Agricultural development programs often produce unexpected results. This can be attributed to the fact that the target-farmers already have their own knowledge and competencies which, in turn, determine their practices. In order to be adopted, an innovation has first to be discussed, and then appropriated by a local group of farmers in their…

The Southeast Asian country of Singapore comprises a main island and numerous islets between Malaysia and Indonesia. Inhabited by Chinese, Malays, Indians, Eurasians, and other ethnic populations, Singapore is a vibrant mix of different cultures and religions. It is also reputed to be the most wired island in the world. This characteristic--along…

This article considers the possibility that school-based uses of new technologies might actually exacerbate the educational disadvantage of already disadvantaged social groups--particularly, learners from low socio-economic status populations. It draws on some recent international studies that indicate how minority, poor and urban students may be…

This article focuses on the changing concepts of the university student and teacher, of learning and teaching, and of the university as such because of the use and integration of electronic learning environments. This mode of digital learning implies important changes in established practices in which students and teachers inevitably take part.…

State and national standards continue to prod teacher education programs towards preparing teacher candidates who are capable of integrating computer technologies into their teaching methodologies. However, providing experiences and resources for this type of teacher training necessarily relies on students possessing basics skills in computer use…

This paper describes the findings of a qualitative research study examining the perceptions and practices of inservice teachers who blog. Open-ended interviews and electronic dialogues were conducted with 16 K-12 bloggers to identify emergent themes. A content analysis of each participant's Weblogs was conducted to confirm these findings. Findings…

This case study analyzed how an online learning community developed among a cohort of 18 students in an instructional design and technology master's degree program taught at a distance. Students' reflections about the effectiveness of the program revealed that a community-centered approach to learning, a constructivist learning environment, and…

This study explored what factors influenced learner participation in two sections of a graduate online course at a Midwestern university. Findings indicated that online learner participation and patterns of participation are influenced by the following factors: technology and interface characteristics, content area experience, student roles and…

There is a growing demand for advice about effective, time efficient ways of using ICT to support student learning in higher education. This paper uses one such area of activity--networked learning--as a context in which to outline a novel approach to educational design. The paper makes two main contributions. It provides a high level view of the…

Children learn through movement and interactions with their environment and/or with others. For children who have physical limitations, this natural developmental process is affected. The use of assistive technology to enhance movement, communication, play and learning allows the child with physical impairments to learn in a more independent…

We examined direct and interaction effects of learners' characteristics (cognitive ability, prior knowledge, prior experience, and motivation to learn) and classroom characteristics (videoconferencing and class size) on learning from a 16-week course. A 2x2 quasi-experimental design varied the class size between large (approximately 60 students)…

This article reports on a phenomenological research study that was undertaken to provide cultural understanding about the nature of distance education experiences of Arab graduate students pursuing degree programs in the United States. As a theoretical framework, Hofstede's international difference dimensions and Hall's concept of low and high…

Implementing information systems (IS) is expensive and sometimes unsuccessful due to low levels of system user acceptance (Legris, Ingham, & Collerette, 2003). For this reason, IS research has focused, in part, on variables contributing to system user acceptance of technology. As a part of this effort, Davis (1989) theorized and tested the…

This article presents a virtual course with the topic network security. The course has been produced by Arcada Polytechnic as a part of the production team Computer Networks, Telecommunication and Telecommunication Systems in the Finnish Virtual Polytechnic. The article begins with an introduction to the evolution of the information security…

This paper considers some of the benefits of reading and writing e-literature, including its influences on prints texts, challenges to the imagination, and attention to metafictive devices and processes. The less cohesive, more fragmented quality of e-literature creates a subjunctive space for creation where writers can consider interesting…