This article discussed some of the advantages and disadvantages of online learning. Although much has been written about the growing presence of online learning, this author's position is consideration must be given to the rewards and drawbacks of cyber learning. Reviews of both sides of the issues via in-depth literature reviews, personal…

Instructional designers can embrace leadership skills to shape the culture in educational entities toward a "living" institute (Senge, 2000, p. 54). Assessment and measurability set the direction toward the design of plan, implementation and strategy to organization. Paradigm shifts must take place in education.

This study explored the perceptions of 395 participants (students, teachers, and education officers) in Ghana on the role of the computer and the teacher in promoting the first five principles of instruction for quality teaching and learning. To achieve the intention of the study, five point Likert-type scales based on the first five principles of…

Given the challenges facing higher education in the fast-changing educational and social environment, what can be learned from an instructor who has braved the rapidly changing stream of technologies and has subsequently developed a personal and productive approach to using emerging technologies to teach better and farther? What aspects of…

Purpose: This paper seeks to describe XML technologies and to show how they can be applied for developing web-based courses and supporting authors who do not have much experience with the preparation of web-based courses. Design/methodology/approach: When developing online courses the academic staff has to address the following problem--how to…

The North Carolina Virtual Public School completed its first session during the summer of 2007. Evaluation results revealed differences between accelerated and credit recovery students, including a significantly higher likelihood for accelerated students to rate their courses as high quality, to express interest in taking another online course,…

In recent years, tertiary institutions in developed countries have made extensive use of Course Management Systems (CMSs), software packages designed to help educators create online learning communities. To date, however, such packages have been little used in higher education institutions (HEIs) in China. In this article, we describe the…

Background: The literature on immersive virtual worlds and e-learning to date largely indicates that technology has led the pedagogy. Although rationales for implementing e-learning have included flexibility of provision and supporting diversity, none of these recommendations has helped to provide strong pedagogical location. Furthermore, there is…

This study was designed to examine the effects of the competency (low vs. high) and interaction type (proactive vs. responsive) of pedagogical agents as learning companions (PALs) on learning, self-efficacy, and attitudes. Participants were 72 undergraduates in an introductory computer-literacy course who were randomly assigned to one of four…

With the advent of new technologies, more convenient and effective ways of learning are being adopted. However, despite the growing advancements there remains a lack of literature in applications of using these technology teaching approaches. This book offers in-depth analysis of new technologies in blended learning that promote creativity,…

Pre-service teacher training should offer the future teacher necessary skills for employing technology to teach a curriculum in creative and effective ways, and the awareness of the possible dichotomy to be faced in the schools between what can be done and what should be done in using technology in teaching. This paper describes such a pre-service…

A study was conducted to analyze current job announcements in the field of instructional design and technology and to produce descriptive information that portrays the required skills and areas of knowledge for instructional technology graduates. Content analysis, in its general terms, was used as the research method for this study. One hundred…

This paper offers a critical examination of an e-learning project in the context of a Distance Education training program delivered to teacher trainers in Rwanda. In examining the successes and failures of the project, it uses a framework based on ideas promulgated by Moore (1995) and strives to provide guidance and reference for future projects…

The aims of this research were to: investigate teachers' needs for knowledge and skills in relation to the effective use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and suggest ways of enhancing future design and delivery of self- and staff-development in order to increase and improve the level of ICT use in Scottish schools. First, a…

A computing literacy course at Michigan State University for non-computer science students was designed with a fixed course structure and continuously changing course content. The structure provides feedback for assessing students and revising content to meet the changing demands of client departments, changing student experience, and changing…