CSCL systems which follow the dual-interaction spaces paradigm support the synchronous construction and discussion of shared artifacts by distributed or colocated small groups of learners. The most recent generic dual-interaction space environments, either model based or component based, can be deeply customized by teachers for supporting…

Genre analysis, the investigation of typified communicative actions arising in recurrent situations, has been developed to study information use and interchange online, in businesses and in other organizations. As such, it holds out promise for the investigation of similarly typified communicative actions and situations in CSCL contexts. This…

This mixed methods study explored the dynamics of interaction within a self-paced online learning environment. It used rich media and a mix of traditional and emerging asynchronous computer-mediated communication tools to determine what forms of interaction learners in a self-paced online course value most and what impact they perceive interaction…

This study aims to strategically use computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools to build online communication environments for problem-based learning (PBL). A six-stage process was proposed for online PBL learning in this study: 1) identifying the problem, 2) brainstorming, 3) collecting and analyzing information, 4) synthesizing information, 5)…

Educators have moved on from older models of technology-based education that focused on the attributes and basic uses of the hardware and software available to them. Now they are finding the necessary creative and innovative ways to harness technology's power for school and community educational improvement. In this column, the authors tell four…

The closing of hundreds of U.S. schools in recent weeks because of concerns about swine flu underscores the need for administrators to make plans for continuing their students' education during any extended shutdown, emergency experts and federal officials say. Fears about a severe flu pandemic had eased as of late last week, but experts say…

Nothing comes closer to "the truth" than a primary source, even a primary source with wart--biases, narrow-minded interpretations, and historical inaccuracies. Students who learn to apply critical thinking to the analysis of primary sources also learn to situate sources within the broader historical context, test hypotheses, form their own…

The current research aims to explore and analyze the application and use of a wiki in a knowledge management academic course. The research will focus on the level of collaboration among students and on the kind of interaction that takes place during the learning process. The population of this study was composed of wiki pages gathered from a…

Previous research with face-to-face groups found that majority-minority theory was a better predictor of argument patterns between Israelis and Palestinians than cultural codes theory (D. G. Ellis & I. Maoz, 2002; I. Maoz & D. G. Ellis, 2001). But, because of the difficulties of organizing face-to-face contacts between Israelis and Palestinians…

Professors may be among the most highly educated members of society, but when it comes to negotiating their daily professional relationships, they sometimes seem to check their intelligence at the door. Ostensibly the bastion of reasoned and collegial discourse, academe is often plagued by inexcusably rude behavior that is the opposite of…

Children's resourcefulness can be seen in their ordinary, everyday "semiotic work" as they select resources from those ready to hand to create play environments and artefacts. Is this resourcefulness also evident as they make meaning in the highly conventionalized mode of writing? Conceptualizing writing as a process of design opens up the…

In its purest form, accounting is a method of communication, and many refer to it as the language of business. Although the average citizen might view accounting as a convoluted set of complex standards, the recent abuses of data have resulted in legislation and investor demands for timely and relevant information. In addition, global requirements…

In this article we describe a system that matches learners with complementary content expertise in reaction to a learner-request for knowledge sharing. It works through the formation of "ad hoc," transient communities, that exist for a limited period of time and stimulate learners socially to interact. The matchmaking system consists of a request…

Online collaboration and project-management tools allow people to work together without being in the same place at the same time. However, that is not all, Google Docs & Spreadsheets, for example, allows the creation of documents and spreadsheets just like in Microsoft Word and Excel, but with more collaborative capacity. Google Calendar lets…

The most effective blogs provide important and cutting-edge information (e.g., Tech Crunch), communicate deeply personal experiences through narrative (e.g., the Cancer Blog), or write to a specific audience (e.g., chemistry teachers). Most people with successful blogs are deeply committed to posting, for personal reasons, such as a passion for…