Agbo, F. J., Olivia, C., Oguibe, G., Sanusi, I. T., & Sani, G.. (2025). Computing education using generative artificial intelligence tools: A systematic literature review.

Recent advances in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) are revolutionizing computing education, causing paradigm shifts from the traditional teaching and learning technique. Studies are exploring GenAI tools in computing classes from intro to advanced topics with the aim to showcase how to reshape computing education in this new era of GenAI. This study examined the computing education research landscape to unravel how GenAI tools have been used in that domain, what are the characteristics of those studies in terms of computing topics, context, and tools, offering insights into the pros and cons for integrating GenAI in computing education based on the performance indicators reported in the literature. This study employed a systematic literature review approach to identify and analyze 78 relevant articles. The findings of this study show that educators are exploring GenAI tools in computer sciences …

Agbo, F. J., Sanusi, I. T., Ayanwale, M. A., Adelana, O. P., Aruleba, K. D., & Jatileni, C. N.. (2025). Perception of Computational Thinking Education in Africa: Insight From Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers.

Purpose This study examined pre-service and in-service teachers’ perception of computational thinking (CT) education and their intention to integrate it in STEM education in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study used a theoretical approach to delve into an important educational context, as recent literature suggests the potential of developing learners’ problem-solving skills through CT education and the need to integrate CT into the classroom. Design/Approach/Methods The study developed a hypothesis to understand factors influencing teachers’ perception and intention to integrate CT in STEM education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Data from 476 respondents across the region were analyzed using structural equation modelling. Findings The study findings show that teachers’ attitudes, such as interest in CT, career development in CT, and comfort with teaching CT, significantly influence their intention to integrate CT into STEM classrooms. The study also revealed that teachers’ perceived knowledge of CT significantly influences their intention to integrate CT in the classroom. Furthermore, it was found that the in-service teachers are more influenced by their perceived knowledge of CT than their pre-service counterparts. Originality/Value Implications of these findings were presented, and the study contributes to the literature on CT education and teachers’ development for integration of new concepts in STEM classrooms.

Agbo, F. J., & Everetts, C.. (2025). Exploring Andragogy Principles for Broadening Participation in Computing Education for Lifelong Learners.

Computing education could foster older adults' cognitive abilities and create a community of active lifelong learners. However, older adults are under-represented in computing education. This study examined how to design strategies to broaden participation in computing education for older adults based on andragogy principles. Two case studies focusing on computational thinking plugged and unplugged interventions were designed. The study recruited thirty-four older adults (age 60+). The structural thematic analysis was employed to analyze the qualitative data. The findings of this study revealed that computational thinking unplugged approaches substantially improve older adults' social lives through collaborative learning, and supported their self-regulated learning experiences compared to plugged approaches. Regarding their cognitive improvement, computational thinking plugged activities were shown to impact older adults more, which can spark their interest in computing education. This study contributes to broadening participation in computing education literature by discussing the implications for exploring adult-focused learning principles and strategies.

Omotehinwa, T. O., Agbo, F. J., & Oyewola, D. O.. (2025). Computer Science Research in Nigeria from 1991-2021: A Bibliometric Analysis..

The Computer Science research landscape in Nigeria has not received substantial attention tailored toward analyzing the performance of research constituents, conceptual, social, and intellectual structures. Prior studies have looked at the history of Computer Science in Nigeria without examining some key development indexes such as conceptual evolution and funding. This study aims to gather a proper perspective of the development landscape of Computer Science research in Nigeria. Therefore, a bibliometric analysis of 4,333 bibliographic records of Computer Science research in Nigeria in the last 31 years (1991-2021) was carried out. The bibliographic data were extracted from the Scopus database and analyzed using VOSviewer and the bibliometrix R package through the biblioshiny web interface. The findings of this study revealed that Computer Science research in Nigeria has a growth rate of 24.19%. The most developed and well-studied research areas in the Computer Science field in Nigeria are machine learning, data mining, and deep learning. The social structure analysis result revealed that there is a need for improved international collaborations. The funding analysis result showed that Computer Science research in Nigeria is under-funded. The findings of this study will be useful for researchers conducting Computer Science related research in Nigeria.

Sunday, A. O., Agbo, F. J., Suhonen, J., Jormanainen, I., & Tukiainen, M.. (2025). Co-designing to develop computational thinking skills in Nigeria K-12 using scratch.

The need to integrate the teaching and learning of computational thinking (CT) in K-12 education has been on the rise since it was identified as a skill for solving 21st-century problems. The co-design pedagogical approach has shown great potential in promoting effective communication of CT to both university and K-12 students with the support of different educational tools in different contexts. To ensure Nigerian secondary school (K-12) students develop CT skills, a four-day co-design CT activities workshop was organized. Co-design pedagogy and constructivism theory were deployed in this study with students co-designing COVID-19 disease spread game for learning CT. A mixed method was adopted to investigate student’s interest, attitudes, understanding of CT, and their learning experience from implementing CT-based prototype using Scratch. This study recruited 40 students from two different secondary schools in Nigeria as participants. The result revealed that student’s interest in learning CT was aroused through the use of co-design pedagogy and Scratch (μ = 4.55, σ = 0.815). Similarly, students attitude toward CT after the intervention study shows positive (μ = 4.50, σ = 0.716). This study paved way for student’s skills development in teamwork and collaborative learning, communication, idea sharing, personal skill development, game design, and understanding of programming. This study instigates thinking ideation, inspires the application of CT concepts in daily life activities, and improves problem-solving skills. This study promotes and advocates for the application of co-design pedagogy to foster the teaching and learning of CT in a Nigerian context. This study contributes to knowledge by promoting the use of Scratch as a tool for co-designing in learning CT, proposing a four-phase co-design application flow for the integration of co-design pedagogy with Scratch for learning CT in the Nigerian K-12 context and suggesting ways to implement the teaching and learning of CT in K-12 education.

Olaleye, S. A., Gbadegeshin, S. A., Balogun, O. S., Agbo, F. J., & Mogaji, E.. (2024). Higher education management in developing countries: a bibliometric review.

Purpose This study aims to investigate scholarly works on higher education management from emerging economies. It investigates how higher education management has evolved in emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach This study is quantitative, and the authors retrieved the metadata from the Web of Science, an extensive pool of interdisciplinary peer-reviewed literary databases for bibliometric analysis. Findings The results show the strengths, weaknesses and prospects of higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries based on the scholarly output in various journals. Research limitations/implications Though the study contributed to the knowledge and expansion of literature in HEIs research, it was only limited to the Web of Science database. Practical implications Policymakers and practitioners who want to improve the efficiency and viability of HEIs in developing countries can find a helpful guide in the form of a framework for higher education management in developing countries. Social implications It is important to note that the bibliometric impact of higher education management in developing countries might vary depending on various factors, including the quality and relevance of the research, the level of funding and resources available for research and the level of international collaboration, among others. Originality/value This study provides a comprehensive overview of the research landscape in higher education management in developing countries by identifying the most influential authors, institutions and countries and the key research topics and trends. This information can be helpful for researchers, policymakers and practitioners who seek to understand the state of research in the field and identify gaps in knowledge.

Sanusi, I. T., Agbo, F. J., Dada, O. A., Yunusa, A. A., Aruleba, K. D., Obaido, G., ... & Oyelere, S. S.. (2024). Stakeholders’ insights on artificial intelligence education: Perspectives of teachers, students, and policymakers.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) as a subject into K-12 education worldwide is still in its early stages and undoubtedly needs further investigation. There is limited effort on understanding policymakers, teachers and students’ viewpoints on AI learning within the school system. This study gathered the thoughts of key stakeholders, including policymakers, higher education and K-12 teachers, and students in Nigeria, to understand their conceptions, concerns, and dispositions, with the aim of aiding the implementation of AI in schools. We further explored the needs of the diverse stakeholders, how they can be supported and juxtaposed their views to identify their priorities and how their opinions combined could give a holistic approach to the effective implementation of AI education. This research employed a qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews as the means of data collection. The thematic analysis of the interview data from the 21 participants indicates their conceptions, what they considered the priorities for including AI in the school system, concerns and support needed to implement AI in schools. The findings of this study contribute to the ongoing conversation on how to effectively integrate AI into school curriculum.

Agbo, F. J., & Everetts, C.. (2024). Towards Computing Education for Lifelong Learners: Exploring Computational Thinking Unplugged Approaches.

Older adults are underrepresented in computing education; broadening participation in computing has remained predominantly at K-12 and college settings. Yet, the population of older adults is increasing across many regions. Strategies for broadening participation in computing education for adult learners have been under-explored. This poster reports our effort towards broadening participation in computing for adult learners by exploring how computational thinking problem-oriented unplugged activities might help to gently introduce older adults into computing education. Being an exploratory study, data was collected using a mixed method approach. This report presents preliminary findings that suggest the potential benefits of computing education for older adults, including social collaboration and demonstration of computational thinking practices that could help them to remain active while aging. Moreover, future research direction in this regard is also discussed.

Agbo, F. J., Smalley, H. K., & Nyman, K.. (2024). Competency-Based Assessment in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence: Perspectives of Selected STEM Educators.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has come to stay, and educators are exploring its usage in diverse contexts. One pertinent question begging for an answer is how educators integrating GenAI tools can equitably assess students' learning outcomes. This study explores the mixed-method approach, consisting of a rapid literature review and an analysis of experts' perspectives to address this question. We analyze data from the Scopus and Web of Science databases from the rapid review to understand how the use of GenAI is penetrating the STEM field. On the other hand, the thematic analysis of data generated from a ten-week-long group learning circle discussion among STEM professors regarding assessment in the era of the GenAI was used to gain understanding of educators' perspectives regarding how students' learning could be assessed in a classroom where GenAI tools are used. Our findings provide insights regarding how, where, and when to integrate GenAI in STEM classes and potential assessment strategies that could foster trust and transparency between educators and students. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on GenAI in STEM education. It offers implications from the perspective of contextual adoption of assessment strategy in the era of GenAI rather than the traditional approach of one-size-fits-all.

Denojean-Mairet, M., López-Pernas, S., Agbo, F. J., & Tedre, M.. (2024). A literature review on the integration of microlearning and social media.

The study aimed to perform a literature review to identify the trends, impacts, and challenges associated with the integration of microlearning and social media. A total of seven academic databases were used as sources for searching: Scopus, Web of Science, ACM, EBSCOhost, PubMed, ProQuest, and IEEE. A combination of keywords related to microlearning and social media was employed during the search process. No specific date limit was imposed, but only materials published in English were considered for inclusion. A total of 2312 articles were identified in the first phase of the search. Sixteen articles were selected during phase two after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The reviewed studies encompassed various fields, including computing, programming, language, nursing, surgery, and radiology. Additionally, multiple social media platforms were identified, such as podcasts, chatbots, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, MP3, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and Sina Weibo. The results indicate that the integration of microlearning and social media has the potential to enhance learning outcomes positively. These outcomes include increased learner satisfaction, expanded reach, improved learner engagement, and enhanced learning effectiveness. Additionally, the review highlights that the most significant benefits of combining microlearning with social media are increased reach and enhanced learner engagement.

Sunday, A. O., Agbo, F. J., & Suhonen, J.. (2024). Co-design Pedagogy for Computational Thinking Education in K-12: A Systematic Literature Review.

The recent popularity of computational thinking (CT) and the desire to apply CT in our daily lives have prompted the need for a successful pedagogical technique for learning CT in K-12 education. The application of co-design pedagogical techniques has the potential to improve students’ CT learning through knowledge sharing and the creation of ideas to solve problems and develop an artifact. However, there is a limited understanding of how co-design pedagogical techniques have been explored to foster CT learning, which could hamper the successful use of co-design as a pragmatic teaching approach. This study examined the ways in which co-design pedagogical techniques have been applied in CT education by implementing a systematic literature review (PRISMA protocol) to document the review analysis. A total of 26 articles that met the inclusion criteria for this study were reviewed. Findings in this study revealed that workshops are the most utilized co-design learning setting and, as expected, the collaborative technique is the co-design pedagogical technique most frequently adopted for implementing CT in K-12 education. NetLogo is the most frequently used co-design tool for teaching and learning CT in K-12 education, and an interdependence exists between NetLogo and the Common Online Data Analysis Platform. Co-design also helps teachers develop the ability to use co-design pedagogical techniques to learn, create content, and integrate CT into their various subjects. This study contributes to practical knowledge by unraveling and advocating the use of dialogical, prompting, framing, and game-based techniques as co-design pedagogical techniques for K-12 teachers and also helps teachers identify useful co-design tools for learning CT.

Agbo, F. J.. (2024). Broadening Participation in Adult Education: A Literature Review of Computer Science Education.

Extending computer science (CS) education to address inclusion, diversity, and equity in all settings can broaden the participation of underrepresented groups including the adult education. Recently, studies have examined CS education at elementary and college levels, however, little is known in the context of adult education. This study systematically investigates past studies on computing education research in adult education (formal or informal) through the lenses of a literature review. The study sought to understand: (i) how research in this domain has evolved over the years; and (ii) what impact - in terms of learning outcomes - has been reported in the literature. Data were collected from three databases including the ACM digital library, Scopus, and Web of Science. Findings from this study show that despite CS in adult education had started since the 1980s, there is little scholarly progress and advancement witnessed in this domain. In addition, indicators measuring the impact of broadening participation in CS education among adults appear insignificant. Further, the learning outcomes reported in CS education research for adults includes motivation, increased interest, self-confidence, and computing knowledge. This study revealed several gaps and draws scholar's attention to broadening participation in Adults' CS education, highlighted study implications and future research agenda.

Agbo, F. J., Okpanachi, L. O., Ocheja, P., Oyelere, S. S., & Sani, G.. (2024). How can unplugged approach facilitate novice students’ understanding of computational thinking? An exploratory study from a Nigerian university.

Computational thinking (CT) has been relevant in teaching STEM courses, and educators are incorporating both plugged and unplugged CT activities in their modules to prepare new entrants for advanced knowledge. However, additional empirical data are needed to understand how an unplugged activities approach can lead to an improved understanding of CT concepts. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of unplugged activities on novice students' CT skills and unravels the characteristics of students' CT competency from performing unplugged activities. The experimental aspect of this study was conducted with a cohort of 210 students participating in an introductory programming course at a University in Nigeria. A mixed-method research approach and a quasi-experimental design were applied in this study to understand how the unplugged approach in teaching CT could help students improve their CT competency. A paired-sample t-test of familiarity score for each CT concept showed a significant increase in the score before and after the intervention. Furthermore, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) was used for topic modeling of the text describing students’ solutions. Topic modeling allows for more insights into the steps taken by the students to solve CT problems. Only 27.62 % of students' solution descriptions contained CT concepts, 56.90 % of the students solved the puzzle with an optimal score, and 72.41 % of students who applied CT concepts of problem abstraction and decomposition were able to solve the puzzle correctly. Indeed, CT unplugged activities significantly increased the number of students who gained CT competency. In addition, this study provides recommendation for computer science educators and highlight future direction.

Olugbade, D., Oyelere, S. S., & Agbo, F. J.. (2024). Enhancing junior secondary students' learning outcomes in basic science and technology through PhET: A study in Nigeria.

A computer-based simulation is a viable approach for integrating the basics of science and technology in Junior Secondary. This study examined the impact of PhET on students' academic performance as well as students' motivation toward Basic Science and Technology. The study also investigates how PhET influence students' attitudes toward Basic Science and Technology. The study adopted the pre-test, post-test, and non-equivalent control group design. We randomly selected the study population from junior secondary two (JSII) students in private and public schools who are studying Basic Science and Technology. Quantitative data were collected and analyzed using a statistical approach such as the mean, standard deviation, and t-test. Students' post-test academic performance improved significantly (t160 = 36.28, p < 0.05) as a result of teaching Basic Science and Technology with PhET. According to the findings PhET had a substantial effect on the motivation of Basic Science and Technology students (t160 = 29.32, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the results demonstrated that PhET affected students' attitudes toward Basic Science and Technology (t160 = 65.36, p < 0.05). This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing empirical evidence to support the integration of PhET in the teaching of Basic Science and Technology in Nigeria and other similar contexts. The findings suggest that PhET can be an effective pedagogical tool for improving learning outcomes in science and technology education, particularly in developing countries where resources and infrastructure may be limited.

Olaleye, S. A., Mogaji, E., Agbo, F. J., Ukpabi, D., & Gyamerah Adusei, A.. (2023). The composition of data economy: a bibliometric approach and TCCM framework of conceptual, intellectual and social structure.

Purpose The data economy mainly relies on the surveillance capitalism business model, enabling companies to monetize their data. The surveillance allows for transforming private human experiences into behavioral data that can be harnessed in the marketing sphere. This study aims to focus on investigating the domain of data economy with the methodological lens of quantitative bibliometric analysis of published literature. Design/methodology/approach The bibliometric analysis seeks to unravel trends and timelines for the emergence of the data economy, its conceptualization, scientific progression and thematic synergy that could predict the future of the field. A total of 591 data between 2008 and June 2021 were used in the analysis with the Biblioshiny app on the web interfaced and VOSviewer version 1.6.16 to analyze data from Web of Science and Scopus. Findings This study combined findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) data and data economy and contributed to the literature on big data, information discovery and delivery by shedding light on the conceptual, intellectual and social structure of data economy and demonstrating data relevance as a key strategic asset for companies and academia now and in the future. Research limitations/implications Findings from this study provide a steppingstone for researchers who may engage in further empirical and longitudinal studies by employing, for example, a quantitative and systematic review approach. In addition, future research could expand the scope of this study beyond FAIR data and data economy to examine aspects such as theories and show a plausible explanation of several phenomena in the emerging field. Practical implications The researchers can use the results of this study as a steppingstone for further empirical and longitudinal studies. Originality/value This study confirmed the relevance of data to society and revealed some gaps to be undertaken for the future.

Oyelere, A. S., Agbo, F. J., & Oyelere, S. S. (. (2023). Formative evaluation of immersive virtual reality expedition mini-games to facilitate computational thinking Author links open overlay panel.

Recently, virtual reality (VR) technology has shown great potential in advancing education with many pedagogical benefits for building the 21st-century teaching and learning experience. This study conducted a formative evaluation of an immersive VR expedition application with the aim of understanding users' learning processes and how the application facilitates higher education students' computational thinking skills. Six participants were randomly selected to conduct this evaluation. A mixed research approach consisting of quantitative and qualitative methods was employed. The study quantitatively analyzed users' scores from gameplay to understand how the intervention supported computational thinking skills. Participants were also interviewed to collect data after playing the mini-games to investigate users' experiences. The study showcases players' computational thinking competency, assessed automatically during gameplay. Further, this study used inductive content analysis to demonstrate users' reactions to prototyped VR mini-games. The qualitative findings suggest that users found the VR mini-games interactive and immersive, which provided an opportunity to foster learners' computational thinking skills. The quantitative analysis revealed that student's computational thinking competency can be enhanced through consistent playing of the mini-games. Moreover, the expedition aspect of the VR game stimulated learners' curiosity, which sustained their learning progress. Furthermore, users gained new knowledge and found the mini-games educative. Nevertheless, several aspects of the VR mini-games need improvements, according to users' perceptions. This study contributes to the knowledge in terms of the affordances of VR in education research and provides relevant insights that can shape future studies, for example, the recent hype of metaverse in education.

atileni, C. N., Sanusi, I. T., Olaleye, S. A., Ayanwale, M. A., Agbo, F. J., & Oyelere, P. B.. (2023). Artificial intelligence in compulsory level of education: perspectives from Namibian in-service teachers.

With the push to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) from kindergarten to twelfth-grade levels comes a need for equipped teachers. However, there needs to be more initiative in professional learning opportunities, which demands the required effort to ensure teachers learn the AI content they will be teaching. To design an effective professional development program, understanding teachers' existing knowledge, interest and disposition towards AI is crucial to devise strategies that could best support the teachers. As a result, this study aims to investigate in-service teachers' perspectives of teaching AI in schools from the perspective of planned behavior theory. Using a 7-factor scale of AI Anxiety, AI Readiness, AI Relevance, Attitude towards using AI, AI for Social Good, Confidence in AI and Behavioral Intention. This study sampled 159 in-service teachers in Namibia. The teachers' responses were analyzed with SmartPLS using Structural Equation Modelling and various Multigroup Analysis techniques. This study found that teachers' behavioral intention to teach AI depends on a combination of factors, including the relevance of AI, attitude towards using AI, the use of AI for social good and confidence. Meanwhile, AI Anxiety and readiness could not be linked to the intention to teach AI. We discussed our findings, highlighted the study implication, and suggested future directions.

Obaido, G., Agbo, F. J., Alvarado, C., & Oyelere, S. S.. (2023). Analysis of Attrition Studies Within the Computer Sciences.

Student attrition is a long-standing problem in Computer Science (CS), as in many other disciplines, and it has gained momentum in the academic sphere. This study employs bibliometric analysis to shed light on the research stream of student attrition within CS. Bibliometric analysis is a popular technique for evaluating published scientific articles when empirical contributions are producing voluminous research streams. We collected 1310 articles from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, published over a period of 22 years from 2000 to 2022, to analyze the most relevant publication venues in the study of attrition in CS. Further analysis revealed the most cited institutions, countries, key themes, and other conceptual information. Keywords, such as “retention,” “computer science education,” “gender,” “introductory programming,” and “student success” emerged as dominant themes in attrition studies. As researchers work intensively to reduce attrition within CS, these thematic areas may continue to shape the future direction of attrition studies. Our study provides a comprehensive overview of research hotspots, thematic areas, and future directions for attrition studies in CS. This outcome could be valuable for young and emerging scholars who are starting their careers and looking to identify research hotspots in this field of interest.

Jingili, N., Oyelere, S. S., Ojwang, F., Agbo, F. J., & Nyström, M. B.. (2023). Virtual Reality for Addressing Depression and Anxiety: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Virtual reality is an emerging field in mental health and has gained widespread acceptance due to its potential to treat various disorders, such as anxiety and depression. This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of virtual reality (VR) use in addressing depression and anxiety from 1995 to 2022. The study analysed 1872 documents using the Scopus database, identifying the field’s most relevant journals and authors. The results indicate that using VR for addressing anxiety and depression is a multidisciplinary field with a wide variety of research topics, leading to significant collaborative research in this area. The Annual Review of Cybertherapy and Telemedicine was identified as the most relevant journal, while Behavior Research and Therapy was found to be the most cited journal. The analysis of keywords suggests that there is more research on using VR for anxiety and related disorders than for depression. Riva G. was identified as the top author in producing research outputs on VR-AD, and the University of Washington emerged as the leading institution in scientific outputs on VR-AD. Thematic and intellectual analyses helped identify the main themes within the research domain, providing valuable insight into the current and future directions of the field.

Olaleye, S. A., Sanusi, I. T., Dada, O. A., & Agbo, F. J.. (2023). A bibliometric review of global visibility, impact and adoption of electronic invoicing: The past and the future.

The objective of this study is to conduct a bibliometric review of literature on electronic invoicing to provide an understanding of the growing field and valuable sources for future research. A total of 191 papers within the period of 1997 to July 2021 were included in our analysis. The systemic analysis revealed several insights in research progression over two decades, relevant authors and leading institutions including countries, most frequent keywords, and the principal methodologies and theories adopted. Although the field of electronic invoicing is still emerging, it is interesting to see trending keywords such as ‘data mining’, ‘automation’, ‘blockchain’, ‘digital storage’, and ‘machine learning’ as demonstrated in recent publications. The study also attempted to develop a framework and proposed an integrated theory of electronic invoicing since the general theoretical framework does not exist in the literature. Several research gaps were exposed related to more studies in the emerging field of electronic invoicing and how future studies could further shape the field by addressing yet unanswered questions. We anticipate that the findings in this study will be a valuable contribution and resource for e-invoicing research.

Joshi, S., Agbo, F. J., & Jormanainen, I.. (2023). Towards Enhancing Children's Science Education using Augmented Reality and Computer Vision.

Today's technological advancements in mobile technologies and the growing number of mobile devices are extremely beneficial in the mobile learning process. This study is a work in progress that discusses the possibilities of integrating Augmented Reality (AR) and computer vision (CV) into science education which uses deep learning to detect animals in real-time and teach children to classify animals, and learn about their habitat, sound, and important facts. In this study, the Design Science Research (DSR) is used which is a pragmatic approach to creating substantial knowledge for problem-solving through the development of artifacts. The mobile application - AnimalCircle - was developed following the DSR method, and initial users' study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of the use of AR and CV in mobile learning on children's science education and if it can enhance children learning experience. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with children studying at primary level class in Kathmandu district of Nepal between the age groups of 6–12. The findings show that children are positive toward usage of AnimalCircle app in their learning process because they find it beneficial and effective in their learning. However, most children also found it difficult and complained of getting confused during their initial usage. Therefore, significant efforts are required to improve the usage of these technologies in the mobile app and to provide a child-friendly learning experience.

Agbo, F. J., Olaleye, S. A., Bower, M., & Oyelere, S. S.. (2023). Examining the relationships between students’ perceptions of technology, pedagogy, and cognition: the case of immersive virtual reality mini games to foster computational thinking in higher education.

Researchers are increasingly exploring educational games in immersive virtual reality (IVR) environments to facilitate students’ learning experiences. Mainly, the effect of IVR on learning outcomes has been the focus. However, far too little attention has been paid to the influence of game elements and IVR features on learners’ perceived cognition. This study examined the relationship between game elements (challenge, goal clarity, and feedback) as pedagogical approach, features of IVR technology (immersion and interaction), and learners’ perceived cognition (reflective thinking and comprehension). An experiment was conducted with 49 undergraduate students who played an IVR game-based application (iThinkSmart) containing mini games developed to facilitate learners’ computational thinking competency. The study employed partial least squares structural equation modelling to investigate the effect of educational game elements and learning contents on learner’s cognition. Findings show that goal clarity is the main predictor of learners’ reflective thinking and comprehension in an educational game-based IVR application. It was also confirmed that immersion and interaction experience impact learner’s comprehension. Notably, adequate learning content in terms of the organisation and relevance of the content contained in an IVR game-based application significantly moderate learners’ reflective thinking and comprehension. The findings of this study have implications for educators and developers of IVR game-based intervention to facilitate learning in the higher education context. In particular, the implication of this study touches on the aspect of learners’ cognitive factors that aim to produce 21st-century problem-solving skills through critical thinking.

Agbo, F. J., Ntinda, M., López-Pernas, S., Saqr, M., & Apiola, M.. (2023). Computing Education Research in the Global South.

Scientometric analyses of publication data from all major computing education research (CER) outlets show that many countries and whole continents are greatly underrepresented on the global map of contributions to CER. For example, only a minor portion of CER has originated from countries in the Global South (GS) or has addressed challenges of computing education in the GS. In this chapter, we shift the focus to scientometrically analyse CER papers that originate from countries in the GS. From the metadata of all CER publications in central publication outlets of CER, we have selected a subset of articles with authors affiliated to an institution in a GS Country, as defined by the United Nations (UN). The analysis shows publication trends, prolific authors, and country collaboration patterns. A number of crucial and interesting avenues for future research and collaboration are presented.

Sani, G., Oladipo, F., Ogbuju, E., & Agbo, F. J.. (2022). Development of a Predictive Model of Student Attrition Rate.

Enrollment in courses is a key performance indicator in educational systems for maintaining academic and financial viability. Today, a lot of factors, comprising demographic and individual features like age, gender, academic background, financial capabilities, and academic degree of choice, contribute to the attrition rates of students at various higher education institutions. In this study, we developed prediction models for students' attrition rate in pursuing a computer science degree as well as those who have a high chance of dropping out before graduation using machine learning methodologies. This approach can assist higher education institutions in creating effective interventions to lower attrition rates and raise the likelihood that students will succeed academically. Student data from 2015 to 2022 were collected from the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Nigeria. The data was preprocessed using existing WEKA machine learning libraries where our data was converted into attribute-related file form (ARFF). Further, the resampling techniques were used to partition the data into the training set and testing set, and correlation-based feature selection was extracted and used to develop the students' attrition model to identify the students' risk of attrition. Random Forest and decision tree machine learning algorithms were used to predict students' attrition. The results showed that Random Forest has 79.45% accuracy while the accuracy of Random tree stood at 78.09%. This is an improvement over previous results, where an accuracy of 66.14%. and 57.48% were recorded for random forest and Random tree respectively. This improvement was because of the techniques demonstrated in this study. It is recommended that applying techniques to the classification model will improve the performance of the model.

Sunday, K., Oyelere, S. S., Agbo, F. J., Aliyu, M. B., Balogun, O. S., & Bouali, N.. (2022). Usability Evaluation of Imikode Virtual Reality Game to Facilitate Learning of Object-Oriented Programming.

Many empirical studies have shown that educational games and recent technologies impact education and increase learning effectiveness, students’ motivation and engagement. The overall aim of this study is to evaluate the usability of Imikode, a virtual reality (VR) game that was developed to introduce the concepts of object-oriented programming to novices. The improved version of the Imikode VR game consists of three features: An artificial intelligence component designed to provide real-time error feedback to users, an intelligent agent that guides and teaches users how to play the game and finally, the integration of multiple game play that gives learners more opportunities to explore the VR environment for greater immersive learning experience. This study adopted a survey approach and recruited first-year computer science students to measure learner satisfaction with educational virtual reality games and examined the correlations among the attributes of the Usefulness, Satisfaction and Ease of Use questionnaire of usage of Imikode. The results showed that the students were satisfied with Imikode and perceived the virtual reality educational game as very useful for learning object-oriented programming concepts. In addition, there was a correlation among the questionnaire variables, which means that researchers can use the instrument for future usability studies in the context. We further proffered some design recommendations for building software tools.

Sanusi, I. T., Olaleye, S. A., Agbo, F. J., & Chiu, T. K.. (2022). The role of learners’ competencies in artificial intelligence education.

As society deals with the advances and disruptions owing to artificial intelligence, children must understand how it works. Especially that children grow up with these technologies will help them develop into informed citizens and better understand the world around them. While artificial intelligence education has been considered relevant, there is a growing global trend to teach artificial intelligence across K-12 levels. This development has necessitated designing and implementing artificial intelligence curriculum and related resources in schools. Notwithstanding that the developed curriculum may be adopted in another context, unique needs exist that suggest contextual and cultural values be considered. Besides, the current curriculum and resources designed to promote artificial intelligence education literacy are eastern and western-centric, which indicates a clear gap in artificial intelligence education in Africa. Therefore, this study examines the competencies required to be artificial intelligence literate, utilizing Nigerian secondary school students’ data considering gender variation and school ownership type. A total of 605 students provided valuable responses for the analysis done with WarpLS software. We performed structural equation modelling to understand the relationship among the adopted variables utilized in the study. This study reveals the importance of teamwork and the significance of human-tool collaboration in artificial intelligence literacy through course content. This finding emphasizes the significance of teamwork among students to keep up with the pace of emerging technologies. The multigroup analysis also reveals no significant differences across gender and school type. We conclude the study with the implication of the findings and proposed future research agenda.

Ocheja, P., Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., Flanagan, B., & Ogata, H.. (2022). Blockchain in Education: A Systematic Review and Practical Case Studies.

The advent of blockchain technology over the last decade has led to the development of multiple use-cases of decentralization in various fields including education. This paper presents a unique bibliometric and qualitative analysis of the blockchain in education with novel contributions on temporal development, emerging themes and practical case studies on adoption and integration with existing educational technologies. We focus on identifying the major actors in the space, demographic participation and adoption, current hot topics, grey areas, and potential areas for innovation. Our analysis shows that while the blockchain has been around for about 13 years, blockchain in education only became prominent 5 years ago. This research also reveals that most of the efforts have been focused on reporting and verifying academic certificates and transcripts: only very few research focused on reporting and connecting in-depth academic records such as learning behaviour logs, learning contents and assessment data. This calls for concern as current education blockchain systems do not consider interoperability at the blockchain level and the heterogeneous nature in which institutes create and consume academic data. Finally, we present discussions on the implications of our findings, potential solutions and aspects of education blockchain research that can help to improve educational outcomes for various stakeholders.

Oyelere, S. S., Agbo, F. J., & Sanusi, I. T.. (2022). Developing a pedagogical evaluation framework for computational thinking supporting technologies and tools.

Frameworks for the evaluation of technological instructional tools provide educators with criteria to assess the pedagogical suitability and effectiveness of those tools to address learners’ needs, support teachers’ understanding of learning progress, and recognize the levels of achievement and the learning outcomes of the students. This study applied secondary document analysis and case study to identify five pedagogical indicators for teaching and learning computational thinking, including technology, pedagogical approaches, assessment techniques, data aspect, and teacher professional development. Based on the pedagogical indicators, this study proposed a computational thinking pedagogical assessment framework (CT-PAF) aimed at supporting educators with a strategy to assess the different technological learning tools in terms of pedagogical impact and outcome. Furthermore, three case-study instructional tools for teaching CT in K-12 were analyzed for the initial assessment of CT-PAF. Scratch, Google Teachable Machine, and the iThinkSmart minigames were marched to the underpinning characteristics and attributes of CT-PAF to evaluate the framework across the instructional tools. The initial assessment of CT-PAF indicates that the framework is suitable for the intended purpose of evaluating technological instructional tools for pedagogical impact and outcome. A need for expanded assessment is, therefore, necessary to further ascertain the relevance of the framework in other cases.

Olaleye, S.A., Ukpabi, D.C., Olawumi, O., Atsa'am, D.D., Agjei, R.O., Oyelere, S.S., Sanusi, I.T., Agbo, F.J., Balogun, O.S., Gbadegeshin, S.A. and Adegbite, A.. (2022). Association rule mining for job seekers' profiles based on personality traits and Facebook usage.

Personality traits play a significant role in many organisational parameters, such as job satisfaction, performance, employability, and leadership for employers. One of the major social networks, the unemployed derives satisfaction from is Facebook. The focus of this article is to introduce association rule mining and demonstrate how it may be applied by employers to unravel the characteristic profiles of the unemployed Facebook users in the recruitment process by employers, for example, recruitment of public relations officers, marketers, and advertisers. Data for this study comprised 3,000 unemployed Facebook users in Nigeria. This study employs association rule mining for mining hidden but interesting and unusual relationships among unemployed Facebook users. The fundamental finding of this study is that employers of labour can adopt association rule mining to unravel job relevant attributes suitable for specific organisational tasks by examining Facebook activities of potential employees. Other managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.

Agbo, F. J.. (2022). Co-designing a smart learning environment to facilitate computational thinking education in the Nigerian context.

This study examined how to co-design a student-centered smart learning environment to facilitate computational thinking education in the context of a Nigerian higher education institution. Smart learning is a new learning approach where learner-centered pedagogy and advanced technology play major roles in education. Computational thinking is a requisite for students in the digital age, not only because it provides the necessary skills for solving many contextual problems daily but also because it is crucial for preparing young learners for future career challenges. In particular, for computer science novices in Nigerian universities who have not been previously exposed to programming, computational thinking knowledge such as problem decomposition, abstraction, algorithmic thinking, recursive thinking, and pattern recognition could help them to gain programming knowledge. This study employed a pragmatic design science research methodology and strengthened the rigor of the framework by infusing an online co-design process. The online co-design process was formulated to accommodate the prevalent situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, where a face-to-face codesign meeting with stakeholders was infeasible for creating interventions

Oyelere, S. S., Sanusi, I. T., Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, A. S., Omidiora, J. O., Adewumi, A. E., & Ogbebor, C.. (2022). Artificial Intelligence in African Schools: Towards a Contextualized Approach.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for K-12 education has been considered a global initiative. However, evidence of Africa’s inclusion in globalization across schools is lacking in the literature. Besides, resources, including materials and content, are developed across Hong Kong, Japan, Europe, and the USA. These suggest that contextualized resources are effective for AI implementation in schools. Since appropriate pedagogical approaches, sound instructional methods, materials, tools, and activities familiar to the student for instruction lead to effective learning, we embark on a literature survey to unravel the approaches and kind of AI resources utilized across contexts. A systematic literature review methodology was used in this paper to understand the trends of teaching AI at the K-12 educational level. Scientific databases such as IEEE, ACM, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched to gather relevant literature in tandem with our research aim. Out of the 451 articles that were retrieved, only 54 fit well into the inclusion criteria and were reviewed for further analysis. This study revealed several existing approaches and resources used to teach AI in schools.

Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., Suhonen, J., & Tukiainen, M.. (2022). Design, development, and evaluation of a virtual reality game-based application to support computational thinking.

Computational thinking (CT) has become an essential skill nowadays. For young students, CT competency is required to prepare them for future jobs. This competency can facilitate students’ understanding of programming knowledge which has been a challenge for many novices pursuing a computer science degree. This study focuses on designing and implementing a virtual reality (VR) game-based application (iThinkSmart) to support CT knowledge. The study followed the design science research methodology to design, implement, and evaluate the first prototype of the VR application. An initial evaluation of the prototype was conducted with 47 computer science students from a Nigerian university who voluntarily participated in an experimental process. To determine what works and what needs to be improved in the iThinkSmart VR game-based application, two groups were randomly formed, consisting of the experimental (n = 21) and the control (n = 26) groups respectively. Our findings suggest that VR increases motivation and therefore increase students’ CT skills, which contribute to knowledge regarding the affordances of VR in education and particularly provide evidence on the use of visualization of CT concepts to facilitate programming education. Furthermore, the study revealed that immersion, interaction, and engagement in a VR educational application can promote students’ CT competency in higher education institutions (HEI). In addition, it was shown that students who played the iThinkSmart VR game-based application gained higher cognitive benefits, increased interest and attitude to learning CT concepts. Although further investigation is required in order to gain more insights into students learning process, this study made significant contributions in positioning CT in the HEI context and provides empirical evidence regarding the use of educational VR mini games to support students learning achievements.

Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., Suhonen, J., & Tukiainen, M.. (2021). Scientific production and thematic breakthroughs in smart learning environments: a bibliometric analysis.

This study examines the research landscape of smart learning environments by conducting a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the field over the years. The study focused on the research trends, scholar’s productivity, and thematic focus of scientific publications in the field of smart learning environments. A total of 1081 data consisting of peer-reviewed articles were retrieved from the Scopus database. A bibliometric approach was applied to analyse the data for a comprehensive overview of the trend, thematic focus, and scientific production in the field of smart learning environments. The result from this bibliometric analysis indicates that the first paper on smart learning environments was published in 2002; implying the beginning of the field. Among other sources, “Computers & Education,” “Smart Learning Environments,” and “Computers in Human Behaviour” are the most relevant outlets publishing articles associated with smart learning environments. The work of Kinshuk et al., published in 2016, stands out as the most cited work among the analysed documents. The United States has the highest number of scientific productions and remained the most relevant country in the smart learning environment field. Besides, the results also showed names of prolific scholars and most relevant institutions in the field. Keywords such as “learning analytics,” “adaptive learning,” “personalized learning,” “blockchain,” and “deep learning” remain the trending keywords. Furthermore, thematic analysis shows that “digital storytelling” and its associated components such as “virtual reality,” “critical thinking,” and “serious games” are the emerging themes of the smart learning environments but need to be further developed to establish more ties with “smart learning”. The study provides useful contribution to the field by clearly presenting a comprehensive overview and research hotspots, thematic focus, and future direction of the field. These findings can guide scholars, especially the young ones in field of smart learning environments in defining their research focus and what aspect of smart leaning can be explored.

Agbo, F. J., Yigzaw, S. T., Sanusi, I. T., Oyelere, S. S., & Mare, A. H.. (2021). Examining theoretical and pedagogical foundations of computational thinking in the context of higher education.

This research paper examined theories, pedagogics, and contents explored by studies focusing on promoting computational thinking (CT) in higher education institutions (HEIs). CT has become a fundamental approach to building problem-solving skills, which requires a thought process. The field of CT is generally still maturing, and the use of CT as an approach to introduce freshmen to introductory programming courses in HEIs has been gaining scholars' interest in the recent past. To appreciate the strategies explored to promote teaching and learning of CT in HEIs; evaluate scholarly discussions, contributions, and potential impact of studies in this field, there is a need to ground the theoretical constructs that build the foundation for the field. A literature review methodology was adopted in this study. The data collected from the Web of Science, the Scopus, ACM, and ProQuest databases were analyzed to provide answers to the research questions. The findings from this study suggest that constructionism and constructivism are the prevailing learning theories explored by scholars in this field to deploy CT in HEI. Additionally, the study revealed that activity-based learning, problem-based learning, automatic assessment-based learning, and self-regulated or self-reflective learning are the prominent pedagogies used by educators. These findings provided a strong foundation for research in this growing field. Besides, the findings also create an opportunity for positioning CT in HEI's educational curriculum regarding how CT should be taught in that context.

Costas-Jauregui, V., Oyelere, S. S., Caussin-Torrez, B., Barros-Gavilanes, G., Agbo, F. J., Toivonen, T., ... & Tenesaca, J. B.. (2021). Descriptive Analytics Dashboard for an Inclusive Learning Environment.

The educational community continuously seeks ways to improve the learner-centered learning process through new approaches like Learning analytics and its dashboard, which is helpful to enhance the teaching and the learning process. It involves a process whose final goal is presenting results to support decision-making about improving the learning process. However, a descriptive Learning analytics interface for analyzing learning data of students, including the disadvantaged, where to view and interpret learners' historical data is -in general- missing in this research domain. Hence, more research is still required to establish the philosophy of learning analytics on inclusion with an interface for the stakeholders to understand learning and teaching in an inclusive learning environment. This paper fills this gap by providing an inclusive educational learning analytics dashboard to support teachers and students. This study aimed to present a learning analytics implementation in the context of a smart ecosystem for learning and inclusion. We gave the inclusive educational needs and discussed the workflow followed during the descriptive learning analytics dashboard development. Therefore, the study improved existing learning analytics dashboards with a descriptive approach and inclusiveness of students with disabilities. Owing to the software development nature of this study, agile methodology based on five stages was applied: requirement elicitation; data gathering; design and prototyping; implementation; and testing and integration. We performed an initial evaluation, which indicated that the dashboard is suitable for understanding teachers' and students' needs and expectations. Besides, the visualization of inclusive learning characteristics improves engagement and attainment of learning goals.

Agbo, F. J., Olaleye, S. A., Sanusi, I. T., & Dada, O. A.. (2021). A review of thematic growth of International Journal of Education and Development using ICT.

The growth in education, research, and development in the developing economies cannot be compared with their developed counterparts. Information, Communication, and Technologies (ICTs), which have played a key role in nations' socio-economic development, can leverage developing economies. The International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT) emerged to promote research and development using ICT in developing nations. The emergence has, over the years, churn out significant scientific publications. This anniversary review intends to commemorate the late IJEDICT founding editor and investigate the contribution of academic papers published in the journal to develop education using ICT in developing countries and the thematic growth of the publication forum. The paper presents a bibliometric content analysis of 692 studies published in IJEDICT from inception, 2005 until April 2021. Findings from this review suggest useful implications for researchers, ICT managers, institutions, policymakers, and nations.

Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., Suhonen, J., & Tukiainen, M.. (2021). iThinkSmart: Immersive Virtual Reality Mini Games to Facilitate Students’ Computational Thinking Skills.

This paper presents iThinkSmart, an immersive virtual reality-based application to facilitate the learning of computational thinking (CT) concepts. The tool was developed to supplement the traditional teaching and learning of CT by integrating three virtual mini games, namely, River Crossing, Tower of Hanoi, and Mount Patti treasure hunt, to foster immersion, interaction, engagement, and personalization for an enhanced learning experience. iThinkSmart mini games can be played on a smartphone with a Goggle Cardboard and hand controller. This first prototype of the game accesses players' competency of CT and renders feedback based on learning progress.

Agbo, F. J., Sanusi, I. T., Oyelere, S. S., & Suhonen, J.. (2021). Application of Virtual Reality in Computer Science Education: A Systemic Review Based on Bibliometric and Content Analysis Methods.

This study investigated the role of virtual reality (VR) in computer science (CS) education over the last 10 years by conducting a bibliometric and content analysis of articles related to the use of VR in CS education. A total of 971 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and conferences were collected from Web of Science and Scopus databases to conduct the bibliometric analysis. Furthermore, content analysis was conducted on 39 articles that met the inclusion criteria. This study demonstrates that VR research for CS education was faring well around 2011 but witnessed low production output between the years 2013 and 2016. However, scholars have increased their contribution in this field recently, starting from the year 2017. This study also revealed prolific scholars contributing to the field. It provides insightful information regarding research hotspots in VR that have emerged recently, which can be further explored to enhance CS education. In addition, the quantitative method remains the most preferred research method, while the questionnaire was the most used data collection technique. Moreover, descriptive analysis was primarily used in studies on VR in CS education. The study concludes that even though scholars are leveraging VR to advance CS education, more effort needs to be made by stakeholders across countries and institutions. In addition, a more rigorous methodological approach needs to be employed in future studies to provide more evidence-based research output. Our future study would investigate the pedagogy, content, and context of studies on VR in CS education.

Yunusa, A. A., Sanusi, I. T., Dada, O. A., Oyelere, S. S., Agbo, F. J., Obaido, G., & Aruleba, K.. (2021). The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Higher Education in Nigeria: University Lecturers’ Perspectives.

The entire globe is battling the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, which has caused a downward spiral in many nations’ economies, particularly in the higher education contexts. A growing number of universities have either postponed or cancelled academic activities. A few universities have intensified measures to prevent face-to-face interactions, intending to protect staff members and students from this highly contagious disease. This study investigates the COVID-19 impact on the higher education sector in Nigeria. Interview sessions involving seven lecturers across five universities in three geographical locations of Nigeria were conducted. The interview data were gathered using digital applications, such as Zoom cloud meetings and Skype, transcribed into a textual format, and further analysed. Six themes with corresponding sub-themes emerged from the study. In the final analysis, results revealed that the COVID-19 negatively impacted several universities. This study presents opportunities for responding issues, problems and trends that are currently arising and will arise in the future due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Nigerian higher education system.

Sanusi, I. T., Olaleye, S. A., Agbo, F. J., & Jatileni, C. N.. (2021). Global Readiness for Immersive Virtual Space Adoption: The Case of Ohyay.

As the world is wholly dependent on information technology, especially in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is expected that hybrid format will become the new norm. This experience indicates that novel ways of combining face-to-face with online activities, including teaching, conferencing, concert, art exhibition, and collaborations, should be explored. Consequently, a new immersive virtual space known as Ohyay was launched in the summer of 2020. Ohyay is a powerful design platform that lets anyone create immersive virtual spaces unlike other video conferencing platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft teams) with a well-defined and prescribed workflow. Even though the platform has been utilized for series of events and activities, empirical studies to ascertain its adoption rate are lacking. Therefore, this study employed the UTAUT2 model infused with self-efficacy and readiness construct to investigate the factors that influence users’ intention of Ohyay adoption. One hundred and forty-two participants across countries completed an online questionnaire. It was found that Performance Expectancy, Facilitating Conditions, Effort Expectancy, Self-Efficacy, Readiness, and Hedonic Motivation predicts the behavioral intention of Ohyay directly, while Self-Efficacy and Hedonic Motivation indirectly predicts behavioral intention through Effort Expectancy and Readiness. The findings of this study contribute to the research applying the UTAUT2 approach with the self-efficacy and readiness construct for the exploration of behavioral intention to utilize an emerging technology such as Ohyay in educational and non-educational activities. As a result of the findings, managerial implications were highlighted, followed by study limitations and proposals for future studies.

Agbo, F. J., Olawumi, O., Balogun, O. S., Sanusi, I. T., Olaleye, S. A., Sunday, K., ... & Ipeayeda, F. W.. (2021). Investigating Students’ Perception towards the Use of Social Media for Computing Education in Nigeria.

This study examined the use of a social media platform – WhatsApp – by computer science students for learning computing education in the context of a Nigerian education institution. Nowadays, a large community of students in higher education institutions has embraced the WhatsApp platform for social interactions which makes it a useful tool in education. In this study, students formed three closed groups, and each group had a specific computing topic they discussed. Their discussions were in the form of posting questions, providing answers to questions, or expressing knowledge on the group topic. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants regarding their experiences. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the students’ learning outcomes. The results show that the use of social media contributes positively to students’ learning achievement, and they are motivated to acquire more knowledge about different computing topics.

Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., Suhonen, J., & Laine, T. H.. (2021). Co-design of mini games for learning computational thinking in an online environment.

Understanding the principles of computational thinking (CT), e.g., problem abstraction, decomposition, and recursion, is vital for computer science (CS) students. Unfortunately, these concepts can be difficult for novice students to understand. One way students can develop CT skills is to involve them in the design of an application to teach CT. This study focuses on co-designing mini games to support teaching and learning CT principles and concepts in an online environment. Online co-design (OCD) of mini games enhances students’ understanding of problem-solving through a rigorous process of designing contextual educational games to aid their own learning. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, where face-to-face co-designing between researchers and stakeholders could be difficult, OCD is a suitable option. CS students in a Nigerian higher education institution were recruited to co-design mini games with researchers. Mixed research methods comprising qualitative and quantitative strategies were employed in this study. Findings show that the participants gained relevant knowledge, for example, how to (i) create game scenarios and game elements related to CT, (ii) connect contextual storyline to mini games, (iii) collaborate in a group to create contextual low-fidelity mini game prototypes, and (iv) peer review each other’s mini game concepts. In addition, students were motivated toward designing educational mini games in their future studies. This study also demonstrates how to conduct OCD with students, presents lesson learned, and provides recommendations based on the authors’ experience.

Sanusi, I. T., Oyelere, S. S., Agbo, F. J., & Suhonen, J.. (2021). Survey of Resources for Introducing Machine Learning in K-12 Context.

The benefits of teaching machine learning to K-12 pupils include building foundational skills, useful mental models and inspire the next generation of AI researchers and software developers. However, introducing machine learning in schools has been a challenge even though several initiatives, curriculum design, platforms, projects, and tools exist to demystify the concept. The existing resources are scattered and sometimes overlap. Thereby selecting the appropriate tools to adopt in teaching becomes an arduous task for the teachers and other practitioners. More so, despite the increasing number of papers published in this field, there are still gaps in identifying specific tools and resources for teaching machine learning in K-12 settings. This study presents a literature review on machine learning in K-12 by selecting articles published from 2010 to 2021. Therefore, this paper presents a resource catalog and surveys of tools to help teachers find suitable teaching paths and make the decision to introduce activities that help students understand the basic concepts of machine learning. Based on the research objective, we utilized six databases to extract relevant information, while thirty-nine peer-reviewed articles were collected based on a systematic literature search and were analyzed. This study identified resources, tools, and instructional methods as the main categories of pedagogical items needed to ensure impactful teaching of machine learning in K-12 settings. Besides, the mode of operation, benefits and the challenges of the pedagogical tools for teaching machine learning in K-12 settings were unraveled. The findings also show the increased number of initiatives resulting in tools development to support machine learning teaching. Finally, this study provides recommendations for future research directions to help researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the education sector identify and apply various resources to aid decision-making in practice and to...

Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., & Bouali, N.. (2020). A UML approach for designing a VR-based smart learning environment for programming education.

This study is a work in progress that aims to design and implement a smart learning environment based on virtual reality technology to aid the teaching and learning of programming concepts. The paper followed the approach of designing and modelling of requirement specification for the intended smart platform. This modelling approach is desirable in satisfying activities that engender the design and prototyping of the smart learning environment based on the design science research method. The study discusses the proposed architecture of the system, modelled the system with UML, presents a scenario-based model for teaching and learning of programming concepts, and connect the outcome to the future research.

Yunusa, A. A., Sanusi, I. T., Dada, O. A., Oyelere, S. S., & Agbo, F. J.. (2020). Disruptions of Academic Activities in Nigeria: University Lecturers’ Perceptions and Responses to the COVID-19.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the different layers of vulnerabilities within systems across different political, socio-economic, educational and cultural contexts, so much that even the most advanced economies are struggling to check the impact of the ravaging Corona virus. However, not much is known about the impact of the disruptions in higher educational systems in developing contexts particularly in Nigeria. This study adopted a qualitative research design using a validated semi-structured interview to provide evidence-based data on the impact of the pandemic on the university system from the university lecturers’ perspectives. Using purposive and snowballing techniques, seven lecturers in five universities located in three geographical zones of Nigeria were interviewed using the Zoom and Skype platforms. The results of this study show that COVID-19 had a huge negative impact on the university system in Nigeria. Nonetheless, there are a few exceptions as a few universities within the study switched to alternative teaching medium to mitigate the disruptions thus, underscoring the potentials for a more responsive higher education system. The paper discussed the limitations, and future directions that may be drawn from the study.

Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., Suhonen, J., & Tukiainen, M.. (2020). Identifying potential design features of a smart learning environment for programming education in Nigeria.

Smart learning environment (SLE) has been researched to enhance teaching and learning by providing personalised learning, quick feedback, motivation and learning support. This study discusses the features of SLE that are relevant to programming education and the general design features for developing SLEs. In addition, the study provides insights into the level of awareness and use of the SLE for programming education in the Nigerian higher education institutions (HEIs). In this study, mixed research method was employed to conduct a survey among the teachers and students of computer science at HEI in Nigeria. Data were collected through questionnaire and interview instruments. The study showed that the students and teachers have no experience of SLEs but indicate strong willingness to embrace the use of the SLE for programming education. Besides, tentative features of SLE such as learning guides, personalised learning, quick feedback mechanisms, and automatic task scheduling were identified and presented.

Olaleye, S. A., Sanusi, I. T., Agbo, F. J., & Oyelere, S. S.. (2020). Is Online Distance Learning Compatible with Student Lifestyle? Assessment of program content, workload and long-time usefulness.

Online distance learning (ODL) is gaining rapid acceptance in the educational system, and the level of student enrollment is massive nowadays. Although the adoption of online distance learning seems to be influencing students learning experience, the aspect of compatibility with the student lifestyle remains unclear and needs further research. This study employed a quantitative methodology to describe the relationship between the chosen independent and dependent variables adapted from the existing literature objectively and used structural equation modelling with SmartPLS for the data analysis. This study contributes to the literature on online distance learning and information systems. It gives a comprehensive understanding of how program content positively relates to online academic workload and how the long-time usefulness of online distance learning relates to the workload of online distance learning for the ODL students' lifestyle. This insight shows the importance of program content as a determinant of workload. It also shows how the memory of the long-time usefulness aids the workload of the ODL. The study explains the theoretical contributions, implications and suggests future research.

Agbo, F. J., Olawumi, O., Oyelere, S. S., Kolog, E. A., Olaleye, S. A., Agjei, R. O., ... & Olawuni, A.. (2020). Social Media Usage for Computing Education: The Effect of Tie Strength and Group Communication on Perceived Learning Outcome.

Social media has become an important platform where users share, comment, discuss, communicate, interact, and play games. Aside from using social media for personal, social, and business purposes, the use of social media has gained attention, particularly for collaborative learning in the educational sector. This paper examines the role of social media in computing education based on the use of WhatsApp social media group. Additionally, the study explores how social media usage by students influences their perceived learning outcomes. Given these aims, the study formulated four research hypotheses and tested using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling. With the participants of three hundred and thirteen (n=313) students, the study found a positive relationship between social media usage for computing education and perceived learning outcomes. In addition, the study found a linear relationship between communication in- group and perceived learning outcomes. Finally, the study revealed that social media positively relates to tie strength, and that tie strength influences in-group communication.

Sunday, K., Ocheja, P., Hussain, S., Oyelere, S., Samson, B., & Agbo, F.J.. (2020). Analyzing Student Performance in Programming Education Using Classification Techniques.

In this research, we aggregated students log data such as Class Test Score (CTS), Assignment Completed (ASC), Class Lab Work (CLW) and Class Attendance (CATT) from the Department of Mathematics, Computer Science Unit, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria. Similarly, we employed data mining techniques such as ID3 & J48 Decision Tree Algorithms to analyze these data. We compared these algorithms on 239 classification instances. The experimental results show that the J48 algorithm has higher accuracy in the classification task compared to the ID3 algorithm. The important feature attributes such as Information Gain and Gain Ratio feature evaluators were also compared. Both the methods applied were able to rank search method and the experimental results confirmed that the two methods derived the same set of attributes with a slight deviation in the ranking. From the results analyzed, we discovered that 67.36 percent failed the course titled Introduction to Computer Programming, while 32.64 percent passed the course. Since the CATT has the highest gain value from our analysis; we concluded that it is largely responsible for the success or failure of the students.

Oyelere, S. S., Tomczyk, L., Bouali, N., & Agbo, F. J.. (2019). Blockchain technology and gamification - conditions and opportunities for education.

The paper focuses on two solutions supporting education. One of the aspects shows the potential of the modern blockchain concept, whereas the other refers to the forms of work based on the natural learners’ need to compete, namely, gamification. Both areas have been intensely developed as part of the implementation of ICT in the detailed didactics, including adult education. The presentation of both ICT-mediated solutions is the result of Authors’ participation in the project Smart Ecosystem for Learning and Inclusion.

Agbo, F. J., & Oyelere, S. S.. (2019). Smart Mobile Learning Environment for Programming Education in Nigeria: Adaptivity and Context-Aware Features.

The proliferation and diffusion of mobile devices and the growing number of its users presents the opportunity for developers of educational technology to provide tools that will support both the learners and the instructors. Adaptive and context-aware features of smart learning systems are built to render support to learners in such a way that learning is possible anywhere, anytime and at the learner’s convenience. Nowadays, mobile devices including smartphones, personal digital assistant, and wearable devices possess advanced technological features that can support the development of the smart learning environment (SLE). This study investigated the recent research contributions on adaptivity and context-aware features of SLE for programming education. The study also surveyed the perception of students and teachers in Nigeria higher education institutions regarding adaptive and context-aware features of SLE. To provide answers to the research questions raised in the study, we applied a mixed method approach consisting the literature review and quantitative methods. The study presents some existing solutions for programming education with adaptive or context-aware features of SLE. Finally, we proposed a model for designing an SLE with adaptivity and context-awareness features that take into cognizance the learner’s preferences and needs.

Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., Suhonen, J., & Adewumi, S.. (2019). A Systematic Review of Computational Thinking Approach for Programming Education in Higher Education Institutions.

This study examined how computational thinking (CT) has been used to teach problem-solving skills and programming education in the recent past. This study specifically (i) identified articles that discussed CT approach for programming education at higher education institutions (HEIs), (ii) classified the different CT approaches and tools employed for programming education at HEIs, (iii) synthesised and discussed results that are reported by relevant studies that utilized CT for teaching programming at HEIs. A systematic literature review methodology was adopted in this study. Out of 161 articles retrieved, 33 of them that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Our study revealed that the use of CT at HEIs for programming education began in 2010; many studies did not specify the context of use, but the use of CT is found to be gaining grounds in many contexts, especially the developed countries; course design approach was mostly employed by educators to introduce CT at HEIs for programming education. Furthermore, this study pointed out how CT approach can be explored for designing a smart learning environment to support students in learning computer programming.

Oyelere, S. S., Bouali, N., Agbo, F. J., & Suhonen, J.. (2019). ICT for learning and inclusion in Finland.

This chapter presents the current trends, conditions and opportunities available regarding the application of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning process across Finland. The chapter also present information about ICT use in Finland, the level of digital literacy and the focus of how the teachers use ICT in Finland. In addition, this work outlined the roles that ICT played to support the inclusion of disadvantaged people in the educational system in Finland, the special place of the continuous professional development among teachers in Finland and recent technologies that seeks to bring innovation to the Finnish classroom, such as the Blockchain technology.

Oyelere, S. S., Agbo, F. J., Sanusi, I. T., Yunusa, A. A., & Sunday, K.. (2019). Impact of Puzzle-Based Learning Technique for Programming Education in Nigeria Context.

This paper investigates the impact of puzzle-based learning technique (PbLT) for teaching introductory programming in the context of Nigeria. The participants in the study were computer science students at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria. The study adopted the quantitative research method. The study shows that PbLT has a positive impact on the students' understanding of introductory programming. In addition, the students confirmed that MobileEdu-Puzzle learning application was supportive and easy to use. Nonetheless, the result revealed that information technology infrastructure especially internet connectivity is a major challenge that may hinder the use of mobile learning technologies such as MobileEdu-puzzle. The overall outcome shows that PbLT holds a lot of promise towards enhancing students learning experiences.

Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., Suhonen, J., & Tukiainen, M.. (2019). Smart learning environment for computing education: readiness for implementation in Nigeria.

This study examined the readiness and prospect of implementing the smart learning environment (SLE) for programming education in the context of Nigeria. An overview of design science research as the methodology for implementing SLE was introduced. Data collection was conducted through a questionnaire, and a descriptive statistic was adopted to analyse the data. The result showed that students placed a high expectation on SLE features such as location and social awareness, pedagogy and adaptivity to learning preference. Besides, the study investigated whether the implementation of SLE in Nigeria is possible. Consequently, issues regarding basic requirements such as the inadequate supply of electricity, low memory and battery capacity of the smartphone, and inadequate cloud infrastructures were identified as potential challenges that may affect the implementation of the SLE in the context. Taken together, these findings do support strong recommendations to stakeholders regarding the use of smart learning technology as mainstream for programming education, and provision of basic infrastructures needed for the implementation of SLE at higher education institutions.

Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., Suhonen, J., & Tukiainen, M.. (2019). Identifying potential design features of a smart learning environment for programming education in Nigeria..

Smart learning environment (SLE) has been researched to enhance teaching and learning by providing personalised learning, quick feedback, motivation and learning support. This study discusses the features of SLE that are relevant to programming education and the general design features for developing SLEs. In addition, the study provides insights into the level of awareness and use of the SLE for programming education in the Nigerian higher education institutions (HEIs). In this study, mixed research method was employed to conduct a survey among the teachers and students of computer science at HEI in Nigeria. Data were collected through questionnaire and interview instruments. The study showed that the students and teachers have no experience of SLEs but indicate strong willingness to embrace the use of the SLE for programming education. Besides, tentative features of SLE such as learning guides, personalised learning, quick feedback mechanisms, and automatic task scheduling were identified and presented.

Olaleye, S. A., Oyelere, S. S., Sanusi, I. T., & Agbo, F. J.. (2018). Experience of Ubiquitous Computing Technology Driven Mobile Commerce in Africa: Impact of Usability, Privacy, Trust, and Reputation Concern.

The concept of ubiquitous computing allows the seamless: anywhere, anytime, anyone interaction of computing devices and technology. Ubiquitous commerce simply known as u-commerce is an evolution of commerce based on recent innovations and advancement in computing technology. The aim of this study is to understand the impact of ubiquitous computing technologies on users, with a special focus on ubiquitous commerce. The study used the quantitative method and targeted the mobile device users for online shopping in Nigeria with convenience sampling technique. The data collected was analyzed using SmartPLS 2.0 with partial least square structural equation modelling. The study results confirmed the significant role of trust as a mediator between the reputation and u-commerce user’s experience, and usability and privacy directly predict the ubiquitous commerce user’s experience. The study advances with managerial implications and finally pinpoint the limitations and propose future studies.