Umar Bin Qushem

This paper uses a scoping review to examine technostress among older academics, focusing on the technological tools causing distress, associated health and educational challenges, and coping strategies. Following the PRISMA Protocol, five databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, IEEE) were searched, resulting in 27 papers for template analysis and thematic coding. An inductive approach enabled iterative theme refinement. Four technology categories – communication, administrative, research, and mobile – were linked to technostress. Challenges include strained relationships, digital threats, role ambiguity, time pressure, and health issues. Despite these, older academics employ effective coping strategies, such as leveraging technology for teaching, fostering supportive environments, flexible schedules, and advanced communication tools. The findings highlight the importance of balancing technological demands with individual well-being and provide actionable recommendations for institutions to support older academics in managing technostress effectively.

Background: Previous research has shown that testing differs significantly from other classroom activities and is associated with heightened negative emotions and lower levels of positive emotions. However, relatively little is known about students' emotions surrounding testing, particularly in higher‐stakes assessment settings. Aims: This study aims to examine how students' levels of four emotions (i.e., happiness, relaxation, anxiety and boredom) develop from pre to‐post‐test, and it investigates how individual factors (i.e., gender, grade level, perceived mathematical competence and test performance), impact students' emotional states and moderate their emotional trajectories. Sample: The sample ( N = 2179) consists of 692 third‐grade, 605 sixth‐grade, 413 eighth‐grade and 469 ninth‐grade students from various schools across Finland, who participated in a digital, semi‐high‐stakes, end‐of‐year mathematics assessment. Methods: An in‐situ approach was used to assess students' emotions immediately before and after testing. Analyses were conducted using linear mixed‐effects modelling to account for the repeated‐measurements structure. Results and Conclusions: Students generally reported lower positive emotions after the assessment. The measured individual factors significantly predict both students' emotional states and their development during the assessment. Boys reported higher levels of positive emotions and lower anxiety, while younger students remained more positive during the assessment. Students who perceived themselves as competent experienced higher levels of positive and lower levels of negative emotions, whereas students who performed poorly showed a decline in positive emotions during the assessment. Future research could focus on whether support for emotional regulation affects student performance in test situations.

The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in significant disruptions to both international student mobility and labour markets. Against this background, this scoping review documents findings from 35 studies, published between January 2020 and February 2024, that focused on international student mobility, Covid-19, labour market outcomes, and related regulations. The review shows that the Covid-19 pandemic negatively impacted (1) the labour market outcomes of international students before studying abroad, through changes in visa regulations, (2) skill acquisition during their mobility, (3) the duration of their studies, and (4) the availability of jobs during and after their mobility period. These negative impacts occurred at a time when international students’ needs for work were heightened. This ‘double whammy’ was more pronounced among international students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, increasing pre-existing inequalities. It was also affected by students’ residency status and policy changes. These findings underline the critical role that temporality plays in shaping the returns to international student mobility. However, the existing literature on the topic is relatively sparse and has primarily relied upon qualitative approaches and rapid research. Future studies are needed to better understand the impact of Covid-19 on the labour market outcomes of international students.

The promise of using immersive technologies in learning has increasingly been attracting researchers' and practitioners' attention. However, relevant empirical works are usually conducted in fully controlled Virtual Reality (VR) laboratories, as opposed to conventional settings. This quasi‐experimental study compares the effectiveness of video learning resources to that of stereoscopic 360° VR, as supplements to the traditional instructional approach. The potential of such methods was examined in high school settings, in the context of the ‘Life and Evolution’ module, with participants ( n = 70) divided equally into control and experimental groups. As a point of reference (control condition), we considered the adoption of Video Learning Resources, as students are more acquainted with this instructional method. In the intervention approach (experimental condition), students adopted the use of low‐end mobile‐VR ( VeeR Mini VR Goggles ). The key findings indicate differences in the learning motivation, confidence and satisfaction, but no statistically significant difference was identified regarding the factual or conceptual knowledge gains. The study offers insights on the potential of the investigated technologies in the subject of secondary school Biology and further provides implications for theory and practice. Practitioner notes: What is already known about this topic Researchers' interest over the potential of Virtual Reality on different STEM disciplines is increasing consistently. An increasing number of efforts can be identified discussing the integration of multimedia learning resources in the secondary school context. Empirical studies on the subject of Biology are focusing on students' academic performance and achievement but not on learning motivation and satisfaction. What this paper adds This quasi‐experimental study comparatively examines academic performance, with the focus being on learning motivation and satisfaction, across different modalities (stereoscopic 360° Virtual Reality applications‐VR, Video Learning Recourses‐VLR). The findings demonstrate that both instructional methods are sufficient in enhancing students' knowledge acquisition and academic performance. The adoption of stereoscopic 360° VR influences students' learning motivation and impacts long‐term memory retention. Implications for practice and policy Educators are advised to consider the systematic adoption of “immersive” multimedia tools to enhance the subject of Biology as they can greatly encourage scientific inquiry. Instructional designers are advised to adopt open educational resources aligned to the curriculum of the local context. Educational researchers are advised to integrate stereoscopic 360°‐VR solutions in the conventional classroom settings.

Achieving fluency in arithmetic operations is vital if students are to develop mathematical creativity and critical thinking abilities. Nevertheless, a substantial body of literature has demonstrated that students are struggling to develop such skills, due to the absence of appropriate instructional support or motivation. A proposed solution to tackle this problem is the rapid evolution and widespread integration of educational technology into the modern school system. To be precise, the Learning Management System (LMS) has been found to be particularly useful in the instructional process, especially where matters related to personalised and self-regulated learning are concerned. In the present work, we explored the aforementioned topics in the context of a longitudinal study in which 720 primary education students (4th–6th grade), from United Arab Emirates (UAE), utilised an LMS, at least once per week, for one school year (nine months). The findings revealed that the vast majority (97% of the 6th graders, 83% of the 4th graders, and 76% of the 5th graders) demonstrated a positive improvement in their arithmetic fluency development. Moreover, the Multiple Linear Regression analysis revealed that students need to practice deliberately for approximately 68 days (a minimum of 3 min a day) before seeing any substantial improvement in their performance. The study also made an additional contribution by demonstrating how design practice compliance with gamification and Learning Analytics in LMS may lead children to be fluent in simple arithmetic operations. For educators interested in LMS-based intervention, research implications and directions are presented.

Identifying the assessment indicators which can facilitate the provision of personalized learning has been a long-term topic of discussion and debate. Several studies have emphasized on the important role that Information and Communication Technology solutions can play in closing this gap whereas, the recent pandemic outbreak, strengthened even more the necessity to introduce educational solutions capable for supporting Blended Learning scenarios. To tackle this obstacle, educators adopted various solutions including Learning Management System and Virtual Reality educational platforms. Recent reviews have revealed that examining students learning artifacts from a single solution, in isolation, may not be comprehensive enough to extract information and, therefore, provide holistic support for academic knowledge growth and skillset advancement. The introduction of multimodal assessments can potentially counter this issue and accordingly assist educators in providing personalised educational interventions. With that objective in mind, we propose an integrated Multimodal Learning Analytics (MMLA) framework which aims at orchestrating and classifying students personality traits, behavioral effects, academic performance, and practical skills simultaneously. The present work constitutes part of a wider effort which aims at providing Higher Education students with personalised and adaptive learning experiences to prepare and equip them with the qualities and the skills that the Industry 4.0 demands.

Personalized or precision education (PE) considers the integration of multimodal technologies to tailor individuals’ learning experiences based on their preferences and needs. To identify the impact that emerging multimodal technologies have on personalized education, we reviewed recent implementations and applications of systems (e.g., MOOCs, serious games, artificial intelligence, learning management systems, mobile applications, augmented/virtual reality, classroom technologies) that integrate such features. Our findings revealed that PE techniques could leverage the instructional potential of educational platforms and tools by facilitating students’ knowledge acquisition and skill development. The added value of PE is also extended beyond the online digital learning context, as positive outcomes were also identified in blended/face-to-face learning scenarios, with multiple connections being discussed between the impact of PE on student efficacy, achievement, and well-being. In line with the recommendations and suggestions that supporters of PE make, we provide implications for research and practice as well as ground for policy formulation and reformation on how multimodal technologies can be integrated into the educational context.