In a recent meta-analysis of distance and online learning, Bernard et al. (2009) quantitatively verified the importance of three types of interaction: among students, between the instructor and students, and between students and course content. In this paper we explore these findings further, discuss methodological issues in research and suggest…

This paper presents a tool named "Interactive Attention Board" (IAB) and an associated software named "Interactive Attention Boards Software" (IABS) for individuals with Mental Retardation and Autism. The proposed system is based on several theories such as perception and learning theories, and it is intended to improve hand-eye coordination and…

The authors developed this experiential exercise to aid students in learning how others perceive them as well as how they perceive others and, ultimately, to begin to help them identify the origins of such perceptions. The exercise's goal is to explore how participants may make inaccurate perceptions of others and how they might pierce through…

This is a design study meant to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating three rather different theoretical perspectives for future efforts in multimedia instructional design. A multimedia instructional grammar program contextualized within the teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL) was developed and evaluated. The program design was…

Science curriculum and instruction in K-12 settings in the United States is currently dominated by an emphasis on the science standards movement of the 1990s and the resulting standards-based high-stakes assessment and accountability movement of the 2000s. We argue that this focus has moved the field away from important philosophical…

Examining the body as a site and product of various ongoing discursive processes can provide insight about how identity impacts students' learning and understanding of their classroom experiences. This qualitative case study investigates how two, urban, eighth-grade students responded to being identified as struggling readers, concentrating…

Educational technology research has been characterised as lacking theoretical frameworks that can enable cumulative knowledge-building across the field. This article explores the value of Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) for addressing these issues by discussing research into the key of integration of information and communication technologies in…

This paper presents the findings of a longitudinal study in which two instructional methods to teach agreement features to first-year university students specializing in Spanish in Japan are compared. On the one hand, the control group was exposed to the traditional top-down teaching of agreement paradigms and were instructed to practice them…

This is the first of six commentaries discussing Zongjie Wu's essay, "Interpretation, autonomy, and transformation". Wu's analyses of pedagogy have opened a new window for looking at the essence of education. The comparison of Confucius's pedagogy with contemporary teaching in China provides a striking contrast. However, perhaps it is…

Instructional designers and educators recognize the potential of mobile technologies as a learning tool for students and have incorporated them into the distance learning environment. However, little research has been done to categorize the numerous examples of mobile learning in the context of distance education, and few instructional design…

Based on a three-year-long ethnography of the hobby of model rocketry, I present a practice-centered theory of interest relationships--that is, the pattern of long-term, self-motivated engagement in open-ended practices that has been theorized under the concept of "individual interests". In contrast to extant theories of individual interests, in…

The purpose of this article is to examine the link between individual learning processes and continuous organizational knowledge formation through an integrated literature review of these perspectives from both academic and practical viewpoints. In the current fierce economic environment, individual knowledge is regarded as the most valuable asset…

There is an instinctive drive among all humans to make meaning of their daily lives. Because there are no enduring truths, and change is continuous, people cannot always be assured of what they know or believe. It therefore becomes imperative in adulthood that they develop a more critical worldview as they seek ways to better understand the world.…

Narrative is not only a method for fostering learning; it is also a way to conceptualize the learning process. In this chapter, the authors examine what narrative learning is, how it works, and how it can be used more intentionally and effectively in the education of adults. This article aims to stimulate further conversation and thought about the…

This article will begin by seeking to define the notion of learning "by, through" and "from" experience. A linkage will then be established between these notions of experiences and gestalt theory. This will be explored within a subject specific context of graphic design. Links will be highlighted between the inherent nature of graphic design and…