This paper report the findings of the first phase of a multi-phased research project that is aimed at examining preservice teachers' development of science concepts when learning: (1) takes place at a distance, and (2) is facilitated by videoconferencing technology. The study builds on the work that was done by Lansdown (Lansdown, Blackwood, and…

This study examined differences between two populations of composition students over the course of a semester in their perceptions of collaboration as reported in the pre- and post-surveys. In addition, using an assessment rubric developed by the researchers, the study examined students' audience awareness as demonstrated in their writing. Both…

This study focuses on alternative ways of thinking about the experiences of two cohorts of high school students participating in separate political simulations, one about peace negotiations in the Middle East (the Arab-Israeli Conflict simulation, or AIC), and one focusing on domestic American policy issues (the Conflix Project, or Conflix). Both…

This small-grant funded project was intended to act as a pilot study looking at the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in adult education. In particular, the project aimed to investigate the use of ICT in extending patterns of participation in adult education to those social groups presently excluded from learning; one of the…

Compared with other media, computer-mediated communication (CMC) is a relatively new mode of communication that has emerged in the past two decades. In the past decade, there has been a growing body of research on CMC. There are two dominant models of CMC: the task-oriented and the social-emotion-oriented. This review discusses, compares, and…

This paper describes the concept of online knowledge communities. The concept is defined, and six qualities of online communities are identified: members (user roles are clearly defined); mission (generally accepted goal-statement, ideas, beliefs, etc.); commitment (members give their loyalty to the mission); social interaction (frequent…

We have established an environment for German-Japanese school education projects using real time interactive audio-visual distance learning between remote classrooms. In periods of 8-12 weeks, two classes are dealing with the same subject matter, exchanging materials and results via e-mail and Internet. At 3 or 4 occasions the classes met on…

This research is mainly concerned with the costs of computers in schools in developing countries. It starts with a brief overview of the information revolution and its consequences. It then briefly examines some of the arguments for the use of computers in schools in developing countries, before reviewing previous work undertaken on the costs of…

The JOB project (JOB, 2000) was a European-funded program run between January 1998 and June 2000. It involved a consortium of partners in Birmingham, UK, and a network of transnational partners across Europe. The aim of the project was to develop remote vocation guidance to disabled people in their own home, fully utilizing computer mediated…

This study investigated the communication styles of 5 mentors in telementoring a class of 33 preservice teachers. Electronic forum was the instrument of communication between the mentors and the students, and a Web-based computer mediated communication system was used to facilitate the instruction in the course. Data collected in an 8-week period…

This paper looks at the low participation rates in computer mediated conferences (CMC) and argues that one of the causes of this may be an incompatibility between students' learning styles and the style adopted by CMC. Curry's Onion Model provides a well-established framework within which to view the main learning style theories (Riding and…

Many concepts, methods, and technologies regarding computer support in collaborative environments have been proposed. It is important to take into account human relations in collaborative learning environments, where personality plays a central role. However, it is not easy to build human relations in Web-based education (WBE), because there are…

This paper provides a holistic approach to viewing the e-learning phenomenon from a theoretical perspective. It constructs a framework for e-learning development by drawing upon the literature for learning models. knowledge management and utilization of technology for electronic education. In so doing, it conceptualizes the continuous and…

The purpose of this research is to tailor the design of information and communications technology (ICT) training material to the needs of Chinese language arts teachers such that the training they receive will be conducive to effective integration of ICT into instruction. Eighteen experienced teachers participated in a Delphi-like survey that…

A challenge in online collaborative learning teams is assuring that all members of the virtual learning team are actively engaged and contributing to the work of the team. One strategy to hold individual members of a learning team accountable for their contributions is through the use of peer and self evaluations. This paper provides a summary of…