This research evaluates the strategies implemented to support the research activities of postgraduate students pursuing online master's programs in the University of the West Indies Open Campus, as well as the activities of their supervisors. The three main strategies employed were (1) the use of a web-based "teaching-learning space" to…

Professional development (PD) for early childhood educators has received increased attention as a means of bolstering young children's learning and development. Theory and research indicate that educators' characteristics play roles in both their own learning and that of children; however, little research has explored who participates in PD. This…

This study investigated the impact of an online learning community project on university students' motivation in learning Chinese as a foreign language. A newly proposed second language (L2) motivation theory--the L2 motivational self system (Dornyei, 2005, 2009)--guided this study. A concurrent transformative mixed-methods design was employed to…

This qualitative study examined the influences of teachers' experiences on their perceptions of teaching English language learners (ELLs) framed within Mezirow's transformative learning theory. Eight teachers ranging from pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade participated in long interviews responding to a 10 item questionnaire. Each teacher…

Use was made of adapted problem-based learning (PBL) practical exercises to address the disengagement of apprentices with the existing assembly-style electronic laboratory programme. Apprentices perceived the traditional routines as having little real-world relevance. This detracted from the value and benefit to them of the practical component of…

This study examines how social and motivational attributes may influence students' online learning experiences. Based on a review of social theories of learning and research about individual characteristics associated with motivation four constructs were included: social ability, learning goal orientation, perceived task value, and self-efficacy.…

This paper focuses on learners' experiences of text-based computer-mediated communication (CMC) as a means of self-expression, dialogue and debate. A detailed case study narrative and a reflective commentary are presented, drawn from a personal, practice-based inquiry into the design and facilitation of a professional development course for which…

It was hypothesized that there is a significant difference in attitudes toward theories of learning between faculty members who assess experiential learning (EL) for award of college credit and those who do not. A questionnaire eliciting opinion on EL assessment methods and philosophy was distributed to 595 faculty members at 54 two- and four-year…

This interim report was abstracted from the many research efforts conducted at Fox Valley Technical Institute and the Center for Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education, Univ. of Wis Stout. At Fox Valley, it was attempted to identify learning styles relevant to vocational-technical education, survey students and faculty concerning…