The use of online learning technologies in experiences of inquiry is increasingly ubiquitous in university contexts. In blended environments, research into university experiences suggests that student approaches to learning are a key determiner of the quality of outcomes. The purpose of this study was to develop relevant measures which help…

Transactional distance is an important pedagogical theory in distance education that calls for more empirical support. The purpose of this study was to verify the theory by operationalizing and examining the relationship of (1) dialogue, structure and learner autonomy to transactional distance, and (2) environmental factors and learner demographic…

Technology makes possible abundant new opportunities to capture and display data in online learning environments. We describe here an example of using these opportunities to improve students' use of the rich supports available in online learning environments. We describe an example of a blended learning experience that uses an online inquiry-based…

Educational webcasts are nowadays widely used by many organizations and institutions all over the world. However, the educational effectiveness of webcasts when used as an autonomous method is yet to be explored. In this paper, the clarification of certain issues concerning their educational effectiveness is attempted. Following specific…

As visual connectivity improves, an opportunity to enrich and rethink the place of learning design in online and distance education is presenting itself. The opportunity is derived from the increasing scope for personalised synchronous interaction which has been missing in computer mediated communications (CMC) and previous generations of distance…

This paper discusses the potential of learning technologies to foster competence development of students. It aims to improve understanding of pedagogical conditions that have to be met to establish a competence orientation in e-learning. We review the literature to summarise recent changes in e-learning, identify attributes of web 2.0…

Peer assessment is utilized extensively in digital learning, and many studies have examined the positive influences of online peer assessment on learning (eg, Tseng & Tsai, 2007). However, other studies indicate that this type of activity has negative influences. For example, students may question the fairness of an assessment or disagree with…

Thousands of examiners are employed to mark candidate scripts from the suite of public examinations offered to students during the compulsory and post-compulsory schooling phases in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. All examiners undergo training to ensure that they interpret correctly, and apply consistently, the mark scheme for their…

Supporting in-service teachers for successful integration of educational technologies into their teaching practices has been a challenge. While professional development in technology integration is found to help teachers gain technology skills and model good examples of using technology for teaching, they may fail to provide teachers with a clear…

Previous studies have demonstrated that making annotations can be a meaningful and useful learning method that promote metacognition and enhance learning achievement. A web-based annotation system, Virtual Pen (VPEN), which provides for the creation and review of annotations and homework solutions, has been developed to foster learning process…

It is recognised that the teaching of complex psychomotor skills using online delivery is difficult without the support of either face-to-face coaching and tuition or a stereoscopic viewing system that provides users with a feel for the spatial nature of the skills being taught. To date, the limitations of bandwidth, and the high cost and…

Although there is an increasing use of emerging technologies (ETs) in higher education internationally and in South Africa in particular, there is little evidence that their use is transforming teaching and learning practice. Anecdotal evidence shows that there is a dichotomy between the technologies supported and used in higher education…

This study examined the effects of learning styles on learner perceptions of the use of interactive online tutorials. Learners were categorised into five learning style categories and four learning modalities. The responses to a questionnaire with four survey dimensions were analysed in order to ascertain differences based on learning styles,…

This paper captures and characterises the interplay between a group of student teachers' narratives of social network practice and their emergent professional practice with technologies. Teachers on an Initial Teacher Education programme in the UK spent a semester studying a module that synthesised university-based lectures with a professional…

Owing to the popularity of computers and computer networks, fostering the web-based problem-solving ability of students has become an important educational objective in recent years. This study attempted to compare the effects of using selected and open network resources on students' intentions with regard to their information system usage by…