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This study investigated pre-service teachers' perceptions of using iPads in teaching, with a focus on motivation to adopt iPads, iPad-integration self-efficacy, and intention to adopt iPads for future teaching. Changes of pre-service teachers' perceptions of using iPads over time as well as the relationships of motivation, self-efficacy, and intention for iPad adoption were examined. Participants were pre-service teachers from a university in the northeastern United States. Data were collected using online pre- and post-surveys. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were performed to analyze the data. Results indicated that there were significant changes in pre-service teachers' motivation and intention to adopt iPads before and after their participation in a mobile learning project. Motivation and iPad-integration self-efficacy were significant predictors of pre-service teachers' intention for future adoption. iPad ownership and prior experience with iPad-integrated lesson plans were potential factors that had a significant impact on pre-service teachers' perceptions of using iPads in future teaching. Pre-service teachers' perceived advantages and disadvantages of using iPads were reported and discussed. The findings of this study not only contribute to the understanding of iPad integration among pre-service teachers, but also provide an evidence on the positive influence of iPad-integrated activities on pre-service teachers' perceptions of using iPads for future teaching.

This study examined the factors affecting minority students' learning experience in Wiki-based environments. These factors included perceived collaborative learning, sense of community, Wiki self-efficacy, and perceived learning experience. The relationships of these factors were explored. The participants were 45 African American students enrolled in two undergraduate-level management courses in which Wiki was used to facilitate the process of group work. A mixed methods approach was applied to analyze the collected data. Results indicated that sense of community and collaborative learning significantly contributed to perceived learning in Wiki-based environments. However, Wiki self-efficacy was not a good predictor of perceived learning. Most of the minority students were positive about their group learning experience that involved collaborative processes as well as the development of knowledge and skills. Emotional support and support for cognitive or meta-cognitive processing were identified as factors that had potential influences on Wiki-based collaborative group learning.

The paper intended to investigate adult students' Internet self-efficacy, self-regulation, and performance in online learning environments. The relationships between these variables and the effect of student characteristics on Internet self-efficacy and self-regulation were explored. The participants of this study were African American students from a university in the United States. They participated in two web-based research courses offered in summer. Data were collected through an online survey and were analyzed by a quantitative approach. The results showed Internet self-efficacy was positively related to self-regulation at a significant level. Internet self-efficacy and self-regulation differed significantly in terms of student performance. The differences of gender and age did not have a significant impact on Internet self-efficacy and self-regulation. Discussions and implications were addressed according to the major findings of this study.

This study investigated preservice teachers' perceived learning experience in iPad-enhanced, collaborative learning environments. Three variables, including sense of community, perceived collaborative learning, and iPad self-efficacy, and their correlations with perceived learning experience were examined. The participants were 67 preservice teachers from a northeastern university in the United States. Data were collected using an online survey. The results indicated that there were significantly positive correlations between perceived learning and the sense of community, perceived collaborative learning, and iPad self-efficacy. Sense of community was the stronger predictor of preservice teachers' perceived learning. iPad self-efficacy was a key factor in preservice teachers' learning experience in the iPad-enhanced collaborative work. iPad ownership had a potential influence on preservice teachers' iPad self-efficacy.

This paper reports research on the implementation of a web-based videoconferencing tool (Interwise) for synchronous learning sessions on an industrial technology course offered through a university in northern Taiwan. The participants included undergraduate students from the same course offered in two different semesters. We investigated students' perceptions of interactions with the instructor and fellow students, their confidence in utilizing the Internet (Internet self-efficacy), and the satisfaction level that students perceived throughout the learning process with Interwise. We also examined the effect of interactions and Internet self-efficacy on student satisfaction. Data collected through paper-based and online surveys were analyzed using correlation and multiple regression. The results revealed that overall, learners perceived Interwise as a tool that was moderately easy to use for synchronous learning. Learners seemed to prefer using the Interwise features, such as emotion icons, talk, or raise hand, to interact with their instructor. Learners had high confidence in gathering data or getting support through the Internet, but low confidence in resolving Internet related problems. Both learner-learner and learner-instructor interactions were significant predictors of student satisfaction, while Internet self-efficacy did not significantly contribute to satisfaction. Learner-instructor interaction was found to be the strongest predictor of student satisfaction.

This study employed a mixed method approach to investigate the relationships between learners' blogging self-efficacy, sense of community, perceived collaborative learning, and perceived learning in classroom environments. Learners' perspectives of group learning experiences in blog-enhanced settings were examined. Participants were minority adult students enrolled in two courses offered at a university in the southern United States. Results indicated that (a) sense of community and perceived collaborative learning significantly contributed to perceived learning through blogging; (b) blogging self-efficacy was not a good predictor of perceived learning but was related to prior experiences of using blogs; (c) most students displayed positive attitudes toward the use of blogs and group learning experiences that involved collaborative process as well as the development of knowledge and skills; and (d) individual dispositions had a potential influence on collaboration. This study adds to the limited research on the use of blogging and collaborative work among minority students in continuing education. Results are discussed in light of the literature and suggestions for future research are provided.