This study tested the effects of linguistic qualifiers and intensifiers on the number and types of replies elicited per argument and per challenge posted in online debates. To facilitate collaborative argumentation, thirty-two students (22 females, 10 males) enrolled in a graduate-level online course classified and labeled their messages as…

Three years ago, the language lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison encountered the same challenge many campuses face. Older analog technologies were getting harder--in some cases impossible--to maintain, thus making the move to digital technologies a necessity. A typical solution would have been to digitize existing materials and substitute…

Distance education has been one of the hottest and most controversial topics in higher education circles for approximately the past 10 years. It has been viewed at once as the panacea for educating the world and that which, through its inherent depersonalization of the academic process, will destroy higher education "as we know it." This article…

In this paper, we suggest that case-based resources, which are used for assisting cognition during problem solving, can be structured around the work of narratives in social cultural psychology. Theories and other research methods have proposed structures within narratives and stories which may be useful to the design of case-based resources.…

The purpose of the "Review of E-Learning in Canada", conducted by Abrami and associates (which is referred to as "the team"), was to provide evidence and gaps on the topic of e-learning, and based on this data provide promising directions for e-learning. Funded by the Canadian Council on Learning, the stated objectives of the…

Blended learning is a promising model for supporting teacher professional development that combines the advantages of traditional face-to-face interaction with the flexibility of online learning. In this study, we examine the impact of two one-year blended learning programs on teachers' attitudes, knowledge, and classroom practices. These…

Health professionals are attracted to the flexibility of the virtual classroom for their on-going education. Recent studies have documented the differences in pedagogy between Internet based learning online and the traditional classroom setting, but few have investigated student health professionals' transitional process while engaged in online…

This paper describes the application of a mixed-evaluation method, published elsewhere, to three different learning scenarios. The method defines how to combine social network analysis with qualitative and quantitative analysis in order to study participatory aspects of learning in CSCL contexts. The three case studies include a course-long,…

This article outlines the background to, and progress on, a project based on work carried out at the Open University UK (OUUK). The aim of the project is to articulate the attributes and expertise required by tutors of languages in distance education. A review of the literature on the roles and competencies required for tutors operating at a…

This article examines the relationship between the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and learning and teaching, particularly in distance education contexts. We argue that environmental changes (societal, educational, and technological) make it necessary to adapt systems and practices that are no longer appropriate. The need…

In this paper, ULearn (University of Surrey learning on-line) and e-learning techniques are used to enhance the students' understanding and participation in Dynamics modules for an undergraduate programme in the School of Engineering, University of Surrey. The Dynamics modules are taught at Levels 2 and 3 and contain several mechanisms and…

This conference proceeding presents abstracts, complete papers, and presenter biographies from the 1995 Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium (CALICO) annual symposium on computers and collaborative learning. Presented topics included courseware, preconference workshop reports, and conference papers presented, including guest speaker…

There is a lot of educational software on the market, but little of it can be said to be revolutionary. Despite all the talk about education and computers, the educational software revolution has yet to begin. All educational software can be placed in categories of games (edutainment), simulations, reference software, and tutorials. Choosing…

This revised and expanded edition of a handbook is designed for basic skills tutors. Part 1 looks at what literacy involves and why it is important. It examines previous experiences of learning that students may bring and describes a range of styles of provision. Part 2 contains four student profiles, to which the rest of the book makes reference.…

This Technology Learning Activity (TLA) for control robotics programming technology in grades 6-10 is designed to teach students to construct and program computer-controlled devices using a LEGO DACTA set and computer interface and to help them understand how control technology and robotics affect them and their lifestyle. The suggested time for…