The increasing use of computer technology in formal educational settings has been simultaneous with the increased acceptance of functional perspectives of knowledge construction and acquisition. The practical need to make formal education cost efficient has resulted in the use of computer technology to render knowledge accessible to students who…

The chapters of this collection examine a full range of issues that any educational institution must consider before beginning to develop a Web portal, including business challenges, organizational implications, policy choices, and technology concerns. The chapters are: (1) "It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's a Portal?" (Richard N. Katz);…

This report presents the results of phone surveys that examined Internet use following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Findings include: (1) in the first days after the attacks, the number of people using the Internet fell; (2) overall usage was down, but the people using the Internet were surfing aggressively; (3) there was a rise in…

Research on teachers' professional development is gaining popularity among educators since changes in society require teachers to improve their skills and knowledge. Rather than transmitting information to teachers, knowledge sharing through emerging tacit knowledge among them has gained more importance. Because of new information and…

A Web-based Delphi process can be used to answer difficult questions, compile a body of knowledge from experts, or solve a problem or establish content validity. Because of its more qualitative online discussion environment, a Web-based Delphi procedure has the potential to offer a more rigorous validation of HRD-related content than traditional…

This book, aimed specifically at new or relatively new facilitators of online education or training courses, is a guide to learning the ground-breaking techniques and skills necessary to effectively facilitate online dialogue, community, and ultimately, education. The book offers a theoretical framework and practical guidelines to help online…

Educators need to better understand how Internet discussion boards can be used in their classrooms. The process of trying to learn more about potential efficacy of a merger of two potent education tools (Learning or Literature Circles and online discussion boards) is currently underway. A large research study has been designed to examine the…

Electronic mentoring (e-mentoring) programs are providing unprecedented opportunities for establishing mentoring relationships. E-mentoring is the merger of mentoring with electronic communications and links mentors with proteges independent of geography or scheduling constraints. In this case study, the authors apply a model of structured…

Drawing from a range of disciplines, the contributors to this collection describe and analyze their experiences in collaboration and in using interactive technologies. The multidisciplinary approach of this book is useful for anyone interested in pedagogical applications of interactive technologies across disciplines and institutions. The chapters…

Whereas in a traditional university classroom, important features of interpersonal relationships are most readily communicated by body language or tone of voice, in electronically-mediated teaching environments, absent such real time cues, even subtle metacommunications may take on added importance and power. Although a growing number of studies…

E-mentoring is the merger of mentoring with electronic communications and has been termed telementoring, cybermentoring, or virtual mentoring. By leveraging the growth in information technology, electronic mentoring provides opportunities for mentoring prohibited by face-to-face mentoring programs. Yet, the ease with which e-mentoring programs can…

Online counseling is a growing means of interaction for counselors and clients. This paper presents an interview among three counselors who simultaneously describe and demonstrate skills they use in their e-mail counseling practices. The interviewer and the interviewees all have been involved in the development of online counseling. The skills…

This paper examines online corporate university artifacts to bring to light additive definitions of literacy. Rhetorical analysis in the paper shows four claims made about literacy in the corporate university artifacts: literacy is knowing the corporate culture; literacy provides immediate and quantifiable benefits; literacy is easily accessible…

Stop.Think.Connect. is a national public awareness campaign aimed at increasing the understanding of cyber threats and empowering the American public to be safer and more secure online. The Campaign's main objective is to help individuals become more aware of growing cyber threats and arm them with the tools to protect themselves, their families,…

Discusses the technological advances in electronic communication over the last 30 years. Touches on various real-time interactive multimedia communications, including video on demand, videocassettes, laser discs, CD-ROM, a history of networking, terminal/host and client/server networking, intraoperability and interoperability and multimedia…