Using the methodological framework of conversation analysis (CA) as a central tool for analysis, this study examines a peer interactive task that occurred in a Japanese as a foreign language classroom. During the short segment of interaction, the students shifted back and forth between the development of an assigned task and the management of…

A Delphi method was used to determine the extent to which current educational software was meeting the needs of teachers; as well as what changes needed to occur in educational software to make it more effective. Five overarching themes emerged: (a) instructional design issues, (b) curriculum, (c) materials, (d) cost, and (e) meeting specific…

This article presents an activity that integrates theory and application by examining the multiple communication events affecting a single organization in "real time" over the course of an academic term. The "real-time" case study (RTCS) avails students of the opportunity to examine organizational communication events as they are occurring in…

In this article, we discuss the results of an experiment in which we studied two apparently conflicting classes of design principles for instructional hypervideos: (1) those principles derived from work on multimedia learning that emphasize spatio-temporal contiguity and (2) those originating from work on hypermedia learning that favour…

A multi-stage study of the practices of expert courseware designers was conducted with the final goal of identifying methods for assisting non-experts with the design of effective instructional systems. A total of 25 expert designers were involved in all stages of the inquiry. A model of the expert courseware design process was created, tested,…

The trend towards the use of the Internet in academia is clear with a number of courses using the Web for the delivery of course material. Flexible access to information and resources are key attributes of online educational technologies, and learner choice is at the heart of the concept of flexible access. This incorporates the facility to access…

Learning sciences (LS) and instructional systems design (ISD) are two related fields that have shared interests in the application of technology for advancing human learning. While the two fields may have different values, boundaries, and in some cases methods, they also share significant overlap of content and purpose. We examine the relationship…

Computer and video games are a prevalent form of entertainment in which the purpose of the design is to engage players. Game designers incorporate a number of strategies and tactics for engaging players in "gameplay." These strategies and tactics may provide instructional designers with new methods for engaging learners. This investigation…

Cognitive load theory (CLT) has been successful in identifying instructional formats that are more effective and efficient than conventional problem solving in the initial, novice phase of skill acquisition. However, recent findings regarding the "expertise reversal effect" have begun to stimulate cognitive load theorists to broaden their horizon…

A basic goal of ELT is that students will apply outside the classroom what they have learned in the classroom. This goal is related to transfer of learning. Research on transfer of learning suggests that this phenomenon is not automatic and can be difficult to stimulate. However, instruction can be designed to try to promote transfer of learning.…

Besides learning transmitted content, university students develop learning patterns through pedagogical processes designed into the structure of their courses. Courses shaped within the assumptions of epistemologies and ontologies that only afford narrow learning patterns can eschew learning as valuing processes. However, university courses can be…

Institutions of higher education are faced with the challenge of developing faculty who are ready, willing, and able to teach online. Standard approaches towards faculty development often miss the dynamic and complex relationship between content, pedagogy, and technology. Our approach has faculty members and graduate students participate in a…

This article describes die development of a mandatory library instruction program for developmental education students in the community and technical college setting. Some considerations for orientation development and helpful hints for success are discussed.

The paper focuses on principles for the design of school activities involving the collective reading of multiple texts. We show that the collective reading of multiple texts has been practiced in rare occasions in Western history. Scrutiny of the reasons for the persistence and the decline of this practice in different societies suggests that it…

This paper reports upon a two-year, qualitative, case study action research investigation into "learning within a project team". This project team undertook a significant socio-technical redesign project within a major Australian heavy engineering/manufacturing operation. The paper identifies and elaborates upon a number of elements that…