Online learning is impacting current university practices and policies and quickly changing the fabric of higher education (Rowley, Lujan, & Dolence, 1998). Effective assessment techniques can improve an instructor's understanding of student needs and provide a learner-centered classroom. Understanding and evaluating student learning becomes…

In the simplest of terms, the Internet is a tool for communication from one computer to another (Gray & Cao, 2000; Saha, 1998). When thought of as a tool, the usefulness of this network of networks becomes apparent. It allows quick, economical communication of information to individuals and large groups of people connected to the internet. It also…

The R2D2 method--read, reflect, display, and do--is a new model for designing and delivering distance education, and in particular, online learning. Such a model is especially important to address the diverse preferences of online learners of varied generations and varied Internet familiarity. Four quadrants can be utilized separately or as part…

This study explores the perceptions of Finnish 15-year-olds on the advantages and disadvantages of the Internet. The data, students' written responses (N = 3112), were gathered in the context of the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in the spring of 2000 as a national option. The data were analysed by close reading and…

The goal of this study was to gain insights into the interactions that occur in online communications in a project-based learning activity implemented in an undergraduate course. A multi-case study was conducted of six collaborative groups, focusing on the types and frequencies of interactions that occurred within each group and the perceptions…

Blogs are currently receiving a great deal of attention in the popular media. In some cases blogs are being called "the next killer application," and "a replacement for email." While a portion of this attention is warranted, in the end a blog is simply a website. But blogs may also represent an empowering technology ? a step toward "leveling the…

More and more colleges and universities are utilizing web-based instruction to meet the educational needs of teachers seeking certification in special education, and effective course design strategies for using this technology are needed. In this article we present results form a survey of 54 teachers who evaluated 6 design considerations for…

In an era of digital technologies, school districts find themselves on a cutting edge, one that slices both ways. Technological tools like the Internet, e-mail, networked computers and such have revolutionized the way children are taught and schools are run, but they also have created new management challenges and ethical issues that many school…

One English-as-a-Second-language teacher talks about the email messages she receives from her students, often filled with symbols and spelling and punctuation errors. Examines why such high-level, hardworking students write this way. (Author/VWL)

In this article we describe the evolving structure of the Inquiry Learning Forum (ILF), a sociotechnical interaction network (STIN) designed to support a Web-based community of in-service and preservice mathematics and science teachers sharing, improving, and creating inquiry-based pedagogical practices. Specifically, we apply activity theory as…

This qualitative study explored the meanings of chat room conversations through observations of teenagers using the Internet. Adolescent girls were a focus because of their shaky sense of self. Participants in ten chat rooms included 534 individuals. Six themes, emerging from analyzing 2526 utterances [descriptive statements], included (a)…

In the context of a class is of pre-service, undergraduate educational technology, primary and secondary majors, the author explores feminist theories and post-structuralist theories regarding gender dichotomies to better comprehend how young women have internalized cultural biases informing them that computers are masculine artifacts. The issues…

Cyberspace has been regarded as an ideal site for adolescents' identity exploration since it is socially mediated. Liberal cyberfeminists argue that virtual spaces promote gender equality, fluidity, and unity through body-free interactions. This study investigated the cybersites frequented by two adolescent girls who eschewed typical…

This study focuses on the prerequisites for successful communication and collaborative learning in a large multinational company as perceived by human resource development (HRD) practitioners who took part in a cross-cultural e-learning course. The participants were Finnish and Chinese employees (n=17) who used an asynchronous web-based tool to…

The benefits of an e-learning system will not be maximized unless learners use the system. This study proposed and tested alternative models that seek to explain student intention to use an e-learning system when the system is used as a supplementary learning tool within a traditional class or a stand-alone distance education method. The models…