Perusall, a web-based collaborative reading platform characterised by its social annotation functionalities, was introduced in a postgraduate teacher-training language-awareness course in Hong Kong during the shift to online teaching and learning brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Tasks were designed on Perusall to engage the…

This article provides an overview of the ways in which data and text mining have potential as research methodologies in composition studies. It introduces data mining in the context of the field of composition studies and discusses ways in which this methodology can complement and extend our existing research practices by blending the best of what…

In recent years learning how to work in teams has become a common subject in higher education. Communication between student team members can be monitored using a bulletin board system, and hence, analyse individual and group role development. The composition and distribution of roles in a team are relevant characteristics that will considerably…

In this article, the authors describe how they used primary and secondary sources related to the Indian Removal Act to develop a learning activity in which students analyze, corroborate, and synthesize primary sources. Using the free, online authoring tool, UDL Book Builder, they were able to develop on-demand digital scaffolds that temper an…

In this article the authors report on research into how an ePortfolio (eP) process can address the critique that teacher education programs offer fragmented course experiences and too often focus on narrow instrumentalist approaches emphasising the "how to" and the "what works"--implying that learning how to teach is about stitching together…

A lack of good information about what youth are doing with new media stimulates fears and hopes about the relationship between young people and digital technologies. This article focuses on new modes of inquiry into youth new media use, highlighting the challenges, complexities, and opportunities inherent in studying young people's digital…

This article reports on the results of a project which used a social network site to support students on a year abroad and foster informal learning, particularly in the area of intercultural communication. The project employed a peer-mentoring structure to solve the problem of role conflict, in which users of these sites may feel some tension as…

Identifying academic misdemeanours and actual applied effort in student assessments involving practical work can be problematic. For instance, it can be difficult to assess the actual effort that a student applied, the sequence and method applied, and whether there was any form of collusion or collaboration. In this paper we propose a system of…

Collaborative learning environments provide a set of tools for students acting in groups to interact and accomplish an assigned task. In this kind of systems, students are free to express and communicate with each other, which usually lead to collaboration and communication problems that may require the intervention of a teacher. In this article,…

In this article we describe the MentorBlog project, which facilitated the mentoring of trainee teachers in the postcompulsory education sector through the use of blogs. In an experimental design, the study compared their experiences with students who received traditional mentoring. Blogs were used by the trainees to communicate with their mentors…

The six chapters of this theme issue provide an overview of empirical content analysis, ranging from classical to computer-assisted content analysis as they relate to educational research. The contributions to this volume show that content analysis can be used to analyze data that constitute reactions to stimuli introduced in the study. (SLD)

Discusses portal technology in higher education, including planning, design, technical, and financial issues. Highlights include determining the customers; marketing possibilities for the university; ownership issues; data design; effective cost structuring; security issues; adaptability; content; and customer input and feedback. (LRW)

Purpose: An e-portfolio is a useful tool to increase reflection and awareness in teachers and students. However, benefits of e-portfolio use are weakened by difficulties due to the lack of motivation, the heavy weight of creation and revision of the e-portfolios, the rigid tool structure. The paper aims to answer these emerging issues, showing how…

The development of Internet technologies has the ability to provide a new era of easily accessible and personalised learning, facilitated through the flexible deployment of small, reusable pieces of digital learning content over networks. Higher education institutions can share and reuse digital learning resources in order to improve their…

Explores prospective social studies teachers' use of online reflective journals. Discusses the content of the journals in terms of four categories: social science, technical, pedagogical, and procedural. Includes typical and unique journal entries. Considers the classroom implications of technology as a reflective tool. (CMK)