This report examines the contribution of self-evaluation to internal review processes in Scotland's colleges. It identifies the range of methodologies used by colleges, what makes these effective and what needs to improve further. It explores in particular, the extent to which self-evaluation has a positive impact on learners' experiences. The…

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the instructor's accent influences the students' learning outcome, as well as how a student's accent perceptions may affect their learning. Unlike native voices, accented voices are not natural to the native speakers; therefore, it requires more cognitive resources for processing the information,…

The purpose of this work is to share our findings in using video gaming technology to facilitate the understanding of basic electromagnetism with pre-service elementary teachers. To this end we explored the impact of using a game called "Supercharged!" on pre-service teachers' understanding of electromagnetic concepts compared to students who…

This article seeks to inspire humanities and social science faculty to explore ways of utilizing existing scholarly online communities to engage students in the process of academic inquiry. The author discusses her own experience using a discipline-specific listserv, shares successful assignments, examples of student postings and a grading rubric.…

The Great Plains Distance Education Alliance (Great Plains IDEA) emphasizes the importance of a collaborative environment for instructors and students in distance education. The authors highlight a number of important principles for distance-education programs and point out similarities and differences when compared to traditional face-face-to…

The researcher designed this qualitative study to identify and explore the preservice technology training experiences of novice teachers and examine their perceptions of how well their teacher preparation program equipped them with the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS.T).…

This article presents data from a longitudinal study of the effects of providing teachers with personal laptop computers. It considers the role of teacher laptops in learning and teaching in three schools selected because technology was widely used there. Using multiple methods of data collection (observation in classrooms; interviews with…

In Taiwan, earlier English instruction has become prevalent in response to the trend of English as an international language. Current studies are interested in investigating the outcomes or developmental process of learning English from a linguistic perspective. However, this article aims to reveal children's subjective experiences of learning…

Self-directed learning on open online networks is now a possibility as communication and resources can be combined to create learning environments. But is it really? There are some challenges that might prevent learners from having a quality learning experience. This paper raises questions on levels of learner autonomy, presence, and critical…

Over the past decade, a wide array of instructional technology applications have found their way into early intervention settings. Of particular importance to young learners who evidence developmental delays or are at risk for school failure are those technologies with the potential to more effectively teach basic emergent literacy skills: (1)…

The aim of this study was to identify learners' perceptions of the quality of interaction in Moodle and investigate the effects of gender, grade point average (GPA), individualized learning experiences and their experiences in using Moodle factors in perceiving the quality of interaction. A questionnaire was used to collect data after being…

The goal of this study is to gain insight into the effects of context on educational game experience. Using a quasi-experimental setup, it compares the playing and learning experiences of adolescent players of the awareness-raising game PING in a domestic (N=135) and a school (N=121) context. Results indicate that both gaming (identification,…

The purpose of this study was to test for statistically significant differences between students in an online and traditional (face-to-face) teacher education programs with their perceptions of social connectedness and satisfaction with their learning experiences at a research-intensive institution located in the southern region of the United…

Perceptions concerning training and development continue to appear in practitioner literature; however, the fact that those perceptions are not explored in HRD literature is a problem. The purpose of this study was to examine perspectives of participants in organization-sponsored training. A general qualitative methodology was utilized in this…

Teachers of English as a Second Language use curricula offered to them for their classroom instruction. Although there are many good materials to be used in the classroom, and many opportunities to develop themselves professionally, research shows that including students' backgrounds into the curriculum will engage the students and benefit them. …