The new ecolinguistics treats language as a part of human action. Languaging, the basis for language development, co-constitutes technologically endowed environments. The result, we argue, can enhance both second language learning and aspects of human agency. Using historical and current research, we stress skillful action and, given a special stance, how expertise is generated by drawing on languages while engaging in a range of practices. A combination of languaging, statistical learning and skillful action therefore enables technology to sustain a vast range of coordinated activities. Accordingly, we advocate for the design of technology-rich environments where people change themselves by drawing on second languages to gain skills and expertise as they use new modes of action, coordination. and collaboration.

This article presents the progress of Project 101, an initiative starting from December 2021, to improve computer science curriculum and teaching in top Chinese universities, in order to meet the demand of computer science eduction in the new information age. Project 101 aims at improving classroom teaching, while focusing on the development of core courses, core textbooks, core practice platforms, as well as core faculty training. We present an overview of the organization and plan of Project 101, as well as the current progress after two years’ efforts from the working group of Project 101. Finally, we will also discuss tentative future plans aiming at improving computer science education in a large number of universities based on the current results.

With the initiation of the National Virtual Simulation Experimental Teaching Project in 2018, educational institutions in China have recognized the significance of virtual simulation technology in reforming traditional teaching methods and fostering innovative talent cultivation models. Within the realm of higher education in China, motivating students to sustain their utilization of Virtual Simulation Learning Systems (VSLSs) has become a significant challenge. This article builds upon an assessment of the development status of VSLSs in Chinese higher education and draws upon previous studies to construct a model comprising three dimensions: perceived quality, perceived value, and social influence, with the aim of predicting students’ enduring willingness to engage with VSLSs. To achieve this objective, a structural modeling analysis approach is employed to explore the interrelationships among the constructs under investigation, while a survey questionnaire is utilized to collect relevant data. The sample population consists of 274 college students from diverse disciplinary fields in China, including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS). The findings reveal that perceived value significantly influences students’ willingness to participate, with perceived benefits exerting a greater impact than perceived costs. Furthermore, the overall quality of the VSLSs, encompassing aspects such as software quality, instructional design quality, and virtual simulation quality, holds substantial influence over students’ perceived value. Additionally, societal factors such as course scheduling and recommendations from teachers exhibit a positive impact on students’ intention to continue using VSLSs. Building upon these findings, the article presents relevant recommendations aimed at enhancing students’ sustained utilization of VSLSs.

In today’s world, humanity is immersed in a digital era where technological advances driven by computers permeate everyone’s life. The situation raises the need for computing and engineering education to inform students of their responsibilities to society and their preparation to enter higher education and the workplace. Competency and technical performance are central to this thinking. This article poses two questions: Has competency-based learning in computing and engineering transformed into the current digital age? If so, to what extent has computing and engineering education adopted competency-based learning in their curricula? The authors explore three reports affecting computing and engineering education to address these queries. They include the 2019 Chinese Computer Education for Sustainable Competence (Blue Book), the Computing Curricula 2020: Paradigms for Global Computing Education, and the 2023 Infinite Possibilities: Report on the Digital Development of Global Higher Education. The first emphasizes the importance and necessary elements of sustainable competency and agile education for computing and engineering in the digital era. The second defines competency as a triad of knowledge, skills, and human dispositions; it promotes the transformation from knowledge-based to competency-based learning. The third report provides a pathway for the modern digital development of global higher education in a digital and technological age. All three publications support directly or indirectly the transformation of competency into the current digital age. However, computing and engineering programs have yet to adopt competency-based learning in their curricula. Time can tell whether sustainable competency will permeate computing and engineering education globally. In the meantime, academicians and industry professionals should continue pursuing the cause to prepare students and graduates adequately as they become part of the digital era.