The following paper presents two stages of an action research project involving two oral proficiency courses held in the virtual world Second Life. Course 1 was conducted during the Autumn of 2007. Based on the experiences of this course, we redesigned many aspects of it in order to improve student activity in terms of oral participation and gave…

Anecdotal accounts from teachers have long suggested the possibility that virtual teaching experiences have a positive impact on face-to-face teaching practices, a so-called "reverse impact" phenomenon. Survey and focus group data collected as part of a statewide evaluation of a virtual school offered an opportunity to explore this impact.…

This study investigates the effects of using both specific labels and diagrammatic arrows in the animation of salt dissolution. Four different versions of the animation served as treatments that were developed based upon principles of educational technology and cognitive psychology. The researchers studied the effects of spatial ability (high or…

New developments in information and communication technologies (ICT) to support learning have brought about increasing interest by both academic and non-academic institutions in e-learning. These developments in ICT are principally multimedia and the Internet with its World Wide Web. Interest in ICT supported learning is also fuelled by the…

The most pressing need in early childhood mathematics education in the United States is to improve early childhood teacher preparation. A Web-based video system, "Video Interactions for Teaching and Learning (VITAL)", is a novel and effective approach for teacher preparation integrated into early childhood mathematics education courses. With…

The number of games, simulations, and multi-user virtual environments designed to promote learning, engagement with subject matter, or intended to contextualize learning has been steadily increasing over the past decade. While the use of these digital designs in educational settings has begun to show promise for improving learning, motivation, and…

The implementation of both blended learning and web-based programs is becoming more prevalent within higher education in Canada. Thus, there is increasing reliance upon e-learning tools to support student learning in a variety of teaching environments. Typically, budgetary and programmatic decisions regarding the investment of e-learning resources…

Theory of distributed cognition unveils the answer to what constitute distributed cognition. However, how the distributed cognition in web-based learning environment spreads out still remains a black box. This study sought to deepen our understanding on how learners' knowledge disseminates online by examining the impacts of three kinds of…

The purpose of this study was to review the asynchronous and synchronous tools of the Web assisted foreign language instruction. This study was conducted on the base of literature survey, so the findings was interpreted and evaluated for the purpose of the study. In the study, firstly, we were preferred to give a brief description of the each Web…

Describes a study that explored best practices for community building in university Web-based learning environments. Explains use of embedded case study design and discusses results that indicated that incorporating community-building strategies during course design, and encouraging interactions between participants during the course, can…

Describes an Internet-based simulation used in a course about business strategy in an emerging economy. The simulation, when coupled with today's dominant strategy paradigm, the Resource Based View, appears to yield a course design that attracts students while emphasizing the actual substance which is crucial in such a course. (EV)

Suggests that classroom learning ("c-learning") is not going to go away, despite the rise of instructional technologies and that a combination of classroom and web-based training may be the ideal. (JOW)

Factors driving the trend toward customer-focused electronic learning (CFEL) include the increased sophistication of products and services, the need to reduce the customer training burden, and the need to bolster revenues. CFEL can shift training from a support role to a marketing tool and a profit center. (JOW)

Investigates undergraduate student preference for overt vs. covert responding in a Web-based tutorial using a within-subject design. Explains covert question format, which requires passive thinking, and overt format, which requires active responding; and discusses results which show a preference for the overt format. (Author/LRW)

Teachers' clear perceptions of technology use and competence in planning and implementation affect their attitudes towards using technology in general and in the classroom in particular (Almekhlafi, 1999). However, the number of research studies to inform implementation of Web-based instruction (WBI) has been low and the interest in student…