Thirty-seven graduate students in two course sections were required to contribute to the online discussion of an instructional design case study. The discussion forums required different participation protocols; students in section one implemented a constructive argumentation approach while students in section two had less structure for their…

The rationale behind the project is based on the belief that the study of a work of literature can effectively open a window of opportunity for pupils to study other countries' cultures and identities as well as contribute to pupils' own identity construction and to the understanding of the identity of others. Information and communication…

This paper examines the effect of heterogeneous resources, available to students, during computer-supported collaborative problem solving. A study of collaborative modeling has been conducted in the frame of an authentic educational activity in a secondary school. The students involved were provided with sets of primitive resources of varying…

The education of science teachers necessarily involves instruction around the use of computer technologies. Acadia University, a laptop institution, offers a unique setting where students are immersed in the critique of pedagogical applications of computers. The current trend to employ constructivist approaches in teaching provides a backdrop for…

This study examined the online collaboration and problem solving processes of preservice general education and special education teachers from two different states. The use of online collaborative problem solving across the miles was found to be a vehicle for preservice teachers to prepare to meet the needs of all learners in inclusive…

The potential represented by the use of computer-mediated conferencing and instruction offers access for and collaboration among learners around the world. Yet, an important aspect of successful online learning experiences--student socialization in cyberspace--appears to suffer from a somewhat fractured research history. Some research indicates…

This paper reports on a case study which identifies and illustrates sources of difference in agreement in relation to reliability in a context of quantitative content analysis of a transcript of an online asynchronous discussion (OAD). Transcripts of 10 students in a month-long online asynchronous discussion were coded by two coders using an…

Asynchronous computer conferencing refers to the use of computer software and a network enabling participants to post messages that allow discourse to continue even though interactions may be extended over days and weeks. Asynchronous conferences are time-independent, adapting to multiple time zones and learner schedules. Such activities as…

This paper presents a framework for online collaborative learning, also known as telecollaboration. At the centre of this flexible framework are online collaborative educational experiences where knowledge creation and knowledge in action are the nexus of social, teaching and cognitive presence based on the "Community of Inquiry" model of…

There is a tremendous amount of pressure on educators to incorporate highly advanced computer-mediated communication (CMC) into the classroom, but the research shows that this is not an easy task. Part of the difficulty learners experience within current network applications is a lack of support from the design of the software for the development…

Very often, when using a chat tool where more than one participant is talking simultaneously, it is difficult to follow the conversation, read all the different messages and work out who is talking to whom about what. This problem has been dubbed "Chat Confusion." This article investigates this problem in debate sessions in an online university…

The present article presents conditions relating to the effective use of text-based computer conferencing for group interaction. More specifically, it discusses ways peers found in order to express themselves as members of on-line groups and if they were able to reach consensus during interaction. The findings of the research are based on…

Purpose: To explore the use of asynchronous and synchronous text-based communication using the internet as a means of promoting discussion among a knowledge-building community of school students carrying out a science investigation. Design/methodology/approach: Activity theory is used to bring together the various theories associated with the…

This paper describes the incorporation of online psychological consultation regarding child behavior in an early childhood teacher education program. The authors discuss psychological consultation in terms of current theory and philosophy in early childhood teacher education in general, and in terms of the professional objectives of this specific…

Purpose: This paper aims to advance the argument for the transformative potential of e-mentoring for professional women. Design/methodology/approach: Existing mentoring and e-mentoring models are evaluated as the context for the development of an innovative e-mentoring programme for professional women in the UK (Empathy-Edge). The European…