This article presents research on students' experiences of learning through a blend of face-to-face and online discussion. The participants in our study were students enrolled in a foreign policy course at a major Australian university. Students' conceptions of learning through discussion, and their approaches to both face-to-face and online…

The ever-growing popularity of Facebook has led some educators to ponder what role social networking might have in education. The authors examined student reactions to friend requests from people outside their regular network of friends including professors, parents, and employers. We found students have the most positive reactions to friend…

Since independent study groups can be important in providing spaces for students in creative disciplines to develop a critically reflexive approach to their creative practice, tutors in an Australian university introduced independent group learning to students studying in creative disciplines. However, student responses to the experience of…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the nature of student comments on anonymous end-of-course evaluations differed relative to course delivery medium. Comments evaluated were submitted by 202 graduate students enrolled in face-to-face (F2F) and online versions of research and statistics courses over a four-year period. Results suggested…

Teaching about racism creates challenging issues for educators and students alike. Using experiential learning and a public-access curriculum to teach about racism and social inequality, graduate and undergraduate students participated in this elective course. The hybrid "minimester" course focused on affective responses to classroom activities,…

This paper discusses the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in college teaching, especially for the teacher who is new to teaching with CMC. In part, it offers a personal narrative of how the author developed use of CMC in his teaching. It discusses the nature of CMC as a medium of communication and introduces the teacher to many…

Based on a communications course at John Carroll University (Ohio) that was developed to include communication on the Internet, this article describes areas to consider when planning Internet integration. Discussion includes campus computer services, computer labs and Internet programs, teaching strategies, and student reactions to Internet…

Reports on a four-phase study conducted to clarify the role of the facilitator and to identify other factors that support or inhibit online learning. Postgraduate students who had participated in online learning rated the relative importance of 12 facilitator tasks. Results show facilitators must clarify expectations, initiate and guide online…

Examines the hidden issues caused by the format-shifting effect in distance education. Findings of a study of undergraduate students indicated that learning format shifting is a period of dilemma that occurs during the early period for learners during their first distance class. Overlooking the issue would result in problems that could affect…

Examines graduate students' perceptions of the educational value of their collaborative learning when using the Internet for course delivery. Respondents indicated that, although they enjoyed the convenience and opportunity for collaboration, a number of unsatisfactory elements were apparent with the instructional strategy and the delivery medium.…

According to author David Roochnik, the "tragedy of logos" refers to the condition of having a "logos" (meaning a view of the rational structure of the world) and colliding with its limits and limitations. The tragedy of logos arises when some event or experience shows that things are otherwise, because tragedy entails the…

Colleges of business are particularly known for assigning large-scale team projects as a means of enhancing learning. Though students may assemble in one location for "traditional" classroom-based learning, time and distance may create challenges as students attempt to fulfill requirements associated with large-scale team projects. This study…

This study identified student reasons for participating in synchronous Web-based learning environments. Students were interviewed after completing a series of surveys designed to elicit their perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the delivery methodology. Responses indicated that both convenience and learning enhancement were considered…

At University Laboratory High School, ethics lessons are integrated into the required eight-grade computer literacy course. Six messages are posted online, each containing an ethical scenario. Students add their opinions to each scenario's thread, read each other's postings, and respond to at least one student follow-up message within each topic.…

The paper reports action research on Web-based courses conducted from 1999 to 2001. The expression "hybrid courses" is used in this paper to refer to the courses in which an instructor and students meet half or less than half of the regular scheduled meeting time, and such courses are the courses involved in this research. Participants of the…