Mechanical engineering students often find the formulation and analysis of dynamical systems difficult. The response of some mechanical engineering undergraduates is that as much as possible courses on mechanics are best avoided. The aim of this paper is to produce some interesting dynamical systems that may help to change the opinions of the…

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a foundational lifesaving skill for which medical personnel are expected to be proficient. Frequent refresher training is needed to prevent the involved skills from decaying. Regular low-dose, high-frequency training for staff at fixed intervals has proven successful at maintaining CPR competence but does not…

The detection of differential item functioning (DIF) is important in psychological and behavioral sciences. Standard DIF detection methods perform an item-by-item test iteratively, often assuming that all items except the one under investigation are DIF-free. This article proposes a Bayesian adaptive Lasso method to detect DIF in graded response…

Traditional education often relies on passive learning approaches, whereas modern medical students increasingly seek interactive, technology-enhanced experiences. Despite the growing use of digital tools in anatomy education, there remains a lack of structured, student-centered 3D modeling courses embedded within the undergraduate medical…

Pollution from quarry activities has a substantial environmental impact on many countries. This issue should be addressed accordingly as its impact may introduce various health-related problems to the surrounding community. One alternative is to increase awareness for the younger generation and society at large. However, environmental data…

In this study, the instructional design process in three-dimensional multi-user virtual environments (3D MUVEs) based on a problem-based learning approach was examined and authentic design experiences were shared. Besides, a design model was proposed to guide people who want to design these 3D MUVEs and to use these environments for educational…

National and state science learning standards urge K-12 educators to offer authentic Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics learning experiences. One way to fulfill this goal is to prepare preservice science teachers to integrate computer science skills, such as coding, into science education learning contexts that can benefit from it.…

This study examined the effectiveness of three instructional and assessment strategies on conceptual understanding of the DNA molecule. Specifically, a model building task was utilized to determine if physical model construction, digital model construction with a touchscreen tablet computer, or paper worksheet activity effected conceptual…

Accurately assessing youth mental health involves obtaining reports from multiple informants who typically display low levels of correspondence. This low correspondence may reflect "situational specificity." That is, youth vary as to where they display mental health concerns and informants vary as to where and from what perspective they…

This article discusses the transformative impact of technology on knowledge acquisition and sharing, focusing on the emergence of the metaverse as a virtual community with vast potential for virtual learning. Learning in the metaverse is found to enhance engagement, motivation, and retention, while fostering 21st-century skills. It also offers…

We report on a study of the effects of laboratory activities that model fictitious laws of physics in a virtual reality environment on (i) students' epistemology about the role of experimental physics in class and in the world; (ii) students' self-efficacy; and (iii) the quality of student engagement with the lab activities. We create…

Research methods based on modelling and simulation (M&S) are gaining popularity among social scientists to study societal dynamics. Emphasising the importance of this research approach, the Department of Religion, Philosophy and History at the University of Agder initiated a methodology module to help students on the religious studies…

Latent growth models (LGMs) are an application of structural equation modeling and frequently used in developmental and clinical research to analyze change over time in longitudinal outcomes. Maximum likelihood (ML), the most common approach for estimating LGMs, can fail to converge or may produce biased estimates in complex LGMs especially in…

Learning standards for K-12 science education emphasize the importance of engaging students in practices that scientists perform in their profession. K-12 teachers are expected to engage students in scientific modeling, which entails constructing, testing, evaluating, and revising their own models of science phenomena while pursuing an epistemic…

This research examined correlation estimates between latent abilities when using the two-dimensional and three-dimensional compensatory and noncompensatory item response theory models. Simulation study results showed that the recovery of the latent correlation was best when the test contained 100% of simple structure items for all models and…