The article highlights the need for enhanced user interaction and personalization in virtual reality (VR) systems for cultural heritage. As cultural sites become accessible through VR, delivering meaningful and tailored user experiences is crucial for effective learning and engagement. Traditional VR systems often fail to address varying levels of user expertise, limiting the accessibility of cultural content. To solve this, the study introduces SculptMate, a fuzzy logic-based VR system that estimates user proficiency in computers and VR, delivering context-sensitive assistive messages. In a study with 64 participants, SculptMate was compared to a standard VR system. Results demonstrated significantly higher engagement and comprehension of cultural artifacts with SculptMate, offering a personalized, immersive experience. The study emphasizes the potential of integrating fuzzy logic into VR to improve educational outcomes and user satisfaction. Future enhancements include dynamic machine learning, multisensory components, and platform optimization for broader accessibility and better user experiences.

Education for sustainability refers to educational policies that focus on shaping a sustainable future. Mobile learning software refers to the use of mobile applications through smart devices for promoting online learning. However, the effectiveness of such software in learning for sustainability depends on users’ intention to adopt it. While there is growing interest in using mobile technology for sustainability education, empirical evidence on how personalized mobile software can influence users’ attitudes and behaviors toward sustainable practices is limited. Thus, this study investigates the factors that affect users’ acceptance of mobile learning technology in sustainability education, by integrating environmental awareness and personalization strategies into a modified model based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). A total of 120 users participated in the survey. An empirical analysis of data was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the relationship between the variables of the model. The results showed that both environmental awareness and personalization strategies had a significant effect on users’ behavioral intentions. In addition, hedonic motivation and habit exerted an effect on behavioral intention, contrary to effort expectancy and social influence. These findings confirm that a personalized mobile learning application related to environmental issues reveals as a powerful tool for supporting environmental education since such software appears to have high acceptance by the user. The significance of the study lies in its potential to inform the design and development of personalized mobile applications for sustainability education. The study contributes to the creation of more effective mobile applications that promote sustainable behavior and contribute to a more sustainable future by identifying the elements that influence user acceptance.

Abstract During the last decade, there has been a substantial increase of interest in studies related to Virtual Reality (VR) as a learning tool. This paper presents a systematic literature review of personalization strategies utilized in immersive VR for educational objectives in the classroom. For the purposes of this review, 69 studies between 2012 and 2022 were analyzed in terms of their benefits, limitations and development features. The novelty of the study mainly arises from the in-depth analysis and reporting of personalization strategies as well as gamification techniques used in VR applications. The significance of this research lies in the observation that earlier studies’ applications did not sufficiently incorporate adaptive learning content, indicating the necessity for more research in this field and revealing a research gap. In conclusion, as it encourages future research of this field, this study may be a beneficial reference for those interested in researching the implementation of Virtual Reality in education, including academics, students, and professionals.

Digitalization in education is of great importance, especially in era of COVID-19 pandemic. Augmented Reality can help to this direction, bringing a range of benefits in the field of education. Prior researches reveal that AR enhances the students’ learning outcomes offering significant pedagogical affordance when it is used in the tutoring of different domains, such as astronomy, biology, geometry, physics etc. However, the exploration of the factors associated with the acceptance of the technology of AR in education, is yet limited. This article aims to present valuable information to researchers, tutors and AR application developers concerning the learners’ behavioral intention to use such technology in the learning process. The motivation of this study is the increasing use of AR in education, offering significant room for future research, and its novelty is the analysis of the most significant factors affecting the actual AR system use. This study is based on a modified Technology Acceptance Model, consisting of the four core constructs and extended by two external variables, namely playfulness and quality output, in order to consider both pedagogy and technology. The population that participated in this research includes 220 secondary school students. The results show that the intention to use AR is positively influenced directly by quality output, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, and indirectly by playfulness. The findings help AR developers to understand the factors that maximize the user’s experience prior to the application of AR technology in the digital era of education.

Abstract Group formation is a complex task requiring computational support to succeed. In the literature, there has been considerable effort in the development of algorithms for composing groups as well as their evaluation. The most widely used approach is the Genetic Algorithm, as, it can handle numerous variables, generating optimal solutions according to the problem requirements. In this study, a novel genetic algorithm was developed for forming groups using innovative genetic operators, such as a modification of 1-point and 2-point crossover, the gene and the group crossover, to improve its performance and accuracy. Moreover, the proposed algorithm can be characterized as domain-independent, as it allows any input regardless of the domain problem; i.e., whether the groups concern objects, items or people, or whether the field of application is industry, education, healthcare, etc. The grouping genetic algorithm has been evaluated using a dataset from the literature in terms of its settings, showing that the tournament selection is better to be chosen when a quick solution is required, while the introduced gene and group crossover operators are superior to the classic ones. Furthermore, the combination of up to three crossover operators is ideal solution concerning algorithm’s accuracy and execution time. The effectiveness of the algorithm was tested in two grouping cases based on its acceptability. Both the students participated in forming collaborative groups and the professors participated in evaluating the groups of courses created were highly satisfied with the results. The contribution of this research is that it can help the stakeholders achieve an effective grouping using the presented genetic algorithm. In essence, they have the flexibility to execute the genetic algorithm in different contexts as many times as they want until to succeed the preferred output by choosing the number of operators for either greater accuracy or reduced execution time.

The vision of a Personalised Learning (PL) experience in education is a long-standing notion advocated by educators. Research literature accounts for several pedagogical and technological approaches to tailor learning to learners’ variability. This paper aims to contribute to PL and Learning Design (LD) research by conceptualising CPELDS (Coherent PErsonalised Learning DeSign) as a framework outlining consistent PL design principles. CPELDS blends learner profiles addressing the dimensions of interests, strengths and needs with personalisation principles. Considering evidence about the effectiveness of Universal Design for Learning in empirical studies in special education, we transform and augment its guidelines into personalisation principles of CPELDS to address broader learners’ variability. The personalisation principles employed involve (i) fostering learner’s engagement, (ii) providing alternative information perception and comprehension modes, including differentiation, and (iii) supporting alternative means for learners’ action and expression to demonstrate acquired knowledge and skills. We anticipate the conceptualisation of CPELDS to stimulate the representational form of an LD tool towards supporting educators as designers of PL.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) became very popular during the last years leading to an increasing global debate about their quality. To address the quality issues, several research surveys and instruments were developed to analyse the current status of MOOCs and to examine the different perspectives of learning with MOOC from core MOOC stakeholders. Based on a literature review and analysis of existing quality approaches and indicators for MOOCs, the Global MOOC Quality Survey was designed and conducted (n=267). Final objective is the development of the Quality Reference Framework (QRF) with quality indicators and tools in close collaboration with all interested stakeholders worldwide. This paper presents first results from the Global MOOC Quality survey relating to the overall experiences with MOOCs and their offered four interaction types: learner-facilitator (LF), learner-resource (LR), learner-learner (LL) and group-group (GG). There was a very high significant relationship (p<.001) between the learners' MOOC experience and the three interaction types LF, LR and LL and a significant relationship (p=.026) for the fourth interaction type GG. There was not a significant relationship between the designers' MOOC experience and all four interaction types. Comparing the different perspectives of learners and designers, our analysis presents significant differences in MOOC learners' and designers' intentions and experiences. Hence, it can be questioned whether MOOC designers are currently understanding and meeting the interests and demands of the MOOC learners.

The decade that we have embarked upon presents enormous challenges for Europe. The 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth recognises the key role higher education must play if the ambitions for Europe in a fast-changing global reality are to be realised. This implies widening access to lifelong learning to as many European citizens as possible and it is vital that measures are implemented to transform our reality towards this direction. Notably, labour markets increasingly require more graduates with specialized knowledge and competences and substantial investment has to be made in education systems to ensure that this demand is met. The COMPASS project aims to the Composition of Lifelong Learning Opportunity Pathways through Standards-based Services investing on the establishment of a cohesive, strategic partnership for the longterm promotion of LLL-related European strategies and the development of instruments that will raise the awareness of both learning opportunity providers and learning opportunity seekers and stimulate the design of policies for enhancing ET with alternative, flexible pathways on the basis of easy, technology-enhanced access to learning opportunities.

The societies and their economies, working and living conditions are changing all over the world. That includes the educational systems that are challenged by moving objectives and development targets [6] [10]. Competing businesses and interests at national, regional and international scales are demanding for citizens to acquire and develop much different skills and competences, also new kinds of literacy, and many educational public authorities are understanding this shift and following this request [7]. Personality and competence building in public education should prepare for new economies and jobs that are emerging but not yet fully developed.

Academic units comprise multiple domains that influence their overall performance and synthesize their profile. In order to assist decision makers and examine the impact of the activities and the interactions of Higher Educational Institutions on the domains of which academia is consisted, multivariate rankings are utilized. Rankings can be used as a measure of the development of an academic unit in time and in relation to other academic units, as well as a guide for the strategic planning. Although, multifaceted information gives a clearer interpretation of the status of academic units and contributes to their development, it perplexes the decision making process by increasing its complexity. The paper describes a ranking methodology that considers the multidimensionality of academia, so as to offer a detailed comparison and assessment of educational institutions, but also alleviates the intricacy of multifaceted data by introducing semantic web technologies and visual analytics to the multiple criteria decision making process. The applicability of the methodology to the academic domain is ensured by the competency check, which is a set of requirements that should be satisfied by the domain. In this context, we present the Multidimensional Ontology Based Visual Ranking system, which builds upon the before mentioned methodology and proposes the use of ontologies for storing, managing and exploring the information and visual analytics for providing interactive presentation and insights on complex and voluminous data.

Professors of Higher Educational Institutions focus their efforts primarily on teaching and on conducting research. While teaching encapsulates all the activities that transfer knowledge, research incorporates the participation in research projects, as well as the authoring of research publications. By measuring the efficiency in the various research activities, the overall academic research impact can be determined. Especially nowadays, that the open data related to research have been amplified in terms of volume, quality and diversity, it is imperative to create and support systems that host and present this kind of information. A variety of information can be derived by research open data, which have many different uses. The advertisement of the institutions' research outputs and the recommendation of research publications based on the already existing publications of the faculty are only some of the possible uses of this information. In this paper, we propose an information system that utilizes open data in order to bring to the fore the research influence of academia and guide the research policy makers. Furthermore, we present a case study with open data derived from engineering faculties to showcase the research impact of the selected faculties and the capabilities of the developed research information system, the e-Research system. The e-Research system consists of an interface for the presentation of the information related to research, which also incorporates a recommendation system to propose relevant research to academics that are registered in the system and search queries for retrieving significant information about the research impact.

Input vector monitoring concurrent BIST schemes perform testing concurrently with the operation of the circuit. In this work a novel input vector monitoring concurrent BIST scheme is presented that compares favorably to previously proposed schemes with respect to the required hardware overhead.