When the subject of scientific analysis is learning, the research needs to be anchored in various nonmonolithic pillars. Several disciplines require a common ground of convergence. An objective observer of the domain can easily conclude that semantic e-learning brings together the three different worlds of learners, pedagogues and technologists.…

Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) methodologies are becoming an important part of University teaching but faculty members have tended to shy away from using them. So, how can they be enticed to use them effectively? What approaches can be used? The purpose of the Xanadu project was to analyse the problems involved and to propose a model for…

We liked our training model. We were bringing in teachers during their contract time for a full day of technology staff development. We offered, through one of two training labs at our District Educational Technology Center (ETC), more than 30 different courses on skill development or how to implement technology into instructional practices. Our…

A five-month research study at Cornell University Library (CUL) confirmed the strategic importance of a library presence in faculty-created course Web sites. It sparked specific recommendations to support the seamless integration of the CUL digital library within the virtual learning environments created by faculty.

The interplay among and connections between objects (structured or unstructured), images, language and symbols that lead to mathematical reasoning and the stating of mathematical propositions of very wide generality is well worth closer study. I believe that the subtle distinction between the way mathematical ideas are constructed from objects and…

During the past decade, design-based research has demonstrated its potential as a methodology suitable to both research and design of technology-enhanced learning environments (TELEs). In this paper, we define and identify characteristics of design-based research, describe the importance of design-based research for the development of TELEs,…

Faculty members in American higher education are quick to label themselves "the best ever." And in many ways, their achievements to date are just that: consider the community college movement, the research power in their land-grant and major private institutions, and the continuing commitment to access and quality that they all support.…

This paper explores reasons why the use of technology in education may be so attractive to so many people. Two emerging perspectives--memetics, and the social history of technology--are explored, and a typology of technology-as-cultural-tool is presented. Finally, implications of these ideas for educational change are considered.

This study was developed to examine a university's preservice teachers' initial self-assessments of their use of instructional technology and perceived growth at the conclusion of an introductory course. Study results suggest students are confident in their abilities to use educational technologies and are reaching new stages in technology…

Few teachers are evaluated on their ability to use technology in the classroom despite conclusive evidence that its effective use has a positive impact on student achievement and that large amounts of resources are dedicated to placing technology in schools. Teacher evaluations in 220 school districts were reviewed for this study. Only one-fifth…

Innovation of education is highly topical. It is obviously boosted by a range of new technologies, which enable new modes of learning that, are independent of time and place through Web-based delivery and computer-mediated communication. However, innovators in education often encounter intrinsic conservatism or even deliberate obstructions. For…

Recently, much e-learning research has been devoted to producing e-content, describing it with metadata, and to constructing e-learning systems. Considerably less attention has been paid to integrating technology to improve the learning process in terms of depth and scope. In this paper, that gap is filled by considering learning support from a…

In this paper the authors describe the outline of an analysis of disruptive technologies presented by Christensen in his book, "The Innovator's Dilemma." They go on to argue that the analysis can be applied to the practice of e-learning as it has been developed in higher education in the United Kingdom, and possibly elsewhere. They…

Fads are common in every area of education. The problem with fads is that even promising developments are quickly abandoned to make room for the next innovation. Educational innovations become fads partly because they are without a firm foundation in theories of learning, or because that foundation is not fully identified and communicated. There…

Educators often reject cell phones in the classroom, considering them destructive and distractive "toys." As a former technology coordinator, the author used to think cell phones were harmful for the classroom environment. Over time, she has come to realize that cell phones are part of the students' everyday existence. Today, students use cell…