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1. Teaching at the Teachable Moment Using Asynchronous Videos Combined With Live Interactions

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--60737  

   Solano_Salgado, Angelica; Bartlett, Scott; Pimpalkar, Anway; Brown, Jeremy; Reed, Kyle (June 2026, ASEE Conferences)

   Traditional online instruction often forces a trade-off between flexibility and engagement. Asynchronous video lectures support self-paced learning but lack opportunities for spontaneous questioning and instructor feedback, while synchronous sessions enable interaction but do not cater to students at different levels or learning speeds. This paper introduces an interactive video architecture that merges the benefits of modes, enabling students to learn at their own pace while receiving additional information precisely when confusion occurs, at the teachable moment. In this framework, students engage with a self-paced prerecorded lecture that features a repository of previously asked questions that appear at relevant points in the video and an interactive module for real-time or delayed instructor responses. Prominent playback controls—pause, rewind, skip, and speed up—ensures each student can progress at their own comfortable pace. At any moment, they may submit a question tied to the current timestamp using either a Live Response box (for immediate help during designated times) or a Delayed Response box (for asynchronous follow-up without disrupting the learning flow). Once answered by the instructor or TA, the responses are anchored to that point in the video, forming a time-stamped knowledge base that current and future students can explore, or skip, based on their needs. Clicking a question reveals the corresponding video response, transforming static lectures into evolving, learner-informed instructional tools. Unlike discussion forums or comment threads, this real-time and evolving knowledge base embeds instructor video responses directly within the instructional timeline, preserving pedagogical context and continuity while maintaining student flexibility. The architecture also protects student privacy and gives instructors full moderation control. It supports large-scale use, with successful testing in a class of 82 students and scalability expected for larger classes. Instructors benefit from detailed interaction analytics that visualize where confusion arises based on video replays and which response videos are watched. These insights allow instructors to refine content, address common misunderstandings efficiently, and personalize support. The platform reinforces scaffolding and zone of proximal development principles by delivering support in the moment it’s most useful, when students are actively engaged with challenging content. The approach has been piloted in three undergraduate engineering courses at two universities. Preliminary results demonstrate high engagement and strong student satisfaction, with usage analytics showing frequent revisits to response videos and elevated interaction rates compared to traditional online platforms. Student feedback highlighted “getting explanations exactly when I needed them” as one of the most valued features. Instructors reported reduced redundancy in addressing common questions, improved insight into learning bottlenecks, and being able to spend time with students that need additional help. By combining asynchronous flexibility with synchronous responsiveness, this method reframes asynchronous video instruction as a participatory, adaptive conversation between student(s) and instructor. It delivers pedagogically timed feedback, supports student autonomy, and provides instructors with actionable insights while maintaining scalability for large classes. 

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2. IUSE: Merging Self-Paced Instruction with Real-Time Feedback for Enhanced Learning Engagement

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--59861  

   Brown, Jeremy; Reed, Kyle (June 2026, ASEE Conferences)

   This project evaluates an instructional method that merges the flexibility of asynchronous video lectures with the responsiveness of synchronous instruction. The platform allows students to watch prerecorded lectures at their own pace (pausing, rewinding, skipping, or changing the video speed) while also enabling interaction with the instructor by asking questions directly tied to specific moments in the video. These questions can be submitted for live interaction with the instructor or TA during scheduled hours or asynchronously at any time with a delayed response. Once a response is provided, it becomes available to all learners, creating a cumulative, time-anchored knowledge base. Students control over whether to view each response, enabling personalized engagement without disrupting their learning flow. Students can view a list of all questions asked in a lecture or search through all available questions in the course and watch the corresponding responses. This approach enhances instruction by delivering explanations precisely when confusion arises. It also supports student autonomy by enabling learners to take optional detours for prerequisite content, real-world applications, or advanced topics—each path returning to the main instructional thread. In this way, students of varying backgrounds and abilities can tailor their learning experience without fragmenting the course structure. Those needing additional support can access contextual examples and clarification, while more advanced learners can deepen their understanding through enriched content and peer inquiries. This method differs from adaptive pathways in that it does not rely on pre-scripted branching or algorithmic sequencing; instead, it evolves dynamically through student-driven questions and instructor responses and could be used as a precursor to developing adaptive pathways based on data-informed confusion points. The method enables meaningful student-instructor interaction without requiring synchronous attendance, preserving the benefits of personalized support at scale. Over time, each lecture grows into a learning environment enriched by authentic student questions and instructor insights. By shifting video lectures from static presentations to adaptive, inquiry-driven experiences, this framework offers a more inclusive, interactive, and effective approach to online education. This paper focuses on the initial results that are based on surveys conducted by an external consulting group and collected at two universities over three semesters. Outcome-driven assessments are currently being analyzed. The self-reported survey results show that over 90% of students reported improved understanding of course content and nearly three-quarters noted increased interest in the material. Most students valued the ability to ask questions as soon as they arose (40–60% depending on semester) and to view answers to peers’ questions at their own pace (70–80% depending on semester). Students emphasized that this platform helped them visualize complex concepts, stay engaged, and learn more efficiently by focusing on areas of personal difficulty while progressing quickly through familiar material. These results indicate that this platform not only enhances comprehension but also fosters confidence and motivation across a diverse range of learners and abilities. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program. 

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3. An Empirical Evaluation of Active Live Coding in CS1

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3743686  

   Shah, Anshul; Rexin, Thomas; Alhumrani, Fatimah; Griswold, William G; Porter, Leo; Soosai_Raj, Gerald (June 2025, ACM Transactions on Computing Education)

   Objectives The traditional, instructor-led form of live coding has been extensively studied, with findings showing that this form of live coding imparts similar learning to static-code examples. However, a concern with Traditional Live Coding is that it can turn into a passive learning activity for students as they simply observe the instructor program. Therefore, this study compares Active Live Coding—a form of live coding that leverages in-class coding activities and peer discussion—to Traditional Live Coding on three outcomes: 1) students’ adherence to effective programming processes, 2) students’ performance on exams and in-lecture questions, and 3) students’ lecture experience. Participants Roughly 530 students were enrolled in an advanced, CS1 course taught in Java at a large, public university in North America. The students were primarily first- and second-year undergraduate students with some prior programming experience. The student population was spread across two lecture sections—348 students in the Active Live Coding (ALC) lecture and 185 students in the Traditional Live Coding (TLC) lecture. Study Methods We used a mixed-methods approach to answer our‘ research questions. To compare students’ programming processes, we applied process-oriented metrics related to incremental development and error frequencies. To measure students’ learning outcomes, we compared students’ performance on major course components and used pre- and post-lecture questionnaires to compare students’ learning gain during lectures. Finally, to understand students’ lecture experience, we used a classroom observation protocol to measure and compare students’ behavioral engagement during the two lectures. We also inductively coded open-ended survey questions to understand students’ perceptions of live coding. Findings We did not find a statistically significant effect of ALC on students’ programming processes or learning outcomes. It seems that both ALC and TLC impart similar programming processes and result in similar student learning. However, our findings related to students’ lecture experience shows a persistent engagement effect of ALC, where students’ behavioral engagement peaks andremains elevatedafter the in-class coding activity and peer discussion. Finally, we discuss the unique affordances and drawbacks of the lecture technique as well as students’ perceptions of ALC. Conclusions Despite being motivated by well-established learning theories, Active Live Coding did not result in improved student learning or programming processes. This study is preceded by several prior works that showed that Traditional Live Coding imparts similar student learning and programming skills as static-code examples. Though potential reasons for the lack of observed learning benefits are discussed in this work, multiple future analyses to further investigate Active Live Coding may help the community understand the impacts (or lack thereof) of the instructional technique. 

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4. Interpolated Retrieval of Relevant Material, Not Irrelevant Material, Enhances New Learning of a Video Lecture In-Person and Online

   https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050668  

   Assadipour, Zohara; Ahn, Dahwi; Chan, Jason_C K (May 2025, Behavioral Sciences)

   Interpolated retrieval enhances the learning of new information—a finding known as the forward testing effect. The context change account suggests that learning benefits are due to a shift in internal context, which can be triggered through the retrieval of either content-relevant or content-irrelevant information. In two experiments, we examined whether interpolated episodic, autobiographical, and semantic retrieval would enhance new learning of a video lecture, compared to interpolated review. Participants watched a STEM topic lecture divided into three ~5 min segments and completed their assigned interpolated activity after the first two segments. Across both a laboratory (Experiment 1, N = 249) and online setting (Experiment 2, N = 246), only episodic retrieval enhanced the learning of new material; autobiographical and semantic retrieval (content-irrelevant) did not improve new learning. Critically, we introduced a measure of context change to determine whether the level of engagement in these interpolated activities predicted recall. Engagement correlated with criterial test performance when controlling for effort (seriousness). Our results support a multi-factor explanation for the forward testing effect, providing evidence for both the context change and strategy change accounts, although we emphasize that support for context change should be interpreted with caution. 

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5. Variation in Engagement Behaviors among Student-Centered Pedagogies

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3641554.3701894  

   Campbell, Patricia B; Kussmaul, Clif; Mayfield, Chris; Hu, Helen H; Campbell-Mortman, Seth (February 2025, ACM)

   Numerous studies have shown that active learning and student-centered pedagogies lead to better student outcomes, such as higher grades, enhanced self-efficacy, and an increased sense of belonging. These outcomes are closely linked to higher levels of student engagement. To better understand the relationship between student engagement and pedagogical approach, our research documents what actually happens in CS1 classes that implement active learning. This paper presents a case study of two instructors, at different undergraduate institutions, teaching with Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) and Interactive Lectures. Using structured classroom observations and student surveys, we measure the engagement of the same students in different class periods taught by the same instructor. Our study investigates the differences and similarities in self-reported and observed student behaviors, as well as observed instructor behaviors. We examine how instructor behavior impacts student behavior. The results show significant differences in observed instructor and student behaviors based on the pedagogical approach. In class periods where instructors spoke more, students were more inclined to watch or listen rather than actively work or discuss, coupled with higher levels of student distraction. Our results provide insight into how specific teaching practices can lead to more engaging classrooms and better student outcomes. 

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