This project, funded by the Centre for Distance Education, University of London (2008-2010), investigated both student and staff perspectives on e-learning tasks. This allowed a critical comparison of the pedagogic intentions of staff (how staff intend to teach/facilitate learning), and the rationale behind these, with student experiences. The…

In this dissertation, I explore the idea of designing "flexible game systems". A flexible game system allows players (not software designers) to decide on what rules to enforce, who enforces them, and when. I explore this in the context of digital card games and introduce two design strategies for promoting flexibility. The first…

The description of the self-defined expert instructional technologist is unclear. Technologists in the field are identified in various ways. To determine the characteristics and competencies of self-defined expert instructional technologists, an interpretive field study consisting of interviews was conducted. The results revealed three core…

This paper details a proposed doctoral student connections program that is based on sociocultural theory. It is designed to assist new students with starting their educational journey. This program is designed to leverage social interactions, peer mentorship, personal reflection, purposeful planning, and existing resources to assist students in…

Online course design is an emerging practice in higher education, yet few theoretical models currently exist to explain or predict how the diffusion of innovations occurs in this space. This study used a descriptive, quantitative survey research design to examine theoretical relationships between decision-making style and resistance to change…

This chapter features Indiana University's Instructional Systems Technology (IST) department. It highlights current theory and research that form the basis of improving learning and performance in diverse contexts. The contributions of professors Boling, Bonk, Brush, Cho, Frick, Glazewski, Haynes, and Reigeluth underscore IST's past, present, and…

Purpose: The field of socially just educational leadership focuses on reducing inequities within schools. The purpose of this article is to illustrate how one strand of social learning theory, communities of practice, can serve as a powerful tool for analyzing learning within a school ostensibly pursuing social justice. The author employs a core…

This qualitative case study examined the experiences of instructional designers and professors during the online course development process. The purpose of this study was to determine if their experiences had an effect on the process itself. Data analysis revealed five emergent themes: communication, commitment to quality online courses,…

In the "Implementing Effective Learning Designs" project a framework and design guidelines were created to provide a comprehensive scaffold to assist academics in the development of inspiring learning design examples and supportive activities. Learning design templates were developed that can be used by academic staff to tailor exemplary…

Instructional design is an integral part of a balanced approach to teaching vocabulary instruction. This article presents several instructional procedures using research-based vocabulary strategies and explains how to design and adapt those strategies in order to reach desired learning outcomes. Emphasis is placed on research-based principles that…

Online education has emerged as an effective and increasingly common alternative to face-to-face instruction in postsecondary education. This article is a summary of effective practices in online instructional methods, including course design, interaction among course participants, and instructor preparation and support.

One has heard a great deal in recent years about designing self-sustaining communities, organizations that can subsist independently on what they make. Planning for this kind of community is challenging--today most people take for granted having essential services like water, sewage, communications, natural gas, and electricity delivered right to…

This article argues for a "D-A-CH" approach, which stands for Germany (D), Austria (A), and Switzerland (CH), in language classes from the introductory level on. I begin by tracing the emergence and development of distinct Standard Swiss and Austrian German varieties. I then discuss marketing efforts for Swiss and Austrian German, and…

I begin by introducing Virtual Design Apprenticeship (VDA), a learning model--built on a solid foundation of education principles and theories--that promotes learning of design skills via overlay design tools. In VDA, when an individual needs to learn a new design skill or paradigm she is provided accessible, concrete examples that have been…

This study explored how designers "perceived" and "used" narrative during the creation of an educational video game. A qualitative, ethnographic, single case study approach was used to collect and analyze data pertaining to the narrative design trajectory of the game design team as well as Citizen Science, the game artifact…