The organisation of students into groups (or communities) for learning purposes is an established pedagogic method in higher education. Teachers are now using group methods in networked e-learning contexts, albeit without a full understanding of the dynamics of group work in these settings. This is a new and evolving arena in higher education. In…

This article describes and outlines the implications of a one-year case study of students' use of the computer conferencing facility of a postgraduate module for special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) at a distance-learning institution. This facility incorporates a virtual space for a guest expert. The aim of the study was to inform…

This article considers the extent and nature of student participation in a trade bargaining simulation from a community of practice perspective. This third-year economics module included a blend of online communication (through email, online chats and online discussions) and face-to-face meetings, both in smaller bargaining groups and in whole…

Residential universities are increasingly integrating online interaction within courses in the form of synchronous online chats, asynchronous online discussions and access to interactive resources. This article evaluates the educational effectiveness of online chats within a Humanities postgraduate course and a final year Commerce course. We…

This article represents the second part of a two part article. It begins with a summary of part one of the article published in the September issue of "T.H.E. Journal." This second part of the discussion presents vignettes that demonstrate how many current approaches to teacher preparation, new teacher induction and continuing professional…

This paper is about the learning that happens in the synchronous text chat forum of on online group of English Language learners and tutors. It is a socioculturally oriented case study of an informal virtual community called "Webheads", who meet online in various places on the internet. Although dedicated to English Language learning, much other…

More units of study are being offered flexibly, using distance education and online facilities, as a consequence of recent educational developments in higher education, with learner expectations of being able to study when they like and where they like, as well as increasing class enrolments and more students studying remotely or part-time.…

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of adolescent use of instant messaging. Grounded in the New Literacy Studies stance that literacy is a social practice embedded in local contexts and informed by global ideologies (Street, 1995), I argue that participation in digital literacies such as instant messaging has implications for…

When a computer-based tool or application is used to carry out a specific task in a learning situation--that is, it is used for learning--more effectively or efficiently one speaks of learning "with" the tool or application. When, possibly, that same tool or application is used to enhance the way a learner works and thinks, and as such has effects…

With the continued explosive growth of personalized websites, more and more public school administrators can expect to face situations in which inappropriate materials have been posted by a teacher, staff member or student. While failing to recognize employees' rights of free speech can result in legal liability, administrators also must be…

Epistemic dialogues, involving explanation and argumentation, have been recognized as potential vehicles for conceptual understanding. Although the role of dialogue in learning has received much attention, the problem of creating situations in which students engage in epistemic dialogue has only begun to be addressed. This article highlights the…

This study investigates the effect of CMC participation on language learners' willingness to learn more about the target culture through study abroad. Also, it seeks to discern whether CMC activities improve language learners' self-perception that they have learned more about the target culture. An experimental group of 23 U.S. university students…

The authors review the trends in the use of computers in the delivery and support of career guidance and counseling identified at the symposium "International Perspectives on Career Development." The papers presented emphasized that 20th-century computer-based systems continue to be used, mainly delivered via the World Wide Web. These systems are…

The College of Education (COE) at the University of Hawai'i--Manoa provides a teacher preparation to the vast majority of teachers in Hawai'i. The COE has offered teacher preparation to Hawai'i's neighboring islands in the past, however, the frequency of offerings was severely constrained by geographical distance and traditional delivery methods.…

This paper reports the results of a study comparing the interactional dynamics of face-to-face and on-line peer-tutoring in writing by university students in Hong Kong. Transcripts of face-to-face tutoring sessions, as well as logs of on-line sessions conducted by the same peer-tutors, were coded for speech functions using a system based on…