This study analyzed the effect of blended learning with combined synchronized and unsynchronized settings on self-efficacy and achievement of the students in learning basic design. The population was 145 students of vocational schools ("sekolah menengah kejuruan"/SMK) who learned basic design. The schools were selected through multistage…

The response of most universities to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was Online Distance Teaching (ODT), which was a new experience for many educators and students. The aim of the study was to investigate the response of university teachers to ODT. A questionnaire was sent to all university teachers (N = 914). We received 290 usable…

In the last decade, social media have become important tools for educator professional development, learning and community. While education has traditionally proven to be an isolating profession, technologies such as Twitter offer opportunities for educators to collaborate beyond their school, district, region and nation. Education-related Twitter…

The COVID-19 pandemic, while disruptive and abrupt, provided instructors opportunities to redesign face-to-face (F2F) lecture courses to an online asynchronous delivery mode. Asynchronous course delivery is often synonymous with recorded lectures, discussion boards, and standardized assessments, yet this mode can be student-centered, include…

Although online learning has increased as a delivery method of instruction in higher education, learners may still feel isolated from the instructor and peers due to a lack of physical presence. Thus, intentional and purposeful online course design is necessary. To remediate feelings of isolation, cooperative learning strategies have been…

As a result of COVID-19, teacher preparation institutions scrambled to change face-to-face delivery of coursework to various online approaches (e.g., synchronous, asynchronous). This special issues brief is the second in the series released by the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability and Reform (CEEDAR Center). Both…

The pandemic forced divisions to develop new approaches to educating students. Division officials had to consider the needs of their students and their resources at home, as well as the capacity of their workforce and existing infrastructure to provide instruction outside of the school building. We collected and coded over a thousand documents…

This study examines whether applying purposeful course design that includes a standardized, easy-to-navigate learning management system (LMS), a focus on creating teacher presence, and the establishment of an environment that provides a feeling of community and inclusion among students can foster retention when a degree program shifts from…

This is the first edited volume dedicated to both teachers and learners of second/foreign language (L2) pragmatics. It comprises a collection of studies that explore how teachers background and practices, and individual learners differences contribute to the teaching and learning of L2 pragmatics. Also included are chapters that present…

The purpose of this study was to observe the predictive power of the practices carried out in distance geography courses conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in students' self-efficacy in geographical inquiry skills. Fourteen variables were determined for this purpose. In this context, questions covering the individual characteristics of the…

Speaking in a foreign/second language is a challenge for many learners, even when they have linguistic knowledge. Drawing on González-Lloret and Ortega's (2014) framework for technology-mediated tasks and MacIntyre's (2007) framework for willingness to communicate in a second language, this mixed methods study investigated the impact of…

Many educators are divided about the benefits of online teaching and learning, especially in the current COVID-19 pandemic when such instruction is necessary and often accompanied by insufficient preparation. It is not surprising, therefore, that many of us who teach English language learners and train pre-service teachers find ourselves in a…

As online learning grows, we have an exciting opportunity and responsibility to create online discussion structures that promote engaging, generative, and discursive conversations that increase critical thinking and reflection. Organic-style discussions that are similar to classroom conversations increase critical thinking skills and offer a…

Educators learn through reflecting on how power shapes their own practices, expressing their concerns about the constraints they face, and brainstorming solutions to address them. Educators create and adjust their philosophies and practices through reflection on how abstract theories manifest themselves in life. The online discussion format…

This study examined the influence of various group diversity dimensions on collaborative creativity related to the healthcare system. Research findings on the association between diversity and brainstorming performance has been mixed. Diversity that increases cognitive stimulation or promotes elaboration has been shown to increase group…