As visual connectivity improves, an opportunity to enrich and rethink the place of learning design in online and distance education is presenting itself. The opportunity is derived from the increasing scope for personalised synchronous interaction which has been missing in computer mediated communications (CMC) and previous generations of distance…

Having completed graduate degrees in educational research and counseling, I have studied the theory of focus groups and participated in many while in a classroom setting. Interestingly, I had never moderated one until my first attempt in a text-based online environment. This paper describes my preparation for the session as well as the issues I…

In this article the authors make a case for videoconferencing as a way to diversify middle and secondary classrooms. Through a description of the setup of a videoconference between American pre-service teachers and Moroccan undergraduates, the authors attempt to demystify the use of videoconferencing in middle and secondary education. The authors…

The aim of this study is to investigate the messenger usage of students in the technology departments of the Near East University (Cyprus), and also to learn which messenger service the participants prefer. The volunteer participants in this study consisted of 150 undergraduate students attending the technology departments of the Near East…

It's the end of an era in alumni relations. For many alumni associations, events and programs continue to have declining attendance and participation while the costs of offering them continue to increase. Social networking sites, YouTube, podcasts, and other Web 2.0 tools offer new ways to communicate with alumni, not to mention new ways for…

Users have adopted a wide range of digital technologies into their communication repertoire. It remains unclear why they adopt multiple forms of communication instead of substituting one medium for another. It also raises the question: What type of need does each of these media fulfill? In the present article, the authors conduct comparative work…

This article addresses how different types of, and differences in, power affect the micro-processes of face-to-face interaction as they contribute to the dynamic co-construction of identity of the interactants. The specific focus will be on linguistic and national identity when a French L1 speaker who is bilingual in American English and lives in…

In a November 7, 2007, "New York Times" article "New Class (room) War: Teacher vs. Technology," author Michael Bugeja noted that "the baby boomers seem to see technology as information and communication. Their offspring and the emerging generation seem to see the same devices as entertainment and socializing." This became abundantly clear to Nueva…

Research indicates learners studying at a distance can experience perceptions of isolation and lack of "belonging" and support, which can adversely affect their learning experience and performance. Recently, the advent of affordable, accessible and reliable high-speed broadband has meant that a whole new array of digital tools to support…

The purpose of the study was to compare the influences of a training programme's instructional delivery method (synchronous and asynchronous) on Greek in-service physical educators' cognitive understanding on student assessment. Forty nine participants were randomly divided into synchronous, asynchronous, and control group. The experimental groups…

With the advent of and continual adaptations related to distance learning, there is a recognized need for up to date research in the area of effectiveness of online education programs. More specifically, assessing the capacity to attain academic goals by use of asynchronous and synchronous learning management systems (LMS) that power distance…

The evidence is overwhelming; affective factors, in particular anxiety, do affect students who are learning a second or foreign language. Foreign language anxiety can affect students' achievement and desire to continue their studies. Instructors want their students to succeed and want them to continue. Therefore, finding ways to reduce this…

Learners enjoy the convenience of being able to take online courses, yet many reports missing the face-to-face contact with their peers. This researcher has sought to tap into the vision of Ferratt & Hall (2009) whereby educators and technology designers are encouraged to extend the vision of online learning to "virtually being there and…

Reduced corporate training budgets require cost efficiencies in professional development. Distance learning, with its lower intrinsic costs, will likely become more prevalent. Therefore, the educational experience will change for many professionals. The objective of this study was to examine the perceptions of adult learners attending a drug…

Telephone conference presentation delivery was compared to face-to-face classroom delivery in an undergraduate business course setting to assess whether concern over presenting in front of the class and/or gender impacted presentation mode preference. After completing a classroom exercise, students (n = 102) were surveyed and asked to compare…