For those with a vested interest in online technologies for learning, the knowledge and skills that constitute successful participation in massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) places these games squarely among the most promising new digital technologies to date. In this article, the author broadly outlines the qualitative results of a two and…

The rapid growth of technology has made online tools available for education. The ability to discern the characteristics of these tools and to use them appropriately for educational purposes has become increasingly critical. Weblogs and discussion forums are among those up-and-coming tools that have great potential in supporting learning. They…

Based on a five-year ethnographic study of the activity of an online, international academic community of practice supported by ListServer technology, this article covers selective findings pertaining to patterns of communication deemed crucial to community building. Implications of learning and collegial support are discussed. (Author/AEF)

The author suggests that technology itself is neither humanizing nor dehumanizing in education. Instead, he proposes that only the people, the teachers or the institutions which use (or do not use) the technology have this influence." (Author/AK)

Discussion of the shift from traditional classrooms to Web-based training and distance education focuses on strategies that instructors can use to transition into various distance-based settings. Highlights include shifting instructor roles; technology issues; online course development; course dynamics and interaction; communication;…

Discusses interactivity in Web-based learning and provides a framework of interaction attributes that can be used to select strategies and tactics to facilitate interaction on the Web. Topics include interaction with content; social interaction; instructor-centered approach; student-centered approach; collaboration; conversation; intrapersonal…

Article describes the program and facilities utilizing the latest theories in educational media at The Northeast Regional Media Center for the Deaf and the Boston School for the Deaf, Boston, Massachusetts. (HB)

Reviews the incorporation of interactivity in Web-based instruction. Discusses computer mediated learning; interactivity and learning, including instructional transaction theory and cognitive flexibility theory; advantages of Web-based instruction; content and social interactivity; asynchronous and synchronous communication; individual and group…

Describes the use of computer-mediated communication tools to expand the classroom learning community to include students at two universities. Focuses on efforts to develop a sense of community among online learners through active interaction, collaborative learning, socially constructed meaning, sharing of resources, and expressions of support.…

Provides a structural definition of interactivity in instruction, with the goal of describing and delimiting a broad and general process. Examines the four major attributes to the concept of interactivity, and defines four additional variables that arise through the structural study of interaction. Outlines five common patterns that deal with…

Reviews characteristics of computer-based training (CBT) that make application of communication theories appropriate and presents principles from communication theory (e.g., general systems theory, symbolic interactionism, rule theories, and interpersonal communication theories) to illustrate how CBT developers can profitably apply them to…

Discusses current trends in Internet usage (hypertext, delivery of multimedia, true interactivity) and proposes the PREDICTION (PREsentation, Dynamic Interaction, and Communication) model which formalizes the Internet's dynamic capabilities which should be exploited if its potential as educational technology is to be realized. (PEN)

Discusses how virtual events can be used to enhance education. Topics include balancing virtual and real encounters; finding the best mix of communication options; and finding patterns of interaction that support reflective cognition, knowledge amplification, community-building, learning, and global understanding. GLOBENET 1997, an international…

This article discusses the importance of private interactions, in which a student works alone with learning materials, and public interactions, in which a group of students engage in discourse around learning materials. While traditional technology requires that designers choose one type of interaction over another, the authors show how handheld…