Purpose: Aims to examine trends in the development of e-learning in Northern Ireland, report on existing policies, practices and issues affecting its implementation across the sectors. Design/methodology/approach: The present study draws on e-learning policies and strategies that have been developed for Northern Ireland. Examples were drawn from…

The purpose of this research was to investigate the attitudes of early childhood teachers towards computers and Information Technology (IT). The study examined whether or not attitudes are differentiated by a series of factors, such as: years of previous service, the use of a computer at home (with Internet access), inservice training, and…

This paper reports an investigation of cognitive styles, achievement scores and attitudes toward computers among university students. Field dependence/field independence is a dimension of cognitive style that has been researched with various student groups as well as with attitudes. Nevertheless, there appears to be a dearth of published research…

The research discussed in this manuscript was supported by a capacity building grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education as a "Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to use Technology Grant (PT3)". The problem was to determine the effect on teacher candidates of a field experience in which candidates used technology to support the teaching of a…

Gender differences in the pursuit of technology careers are a current issue of concern. We report on two studies that use surveys, drawings and interviews to examine sixth- and eighth-grade students' perceptions of knowledgeable computer users and their self-perception as a computer-type person. In Study 1, participants were asked to generate…

The "computers are social actors" paradigm asserts that human-to-computer interactions are fundamentally social responses. Earlier research has shown that effective management of the social presence in user interface design can improve user engagement and motivation. Much of this research has focused on adult subjects. This study…

Teachers' attitudes toward the use of technology vary greatly. Studies show that many teachers have negative attitudes toward the use of technology and that gender differences exist, with females using technology less than their male counterparts. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a technology-focused professional development…

The engine of this report is "An Educational Technology and Instructional Communications Technology Survey" that attempts to probe the impact of new technologies on educators in Brunei Darussalam. The overall purpose of the survey and the accompanying report is to conduct a preliminary needs analysis pertinent to the adoption and…

Influencing government policy in adult learning areas requires consistent efforts in having findings noticed by educational policymakers. Submissions by Adult Learning Australia and researchers have called for unified educational policies and practices across Australia. This paper argues that, whilst it is important to address macro issues of…

Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is often presented as a promising learning method. However, it is also facing some new challenges. Apart from answering the question of whether or not working with CSCL generates satisfying learning outcomes, it is important to determine whether or not all participants profit from collaboration,…

In 1993, a partnership was formed between Cincinnati Bell Telephone, Clermont County Educational Service Center, University of Cincinnati-Clermont College, county businesses and 12 schools. Through this partnership, a distance learning project was envisioned that would enhance learning opportunities with technology. This paper describes how the…

This paper describes the change in student attitudes after taking a computer literacy course which is part of a 6-week pre-college summer session. The summer session is designed for the educationally and financially disadvantages students of the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) and students from the ACCESS program who do not meet normal…

This study was designed to investigate the use of computers by student teachers in their practicums. Student teachers (n=120) in two public universities in the United States answered a questionnaire that covered: the manner and frequency of computer use, student teachers' perception of their training, their attitudes toward the role of the…

The key to successful harnessing of the power and potential of new educational technologies lies in appropriate training of teachers. An educational technology joint venture was created at the Northern Territory University in Darwin (Australia) in which the Institute of Technical and Further Education provided the equipment, the Computing Services…

The first volume of a three-volume report on a three-year study of the use of computers in secondary school classrooms, this document reviews the context of the research project: its organization; the basis of the research strategy employed; and the character of the schools, teachers, and students involved. The project was conducted by the…