Academic Systems Corporation is successfully producing courseware in beginning, intermediate, and college algebra using mediated learning, which provides students with instruction and exercises and teachers with feedback on student progress. The courses present students with real-world problems to solve. Users find the courses pedagogically sound…

Examines participation on public telecomputing forums, such as electronic bulletin boards, newsgroups, and listservs, by looking at the flow of messages and users to predict participation. Measures forum success by critical mass and those people taking collective action towards a common goal. Studied the relationship between past and current…

Using data from a two-year study of three community networks, five defining characteristics of effective information communities are described: emphasis on collaboration among diverse information providers; capacity to form around people's needs to access and use information; capacity to exploit information sharing qualities of emerging…

Discusses how the John Paul II Cultural Center is an example of how Catholic educators have begun taking advantage of new teaching resources to help students understand their personal faith. Center contains hands-on and interactive journey to learning about Catholicism and the faiths of other people. (MZ)

Examined how four groups of education graduate students worked in a distributed online problem-based learning (PBL) environment using an asynchronous threaded discussion tool. Discusses student interaction; developing their own understanding; how students work with idea units; student communication; and the role of the instructor in designing and…

Describes a study of undergraduates that investigated the extent to which an electronic conferencing system, COW (Conferencing on the Web) facilitated preservice teachers' communication outside their classroom when discussing teaching cases from their field experiences, and the potential of COW and case-based instruction to foster quality…

Examined 230 course Web sites to assess characteristics based on 16 key factors, and presents results that showed most provide one-way communication from instructor to student, usually via email, and few provide student interaction. Discusses results of a faculty survey that found that time was the biggest obstacle to develop or improve course Web…

Describes the MathOnline system at the University of Colorado (Colorado Springs), a learning delivery method that, in addition to blending synchronous and asynchronous learning, combines traditional mathematics instruction with distance learning. Student surveys indicate the system greatly enhances traditional learners' educational experiences…

Presents seven strategies to assist educators in providing students with a high quality online communication experience: begin with curriculum; spend time planning; encourage a positive social climate; understand the unique nature of online communication; encourage good reading and writing skills; deal with inappropriate behavior and attitudes;…

Discusses several online and offline community-building strategies that may be used to foster a positive social dynamic in online courses. Introduces a "communal scaffolding" model which lets instructors conceptualize how affective and cognitive learning are intertwined in online learning. A "communal architect" is someone who erects a communal…

Describes a course designed for school administrators that incorporates the use of technology for teaching and learning and the use of technology in non-instructional processes of managing and leading schools. Presents an overview of the constructivist-based course that includes leadership skills, school finance, information management, technology…

Explains the use of Web-based software for communication between classroom teachers and school library media specialists. Discusses threaded discussion forums; experiences using that forum by the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) at the American Library Association (ALA) preconference; and forum software. (LRW)

Describes the results of a pilot study to examine the attitudes of university students toward the use of computer-mediated communication in their French conversation and composition course. Results indicate that both introvert and extrovert personality types generally perceive the use of a local area network as a beneficial experience. (15…

Reviews four studies that capture the present and potential impact of videoconferencing and outlines what needs to be done before videoconferencing is commonly used in education. Discusses instructional effectiveness, cost, factors that affect its success, and videoconferencing compared to other forms of communications. (Author/LRW)

Initial results of this study of post-graduate students using a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) as part of their course showed that both distance and face-to-face students, native speakers (NS) and non native speakers (NNS), working collaboratively on the same course through the VLE, had comparable outcomes on essay assignments and that NNS and…