This article considers how online conferences can support professional development across Africa and reviews elements of the literatures of social learning, online professional development and online conferences. The e/merge online conference is then described in terms of design features and participation metrics. This sets context for discussion…

While the potential benefits of participating in online learning communities are documented, so too are inequities in terms of how different populations access and use them. We present the online learning support roles (OLSR) framework, an approach using both automated analytics and qualitative interpretation to identify and explore online…

In view of the current theoretical and empirical support for a student-generated questions approach to learning along with the advantageous features of network technology, several online student question-generation learning systems with a peer-assessment component have been developed. Despite this, all existing systems are limited in terms of the…

This article describes the formation of a pedagogy-focused online discussion group for middle school mathematics teachers. Advice is offered for those seeking to establish similar conversations among their colleagues.

Drawing from a range of disciplines, the contributors to this collection describe and analyze their experiences in collaboration and in using interactive technologies. The multidisciplinary approach of this book is useful for anyone interested in pedagogical applications of interactive technologies across disciplines and institutions. The chapters…

Discusses interactivity in distance education and outlines four models: (1) no-interactivity; (2) resource-learner interactivity and peer-peer interactivity, similar to a face-to-face classroom setting; (3) decentralized self-managed peer-peer interactivity; and (4) coordinated-decentralized interactivity. Tables and diagrams depict these…

This study explored the extent to which computer conferencing contributes to facilitating self-direction by describing concrete activities. The study focused on interaction among participants related to self-direction. The study adapted Garrison's model (1997) considering the characteristics of data and research questions to develop the conceptual…

Examines online discussions using lexical scoring techniques. Suggests that online conversations become more sophisticated as learners interact with each other over the duration of a course, that collaboration among learners fosters the social construction of knowledge and that evidence of such knowledge-building activities is embodied in the tone…

Advanced technologies are changing the way teaching and learning are conducted and experienced in the world of distance education. Network environments such as the Internet have formed a new virtual education world for online learners. In distance education, the instructor and learner are physically separated. Interactivity is an important part of…

Discusses the types of computer-mediated communications (CMC) systems now available for supporting collaboration over the Internet. Discusses alternative frames of references for understanding how the growing array of Internet tools can be applied to collaborative projects, concluding that initiators of collaborative activities need to avoid being…

Compares the traditional model of the reference interview with a new model based on online information process. Findings offer new perspectives on the reference interview process and lend support to the adoption of a new reference model which shifts its venue from a person to person process, to one in which information itself provides the platform…

Discusses findings from national surveys conducted from 1995 to 2000 concerning access, community and political involvement, and social interaction of Internet users. Concludes that Internet usage is: becoming more equally accessible and widely used; associated with increased community and political involvement; and associated with significant,…

This paper discusses the notion of community as an outcome of working within an online environment. In particular, the paper explores the concept of users' development of a sense of community as an outcome of working within an online environment designed to support the professional and personal development of its users. The paper discusses…

Based on a five-year ethnographic study of the activity of an online, international academic community of practice supported by ListServer technology, this article covers selective findings pertaining to patterns of communication deemed crucial to community building. Implications of learning and collegial support are discussed. (Author/AEF)

Qualitative inquiry is rich in personal interaction between participant and researcher. This research seeks to consider the issues related to conducting qualitative inquiries in online settings and the implications for using electronic means in interview and observation. Consideration needs to be given to the ramifications of online interview…