Examines the effects of group gender composition and the use of nonverbal computer mediated communication on performance and motivation following a biology lesson which used a computer image of a human face. Subjects were boys and girls ages 10 to 15. Findings indicate that anxiety had opposite effects for boys and girls when the computer-animated…

In this paper, five doctoral students at California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), calling themselves the New Technology Group (NTG), describe their research on online communication as a method of inquiry. The focus of the inquiry is to contribute to the formal knowledge base of adult online learning, the impact and possible benefits of…

Presents two experiments to address the questions of if and how normative social influence operates in anonymous computer-mediated communication and human-computer interaction. Finds that the perception of interaction partner (human vs. computer) moderated the group conformity effect such that the undergraduate student subjects expressed greater…

Identifies six stages adult learners pass through as they become confident using electronic mail. Understanding the stages of learning to use technology empowers the learner through the knowledge that feelings of tension and frustration will be overcome. (Author/AEF)

This paper provides a brief description of high tech stress as exhibited by students and teachers in virtual classes called "asynchronous anxiety," as well as ways of dealing with the problem. The paper challenges readers to become involved in a dialogue during the discussion. Highlights include: students' distrust of e-mail messages and…

Considers how in an effort to bridge the gap between the literacy learning of adults enrolled in work preparation programs and the electronic demands of the workplace, it is important that instruction is embedded in the types of literacy demands encountered in the workplace. Develops and assesses the impact of instruction on writing quality in…

Finds significant relationships between computer anxiety and computer/word processing, between computer anxiety and computer electronic discussion group, and between computer anxiety and online computer service among 130 students from a variety of undergraduate rhetoric classes at a large midwestern university. Finds also significant differences…

Assesses interest and apprehension concerning the use of computer-mediated communications services. Perspectives on diffusion theory, technology needs, and apprehension are applied to examine attitudes toward the impact of computer information services on society. The variance of computer utility measures implies a new set of attitudinal…

Student affairs administrators are aware that the new communications technology is having a profound influence on the way students, professors, and administrators live, study, work, and do business. Two important effects of the technology are to increase communication and interaction beyond borders and to internationalize the work of student…

This paper explores the educational benefits and limitations of e-mail as an instructional aid to classroom-based teaching. It looks at practical ideas of how e-mail has been used to aid classroom instruction, and highlights and examines each usage of e-mail in terms of its effects on classroom teaching. E-mail systems have been used for classroom…

This study explored the relationships among communication technologies, communication apprehension, writing apprehension, and computer anxiety. Participants were 130 students from a variety of undergraduate oral communication classes in a large midwestern university who completed a modified form, 10 items, of McCroskey's Personal Report of…

An Internet mailing list designed to conduct a council-style forum among American Indian people encountered problems such as non-Indians posing as Indians, intertribal differences impeding consensus, and the lack of socioeconomic diversity among participants. American Indian culture may be philosophically incompatible with the impersonal nature of…

Describes how public relations (PR) students' Internet self-efficacy (e-mail, bulletin board system, real-time chat, and Web research) was measured before, immediately after, and 7 weeks after they worked in either geographically dispersed (Kansas and Hawaii) or local (Kansas only) teams to develop a PR issue statement. Finds Internet efficacy…

Finds that a Web-based interactive sample test, used to supplement traditional instruction in a large lecture class, was perceived by students to be a valuable educational tool, with males perceiving a more interactive version as being more valuable (Although 51% of students in the class did not try the interactive sample test). (SR)

Learning to use technology can be traumatic for adults. This study is qualitative and based on personal e-mail diaries written by adult learners. It identifies six stages adults may go through as they learn to use technology to communicate electronically. Initially, 30 teachers studying in a post-graduate university course were involved in a…