A paradigm shift can be expected in the education sector, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. E-learning systems are being adopted by all the stakeholders as physical meetings are not feasible. Different online learning attributes, such as video conferencing tools, coding platforms, online learning frameworks, digital books, and online videos,…

Reading is a fundamental skill that is critical for later academic success. Despite extensive research on its development, reading remains a challenging skill for students in the U.S. to master: recent data from the National Assessment of Education Progress showed that 65% of fourth-grade students score below the level of "proficient" in…

Student-student interaction can benefit learning as well as provide a sense of community in online courses. Blogging is a common approach to provide opportunities for students to communicate with each other. This study used Social Network Analysis to depict commenting behaviour between students in an online graduate-level course. By examining the…

This study examined the usefulness of a mobile instant messaging (MIM) tool to support teaching and learning. Taking a usefulness theoretical perspective, we examined in detail the utility and usability of using WeChat in a postgraduate-level course. Multiple types of data were collected and analysed, including MIM interaction records,…

This study investigates online graduate student perceptions of program community (i.e., feelings of trust, connection, and affiliation among students, faculty, and staff that develop and exist outside individual courses). Eighty-four graduate students in one certificate and two degree programs completed a researcher-developed survey distributed…

Connected learning is claimed to support children to connect their formal learning with wider social network and media tools in an interest-driven and inquiry-oriented manner. In a formal context there are few successful implementations of connected learning. This study explores how a kindergarten community of 8 adults and 42 children, equipped…

Social network awareness (SNA) has been used extensively as one of the strategies to increase knowledge sharing and collaboration opportunities. However, most SNA studies either focus on being aware of peer's knowledge context or on social context. This work proposes online formative assessments with SNA, trying to address the problems of online…

The changing online learning environment requires that instructors depend less on the standard tools built into most educational learning platforms and turn their focus to use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) and free or low-cost commercial applications. These applications permit new and more efficient ways to build online learning communities…

With the onset of Web 2.0 and 3.0--the social and semantic webs--a next wave for integration of educational technology into the classroom is occurring. The aim of this paper is to show how some teachers are increasingly bringing collaboration and shared meaning-making through technology environments into learning environments (Evergreen Education…

Although social networking sites (SNS) are increasingly popular among students, their academic application is unfolding on trial basis and best practices for integration into mainstream teaching are yet to be fully realised. More importantly, is the need to understand how these sites shape academic relations and participation of heterogeneous…

The purpose of this exploratory mixed methods research study was to understand how the establishment of an online Community of Practice approach supports the completion of homework for third grade students in an urban school. The study focused on issues of my facilitation and development of such an online community as well as the impacts on…

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, as schools first started getting widespread access to the internet, many administrators saw the potential in this new technology, but also huge risks and liabilities. While billions were being spent on hardware and connectivity, the mainstream media was fueling parental fears with stories of online predators…

This study investigated how the use of two virtual platforms for learning--a Facebook group and a learning management system course website--affect students' perceptions of learning and participation. The theoretical basis for the research relied on social-constructivist theory. It was found that Facebook, although not originally created for…

The concept of connected learning proposes that youth leverage individual interest and social media to drive learning with an academic focus. To illustrate, we present in-depth case studies of Ryan and Sam, two middle-school-age youth, to document an out-of-school intervention intended to direct toward intentional learning in STEM that taps…

In an endeavour to find solutions to the country's improving but ailing education system the South African government through some of its departments is attempting to find out if the introduction of technology in the class room has the potential to improve teaching and learning. The paper is based on a pilot study currently underway in Cofimvaba…