Electronic field tripping is a relatively new form of large-scale distance education that attempts to provide contextually rich learning materials embedded within a coherent educational content base. Using Dewey's (1943) framework for the natural learning impulses of children, we describe the potential pedagogical benefits afforded by electronic…

The Standardized Letter of Recommendation (SLR) is a Web-based admission tool designed to replace traditional, narrative letters of recommendation with a more systematic and equitable source of information about applicants to institutions of higher education. The SLR includes a rating scale and open-ended response space that prompt evaluators to…

Two studies addressed students' motivation and participation in an online discussion board which was part of a traditional lecture-based course. The discussion board represented an external communication resource to extend the learning activities beyond the classroom. Self-Determination Theory was used as the theoretical framework to investigate:…

This article considers power in text-based collaborations and proposes that in order for criticality to be directed towards the power structures at play in the discourse of collaborations, the interpretive strategies of participants need to hold in the balance the explicit or overt intentions of those with whom they are collaborating, and the…

In the Western Pacific, the People First Network project has since 2001 been building a growing network of rural email stations across the conflict-ridden Solomon Islands. These stations are based on robust technology and consist of solar panels, short-wave radios and compatible modems, laptop computers and printers to provide email communication…

This study examined the effects of group composition based on the learners' personality types as measured by the Myers-Briggs type indicator as they interacted in threaded discussions. Three groups comprised introverts, extroverts, and mixed introvert-extrovert classifications. Ninety-six participants were divided into 24 groups of 4 participants…

College students often expect responses instantaneously and become angered if their friends have turned off their cell phones or did not leave an away message on instant message. A "60 Minutes" television segment in 2004 described how today's generation of college students, called "echo boomers," are "the most sophisticated generation ever when it…

Purpose--The aim of this paper is to describe a study of online, asynchronous dialogues between tutors and nine work-based postgraduate learners on learning through work (LtW) programmes. Design/methodology/approach-- Adopting a constructivist perspective and using a qualitative approach, 670 messages were segmented into semantic units and…

In little more than a decade, the Web has become an essential medium for information, entertainment, and commerce, making its adoption among consumers quicker than any other medium before it. The majority of American classrooms have become connected to the Internet in the same short time span. Previously, science or mathematics students might have…

This article advances the consideration of resilience as an important concept in the transitional process of learning to adapt to life with chronic illness, by utilising interactional processes inherent in participatory action research (PAR) that may strengthen a person's capacity to live well with long-term illness. Sharing experiences and…

Significant research indicates that student self-disclosure plays an important role in the learning experience and producing positive learning outcomes. Blogging is an increasingly popular web tool that can potentially aid educators by encouraging student self-disclosure. Both content analysis and focus groups were used to assess whether student…

This paper presents the policy and guidelines, which evolved over the last four years, for answering questions and giving counsel on an Internet site dedicated to sexuality and intimate relations of adolescents. The theoretical framework employed is that of non-directive counseling. Some ethical, legal, and practical issues are discussed. The…

This article proposes a model that integrates the traditionally conflicting objectivist and constructivist approaches to instructional design. I argue that these two approaches are complementary rather than oppositional. I present and analyze two learning programs in order to show how learning events can contain both objectivist and constructivist…

The World Wide Web has changed the way people interact. It has also become an important equalizer of information access for many social sectors. However, for many people, including some sign language users, Web accessing can be difficult. For some, it not only presents another barrier to overcome but has left them without cultural equality. The…

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…