In an effort to better prepare undergraduate students to read and critically evaluate scientific literature, a journal club experience was introduced into a university's bachelor of science curriculum. As a result of this experience, students have been found to be more thoughtful, poised, and articulate presenters, a fact that they, the students,…

Reflection plays a very important role in learning processes and is very helpful for promoting learning performance. Many higher education institutions today are actively promoting learners' reflection ability in order to help them cope with the fast changing world they will be entering when they graduate. Online learning provides potential for…

This paper describes a piece of research carried out at the University of Bradford into student perceptions of e-assessment. An online questionnaire was delivered to 130 undergraduates who had taken part in online assessment (either formative or summative) during the academic year 2007-2008. The survey looked at six main dimensions: (1) affective…

The digital age offers transformative opportunities for individualization of learning. First, modern imaging technologies have changed our understanding of learning and the sources and ranges of its diversity. Second, digital technologies make it possible to design learning environments that are responsive to individual differences. We draw on…

Traditionally, people have used perspectives of space and time to define a sense of place and personal identity. Western cultures interpret place and time as static entities. In interactive multimedia computing, visual literacy defines new dimensions in communication that are reshaping traditional Western concepts of place and time. Experience…

There's no doubt that Web 2.0--the social and technological phenomenon that enables users to generate content, interact, and share information across borders--can be a force for good in the world of education. The author's enthusiasm for collaborative Web-based content is tempered, however, by concern about these three challenges: (1) Partners…

Despite lower attendance than in the past and blustery, cold weather, the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting in Denver in January offered lots of news from industry vendors and lots of opportunities to discuss important issues and trends. In this report, the author highlights some of the most important product announcements with a…

In high-level education such as university studies, there is a flexible but complicated system of subject offerings and registration rules such as prerequisite subjects. Those offerings, connected with registration rules, should be matched to the students' learning needs and desires, which change dynamically. Students need assistance in such a…

Few issues in education are more pressing than the need to prepare students for a productive life after school. The issue is of paramount importance to the nation as well as the individual. Each week seems to bring another dire prediction that the United States and its workers will soon be competing with far better prepared workers from around the…

This article investigates the relationship between policy (conceptualised as goals, values and resources), organisational culture and e-learning use. Through both qualitative and quantitative research methods, we gathered data about staff and student perspectives from four diverse South African universities representing a selection of ICT in…

Developing interactive history learning materials to facilitate historical thinking is one of the challenges in history teaching and learning. This study developed a web-based history educational system, which has used the acronym HES-SPATO (history educational system based on SPATO), to increase the understandability of history learning…

Teachers must clearly distinguish for students the educational technologies (the tools or means) used to investigate a subject from the subject (the task) itself. Without this distinction, students develop critical and fundamental misconceptions about their subjects of study, usually confusing the tool for the task. Digital educational…

This study explores the pedagogical potential of instant messaging in a communication course. Two instructors made themselves available to students via instant messaging as a supplement to other modes of communication (e.g., e-mail, office hours). In order to gauge students' reactions to and use of the technology, the researchers kept logs of…

The interest in the integration of language learning with knowledge/content construction is growing around the world leading to Content-Based Instruction (CBI) which emphasizes the connection between the skills and information provided in the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course and the technical material taught in their discipline.…

Tasks in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are unusually varied because they target phenomena occurring in diverse domains and call upon a wide range of abilities to perform them. The fact that STEM tasks cover such a broad spectrum of abilities makes these fields uncharacteristically inclusive: Individuals with disabilities…