This article describes the research design of, and reports selected findings from, a scoping study aimed at examining current and planned applications of 3D immersive virtual worlds at higher education institutions across Australia and New Zealand. The scoping study is the first of its kind in the region, intended to parallel and complement a…

In this paper we report on a study of a short-term mathematics program for grade 7-8 gifted students that integrated open-ended mathematics tasks with the arts (poetry and drama) and with technology. The program was offered partially online and partially in a classroom setting. The study sought to investigate (a) students' perceptions of their…

This article investigates the relationships between social presence, cognitive absorption, interest, and student satisfaction in online learning. A hypothesized structural equation model was developed to study these critical variables that may influence interaction in online learning environments. Contrary to expectations, the study determined…

The emergence of increasingly sophisticated communication technologies and the media-rich extensions of the World Wide Web have prompted universities to use alternatives to the traditional classroom teaching and learning methods. This demand for alternative delivery methods has led to the development of a wide range of eLearning techniques.…

This article discusses activities carried out in the virtual world of Second Life (SL) as part of a compulsory class in the first year of an undergraduate programme. The paper identifies the contribution of SL to the students' learning environment and an Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) approach to programme design. The reasons for taking an IBL…

At the University of Toronto at Scarborough, we provide enhanced flexibility to our students using a blended-learning approach (i.e., the webOption) whereby students can attend lectures live, watch them online at their convenience, or both. The current research examines the use of pause and seeks features afforded by the webOption interface and…

This study focuses on a project, "EMPATHY Net-Works," which developed a learning community as a means of encouraging women to progress into employment and management positions in the logistics and supply chain industries (LaSCI). Learning activities were organised in the form of a taught module containing face-to-face and online elements and…

The purpose this article is to describe an institutional initiative created to support faculty engaged in blended course redesign. This Inquiry Through Blended Learning (ITBL) program adapted Garrison, Anderson, and Archer's (2000) Community of Inquiry framework in order to provide faculty participants with a guided inquiry process for discussing…

Do students learn as well online as in traditional classrooms? As higher education institutions and K-12 districts, business, and nonprofit organizations increasingly look to online course delivery, this is a very critical question. Although raised frequently by college faculty members, school teachers, administrators, and corporate trainers,…

Between March 2007 and February 2009, the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) funded a Learners Journeys project at the University of Hertfordshire. This was part of their second phase of investment in research into the Learners' Experiences through their E-Learning Programme and was known as LXP2. STROLL (STudent Reflections On Lifelong…

Learning Management Systems (LMS) can be used to deliver learning designs that meet students' learning needs. There is a raft of teaching and learning tools that can be enabled in LMS to engage and support learners. The design and ongoing management of these environments rest largely on the knowledge and skills of academic staff. While increasing…

Given the increasingly interactive, dynamic, and cost-effective online learning platforms that are available, as well as studies that demonstrate the efficacy of online and blended learning, museums should consider how these new formats may complement their existing educational programs. Besides offering new possibilities for education, online…

Today, we are in an information age and the goal of education is to help teachers incorporate technology into the education curriculum. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of students' participation in a blended first-class online programme for 40 practicing teachers and administrators in one of the colleges of the University of…

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) has shown increased popularity recently and there are many studies showing promise for this approach for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, there are no between-subject studies to date assessing the efficacy of CAI with this population. In this study, 47 preschool and K-1 students in ASD…

Problem-based learning (PBL) curricula utilise authentic problems that are based in the real-world of practice. This very characteristic enables students to develop an intimate knowledge about the intricacies of practice, metaphorically, seeing the details of the forest floor. However, it is equally important for students to develop an overall…