Social exploration is the key to spreading ideas through networks (Pentland, 2014). When people talk with others outside their immediate group, they can bring fresh ideas into the group--leading to improved outcomes. So, to improve educational practice, we should increase communication in our professional communities and encourage communication…

This study examined students' internal management of their cognitive processing in an interactive online class. A mixed methods approach was used to explore students' strategy use in online discussions. The focus is on examining individual knowledge construction through active cognitive engagement, rather than the social interactions, in the…

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of federal probation officers' perceived value of different distance education formats, the learning strategies they used to facilitate their learning, and the degree to which learner autonomy varied among the probation officers. This comparative case study sought to answer the following three…

Over the last decade, most studies in Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) have highlighted how online synchronous learning environments implement a new literacy related to multimodal communication. The environment used in our experiment is based on a synchronous audio-graphic conferencing tool. This study concerns false beginners in an English…

Describes a study of computer conferencing where learners interacted over the course of four log-in sessions to acquire the knowledge sufficient to pass a learning test. Studied the number of messages irrelevant to the topic, explicit threading of messages, reading times of relevant messages, and learning outcomes. (LRW)

Discusses reflective practice and suggests that participants in computer-mediated conferencing can be encouraged to engage in reflecting about onscreen experiences with the help of a trained moderator. Provides examples from Open University (United Kingdom) classes and concludes that reflective practice helps participants to learn online and…

Studies have shown that videoconferencing is an effective medium for facilitating communication between parties who are separated by distance, particularly when learners are engaged in complex collaborative learning tasks. However, as in face-to-face communication, learners benefit most when they receive additional support for such learning tasks.…

Investigated the relationship between university student motivation and student acceptance of learning via computer conferencing (CC). Considered frequency of contributing online messages; satisfaction with CC; grades; effort; goal orientation; personal relevance of tasks; task attractiveness; and students' beliefs concerning the relationship of…

Reports on the introduction of a computer conferencing component into an engineering course at Deakin University (Australia) Results showed significant variations in computer usage that were correlated to student study mode, and on-campus students were more likely to agree that computers could assist their learning. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of computer conferencing as a collaborative learning strategy and a group-oriented decision-making process highlights a study of undergraduates at the University of Delaware who participated in a computer conference. Technical responsibilities, strategy development, debate advancement, and user temperament are examined; and the value of…

Describes the use of audiographic teleconferencing for distance education courses for adult higher education at the Universiti Sains Malaysia. Telecommunications is discussed, and a collaborative learning strategy is explained that emphasizes the student-teacher relationship. (Contains 18 references.) (LRW)

This research, begun in Fall 1991, explored the learning-to-learn strategies of adult students taking computer conferencing courses for college credit. It investigated how these students define effective learning and how they direct their own learning and lifestyles to meet the unique demands of this medium. This research gathered data through…

A redefinition of the concept of learning necessitates the development of a "thinking curriculum." Second in a series of nine video conferences, this guidebook describes components of a thinking curriculum, which is characterized by a dual agenda of content and process. Contents of the guidebook include pre- and post-conference…

The success or failure of an asynchronous computer conference as part of a distance education course is largely dependent upon the abilities of the moderator of the conference. This paper discusses various skills and responsibilities of a moderator. It includes a discussion of ineffective moderation and how to avoid making common mistakes by…

This study examined the independent effects of six approaches to learning in online computer conferencing: (1) deep learning: (2) comprehension learning; (3) relating ideas; (4) surface learning; (5) syllabus boundness; and (6) achievement motivation. Deep learning, comprehension learning, and relating ideas were combined into a more general index…