This article investigates the phenomenon of open and participative development (e.g. beta testing, Kickstarter projects)--i.e. extended prototyping--in digital entertainment as a potential source of insights for instructional interventions. Despite the increasing popularity of this practice and the potential implications for educators and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cultural differences, i.e. different contexts and backgrounds, on instructional designers' perspectives of quality in online environments. Using a questionnaire developed based on the Quality Matters rubric, we found designers in Canada focus slightly more on Learner Support strategies…

From a design perspective, the intentionality of students to engage in surface or deep learning is often experienced through prescribed activities and learning tasks. Educators understand that meaningful learning can be furthered through the structural and organizational design of the online environment that motivates the student towards task…

This case study deals with the implementation of an e-learning program in a business school in Canada. Cabot Business School decided to offer the program in a blended format so as to increase the flexibility of the program for clientele enrolled in the undergraduate certificate program. A pilot was initiated in 2009 starting with four hybrid…

English in the Workplace (EWP) programs are increasingly surfacing across Canada to assist internationally educated professionals (IEPs) with the challenges of integrating into the Canadian workplace. One critical topic of these courses is targeted pragmatics (soft skills) instruction. By learning these skills, IEPs gain valuable tools for…

Today the quality of teachers is held to be increasingly important yet there continue to be doubts about whether teacher education programs graduate teachers ready to meet the challenges of their initial years of teaching. In some jurisdictions, other agencies (Ministries of Education, school districts, and private providers) are supplementing the…

Student enrolment and instructional accommodation requests are rising in higher education. Universities lack the capacity to meet increasing accommodation needs, thus research in this area is required. In Ontario, new provincial legislation requires that all public institutions, including universities, make their services accessible to persons…

Student teaching is considered to be the most critical event and capstone experience of teacher preparation programs. However, within the discipline of business education, very few studies have investigated the challenges and issues of developing future business teachers within the student teaching internship. This study examined the perspectives…

This study investigated the change in the relationship between pedagogy, computer-use and students' perceptions about course-effectiveness over time. Students from a Canadian university completed a questionnaire in two different years (2003 = 1,834 participants and 2007 = 1,866 participants). Of greatest interest were characteristics of technology…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to look at the issues concerning barriers that managers face in relation to participation in training and transfer of training, which have become increasingly important to HRD scholars and practitioners. To date, these areas have largely been examined independently. This paper aims to argue that there is an…

Podcasting is an innovative, asynchronous communication tool. A pilot study was conducted to assess the utility of podcasting as an educational tool for undergraduate medical students. A paper-and-pencil questionnaire was developed and distributed to the 40 first-year students enrolled in the francophone stream of the medical curriculum at the…

This article aims to demonstrate how the use of an online journal, a bilingual blog, can contribute to filling in the language and cultural gaps of foreign language learners. This case study focuses on the participation, interaction, motivation, language acquisition, feedback and cultural input improved by students of Spanish as a Foreign Language…

This case study explores the learning experiences of three international students who were enrolled in an online master's program offered by a large university in Canada. The aim of the study was to understand the international students' experiences with, and perspectives on, the online learning environment. Findings indicate that previous…

The authors studied a course in which an instructor allowed individuals at a distance to participate. Although these students were not formally enrolled in the university where the class took place, the instructor gave them full access to all course materials and encouraged them to complete course assignments. The authors examined the time and…

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of multimedia cases for the purposes of preservice teacher preparation. Case-based learning typically involves an analysis of a teaching scenario followed by a discussion of issues that emerge. While this kind of activity is consistent with theories of situated learning and social…