In the not too distant past, libraries kept a vertical file of printed materials that typically consisted of newspaper and magazine clippings, pamphlets, brochures, maps, photographs, and sundry whatnots. Most, if not all, of these materials were irregularly published or they were not published in any official manner. They were seen as incidental…

For a while, the idea of social software was something that had to be sold. Although many librarians were experimenting with it, there were a lot of concerns. Now, social software, like Library 2.1, is starting to be viewed less as a disruptive force and more as a regular part of a librarian's workflow. This article highlights a few examples that…

The University has a remarkably enduring history that is due in no small part to its ability to adapt itself whenever intellectual, political, or technological change has occurred. Today's technology revolution, however, presents the University with one of the greatest adaptation challenges it has ever faced in its lengthy history, and the…

Ongoing developments in educational technology, including web-based instruction, streaming video, podcasting, video-conferencing, and the use of wikis and blogs to create learning communities, have substantial impact on distance education and preparation of special educators in rural communities. These developments can be overwhelming, however,…

In the present knowledge economy, individuals, particularly working adults, need to continuously acquire purposeful knowledge and skills so they can better contribute towards addressing society's ever-changing developmental challenges. In the developing world however, few opportunities exist for working adults to acquire such new learning…

The use of computers has become the driving force in the delivery of instruction of today's vocational education and training (VET) in Nigeria. Though computers have become an increasingly accessible resource for educators to use in their teaching activities, most teachers are still unable to integrate it in their teaching and learning processes.…

Concerns are frequently raised about undergraduates being so immersed in web-based technologies in their broader lives that they have difficulties engaging in more conventional study practices, such as academic reading and writing essays. The research reported on here examines this issue through a literacies lens. The project findings illustrate…

Narratives of power that purport to represent the "truth" of others need to be challenged by the individual stories of those who are silenced by "authority" and "expert" opinion. This paper utilises research data from an open-ended ethnographic study of 32 Australian high school students at the turn of the…

Struck by the paucity of research into how older people use information and communication technologies, a group of "senior learners" at Lancaster University examined older adults' changing experience of technology and what motivates them to become engaged. Through group discussions, interviews and photographs they explored their changing…

Purpose: This exploratory study seeks to identify the factors that influence the adoption and diffusion of instructional technology at five prominent universities in the UK. The study aims to examine the organisational factors that enable and inhibit organisational adoption and diffusion of innovation. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative…

Drawing on the case of a student of his who, like Herman Melville's Bartleby, simply preferred not to write, the author argues that current celebration of technology encourages passive resistance. He emphasizes that authentic, productive classroom experiences derive from in-person interactions that directly connect in relevant ways to students'…

The need to prepare literacy teachers to integrate new literacies into their teaching practices is becoming increasingly urgent. This is because the advent of the computer is fundamentally changing the notion of literacy and also profoundly shifting literacy instruction and the way students learn. The research objective of this study was,…

Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) has conducted a series of educational assessments in many OECD and non-OECD countries to support their sustainable economic growth since 2000. These assessments are named Program for International Student Achievement (PISA); they focus on the capabilities of 15-year olds in three main…

Strong signs are indicating that higher education is finally on the verge of a long-awaited digital shift. Given that experts have been prophesying such a shift for more than forty years, with little if any real change, it's reasonable to approach such a statement with healthy skepticism. Various factors--some cultural, some technological--have…

Barely 30 years on from the advent of distance learning as we recognise it today, it has already become uncommon for a learner to embark on a programme of education that does not involve frequent access to the Internet; but if a course does not revolve around the Internet, is it in any way inferior and is the learner disadvantaged? Two of the…