Colleges and universities are increasingly using online education across North America. There is, however, a debate on the effectiveness of this new technology as a pedagogical tool. In this paper, using our experiences in teaching more than l0 online courses, we examine the role of online education, its advantages and disadvantages, methods of…

Following a preliminary evaluation of the Web-mediated School for All in 2002, this study further examines the online teacher role and explores the possible pedagogical models in this Web-based informal lifelong learning context through a long-term innovative e-learning project over a 2-year period. The author documents the educational rationale,…

This paper explores young people's access to and use of computers in the home and at school. Drawing on a questionnaire survey, conducted in 2001 and 2003 with over 1800 children in the South-West of England, on group interviews in school with over 190 children and with visits to 11 families, the paper discusses: (1) children's current use of…

In this article, the author discusses how assessment has taken a central role in library education, the concept of identifying and measuring the contributing factors toward effective learning in order to optimize course delivery has become a vital activity, with the incorporation of online course delivery as well as other technology-enriched…

The purpose of this paper is to describe the role of computer and information technology in scaling up research-validated instructional strategies like ClassWide Peer Tutoring (CWPT). Recently, implementation software, the CWPT Learning Management System, web and e-mail communications, and interactive multimedia resources have been developed to…

This article draws attention to local and global attendance monitoring in higher education. The paper outlines benefits of attendance monitoring for both the individual learner and university, and compares traditional paper-based attendance monitoring systems with an electronic system piloted in the Business School and School of Technology at the…

Students enjoy carrying out an exciting and challenging research project that combines science with computers and mathematics to investigate how polyacrylate animals change in size over time when placed in water and aqueous salt solutions. The hands-on activity motivates students and provides them with the necessary skills and information to have…

Despite considerable research on the outcomes of teaching approaches at the tertiary level, there have been very few investigations of students' perspectives on the different approaches. This study, based on a series of in-depth interviews with students who completed a unit using traditional face-to-face tutorials and web-based bulletin-board…

Virtual Learning Environments provide a means by which students can interact with course material outside of contact time with lecturers; they also provide the potential to stimulate depth of learning by encouraging students to engage more fully with the topics and issues. A range of 'e-tivities' delivered through a Virtual Learning Environment…

Bioinformatics is one of the fastest growing scientific areas over the last decade. It focuses on the use of informatics tools for the organization and analysis of biological data. An example of their importance is the availability nowadays of dozens of software programs for genomic and proteomic studies. Thus, there is a growing field (private…

This paper, from the UK group in the STTIS (Science Teacher Training in an Information Society) project, describes research into the nature of teachers' transformations of computer modeling, and the development of related teacher training materials. Eight teacher case studies help to identify factors that favor or hinder the take-up of innovative…

This group study investigated the impact of teacher facilitation on the social interactions of young children during computer activities. The study compared 18 dyads comprised of children with and without disabilities who received teacher facilitation during computer activities to a group of children who did not receive teacher facilitation. The…

Field experience is a core element in an initial or preservice teacher education programme. It allows students to enact and reflect on their developing philosophies of teaching and is the "testing ground" for theory/practice links. Educational theorists and programme planners in distance delivered teacher education programmes acknowledge the…

To help students understand the connection that Earth and the solar system have with the cosmic cycles of stellar evolution, and to give students an appreciation of the beauty and elegance of celestial phenomena, the Chandra X-Ray Center (CXC) educational website contains a stellar evolution module that is available free to teachers. In this…

The biochemistry lecture is often the place where students receive the greatest exposure to the structural nature of biomolecules. The use of molecular visualization software and web-based animated tutorials has enhanced the way instructors teach this important area of structural biology. Using the software and tutorials in class is an excellent…