Investigates social support for older adults in the computer-mediated environment. Finds that: satisfaction with Internet providers of social support was significantly higher for high Internet users than for low Internet users, whereas low Internet users were more satisfied with their non-Internet support networks than high Internet users; and…

This article presents an insider view of an online community of adults involved in sharing digital photography through a host website, Flickr. It describes how reciprocal teaching and learning partnerships in a dynamic multimodal environment are achieved through the creation of a "Third Space" or "Affinity Space", where "Funds of Knowledge" are…

For the past five years, the author has spent time talking with, interviewing, interacting with, and investigating language with adolescent females in chat rooms while they engage in synchronous talk. The discussion often centers on their interest in pop culture--music, movies, television, books, games, and anything else that is worthy of…

This paper provides a comparative snapshot of the current state of the law in the US and UK with respect to potential liability of university and college students for use (and misuse) of social networking sites. It reviews the limited case law on this topic, highlights the differences in the two nations' laws of defamation and the various possible…

Following an encounter with a student at the beginning of fall term, the writer reflects that today's student generation is a singular one: its members want to study, travel, make friends, make more friends, read everything (superfast), take in all the movies, listen to every hot band, keep up with everyone they've ever known. They live to…

Describing the results of an e-portfolio contest and attendant research conducted at the University of Washington (UW), Cara Lane discusses student attitudes toward e-portfolios and argues for the usefulness of e-portfolios as a means for students to develop professional and academic presentation skills as well as basic technology skills. Lane…

The focus of this study is to explore the advances that Social Network Analysis (SNA) can bring, in combination with other methods, when studying Networked Learning/Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (NL/CSCL). We present a general overview of how SNA is applied in NL/CSCL research; we then go on to illustrate how this research method can…

In December 2006, the Missouri River Regional Library (MRRL) in Jefferson City, embarked on a journey. They had been watching the Public Library of Charlotte-Mecklenburg County (PLCMC), NC, on its adventure through the wilds of Web 2.0, and they decided to follow the trail it had blazed. What PLCMC had done was pretty revolutionary. The library…

The purpose of this research study was to evaluate the central photos of 150 students in 50 states participating in Facebook for evidence of alcohol consumption, illegal activities and portrayal of sexually inappropriate behaviors (including nudity or partial nudity). Because the media has frequently reported evidence of these behaviors in…

In the Western Pacific, the People First Network project has since 2001 been building a growing network of rural email stations across the conflict-ridden Solomon Islands. These stations are based on robust technology and consist of solar panels, short-wave radios and compatible modems, laptop computers and printers to provide email communication…

In little more than a decade, the Web has become an essential medium for information, entertainment, and commerce, making its adoption among consumers quicker than any other medium before it. The majority of American classrooms have become connected to the Internet in the same short time span. Previously, science or mathematics students might have…

Wenger's theory of communities of practice (CoPs) helps explain how a group of Ph.D. students in the Department of Management Communication at the University of Waikato in New Zealand met a need for emotional and academic support and reduced isolation as they developed regular opportunities for face-to-face and virtual discussions on theory and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand how emerging technologies and Web 2.0 services are transforming the structure of the web and their potential impact on managed learning environments (MLS) and learning content management systems (LCMS). Design/methodology/approach: Innovative Web 2.0 applications are reviewed in the paper to…

The purpose of the study was to demonstrate that two schools which were geographically separated could be digitally included using broadband radio connections, interactive white-boards and other technologies to enable virtual interactive and collaborative lessons. The project was established to overcome a transport problem of bussing learners from…

This study examines the role that community networks can take in fulfilling McQuail's call for a more democratic-participant form of mass media. Community networks, which are online grassroots organizations designed to promote local community initiatives, increased their Internet presence in the 1990s. However, their number has declined in recent…