Purpose: The prevalence of virtual learning environments (VLEs) in higher education is well documented and has been promoted in the UK by government funded projects, but there has been little empirical research on the level of involvement of subject librarians with VLEs. A survey was designed to investigate how VLEs are affecting the work of…

This commentary reviews seven papers that study motivation with new media, contained in this special issue of "Educational Technology Research & Development" edited by Ruth Small. For each paper, this commentary summarizes exemplary contributions, offers an assessment of what is exciting, and suggests directions for future research. Some exciting…

For individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), the use of technology to provide intervention, particularly targeting the core social-communication deficits of the disorder, is promising. This literature review will examine studies that have used innovative technology, such as interactive computer programs and virtual reality, to deliver…

We consider the influence of a CAS context on a learner's process of constructing a justification for the bifurcations in a logistic dynamical process. We describe how instrumentation led to cognitive constructions and how the roles of the learner and the CAS intertwine, especially close to the branching and combining of constructing actions. The…

In this article, the author presents an activity that uses simple paperboard from the back of a pad of paper to illustrate some basic construction principles as students experiment with conducting load tests. The author describes the steps in conducting a load test as well as adding a strut support system. The important lesson here is that…

In certain digital environments, "hot-spots" are key infrastructural pieces that allow the dynamic construction and re-construction of mathematical figures. We shall discuss their existence with respect to what we call user-environment co-actions, describing how they are sustainable bi-directional processes that have the potential to ground and…

This study examined the encoding specificity principle in relation to traditional and computer-based note taking and assessment formats in higher education. Students (N = 79) took lecture notes either by hand (n = 40) or by computer (n = 39) and then completed either a computer or a paper-based assessment. When note taking and assessment formats…

The School of Continuing Teacher Education (SCTE) in South Africa delivers an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) Learner Support Programme to Open Distance Learning (ODL) students in Namibia, a developing sub-Saharan African country. This paper examines the experiences of student-teachers using DVDs included in the tutorial package. Fifteen…

This study investigated the effectiveness of computer animation and geometry instructional model on mathematics achievement and retention on Junior Secondary School Students in Minna, Nigeria. It also examined the influence of gender on students' achievement and retention. The research was a pre-test post-test experimental and control group…

Model of active and collaborative learning (ACLM) applied in training specific subject makes clear advantage due to the goals of knowledge, skills that students got to develop successful future job. The author exploits the learning management system (LMS) of Hanoi National University of Education (HNUE) to establish a learning environment in the…

In the last few years, Kenyan public universities have mounted parallel degree programmes for students who are qualified and are financially able to pay for their university education. Moi University introduced such a programme in 1998. As a result of these developments, there has arisen concern amongst the stakeholders on the quality, efficiency…

Although the use of dynamic software in high school mathematics in the United States has emerged as a research topic, little research has been conducted on how teachers integrate new software in relation to at-home technology networks. Interviews with eight mathematics teachers from four North Carolina counties participating in 1:1 laptop…

Cloudworks (Cloudworks.ac.uk) is a social networking site designed for sharing, finding and discussing learning and teaching ideas and experiences. Design and development of the site has been based on an iterative analysis, development and implementation approach, underpinned by ongoing research and evaluation. To this end, we have been seeking to…

This study examines the availability, accessibility and usability of computer as a form of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by student teachers in secondary schools. 44 out of 51 student teachers of Agriculture responded to the questionnaire. Means and percentages were used to analyze the data to establish the availability,…

Clinical nursing courses can already be challenging, in the traditional context of placements and hours spent in a health care setting. These types of courses are additionally problematic when offered via distance learning, due to geographic separation of students, lack of clinical placement sites in the student's community, and lack of…