Developments in technology inevitably influence social, cultural, and communicative practices. Dominant language-based practices are giving way to a "new communications landscape" (Kress, 1997, 2003b) which is inherently multimodal. The forms and functions of text are in the process of a radical change which dislodges conventional notions of what…

Design projects are one form of project-based learning whereby students propose, build, and test an artifact to meet a specific need. This paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of a computer-based tool ("Co-Net") designed to support students in the process of working on design projects (in this case, instructional design…

There is wide agreement on the importance of scaffolding for student learning. Yet, models of individual and face-to-face scaffolding are not necessarily applicable to educational settings in which a group of learners is pursuing a process of inquiry mediated by technology. The scaffolding needed for such a process may be examined from three…

Conflicts often arise in online professional communication class discussions as students discuss sensitive ethical issues relating to the workplace. When conflicts arise in an online class, the activity system of the class has to be kept in balance for the course to continue functioning effectively. Activity theory and distributed learning theory…

Faculty status and tenure for academic librarians are topics of continuous discussion. The rationales for having a tenure system have relevance for librarians but affect librarians differently than they do other faculty. A well-conceived tenure system can enhance a library's vitality and effectiveness, but maintaining the system requires…

The dynamic world of the Web has provided libraries with a wealth of opportunities, including new approaches to the provision of information and varied internal staffing structures. The development of self-managed Web teams, endowed with authority and resources, can create an adaptable and responsive culture within libraries. This new working team…

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the method of meaning implication discourse analysis can be applied in the context of online collaborative reflective practice of student teachers. The method was developed to identify knowledge building in networked contexts. It derives from the model of meaning implication developed by Piaget,…

Teaching in an online environment can present new challenges and opportunities for instructors. Instructors must shift from the role of content provider to content facilitator, gain comfort and proficiency in using the Web as the primary teacher-student link, and learn to teach effectively without the visual control provided by direct eye contact.…

During the last decade, the Internet has significantly changed the way learning is delivered and facilitated in both educational and noneducational settings. Advocates of Internet-based instruction are largely positive and optimistic about its potential. Before it can be fully accepted by the mainstream public and educational community, however,…

In examining the characteristics of students' dealing with the Internet it is of special interest to look at how they use it as a means of interaction. This article examines the developmental characteristics of person's entry into virtual communication and its temporal intensiveness; the communicative intention that conditions it; the content and…

Intercultural understanding is a prerequisite for peaceful local and global citizenship, especially in South African society where prejudice and negative stereotypes were previously the order of the day because of official separatism. It is therefore crucial to teach intercultural understanding in South Africa. I report with commentary on a…

This paper addresses the concept of blended learning, an approach that has been gaining popularity in recent years with the advancement of computer-mediated training solutions. It begins with an effort to define blended learning and a description of its historical context. A discussion of blended learning as a learner-centric approach follows,…

The Communities of Practice approach offers state agency personnel a lens for exploring the human aspects of problems. They can be used as a technical assistance approach for bringing together multiple stakeholders to address complex issues facing special education. The IDEA Partnership has pioneered the use of a website for its national…

This fourth edition of the New Media Consortium's (NMC) annual "Horizon Report" describes the continuing work of the Horizon Project, a research-oriented effort that seeks to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, or creative expression within higher education. Drawing on ongoing…

Survey data from 174 university students are presented, on a scale designed to measure preference for absolute knowledge and perspective in instruction, including online discussions. Results demonstrate a strong effect of class level such that students in lower grade levels reported a greater preference for instruction involving unambiguous…