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In this paper we describe the sociotechnical structures of the Inquiry Learning Forum (ILF), a Web-based professional development tool designed to support a community of inservice and preservice mathematics and science teachers creating, sharing, and improving inquiry-based pedagogical practices. Founded in our previous research and consistent with our pedagogical commitment, the technical structures of the ILF have been designed around a “visiting-the-classroom” metaphor. This decision was based on our belief that teachers need to be full participants in, and owners of, their virtual space for meaningful interaction to occur. The hallmark of this environment is that teachers with a broad range of experience and expertise can come together in an on-line environment to observe, discuss, and reflect on pedagogical theory and practice anchored to actual teaching vignettes. The goal of this paper is to share how we instantiated our pedagogical commitments and to describe the challenges we faced during the design, development, implementation, and analysis of the ILF. Toward this end, we walk the reader through our design and implementation process, highlighting our change in focus from usability to sociability issues, and movement from conceiving the ILF as an electronic structure to a sociotechnical interaction network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem solving is generally regarded as the most important cognitive activity in everyday and professional contexts. Most people are required to and rewarded for solving problems. However, learning to solve problems is too seldom required in formal educational settings, in part, because our understanding of its processes is limited. Instructional-design research and theory has devoted too little attention to the study of problem-solving processes. In this article, I describe differences among problems in terms of their structuredness, domain specificity (abstractness), and complexity. Then, I briefly describe a variety of individual differences (factors internal to the problem solver) that affect problem solving. Finally, I articulate a typology of problems, each type of which engages different cognitive, affective, and conative processes and therefore necessitates different instructional support. The purpose of this paper is to propose a metatheory of problem solving in order to initiate dialogue and research rather than offering a definitive answer regarding its processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Post-modernists look to the past and future equally and position themselves in the present, seeing time as a broken continuum in need of acknowledgement' (Jencks, 1992b, p.6). Traditional views in instructional technology are often based on the application of scientific knowledge. Post-modernism, an alternative paradigm, questions whether science alone offers the best approach to teaching and learning. Post-modernism holds promise for guiding research and development in instructional technology.; however, its potential contributions to the field require clarification. Accordingly, cogent definitions of post-modernism have been constructed-from an instructional technologist's point of view-and implications for the field have been presented to address the concerns of critics. This paper received the 1999 ETR&D Young Scholar Award and the author notes that the term post-modern shall be hyphenated to symbolize 'the continuation of Modernism and its transcendence' (Jencks, 1995, p. 30). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open-ended learning environments (OELEs) use the capabilities of technology to provide students with opportunities to engage in authentic problem solving; generate, test, and revise hypotheses; explore and manipulate concepts; and reflect on what they know. By design, such environments require sophisticated levels of cognitive functioning. The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze assumptions underlying learner-centered, technology-based environments in light of how well learners appear to meet the cognitive demands for engaging them. Implications for design include the following considerations: (a) direct learner attention to key variables and visual cues; (b) prompt and guide connections to prior knowledge; and (c) provide explicit scaffolding of metacognition and teaching-learning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an abstract of `Home Improvement II (Using Television in Skill Development),' by Tobie R. Titsworth and James Baum.

Presents an abstract of `Integrating Technology in the Classroom: Process Evaluation, Strategies and Issues,' by Debbie Atkins and others.

Presents an abstract of `Instructional Design and Development Competencies in a New Academic Program,' by John V. Dempsey and Karen L. Rasmussen.

Presents an abstract of `Characteristics of Media Service Departments at Mid-Size Universities,' by Larry Johnson.

In this paper, we review the current state of research paradigms in the field of instructional technology from the perspective of research standards and paradigms recommended by Leslie J. Briggs in the early 1980s. Our analysis of articles published in Educational Technology Research and Development from 1992 to 1996 revealed that relatively few research paradigms were used and that studies did not, for the most part, adhere to Briggs's (1984) Culture Four standards. Perhaps the most startling result was that more than half the articles published were not empirical studies at all. We discuss some reasons for these findings and suggest that instructional technology (IT) researchers make a renewed commitment to Briggs's standards. IT researchers can again advance knowledge in the field in significant ways by collaborating with partners in the field and focusing on questions related to instructional design processes, questions that require the use of more developmental research methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on several topics including advanced telecommunications and computer technologies in Georgia Public Elementary School, role and effectiveness of technology resource teachers, and constructivist assessment practices.

The epistemic assumptions of constructive learning are different from those of traditional instruction, so classical methods of needs and task analysis are inappropriate for designing constructivist learning environments (CLEs). This paper argues that activity theory provides an appropriate framework for analyzing needs, tasks, and outcomes for designing CLEs. Activity theory is a socio-cultural, socio-historical lens through which designers can analyze human activity systems. It focuses on the interaction of human activity and consciousness within its relevant environmental context. Since conscious learning emerges from activity (performance), not as a precursor to it, CLEs should attempt to replicate the activity structures, tools and sign systems, socio-cultural rules, and community expectations that performers must accommodate while acting on some object of learning. After explicating assumptions of activity theory and briefly describing the components of CLEs, this paper describes a process for using activity theory as a framework for describing the components of an activity system that can be modeled in CLEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Integrated Learning System (ILS) is an advanced computer-based instructional system, generally consisting of a set of computerized courseware covering several grade levels and content areas, and complex classroom management and reporting features. Although ILSs have become increasingly popular in schools over the past five to ten years, they introduce several potential factors that could have negative effects on students' academic and social growth. These factors include: (a) de-emphasis of affective outcomes and increased student isolation, (b) lack of teacher involvement in curriculum planning and delivery, and (c) disparate effects on student achievement based on students' academic level. One possible strategy for addressing these concerns is integrating cooperative learning with ILS instruction. This paper will examine the research dealing with integrating cooperative learning strategies and computer-based instruction and provide guidelines and strategies for designing ILS instruction that enhances opportunities for cooperative learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructivism, or more precisely, a constructivist metatheory, presently prevails throughout professional education circles. Most educators easily accept constructivism's central premise that learners approach tasks with prior knowledge and expectations based on their knowledge of the world around them. Naturally, then, constructivist educational technologists have been guided by the implicit (and increasingly explicit) desire to create 'authentic' environments for learning: environments that correspond to the real world. In this paper, I argue that technologists have tended to paper over the critical epistemological dimension of constructivism by 'preauthenticating' learning environments: creating environments that are predetermined to reflect the real world even though constructivist theory contrindicates precisely this. I suggest that a rhetorical perspective on constructivism offers a way out of this bind and I propose some guidelines to assist developers of educational technologies in accommodating the essentially dialogic nature of teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents summaries of articles which pertain to educational research conducted. Identification of factors which influence persons to learn; Information on computer-based tools which can be used to improve learning among children; Advantages associated with the use of the Internet in education.

This paper examines the extent to which children in a 51-family, qualitative study used their home microcomputers for learning school subjects such as reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. Logs and analytic documents gathered over two years were content analyzed. This analysis revealed that most of the children who used their home microcomputers were not using them for academic learning. The absence of home academic microcomputing by children was found to be associated with a set of factors which included the lack of parental pressure and support for home academic microcomputing, the schools' emphasis on programming and computer literacy, the unreceptivity of the children and their peers to home academic microcomputing, and the dearth of academic software in the homes. The implications of these findings for the fostering of home academic microcomputing are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological change and social change are viewed as interdependent in this paper. At the same time technology's 'push' is seen as outpacing the capability of social institutions to respond. Consequently, America risks losing its competitive edge economically and, further, is rapidly evolving toward a two-tiered occupational and social structure. This paper examines the relationship between technological and social change, the nature and significance of technological innovation and dissemination, and impacts on organizational life. Finally, the paper explores the role of higher education as well as strategies the university must adopt if it is to participate effectively in addressing the changes that are emerging as society moves from being production-and-material based to an information-based system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to articles about game-based learning is presented.

Presents an abstract of `Feature Films for Communication Courses: A Bibliography,' by Russell F. Proctor II and Scott D. Johnson.

Presents an abstract of `Users' Perspectives on U.S. Government Information and Services on the Internet: A Summary from Two Seminars. A Report Prepared for The Information Infrastructure Task Force,' by Joe Ryan and Charles R. McClure.

Presents an abstract of `Incorporating Total Quality Management in an Engineering Design Course,' by V. Wilczynski and others.

Presents an abstract of `Changing the Tire on a Moving Bus: Barriers to the Development of Professional Community in a New Teacher-Led School,' by M. Peg Lonnquist and Jean A. King.

Although educational games have become quite popular in recent research, only a limited number of studies have focused on the effectiveness of these games. While numerous claims have been made about the effectiveness of games, the studies that examine educational effectiveness often contain flaws resulting in unclear conclusions. One possible solution for these shortcomings is to focus on separate game elements rather than on games as a whole. A second solution is to take into account students’ perceptions of instruction as they are likely to affect students’ interpretations and learning outcomes. This study investigated whether the addition of the gaming element ‘competition’ to a computer-based language learning environment is related to students’ motivation, perceptions and learning outcomes. Additionally, this study probed into the effect of instruction, i.e., the instruction of a gaming or learning environment, on students’ perceptions of the environment, their motivation and learning outcomes. 83 students participated in this study, all working in a game-based learning environment for learning business English conversation skills. The results demonstrate that competition is not significantly related to students’ learning gains and only partly related to students’ motivation. Moreover, the majority of students perceived the environment as a learning environment, even when they were instructed to be playing in a gaming environment. To conclude this paper, the practical and theoretical implications for the fields of instructional design and educational games research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One way to help students engage in higher-order thinking is through scaffolding, which can be defined as support that allows students to participate meaningfully in and gain skill at a task that is beyond their unassisted abilities. Most research on computer-based scaffolds assesses the average impact of the tools on learning outcomes. This is problematic in that it assumes that computer-based scaffolds impact different students in the same way. In this conceptual paper, we use activity theory and the theory of affordances to build an initial theoretical framework on how and why K-12 students use computer-based scaffolds. Specifically, we argue that affordances and motives drive how and why K-12 students use computer-based scaffolds. Then we examine empirical studies to gather preliminary support for the framework. Implications for research on and the design of computer-based scaffolds are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines gender differences related to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literacy using two valid and internally consistent measures with eighth grade students ( N = 1,513) from Florida public schools. The results of t test statistical analyses, which examined only gender differences in demonstrated and perceived ICT skills, indicate significant differences in all areas in favor of females. Females had higher factor scores in perception measures for Frequency of Computer Use, Perceived ICT Skills, and Attitudes toward Computers. In addition, female students had significantly higher scores on all six sections from the Student Tool for Technology Literacy, a performance-based assessment. These results counter many empirical research studies that show males generally perform better with ICT skills and have overall better attitudes toward computers than their female counterparts. However, when adding predictors to the model and using multilevel modeling statistical methods, findings indicate that gender was no longer significant. These findings question the importance of the gender differences related to ICT skills that were found with previous statistical examinations. Using more advanced statistical methods to answer research questions pertaining to ICT skills is important in order to determine which factors have the greatest potential for intervention programs that focus on developing equitable ICT skills and career choices for all students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutions of higher education are increasingly asking students to use the online environment, or virtual campus, when carrying out business related to college life. In this paper, we report findings from a study conducted to learn more about the experiences of college students with learning disabilities as they interacted with this virtual campus. Sixteen college students with documented learning disabilities were observed and interviewed while completing eight tasks in a virtual campus environment. Tasks were chosen from those typically performed by college students and included such items as locating the email address of an instructor, locating a journal article in the library's online database, and identifying the textbook for a course on the bookstore webpage. Findings indicate that these participants were both successful and not successful in task completion within the virtual campus. Factors that impacted performance included features of the virtual campus and participants' implementation of cognitive and behavioral strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In blended learning, the internet acts as an instrument to complement traditional forms of instruction, in the belief that the incorporation of new information and communication technologies may lead to more efficient and effective education. This paper presents a study carried out in the University of Granada, during the first year of undergraduate courses, which considered a total of 1,128 students organized into 17 groups during the academic year 2009-2010 and focused on the students' voluntary use of online learning activities. The results show that the students' participation in these activities and the number of tasks completed both had a positive effect on the students' final marks. The time employed in carrying out online tasks did not influence the results achieved but the marks obtained in such activities were a significant factor. In addition, the students' respective background, rate of class attendance and interest in the subject were explanatory variables of the outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prescriptive stage models have been found insufficient to describe the dynamic aspects of designing, especially in interdisciplinary e-learning design teams. There is a growing need for a systematic empirical analysis of team design processes that offer deeper and more detailed insights into instructional design (ID) than general models can offer. In this paper we present findings from two case studies of team design meetings involved in the development of fully online courses at two well-established European Distance Universities. We applied an activity-based approach to an extended verbal protocol dataset. This method proved to be adequate to describe the emerging team design process by taking into account both cognitive and social aspects of team activity in this specific context. Our findings provide evidence that design is more than problem solving, mainly because the design process is strongly related to the communication process in a team. Some useful patterns of designing emerge, which shed light on the still implicit nature of ID performed by teams. We conclude by presenting guidelines for team designing in the complex field of e-learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex Problem Solving (CPS) skills are essential to successfully deal with environments that change dynamically and involve a large number of interconnected and partially unknown causal influences. The increasing importance of such skills in the 21st century requires appropriate assessment and intervention methods, which in turn rely on adequate item construction, delivery, and scoring. The lack of assessment tools, however, has slowed down research on and understanding of CPS. This paper first presents the MicroDYN framework for assessing CPS, which is based on linear structural equation systems with input and output variables and opaque relations among them. Second, a versatile assessment platform, the CBA Item Builder, which allows the authoring, delivery, and scoring of CPS tasks for scientific and educational purposes is introduced. Third, we demonstrate the potential of such a tool for research by reporting an experimental study illustrating the effect of domain specific content knowledge on performance in CPS tasks both on an overall performance and on a process level. The importance of accessible and versatile technical platforms not only for assessment and research but also for intervention and learning are discussed with a particular focus on educational contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The important but little understood problem that motivated this study was the lack of research on valid assessment methods to determine progress in higher-order learning in situations involving complex and ill-structured problems. Without a valid assessment method, little progress can occur in instructional design research with regard to designing effective learning environments to facilitate acquisition of expertise in complex, ill-structured knowledge domains. In this paper, we first present a method based on causal representations for assessing progress of learning in complex, ill-structured problem solving and discuss its theoretical framework. Then, we present an experimental study investigating its validity against adapted protocol analysis. This study explored the impact of a massively multiplayer online educational game, which was designed to support an interdisciplinary STEM education on ninth-grade students' complex, ill-structured problem solving skill acquisition. We identify conceptual similarities and differences between the two methods, present our comparative study and its results, and then discuss implications for diagnostics and applications. We conclude by determining how the two approaches could be used in conjunction for further research on complex and ill-structured problem solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, much problem solving is performed by teams, rather than individuals. The complexity of these problems has exceeded the cognitive capacity of any individual and requires a team of members to solve them. The success of solving these complex problems not only relies on individual team members who possess different but complementary expertise, but more importantly, their collective problem solving ability. To better conceptualize large scale complex problem solving, an understanding of collective cognitive components and processes during team-based complex problem solving is necessary. This paper offers a conceptual discussion about complex problem solving from a collective cognition perspective. The types of cognitive processing and cognitive components of team-based problem solving (TBPS) as well as the cognitive states of collective emergent cognitive states and the interactive mechanisms will be discussed. Also, implications from the model for assessing TBPS performance and suggestions for future research will be offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an educational game in mathematics based on an apprenticeship model using a teachable agent, as well as an evaluative study of how the game affects (1) conceptual understanding and (2) attitudes towards mathematics. In addition, we discuss how collaborative and competitive affordances of the game may affect understanding and motivation. 19 students played the game in pairs once a week during math lessons for 7 weeks (the game-playing group) while another 19 students followed the regular curriculum (the control group). Math comprehension scores increased significantly for the game-playing group but not the control group ( p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in attitude change between the two groups. Post hoc analyses indicated that game-playing primarily affected students' confidence in explaining math to a peer, but not their enjoyment of doing so. Collaborative and competitive activities seem to carry a strong motivational influence for students to play the game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the effects an experimental English as a Foreign Language (EFL) program in Second Life (SL) had on Chinese student EFL learning. The study took an evaluative approach using quasi-experimental design with participants from one Chinese university and one American university in the southeastern United States. Results indicated significant main effects between a control group and the SL group on EFL measures, as well as significant gains in total score and several subcomponents between pre-test and post test. Further analysis using a post study survey, students' blog posting, and interview transcripts revealed that the SL_EFL Program had a positive impact on students' EFL learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent studies of learning theories, a new methodology that integrates two prevailing metaphors of learning (acquisition and participation) has been discussed. However, current analytical techniques are insufficient for analyzing how social knowledge develops through learners' discourse and how individual learners contribute to this development. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to analyzing learning from an integrative perspective and present a social network analysis application that uses learner discourse as input data: Knowledge Building Discourse Explorer (KBDeX). To investigate the utility of this approach, discourse data analyzed in a previous study is re-examined through social network analysis supported by KBDeX. Results suggest that social network analysis can qualitatively and quantitatively support the conclusions from the previous study. In addition, social network analysis can reveal potential points that are pivotal for social knowledge advancement in groups, and can identify each individual's contribution to this advancement. On the basis of these results, we discuss how social network analysis could be integrated into existing in-depth discourse analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many evidences of motivational and educational benefits from the use of learning software. However, there is a lack of study with regards to the teaching of creative writing. This paper aims to bridge the following gaps: first, the need for a proper framework for scaffolding creative writing through learning software; second, the lack of technical scaffolding in creative writing learning software; third, the need for customizable learning software that requires little programming knowledge; and fourth, personalized learning. To develop our initial framework, Merrill's First Principles of Instruction is used as pedagogical scaffold and story setting, characters and story structure as component-based technical scaffolds. These were tested in a low-fidelity prototype. User testing indicates an increase in creativity, improvement in story development, clarity of ideas and language skills. We also derive two design principles, i.e. identity and interactivity. Based on these findings, a high-fidelity prototype, named Storyworld, is developed. T-test analyses on results indicate significant improvement in overall creative writing skills, as well as grammar, structure and creativity. The prototype utilizes component-based design in the technical scaffolds, which is encapsulated in a tidy framework that can be personalized for individual learning needs. Our most important contribution is a proper framework combining technical scaffolds and pedagogical scaffolds that not only makes learning more effective and motivating for students, but is also cost-effective in redesigning and personalizing lessons and systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many researchers have been engaged in the development of educational computer games; however, previous studies have indicated that, without supportive models that take individual students' learning needs or difficulties into consideration, students might only show temporary interest during the learning process, and their learning performance is often not as good as expected. Learning styles have been recognized as being an important human factor affecting students' learning performance. Previous studies have shown that, by taking learning styles into account, learning systems can be of greater benefit to students owing to the provision of personalized learning content presentation that matches the information perceiving and processing styles of individuals. In this paper, a personalized game-based learning approach is proposed based on the sequential/global dimension of the learning style proposed by Felder and Silverman. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a role-playing game has been implemented based on the approach; moreover, an experiment has been conducted on an elementary school natural science course. From the experimental results, it is found that the personalized educational computer game not only promotes learning motivation, but also improves the learning achievements of the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, guidelines for designing virtual change agents (VCAs) are proposed to support students' affective and motivational needs in order to promote personalized learning in online remedial mathematics courses. Automated, dynamic, and personalized support is emphasized in the guidelines through maximizing interactions between VCAs and individual students. The strategies that VCAs convey throughout the interactions are constructed to support emotion regulation and motivation based on theories and prior research on emotions and motivation. The availability and customizability of VCAs enable the strategies to be implemented in real-time and customized for individual students. Implications of the design guidelines for personalized, online learning contexts are discussed and future research directions are recommended as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including the strategic decision making for feedback learning and mental models perspective, the effectiveness of highly integrated model assessment technology and tools and the importance of educational technology for cognitive learning development.

A large number of criteria for evaluating of Internet addiction have been developed, recently. The research of Internet addiction among students of the Technical faculty in Bor, University of Belgrade has been conducted and its results are presented in this paper. The study included 270 students using criteria of Young's Internet Addiction Test. In history of this University, that was the primarily research of this kind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision making is the most common kind of problem solving. It is also an important component skill in other more ill-structured and complex kinds of problem solving, including policy problems and design problems. There are different kinds of decisions, including choices, acceptances, evaluations, and constructions. After describing the centrality and importance of decision making to problem solving and everyday cognition, this paper contrasts normative (rational) with naturalistic approaches to decision making. Normative approaches, such as decision matrices, SWOT, and force field analyses, scaffold rational decision-making approaches. Naturalistic approaches such as constructing stories, mental simulations, scenarios, and arguments, emphasize the meanings of decision options and the role of unconscious emotions in decision making. Recommendations about instructional designs to support both conceptions are followed by recommendations about assessing decisions and decision-making ability. These recommendations provide many researchable questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses a qualitative study which examined students' problem-solving, metacognition, and motivation in a learning environment designed for teaching educational technology to pre-service teachers. The researchers converted a linear and didactic learning environment into a new open learning environment by contextualizing domain-related concepts and skills and providing ill-structured, collaborative problem-solving opportunities. The intervention called Learning Environments Approaching Professional Situations (LEAPS) took into account issues surrounding motivation and situativity that are of particular interest to instructional developers and design-based researchers. In this study, four classes were assigned as either traditional or LEAPS environments from which four cases were selected for further examination. The results suggested that the LEAPS approach was beneficial in supporting students' problem-solving, motivation, and self-reflections, but only under specific conditions. The implications for instructional design and motivation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we report the results of a study which investigated the affordances of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) for collaborative learning from a design perspective. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, we conducted a comparative study of the effect of varying representational and interactional design features on a collaborative design activity in three online synchronous environments. We compared environments featuring multiple modes of interaction (MUVEs), shared representations (text chat and 2D still images) and text-only features. Sixty-one students enrolled in an undergraduate course on Child Development participated in the study. Participants were asked to design a theoretically-based, developmentally appropriate, preschool classroom setting. Students were randomly assigned to one of three online learning environments that provided varying levels of representation and interaction. Significant differences in collaborative problem solving interactions were found. Participants in the shared representations + text condition evidenced stronger learning outcomes as regards substantive discussion and integration of child development concepts; while participants in the MUVE condition reported the most enjoyment with the experience. These findings are explained by the concepts of representational guidance, representational bias, educational affordances and interface design metaphors. Suggestions for the design of MUVEs for collaborative learning are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although online learning is expanding in availability and popularity, the high dropout rates remain a challenging problem. In this paper, we reviewed the existing empirical studies on online course dropouts in post-secondary education that were published during the last 10 years. We identified 69 factors that influence students' decisions to dropout and classified them into three main categories: (a) Student factors, (b) Course/Program factors, and (c) Environmental factors. We then examined the strategies proposed to overcome these dropout factors: (a) understanding each student's challenges and potential, (b) providing quality course activities and well-structured supports, and (c) handling environmental issues and emotional challenges. Finally, we discussed issues regarding dropout factors and strategies for addressing these factors and offered recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most universities use Information Systems (IS) to perform their daily administrative activities (student enrollment, data files, accountancy, etc.), and an integrated Learning Management System (LMS) to support teaching and learning. However, although a lot of effort has been put into deploying these computerized systems, the data that they provide are not fully exploited from an educational perspective. In this paper we describe a case in which these data have been used to identify relevant relations between the general use of the LMS, the existence of teaching innovation programs and the quality of education. The method used can be easily generalized and employed in other different contexts, to derive meaningful information on the impact that some variables may have over others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I conceptualize experiences with technology as an object of study for educational technology research and propose phenomenology as a highly suitable method for studying this construct. I begin by reviewing existing research focusing on the construct of experiences with technology and the approaches utilized for its study. To augment this literature, I explain the phenomenological concept of experience and describe its utility for understanding experiences with technology. I propose the theoretical and methodological approach of phenomenology as a framework for developing a research agenda on experiences with technology and for unifying existing lines of research in this area. To illustrate the promise of this approach and to facilitate its application, I describe a research design consistent with the theoretical underpinnings of phenomenology, including methods for collecting and analyzing data as well as ethical and validity considerations specific to this research design. I conclude by identifying several possible research directions utilizing a phenomenological approach in educational technology to incite further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of an intervention depends not only upon its theoretical soundness, but also on proper implementation that reflects the guidelines derived from its theoretical conception. Debates surrounding the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) have focused on its theoretical conception and students' learning outcomes, but implementation is seemingly absent from the picture. This paper attempts to describe what research evidence is needed to fill in this missing information and provide a clearer picture of PBL. The author examines current PBL implementation practices and identifies potentially confounding variables that may play a role in inconsistent or conflicting research results in PBL. For example, various models of PBL have been developed and implemented to afford the specific instructional needs of the institution or learner population. These PBL models are in fact quite different in terms of the nature of problem solving and the degrees of self-directed learning, which theoretically, should result in different types of learning outcomes. Without distinguishing the models used, the results of comparative PBL research could have been confounded. Furthermore, human factors are another set of confounding variables that could influence the students' learning processes and consequently affect PBL implementations and research results. To remedy these problems and reach PBL's full potential, as well as obtain a more accurate picture of PBL as an instructional method and its effects on students' learning, some fundamental changes are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers are encouraged to plan their teaching based on students' needs from the student-centered perspectives. Of the many teacher training programs, teacher-student role reversal is regarded as one of the most effective avenues to help teachers identify students' learning difficulties and further provide adaptive instruction. However, as the role reversal process is difficult to document in the face-to-face environment due to its interactive and dynamic property, very few studies on teacher-student role reversal have been empirically conducted. Studies on this issue thus were mainly presented in the form of position papers or experience sharing entries. The purpose of this study was to explore prospective teachers' (PT) role reversal experience within the computer-supported (CS) environment. In the CS environment, 14 PT were invited to play the role as student Writers, Editors, and Commentators. The results showed that the teacher-student role reversal activities provided the PTs with a first-hand experience to formulate and reformulate their professional knowledge through reflection. By reflecting on their role-reversal, the PTs could identify the difficulties that impeded students' writing and generated the insights on how they could better scaffold their students' writing, editing, and revising process. With the feature of the process data, the CS environment was found to effectively support teacher-student role reversal as the PTs employed the process data, such as action logs or written texts, to reflect on their role play process to probe into the students' writing problems and develop insights into pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful online students must learn and maintain motivation to learn. The Self-regulation of Motivation (SRM) model (Sansone and Thoman ) suggests two kinds of motivation are essential: Goals-defined (i.e., value and expectancy of learning), and experience-defined (i.e., whether interesting). The Regulating Motivation and Performance Online (RMAPO) project examines implications using online HTML lessons. Initial project results suggested that adding usefulness information (enhancing goals-defined motivation) predicted higher engagement levels (enhancing experience), which in turn predicted motivation (interest) and performance (HTML quiz) outcomes. The present paper examined whether individual interest in computers moderated these results. When provided the utility value information, students with higher (relative to lower) individual interest tended to display higher engagement levels, especially when usefulness was framed in terms of personal versus organizational applications. In contrast, higher engagement levels continued to positively predict outcomes regardless of individual interest. We discuss implications for designing optimal online learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This implementation study explores middle school, high school and community college student experiences in Globaloria, an educational pilot program of game design offered in schools within the U.S. state of West Virginia, supported by a non-profit organization based in New York City called the World Wide Workshop Foundation. This study reports on student engagement, meaning making and critique of the program, in their own words. The study's data source was a mid-program student feedback survey implemented in Pilot Year 2 (2008/2009) of the 5 year design-based research initiative, in which the researchers posed a set of open-ended questions in an online survey questionnaire answered by 199 students. Responses were analyzed using inductive textual analysis. While the initial purpose for data collection was to elicit actionable program improvements as part of a design-based research process, several themes emergent in the data tie into recent debates in the education literature around discovery-based learning. In this paper, we draw linkages from the categories of findings that emerged in student feedback to this literature, and identify new scholarly research questions that can be addressed in the ongoing pilot, the investigation of which might contribute new empirical insights related to recent critiques of discovery based learning, self-determination theory, and the productive failure phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the addition of an anthropomorphic interface agent to a learning system generally has little direct impact on learning, it potentially has a huge impact on learner motivation. As such agents become increasingly ubiquitous on the Internet, in virtual worlds, and as interfaces for learning and gaming systems, it is important to design them to optimally impact motivation. The focus of this paper is on the design of agents and avatars (one's self-representation as a visual agent) for enhancing motivational and affective outcomes, such as improving self-efficacy, engagement and satisfaction, moderating frustration, and/or improving stereotypes. Together with motivational messages and dialogue (which are not discussed here), the agent's appearance is the most important design feature as it dictates the learner's perception of the agent as a virtual social model, in the Bandurian sense. The message delivery, through a human-like voice with appropriate and relevant emotional expressions, is also a key motivational design feature. More research is needed to determine the specifics with respect to the ideal agent voice and the role of other nonverbal communication (e.g., deictic gestures) that may contribute to the agent's role as an embodied motivator, particularly in the long-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]