Research
New papers from ed tech and student success journals, and preprints from arXiv and EdArXiv
Wednesday, September 30
Understanding Student Use of Large Language Models Across Computer Science Subfields
This research full paper examines how undergraduate students use large language models (LLMs) across computer science subfields. As LLMs become increasingly integrated into computing education, understanding how their use varies across technical and pedagogical contexts is essential for designing effective,…
arxiv.orgVirtual Global Collaboration in Data Analytics and Machine Learning Education: A Mixed-Methods Study of Asynchronous Cross-Border Teamwork
This innovative practice full paper examines a structured Virtual Global Collaboration (VGC) activity between undergraduate computing courses in the United States and Pakistan. The project was designed to support technical and intercultural skill development through asynchronous international teamwork in data…
arxiv.orgLeanSide: A Formally Verified Co-Reasoning System for Natural-language Proofs
Large language models are increasingly used as collaborators on deductive-reasoning tasks, but their outputs can hallucinate or pull users away from intended reasoning. Formal proof assistants provide machine-checked verification, but have a steep learning curve and require more granular reasoning than human written…
arxiv.orgRoles for virtual reality integration into university teaching
Virtual Reality (VR) is increasingly integrated into university teaching, yet many VR projects lack clearly defined interdisciplinary roles. As a result, responsibilities remain unclear, collaboration becomes difficult, and technically sophisticated VR applications often fail to achieve their intended pedagogical…
doi.orgWhat does it mean to be “career ready”? A study of competencies important for instructional designers and educational technologists
Abstract This study considers the professional needs of instructional design (ID) and educational technology (ET) professionals, including not only the technical and domain-related knowledge and skills traditionally covered by most professional organizations and institutions, but also crucial professional and…
doi.orgWho Pays When the Government Taxes Colleges?
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act introduced a 1.4% excise tax on the net investment income of select nonprofit colleges. Affected colleges warned that the tax would force them to cut educational spending and reduce financial aid to students. Using a triple-difference design that exploits the policy’s dual eligibility…
doi.org
Tuesday, September 29
Fairness Theatre: Evaluating Post-Hoc Fairness Interventions in Vendor-Controlled Early Warning Systems
Public institutions increasingly procure AI systems whose design they cannot inspect or change. In higher education, proprietary Early Warning Systems (EWS) leave colleges with few options beyond adjusting model outputs to address inequity. This raises the question of how fairness work is coordinated among vendors,…
arxiv.orgCritical Thinking with Generative AI: A Constraint-First Design Pilot of a Thinking-Partner Intervention
Generative AI (GenAI) tools entered higher education classrooms faster than the field was able to study their effects on learning. One concern is that GenAI may displace the critical thinking and AI literacy that students will need after graduation. This paper reports a Design-Based Research pilot of a GenAI-assisted…
arxiv.orgThree Pathways of Student-AI Interaction: Constraint-First Design for Higher-Order Thinking
How students interact with artificial intelligence (AI) systems in educational settings may determine whether that interaction supports or displaces critical thinking. This paper introduces two contributions. The first is the Three Paths of Student-AI Interaction, a typological framework identifying three…
arxiv.orgMany hands make light work? Individual and collaborative interaction with a GenAI ‐powered multi‐agent system: Effects on learning performance and critical thinking
Abstract The rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has made fostering learners' critical thinking an increasingly pressing educational challenge. While single‐agent GenAI applications are prone to limited perspective diversity and echo‐chamber effects, multi‐agent systems (MAS) offer a…
doi.orgExploring collaborative patterns in generative AI-supported collaborative learning: effects on knowledge construction and performance
doi.orgEarly Prediction of AI-Assisted Cheating Risk in Online Exams Through Learning Analytics
AI-assisted cheating has become an important threat to the security of online exams. This study examines whether the risk of AI-assisted cheating in the final exam can be predicted using students' digital traces in the learning management system (LMS) during the first eight weeks of the semester. The sample comprised…
arxiv.org
Monday, September 28
Student Perceptions of Tablet-Based Teaching and Learning in TNE Undergraduate Mathematics
Tablet-based teaching and learning has become increasingly common in university mathematics courses, offering capabilities such as digital ink, dynamic visualisation, and real-time annotation. However, there is limited experiential evidence regarding how students perceive the specific benefits and drawbacks of…
arxiv.orgArgus: Academic Integrity in the Era of Generative AI
The rapid proliferation of large language models (LLMs) in the context of education has introduced significant challenges in enforcement of academic integrity, especially in programming courses. We present Argus, an automated detection system for LLM-assisted student work in undergraduate C programming assignments.…
arxiv.orgThe role of context and visual-spatial memory in recall performance within an immersive VR environment
doi.orgExpanding conceptual evidence-building with the science of learning: integrating evidence weights, alignment estimates and iterative updates for educational innovations
Abstract Educational innovations should articulate a clear rationale that situates the innovation within existing literature. Current frameworks, such as ESSA Tier IV, emphasize this requirement, though they only mandate a general review of research. Consequently, the process for demonstrating this connection…
doi.orgCampus Engagement and Climate-Based Factors Associated With Academic Achievement of Collegiate Athletes: A Meta-Analytic Investigation
In the ever-evolving landscape of intercollegiate athletics, postsecondary institutions are increasingly committed to creating inclusive environments that enable collegiate athletes to thrive academically. Some of the influential factors shaping athletes’ academic achievement may be their experiences of campus…
doi.orgBeyond the Blueprint: Navigating Higher Education for Students with Autism and Co-Occurring Disabilities
Although research on autistic college student success is growing, less is known about those who navigate both autism and co-occurring disabilities during college. This mixed-methods study employs a rigorous proposition testing approach to address critical gaps in the literature. Drawing on national survey and…
doi.org
Sunday, September 27
An Empirical Study on how Computing Students Interact with Large Language Models for Learning Purposes
Large Language Models (LLM) have become popular tools in education. Therefore, understanding how students interact with LLMs for learning purposes is an important aspect of the responsible design and development of LLM based learning tools. However, existing research has focused on evaluating model performance,…
arxiv.orgFrom Granular Revision Operations to Meaningful Revision Units: Evaluating LLMs for Revision Boundary Detection
Revision traces provide valuable evidence about students' writing processes, but their usefulness for learning analytics depends on how individual revisions are represented. Automated draft-comparison methods often produce granular edit operations that can fragment a single purposeful revision into multiple analytic…
arxiv.orgLeading Academic Advising Redesign and Reform at Community Colleges
Objective: Timely and effective academic advising is critical to community college student success. As colleges engage in initiatives aimed at accelerating completion rates, many institutions are simultaneously working to implement new advising structures that bolster the success of these initiatives. Our goal was to…
doi.org
Saturday, September 26
Friday, September 25
Evaluating Large Language Models for career guidance: A comparative analysis of computing competency recommendations across ten African countries
Employers increasingly expect graduates to utilize large language models (LLMs) in the workplace, yet the competencies needed for computing roles across Africa remain unclear, given varying national contexts. This study examines how six LLMs, namely ChatGPT-4, DeepSeek-V2, Gemini 1.5 Pro, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Llama 3…
doi.org
Thursday, September 24
Unpacking student interactions in GenAI ‐assisted social annotation: An epistemic network analysis of cognitive and social presence
Abstract Cognitive presence and social presence are essential for computer‐supported collaborative learning (CSCL). Yet, monitoring and providing personalised feedback to support these presences remain a persistent challenge, particularly in the context of social annotation (SA). Generative Artificial Intelligence…
doi.orgOperationalizing IDC-based reading activities with GenAI pedagogical agents to foster reading interest and narrative performance
doi.orgDevelopment and validation of Generative Artificial Intelligence Readiness and Perception (GenAI-RP) Scale for faculty and students in higher education
Abstract This study developed and validated a suite of Generative Artificial Intelligence Readiness and Perception (GenAI-RP) Scale for faculty and students in higher education. Three subscales, including a) Readiness, b) Benefit, and c) Challenge were created based on a review of relevant literature and validated…
doi.orgUnveiling the epistemic features and roles of digital tools through epistemic scaffolding
doi.orgJoy Starts with Me: A Visual Exploration of Black Queer and Trans Joy in College
doi.org
Wednesday, September 23
HelpCoach: Scaffolding Targeted AI Help-Seeking During Problem-Solving
Students increasingly turn to AI for help with problem-solving, yet too much AI support can undermine learning itself. To benefit from AI, students need to specify the necessary knowledge and scaffold type in their questions. However, they struggle to formulate such targeted questions because they lack metacognitive…
arxiv.orgReading on the Other Side of Campus: Introducing the Entext in Career Technical Education
Objective: The purpose of this conceptual manuscript is to extend the results of a series of studies by examining an unexpected observation in our work in community college Career Technical Education (CTE) courses. We offer a multi-disciplinary theoretical critique that we believe has important implications for…
doi.org“A Whole Lot of Years I’ve Been In It”: Understanding Community College Adult Learners’ College and Career Decisions
Objective: Over one-third of community college students are aged 25 years or older (e.g., commonly categorized as “adult learners”), and there is a growing body of scholarship that makes sense of their college and career decisions through an individual as well as an institutional lens. Using asset-based frameworks,…
doi.orgGenerative AI-assisted workflows in architectural conceptual design: Performance, creative self-efficacy, and cognitive load
Generative AI (GenAI) is increasingly adopted in design education, yet evaluating its educational value through final outcomes provides an incomplete picture. This study compares two ecologically plausible workflows in an architectural conceptual design task: GenAI-assisted image generation and ArchDaily-based…
doi.orgNavigating AI’s educational future: expert scenarios and implications for teaching and teacher preparation
This paper presents expert perspectives derived from a visioning activity conducted by an international panel of educational researchers from 13 countries and 18 institutions, working under Thematic Working Group 5 for UNESCO’s EDUsummIT 2025. Using a futures thinking approach, the experts co-constructed six scenarios…
doi.orgEnhancing literacy and numeracy through teacher dashboards and digital personalised learning: an A/B/C test in Kenyan early years education
Abstract Although research indicates that Digital Personalised Learning (DPL) can improve aspects of early-years literacy and numeracy in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), it is necessary to determine whether teacher-facing learning analytics dashboards further impact education outcomes. Specifically, there is…
doi.orgEngagement stability in online learning: can supporting attendance disrupt the Matthew effect?
doi.org
Tuesday, September 22
Who Acts, Who Knows, Who Answers? A Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis of Agency, Epistemic Responsibility, and Accountability in Generative AI Higher Education Research
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly described in higher education as a tool, collaborator, evaluator, proxy, and infrastructure. These labels are not neutral: they shape who is seen as acting, knowing, and, crucially, being answerable when someone uses AI. This study examines how scholars…
arxiv.orgA helping hand or a dominant partner? Individual perceptions of GenAI reliance and human agency in collaborative learning
Abstract Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has become a routine source of feedback, explanation, drafting support and task guidance in higher education. This study examined how individual students' self‐reported GenAI reliance and perceived human agency co‐varied over time in an AI‐supported collaborative…
doi.orgThe role of digital media in the home learning environment and associations with children's early language and literacy skills
Abstract Young children increasingly engage with digital media tools for purposes of education, entertainment and communication. This study examines children's digital media activities within the context of their larger home learning environment (HLE). Using data from two different samples ( N = 289), we looked at…
doi.orgAgentivism: a learning theory for the age of artificial intelligence
Learning theories have historically changed when the conditions of learning evolved. Generative and agentic AI create a new condition by allowing learners to delegate explanation, writing, problem solving, and other cognitive work to systems that can generate, recommend, and sometimes act on the learner’s behalf. This…
doi.orgA mixed-methods analysis of AI scaffolding patterns and student inquiry profiles in a middle-school agriculture-STEM classroom
This study examines how generative AI can support middle school scientific inquiry in a rural agriculture-STEM classroom. Using a mixed-methods design with concurrent data collection and sequential analytic integration, we analyzed 42 eighth-grade students, organized into 12 groups, as they used Aspen, a custom AI…
doi.orgUsing Administrative Data to Support Early Student Success: Predictors of First-Semester Performance in a Puerto Rican Public University
First-semester performance is a practical indicator of students’ transition into tertiary education and a point at which institutions can intervene early. This study examined an analytic dataset of 2,048 incoming students admitted to 10 academic programs in the College of Business Administration at the University of…
doi.org
Monday, September 21
Saturday, September 19
Learner-Centered Design of Educational Tools for Cross-Expertise Technical Communication in Computing Contexts
Cross-expertise technical communication (i.e., communicating about computing topics across levels of computing expertise) is important for workplace collaboration. However, students are underprepared because computing education rarely explicitly teaches communication, and available practice tends to occur among peers…
arxiv.org
Friday, September 18
AI-written admissions essays are widespread but penalized
AI is rapidly transforming higher education, including the application process, yet relatively little is known about its use and consequences. To help close this gap, we analyze nearly 7{,}500 applications submitted between 2020 and 2025 to a large public policy master's program in the United States. We find that in…
arxiv.orgBuilding AI companions that prioritise learning over performance
Generative AI, currently most visible in education through large language models (LLMs), is increasingly embedded in students’ everyday learning practices, supporting tasks such as writing, coding, reasoning, and analysis. Yet their educational value remains uncertain because systems designed to improve immediate task…
doi.orgChatGPT for interdisciplinary learning: Does it equally benefit STEM and non-STEM students
While studies on using generative AI for education are increasing, research on whether it benefits STEM and non-STEM students, who tend to have different technology acceptance and AI literacy, in the interdisciplinary learning context is rare. To respond to this gap, this exploratory quasi-experiment study engaged 130…
doi.orgEthical principles of AI in education: Exploring teachers’ contextual ethical reasoning through an STS lens
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education (AIED) promises significant pedagogical transformations. However, it also raises concerns that have intensified global discourse on the ethical principles guiding its design and use. Despite this growing discourse, limited empirical evidence exists from the…
doi.orgThe Role of Microgrants in Improving Low-Income Students’ Academic and Financial Outcomes Across Demographic Characteristics
This quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of a one-time institutional microgrant program on academic and financial outcomes among Pell-eligible undergraduate students. Academic outcomes investigated included retention to the next semester, degree completion, attempted credit hours, and grade point…
doi.orgTeaching in University Settings: Vignettes of Student Engagement
As access to tertiary education has increased worldwide, the importance of understanding the complexities of student engagement has become progressively evident. Yet, studies on student engagement are frequently abstract, and commonly informed by statistics on completion rates. Understandings of student engagement at…
doi.orgReducing Barriers to Academic Support: Evaluating a Course-Specific RAG System for Addressing Help-Seeking Disparities in Higher Education
Access to academic support is a key determinant of student success, yet students experience it unequally: some readily seek help from lecturers or tutors, while others hesitate due to anxiety, fear of judgement, uncertainty about expectations, or low confidence in their understanding. This may be especially evident in…
arxiv.org