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Knowledge Building is approached in this study from an organizational perspective, with a focus on the nature of school-university-government partnerships to support research-based educational innovation. The paper starts with an overview of what is known about effective partnerships and elaborates a conceptual framework for Knowledge Building partnerships based on a review of literature and two case studies of school-university-government partnerships. In one case, a Ministry of Education wanted to bring more vitality into schools of small remote villages, and in the other case another Ministry of Education wanted to renew its school-based international cooperation profile. Emerging from this work is a three-component model for going to scale with Knowledge Building partnerships: Knowledge Building as a shared vision; symmetric knowledge advancement; and multi-level, research-based innovation. Characteristics of, and conditions for, effective partnerships for Knowledge Building are elaborated, and an emerging model is developed to help communities establish effective partnerships and contribute to this evolving model. (Contains 1 figure.)

This study explored how the Internet bridges theory and practice. Teacher educators, teachers, and prospective teachers used collaborative technologies to design networked communities embedded in three distinct perspectives: the networked learning community, the networked community of practice, and the knowledge building community. Networked communities prompted the development of solutions for integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. These communities provide opportunities for sustained theory-practice dialogue between teachers at different stages of their professional development and opportunities for "boundary spanning" between courses, practica, pre- and in-service education, graduate seminars, and collaborative research activities. (Contains 3 tables and 2 notes.)

Education research has shown the importance of helping students develop comprehension skills. Explanation-seeking rather than fact-seeking pedagogies have been shown to warrant deeper student understanding. This study investigates the use of Knowledge Forum (KF) in K-6 classrooms (n = 251) to develop students' explanation skills. To this end, we conducted pre- and post- activity interviews with students who used KF to investigate various topics. Their online collaborative discourse was also analyzed. Our results show that: 1) students' explanations improved significantly between pre- and post-activity interviews, 2) active KF users scored higher than less active users on the post-activity interviews, and 3) students who had the best written explanations on KF scored much higher on the post-activity interviews even when they had scored much lower than less active students in the pre-activity interviews.

For the past two decades, information and communication technologies (ICT) have transformed the ways professors teach and students learn. The purpose of this study is to investigate the points of view of onsite students (blended or hybrid mode) and of those taking the same courses on the Internet (online mode). A moderator-type theoretical research model was developed, out of which nine hypotheses were formulated. The model was tested in a field experiment. Data were collected using a multi-method approach; that is, a web survey involving open-ended and closed-ended questions. The sample was formed of 313 onsite and online students from eight undergraduate and graduate courses offered at the Faculty of Administration of a large Canadian university. The quantitative data analysis was performed using structural equation modelling software; that is, partial least squares. The qualitative data were analysed following a thematic structure using QSR NVivo software. This paper presents a summary of the quantitative results (closed-ended questions) supported by and enriched by the qualitative results (open-ended questions). (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

For the past two decades, information and communication technologies (ICT) have transformed the ways professors teach and students learn. The purpose of this study is to investigate the points of view of onsite professors (hybrid or blended mode) and of those teaching the same courses on the Internet (online mode). But first, a summary of onsite and online students' perceptions is provided. To guide the whole study, a moderator-type theoretical research model was developed, out of which nine hypotheses were formulated. The model was tested in a field experiment. To collect data, a multimethod approach was used, that is, a Web survey involving open- and closed-ended questions, and a structured interview. The sample was formed of 313 onsite and online students from eight undergraduate and graduate courses offered at the Faculty of Administration of a large Canadian university as well as of 16 onsite and online professors teaching these students. The quantitative data analysis was performed using a structural equation modeling software, that is, Partial Least Squares (PLS); the qualitative data were analyzed following a thematic structure using QSR NVivo. This article presents a summary of the quantitative results (closed-ended questions) got from students enriched by the qualitative results got from professors (structured interviews). (Contains 1 figure and 9 tables.)

The Universal Forum of Cultures, to take place in Barcelona in 2004, is spearheading the creation of international networks of learning communities; each will take action on 1 of 10 themes related to cultural diversity, sustainable development, or conditions for peace. The work of the thematic network on communications media and new technologies, centered in Canada, is discussed. (SV)

Addresses the past four decades of Quebec's teacher education reform, noting the resulting interplay between university-based teacher educators and school-based practitioners. The paper highlights four historical periods, explaining that even at the oldest North American French-speaking university, the evolving forces at play within teacher education do not differ from those seen elsewhere in North America. (Contains references.) (SM)

The need for lifelong learning is increasing as humanity transforms the planet into a global village. The growing number of people using the electronic infrastructure is creating new practices in which learning and work are intertwined. Professional educators must build the collective intelligence required for a knowledge-based society, and in that regard, electronic networks can be very useful. (Author/TD)

Discusses various initiatives in Canadian schools and universities that involve new ways of learning with technology. Teachers today can and should use new technologies, such as online services, to transform their teaching methods and create the desire in young people to be lifelong learners. (Author/CDS)