Due to the recent developments in technology, distance learning and education questions regarding the best teaching methods for the virtual classroom have emerged. Thus, it becomes increasingly necessary to examine how these methods translate into the virtual classroom. This qualitative case study examined how instructors of online courses…

Peer assessment (PA) provides opportunities for authentic assessment, autonomy and collaboration. Several authors advocate that students can benefit from PA and put forward the effects of PA on the students' learning outcomes. Questions concerning the validity and reliability of PA and PA competences are also addressed by different researchers.…

In this case study, an online community was designed at a secondary school in China for the teachers to prepare their lessons collectively, reflect on their teaching practices, collect comments from peers, and share resources. A survey was administered to the teachers to investigate their perceptions on the online community for their professional…

A path model was used to test the unique and interactive effects of cognitive and motivational variables when learning in a supportive online learning system, Collaborative Inquiry System (CIS). In this student-centered learning environment, students interact with computer simulations and are assisted by online scaffolds intended to help them…

Project-based learning is one of the main successful student-centered pedagogies broadly used in computing science courses. However, this approach can be insufficient when dealing with practical subjects that implicitly require many deliverables and a great deal of feedback and organizational resources. In this paper, a worked e-portfolio is…

It is perhaps unfortunate that enabling technologies do not come with an "ability warning", as they generally require the user to already have acquired a certain level of IT skills, in a similar way that online courses require users to have a certain level of prior IT knowledge. Accessing a computer and making the most of e-learning…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personality type and preference for instructional methodologies (lecture, online and simulation). The sample consisted of 94 practicing gerontology nurses (RNs and LPNs) who attended a continuing education workshop on the care of the acutely ill elder at a public university in the…

The use of technology and online learning in social work education has increased in recent years. These innovations are having an impact on traditional education as they become integrated into face-to-face classes. The result has been a rising convergence between online and traditional education and the emergence of a new educational paradigm that…

Student engagement is crucial to the success of e-learning but is often difficult to achieve in practice. One significant factor is the quality of the learning content; also important, however, is the suitability of the process through which that material is studied. In recent years much research has been devoted to improving e-learning content…

The educational equivalent of the reality show is the reflective assignment, often associated with the linked contents of a teaching "portfolio." This form of assessment is now increasingly common in higher education and examples can be found in subjects such as nursing or teacher education. Students are asked to reflect on their workplace…

Principles of universal design become increasingly important as librarians add information literacy courses and other instructional modules. Issues of access in higher education may be reframed as issues of the design of the inclusive classroom environment. This allows for the spectrum of multiple intelligences and learning modalities to be…

With the rapid growth of online programs and courses at Fort Hays State University (FHSU), the university has faced the challenge of supporting faculty members as they transition to online teaching. Hong Wang, Lawrence V. Gould, and Dennis King share the comprehensive approach the university has developed, an approach that depends on effective…

The purpose of the study reported on in this paper was to identify performance criteria and ratings in rubrics designed for the evaluation of learning in online asynchronous discussions (OADs) in post-secondary contexts. We analysed rubrics collected from Internet sources. Using purposive sampling, we reached saturation with the selection of 50…

Designing specifications for technically advanced instructional products, such as e-learning, simulations or simulators requires different kinds of expertise. The SLIM method proposes to involve all stakeholders from the beginning in a series of workshops under the guidance of experienced instructional designers. These instructional designers…

Online learning is creating new opportunities for thousands of students across the globe. Educators who embrace these reforms see this trend as a way to strengthen schools and meet students' individual needs. In this article, the authors describe how educators at Florida Virtual School embrace this learning environment to provide students with a…