http://www.ncolr.org/jiol The Journal of Interactive Online Learning focuses on providing a venue for manuscripts, critical essays, and reviews that encompass disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives in regards to issues related to higher-level learning outcomes. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:38:12 GMT http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=136 As online instruction continues to evolve, instructors continue to struggle with the perceived growing problem of academic dishonesty. This study will expand the literature regarding academic integrity, particularly in the online learning environment by examining student perceptions of academic integrity related to both online and face-to-face course formats. A survey was administered which measured the frequency students participated in academic misconduct and the instances in which students believed other students participated in academic misconduct. This study involved two research questions: 1) Do differences exist between online vs. face-to-face students' perception of the academic integrity of their own behavior based on course type? 2) Do differences exist between online and face-to-face students' perceptions of other students' behavior based on course type. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=136 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=137 The authors examined online responses of a cohort of teachers, most of whom were taking their first graduate course. The teachers (students) posted their ideas within six blogs. Of 26 students, 11 (42.31%) consented to the analysis of their reflections. Basing their interpretation on stages of online community developed by Waltonen-Moore, Stuart, Newton, Oswald, and Varonis (2006), the authors describe the progress of one group through the stages, discuss three themes that related to a sense of classroom community, and offer suggestions for using online conversation to build classroom community. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=137 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=138 Toward the goal of better e-book design to support early literacy learning, this study investigates analytic tools for examining design qualities of e-books for young children. Three research-based analytic tools related to e-book design were applied to a mixed genre collection of 50 e-books from popular online sites. Tool performance varied across design categories (e.g., multimedia) and administration revealing comparative strengths and weaknesses. Results inform researchers and educators who are engaged in designing and evaluating e-books as material resources in early literacy teaching and learning. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=138 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=139 While the development of online education has been progressing rapidly, further research is needed on the experiences of students in online courses. One concept that has been explored in relation to the quality of the online learning experience is social presence, the degree to which a person is perceived as "real" in mediated communication. The purpose of this article is to discuss the findings regarding the Social Presence and Satisfaction instruments (Gunawardena & Zittle, 1997) used in a recent research study focusing on online learning. Background literature regarding social presence and existing studies of this construct in relation to online learning are analyzed. Descriptive statistics for the Social Presence Scale and Satisfaction Scale are presented and show that students in online courses feel comfortable relating and interacting in the online environment, and are satisfied with online courses. Findings support the continued reliability and validity of these scales and encourage further use of these scales in educational research. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=139 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=140 The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of training, modality, and redundancy on the participants' ability to apply and recall a historical inquiry strategy. An experimental research design was utilized with presentation mode as the independent variable and strategy application and strategy recall as the dependent variables. The participants were engaged in the multimedia intervention for a total of five days, for approximately 30 minutes a day. The results of the study revealed significant differences in the training main effects analysis indicating that strategy instruction can be effectively provided in a multimedia learning environment. However, no significant differences were found for the modality and redundancy main effects. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=140 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=131 This study shows the importance of interaction to student learning within Web-based online learning programs. The population of this study was students enrolled in multiple academic disciplines at a private university in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. A Web-based research instrument was designed to assess students' characteristics, their perceptions of learning, satisfaction, student-to-student interactions and student-to-instructor interactions. Regression analyses were employed to analyze the relationship of interaction variables with student learning and satisfaction. Student-instructor interaction and student-student interaction were found to be significant contributors of student learning and satisfaction. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=131 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=132 This paper focuses on computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) among foreign language (FL) graduate students from three universities, who worked together to create a wiki. In order to investigate the nature of CSCL among participants, this qualitative case study used the Curtis and Lawson framework (2001) to conduct a content analysis of learners' collaborative behaviors. Transcript and survey analyses indicate that the success of collaborative interaction depends largely on the group members themselves. Differing levels of participation indicate that not everyone was equally involved with the wiki project, which ultimately affected the level of collaboration, the group dynamics, and the final product. In addition, the leader in each group influenced the degree of collaboration taking place in her group. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=132 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=133 This paper is a report of the replication of a seminal study on cognitive presence in computer mediated conferencing (CMC) by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2001). A comparison of cognitive presence coding by three different researchers is also demonstrated. The study re-ignites debates about what constitutes the segment of CMC data to be coded and the objectivity of this type of data. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=133 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=134 This paper reported using the practical inquiry model as discourse guide to facilitate students' critical thinking in online discussion. It was found that almost all the postings of the students who had no knowledge of the inquiry model fell into exploration phase except three postings in triggering events phase and two in integration phase. In comparison, the postings of the students who used the model as the guide included more instances of integration than the postings of those who did not know about the model. No instance in resolution phase was found. The findings indicated that providing students inquiry model raised their awareness of critical thinking and helped them intentionally engage in reflection and higher-order thinking when responding online. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=134 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=135 This study employed a quantitative research design to examine the predictive relationships between social presence and course retention as well as final grade in community college online courses. Social presence is defined as the degree of one's feeling, perception and reaction to another intellectual entity in the online environment. Course final grades included A, B. C, D, F, I, or W. Course retention was defined as successfully completed a course with an A to C grade. The results of the binary and ordinal logistic regression analyses suggest that social presence is a significant predictor of course retention and final grade in the community college online environment. Two effective interventions are recommended: establishing integrated social and learning communities; and building effective blended learning programs. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=135 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=126 Educational researchers are interested in whether what is learned in the classroom is transferred to new situations. This qualitative case study explores how computer-mediated communication, specifically web logs (blogs), can extend learning and facilitate transfer of learned concepts. Participants blogged for seven weeks about concepts related to nutrition. Data included blog posts and comments and interviews. These data were analyzed inductively for emergent themes addressing our research questions. Four themes were identified: (a) concepts contextualized to participants' daily lives; (b) barriers to applying learned concepts; (c) sources of "expert" knowledge; and (d) unanswered questions revealing gaps in understanding. Implications for using blogs to support actor-oriented learning environments are presented, along with directions for further research. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=126 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=127 Concerns for faculty time spent in online instruction are replete in the literature; some authors suggest that online instruction increases faculty work. In a specific rather than global manner, this case study focused on the frequency and types of instructor-to-student interactions that occurred in a graduate online course. Using archival records, interactions were classified by communication tool, message content, and recipient, and then tallied. Most instructor-student interactions occurred through the LMS gradebook, followed by emails. Most communications were related to course assignments and sent to individual students. The overall total of interactions was comparable to other findings and may suggest that online teaching, at least in this case, increased faculty work. This may be due, in part, to the individualized nature of the instructor-student interactions. Further study is recommended. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=127 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=128 The Persistent Issues in History Laboratory for Virtual Field Experience (PIH-LVFE) combines a database of video cases of authentic classroom practices with multiple resources and tools to enable pre-service social studies teachers to virtually observe teachers implementing problem-based learning activities. In this paper, we present the results of two studies designed to provide formative evaluation results from our initial implementations of PIH-LVFE resources with pre-service social studies teachers. In study A, we examined usability issues with regard to the PIH-LVFE interface with a small group of pre-service teachers. In study B, we examined pre-service teachers' perceptions of the usefulness and benefits of PIH-LVFE resources when they were integrated into a focused reflection activity utilizing one specific video case. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=128 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=129 This research examined the use of wikis used in support of collaboration and learning in two post-secondary courses in a large Mid-Western university that adopted wikis in pedagogically different ways. In the first course, students used their wiki as a course content glossary for posting and editing original contributions. They perceived the wiki as positively supporting collaboration efforts and effectively supporting learning and engagement. In the second course, wikis were used to develop, share, and edit project assignments. These students perceived the wiki as not supporting collaboration, and they reported modest perceptions of the wiki supporting their learning and engagement and supporting the development of high-quality assignment products. Technical aspects of the wiki tools impacted the two group's respective perceptions. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=129 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=130 This manuscript describes an exploratory study of a social bookmarking activity in an undergraduate course for pre-service teachers. During a 10-week activity, students were required to post links to Internet resources relating to course objectives and also to rate the content posted by other users. The analysis of data from this activity includes descriptive data regarding usage of the software system as well as a descriptive analysis of users and non-users of the social bookmarking web-based application. The results of the study provide additional insight into trends of user behavior and a basis for possible modifications to the web-based system and the course activity. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=130 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=121 Online education for post-secondary instruction is a rapidly expanding enterprise among public and private universities. While the quantity of courses over the past 10 years has exponentially increased, the quality of these courses has not. As universities accept the challenge of creating effective and responsive online learning programs to address student demand, real concern about the best design for these online learning opportunities has arisen. In traditional classrooms and educational activities, student interaction and teacher control are negotiated to support the intellectual development and knowledge acquisition of learners. These constructivist teaching practices have proved most effective in traditional classrooms--should this not be the same in an online classroom? To this purpose, this article describes the progressive development of a valid and reliable assessment tool, Online Constructivist Learning Environment Survey--OCLES(20) with Demographic Data, for determining the constructivist design of online teaching environments. This student self-report survey seeks to provide guidance for the development of online learning environments through collection of student perceptions of teaching strategies and practices in online classrooms. Data collection beyond the initial field test of the OCLES(20) has provided further validation and suggests recommendations for further refinement of the instrument. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=121 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=122 Recently, webinar (web seminar) tools (e.g., Elluminate, Adobe Acrobat Connect, Live Meeting) have been attracting more and more attention with the advancement of online learning technologies because webinar tools facilitate real-time communication and enrich the interactivity in an online learning environment. Corporations have long adopted webinar tools for real-time meetings; however, we need research-based data to understand how webinar tools can be successfully integrated into an online learning environment. To strengthen our understanding of appropriate webinar training and teaching strategies, this qualitative study investigates the perceptions of student-trainers who use webinar tools. The results show that student-trainers are satisfied with their webinar-facilitated delivery of conceptual knowledge. Webinar provides a nearly face-to-face environment that increases participants' social presence and facilitates multi-level interaction. This paper presents suggestions regarding webinar-session implementation strategies. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=122 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=123 In this study, we investigated the use of a web-based tool designed to influence levels of student self-efficacy by engaging participants in a time management strategy. On a daily basis for 16 days, a total of 64 undergraduate and graduate students engaged in the web-based time management tool in which students set goals regarding how they planned to spend their time the next day and recorded how they spent their time the previous day. In addition, students received either daily or weekly feedback on their goal attainment in either a lean or rich format. This strategy encouraged participants to monitor their time management behaviors and engage in a self-regulated learning process. Results indicated that while engagement with the online time management tool resulted in increases in self-reported time management behaviors, there were no significant increases in student self-efficacy or self-regulated learning as a result of either daily or weekly feedback in a lean or rich format. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=123 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=124 This article empirically validates an existing content analysis scheme and addresses a main concern of researchers about text-based, online transcripts in the form of code-recoding by mapping our scheme to the practical inquiry, cognitive presence model's five phases directly to realise higher-order thinking or critical thinking aspects for our software engineering students at London Metropolitan University. Two case studies are presented from final year undergraduate students. We also evaluated a semi-structured CMC environment called SQUAD, developed in-house for scaffolding small group collaborative learning. We argue that the empirical study conducted with software engineering students in Hong Kong and London gives an indication that critical thinking or higher-order thinking certainly exists within online collaborative learning teams where knowledge emerges and is shared. We claim that responses in the integration and resolution categories are more pertinent to critical thinking or higher-order thinking in the context of online, small group, collaborative learning environments when using the cognitive presence model as a framework for measurement purpose. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=124 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=125 This study investigated teachers' reflective perspectives on pedagogies that enhance learning in an online course on "Teaching for equity and social justice" in a teacher education program. Data were collected from survey, alternative anonymous course assessment, interview, and document analysis. Participants identified threaded discussions, partner-shared learning, course 3Rs (rigor, relevance and relationships), pre-post narrative inquiries and writing reading response papers as critical pedagogies that enhanced their learning in the online course. In this paper, I analyze and discuss the teachers' reflective perspectives and the construction and implementation of these pedagogies. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=125 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=116 Online education is a rapidly growing phenomenon for science teachers. Using a sample of 40 online science courses for teachers offered during the 2004-2005 academic year, the Learning Science Online (LSO) study explores what characteristics of online science courses are most strongly associated with positive learning outcomes among science teachers, after accounting for teachers' prior science experiences and demographics. This research is unique in that it is the first aggregate study of teachers learning science online in a wide variety of educational programs. Hierarchical linear modeling points to changing roles of instructors and students in online courses, with lower perceived levels of instructor support and a supportive course design strongly associated with positive learning outcomes. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=116 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=117 Understanding factors in successful online course experiences can provide suggestions for instructors and students to promote improved learning experiences. A survey of 700 students regarding perceptions of online-learning quality was analyzed with a structural equation model. For students with online-learning experience, comfort with technology and motivation to learn technology skills were related to satisfaction with online courses, which was related to perceived quality. For students with hybrid-learning experience, comfort was related to motivation and perceived quality, motivation was related to satisfaction, and satisfaction was related to perceived quality. For students with no online-learning experiences, comfort was related to motivation to learn technology skills, but neither of these factors was related to perceived quality of online courses. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=117 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=118 This research attempted to test whether the granting of points for receiving the most votes as the "best post" would affect the quality of subsequent postings to online discussions. Five online discussions were held in a small graduate-level course in leadership theory, and postings were coded into Bloom's taxonomy. Quality was defined as the percent of postings in the upper three levels (Analyze, Evaluate, and Create), but did not change. By asking students their reasons for choosing a posting as best, content analysis resulted in five reasons: "personal," "new," "stimulating," "informative," and "like me," which are compared to the instructor's views. When asked if the availability of points affected their performance, nine students felt the points did not affect their postings and two students tried harder because of them. While these results do not capture a link between receiving rewards and improved quality in online discussions, this exercise may capture the process whereby compliments for good postings may set the standard for how graduate students think and contribute online. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=118 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=119 This study describes the relationship between the instructor's feedback and students' metacognitive processes in an online course on democracy and multiculturalism, which was taught as part of a teacher education program. 700 postings, written by 68 students, were content analyzed along with 66 postings by the instructor, using tools designed for that purpose. A strong positive correlation was found between the instructor's responses and students' metacognitive thinking demonstrating the importance of instructor's feedback in helping to produce an environment in which students would experience learning through reflective and metacognitive processes. Our study highlights the unique potential of online courses coupled with instructor's scaffolding to promote and study students' metacognitive reflections. Implications for the design of teacher education programs are also discussed. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=119 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=120 This article describes the concurrent development of paper-based and e-book versions of a textbook and related instructional material used in an introductory-level financial accounting course. Break-even analysis is used to compare costs of the two media. A study conducted with 109 students is also used to evaluate the two media with respect to relative learning effectiveness and selected qualitative attributes. Print-based material was generally preferred by learners. No significant difference was found regarding learning effectiveness. Implications of lower relative production and distributions costs for e-books are discussed in this context. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=120 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=112 One continuing concern associated with online courses is assessment of student performance. One option for online assessment is the use of open book tests. This study investigated the impact of training in open book test-taking strategies on student test performance in online, timed, unproctored, open book tests. When the tutorial was required immediately before the midterm examination, the experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group. The effect size or magnitude of the difference in means was moderate. When the tutorial was completed immediately before the midterm examination but was not completed before the final examination, the experimental group's mean final examination score was higher than the control group's score, but the difference was not significant. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=112 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=113 Virtual schools are rising in popularity and presence. Unfortunately, there is a relative dearth of research related to teaching and learning in virtual schools. Although there are numerous handbooks addressing teaching online, there is little research on successful online teaching in the K-12 arena. Much of the existing research focused on teaching online is rooted in face-to-face content, not focused on content areas, built upon a post-secondary audience, or fails to use data from the teachers themselves to triangulate findings. This article reports on a study of 16 virtual school teachers from the Michigan Virtual School (MVS). It reports on best-practices from the interviews conducted with MVS teachers; and also provides research triangulation for those practices. The paper concludes with implications for policy, research, and practice. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=113 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=114 The present study explored the experiences of 80 Wikibookians who had developed or were in the process of developing wikibooks. Both online surveys and email interviews were employed to investigate four main factors, including Wikibookian statuses, successes, satisfactions, and sociocultural experiences. The survey data indicated that the majority of these Wikibookians were young males with varying educational backgrounds (i.e., from high school students to those with advanced graduate degrees). A majority of respondents deemed their most recent wikibook activities as successful. Though challenging, very few were frustrated with the Wikibooks environment. These Wikibookians also recognized the multiple roles involved in the development of a wikibook as well as multiple owners or no owner of a final wikibook product. Interestingly, they viewed a wikibook as a way to contribute and share their knowledge, to obtain personal growth and enrichment, and to learn new ideas from others. Several follow-up research avenues are suggested. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=114 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=115 Literature suggests that developing a community of learners is the key to a successful online-learning experience. In this study, the instructor of a multimedia authoring course adopted a synchronous communication tool (Yahoo Messenger) to interact with learners orally on a weekly basis and, thereby, to establish a sense among the learners that the class was a learning community. This study adopts mixed-methodology (the Classroom Community Scale, open-ended questions, and grades) to compare the learners' development of a sense of community with both the outcomes of the learners' group-centered online learning and the outcomes of the learners' group-centered face-to-face learning. The results indicate that in neither of the two groups did a sense of community contribute to the improvement of hands-on skills. Providing clear instruction with constant and accurate feedback is the key strategy by which instructors can help online learners improve their hands-on performance. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=115 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=106 This qualitative study examines the structure and importance of communication channels in the adoption of Web-based courses by university professors. This study provides insight into the importance of informal communication among peers, the changing nature of communication networks, factors that impede communication, the role of change agents in facilitating communication channels, and the changing concept of "proximity" which is being developed in the context of increased use of information and communication technology. By offering insight into the communication channels of these adopters, valuable information is gained into possible strategies for encouraging adoption of Web-based courses. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=106 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=107 The decision on whether to offer end-of-course evaluations in an electronic format or in traditional scan sheet format generates conflicting viewpoints. From an expediency perspective, offering evaluations online saves time and money and returns the results to faculty more quickly. From a student point of view, concerns involve convenience and anonymity. This study examines the issue from the student viewpoint to identify opposition, support, concerns, and preferences for each format. An analysis of the results reports commonalities and differences in responses based on variables such as gender, experience with online evaluations, and program level. Analysis also draws conclusions about improving the use of end-of-course evaluations. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=107 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=108 As online professional development courses for teachers have grown, the discussion forum has become a locus of considerable research. This study analyzes the discussion forums in four different sessions of a short (4-week) online course for teachers from six schools in three states. This study also compares four methodologies, all of which have a visualization component: an analysis of data from the CMS; network analysis; content analysis; and sequential analysis. In addition, this study describes the insights into the effectiveness of the course design and facilitation that each approach provides, correlates these with participant satisfaction, and argues for using a combination of methods when studying discussion forums in online courses. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=108 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=109 This study examined the effectiveness of video and audio conferencing in hybrid classes. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, the technical difficulty, instructional quality, attention and distraction of location were compared. The results revealed that both conferencing types made positive impacts on instruction. However, there were significant differences between those conferencing in the perception of the technical and instructional quality. The differences were attributed to technical difficulties in the video conferencing session, but the one-to-one video conferencing not having technical problems provided similar impact on instruction to the audio conferencing. In addition to the various comparisons, this research suggests critical factors to implement successful instruction with synchronous conferencing tools. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=109 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=110 During the summer and fall of 2006, approximately 260 students enrolled in an educational foundations course were responsible for writing their own textbook using the Wikibooks protocol. These students were surveyed in order to determine their perceptions of the process, how the process impacted their involvement in the course and its content, and how their perceptions of the Wikibook differed from their perceptions of traditional textbooks. This research indicates that students valued the process, and were much more involved with their text than when using the traditional bound version. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=110 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=111 Synchronous communication has a great potential to increase individual participation and group collaboration. Despite increasing use, scant research has been conducted on variables impacting successful synchronous learning. This study focuses on learner experiences in a real-time communication mediated by the Breeze web-based collaboration system. It also combined conference mediums. Eight students, 4 residential and 4 learning at a distance, were interviewed to examine the perceived benefits and challenges of synchronous interaction. Study findings showed that learners valued spontaneous feedback, meaningful interactions, multiple perspectives, and instructors' supports. On the other hand, time constraints, lack of reflection, language barriers, tool-related problems, and peers' network connection problems were viewed as challenges. Due to pervasive time pressures, the synchronous interactions mainly focused on task-related issues. Nevertheless, students felt a need for connecting to others in the course and a sense of social presence. Interestingly, no differences were found between the distance and residential students in terms of learning strategies for synchronous discussions. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=111 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=102 Although research identifies a plethora of evidence-based instructional practices, classroom teachers find research difficult to access, often not implemented due to perceived lack of relevance to classroom practice. Bridging this gap between research and practice requires continued and mediated support as teachers translate and contextualize research findings through the lenses of prior knowledge, understandings, and impact on student results within their classrooms. This developmental process is both time consuming and individual. To address the need for responsive, individual, and contextualized support during the implementation process of evidenced-based instructional practices by teachers to determine impact of instruction, an on-line module in action research has been developed, implemented, and researched using a beta testing process. This manuscript describes the content of the on-line module and mediated support, outlines the specific research framework of beta testing procedures and instrumentation, analyzes the results from the pilot group of teachers who participated in this on-line module, and describes the limitations and considerations for continued research. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=102 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=103 Peer review has become commonplace in composition courses and is increasingly employed in the context of telecommunication technology. The purpose of this experiment was to compare the effects of anonymous and identifiable electronic peer (e-peer) review on college student writing performance and the extent of critical peer feedback. Participants were 92 undergraduate freshmen in four English composition classes enrolled in the fall semesters of 2003 and 2004. The same instructor taught all four classes, and in each semester, one class was assigned to the anonymous e-peer review group and the other to the identifiable e-peer review group. All other elements--course content, assignments, demands, and classroom instruction--were held constant. The results from both semesters showed that students participating in anonymous e-peer review performed better on the writing performance task and provided more critical feedback to their peers than did students participating in the identifiable e-peer review. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=103 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=104 The usefulness and application of andragogical assumptions has long been debated by adult educators. The assumptions of andragogy are often criticized due to the lack of empirical evidence to support them, even though several educational theories are represented within the assumptions. In adult online education, these assumptions represent an ideal starting point for educators to use in their instructional approach. Application of these assumptions with respect to the type of course being taught and individual student needs can help create a learner centered approach to online education. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=104 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=105 The experiences of students in an online learning community were explored in this qualitative case study using social presence theory as an interpretive lens. Participants included five undergraduate students in a certificate program at a large Midwestern university. Students who felt a sense of community online most highly valued the friendship they felt with their online teammates. Three main components were key in the development of friendship: individual learner factors, sharing, and support. All students found face-to-face contact to be essential, as it deepened their relationships considerably. Suggestions for how faculty can encourage the building of friendships online are given. Further research is recommended into the role students' personalities and face-to-face contact play in building an online community. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=105 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=96 The movement into online education has raised concerns about the workload demands placed on faculty teaching online classes. Research indicates that faculty report a greater time investment for online classes than for equivalent face-to-face courses; concerns about time investment are compounded with the considerable ambiguity surrounding the perceived availability of faculty teaching in a 24/7 online environment. The continuous, open nature of the virtual classroom raises a host of questions surrounding the frequency of instructor interaction, timing of interactions, and an instructor's availability to students. One of the most popular and pedagogically effective forms of virtual classroom interaction is via threaded discussions. The purpose of the current study was to examine frequency and time investment of an online instructor's participation in course-specific threaded discussions in order to provide a more accurate picture of the faculty investment in the ongoing facilitation of an online course, independent of course development. Results indicated considerable variability in both frequency and time investment of threaded discussion participation. While research indicates the threaded discussions are a very effective means of promoting active involvement with course materials, it appears as though there is little consistency among experienced online instructors as to the instructional investment required to take advantage of the educational gains available through this type of electronically-mediated instruction. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=96 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=97 The purpose of the study was to determine comparability of an online version to the original paper-pencil version of Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT2). This study employed methods from both Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT). Findings from CTT analyses supported the reliability and discriminant validity of both versions. Findings from IRT analyses confirmed that that both versions had comparable power of test-of-fit to the Rasch model. However, IRT analyses found that there were some variations in item difficulties and the patterns of item functions between the two versions. The study also tested the prediction that students' satisfaction of DIT2-taking experience was equal across the two survey response modes, indicating that the online version of DIT2 was comparable to the paper-pencil version in terms of ease of use. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=97 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=98 Research indicates that online learning often situates control of implementation with the learner. Recently, scholars have turned attention to the importance of self-directed learning (SDL) skills for online learning environments. Existing frameworks for understanding SDL focus primarily on process and personal attributes in face-to-face settings. Some frameworks depict SDL as a process, focusing on learner autonomy in the learning processes; other frameworks emphasize personal attributes, focusing on learner's capabilities of regulating the learning process. Yet, the level of self-direction needed may change in different contexts. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a research-based framework for understanding SDL in online learning contexts. Implications for future research and practice are provided at the end of the paper. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=98 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=99 We report the results of a controlled evaluation of an interactive on-line tutoring system for high school math achievement test problem solving. High school students (N = 202) completed a math pre-test and were then assigned by teachers to receive interactive on-line multimedia tutoring or their regular classroom instruction. The on-line tutored students improved on the post-test, but the effect was limited to problems involving skills tutored in the on-line system (within-group control). Control group students showed no improvement. Students' use of interactive multimedia hints predicted pre- to post-test improvement, and benefits of tutoring were greatest for students with weakest initial math skills. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=99 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=101 Human service educators constantly struggle with how to best teach students the communication skills required of entry-level human service professionals. While teaching such skills is easier in a traditional face-to-face environment, teaching communication skills via distance learning presents its own challenges. Developing interactive web-based learning environments to teach helping skills may solve this dilemma. This article describes a pilot study of three web-based environments. The interactive environment assigns learners to serve as helpers while an animated agent portrays a client. A modeling environment has participants observing a client-helper interaction between two agents. The helper-client script environment presents a text-based script. Data collected to assess skill acquisition and usability indicate improvement in skills and positive user perceptions in all three environments. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=101 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=100 Due to the time constraints of intensive online courses, instructional design strategies should be modified in order to retain the quality of learning without reducing the quantity of the course content. This paper presents how a blended approach combining objectivist and constructivist instructional strategies was used in the design of an intensive summer online course in the context of a support-based online learning environment. The implementation results revealed that students had a positive learning experience in the course and were highly satisfied with their learning outcomes. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=100 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=88 This study describes an investigation of the intellectual property policies of a stratified random sample of public and private Carnegie Doctoral Research – Extensive Universities. Current copyright law was reviewed as well as the status of the "academic exception." University policies were examined to determine whether or not they included provisions for distance learning materials or courseware, what provisions were made for ownership, and what exceptions, if any, were applicable. In addition to providing summary statistics, public and private universities' policies were compared. Policies that were determined to be exemplary and noteworthy were profiled. Results were interpreted in terms of the need for comprehensive and explicit policies to support online course development and delivery. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=88 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=89 Today's technology has reached new heights that have not been fully implemented. One of the areas where technology has not yet reached its full potential is in education. This study examined the effects of concreteness of location names and contiguity of location names with textual information on learning from computer-based reference maps. The research was designed to be a 3 concreteness (concrete vs. abstract vs. non-familiar) X 2 contiguity (non-contiguous vs. contiguous) with six treatment levels. One hundred and sixty-seven college students studied a digital reference map presented to them. The results indicate that participants in the contiguous condition recalled significantly more feature-related facts than those in the non-contiguous condition. The results also indicate that the participants' performance in recall, matching feature-fact pairs, as well as in the inference was significantly more for concrete features names and abstract feature names than the non-familiar feature names. A significant interaction effect was also observed for the matching of fact-feature pairs. The findings are not thoroughly consistent with the concreteness and conceptual peg effects associated with Paivio's dual coding theory (DCT). More research needs to be done to continue investigating this phenomenon. However, this study will assist teachers and designers better understand how to design cognitive maps and spatial displays that facilitate learning. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=89 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=90 Among many studies focusing on the effect of learner and instructional variables on course outcomes, few studies have investigated the learners' study habits and the mediating mechanisms among the learner and instruction variables in their influence on course outcomes. This study examined differences in learner satisfaction and learning outcomes based on learner characteristics and study habits and the effects of instructional and learner variables on the course outcomes for an online course. Data analyses revealed the quality of online instructor, learning motivation, and learning involvement as significant variables influencing the course outcomes of the online learning program. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=90 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=91 This study explores the extent to which subjective norm beliefs of online learners shape perceptions of ease-of-use and usefulness for the use of course delivery systems. Subjective norm beliefs represent the influence that instructors, mentors, and peers have on students to use the course delivery system. The results show that instructor and mentor influences are significant contributors to students' perceived usefulness of the course delivery system. However, only mentor influence is significant to students' perceived ease-of-use of the learning system. These results indicate the importance of the instructors' roles in shaping impressions of the value of using the course delivery systems and the potential underutilization of peer influence to shape behavior in online courses. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=91 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=92 Substantial efforts have been made recently to compare the effectiveness of traditional course formats to alternative formats (most often, online delivery compared to traditional on-site delivery). This study examines, not the delivery format but rather the evaluation format. It compares traditional paper and pencil methods for course evaluation with electronic methods. Eleven instructors took part in the study. Each instructor taught two sections of the same course; at the end, one course received an online course evaluation, the other a traditional pencil and paper evaluation. Enrollment in these 22 sections was 519 students. Researchers analyzed open-ended comments as well as quantitative rankings for the course evaluations. Researchers found no significant differences in numerical rankings between the two evaluation formats. However, differences were found in number and length of comments, the ratio of positive to negative comments, and the ratio of formative to summative comments. Students completing faculty evaluations online wrote more comments, and the comments were more often formative (defined as a comment that gave specific reasons for judgment so that the instructor knew what the student was suggesting be kept or changed) in nature. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=92 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=93 Despite the strong interests among practitioners, there is a knowledge gap with regard to online communities of practice. This study examines knowledge sharing among critical-care and advanced-practice nurses, who are engaged in a longstanding online community of practice. Data were collected about members' online knowledge contribution as well as motivations for sharing or not sharing knowledge with others. In sum, 27 interviews with members and content analysis of approximately 400 messages were conducted. Data analysis showed that the most common types of knowledge shared were "Institutional Practice" and "Personal Opinion". Five factors were found that helped motivate knowledge sharing: (a) self-selection type of membership, (b) desire to improve the nursing profession, (c) reciprocity, (d) a non-competitive environment, and (e) the role of the listserv moderator. Regarding barriers for knowledge sharing, four were found: (a) no new or additional knowledge to add, (b) unfamiliarity with subject, (c) lack of time, and (d) technology. These results will be informative to researchers and practitioners of online communities of practice. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=93 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=94 A 3rd party provider approached university faculty and administration to develop an on-line program for the Master's degree in educational administration and leadership. While the monetary benefits of an online delivery were attractive, the institution rested its final decision on the instructional merits of the plan. The faculty used a 3rd party provider for technical expertise, design, and student support for the program. A descriptive study was conducted to determine to what degree students were satisfied with the online program and their degree of satisfaction in comparison to on-ground courses. Results indicated that students in the online program were satisfied with the courses; however, they noted valuable concerns to be addressed. Implications of these findings are discussed. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=94 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=95 This study focused on students' reactions to handwritten and typewritten electronic feedback. Students submitted work electronically as part of an online course for which Blackboard was the learning management system. The instructor used a TabletPC to provide handwritten feedback on student work and the review tool in MSWord to provide typewritten feedback. Results indicated students had more positive reactions to the handwritten feedback as opposed to the typewritten feedback. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=95 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=82 Teaching online is relatively new at Chicago State University (CSU). In this paper, twenty-four instructors who taught web-based, or web-enhanced courses during the spring and fall 2003 semesters CSU were surveyed about issues that they and their students had experienced in online communication. It was found that online learning was quickly developing into an effective mode of instruction. However, faculty and students appeared to have more or less “jumped into” the online classroom without being adequately prepared, and creation of effective, online, learning communities was still a work in progress. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=82 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=83 Increasingly college students are expected to use computers and technology in their studies. This study estimated the relationship between students’ use of technology and self-reported educational gains. These gains range from general learning outcomes to specific outcomes related to computers and technology. Results suggest a modest, but statistically significant relationship between students’ use of technology and closely related learning outcomes. Four college activities related to computer use emerged as strongest predictors of gains from college: searched internet for course material, used computer to analyze data, used index or database to find material, and retrieved off-campus library materials. Implications for policy and future research are discussed. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=83 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=84 The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of using goal planning and weekly monitoring and evaluation forms within an online class to promote the use of self-regulated learning strategies. The relationship between student academic achievement and the use of materials to promote self-regulated learning was also studied. The subjects were 28 pre-service teachers taking two separate online sections of an education course entitled Educational Assessment and Measurement. Several forms were designed to prompt learners to reflect on their use of specific self-regulatory activities that achieving students are purported to use to learn academic material (Schunk, 1990). It was hypothesized that requiring learners to set and manage goals throughout the length of the online course would promote the use of self-regulated learning strategies. It was also hypothesized that supporting learners in focusing on the behavioral, motivational, and metacognitive aspects of their learning processes in an online class would result in higher achievement at the end of the course. The findings supported the hypothesis that there was a relationship between the use of goal analysis forms and evaluation and management forms to develop self-regulatory skills in pre-service teachers taking an online course. The results of the study did not support the hypothesis that the use of goal analysis forms and evaluation and management forms would result in higher average quiz scores for pre-service teachers taking an online course. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=84 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=85 The investigators in this study were interested in knowing how faculty uses of a course management system (CMS) helps improve content and instruction, and how faculty attitudes may help or hinder that effort. Seven faculty members were interviewed and the texts were coded and analyzed qualitatively. From the analysis, the investigators derived five main categories concerning the use of a CMS: faculty motivations; benefits; perspectives; differing class formats; and issues and needs. Results of this study show that communication and organization play key roles in course improvement, that a university’s commitment and support is critical in securing faculty involvement, that discussion boards and student tracking may be the primary non-assessment methods for determining student learning, that bottom-up pressure from students desiring content online is more important than pressure from above, and that the 'extended class' (24/7 access) may be the most important feature of an online class component. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=85 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=86 This study evaluated a custom-designed course management system in use at a mid-sized public institution in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. While focusing primarily on gathering information relevant to the continued development of the course management system, this study sought to identify the relationship among user characteristics, usability factors, and acceptance of the course management system. Additionally, this study sought to identify common usability problems with specific course features encountered by the users. Participants in this study were 308 undergraduate and graduate students who were currently using the online course management system to take an Internet-enhanced or fully Internet-delivered course. The data collected via an online survey instrument indicated that three usability factors, ease of navigation, ease of learning, and visual perception were significant predictors of acceptance of the course management system. The usability of specific course management system features was examined using both Likert-scale items and content analysis of open-ended survey questions. The content analysis of the open-ended items revealed several specific problems that were commonly encountered while using specific course features. Based on these findings, several recommendations are made toward the improvement of the custom-designed course management system and also toward the improvement of the survey instrument for future use. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=86 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=87 The book Learning Together Online: Research on Asynchronous Learning Networks (2005) is a comprehensive review of the current state of research on online learning. Co-editors Starr Roxanne Hiltz and Ricki Goldman bring together leading researchers in the world of virtual education to collaboratively author chapters. In the first section, theoretical foundations and research methods are delineated. The second section synthesizes current theory and research, proposing fruitful directions for further examination. Chapters focus on learning effectiveness online, virtual students, faculty roles, collaborative learning, varied media for online instruction, and fostering learning communities. Learning Together Online aspires to nothing less than transformative power for members of the higher education community. Readers are warned that reluctant faculty more than students or administrators are resisting movement toward increased uses of online collaborative platforms and tools for learning. Hiltz and Goldman point to the feature of asynchronicity itself as that which sets asynchronous learning networks apart from alternative learning environments, on or off-line. Questions for reflection and discussion complete each chapter to leverage continued dialogue beyond the text. Scholars, graduate students and online practitioners will find the research survey informative, the questions for further research compelling, and road forward succinctly paved by this work. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=87 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=74 Online learning courses are generally text-based. Particularly for students who are learning multimedia skills, these courses can be problematic because demonstration and hands-on activities are important in the field of multimedia authoring. This study uses action research techniques and describes the application of onscreen-action-capture software to the design of hands-on demonstration animation. This article (1) explores the teaching of multimedia skills in an online learning environment, (2) compares the use of the software in an online learning environment to use of the software in a face-to-face learning environment, and (3) proposes strategies by which instructors can encourage students to complete hands-on activities in an online learning environment. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=74 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=75 The focus of this study was twofold: one, to determine if students could increase their physics content knowledge through the completion of an online hands-on Microcomputer-Based Laboratory (MBL) unit on motion; and two to determine if the demonstrated learning gains were equivalent to those of students who completed the same MBL activities in a more traditional classroom setting with their teacher. One hundred and fifty high school physics students from five diverse high schools participated in the study. Ninety-five were in the classroom group and 55 were in the online group. The online group showed significant comprehension gains from pre-test to post-test. When compared to the classroom group, there was not a significant difference in the gain scores between the two groups. This suggests that further study could lead to the development of online, hands-on physics classes that could be offered to students whose schools do not offer physics due to the lack of resources or physics teachers. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=75 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=76 This preliminary study compared the effects of technology-enabled courses and face-to-face instruction using student learning styles and student preferences for content types. Two groups of students enrolled in problem-based courses (one in the College of Engineering and the other in the College of Applied Science) were included in this quasi-experimental research. A survey was used to collect information about the students’ preference for content types. Kolb’s Learning Styles Inventory was used to measure student learning styles preferences. The results indicated an expected preference in the engineering technology disciplines for concrete experience over abstract conceptualization. Neither the delivery medium nor the content type (face-face or online) had any statistically significant impact on students’ final performance. A significant finding was that both group profiles suggested differing needs for presentation of content and learning styles for students in the two colleges. The conclusion was that learning styles could influence content type preferences among students in either environment (face-to-face or online) but this hypothesis needs more research. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=76 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=77 This article is a descriptive study of an evolving cybermentoring videoconferencing practice and tool developed to support preservice teacher training. Cybermentoring projects are synchronous distance learning collaborations using high-end video conferencing to foster interactive learning and tutoring among preservice teachers and K-12 students, all of whom are mentored by classroom teachers and university faculty. Cybermentoring for preservice teachers is situated within the theoretical frameworks of constructivism and "co-teaching." A list of projects and two streaming videos illustrating these projects facilitated by our state's cyberinfrastructure are provided. In addition, a case study of one cybermentoring project is presented in terms of its procedures, participants, and participant reflections. The benefits and challenges of cybermentoring are discussed before five suggestions [technology training, strengthening the assessment skills of the cybermentors, improved assessment of tutee learning, use of focus groups, and recommended use of high quality desktop videoconferencing] for improving cybermentoring projects are offered. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=77 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=78 The purpose of this study was to ascertain if an online computer tutorial on diabetes mellitus, supplemented to traditional classroom lecture, is an effective tool in the education of nutrition students. Students completing a web-based tutorial as a supplement to classroom lecture displayed greater improvement in pre- vs. post-test scores compared with students who attended lecture only. Students completing the tutorial indicated a favorable attitude toward computer supplemented instruction. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=78 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=79 Recent explosion of online teaching has brought unique challenges for libraries as they strive to provide access to necessary resources and services for distance learners. These challenges are increased by the desire to provide the same level of library services to distance learners as to their on-campus counterparts. In response, many libraries are increasing electronic resources and developing special services, including online library instruction. However, little has been done to document the impact of this access on students’ learning and their satisfaction. This paper presents some evidence of students’ satisfaction and increased proficiency in research, as a result of direct library instruction for students in an action research course offered through SUNY Learning Network (SLN). http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=79 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=80 Instructional strategies for successfully teaching concepts are found throughout the instructional design literature. These strategies primarily consist of presenting learners with definitions, examples, and non-examples. While examples are important presentation instruments, theorist suggests that examples should not be re-used in the assessment phase of instruction. The rationale being that encountered examples could be memorized thus activating different cognitive processes than those required for concept attainment. Consequently, test items referring to encountered examples may have less value in assisting evaluators in discerning whether or not a learner has attained a target concept. In this study test items consisting of encountered examples and un-encountered examples were examined. There appears to be evidence supporting the notion that examples are not sufficient discriminators for judging a learner’s level of concept attainment. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=80 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=81 The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between achievement and the quantity of online course materials that students printed and the frequency with which they reported using them. One hundred thirty-two graduate students from one of 11 hybrid or online classes voluntarily completed a self-report survey asking how much they printed (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%), how often they used printed materials (almost never, rarely, sometimes, often, almost always), and preference for either print, onscreen, or none. Neither quantity printed nor frequency used was related to achievement. But learner preference was associated with achievement; onscreen preference learners had higher mean rank scores than print and no preference learners. There were no achievement differences between the online and hybrid learner groups. Learners, who printed more, used more and preferred print online materials and experienced more onscreen reading difficulty than learners who printed less. Learners who used print materials more preferred reading printed materials, had difficulty reading onscreen, and were older. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=81 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=68 The Kolb Learning Style Inventory was used to identify differences between the learning styles of 168 students in traditional face-to-face courses and students in matched courses taught online. Additionally, the data for the online courses were divided by gender to determine if gender was a factor. Results of the analysis found that there was a difference in the learning style of the online student and the student in the face-to-face course and that gender was a factor in the relationship between learning style and student engagement. The implications for online course designers are significant. When designing online courses the learning style and gender of all students must be considered. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=68 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=69 Much of what can be described as online learning research and analysis advocates the use of software not only to collect the data, for example via an application such as a virtual learning environment, but also to analyze it, using a package such as NUDIST© or NVivo©. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=69 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=70 Much has been written about the effectiveness of face-to-face (F2F) versus online (OL) courses, and comparisons of learning and retention across both media, but less has been targeted toward important tactical and strategic considerations. Having little formal guidance to manage the transition to offering a portion of their university courses and programs online, administrators and universities appear inadequately positioned to execute their OL foray effectively. This paper outlines strategic and tactical points to help administrators better manage the transition to offering university courses online. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=70 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=71 This paper draws on data gathered from a five-month phenomenological study of middle school students’ perceptions of the effects of computer-based technologies on a learning community in an online synchronous environment. Twenty-four eighth-grade students participated in the Web Pen Pals project, a university-secondary telecollaborative partnership which brings middle school students together with pre-service teachers enrolled in an adolescent literature course in online chat rooms to discuss young adult literature. The complexities of creating a community are explored through interviews of the middle school participants, which reveal several themes affecting the development of a learning community: 1) obstacles to community-making, which include anonymity and lack of ease with technology; 2) establishing friendships; 3) an emergent language system; and 4) the symbolic inversion of traditional “teacher” and “student” roles. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=71 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=72 The purpose of this case study was to determine if one particular course is appropriate for online delivery. Two classes, one offered online and one offered traditionally, of a comparative education course were compared. Results of the study indicate that students’ satisfaction with the online course was at least comparable to that of the traditional class. The results also indicate that the online course assignments were appropriate for meeting the course objectives. Guidelines useful for determining appropriate courses for online delivery are discussed. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=72 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=73 While classroom teaching and management strategies are well documented, the online learning environment presents different challenges and benefits. Teaching in an online environment requires a special set of teaching skills since many of the strategies and tactics associated with best teaching practices are somewhat constrained by the primarily text-based environment. The VOCAL approach summarizes the key characteristics that a master instructor utilizes to be effective in an online environment. VOCAL is an acronym for Visible, Organized, Compassionate, Analytical and Leader-by-example. The ability of the teacher to effectively infuse these characteristics into their instructional practice – to BE VOCAL - will promote a supportive, challenging, constructive, rigorous and effective instructional environment. Instructors who practice a VOCAL approach will have more productive learning environments, fewer management problems and more positive learning experiences with their students. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=73 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=2 Though interaction is often billed as a significant component of successful online learning, empirical evidence of its importance as well as practical guidance or specific interaction techniques continue to be lacking. In response, this study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data to investigate how instructors and students perceive the importance of online interaction and which instructional techniques enhance those interactions. Results show that instructors perceive the learner-instructor and learner-learner interactions as key factors in high quality online programs. While online students generally perceive interaction as an effective means of learning, they vary with regard to having more interaction in online courses. Such variations seem to be associated with differences in personality or learning style. The present study also shows that instructors tend to use technologies and instructional activities that they are familiar with or have relied on in traditional classroom settings. When it comes to learning more sophisticated technologies or techniques, instructors vary significantly in their usage of new approaches. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=2 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=3 The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that proctored versus un-proctored testing would have on learning for an on-line content module; and examine the relationship between LASSI variables and learning. A randomized, pre-test/post-test control group design was employed. College students in a pharmacy curriculum, were randomized to two groups utilizing asynchronous, on-line content with a medical terminology module. Group A utilized proctored, on-line testing, while Group B utilized un-proctored on-line testing. Both were given a pre-test and post-test on medical terminology at the beginning and end of a sixteen week semester. The Learning and Study Strategies Inventory was administered to all students. On-line module delivery paired with proctored testing was more effective in promoting learning when compared to on-line module delivery paired with un-proctored testing. The constructs: anxiety, self-testing, attitude/interest and motivation were significant in predicting learning for proctored students. No significant model emerged for un-proctored students. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=3 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=4 Training faculty to add technology to courses should begin with a needs assessment. Design considerations should be incorporated into training to avoid student confusion in using web pages and completing on-line quizzes. Generally, web-enhanced courses can follow a constructivist approach if instructors have the prerequisite skills in place to use the technology. Faculty may also want to consider the ethical implications in testing students on-line. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=4 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=5 This study examines how students’ cognitive styles are correlated with their attitudes toward online education and learning behaviors in online learning environments. The Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) and the attitude survey toward online instruction were administered to 104 students enrolled in various online courses at the University of Tennessee. The study findings revealed that students’ cognitive styles were not significantly correlated with their attitudes and preference for instructional delivery modes while other factors such as previous online learning experience and computer competency were significantly correlated with students’ learning outcomes and attitudes toward online instruction. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=5 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=6 An important education issue that needs to be addressed in teacher education is the gap between the continuing and increasing technology demands placed on new teachers entering K-12 classrooms and the training that they receive during their college years. There is evidence that not only are new teachers lacking the technological skills, they also lack the confidence needed to motivate them to expand their technological abilities. There is concern that many school of education faculty are not effectively modeling the use of technology to pre-service teachers in education courses. This paper investigates how the incorporation of the Blackboard Learning System, with its expanded communication and hands-on features, helps pre-service teachers to gain confidence in integrating technology into their future teaching. In addition, it documented how students and professors think the use of a course management system helps students' learning. It will also provide guidance for the effective use of a web-enhanced learning system. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=6 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=7 This paper describes a classroom teaching experiment conducted in three fifth-grade mathematics classrooms with students of different achievement levels. Virtual fraction manipulative concept tutorials were used in three one-hour class sessions to investigate the learning characteristics afforded by these technology tools. The virtual fraction manipulative concept tutorials exhibited the following learning characteristics that supported students during their learning of equivalence and fraction addition: (1) Allowed discovery learning through experimentation and hypothesis testing; (2) Encouraged students to see mathematical relationships; (3) Connected iconic and symbolic modes of representation explicitly; and (4) Prevented common error patterns in fraction addition. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=7 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=8 The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an online learning environment on student computer use, classroom/school activities, and parental involvement. An online learning environment was created with the goals of giving students access to a variety of software programs from home and school, facilitating home-school connectivity, and increasing student academic performance and technological competencies. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=8 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=9 In this paper, we present a case study concerning a Masters level course in Computer-mediated communications and pedagogy delivered at the University of Mauritius through e-Learning mode. We provide a brief overview of the program, its rationale and the pedagogical approaches that have been used to design the modules that are delivered in the first semester. There are currently 15 students enrolled on this course, and we relate our experiences and observations on the field in this article. We also expose our findings from a questionnaire survey that was done with the students towards the end of the semester to get the feedback on their perceptions on the program and on its pedagogical approaches. This is a very crucial step since this batch of students are supposed to be the agents of change in the reconceptualization of the teaching and learning process. We end up identifying some key factors that are perceived to be barriers to the actual wide-scale implementation of such approaches to education. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=9 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=10 <table width="100%" border="0"> <tr> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?path=ASIN/0814136656&link_code=as2&camp=1789&tag=nationalce028-20&creative=9325" target="_blank"><img src="../../../images/books/0814136656.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg" width="98" height="140" border="0"></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nationalce028-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0814136656" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </td> <td valign="top">Hewett, B.L., & Ehmann, C. (2004). Preparing educators for online writing instruction: Principles and processes. Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English. <br> ISBN: 0814136656</td> </tr> </table> <br> <p> In an increasingly fast-paced and technologically growing society, issues of online instruction at the university level become increasingly salient in a competitive collegiate market. In order to reach a larger population of potential students and a working population of graduate students, universities are beginning to address the demands for online instruction. These demands, however, are not without questions and concerns. Because online instruction looks different from traditional classroom delivery models, inevitably a key question that arises is that of how to prepare and train instructors to deliver their courses via this new medium. Preparing Educators for Online Writing Instruction: Principles and Processes by Beth L. Hewett and Christa Ehmann addresses this question. </p> <p> Writing instruction carries issues of management with it that are somewhat unique to the field. For example, instructors need to find means through which they cannot only deliver whole-class instruction but through which they can deliver individual instruction through one-on-one conferencing with students. As the authors note, "The information in this book is geared primarily toward training writing instructors for one-to-one, online writing conferences, which can occur in a variety of contexts" (p. 28). The contexts to which the authors refer are the delivery platforms. Hewett and Ehmann argue that the delivery platform for instruction is not really the issue, rather the how in organizing and managing online instruction is the issue, which can be accomplished through any delivery platform. Additionally, the models they present for application in a variety of delivery platforms are learner-centered, allowing the writing instructors more control of their training experience. Therefore, the authors present a model for training instructors for online writing instruction that can be adapted and applied in any school's context, regardless of the technological platform. </p> <p> In the book Hewett and Ehmann examine the process of training instructors for online writing instruction through various research-based models. They ground their framework in the fields of rhetoric and composition, adult learning, and E-learning (p. xv). The authors divide the book into two distinct sections. The first section is "Online Writing Instruction Program Development". In this section they examine five pedagogical principles for instruction and learning to present a learner-centered model for training instructors for online writing instruction. The second section of the book is "Principle-Centered Online Training in Asynchronous and Synchronous Environments". While the first section of the book laid the theoretical foundation, the second section offers more practical strategies and models that have been applied and tweaked in various instructional contexts. This section gives detailed attention to scenarios in which instructors might find themselves in both asynchronous and synchronous contexts online. This section examines the strengths and weaknesses of these instructional modes and offers simulations that those training instructors for online writing instruction can implement. </p> <p> In addressing the very pressing question of how to prepare instructors to deliver online writing instruction, Hewett and Ehmann set forth training principles that directors of training programs can assert regardless of the available instructional platforms. This aspect of the book broadens the audience, making it more applicable and feasible for training directors to implement. The theoretical framework is strong and speaks to not only the field of E-learning but to the specific field of rhetoric and composition as well, thereby creating a clear and sound joining of how these two fields might come together to best deliver online writing instruction. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=10 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=11 This article describes 1) the special features and accessibility of an innovative web-based practice instrument (WebMA) designed with randomized short-answer, matching and multiple choice items incorporated with automatically adapted feedback for middle school students; and 2) an exploratory study that compares the effects and contributions of web-based practice on students’ learning processes with that of traditional paper-and-pencil practice. With multiple practices and immediate adapted feedback, the web-based group performed significantly better than the paper-and-pencil group on both fraction and decimal operations at the end of the study. On an average, female students gained a higher score on the post-test. However, females were distracted by the web features more than males. Students enthusiastically expressed their desires of having more of this dynamic and interactive practice by the end of the study. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=11 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=12 This study compared the effects of system-initiated (low-level) facilitation with that of facilitator-initiated plus system-initiated (high-level) facilitation on cognitive restructuring and learning achievement. Graduate students participated in facilitated online discussion within a web course for one semester. This study found no significant effects by employing an online facilitator to provide extra facilitation in addition to the system-initiated facilitation. This finding suggests that well-designed system-initiated facilitation in cognitive restructuring may be sufficient for effective online learning. This study also found a significant correlation between cognitive restructuring and learning achievement, which confirms the importance of facilitating cognitive restructuring for effective online learning (Ausubel, 1963a, 1963b; Piaget, 1980; Vygotsky, 1978). This finding suggests that creating online interaction for facilitating cognitive restructuring should be incorporated into online pedagogy for optimizing online learning effectiveness. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=12 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=13 This paper reports the findings from a pilot study that investigated the uses of computer-mediated communication in an educational psychology course for pre-service teachers that focused on problem-based learning via CD-ROM-based case analysis. Thirty-nine pre-service teachers and eight practicing teachers participated in the development of an online learning community in which they viewed video case studies as part of a virtual field experience component and communicated online through chat rooms and threaded discussion lists. Data sources included transcripts of chat room and threaded communication, field notes, student tasks and reflections, and exit interviews with the teachers and one student focus group. Methodology was qualitative in nature using a template organizing approach with the constant comparative method. This paper reports the findings concerning students’ learning about educational psychology and teaching, students’ appreciation of diverse settings, the developmental nature of the questions posed by the pre-service teachers, and the advantages and disadvantages of using the technological components in this course. Results showed that the case studies helped the students make sense of the concepts and theories being studied in class, while communication with the teachers helped the students see the practical applications of the information they were learning. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=13 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=14 The paper investigates interactions on five online courses involving staff that currently lecture or support learners in further and higher education at the University of Glamorgan, and its partner colleges throughout Wales. The qualitative research involves an ethnographical study of the ethos of the online communities of students. The findings suggest that if Stage 1 of the model is effectively designed and facilitated then socialization occurs at this stage. The design of Stage 2 of the ‘Model of teaching and learning online through online networking’ is problematic. The paper calls for a review of the relationship between the strategic objectives and their relative tasks in these important early stages of development. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=14 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=15 This study is, as an inquiry into the effectiveness of discussion leadership taxonomy, designed to help online discussion leaders support and facilitate discussions conducted by undergraduates. Participants were approximately two hundred preservice undergraduate students taking an Introduction to Educational Technology course. Each week students had access to online lectures and text materials, and participated in Web-based topical discussions. Data for this study came from open-ended interviews conducted with thirty-seven volunteer participants, and from all discussion posts. Analysis of the data showed that while some students had difficulty assuming the role of discussion leader, many felt that it was a stimulating challenge. The <em>Tips for Online Leaders</em> proved to be useful in promoting learning and provided discussion leaders with a variety of support strategies. While some students were resistant to Web-based learning, all students found that the discussions helped in learning the assigned material. Finally, the students were able to expand their own knowledge by observing the multiple perspectives presented by other students http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=15 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=16 Online collaborative learning has typically been studied within the context of learning communities. Little is known about the potential influence of students’ personalities on online communication, group interaction, and task engagement among members of a learning community. This study used a mixed-method, triangulation design, involving the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data, to investigate the effects of personality on communication type and pattern, message length, task engagement, and student attitude toward online learning. Seventy students were organized into four personality-profile groups based on their Five Factor Personality Test scores, for the discussion of assigned case studies. Discussion messages were analyzed using Logistical Regressions for communication type and pattern, ANOVAs for message length, and Z-tests for pairwise comparisons for task engagement. The results indicate that personality affects communication type, pattern and task engagement but not message length. Students’ attitudes toward online discussion were generally positive. The results provide guidelines for forming groups and designing activities for online collaborative learning. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=16 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=17 This study compares the effects of delivery medium (online vs. face-to-face) and facilitator content expertise on academic outcomes in a problem-based learning (PBL) course in anatomy for pre-health/medical majors. The content of online PBL sessions was examined to gain insight into the problem-solving process taking place in these situations. Neither the delivery medium nor the facilitator’s content expertise had any statistically significant impact on students’ quiz performance. Although students initiated most of the questions during online PBL sessions, the majority of these questions were at the lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy and focused primarily on gathering information about the cases. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=17 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=18 The goals of this study were to: 1) design a web-based course using WebCT for future secondary school teachers at the University of Texas Pan American, 2) evaluate the effectiveness of the course, and 3) provide a set of guidelines for designing web-based courses for other teacher educators. The participants in this study consisted of junior- and senior-level students enrolled in a secondary, teacher education program at the University of Texas Pan American. There were 17 participants, 71% were female and 29% were male. All of the participants fit at least one of the characteristics of a “nontraditional” student. All of them were married, employed full-time, over the age of 30 and 63% had one or more children. Participants completed a pretest prior to instruction and a posttest following instruction to measure achievement gains. The study was divided into two phases; participants completed a pretest and a posttest for phase I and phase II. A t-test for dependent samples was used to determine if the mean scores on the posttest were significantly higher than the mean score on the pretest for phases I and II. The results of the t-test for phase I indicated that students scored significantly higher on the posttest (M = 74.63) than on the pretest (M = 57.72; t=5.56, p = .05). In phase II, students scored higher on the posttest (M = 80.21) than on the pretest (M = 76.84); however this difference was not statistically significant. Overall, the results indicated that the course was effective. The study concludes with a set of recommendations for designing/teaching an online course for teacher educators. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=18 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=19 WebQuests provide the opportunity to combine technology with educational concepts and to incorporate inquiry-based learning. WebQuests also have the ability to integrate on-line resources with student-centered, activity-based learning. Three courses in the College of Education at The University of Alabama and at West Virginia University incorporate WebQuests projects, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students develop an online WebQuest and submit a paper copy and/or a URL to their instructor upon completion of the course. During an academic year, three professors in social studies graduate education received over 50 submissions of WebQuests projects from pre-service and in-service teachers enrolled in three courses. The grading rubric was developed by Bernie Dodge, the creator of WebQuests, but modified at The University of Alabama yielding a high rate of reliability (93.3%). This project assessed scores of WebQuests using this grading rubric in three separate classrooms. Comparisons between elementary and secondary level students, Filamentality users, and certified and non-certified teachers were analyzed for significance. The students had already received a grade for their projects through the academic class, but a separate grading system was developed to evaluate these projects and to provide insight into future research using WebQuests. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=19 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=20 This study describes instructional design elements most valued by nontraditional adult learners in hybrid learning environments that combine limited face-to-face contact with online learning and collaboration. It identifies the online course features and instructional goals selected as most important by a sample of 67 adults. It then compares this group’s rankings with those of subgroups based on gender and preferred learning strategies as measured by the Assessing the Learning Strategies of Adults (ATLAS) test. The results of the study support the application of principles of adult learning in developing online environments for adults, identify some differences in learning emphasis by gender and preferred learning strategies, and underscore the importance of providing a variety of learning options in adult learning environments with an online component. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=20 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=21 University professors increasingly are expected to infuse computer technology in teaching. Many universities are aggressively promoting the delivery of entire courses and programs using computers and the Internet as vehicles for instruction. There is also a movement to align university teaching with the national standards for K-12 teaching. National and state standards call for K-12 teachers to integrate computer technology in teaching. One way to encourage prospective or experienced teachers to do that is to provide opportunities to experience success using computer technology during preservice and in-service courses. Computer-mediated communication (CMC), or any form of communication that takes place with the use of a personal computer, can be an effective tool for not only infusing technology in an education course, but also for fostering the creation of a community of learners within which the social interaction supporting meaningful learning occurs (Fussell & Benimoff, 1995; Herring, 1996; Nonis, Bronack, & Haton, 1998). http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=21 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=22 In recent years, Web-based distance learning (WBDL) systems have become a popular learning environment for many western learners. While it has been established as an effective learning alternative, WBDL is not flourishing in Hong Kong as expected. This paper proposes that this is because Hong Kong students are not trained to learn independently and actively, as required in distance learning. Trapped in a Chinese Confucian-heritage culture, a generation of Hong Kong learners’ learning behavior can be summarized as shy, passive, reactive, inarticulate, non-collaborative, and timid—in short, the SPRINT learning behavior. Hong Kong learners with a SPRINT learning behavior contrast drastically with western learners, who are more proactive, articulate, collaborative, and eager to challenge traditions. The cultural distance in learning that is between western learners and traditional Chinese learners is wide and visible in Hong Kong. The objective of this research was to examine whether a WBDL environment that was integrated with advanced information and communication technology (ICT) can reduce this cultural distance and induce a motivation to learn through interaction. Several key ICT components are suggested that can help to remedy the cultural learning deficiencies of Hong Kong learners when using WBDL environments. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=22 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=23 Maturity models are successfully used by organizations attempting to improve their processes, products, and delivery. As more faculty include online course design and teaching, a maturity model of online course design may serve as a tool in planning and assessing their courses for improvement based on best practices. This article presents such a maturity model. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=23 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=24 This article reports on the use of Web logs (“blogs”) and online discussion forums in an instructional technology course in a teacher preparation program. Key goals behind the use of these tools included exposure for students to computer-supported communication and collaboration, encouragement of reflective practice, and a better understanding of the pedagogical and learning benefits derived from integration of these technologies. Management and assessment challenges for instructors derived from the volume of writing, as well as pedagogical considerations, are noted. Some of the issues raised led to a call for improvements in the tools and for additional research in a wider variety of contexts. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=24 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=25 Drawing from the online experiences of teachers across the United States who participated in online professional development courses, this article focuses on what educators/participants consider to be the roles and responsibilities of the online instructor. They see the online instructor as facilitator, model, planner, coach, and communicator. They describe how these roles are uniquely tuned in the online environment. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=25 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=26 The University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Education, as lead institution, initiated a collaborative PT3 project to infuse technology into the teaching/learning experience for prospective teachers in the Greater Birmingham Holmes Partnership. It featured the following projects: (a) assistive technology, (b) mentoring between K–12 and higher education faculty modeling technology infusion during prospective teachers’ field experience, and (c) preparation and mentoring for higher education faculty to infuse cutting-edge technology into content/pedagogical courses. The project reached prospective teachers in five teacher education institutions and enabled participants to realize effective uses of technology and assistive technology for teaching, instructional management, reflection, and lifelong learning. This practical piece serves to disseminate the ideas from successful on- and off-line technology interaction. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=26 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=27 In support of research examining relationships between learner characteristics and the quality of online discussions, this paper surveys different methods for evaluating discussions. The paper will present coding methods used in our own research as well as methods used by others interested in quality online discussions. Key topics include what constitutes quality in online discussions and how that quality can be measured? http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=27 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=28 Remote access to resources has become increasingly important in academic libraries, spurred largely by the growth of online education. Through bibliographic instruction (BI) courses, librarians must prepare both on-site and remote patrons in information literacy. Challenges exist for remote-user BI: among them are perceived characteristics of the typical “virtual patron” and limitations of current software and infrastructure. However, recent remote-patron BI models—stand-alone Web pages, video-based programs, and class-integrated electronic modules—offer librarians templates for future best practices. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=28 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=30 Following the theory that a community of practice must be comprised of three elements: domain, community, and practice (Wenger, 2001), this case study examines the extent to which a university was successful in establishing a community of learners in their orientation program for online graduate students. Specifically, it explores the objectives of the orientation, identifies critical questions involved in the design decisions that are made, explicitly or implicitly, analyzes the success to which goals are met, and provides recommendations for future planning based on this research. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=30 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=31 This paper addresses the construct of motivation as it relates to learning. Questions that will be discussed are (a) What is motivation, (b), how can motivation be incorporated in the instructional design process, and finally, (c) what motivational techniques have been used successfully in e-learning settings? Some general background information on motivation will be discussed. Two instructional design models for motivation will be described and examples of best practices for Web-based learning will be supplied. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=31 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=32 The multiyear study discussed in this paper focuses on the use of a course management system (CMS) to deliver video clips and interactive mathematics investigations and to support shared reflections in a field-based elementary mathematics methods course. The findings reveal that virtual observations of mathematics teaching episodes in diverse classrooms and participation in interactive mathematics activities and shared reflections via the CMS online discussion board challenged the preservice teachers to reconstruct their beliefs about mathematics teaching and diverse students. Classroom observations and excerpts from the discussion board illustrate how the CMS promoted changes in the preservice teachers’ mathematics knowledge and instructional practices. This study gives rise to important findings on the relationships between shared online reflections on virtual observations of mathematics lessons and mathematics teaching in diverse classrooms that are being utilized to inform decisions about teacher preparation programs and the mathematical education of diverse student populations. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=32 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=33 Efforts were undertaken to increase students’ interactivity in an online course in adult development. The purpose was to increase students’ engagement with the course materials, heighten their online discussions, and deepen their thinking about course-related concepts, theoretical principles, and research findings. Several strategies were used towards this end. Analyses of students’ discussions showed that they relied frequently upon personal anecdotes to make meaning of the theories and developmental principles covered in the course. The instructional strategies did not, however, bear a direct relationship to students’ participation, learning, or course performance. Rendering the course materials sensible in light of their personal experiences is a critical indicator of students’ understanding and learning. Instructors may want to redirect their attention from assessing students’ knowledge of factual contents in online courses where ability to discuss and analyze concepts and principles is a critical indicator of learning. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=33 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=34 The purpose of this study was to examine the roles self-efficacy, specifically technology self-efficacy and distance education self-efficacy, and self-regulation play in students’ learning via distance education. This study examines a system for evaluating distance education courses in a similar manner to those for traditional university courses. Participants in this study were undergraduate and graduate university students enrolled in business distance education courses. Prior to the completion of the semester, students completed an online survey designed to measure technology self-efficacy, distance education self-efficacy, and self-regulation. Using a Likert-type scale, students rated the degree to which they agreed or disagreed with 53 statements that comprised the survey. Additionally, students responded to three short-answer prompts concerning the benefits and drawbacks of distance education. As indicated from this study’s results, students judged that course evaluations used for traditionally taught courses can also be appropriate for distance education courses. Finally, self-efficacy and self-regulation levels were compared across gender, with no statistically significant gender differences resulting. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=34 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=35 This paper reports findings of a study that examined student performance and attitudes towards the use of information technology in virtual and conventional settings. Students were preservice undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in an educational media and technology course. All were fulltime, on-campus students, but one group completed the course entirely online. A Web-based survey was administered. The two groups completed pre and posttests on student performance, and a Likert-type attitude assessment. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to determine if there were significant differences in attitude and performances. The findings revealed that there were no significant performance and attitude differences between the two groups. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=35 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=36 This paper examines and analyzes computerized learning environments (CLEs) in terms of their problems, design challenges, and their future promises. It highlights the fact that despite the need for improvement, the future of these environments seems bright. If the instructional designers of these environments are able to establish strong and solid scientific connection between learning theories, instructional theories, instructional design principles, and CLEs, the near future will witness great potentials to deliver and receive effective learning programs inside and outside of the classroom. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=36 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=37 This study investigates uses of distance technologies to support collaborative research among groups of teacher educators using online instruction to enhance their instructional practices. The primary goal of this study was to examine the successes and barriers of the use of distance technologies for collaborative research. The study includes a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of particular distance communication tools. Data were collected via a survey administered in a Web-based format. Results indicate that e-mail and the telephone are considered the best facilitators of collaboration via a distance. The discussion reveals that technology infrastructures and participant skills play major roles in the selection of collaborative tools. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=37 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=38 Understanding the learners’ perceptions of how online delivery is affecting their learning will help provide instructors with information to effectively design and use online delivery strategies (Gallini & Barron, 2001). The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the learning and perceptions of students and their instructor during online fitness and nutrition units. The study participants were 19 high school students enrolled in a semester-long wellness course (10 males, 9 females; average age: 16 years, 2 months), and their teacher. The online units lasted 2 weeks each with a 3-week activity component interval in between. Student and instructor perceptions of the online instruction were examined through interviews and surveys. The majority of students (92%, n = 12) indicated that they were able to perform basic operations on their computers and valued the importance of technology in learning and finding employment. Student achievement was measured using a knowledge test and course assignments. A dependent t test on pretest and posttest scores showed a significant gain in student knowledge. Student perceptions of online learning were mixed. On the positive side, they indicated online instruction was suitable for some learning styles, focused their learning better, and allowed them to work at their own pace and at home. Yet, they had problems navigating the technology, were unclear about which content would be assessed and missed contact with their teacher and peers. The instructor had similar perceptions. She felt disconnected from her students and not in control, got behind in her grading and belatedly realized she could have helped her students by interacting more online. Despite mostly positive responses after the first unit, students and instructor ultimately favored a mixed instructional format using online and face-to-face instruction. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=38 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=39 Previous research has shown that providing students an outline or some form of notes prior to lectures and for later review facilitates learning. Recent advances in technology make this practice practical and inexpensive. To test the efficacy of instructor provided notes, students studied lecture material under one of four conditions. Some students listened and took notes without instructor assistance. Others listened and took notes using an instructor-provided outline with spaces for students in fill in important information. A third group listened with a complete set of notes that includes virtually every idea in the lecture (in outline form). Finally, a control group studied the complete set of instructor notes without hearing the lecture. The lecture was 35 minutes and covered the structure and functions of the brain. Memory was tested in Experiment 1, while memory and transfer were measured in Experiment 2. In both studies, the group taking their own notes and the group with the instructor-provided skeletal notes performed better than the groups with full set of notes (regardless of whether they heard the lecture). However, instructor-provided skeletal notes did not increase test performance beyond what students achieved simply by taking their own notes. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=39 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=40 This study investigates the effect of asynchronous, online interaction on student conceptual understanding of light and color. Two versions (N and Y) of an online independent study module on light and color were randomly assigned to students (N = 144) enrolled in introductory science courses for non-science majors at three higher education institutions. Version Y included Internet message boards to facilitate required peer-peer interaction about the module content. Version N lacked message boards. The Light and Color Concepts Assessment Instrument (LCCAI) was administered to subjects in a pre-post test experimental design. A multivariate analysis of variance was calculated, showing that student achievement on two of the four LCCAI test items varied significantly as a function of the module version studied. Analysis of over 500 online postings in light of social constructivism indicated that significant scaffolding took place during online interactions. The authors conclude that the availability of interaction likely played an important role in online learning. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=40 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=41 An analysis was conducted of the body of research studies on best practice in asynchronous or synchronous online instruction in higher education. The analysis used specific research design criteria and categorized studies by the type of theory used, such as creation of typologies. Many studies had flaws in research design and generally were pre-experimental case studies. Those studies most closely meeting the research criteria indicate online learning is viable and identify potential best practices in four categories: student behaviors, faculty-student interactions, technology support, and learning environment. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=41 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=42 The research presented here has a double objective: comparing two undergraduate courses on research methods at Bar-Ilan University (BIU) in Israel, and examining students’ attitudes toward the subject matter, as well as their attitudes toward incorporating online learning into the learning process. The subject matter in both courses—one in the School of Education and the other in the Department of Political Science—was almost identical. Each of the first two authors of this paper taught one of the courses. The pedagogical online model of the courses is different; while the education course is categorized as fully online with no required class meetings and the predetermined content occupies most of the course, the political science course uses the wrap-around model, combining class setting, online interaction and discussions with predetermined content. Students’ attitudes were examined twice, at the beginning of the courses and at their end. Research findings reveal significant differences between the courses and between the two points in time. One possible explanation of these findings is based on processes of instructor-students interaction. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=42 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=43 This paper reports on findings of a study conducted to determine the usability and pedagogical qualities of two Cold War-related online collections of historical documents. The study was conducted in three 11th grade U.S. history classes. Data in the form of metacognitive essays written by students as they reflected on their work using the archives as well as interviews with students and classroom observations were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Findings indicated that both online collections were of limited value because of poor design and inadequate pedagogical interfaces. We found that Web sites, which feature historical documents but do not have pedagogy as an integral part of the design of the site, are of limited value in high school social studies classes. Without pedagogical intent in the design, resources are difficult to find, hard to manipulate, and of limited value for students who are doing the kind of closed ended or short-term inquiries that are common in high school social studies. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=43 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=44 As the Internet and the use of technology becomes more prevalent in education, promised educational benefits have not always materialized. And the advantage of using technology to enhance a learning experience does not always lead to learning. There are many factors that affect learning. Of these, a student’s desire to learn may be among the most significant. Online learning offers many potential benefits but tends not to produce learning unless the participating students’ main intention is to learn and not just to get the course done. When the design of online courses deliberately or inadvertently promotes course completion as a primary goal or when the content and activities required of the online learner are too easy, students often abandon any real intention of learning. Understanding learner intent is especially important in online learning situations. Yet instructional designers have typically avoided concepts like volition and intent. These more illusive components of learning may provide valuable insights leading to a better understanding of how we should teach and design online courses. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=44 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=45 R. W. Burniske and Lowell Monke have written a book about education and technology that requires a patient reader, one who is willing to reflect on issues without demanding resolution. This suggestion for a target audience originates from the authors in the beginning of their book on learning to teach in a “post-modem” world. The recommendation is useful, though, in preparing readers for the authors’ use of dialectical discourse. Drawing on Freire (1997), the authors define dialectical discourse as “a continual interdependent cycle of communication, critical thinking, and insight growing toward the light of truth” (p. 226). They highlight this type of interaction, as it is their main educational goal for past and future telecollaborative projects—to get students to emotionally engage in open-ended inquiry while being sufficiently detached to reason and accept ambiguity and tension. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=45 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=46 The use of instructional technology to learn and teach science is a natural approach for today’s undergraduate. Adding computers to a non-major laboratory to serve as the research laboratory notebook converted the course into a dynamic student- centered classroom. Cooperative teams became very active in doing inquiries and using the tools of technology to gather background information, collect evidence, analysis data, write proposals, submit journal articles to a class electronic journal, and present results at the podium. Student and instructor comments support the design of the new biology non-major laboratory course. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=46 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=47 An online version of a graduate-level research methods course was developed in 1998 to be equivalent to an existing lecture-based version of the course that had been delivered on-campus in a live format for many years. The purpose of this study was to (a) document the amount of instructor time and resources required to develop the equated lecture-based online version of the course, (b) determine the degree to which test data from 18 sections of the online course compared to test data from 18 matched on-campus sections of the course, and (c) compare the amounts of time devoted by instructors to the delivery of these matched on-campus and online sections. The online course required in excess of 700 hours of instructor and staff time to develop. Of these hours, 166 were devoted to producing lecture-like slideshows with voiceover to simulate live classroom lectures. As expected the two venues produced almost identical test scores, however, the online sections required 30% more instructor time to deliver than their matched on-campus sections. Our conclusion is that the similarity in levels of student learning within the two venues has been achieved at a considerable cost to instructors in amounts of extra time required to develop and deliver the online coursework. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=47 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=48 Undergraduate students often leave statistics courses not fully understanding how to apply statistical concepts. In order to enhance student learning and improve the understanding and application of statistical concepts, an elementary statistics course was transformed from a lecture-based course into one that integrates technology with active and collaborative learning methods. The effect of these changes was evaluated using a combination of pre- and post-content knowledge tests. The overall results of these changes showed that student performance on the content test was higher in the redesigned classes compared to the traditional course. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=48 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=49 This paper describes the design of a web-based learning module according to a framework drawing on constructivist theories. The aim was to operationalize concepts such as authenticity, collaborative knowledge sharing, sense-making and viewing multiple perspectives as they relate to the design of e-learning opportunities. The prototypical module was designed for practitioners such as teachers and structured around interpreting and responding to a problem. The module consists of a problem model and relies on use of a discussion forum and a shared workspace to support negotiation of interpretation and experience. Also included are 60 streamable video segments presenting multiple perspectives on the problem. Results of the design process provide insight into ways in which constructivist principles and concepts can be translated into practical solutions for the provision of e-learning content. The module illustrates a way in which learning experiences can inform and be informed by practice. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=49 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=50 Involving future teachers in action research projects along with professors and/or teachers may provide opportunities for future teachers to develop content pedagogical knowledge, examine beliefs about teaching, and gain confidence. In this study, we focus on changes in the beliefs, knowledge, and confidence of 10 preservice teachers engaged in action research with a biology professor, a teacher educator, and a high school biology teacher to evaluate a National Science Foundation-sponsored project over a two-year period. The purpose of the NSF project is to enhance case-based learning in high school and university biology courses worldwide through the use of molecular biology computer simulations and Internet conferencing. Our results showed that engaging preservice teachers in action research studying the effect of case-based multimedia learning promoted reflection on beliefs about interacting with and monitoring students in computer lab situations, as well as dispositions of teachers. In addition, preservice teachers reported gaining confidence and developing more complex technological pedagogical content knowledge. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=50 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=51 This paper describes the learning environment of the introductory courses provided as part of the Virtual Assistive Technology University (VATU) certificate in assistive technology for educators. VATU, sponsored by The Spurwink Institute and the University of Southern Maine, offered its first course in the spring of 2001. The Web-based courses in this certificate program provide special and general educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to incorporate assistive technology in their educational programs for students with disabilities. This paper provides an in-depth descriptive study of the rationale of strategies for embedding social learning in the first two VATU courses. As each of the seven courses is delivered, assessment of student learning and student and instructor feedback and reflection will guide the course developers and instructors in improving the effectiveness of social learning. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=51 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=52 Three staff development workshops were conducted with 25 teachers in a rural school district in the Southeast. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group and asked to complete a pre-survey measuring their Internet usage, confidence, and self-efficacy. Participants in the experimental group kept in daily contact with the researcher/workshop trainer via the LISTSERV. During the last workshop, a post-survey was administered to determine if changes in teachers’ behavior, confidence, or self-efficacy occurred. In addition, interviews were conducted with six of the participants from the experimental group. Results of the statistical analysis indicated that, although there were significant gains in Internet usage for both groups, there was no statistical difference between the experimental and control group on the post-survey with regard to Internet usage, confidence, or self-efficacy. However, teachers in the control group reported in qualitative interviews that they benefited from the sustained interaction, convenience, and teacher collaboration and they reported higher levels of confidence as a result of participating in the LISTSERV. In addition, teacher created lesson plans indicated that the participants were able to use the Internet to plan or enhance lessons. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=52 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=53 This paper describes a collaborative effort between faculty in the College of Engineering and the College of Education at the University of Alabama. A graduate course in engineering mathematics called Partial Differential Equations was developed, then taught in the Spring 2002 term to 26 onsite students and 14 off-campus students. The students in the class were divided into three tests groups: (1) traditional mode of delivery only, (2) online delivery only, and (3) a mixture of traditional and online delivery. In addition, the performance of the students taking the class was compared to that of a previous semester’s students who took the class via the traditional mode of delivery. Results indicate that the mode of delivery had little effect on student performance. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=53 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=54 Open-ended computer simulations enable students to solve scientific problems through case studies in areas such as human genetics. Use of the Internet allows students to communicate and discuss their scientific findings with others through Web-based posters and electronic conferencing. The aims of this study were to (1) examine high school students’ learning during this case-based multimedia project; (2) analyze the interaction that occurred during electronic conferencing based on the high school and college students’ Web posters in the United States, England, and Australia, and (3) compare the perspectives of high school students, and high school teacher on this project. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=54 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=55 A Web-based instructional product was successfully developed and evaluated through a field test. The module was the prototype of a new learning and training system and part of the Florida Principal Certification. The sample consisted of 25 trainees who were teachers, appointed intern assistant principals, or interim principals. The instructor was district-based and served as the subject matter expert. To guide the three phases of the module’s production three instructional design models were combined. The statistical analysis revealed the group scored significantly higher on the posttest (M = 37.56) than the pretest (M = 26.88), p < .001. The instructor confirmed all trainees had met identified instructional objectives. Trainees evaluated the Web-based training favorably; the majority of trainees agreed with all 49 items on an evaluation questionnaire administered after the field test. Reported advantages outweighed experienced disadvantages, and participants indicated they would enroll in additional Web-based training modules. Participants offered several suggestions and recommendations for the revision of the module. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=55 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=56 Portfolios have been used in teacher education in different formats, in a variety of ways and for different purposes. Portfolios can be used as evaluation tools, to illustrate good teaching, to demonstrate progress, to integrate collection of work, to share work, and to support reflection and professional growth. In this paper we demonstrate through a review of the literature how portfolios have been used in teacher education and we discuss how hypermedia portfolios have been gaining popularity among teacher educators due to their potential to overcome the limitations of the traditional paper portfolio: failure to capture dynamic and complex processes of teaching and learning, danger of a portfolio becoming a mere exhibition, photocopying and storage problems. We argue that portfolio development, hypermedia authoring, and the Web-based forum combined has the potential to provide a powerful learning tool for prospective teachers. We propose a model of Web-based portfolio in service of supporting reflecting thinking and learning to teach at the elementary school. This model includes two main components: (a) three versions of a personal, evidence-based philosophy about teaching and learning developed and revised over a semester, and (b) a collection of evidence consisted of course assignments. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=56 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=57 Can anyone learn anywhere at anytime or are there required pre-requisite skills or strategies to achieve such learning? Certainly, it seems logical to assume that access, availability of hardware, and knowledge of software are some of the items required, but are there others? Are there strategies and skills that can be taught to promote greater success? Does the successful online learner need to possess specific skills or strategies to be successful? This paper details Phase I of a longitudinal study investigating distance learning students' technical skills, cognitive/metacognitive learning strategies, motivation, and stages of concern as they enter an online Masters of Education in Educational Technology degree program. Preliminary results indicate that the program seems to attract relatively new, young in-service teachers that are confident in their technology skills that might be seen as leaders in their field. Because the degree program demands a great deal of peer collaboration within the course work, particular attention was paid to data regarding the cognitive learning strategy of peer collaboration and help seeking. Although, these students indicated that they would utilize peer collaboration as a learning strategy, they might be more apt to utilize it from a help seeking aspect. However, they also indicated that if they did seek help it would probably be from the instructor first. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=57 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=58 The purpose of this paper is to summarize and synthesize findings from a line of research investigating the potential of scaffolding for supporting student inquiry about ill-structured social problems. Specifically, we implemented a problem-based, student-centered instructional unit (Decision Point!) with 11th grade general history students in our partner teachers’ classroom on three separate occasions. In this paper, we use data obtained from these implementations to address the following questions: Can we design scaffolds to assist students with engaging in ill-structured content more deeply so that they can perceive the complexity of ill-structured problems?; Can scaffolds assist students with considering alternative perspectives and arriving at problem solutions?; Can scaffolds assist students with handling the cognitive demands required of disciplined inquiry?; How can we support teachers in providing more effective soft scaffolding for students? http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=58 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=59 Synchronous online discussions are being increasingly used in higher education in order to facilitate learning and group interaction between on-campus and off-campus students. In response to calls from the engineering community to integrate humanities studies into the engineering curriculum, English and Engineering faculty at a large urban university collaborated to design an online literature discussion course for first-year engineering students. Students were assigned two works of literature that dealt with ethical and professional development issues in engineering. The online discussions took place outside class in a Multiuser Object Oriented (MOO) environment, where all discussions were logged. As researchers examined the transcripts of these discussions, the theme of community formation emerged. The transcripts were coded and then used to identify the varying levels of community formation during the course of the semester as well as the students’ development of professional identity. Results suggest that behaviors of the mentor, negotiation of group knowledge, and exclusion of late arriving members characterized communities. The results also suggest that through reading and discussion of professional issues, students may begin to view themselves as members of the engineering profession. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=59 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=60 This study examines the perceptions of faculty and students on the topic of technology integration in the teaching of courses at a Midwestern College of Education. Examining the perceptions of a target audience is a widely used strategy based on the premise that perceptions matter and often influence behaviors. This approach has been used to study faculty perceptions of distance education (Belcheir & Cucek, 2002), and also student perceptions of online learning (O’Malley & McCraw, 1999). Cope and Ward (2002) used a phenomenological research approach to examine the importance of high school teacher perceptions on the integration of learning technology in the classroom and concluded that “teacher perceptions of learning technologies are likely to be key factors in the successful integration of learning technologies” (p. 72). They further noted that successful integration is more likely to occur when “teachers perceive learning technologies as part of a student-centred/conceptual change teaching approach” (p. 72). http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=60 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=61 Social presence is a critical influence on learners’ online social interaction in an online learning environment via computer-mediated communication (CMC) systems. This study examines how three CMC systems, e-mail, bulletin board, and real-time discussion, influence the level of online social presence and privacy. Mixed methods were applied to examine the relationships of three CMC systems with social presence and privacy. The results indicate (a) E-mail is perceived to possess the highest level of social presence, followed by the real-time discussion and bulletin board; (b) one-to-one e-mail was perceived to have a higher level of privacy while one-to-many was perceived less privacy; and (c) in addition to the attributes of CMC systems, learners’ perceptions of CMC systems impacted level of privacy as well. This study suggested that the format of CMC systems, e-mail and real-time discussion should be examined in two different formats: one-to-one e-mail, one-to-many e-mail, one-to-one real-time discussion, and many-to-many real-time discussion. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=61 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=62 This study focuses on a university college program in special education using Internet groupware to establish a community of student learners’ on- and off line. The study focuses on one group of four students, while it gives attention to a larger group of 35 students, during their six weeks intensive project work. Data sources were: transcripts of students’ Internet exchanges related to the task; the students’ assessment reports; and an interview with one subgroup. The analysis revealed five phases in the students’ progression towards developing a community. Each phase comprised the nature of the task, the media used in communication, and the relationships that were established. The findings show that each phase scaffolded the learning process, and the creation of community and how each phase structured the conditions for subsequent phases. The analysis reveals how the online interactions gave rise to meaningful face-to-face conversations that in turn facilitated more reflective and sophisticated online exchanges. These online and face-to-face interactions assisted each other and enabled the students to claim their voices from the multiple voices from diverse special education practices that were sounded through the whole process. The end result is a community of learners in special education whose individual voices pulsate through a collective process. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=62 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=63 The primary research objective of the hypotheses-generating study focused on the viability of the communication technologies (Internet, e-mail, phone, and fax) as effective media for professional development. The central research question was: What impact does communication technology have on the facilitation of follow-up sessions to traditional on-site professional development? First, the study explored the facilitation of follow-up professional development for teachers in rural and underserved areas. Second, the research considered the type of communication technology that is best suited to the needs of teachers in rural and underserved areas. Third, the study investigated the impact of various factors, including technical skill with computer and related technologies and adequate equipment, on the utilization of communication technology as a means of continuing education. The findings indicated communication technologies were useful for follow-up to on-site professional development. However, inconsistent access to the Internet and e-mail at school was a barrier to their effective utilization. The participants indicated e-mail was the preferred mode of communication with other professionals. Differences in technical skill did not appear to negatively impact dialogue via communication technologies during the study. On the other hand, there were some equipment and server problems noted by the participants as barriers to consistent access to the Internet and e-mail. As a result of the research, the following hypotheses were generated: (a) e-mail is the most viable method of follow-up to on-site professional development to meet the needs of teachers in rural and underserved areas; (b) the actual typical availability of communication technologies to teachers in rural and underserved areas is less than is reported by administrators; and (c) access to the Internet is more problematic for rural and underserved teachers. Additional research should be conducted to develop distance professional development that fosters collaborative, reflective practice. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=63 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=64 “Technology in the Language Arts Curriculum” is an elective course that falls midway through the eleven-course sequence for the Masters of Education in Technology in Education at Lesley University. When the course was prepared for online delivery it incorporated a major collaborative writing assignment that featured the use of networking and peer feedback in the writing process. Data collected during the first two sections of the course indicated serious problems with the collaborative writing assignment. The problems experienced by students and instructors were similar to those reported in the emerging literature about online teaching and learning. The course was redesigned to adjust for these problems. Data was collected for three additional sections, and the lessons learned will be useful to other online course designers and instructors. We point out faulty assumptions in the course design regarding student preparedness, and we recommend that, early in the course, instructors teach and test for mastery of technical and other skills normally assumed in graduate students. We emphasize the need for instructor-to-student and student-to-student trust prior to major collaborative assignments. We propose a thoughtful approach to options and accountability for collaborative assignments. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=64 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=65 The development and use of online resources for early field-based teacher education experiences can offer many challenges. This case study outlines the three-year period of development and implementation of online resources for two such courses, one for freshmen and one for sophomores. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=65 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=66 Preparing elementary students for online learning begins with basic computer competency. Computer competency skills were taught using integration of learned skills in the regular academic curriculum to sixth grade students under two conditions: (a) in a classroom with four computers, and (b) in a computer lab. Students of mixed ability (N = 53) were given pretest and posttest measures of technology skill development based on school district curriculum before and after eight weeks of instruction. Results showed that the group using the computer lab had higher overall scores in computer skills when compared to the classroom integration group. Higher scores for the lab were interpreted as the result of efficient and enhanced academic-engaged time inherent to the lab setting. An attitude survey given to all students indicated no significant differences between groups on perceived fear of computers, attribution of learning through computers, or enjoyment derived from using computers. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=66 http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=67 The purpose of this study is to inform the reader how K-12 teachers perceive the idea of using telementoring in their classrooms. Teachers in this study evaluated the effectiveness of the International Telementor Program (ITP), which is one of the world’s largest formal telementoring programs. The International Telementor Program creates matches between industry professionals from ITP sponsor companies and students (4th grade through college) targeting specific communities around the world. The ITP program creates project-based online mentoring support for students and teachers in classrooms and home environments with a focus on serving a diverse student population. Since 1995 over 11,000 students have been served throughout nine countries. Teachers provided their insights of the benefits and challenges of working in the International Telementor Program in the K-12 setting. Teachers gave responses using both quantitative and qualitative formats. http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/rss/showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=67