The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled K-12 schools and districts across the United States to quickly pivot to distance learning. This disruption to traditional in-person instruction required shifts in district leadership and teacher pedagogy. Previous research has shown that teachers must be provided with learning and supportive environments that…

This study explores the design requirements for mobile applications for second language learning in online/distance higher education settings. We investigate how students use technology and how they perceive that these technologies-in-practice facilitate their language learning. Structuration Theory is used for the analysis. Results show that…

The ongoing integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) into higher education courses is often called "blended learning" although it often relates to course design. It is usually understood in place categories, as a combination of traditional classroom-based sessions and Internet-enabled distance or online learning…

This dissertation is comprised of three linked studies investigating integrating online feedback practices into traditional classrooms. It focuses on one innovative practice, that of online peer-to-peer feedback, and highlights aspects of the process of developing this practice in each article. Each article relies on separate but connected…

Attracting and retaining teachers for rural and remote areas is a pervasive global problem. Currently, teacher education in Canada is primarily delivered in face-to-face formats located in urban centres or satellite campuses. There is a need for relevant and responsive teacher education programs for rural pre-service teachers. Recognizing this…

The intent of this article is to introduce long-time "Online Learning" readership to the field of K-12 online learning while also providing direction for the K-12 online learning scholars about where the field is going or should be going in terms of meeting the needs of K-12 stakeholders. Recently an interview was conducted with Dr. Joe…

This exploratory study examined the design issues related to a virtual-reality-based, gamelike learning environment (VRGLE) developed via OpenSimulator, an open-source virtual reality server. The researchers collected qualitative data to examine the VRGLE's usability, playability, and content integration for math learning. They found it important…

This study identified factors associated with instructor engagement in online courses. We believe that this topic deserves attention because quality of instruction is one of the strongest predictors of a successful online course. As researchers, our hope is that, by understanding the factors which influence perceptions of success by online…

The purpose of this study is to explore the slow development of online learning initiatives at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Specifically, the research has investigated the relationship between academic and executive-level administrators in a four-year private university and Roger's Theory of Diffusion as it relates to…

A new primarily distance education Master's degree program was focused on the development of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) for integrating appropriate digital technologies in mathematics and science classes. In this mixed-method multiple case study, we documented in-service K-8 teachers' perceptions of their TPACK…

Distance education is not a new phenomenon, distance education had its beginning with correspondence education through postal services in the 19th century (Daniel, 2000) and progressed into the 21st century with the use of computer-mediated instruction. Even with all of its convenience and portability, the online classroom is still seen by many as…

This paper reports on an action research study investigating the use of online learning activities or "e-tivities" to enhance the learning and assessment experience of students on a distance master's programme. The study suggests that to be successfully integrated in a programme, such activities need to be carefully aligned with learning…

This paper offers insight into learning Slovak in an e-learning environment. The need to reach distance-learners of Slovak led to the implementation of a web-based course on Slovak language and culture in 2008-2010. The pedagogical basis of the course, called Virtual Slovak, is the socioconstructivist approach to teaching and learning, in which…

Language and culture teaching has always been a complex and challenging task. For many educators, their teaching experiences are rooted in their earlier preparation, their classroom situations and their curriculum. In this study, indigenous educators recount their lived experiences with teaching their language and culture at a distance. These…

This self-study examines the process of technological transition: the instructional shift from the use of one distance course delivery technology, to a different technology delivery system. Specifically, it examines the impact of the shift on course design, and on the instructor's transitional learning process that occurred while moving a graduate…