Current literature supports the idea of teacher created websites for parental involvement; however, it does not provide adequate guidelines for determining formal content of a teacher website. While potential benefits are often suggested, specific guidelines appear infrequently. This study sought to address some of the shortcomings in the…

This paper describes an extensive online project, Writingmatrix [http://writingmatrix.wikispaces.com], involving several key elements essential to collaboration in Web 2.0, such as aggregation, tagging, and social networking. Participant teachers in several different countries--Argentina, Venezuela, and Slovenia--had their adult students at…

The availability of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has led organisations to implement different kinds of electronic knowledge networks and communities. While the technological infrastructure connects employees in different locations and allows for learning and the flow of knowledge across traditional organisational…

The study examines the effects of e-mail messages on students' perceived social support, academic satisfaction, academic outcomes, and on students' coping modes. E-mails with a social or academic content were submitted by the university academic staff responsible for the courses to the 229 undergraduate students enrolled in an online social…

This paper examines the origin and implications of adult learners' emotions in the context of an online distance learning programme at the Open University of Cyprus. Various methods for gathering data about learners' emotions related to online learning are used, such as emotion diaries, semi-structured interviews, and email messages. The paper…

The possibility of online student collaboration over cyberspace for two groups of students in Australia and Singapore was conceived by JaneMaree Maher at Monash University in Australia in 2005 after hearing a paper given by a colleague that detailed the experience of a three-way cross-country dialogue using flexible learning technologies. A recent…

The use and effects of a CSCL-tool are not always predictable from the properties of the tool alone, but depend on how that tool is appropriated. This paper presents the findings from a case study about the appropriation of a graphical shared workspace. When students are presented with a new tool they may encounter competing constraints and…

In the study of online learning community, many investigators have turned attention to automatically logged web data. This study aims to further this work by seeking to determine whether logs of student activity within online graduate level courses related to student perceptions of course community. Researchers utilized the data logging features…

Regardless of whether an institution is a reluctant passenger on the racing technology train or itching to throw another shovel of coal on the fire, continuing advancements in technology make it a formidable factor in life on college campuses today. While students are updating their most recent social networking sites, faculty, staff, and…

The objectives of this study are to explore the use of asynchronous discussion groups during medical students' clinical rotation in paediatrics. In particular, the impact of role assignment on the level of knowledge construction through social negotiation is studied. Case-based asynchronous discussion groups were introduced to enhance reflection…

Reform-minded teachers encounter formidable challenges, especially in the difficult conditions of typical urban settings. Maintaining an online web log (or "blog") has been suggested as a powerful tool to support their practice and continuing professional development. To further articulate how and why blogs can provide teachers with unique…

This article showcases August's School Web Site of the Month, http://magnoliaisdcommunities.org/communities/bschuster, which was produced by Bradley H. Schuster (bschuster@magnoliaisd.org) and his students at Magnolia High School, Magnolia, Texas. Schuster teaches architectural drafting and building trades classes at both Magnolia High School and…

While there is agreement that participation in online asynchronous discussions can enhance student learning, it has also been identified that there is a need to investigate the impact of participation in online discussions on student course performance. This paper presents a case study based on an undergraduate engineering management unit…

The proliferation of online course designs has changed the learning environments for many students and professors. Recommendations for best practice in online course design frequently include maximizing students' online peer connections, with the intention of building a viable, if virtual, online learning community. However, students' responses to…

A phenomenological study was conducted with a group of doctoral students preparing to be technology leaders. Students and faculty participated in weekend-intensive course work in which the faculty and some students attended classes on campus, and another group of students attended classes through distance technologies. Using some of these very…