Brian Lewis, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) chief executive officer, is an education advocate and leader specializing in management and governance, policy, corporate communications, branding, and marketing. He provides leadership to ISTE's Washington, DC, and Eugene, Oregon, offices and directs organizational…

The most defining characteristic of MOOCs and other massive courses may be their scale. In their popular description, in the pedagogical and technological approach, in course operation, and in impact, the scale of the course is always foremost in mind. Beyond changes in scale, there are challenges and opportunities to adapt the new techniques in a…

In this article, the authors argue that online learning conversations need to go beyond the common "information exchange" to a deeper level of interaction in order to help learners build situated knowledge that is useful in their local contexts. The article begins by looking at the commonly-used framework of a Community of Practice (CoP) and, in…

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…

Defines dialogue and traces some of the forces that underlie thinking and acting in social settings where collective action is sought. Discusses stages and core elements in the dialog process. Describes results of the Dialog Project at MIT in terms of research sites, theory, facilitator development, educational material, an international…

Discusses conversation as a medium for school change, a way to build community, and as a means for designing new systems of learning. Examines the value of conversation and dialog, and suggests strategies for conversations that differ from traditional argument and debate. Notes that in design conversation, the group shares the responsibility for…

The use of electronic mail (e-mail) to facilitate communications between professors and students is presented. Examples of uses include announcements, students' questions, counseling, distribution of class assignments, quizzes, grade posting, homework hints, and attendance issues. Advantages and disadvantages are discussed. (SLW)

The Sultanate of Oman recently investigated the viability of online teacher training through a joint project funded by the U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative and the Oman Ministry of Education. One aspect of the project was to build sufficient capacity within the Ministry to enable Oman to produce online training in the future. This article…

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;…

Considers the role of the teacher in distance education. Topics discussed include professional knowledge; differences from conventional teaching, including increased interpersonal distance, reduced interaction, loss of feedback, and interference in message transfer; and reflecting on context, learners, and methods. (23 references) (LRW)

Discussion of courseware development for computer-based training (CBT) focuses on the effects of the use of authoring systems on courseware team roles and team communication. A team concept known as Team Integrated Productivity (TIP) is described and its possible effects on courseware development are discussed. (10 references) (LRW)

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…