This study investigated student perceptions of using instant messaging software for online interactive chapter discussions in a graduate teacher educational technology course. The criterion instrument was a 47-item scale that measured Chickering and Gamson's (1987) first four principles for good practice in undergraduate education, yielding…

This article describes the practical application of social learning theory to build and sustain community in an asynchronous online learning environment. It presents ways that community-building can occur in a graduate online education program through the shared meaning-making processes occurring among students within and across interdisciplinary…

This article reports research from an ISTE SigTEL award-winning university-secondary school partnership, the Web Pen Pals project, which pairs preservice English teachers in online chat rooms with local middle school students to talk about young adult literature. One goal of teacher preparation programs is to encourage beginning teachers to use…

An instructional team at a public university redesigned a large "core" course in special education required of all undergraduates in a teacher education program. The new design, which blended online instruction with face-to-face meetings, operationalized key principles from Adult Learning theories and Universal Design for Instruction. Students'…

This descriptive study investigated the benefits and costs of using electronic portfolios (EPs) in preservice teacher education. Grounded within change theory, the study examined the perspectives of faculty in six programs in which EPs have been used on a large scale for two or more years. Benefits identified include increased opportunities for…

This research examines the use of technology to create a relationship between student teachers and preservice teachers as they navigate the union of practice and theory within the two contexts of a teacher education course and student teaching practicum. Technology was used to create a safe haven where students could explore their respective…

The authors reflect on the evolving role of technology in the field of social studies and compare the tumultuous adolescence of technology integration with future trends in teaching and learning. The discourse contrasts the past developments with ongoing innovation and efforts to promote the diffusion of emerging applications in the social…

This descriptive study addressed the role of virtual learning environments in fostering reflective thought among preservice teachers through dialogic interaction. Preservice teachers tend to view teaching as a formulaic application of theory and strategies. When challenged with making decisions in novel settings, they are often unable to apply…

Current evidence indicates that the blended course delivery method can reduce costs, improve student academic performance, and improve instructor success in meeting course learning objectives when compared to face-to-face instruction. The present examination of best practices employed the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) (2000) quality…

The ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Standards have put technology integration "on the map" for teacher educators, creating a useful reference point for guiding new teachers toward appropriate technology uses. The authors reflect on their work at a progressive teacher education college, assessing the strengths and…