework by simulating participants. With ChatDashboard, researchers can set up their own data collections to gather transparently donated WhatsApp chat log data from consenting participants and link them to survey responses. It enables researchers to retrospectively collect highly granular data on interpersonal interactions and communication without building their own tools from scratch. We briefly discuss the advantages of donated WhatsApp chat log data for investigating social relationships and provide a detailed explanation of the ChatDashboard framework. Additionally, we provide a step-by-step guideline in the supplementary materials for researchers to set up their own data donation pipelines.

First-year students are compelled by South African universities to use the Moodle e-learning management platform. Recent studies outline that this creates challenges during the learning process, since students struggle to use Moodle owing to their disadvantaged school background; however, they are familiar with and good at using the WhatsApp social media platform. While these studies have attempted to provide possible solutions, there is a need for an alternative option. This qualitative case study proposes alternatives and the possible use of WhatsApp to supplement Moodle, depending on the personal needs of the student. Twenty five first-year students doing Physical science education modules were purposively and conveniently sampled, and the data generated from semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion, and emailed reflective activities were thematically coded to produce a theory of e-learning platforms. Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) theory was used to direct the study and make sense of the data. The findings revealed that a personal e-learning platform which has been neglected in the past could be used to improve e-learning. It also revealed that while students only had the option of using a formal e-learning platform (Moodle), they would prefer to use their more familiar informal e-learning platform (WhatsApp). The study concludes that without considering the use of a personal e-learning platform that blends both Moodle and WhatsApp, the problem might be further escalated.

The main objectiveof the research istostudy the creative potentialof Artificial Intelligence (AI) for writing skillsinan educational context. The research aimstoprovide evidenceonthe useofAIand contributetoits integrationinthe classroomasasupport for the teaching-learning process. Two typesofresearch designs were established: adescriptive and comparative non-experimental quantitative research, andaquasi-experimental pretest-posttest study. The sample consisted of20AIsystems and 193 university students who were given Games2and 3of the Spanish PIC-A test (\"Creative Imagination Test for Adults\"). The students repeated the games, assistedbyChatGPT,tocompare the possible improvement of their productions. The findings reveal statistically significant differences between the AIs and the studentsinthe indicators of fluency, flexibility, and narrative originality in Game 2. Furthermore, significant differences are found between students' pre-test and post-test scoresinfluency, flexibility, and narrative originality in Game2 andinfluencyinGame3. Finally, the assistance providedby AI in writing tasks and verbal creativity ishighlighted, and this shouldbe consideredinlanguage teaching;inany case,AIcannot replace human intelligence and creativity.

Due to rapid developments, mobile technologies started to play an essential role in designing seamless learning environments. Due to the availability of mobile technologies, students can access learning materials without being bound by time and place. On the grounds that these applications allow information exchange, time and space limitations such as classrooms or school bells have been eliminated. Therefore, this study aims to assess mobile-assisted seamless learning environments’ effects on students’ success and motivation in the secondary school 7th grade mathematics class algebra unit and student opinions about the application. The research is designed using the descriptive pattern of mixed-method research. The sample of the study is 73 middle school students (30 male and 43 female) in Turkey. Augmented Reality (AR) applications developed in teaching algebra to support individual learning and to utilize mobile technologies, WhatsApp groups were created. Algebra Achievement Test (AAT), Mathematics Motivation Scale (MMS), and semi-structured interview forms were used as data collection tools in the research. The results of the study showed that there were statistically significant differences in favor of the experiment group in AAT and MMS scores. However, no significant difference was found between the groups in intrinsic goal orientation and test anxiety scores, which are motivation sub-dimensions. The findings obtained from AAT, MMS, and the students’ opinions showed that mobile technology applications used in out-of-school learning environments positively affect the learning process.

This research aimed to describe the use and functionality that migrant women provide to social networks and the role they play in the social integration of migrant women. Using a qualitative methodology design, a virtual ethnography approach, and with the support of ATLAS, this research analyses 863 discursive threads of a WhatsApp group comprised of 123 migrant women belonging to an association related to the social and labour integration of the migrant population. The results indicate that the WhatsApp group is a reliable source of information as well as spaces of solidarity and emotional support among women who experience similar situations during the migration process. The originality of these results is that they provide insight into the uses of social networks by migrant women, on which there is little research, through observations in a WhatsApp group. Organisations working with migrant women should rethink the functionalities of these social networks and the importance of these tools in improving the social and labour integration of migrant women.

Purpose - This study addresses the issue of investigating on how lecturers used WhatsApp in educational context and what are the pre-service teachers’ views when WhatsApp is used in teaching and learning activities. Methodology - A qualitative case study was conducted in this study. Two lecturers were interviewed individually to investigate the teaching approach integrated with the use of WhatsApp. Also, 12 pre-service teachers in two focus groups were interviewed to examine their views of using WhatsApp in completing their tasks. Findings - The lecturers employed blended learning approach and were not keen to entirely conduct their lessons in the online learning environment. The focus group interviews were conducted to bring the data together to generate emerging themes related to positive and negative views of pre-service teachers when they were engaged on WhatsApp for learning activities. The positive themes were related to bite size learning, seamless learning, 21st century learning, WhatsApp as a platform to support learning and as an extended interaction space. Practical Implications - The study may influence the use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) tools in education. It also contributes to new ideas and knowledge on how teachers and learners can conceptualize and use ICT. There is a strong case to argue for instructors to be actively involved in interactions to guide students to develop knowledge and ideas.

In recent months, some media outlets have been launching artificial intelligence-based chatbots that serve as assistants to users in their search, selection and consumption of content. This research analyses two such examples: Vera, a conversational assistant launched by the Spanish newspaper El País, and the model used by the Colombian newspaper El Espectador, which operates on the WhatsApp platform. Both chatbots share the same approach: they are tools designed for users to interact with newspaper content. This interaction takes place through natural language conversations: the technology understands ‘users’ questions or requests and provides answers based on the content hosted in the newspapers. This changes the way media content is explored. We are moving from a paradigm centred on search engines and keywords to one in which conversation determines the discovery of content. The research analyses the results of these two pioneering experiences in the Spanish-language media. The aim is to understand the extent to which they are changing the relationship with content and how they are affecting the media.

The application of augmented reality games (ARG) as an emerging innovative technology has become a significant component of instructional learning contexts in recent years. ARG-based education as a form of student-centered learning situates students in a learning environment that integrates virtual elements with physical environments through three-dimensional pictures and videos on mobile devices for educational purposes. To connect the use of digital tools into the language classrooms and allow learners to view the real world, this study examined the viability of ARG-enhanced education on English foreign language (EFL) learners’ learning of giving and asking for directions in flipped and blended contexts. The study involved 60 EFL elementary students of homogenous English proficiency, organized into two comparative and one control group, with 20 participants in each group. For the pre-test, an 18-item multiple-choice test with one written and oral question was administered to assess the learners’ knowledge of asking for and giving directions. After taking the pre-test, the two comparative groups received 16 sessions of ARG-enhanced education (one with a blended and the other with a flipped classroom approach), while the control group received placebo instructions. The flipped group received the instructional materials preceding the online group, while the blended group received instruction in both online and face-to-face classes. The control group received instruction in a face-to-face context. After 8-weeks of treatment sessions, all participants of the study took the post-test. According to the results, both flipped and blended groups receiving ARG-enhanced education performed better than the control group in learning how to give and ask for directions. The results of this study may pave the way for EFL teachers and students to use ARG-based technology in online and traditional classes.