Collaborative learning environments provide a set of tools for students acting in groups to interact and accomplish an assigned task. In this kind of systems, students are free to express and communicate with each other, which usually lead to collaboration and communication problems that may require the intervention of a teacher. In this article,…

The application of mobile technologies to learning has the potential to facilitate the active participation of learners in the creation and delivery of content. Mobile technologies can also provide a powerful connection between a variety of formal and informal learning contexts and can help to build a community of learners. However these versatile…

This paper describes and assesses the development of an online solution for the experiential support of distance learning by teachers. Three hundred and forty-eight randomly selected K-12 teachers participated in this pilot study using the online learning environment designed in this research. Teachers' products, surveys, and interviews were…

The purpose of this study was to examine reasons for teacher participation in online communities of K-12 teachers. The authors interviewed 23 teachers from three self-generated online communities and analyzed more than 2,000 postings in those communities. The findings indicated five reasons for participation: (a) sharing emotions, (b) utilizing…

Although many second language learners still study in a traditional, face-to-face classroom, an increasing number of students now participate in virtual classrooms and communicate online. Regardless of the mode of communication, interaction and focus on form can be considered important components of the learning environment. This paper reports on…

In this article we examine how instructors make decisions about task design in telecollaboration and the factors that influence these decisions during the actual implementation of the tasks. We begin with a review of the recent literature of online intercultural exchanges to identify and describe a typology of 12 different types of tasks and task…

A hybrid approach to second-language learning combined face-to-face contact with online tools. Lessons learned included the need for innovative recruitment methods, clear and accessible precourse information, solutions to technical difficulties in public access sites, and high-quality training for tutors. (SK)

Describes and explores the activities of members of a listserv group in their efforts to defend bilingual education in Arizona. Attempts to delineate ways in which such a "virtual" group develops the cohesion it requires to sustain its activities in the absence of direct, face-to-face contact. (Author/VWL)

Discusses an Internet-enhanced faculty learning community, which provides valuable opportunities for enhanced and sustained faculty development activity. (EV)

Examines how users reveal a reflexive projection of the self in Internet "speech," and how Internet communication encourages users to internalize globalization in their self-identity. Also describes the Internet as a global networked community. (AEF)

Argues that humor serves a critical ethos function in online communities created by mailing lists. Connects what humor theorists already recognize as a social dimension in joking to the contemporary interpretation of ethos as a constitutive force. Applies the model to the rhetoric of a university writing center mailing list. (SG)

Describes how electronic resources can support learning in small and medium-sized enterprises by identifying connections among management strategy, technology deployment, and knowledge creation. Examples of emerging practices in the use of electronic resources are used to develop a matrix that matches type of learning (adaptive, collaborative,…

This article aims to extend an earlier review of some of the research into writing therapy and to indicate how it could be applied to online counseling. It also refers to some of the literature on online counseling, which, together with the writing therapy research, informed the decision to offer an online service to staff in a university setting.…

Using dialogue theory based on Bakhtin, Rommetveit, and Lotman, analyzed an asynchronous Web-mediated discussion in a philosophy class. Found that the high degree of interactivity and dialogicality resulted from the quality of the assignment, the role of the teacher, and the symmetry of the participants. Discussion entries combined dialogic and…

Discusses computer-mediated communication technologies and then focuses on computer conferencing in the context of higher education and open learning. Highlights include teaching strategies for use with computer conferencing; conference organization; and descriptions of three available computer-conferencing software packages. (Author/LRW)