The COVID-19 outbreak has heightened several challenges in higher education. In this paper, we focus on the use of technology, teaching methodologies and literacy skills. The challenges relating to the use of technology in higher education include the digital divide created by unequal access to the internet in many countries. In terms of teaching…

This study explores the potential of social learning platforms (SLPs) to enhance female students' learning experiences in Saudi higher education and address socio-cultural constraints. It examines the advantages and disadvantages of SLPs from the perspective female students and analyses the impact of personal beliefs on their perceptions of SLPs.…

Latina/o students are one of the least likely populations to access technology and possess the techno-capital necessary to succeed in postsecondary education. This phenomenological qualitative research study used interviews with 20 Latina/o college students in Central Texas to examine how techno-capital and techno-disposition interact in complex…

Measuring the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is a contemporary question of interest. Despite the general acceptance that ICTs are changing ways of learning, empirical research conducted to date does not consistently verify the efficacy of such changes. Several studies supporting positive impacts of ICTs on achievement…

Distance online learning has been regarded as a useful learning method, especially when we faced the big flood crisis in Thailand. To solve the lack of classrooms, our university administrators decided to implement WebEx system as an alternative to continue teaching. And, there were some relevant aspects that we needed to consider. Therefore, this…

This article draws on research conducted at a tertiary institution in South Africa as part of the redesigning of an English for Educational Development (EED) course to include an e-learning online discussion component. The subject material used was based on HIV/AIDS topics that students had to debate within an online discussion forum. Framed by…

This article addresses the following questions: What impact does using the theoretical framework of new literacies have on understanding language, literacy, and learning practices today as technologies are constantly being developed and used? What is the state of research in this area? What are some new directions the field might take in order to…

This study examined the assistive technology needs of university students with disabilities and the availability of these technologies. It also explored the attitudes of the students with disabilities toward computers and the extent to which these are used by students with disabilities. Data was collected through a questionnaire, from 22…

A discernible difference, attributed to the digital divide, is evident between the adoption and implementation of distance education technologies in institutions of higher learning in low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in high-income countries in America and Europe. A review of the literature revealed a rural-urban digital divide…

Course management systems (CMSs) currently drive educational delivery in most developed countries. Their absence in higher education in most developing countries creates a digital divide between first- and third-world students. Meeting the needs of higher education in Ghana therefore depends on identifying the factors that should inform the choice…

Discusses pre-college access and use of computers by different groups of students, cross-campus computing initiatives, the potential impact of the present inequities experienced by students of color in the context of cross-campus computing, and recommendations to enhance access to computers and the computer competence of students of color. (EV)

Studied the perceptions of first and second year college students about their preparedness and technical competence at college entry to use the computer and software applications. Survey responses from 338 students suggest that entering students felt better prepared than second year thought they had been, and that all students make gains over time…

Although computer ownership is not 100 percent, progress has been made on closing the digital divide. However, defining the digital divide according to the haves and have-nots of computer ownership is only a starting point. Beyond computer ownership, colleges and universities should explore the "second-level digital divide," which can be…

Discusses the use of computer conferencing in education; addresses difficulties involved in conferencing software, including computer literacy, the communications technology, the conferencing interface, integration with other software, and limitations on access; and describes FICS (Friendly Interface to Conferencing System) that was developed at…

I conducted teacher research in a basic writing computer classroom to discover what two basic writers brought to the computer classroom that could complicate their interactions with technology and their ability to write with computers during our class. My discussion is twofold: First, I explore the writers' differing attitudes towards computers,…