Papers by Mohammadreza Farrokhnia
International journal of technology in education, May 30, 2024
Recently, ChatGPT, a cutting-edge large language model, has emerged as a powerful Generative Arti... more Recently, ChatGPT, a cutting-edge large language model, has emerged as a powerful Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tool with the capacity to influence education. ChatGPT provides ample opportunities for learners, researchers, educators, and practitioners to achieve the intended learning outcomes in various disciplines. This special issue examines the diverse applications and implications of GenAI tools including ChatGPT in education, highlighting their potential to enhance teaching and learning across various contexts. Key findings from seventeen studies collected in this special issue demonstrate that GenAI tools can significantly improve educational outcomes by providing personalized feedback, facilitating language learning, and supporting both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The findings emphasize GenAI's capacity to increase learner engagement and motivation, yet also underscore the need for robust ethical guidelines and human oversight due to potential issues with privacy, bias, and accuracy. This special issue also highlights the challenges GenAI faces, such as limitations in contextual understanding and its impact on critical thinking skills. In addition, it provides a foundational framework for exploring effective and responsible GenAI integration, aiming to enrich educational experiences. We conclude that future research should focus on the longitudinal effects of GenAI tools on learning outcomes, developing ethical frameworks for their use, and ensuring their adaptability to diverse learner populations to promote inclusive educational practices.
International journal of interactive mobile technologies, Apr 9, 2024
The present study aimed to examine students' emotions in e-learning classes through facial expres... more The present study aimed to examine students' emotions in e-learning classes through facial expressions and investigate the influence of different instructional methods on students' emotional responses. In this study, we examined the facial expressions of 17 undergraduate students using three different methods of presenting educational content (PowerPoint, video, and Kahoot) in online classes and analyzed the data with face reader software. The findings demonstrated that students experienced various positive and negative emotions with different methods of content delivery. Furthermore, comparing the three methods revealed that the Kahoot method elicited the highest average of positive emotions among students compared to the other two methods. This difference can be attributed to the visual attractiveness and interactive nature of the Kahoot environment. Additionally, this study highlights that simply incorporating multimedia materials, such as PowerPoint presentations and videos, is not sufficient to enhance effectiveness and cultivate positive emotions in e-learning. While multimedia materials serve as supportive tools and enhance visualization, interaction at various levels (content, teacher, peers, etc.) is necessary. Nevertheless, the significance of this research lies in the innovative application of a tool for analyzing emotions in online learning classrooms, thereby enhancing the measurement of genuine and objective emotional responses in e-learning environments.
Proceedings of the 2020 AERA Annual Meeting, 2020
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
British Journal of Educational Technology
Innovations in Education and Teaching International
ChatGPT is an AI tool that has sparked debates about its potential implications for education. We... more ChatGPT is an AI tool that has sparked debates about its potential implications for education. We used the SWOT analysis framework to outline ChatGPT's strengths and weaknesses and to discuss its opportunities for and threats to education. The strengths include using a sophisticated natural language model to generate plausible answers, self-improving capability, and providing personalised and real-time responses. As such, ChatGPT can increase access to information, facilitate personalised and complex learning, and decrease teaching workload, thereby making key processes and tasks more efficient. The weaknesses are a lack of deep understanding, difficulty in evaluating the quality of responses, a risk of bias and discrimination, and a lack of higher-order thinking skills. Threats to education include a lack of understanding of the context, threatening academic integrity, perpetuating discrimination in education, democratising plagiarism, and declining high-order cognitive skills. We provide agenda for educational practice and research in times of ChatGPT.
Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 2020
PurposeThis study aims to investigate the role of social capital in Iranian agricultural students... more PurposeThis study aims to investigate the role of social capital in Iranian agricultural students' acquisition of generic skills. For this purpose, the effect of various social capital dimensions on students' generic skills development was examined.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted among 190 third- and fourth-year undergraduate students in one of the colleges of agriculture and natural resources in Iran. The partial least square method was used to examine the relationships among various social capital dimensions (i.e. social values, social trust, social networks, social cohesion, social participation, social communications and information sharing) with students' generic skills.FindingsThe findings showed that social networks and social participation are effective factors in the generic skills development of students. A model designed for the development of students' generic skills based on their social capital level predicted up to 33% of generic skil...
The International Journal of Management Education, 2022
Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 2021
So far, the synergistic relationship between learning design and learning analytics and its impac... more So far, the synergistic relationship between learning design and learning analytics and its impact on learners' educational practices have been investigated. However, little work has been done to show how integrated learning design based on constructivism learning theory and learning analytics can affect learners' engagement and self-regulation. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of the Constructivist Learning Design and Learning Analytics (CLDLA) Model on learners' engagement and self-regulation. In this experimental study, 50 graduate students at Iranian' Allameh Tabataba'i University were asked to participate in a Moodle course called "Teaching Skills" and fill out Agentic Engagement Scale and Self-Regulation Questionnaires in two steps as a pre-test and posttest measurements. Analysis of the data indicated that the CLDLA model has a positive impact on learners' engagement and selfregulation. Based on the results, recommendations for further research and educational practices are suggested.
Computers & Education, 2021
This article is made publicly available in the institutional repository of Wageningen University ... more This article is made publicly available in the institutional repository of Wageningen University and Research, under the terms of article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act, also known as the Amendment Taverne. This has been done with explicit consent by the author. Article 25fa states that the author of a short scientific work funded either wholly or partially by Dutch public funds is entitled to make that work publicly available for no consideration following a reasonable period of time after the work was first published, provided that clear reference is made to the source of the first publication of the work. This publication is distributed under The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) 'Article 25fa implementation' project. In this project research outputs of researchers employed by Dutch Universities that comply with the legal requirements of Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act are distributed online and free of cost or other barriers in institutional repositories. Research outputs are distributed six months after their first online publication in the original published version and with proper attribution to the source of the original publication.
Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2016
Concept map as an effective tool allows learners to deal with an in depth analysis rather than ke... more Concept map as an effective tool allows learners to deal with an in depth analysis rather than keeping more information which is transferred through lecture based teaching. Concept map also improves the efficiency of computer assisted simulation techniques in learning environments. This research especially focuses on effectiveness of a computer simulated environment and concept mapping and its effect on conceptual understanding of science. In this study, we selected 60 high school students and divided them into two groups (30 students in Group A and 30 students in Group B). The goal of this research is to investigate how the concept maps influence the learning of Direct Current (DC) concept in electric circuits. We collected data by using Determining and Interpreting Resistive Electric Circuit Concepts Test (DIRECT). Covariance analysis indicates significant difference between two groups. Adjusted pretest scores also approve the significant effect of learning with simulation plus concept map in comparison with the sole simulation among learners (Partial eta Squared = 0.08; F = 4.84; p < 0.03). We conclude that students who used simulation along with a concept map (group B) showed better learning than students who used only a simulation software.
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2010
The purpose of this study is to investigate the comparative value of performing electricity labor... more The purpose of this study is to investigate the comparative value of performing electricity laboratory by physical, virtual and comprehensive (combination of virtual and physical) methods with respect to changes in students 'conceptual understanding of DC electric circuits and their skills. To achieve these, a pre-post comparison test (DIRECT V1.2) and final skill test that include coordinated tasks of assembling a real circuit and describing how it worked, were used that involved 100 undergraduate students. At the end of the study by means of statistical tests, we observed considerable changes in comprehensive group's learning and virtual group's skill in comparison with the other groups.
Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 2021
So far, the synergistic relationship between learning design and learning analytics and its impac... more So far, the synergistic relationship between learning design and learning analytics and its impact on learners’ educational practices have been investigated. However, little work has been done to show how integrated learning design based on constructivism learning theory and learning analytics can affect learners’ engagement and self-regulation. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of the Constructivist Learning Design and Learning Analytics (CLDLA) Model on learners’ engagement and self-regulation. In this experimental study, 50 graduate students at Iranian’ Allameh Tabataba’i University were asked to participate in a Moodle course called “Teaching Skills” and fill out Agentic Engagement Scale and Self-Regulation Questionnaires in two steps as a pre-test and post-test measurements. Analysis of the data indicated that the CLDLA model has a positive impact on learners’ engagement and self-regulation. Based on the results, recommendations for further research and education...
Journal of Science Education and Technology
In recent years, student-generated stop-motion animations (SMAs) have been employed to support sh... more In recent years, student-generated stop-motion animations (SMAs) have been employed to support sharing, constructing, and representing knowledge in different science domains and across age groups from pre-school to university students. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of research in this field and to synthesize the findings. For this review, 42 publications on student-generated SMA dating from 2005 to 2019 were studied. The publications were systematically categorized on learning outcomes, learning processes, learning environment, and student prerequisites. Most studies were of a qualitative nature, and a significant portion (24 out of 42) pertained to student teachers. The findings show that SMA can promote deep learning if appropriate scaffolding is provided, for example, in terms of presenting general strategies, asking questions, and using expert representations. Also, the science concept that is to be presented as a SMA should be self-contained, dynamic in natu...
Innovations in Education and Teaching International
This study investigates the effects of a developed MOOC based on Merrill's principles of instruct... more This study investigates the effects of a developed MOOC based on Merrill's principles of instruction on participants' learning outcomes and satisfaction. A pre-test-post-test with a control group design was used in this study. In total, 335 participants were assigned into experimental (using Merrill's principles of instruction) and control group (using the conventional method). However, 291 subjects (143 participants from the experimental and 148 participants from the control group condition) remained in the course up to the last session, and only 200 participants (100 participants per each condition) filled in the surveys. The results were in favour of participants in the experimental condition both in terms of learning and satisfaction compared to the participants in the control group condition. By implementing Merrill's principles of instruction in designing MOOCs and actively engaging participants in a problemcentred learning process, their learning outcomes and satisfaction can be further improved.
Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 2020
Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of social capital in Iranian agricultural student... more Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of social capital in Iranian agricultural students' acquisition of generic skills. For this purpose, the effect of various social capital dimensions on students' generic skills development was examined. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted among 190 third- and fourth-year undergraduate students in one of the colleges of agriculture and natural resources in Iran. The partial least square method was used to examine the relationships among various social capital dimensions (i.e. social values, social trust, social networks, social cohesion, social participation, social communications and information sharing) with students' generic skills. Findings The findings showed that social networks and social participation are effective factors in the generic skills development of students. A model designed for the development of students' generic skills based on their social capital level predicted up to 33% of generic...
Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, Apr 15, 2020
The purpose of this research was to study the perceived readiness of higher education students fo... more The purpose of this research was to study the perceived readiness of higher education students for computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). Moreover, the role of important demographic variables, such as gender, major of study, and computer ownership, was examined in students' perceived readiness and its sub-scales. The data was collected from 326 higher education students of four study groups from a state university in Iran. MANOVA analysis was conducted to explore the possible role of the demographic variables in students' perceived readiness for CSCL. Most of the participants showed high readiness for CSCL. The male participants demonstrated more online learning aptitude compared to females. A statistically significant difference was found in the online learning aptitude of the respondents majoring in engineering and basic sciences with the rest of the participants. Furthermore, the students with a personal computer, laptop, or tablet demonstrated higher levels of readiness for CSCL and online learning aptitude.
Education Research International
This study investigated the effects of using a teaching model enriched with presence on learners’... more This study investigated the effects of using a teaching model enriched with presence on learners’ perceived presence and high-level learning outcomes in online learning environments. The study was conducted in an Iranian state university with 52 higher education students majoring in electronic IT management who were randomly divided into experimental or control group conditions. The research tools included a rubric to measure learner’s perceived presence and the researcher-made survey to measure learner’s high-level learning outcomes. The results showed that the frequency of the produced semantic units in different types of presence (cognitive, social, and teaching presence) was significantly higher for students in the experimental condition than those in the control group condition. In addition, students in the experimental condition showed more progression in the posttest in terms of their high-level learning outcomes as compared to the students in the control group condition.
Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2016
Much research has been done on the application of concept maps as means for learning assessment. ... more Much research has been done on the application of concept maps as means for learning assessment. Similarly, different types of Concept-Map Based Assessments (CMBA) and their validity have been examined as well in many studies, but to a far less extent. The present study uses a descriptive quantitative method and mainly aims to put forward the idea that the select-and-fill-in (SAFI) concept maps could be used as a valid instrument to assess the conceptual understanding of science among thermodynamics students. For this purpose, the concurrent validity of the SAFI concept map was evaluated according to the last version of the Thermodynamic Concept Survey (TCS) in order to develop a standard conceptual survey in thermodynamics. The TCS has a total KR-20 of approximately 0.78, an acceptable value, which could be employed as a valid test to assess teacher-made SAFI concept maps. The study population includes 60 students from two physics classes. An evaluation of the conceptual understandings of thermodynamics students were made concurrently using two assessment tools. Based on the study findings, there is a moderate to strong correlation (0.6) between the Teacher-made SAFI concept map and TCS. This leads us to the conclusion that SAFI concept maps are valid tools, at least, for evaluating conceptual understanding in thermodynamics. Moreover, the results of this study are confirmed a significant relationship between a student’s ability to read and comprehend a given question and his/her ability to solve it.
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Papers by Mohammadreza Farrokhnia