This study examined the effects of conversational language (e.g., asking questions, inviting replies, acknowledgments, referencing others by name, closing signatures, "I agree, but", greetings, etc.) on the frequency and types of responses posted in reply to given types of messages (e.g., argument, evidence, critique, explanation), and…

Online discussion plays a unique role in face-to-face and distance teaching and learning. Interaction and student cognitive engagement during the online discussion are critical for constructing new understanding and knowledge. This article analyzes types of interaction that occur during online discussions, examines levels of student cognitive…

Following an integrative model that shows the complex connections of recruitment, retention, and placement, this first paper in a three-part series explores the challenging endeavor of attracting students to undertake geography as their undergraduate major. Survey data of incoming students are indispensable in constructing successful recruitment…

With increasing demands for online courses in all levels of higher education, a community college English instructor implements alternative methods of communication to ensure course rigor and integrity as she meets her objectives of enhanced student learning and success.

The online IPJ (Interactive Portfolio Journal), open to the individual student and the teacher but not to the whole class, allows online discussion to draw from both public and private voices, and productively uses the traditional focus on collective critical exchange in tandem with private reflection. (Contains 2 figures and 1 note.)

Multimedia, as the term suggests, consists of multi-mediums such as photographs, sounds, and movies. A variety of digital production tools enable teachers, students, artists, and others to combine the elements in dynamic ways to inform, express, and teach. In this media-rich culture, people have taken digital tools for granted and they probably…

It is estimated that by 2010 there will be 20 million full- and part-time telecommuters working in the United States. The purpose of this article is to assist employment counselors in their work with organizations in implementing e-worker programs as well as in their counseling of e-workers. The authors define e-worker, summarize the growth of…

According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project (2002), "The Internet Goes to College", all college students began using a computer between the ages of 16-18 and 85% of those college students owned their own computer and had gone online. The Internet had become "a staple of college students' educational experience…a…

Built on the foundation of four years of research and implementation of mobile learning projects (m-learning), this paper provides an overview of the potential of the integration of mobile Web 2.0 tools (based around smartphones) to facilitate social constructivist pedagogies and engage students in tertiary education. Pedagogical affordances of…

Monitoring the learning process in computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments is a key element for supporting the efficacy of tutor actions. This article proposes an approach for analysing learning processes in a CSCL environment to support tutors in their monitoring tasks. The approach entails tracking the interactions within…

The inclusion of students with disabilities at the university is a relatively new occurrence in the field of special education. Although legislation in the United States has supported the acceptance of students with disabilities at the post-secondary level, it has only provided minimal support with the emphasis on the learner rather than the…

This case study involved 429 distance education diploma students at the University of Botswana. The aim of the study was to find out whether these students had access to MP3 players and other technologies essential in distance learning. Findings show that, contrary to expectations, learners did not have access to MP3 digital audio devices.…

Virtual environments are able to extend the space of interaction beyond the classroom. In order to analyze how distributed cognition functions in such an extended space, we suggest focusing on the architecture of intersubjectivity. The Euroland project--a virtual land created and populated by seven classrooms supported by a team of…

The authors report on a project in which a new experiential form of professional learning combined ethical thinking processes with a collaborative meeting technology known as the Zing team learning system (ZTLS). A new software program called "Working Wisely" was built by the completion of the project. The ZTLS in combination with…

This article describes the development and assessment of a graduate level online art therapy class. An introduction briefly defines art therapy and the need for distance learning in this field. The challenges inherent in teaching art therapy online, including working with art media and developing appropriate interpersonal skills and group…