"Faculty" is one element of virtual education curricula that facilitates the learning process. However, the lack of physical presence has led to a need to redefine the faculty role. This qualitative study considered the changing roles of faculty in virtual environments in universities in Iran. The main question was What role(s) do…

This paper describes an observational study of the introduction of Sakai's Learning Management System (LMS) into several liberal arts courses at a women's college in the Middle East. Student participation in the CLE was tracked over the course of the semester and summarized by their number of logins and average session length. These measures were…

Multimedia learning is innovative and has revolutionised the way we learn online. It is important to create a multimedia learning environment that stimulates active participation and effective learning. The significance of multimedia learning extends to include the cultivation of professional and personal experiences that reflect the reality of a…

The research reported in this paper is part of an ongoing investigation into the design of a technology-enhanced learning environment that draws from approaches embodied in the situated learning theory. In this learning context, Second Life machinima (animated artefact filmed in a 3D virtual environment) is used as an anchor to mediate authentic…

The purpose of this study was to compare the production processes and approaches for user engagement of virtual environments created for learning or commercial and entertainment purposes, specifically through online games and 3-D online spaces. This study used a qualitative, multiple case study approach based on interviews with developers of…

Influential voices, from the published literature, to blogs, and conference keynoters, describe e-learning that is technology rich, mobile, individualized, social and democratic. Classrooms, many note, are disappearing--and should. Blogs, feeds and blends enable this movement from a central function to lessons, information and coaching available…

Storytelling may be a powerful instructional approach for engaging learners and facilitating e-learning. However, relatively little is known about how to apply story within the context of systematic instructional design processes and claims for the effectiveness of storytelling in training and education have been primarily anecdotal and…

The overall goal of the Swiss Virtual Campus project Dealing with Natural Hazards and Risk (NAHRIS) is to create a common educational course program that compiles the most recent knowledge in the field of natural hazards and risk management. Several higher education institutes from all parts of Switzerland were involved in the realization of this…

Much has been written about why university faculty choose to refrain or participate in online instruction (Beaudoin, 1990; Bower, 2001; Clark, 1993; Dillon & Walsh, 1992; McKenzie, 2000; McKinnon, 1998; Paulson, 2002; Rockwell, Scheuer, Fritz, & Marx, 1999; Schifter, 2002; Wilson, 1998). Missing from the empirical knowledge base, however, are…

This article describes the creation of a fully online master's program for e-learning specialist training. This program is the first of its kind in Japan. As background information, Japan's general trends in e-learning are described, including activities of the e-Learning Consortium Japan and National Institute of Multimedia in Education. Such…