The challenges of teaching large classes are well documented in the literature on teaching in higher education. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to address some of these challenges, but, used inappropriately, technology can perpetuate entrenched practices and simply support performance models of teaching that…

This work describes the use of a virtual learning environment (VLE) applied to the biochemistry class for undergraduate, first-year medical students at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The course focused on the integration of energy metabolism, exploring metabolic adaptations in different physiological or pathological states such as…

Online distance education (ODE) has become pervasive and can potentially transform pedagogical practices across primary, secondary and university-based educational systems. ODE is considered a flexible option for non-traditional students such as adult learners and home-schoolers, and a convenient way to deliver remedial courses. ODE is also a…

Over the past decade, rising tuition costs and concerns about student success and retention rates have led to an increased focus on levels of student engagement in higher education. The current interest in student engagement may be helping to revive the traditional view of education as a community of learners. The growing use of Web 2.0…

This paper describes how an online space has been used as a venue for action research in a teacher education program. The research context is a general methods course on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for elementary and secondary school teacher candidates in a teacher education program. This blended course used an online…

Data from students in two sections of a general education course offered at a research university in spring 2009 were used to explore whether student satisfaction factors are associated with perceived learning as rated by students. A list of 22 elements in the learning environment was explored. The 22 were used in creating 3 satisfaction factors…

This paper presents an innovative approach to e-learning by exploring a number of initiatives where there is a move towards collaborative use of Personal Development Plans (PDPs) integrated with e-portfolios as mechanisms for delivering such plans. It considers whether such a move towards more product orientated assessment might enhance student…

In 1998, as part of what was then Zambia's Department of Technical Education and Vocational Training's (DTEVT) human resources capacity building initiative, under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training (MSTVT), donor funding was secured to provide degree-level training for key teachers and managers within the technical…

This paper reports the findings from an investigation into the distance learning support systems of a UK University's overseas MBA programme. This programme is provided to several countries around the world in alliance with the overseas' local higher educational institutions (HEIs), and is delivered primarily via online courses, but also with…

A new type of Student Response System (SRS) based up on the latest wireless technologies and hand held mobile devices has been developed to enhance active learning methods and assess students' understanding. The key services involve a set of XML technologies, web services and modern mobile devices. A group consisting of engineers, scientists and…

Students who feel like part of a classroom community gain more enjoyment and are more academically successful than students who do not feel similar levels of community. This study intended to determine if students in online courses perceive the same level of community as students in face-to-face classes and if outside factors impacted community…

This study aims to create a blended learning environment, based on the concept of competency-based training, in a Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) classroom at an American university. Drupal platform and web 2.0 tools were used as supplements to traditional face-to-face classroom instruction. Students completed various selective tasks and…

This paper focuses on how people working in the Swedish food production industry engage in in-service training by means of computer-mediated communication. The empirical material consists of archived chat log files from a course concerning quality assurance and food safety hazards control in the preparation and handling of foodstuff. Drawing on…

This study integrated collaborative problem-based learning (collaborative PBL) with blended learning to explore the emerging process and function of online learning communities among preservice teachers. Thirty-two preservice teachers participated in a 16-week instruction program. Analyses of online group discussions and portfolios found that (a)…

With social networking sites playing an increasingly important role in today's society, educators are exploring how they can be used as a teaching and learning tool. This article reports the findings of a qualitative case study about the integration of "Ning" into a blended course. The study draws on the perspectives of the students, the…