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One feature of self-paced online courses is greater learner control over the timing of their work in a course. However, the greater timing flexibility that learners enjoy in such environments may play a different role in the learning process than has been previously observed in formal online or face-to-face courses. As such, the study of work timing merits further investigation. Toward this goal, this study forwards two measures that represent the timing of coursework: 1) the timing index, or the degree to which a participant completes 50% of their work, and 2) the spacing count, the frequency of work performed across the course timeframe. In this study, the authors demonstrate the use of these measures from a data set of 42 U.S. middle-school teachers who participated in a self-paced, online professional development course to support teacher implementation of a new blended-learning curriculum. Using the two measures, the authors identify timing behaviours of participants and examine the effects that timing has on teacher self-efficacy after completing the course. The two measures and visualizations demonstrated in this paper yield useful individual-level variables for course timing that can be used for further study on the effects on learning outcomes.

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Conversational agents, also known as chatbots, are automated systems for engaging in two-way dialogue with human users. These systems have existed in one form or another for at least 60 years but have recently demonstrated significant potential with advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies. The use of conversational agents or chatbots for education can potentially reduce costs and supplement teacher instruction in transformative ways for formal learning. This chapter examines the design and status of chatbots and conversational agents for educational purposes. Common design functions and goals of educational chatbots are described, along with current practical applications of chatbots for educational purposes. Finally, this chapter considers issues about pedagogical commitments, ethics, and equity to suggest future work in the field.