A study identified adult learning principles critical for effective Web-based instructional design (WBID), barriers to effective WBID, and practices of professionals who design WBID. National experts in adult education and WBID were interviewed, and the resulting product was an online assessment that 10 Web-based instructional designers completed.…

A study examined rural, low-income students' experiences with online advanced placement (AP) courses. Interviews were conducted with 30 students, their mentors, and school administrators at four rural high schools in two Western states; 25 students were low-income. Positive comments about the online experience mentioned interaction with other…

Today's literature is filled with new paradigms for learning, specifically in relation to the increasing adoption of computer-mediated techniques for interactive learning. In many cases, learning may now be enhanced through the experience of a shared online environment for critical discussion, knowledge building, and the establishment of…

It is argued that content-based teaching effectively teaches language skills while supporting development of critical thinking, intercultural communication, and student participation. The content provides cognitive and conceptual links needed for naturalistic language learning, and student participation in selection of content increases…

While the computer chip is revolutionizing society as a whole, its effects on education remain limited. This paper identifies and describes how exemplary elementary school teachers in Southwestern Ohio use technology in the classroom, and provides a model for the development of tomorrow's classrooms. Qualitative and quantitative data collection…

One college instructor's methods of incorporating global issues into advanced classes of English as a Second Language are described. The objectives are to enable students to identify, access, organize, interpret, and respond to information about world affairs in print and non-print forms from diverse sources, and to enable them further to analyze…

This book presents practical solutions for teaching foreign language learners self instruction, ranging from needs analysis to resourcing, strategy training and monitoring tools. Special emphasis is placed on different ways in which learners can be supported by learning how to analyze their own needs and set their own goals, how to choose the most…

This paper describes preliminary work on "Multiple Intelligent Mentors Instructing Collaboratively" (MIMIC), an intelligent Web-based agent environment for learning instructional design. The focus is on developing theoretical foundations of instructional design and instructional theory that form the foundation for systems development. In the…

This study compared the effectiveness of distance education versus on-campus education, as measured by pre- and post-tests, differences in final exam scores and final course grades, age, and preferred learning styles. Learning style preferences were determined by the Canfield Learning Styles Inventory. Participants included 47 undergraduate…

This paper present a case study on how the teaching methods in a number of modules in the Department of Information Science at the University of Pretoria (South Africa) have been transformed from traditional classroom presentations to a learner-centered approach supported by material on the World Wide Web and by e-mail and listserv interaction.…

This article examines barriers to technology adoption based on the literature and data from two studies. A five-step hierarchical model (familiarization, utilization, integration, reorientation, evolution) of adoption of technology in the classroom is presented, and internal and external barriers to technology adoption are examined. The two…

This qualitative study examined the structure and interaction in an online course from the meaning-perspectives of the actors involved. Participants were a teacher and teaching assistant who taught a graduate course in distance education at Arizona State University, delivered through a computer conferencing system. Data collected included…

Social workers in direct practice rely on critical thinking to apply theories, make informed decisions, and explain their assessments and decisions. This paper defines critical thinking and discusses skills needed for its development, methods and assignments for teaching those skills to undergraduate and graduate students in practice courses, and…

Describes a constructivist teaching exercise consisting of a group of teachers involved in regular instructional conversations. Raises issues related to conceptualizing frameworks for teaching and developing new teacher assessments, arguing that new assessments should reflect a comprehensive view of teaching based on a broad continuum of teaching…

Describes study that investigated the effects of instructional control and gender pairing arrangements on learner achievement, attitudes, and interaction during an interactive video elementary school science lesson. Cooperative learning strategies are discussed, results of statistical analyses are reported, and implications for instructional…