online-learning
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- NewsBritish Council TeachingEnglish7 Jul 2026
How to be a great online learner
This resource offers guidance on how to become an effective online learner, emphasizing skills such as self-regulation, time management, and active participation in virtual environments.
Original abstract
<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">How to be a great online learner</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><article class="user-profile-card profile"> <div class="user-profile-card-inner"> <div class="avatar"> </div> <div class="username-row"> <div class="username h6"> TeachingEnglish </div> </div> <div class="profile-bio small"> <p>This resource was developed by the TeachingEnglish editorial team.</p> </div> </div> </article> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-07-07T09:33:16+00:00" title="Tuesday, July 7, 2026 - 09:33" class="datetime">Tue, 07/07/2026 - 09:33</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--onecol"> <div class="layout__region layout__region--content"> <div class="magazine-block-hero-content block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodemagazinefield-hero-content"> <div class="break-out hero-bg"> <div class="container-fluid px-0"> <div class="field field--name-field-hero-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--image paragraph--view-mode--default"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/styles/wide_1920_x_700_focal_point_crop/public/Getty%202165391591.jpg?h=9eb0d413&itok=MjNCZVHD" width="1920" height="700" alt="young Asian woman in a wheelchair typing on a laptop in a bright room" class="img-fluid image-style-wide-1920-x-700-focal-point-crop"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hidden block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol class="breadcrumb"> <li class="breadcrumb-item"> <a href="https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/">Home</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> <div class="hidden block block
- PaperComputers & Education2 Jul 2026
Analysing student engagement in breakout rooms in an online language course
Katja Peltola, Marjaana Veermans, Sara Routarinne
In a 14-week synchronous online language course, recordings of breakout room interactions from two small groups were analyzed using qualitative content and discourse analysis. The study found that affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement often co-occur and can support or hinder each other, with three collaborative engagement practices identified: participation in group discussions, making and negotiating proposals, and collaborative writing.
Original abstract
As the popularity of online courses in higher education keeps increasing, the importance of student engagement gets highlighted. In an online learning environment, peer interaction gets emphasised when students work in small groups in breakout rooms. In this case study, qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis were used to analyse breakout room recordings (458 minutes in total) of two small groups in a 14-week synchronous online language course. The study focused on how engagement at small group level seems to emerge from the group’s interaction, which is a primordial site for language learning, and what kind of collaborative engagement practices seem to support it. The findings suggest that affective, behavioural, and cognitive engagement often co-occur and that they may either support or hinder each other. Also, the group members may be engaged in diverse ways at the same time. Three collaborative engagement practices were identified: participation in group discussions, making and negotiating proposals, and collaborative writing. Participation in group discussions highlighted the importance of both verbal and nonverbal communication and the importance of equity in participation. When making proposals, the role of tentativeness was emphasised as that seemed to open space for interaction in the small group. Finally, collaborative writing was found to engage students specifically from the language learning perspective. The findings suggest that small group interaction and collaboration play a key role in group level engagement. It is suggested that small group level should be taken into consideration when operationalising the concept of engagement in online learning environments.
- PaperComputers & Education23 Jun 2026
Equipping elementary school students with self-regulated learning through human-AI collaboration in online learning
Xinyi Luo, Sikai Wang, Khe Foon Hew
This study explores how human-AI collaboration can be used to equip elementary school students with self-regulated learning skills in online learning environments.
- PaperComputers & Education21 Jun 2026
Giving parents HOPE: Predictors of parental confidence and support needs in elementary and secondary online learning
B.E.B. Sandberg, Richard E. West, Charles R. Graham, Qi Guo
Identifies predictors of parental confidence and support needs in K-12 online learning environments, offering insights for improving family engagement in digital education.
- PaperBritish Journal of Educational Technology13 May 2026
Correcting automatically generated closed captions for online learning materials does not improve student learning outcomes (although students believe it does)
Peter J. Allen, Polly Barr, Kristopher G. Magee, Imogen van Jaarsveldt et al.
Block randomized 144 undergraduate students to lecture captures with uncorrected, corrected, or no captions and assessed learning via quizzes. Captioning had trivial effect on quiz performance, but students preferred corrected captions. Findings suggest automatically generated captions should be used routinely, but correcting them may not be optimal resource use.
Original abstract
Lecture capture is ubiquitous in higher education. Lecture capture recordings are typically accompanied by automatically generated closed captions that are sometimes corrected by humans. Students self‐report that they benefit from captions, and particularly human‐corrected captions. However, multimedia learning research suggests that simultaneous spoken and written information impairs learning. Experimental tests of the pedagogic benefits of captions in authentic higher education learning contexts are sparse. Consequently, we block randomised 144 undergraduate psychology students to 12 sets of lecture capture recordings with uncorrected, corrected or no captions then assessed their understanding of these materials with 12 quizzes. Our pre‐registered analyses indicated that the differences between conditions were trivial ( M η 2 = 0.01; | M | δ = 0.12) and that the captioning conditions to which students were randomised did not influence their quiz performance. Follow‐up surveys re‐confirmed that students believe captions are beneficial for multiple reasons (eg, improved comprehension and focus; study efficiency; accessibility), and prefer corrected over uncorrected captions, even though they do not always notice the difference. As they do not impair learning, do meet accessibility requirements and are valued by students, automatically generated captions should be used routinely. However, correcting them may not reflect an optimal use of resources. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Closed captions are widely used by young people, who self‐report that they benefit from captions on lecture capture recordings. Multimedia learning research indicates that simultaneous spoken and written information can impair learning. Little is known about the pedagogic benefits of captions in authentic higher education learning contexts. Even less is known about the consequences of small but regular errors in automatically generated captions, despite the widespread use of such captions in higher education. What this paper adds We randomised students to 12 sets of lecture capture recordings with uncorrected, corrected or no captions, then assessed their learning with 12 quizzes. The captioning manipulation did not influence quiz performance. Students self‐reported that captions are beneficial and preferred corrected over uncorrected captions, even though they did not always notice the difference. Implications for practice and/or policy Captions help universities meet accessibility guidelines and are valued by students. Automatically generated captions should be used routinely. Manually correcting them may not reflect a good use of resources.
- PaperBritish Journal of Educational Technology13 May 2026
Enhancing online learning outcomes through virtual companion AI : The role of identity anthropomorphism
Tiansheng Xia, Minyan Tan, Jiayue Guo
Identity-anthropomorphized AI companions significantly improved online learning outcomes compared to non-anthropomorphized AI and performed similarly to human companionship. Social presence and positive emotions sequentially mediated this effect, with learners in humanities and social sciences being more sensitive to identity anthropomorphism. Multimodal learning analytics revealed that while identity anthropomorphism diverted some attention, its emotional benefits offset this disadvantage.
Original abstract
Anthropomorphic strategies can improve learners' performance in artificial intelligence (AI) learning environments, yet their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Grounded in social presence theory, this study introduces the concept of identity anthropomorphism and adopts multimodal learning analytics (MMLA), combining questionnaires, electroencephalography and eye tracking to examine its effects on learning outcomes. Seventy participants completed online learning tasks under three conditions: identity‐anthropomorphised AI, non‐identity‐anthropomorphised AI and human companionship. Results indicated that: (1) identity‐anthropomorphised AI significantly improved learning outcomes compared to non‐anthropomorphised AI and performed comparably to human companionship; (2) social presence and positive emotions sequentially mediated this effect, such that social presence generated a positive net impact only when it evoked positive emotions; (3) learners in the humanities and social sciences were more sensitive than science and engineering learners to the social presence evoked by identity anthropomorphism; (4) although identity anthropomorphism diverted some attention, its emotional benefits offset this disadvantage. These findings extend the mechanism of AI‐induced social presence from interactive behaviours to static identity cues, support anthropomorphic design in educational AI and employ MMLA to complement learning theory. This study also highlights that the long‐term deployment of such systems should account for potential risks, such as excessive emotional dependence. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic? Online learning environments encounter challenges such as heightened learners' isolation, low engagement, and susceptibility to distraction, with social presence recognised as an important factor in mitigating these issues. Existing research on AI identity is still in its early stages, where the identity information typically assigned to AI remains relatively limited. Multimodal learning analytics (MMLA) leverages multisource data to provide more interpretable evidence for exploring complex learning processes. Effectively integrating MMLA with learning theory offers robust support for further theoretical development. What this paper adds? This study introduces the concept of identity anthropomorphism and shows that static identity cues of AI can evoke learners' sense of social presence. Identity‐anthropomorphised AI companions are associated with improved online learning outcomes, with performance comparable to human companions in this study. Social presence alone does not necessarily translate into better learning outcomes; its positive effects depend on the extent to which it fosters positive emotions. Learners from the humanities and social sciences are more responsive to identity anthropomorphism than those from science and engineering. Implications for practice and/or policy Educational technology developers and instructional designers can consider incorporating identity anthropomorphism into AI learning companions. Designing human‐like identity backgrounds for AI provides a relatively low‐cost approach to enhancing learning outcomes in online courses. When developing AI‐based learning companions, it is not sufficient to focus solely on increasing social presence. Designers should also ensure that the system supports positive emotions and helps offset attentional distractions introduced by anthropomorphic features. Policymakers and educational institutions should also consider potential unintended consequences, such as excessive emotional dependence and issues related to educational equity. These risks may be mitigated through transparent disclosure and ongoing evaluation.
- PaperRELC Journal16 Apr 2026
Book Review: Learner Engagement in Online Second Language Classrooms by Dao P DaoP, Learner Engagement in Online Second Language Classrooms, (Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2024), 342pp.: ISBN 978-3-031-71749-9.
Rui Zhang, Yuan Shu
A book review of Dao's 2024 monograph examines learner engagement in online second language classrooms, offering a comprehensive overview of research and pedagogical implications.
- PaperReCALL6 Mar 2026
How do they stack up? Perceived communicative competence, foreign language anxiety, teacher support, and classroom environment in EFL learners’ willingness to communicate in MOOCs
Wenqian Huang, Pengzhan Yang, Huizhong Shen, Hongzhi Yang
Investigated factors influencing Chinese EFL learners' willingness to communicate (WTC) in MOOCs, distinguishing oral and written dimensions. Trait-like factors (perceived communicative competence, foreign language anxiety) negatively impacted both, while teacher support positively affected oral but not written WTC. Classroom environment enhanced both forms but technical difficulties and lack of peer connection were barriers.
Original abstract
Given the shift to technology-mediated communication, this study investigated the factors that influence Chinese EFL learners’ willingness to communicate (WTC) in the second language (L2) in MOOCs. While most previous studies conceptualized L2WTC as a unified construct, this study made a first attempt to distinguish its oral and written dimensions, thereby addressing an underexplored gap and capturing the complexities of both modes in online learning environments. Data were collected through questionnaires from 323 Chinese undergraduate EFL learners and complemented by semi-structured interviews with 24 learners representing high, medium, and low levels of oral and written L2WTC. Unexpectedly, the results indicated that trait-like factors (perceived communicative competence and foreign language anxiety) negatively impacted both forms of L2WTC, whereas the influence of context-specific factors (teacher support and classroom environment) was more complex. Teacher support positively affected oral L2WTC but had a limited impact on written L2WTC. The positive aspects of the classroom environment, such as its flexibility and technological use, enhanced both oral and written L2WTC, though technical difficulties and a lack of peer connection also emerged as barriers to communication. These findings provided new insights for research in online learning environments and further suggested strategies to promote positive factors while mitigating negative ones to enhance oral and written L2WTC.
- PaperLanguage Learning & Technology1 Jan 2026
Exploring the relationship between L2 belongingness, personal L2 enjoyment, and willingness to communicate across language learning contexts
Mehdi Solhi, Artem Zadorozhnyy, Ju Seong Lee
Among 293 Turkish EFL university students, higher academic and social belongingness predicted greater willingness to communicate in both in-person and online settings, with L2 enjoyment moderating this relationship. Findings underscore the role of teacher and peer support combined with personal enjoyment in driving communication willingness across learning contexts.
Original abstract
While previous studies have highlighted the significant roles of both social and emotional factors in shaping learners' behavioral intention, relatively few have examined how these factors interact across diverse second or foreign language (L2) learning environments. To fill in the existing gap, this study examined the relationship between L2 belongingness, personal L2 enjoyment, and willingness to communicate (WTC) in both in-person and online classes. Data from 293 first-year Turkish English as a foreign language (EFL) university students were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis. The results indicated that students with higher academic and social belongingness reported higher WTC in both settings. Additionally, L2 enjoyment moderated this relationship. The findings demonstrate how external factors—teacher and peer support, coupled with an internal emotional state—personal enjoyment—drives EFL learners’ communication willingness in different L2 learning contexts. The findings highlight the importance of creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment where educators foster connections among students and between students and teachers in face-to-face and online language classes. Incorporating enjoyable and engaging L2 activities is also recommended to boost students' communication willingness in different L2 learning contexts.