The shift to online education, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has introduced challenges in monitoring student engagement, an essential aspect of effective teaching. In response, real-time student monitoring interfaces have emerged as potential tools to aid instructors, yet their efficacy has not been thoroughly examined. Addressing this gap, we conducted a controlled experiment with 20 instructors examining the impact of engagement cues (presence versus absence) and student engagement levels (high versus low) on instructors' monitoring effectiveness, teaching behavior adjustments, and cognitive load in online classes. Our findings underscored the fundamental benefits of student engagement monitoring interfaces for improving monitoring quality and effectiveness. Furthermore, our study highlighted the critical need for customizable interfaces that could balance the informational utility of engagement cues with the associated cognitive load and psychological stress on instructors. These insights may offer design implications for the design of future student engagement monitoring interfaces.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642845
Literacy---the ability to read, write, and comprehend text---is an important topic addressed by UNESCO. Despite global efforts to promote adult literacy education, rural areas with limited resources still lag behind. As livestreaming has gained popularity in China, many streamers leveraged its accessibility and affordability to reach low-literate adults. To gain a better understanding of the practices and challenges faced by adult literacy education through livestreaming, we conducted a mixed-methods study involving a 7-day observation of livestreaming sessions and an interview study with twelve streamers and ten viewers. We discovered streamers' altruistic motives and unique interactive approaches. Viewers perceived livestreaming as a more engaging, community-supportive method than traditional approaches. We also identified both shared and unique challenges for streamers and viewers that limit its efficacy as a learning tool. Finally, we recognized opportunities to enhance educational equity, emphasizing design implications for advancing adult literacy education and promoting diversity in livestreaming.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642423
Peer influence plays a crucial role in promoting classroom participation, where behaviors from active students can contribute to a collective classroom learning experience. However, the presence of these active students depends on several conditions and is not consistently available across all circumstances. Recently, Large Language Models (LLMs) such as GPT have demonstrated the ability to simulate diverse human behaviors convincingly due to their capacity to generate contextually coherent responses based on their role settings. Inspired by this advancement in technology, we designed ClassMeta, a GPT-4 powered agent to help promote classroom participation by playing the role of an active student. These agents, which are embodied as 3D avatars in virtual reality, interact with actual instructors and students with both spoken language and body gestures. We conducted a comparative study to investigate the potential of ClassMeta for improving the overall learning experience of the class.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642947
Advanced Air Mobility aircraft designs following the Simplified Vehicle Operations (SVO) concept require novel environments for practical and intuitive pilot training. Mixed Reality (MR) technologies can support immersive and interactive learning methods for operating several SVO aircraft, including electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) systems. Despite this potential, regulatory guidelines for simulator-based eVTOL pilot training, especially concerning the Instructor Operator Station (IOS) design, are nascent and require substantive development. This paper investigates the feasibility of an MR eVTOL research simulator as a training tool for instructors. A user study forms the basis for a bottom-up categorization of the instructor's performance shaping factors, which are pivotal for the design of an MR IOS. This paper contributes to the discourse on MR integration in pilot training by identifying key enhancements necessary for an IOS design.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642060
Learning management systems are used for facilitating communication between instructors and students, dissemination of lecture materials, and grading of assignments. They collect large amounts of student data, necessary or otherwise, with or without explicit consent from students. Furthermore, they make the data visible to instructors, which could have significant implications for students’ grades and experience in the classroom. In this study, we interviewed 31 students enrolled in a large public university about their privacy concerns towards different data sharing practices related to the learning management system used at their university – Canvas. Data from the study was analyzed by two researchers using inductive thematic analysis methods. The results show concerns about misrepresentation, the justification for information being visible, and discrimination. We present the implications of this study on instruction, design of learning management systems, and policy.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642914