As computer-mediated communication (CMC) is becoming more mainstream in higher education (HE), the issue of social interaction online and its impact on learning has been raised. CMC theorists have argued that shared group identity produces the online social presence necessary for successful interaction but that other identities may be inhibiting.…

In recent years, the emergence of non-traditional educational experiences such as online learning and certification, combined with the growth of the life-long learning market, has presented a new set of challenges for the higher education community. Increasingly, the U.S. economy is technology driven, and the need for trained personnel to support…

Online education holds great potential for rural states like South Dakota, which has been recognized for advances in distance education. To maximize the potential of online learning, design elements that students believe are needed for successful online learning experiences must be identified. In this study, we present the qualitative and…

Multivariate statistical analyses were used to determine if there were differences in social community, learning community, and perceived learning between male and female students in 12 online graduate education courses in which female students (n = 162) outnumbered males (n = 31). Study results provided evidence that females felt more connected…

A structure for online discussion within a framework for deep learning provides three strategies for dynamic online discussion; flexible peer, structured topic, and collaborative task discussion. This article examines the discussion structure and the three separate roles demonstrated by the instructor in the promotion of deep learning through the…

Though the concept of online community has been heralded as a promising tool to support teacher professional development, a robust and meaningful definition remains elusive. This review draws together research on community, teaching, and learning in traditional and online settings. Examples of current efforts in the field of online learning…

This paper describes some of the pedagogical and technical issues involved in adopting a hybrid approach to CALL materials development. It illustrates some of these issues with reference to a vocational CALL project, LANCAM, which took such a hybrid approach. It describes some of the benefits and considerations involved in hybrid development and…

Educational Adaptive Hypermedia Applications (EAHA) provide personalized views on the learning content to individual learners. They also offer adaptive sequencing (navigation) over the learning content based on rules that stem from the user model requirements and the instructional strategies. EAHA are gaining the focus of the research community as…

Central Queensland University (CQU) is a highly complex institution, combining campuses in Central Queensland and distance education programs for Australian domestic students with Australian metropolitan sites for international students and a number of overseas centres, also for international students. In common with many other universities, CQU…

Perceptions related to "educational technology" have been continuously changing throughout the century. At this point, educational technology seems to be a confusing or an incomprehensible concept for most people. Perceptions of professional educational technologists in the relevant field can provide individuals who build their career in…

This paper addresses the need for quality e-Learning experiences. We used the Demand-Driven Learning Model (MacDonald, Stodel, Farres, Breithaupt, and Gabriel, 2001) to evaluate an online Masters in Education course. Multiple data collection methods were used to understand the experiences of stakeholders in this case study: the learners, design…

Distance education online in gerontology in academic settings is designed to reflect content relevant to gerontology practices, academic standards, teaching strategies, and technology that embrace content delivery while enhancing learning. A balance with community services and needs for older adult populations, academic integrity, stakeholders,…

The use of information technology in higher education has increased significantly over the years. There is a paucity of controlled research which examines differences in electronic learning (EL) and face to face (F2F) learning. This study examined student (n = 1401) performance (final grade) in nine units offered in both F2F and EL mode over the…

In the K-12 education sector, learning objects are seen as important in providing quality resources for teachers and learners but there has been little formal research on the assessment of learning objects based on the qualities that would be important for K-12 teachers. In this paper we describe the developments in the K-12 sector, the arguments…

An e-Learning team within an insurance corporation established a research partnership with three researchers to inform the renewal and innovation of their e-Learning solution. The research focused on management's perceptions on the future of e-Learning, learners' perceptions of their use of the e-Learning system, and administrators' perceptions of…