During young adolescence, many youth develop strong identities in relation to science, technology, engineering and mathematics with computing (STEM + C). One way to design for student engagement in STEM + C is to create project-based units that leverage students' interests. We created one such unit, called the "smart greenhouse project".…

As computers have become commonplace in everyday life, educators have begun to shift focus from "working" with computers (computer literacy) to "thinking" with computers (computational thinking). This article describes the progression of computational thinking (CT) from a historical perspective. This paper will first review the…

A design case is a form of scholarly writing in which the author embarks on a reflective journey sharing rich descriptions of their design, design processes, challenges, etc. This paper presents two design cases that demonstrate how learning theories and instructional design concepts were purposefully incorporated in two instructional applications…

Over the past decade, geospatial technologies have emerged as a tool for developing spatial reasoning and cognitive processes. While the foundational Learning to Think Spatially report from the National Research Center (2006) launched research into the use of geospatial technologies in isolation, more recently, cloud-based simulation software have…

Collaborative learning and cooperative learning are two separate approaches developed independently by two groups of scholars around the same period of time in the 1960 and 1970s. Due to their different origins and intertwined paths of development, they have their own distinct features while sharing many similarities. The relationship between…

This article focuses on the practical implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in an online computer science course, articulating the collaborative efforts between the instructional designer (the first author) and the faculty member to redesign the course using UDL principles. Specific instances of redesigned learning modules and…

As schools endeavor to provide all students with access to computational thinking and computer science, the hackathon emerges as a competitive and high-energy event that uses authentic problems to motivate learners to engage in the domain of computing. This article presents the design case of a hackathon for teenagers as enacted over five…

In this paper, we describe the design, development, and implementation of a curriculum based on teaching computer science using an industry-standard game-design software: Unity 3D. We discuss the theoretical underpinnings of our instructional design process and steps we have taken to introduce complexity and maintain student motivation. We discuss…

This case study details microlearning content development, testing, and implementation of the NATO Headquarters Supreme Allied Command Transformation (HQ SACT) e-Learning Networking App (NeNA) conducted by an AECT microlearning consulting team. NeNA was designed to provide microlearning "just-in-time" content, to create socialization…

This article discusses how the term metaverse and the use of virtual worlds is not novel. Beginning with the use of the metaverse for learning starting in the 1990s, the author provides an overview of metaverse, immersion in virtual worlds, their use, and research conducted on them. The article ends with an outline of emerging trends and possible…

There has been a great deal written about ChatGPT since its launch in late 2022. Many news stories specifically address the impact of ChatGPT on education. However, there has been little research showing what K-12 teachers are thinking about and doing with ChatGPT. This research article helps to fill that gap. A survey of Missouri teachers was…

Emerging technologies present new possibilities for schools, but also present ethical issues for designers. Ethical issues arising from the design, accessibility, adoption, and implementation of emerging technologies in schools are intertwined with existing power dynamics, hierarchies, and decision-making norms that perpetuate entrenched…

This report synthesized a one-hour panel discussion at the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) International Convention 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri, sponsored by the Korean Society for Educational Technology (KSET). The theme of the panel discussion was "New Technology, Design, and Research Approaches for…

The Peer Assessment Collaboration Evaluation (PACE) Tool is an original peer assessment tool designed and developed by the authors to address the prevalence of social loafing in group projects in online learning environments. Online group projects offer students collaborative opportunities to engage in critical thinking and problem-solving.…

This paper reviews algorithmic or artificial intelligence (AI) bias in education technology, especially through the lenses of speculative fiction, speculative and liberatory design. It discusses the causes of the bias and reviews literature on various ways that algorithmic/AI bias manifests in education and in communities that are underrepresented…