As Artificial Intelligence (AI) advances, discussions regarding its potential in education have attracted significant attention. This systematic review synthesizes AI affordances in online higher education, particularly identifying various ways AI is used throughout the online instruction cycle. We analyzed fifty-five studies focusing on publication trends, research methodology and quality, AI affordances

Generative AI (GenAI) provides distinct affordances that contribute meaningfully to learning. However, there are also several challenges, most notably ethical considerations. While much of the current research on GenAI in academia focuses on technical capabilities or ethical concerns, few studies have examined how GenAI can be leveraged to promote equity and inclusivity, particularly in academic communication

The rapid pace of technological change with generative artificial intelligence is accelerating much faster than our capacity to understand and regulate it. Higher education institutions have been firmly focused on the impacts of this innovation on academic integrity while grappling with unknown longer-term impacts on students' academic study and future work. This mixed method study aims to capture

To increase human-computer interaction and motivate university students' online learning, this study investigated the effects of affective pedagogical agent (PA) providing parallel empathy and reactive empathy in an online learning scenario. In a 2 (Parallel empathy: yes vs. no) × 2 (Reactive empathy: yes vs. no) between-subjects design, 122 university students learned 10 psychological concepts about

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) has revolutionized the production of instructional videos and lectures in MOOCs, opening a new chapter in their use for education. This technology enables the generation of talking instructors from text and images or clips of real people. However, the impact of behavioral fidelity and visual cues provided by these generated instructors

This study examines the impact of a combined self-assessment and commitment strategy intervention on college students' self-regulated learning (SRL) and academic performance in asynchronous online learning. Using an ex post facto control design, we compared students' performance and behavioral analytics across three course units in two consecutive years of a large online college course. Compared to

Asynchronous online discussions (AOD) offer pedagogical advantages as a social learning tool, but their success largely depends on students' motivated participation and sustained engagement. Recent research highlights the potential of leveraging temporal data to understand discussion dynamics and inform instructional strategies. However, the role of contextual factors in analyzing temporal data has

While the dominant population-based research is immensely useful in revealing the general trends, it falls short of capturing the intraindividual –or within-person – changes on the individual level. Capturing the individualized processes helps create personalized interventions and advance our understanding of the person in which the learning process takes place. This study aimed at modeling the within-person

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a faculty professional development (PD) course titled – Online Course Development and Teaching Certificate Academy (OTA), which focuses on the technology, pedagogy, and instructional design concepts essential for transitioning to online classrooms. OTA follows the Community of Inquiry principles by integrating social, teaching, and cognitive presences throughout

To better characterize and understand AI in higher education and its role in relation to educational disparities and inclusivity, this paper presents a comprehensive bibliometric assessment of research on AI in higher education. Using quantitative topic modeling and qualitative analysis methods, this study describes: (1) the research landscape of AI in higher education and (2) the common topics of

University institutions face the challenge of training faculty in inclusive digital skills to provide quality education for all. This paper presents a study that designed, developed, and evaluated a blended-learning training programme for faculty in Spain, focusing on emerging technologies from an inclusive perspective. A qualitative methodology was employed, incorporating a case study approach with

College students' misuse of mobile devices during class for off-task purposes is a global issue that harms learning. While prior studies examined device misuse frequency within individual countries, no known studies have directly compared transnational differences in this behavior, leaving little known about whether crosscultural differences influence this behavior. This study investigates whether

With the growth of the online higher education sector, educational institutions are increasingly creating asynchronous online courses resembling Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), characterised by reduced interpersonal interactions. While these courses offer higher flexibility for students, much remains unknown about how the design of these courses impacts student behaviour and performance. This

Although the adoption of AI-generated content, such as ChatGPT, has extensively transformed traditional teaching and learning paradigms, the critical question of the effectiveness of ChatGPT content in lesson preparation remains largely unanswered. Therefore, this research aims to understand the determinants that drive or hinder this effectiveness, which is crucial to realizing the full potential of

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly ChatGPT, in higher education is rapidly expanding, offering new avenues for enhancing the learning experience. Despite its potential, the adoption of ChatGPT remains in need of further study, especially in regions like Saudi Arabia. Previous studies have focused on general e-learning tools, but more research needs to examine the specific

The use of generative AI is controversial in education largely because of its potential impact on academic integrity. Yet some scholars have suggested it could be particularly beneficial for students with disabilities. To date there has been no empirical research to discover how these students use generative AI in academic writing. Informed by a prior interview study and AI-literacy model, we surveyed

Administrative burden is a recognised cause of inequities for disabled students. Experiences of sharing information about disabilities and arranging adjustments can be demoralising and present barriers to success. To explore how Artificial Intelligence technologies could improve this situation, a virtual assistant (VA) was iteratively developed and deployed to support the initial steps of the process

Inclusive STEM teacher training plays a critical role in shaping the future of STEM teaching practices and improving educational outcomes for all students, particularly those from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds. This study investigates the inclusive collaborative learning framework for enhancing STEM teaching among student teachers, focusing on interpersonal and human-machine (generative

Entities such as governments and universities have begun using AI for algorithmic decision-making that impacts people's lives. Despite their known benefits, such as efficiency, the public has raised concerns about the fairness of AI's decision-making. Here, the concept of perceived fairness, defined as people's emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses toward the justice of the AI system, has

The last two decades of online learning research vastly flourished by examining discussion board text data through content analysis based on constructs like cognitive presence (CP) with the Practical Inquiry Model (PIM). The PIM sets a footprint for how cognitive development unfolds in collaborative inquiry in online learning experiences. Ironically, content analysis is a resource-intensive endeavor

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly Large Language Models like ChatGPT, has gained significant traction in the education sector, offering numerous benefits for students and educators alike. This study focuses on the triggers and drivers of ChatGPT adoption within African higher education institutions (HEIs). Utilizing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Diffusion of

The rapid growth of online learning has raised concerns about quality and equity in virtual education. This study introduces the Humanizing Online STEM Academy, a six-week professional development program designed specifically to promote humanizing and inclusive teaching within STEM college online courses. We document in detail the Academy's design and instructional approach, and examine its impact

The global expansion of university-level online programmes has heightened the demand for educators to design and facilitate meaningful learning experiences. However, many educators lack the necessary expertise and experience, highlighting the urgency for contextually relevant professional development opportunities. This paper investigates the collaborative design processes of novice online educators

Represented by ChatGPT, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) is revolutionizing the field of education. Despite a series of related studies and reviews around GAI, existing reviews predominantly focus on macro-level discussions covering overall development trends, core issues, opportunities and risks. There has been a lack of systematic reviews from a meso-level perspective examining the application

Online education is growing in popularity, yet online courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) experience lower student satisfaction and higher attrition compared to non-STEM courses. This study explores differences in online course perceptions between STEM and non-STEM students and how these perceptions influence their intentions to enroll in future online courses. A sample

The transition between online and in-person learning has become a recurring challenge in contemporary education, highlighting the need for effective strategies to support students' self-regulated learning (SRL) during these shifts. This study examines the impact of digital diaries on undergraduate students' perceived SRL skills during a critical transition from in-person to online learning. Using a

With the fast expansion of online learning in higher education, institutions have increasingly offered and mandated faculty professional development (PD) programs focused on online instruction. However, the extent to which these PD programs indeed lead to improved students' online course performance remains largely unknown. This paper used a rigorous quasi-experimental approach to estimate the impact

Learner satisfaction is a key metric that encapsulates the overall e-learning experience. While numerous studies have explored the “what” (i.e., the factors that predict satisfaction), there has been less focus on the “how” (i.e., the mechanisms through which these factors are associated to satisfaction). This study seeks to address this gap by elucidating how two key individual factors, motivation

As an innovative method in professional training, simulation-based learning (SBL) has been introduced into teacher education, providing pre-service teacher candidates with experiential learning opportunities. This study explores the efficacy of SBL using large language models (LLMs) to enhance teacher training, focusing on learners' suspension of disbelief (SoD). As a highly advanced form of generative

The proliferation of learning analytics (LA) in higher education has relied on data from learning management systems (LMS) like Canvas and Blackboard. Despite widespread LMS usage, students often lack clarity on what specific data is collected and who has access to it. This study explores undergraduate students' understanding of data collection practices within the Canvas LMS. We analyzed survey responses

The impact of Covid-19 has significantly accelerated the digital transformation in higher education worldwide. This study investigates how digital transformation changes the instructional design and implementation of large-scale blended learning programs for better learner experiences. It emphasizes the significance of diverse stakeholders' engagement in institution-initiated blended programs to promote

Disengagement in online learning is known to pose a risk to student learning and wellbeing. In this paper, we first introduce the development and implementation process of a set of online university climate education courses aimed at enhancing student situational engagement through diverse learning activities. Second, engagement (conceptualized here as the co-occurrence of interest, skill, and challenge

Promoting student engagement in online collaborative writing (OCW) activities has been a critical concern for educators. Previous research has attempted to design conversational agents (CAs) utilizing retrieval-based models to engage students in collaborative learning. However, few studies have yet explored the design of CAs for OCW based on generative AI (GAI) models. Researchers are calling for investigations

In the era of proliferating artificial intelligence (AI) technology, generative AI is reshaping educational landscapes, prompting a critical examination of its influence on students' learning processes and their self-efficacy amid concerns over growing technological dependence. This study investigates the nuanced relationship between generative AI use and university students' self-efficacy and technological

This study examines how prior experiences as online learners prepare instructors for being online instructors through incidental learning. The study is driven by four research questions, inquiring whether instructors draw upon that experience when teaching online and whether instructors with this online learning experience differ from other online instructors regarding teaching strategies, help-seeking

Online preparation of professionals is increasing in higher education, which in educational leadership preparation programs raises the need for a means to provide authentic simulations of leadership experiences and help aspirants learn from them. This study presents a content analysis of 826 responses from 59 different school leadership students who, following each of the 14 simulations they experienced

Online courses emerged as an important mode for large-scale cross-national teachers' professional learning. However, with most previous research on teacher online professional learning (TOPL) focusing on resource-rich and technology-advanced regions, little attention has been paid to the factors influencing the online learning completion of college teachers in Global South contexts. This study aimed

The rise of microlearning both for professional training and in the field of education seems unstoppable. Nonetheless, there is a lack of evidence of its learning effectiveness and student satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to uncover these two aspects of microlearning when taking part in a business education program. Its originality is that it analyses in depth a fast-growing EdTech startup

The number of research doctorate degrees awarded by US institutions per year has increased steadily over the decades. However, the academic job market is also becoming more competitive, and doctoral candidates often face difficulties in developing a professional identity and making career-related decisions. In this study, we investigated PhD students' professional identity formation with regard to

ChatGPT could allow students to plagiarize the content of their coursework with little risk of detection. Little is known about undergraduate willingness to use AI tools. In this study, psychology undergraduates ( = 160) from the United Kingdom, indicated their willingness to use, and history of using, ChatGPT to write university assignments. Almost a third (32%) indicated that they would use such

One of the most significant issues with online education is that students disengage and eventually drop out of the course due to their inability to remain active in the online environment. Thus, disengagement from online courses has been seen as an important obstacle to the successful continuation of the online learning process. This study aimed to empirically explore the disengagement from online

Social presence (SP) positively influences online students' motivation, satisfaction, retention, and learning outcomes. Although crucial for successful online learning experiences, little work has examined the evolution of SP over time or the effect of peer-interaction on SP. Using a longitudinal social network analysis approach (i.e., stochastic actor-oriented model), we investigated how SP perceptions

Abstract not available

In this study, we use focus groups, open-ended survey questions, and course observational data to examine aspects of one HyFlex engineering fundamentals course, with sections enrolling almost 500 first year students, that was exemplary in fostering Community of Inquiry (CoI). Findings showcase that attention to joint dynamics of teaching, social, and cognitive presence unique to HyFlex environments

Asynchronous online discussion (AOD) is an essential component of blended learning, and role assignment and timing are two important discussion design considerations. With the purpose of improving blended learning through effective AOD design, this study conducted a two-level factorial experiment to explore the main effects and interaction effects of role assignment and timing on blended learning outcome

Asking questions is vital for learning, yet students seldom exhibit this behavior. Given the increasing presence of online classrooms in tertiary education, it is much needed to examine ways to encourage students to ask questions and increase their engagement. Despite the critical role of asking questions to enhance learning, little is known in research on promoting this behavior. Therefore, in this

To provide more useful feedback strategies in DGBL, this study investigated the effects of dynamic feedback (feedback contents adjusted to game task difficulty) and static feedback (the same feedback contents for all tasks) on students' learning by using an educational programming game with easy to difficult game tasks. In addition, a lag sequence analysis was used to analyze the behavior patterns

Researchers and practitioners of online education have consistently emphasized the importance of facilitating peer interaction and mutual support to create a sense of community, which in turn may enhance motivation, promote extrinsic accountability, and improve learning outcomes. Despite these assertions, experimental evidence on the effects of peer support in college online courses is limited. To

Collaboration skill is one of the most critical skill sets for engineers-to-be while university engineering students have challenges engaging in productive collaborative learning practices. This study examined the effect of individual preparation before collaboration on students' collaborative learning outcomes and processes. A total of 82 engineering undergraduates (41 pairs) participated in the study

Social reading is a common practice of teaching in higher education. This paper introduces a study that integrated a social annotation technology and a scaffolding framework to support social reading in undergraduate classrooms. The framework, grounded in the computer-supported collaborative learning literature, specifies three participation roles—i.e., facilitator, synthesizer, and summarizer—that

Abstract not available

This study develops a rubric comprising three quality concepts critical to addressing online learning challenges: Scaffolding, which supports student self-regulated learning processes; Student Agency, which promotes student choices and voices; and Social Presence and Interpersonal Interaction, which enhances student connection with peers and instructors. We then examine the extent to which college

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a rapid shift to online learning, making the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework increasingly relevant for creating meaningful and effective online learning experiences. However, the impact of CoI presences (i.e., teaching, social, and cognitive presence) on students' learning outcomes has been inconsistent in the literature, and a recent meta-analysis has identified

Research in Internet-enabled learning tends to focus on technologies implemented by institutions or staff. In reality, students learn with technologies that go beyond institutional offerings. This misalignment risks universities' approaches to online technologies being partially relevant to student learning. To understand student experiences, we followed hermeneutic phenomenology, interviewing 22 students

While giving learners hints is a commonly used scaffolding practice to facilitate learning, previous work questioned the effectiveness of hints. In this study, we examined if prompting learners to reflect along with receiving hints could improve learning outcomes, including immediate and delayed performance, perceived learning, and enjoyment. A field experiment was conducted in a four-week long online

The present study explored how students' sense of belonging and demographic background may predict what one finds helpful in replies to requests for help posted to an online college course discussion forum. We surveyed college students enrolled in an introductory statistics course on their sense of belonging to their course community, as well as how helpful they found 20 examples of replies to requests

Research has repeatedly demonstrated that students with effective learning strategies are more likely to have better academic achievement. Existing research has mostly focused on a single course or two, while longitudinal studies remain scarce. The present study examines the longitudinal sequence of students' strategies, their succession, consistency, temporal unfolding, and whether students tend to

Abstract not available

Social presence is a key element in collaborative/cooperative learning. In online learning environments, it is challenging to measure the current state of social presence. This work aims to identify measures of social presence. We manually coded 3546 students' postings (n = 49 students). We selected measures from social network analysis and indices derived from log data as potential indicators. We

This paper examines the effect of role assignment strategy on undergraduate students' social presence in asynchronous online discussions. Asynchronous online discussion activities were designed and implemented in an educational technology course. In the experimental groups, participants engaged in online discussion activities designed with the role assignment strategy to support social presence using