As higher education institutions move to incorporate more online learning into their long-term strategies, it is important for instructors to become adept at facilitating discussions in ways that engage learners, promote critical thinking, and support the development of a learning community. Through the strategic application of effective…

Punya Mishra is Professor of Educational Psychology and Educational Technology at Michigan State University, where he directs the Master of Arts in Educational Technology program. He currently chairs the Creativity Special Interest Group at the Society for Information Technology in Teacher Education. He is nationally and internationally recognized…

In this regular feature of "Educational Technology," Michael F. Shaughnessy and Susan M. Fulgham present their interview with Ryan Watkins, Associate Professor of Educational Technology at the George Washington University and the author of 10 books and more than 95 articles. In this interview, Watkins discusses the following topics:…

The transformative experiences afforded by technology are wide and varied. Among them is the extended reach these technologies give us in connecting with others around the world, or even in our own communities, who may be from very different backgrounds than ourselves. Emerging technologies are providing new opportunities in education, and this…

The use of mobile technology can help extend children's learning spaces and enrich the learning experiences in their everyday lives where they move from one context to another, switching locations, social groups, technologies, and topics. When students have ubiquitous access to mobile devices with full connectivity, the in-situ use of the mobile…

The "Semantic Web" is an idea proposed by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the "World Wide Web." The topic has been generating a great deal of interest and enthusiasm, and there is a rapidly growing body of literature dealing with it. This article attempts to explain how the Semantic Web would work, and explores short-term and long-term…

East Carolina University recently hosted the first Virtual Worlds in Education Conference, a meeting held entirely in Second Life. The conference provided 135 faculty and administrators from around the world the ability to communicate and share their experiences on teaching, learning, and technology support in an online, multi-user virtual…

3-D virtual worlds, as a new form of learning environments in the 21st century, hold great potential in education. Learning in such environments, however, demands a broader spectrum of literacy skills. This article identifies a new set of media literacy skills required in 3-D virtual learning environments by reviewing exemplary 3-D virtual…

Educational technology integration in higher education consumes enormous resources but with little evidence of efficacy, due in large measure to lack of vision and a cohesive strategy. Instructors perceive formidable technical skills in undergraduate students, untapped in an instructional role, but this may be unfounded. This article proposes a…

In this article, the authors argue that online learning conversations need to go beyond the common "information exchange" to a deeper level of interaction in order to help learners build situated knowledge that is useful in their local contexts. The article begins by looking at the commonly-used framework of a Community of Practice (CoP) and, in…

In this article, Literacy 2.0 is defined in terms of Web 2.0 influences. Literacy 2.0 encompasses several major characteristics that distinguish it from traditional literacy practices (Literacy 1.0). For educational technology professionals, Literacy 2.0 skills become a critical means for developing lifelong learning.

Tables of specifications provide graphic representations of objectives and segments of instruction or test questions. Examines tables of specifications (use, significance of empty cells, traceability) and their application in instructional design, highlighting constructivism and microworlds, structural communication, computer mediated…

Discussion of the Internet and virtual communities focuses on differences between online and face-to-face communities. Topics include interdependency; infrastructure; intensity of participation; representation of members; accessibility to resources, information, and expertise; and activity theory as a framework for analyzing communities.…

Discusses the value of feedback in performance improvement and reviews an emerging theoretical perspective called feedback intervention theory as well as emerging technologies and practices related to feedback delivery in instruction. Topics include theories of learning; electronically mediated communication; and immediate feedback. Contains 53…

Defines virtual experience as machine-based experience, of which virtual reality is a subconcept. Topics include a history of virtual experience; criticism of the influence of machine-mediated experiences such as computer games; virtual reality environments; and Heidegger's views on technology. (LRW)