The purpose of this study was twofold: a) to test the hypothesis that participation in a course providing theory and practice in the classroom use of technology engenders such use and results in gained competence in the use of this technology; and b) to test the hypothesis that functional relations exist among the availability of technology in the…

Current theories of learning have emphasized the value of dialogue for student engagement and achievement (Cazden, 2001; Bruffee, 1992). Research has also shown that the nature of classroom discourse depends greatly on the teacher (Anderson, Rourke, Garrison, & Archer, W., 2001). These issues are relatively well understood in face-to-face…

As the whole society is experiencing a notable shift from the industrial age to the information age, an urgent need for a mindset change in education has been frequently discussed during the past decades. This paper will approach the mindset change through three interconnected sections: the first section reviews the conceptualization of mindset…

Classic research methods are ineffective in capturing the dynamic relationships among users, technology, and outcomes for technology integration research. Cognitive research attempts to eliminate environmental variability and test for recall and transferability of knowledge representations. Such approaches lead to arguably ineffective measures…

The complexities of digital age pose challenge to existing instruction technology theory as it applies to a distance learning environment. Through the lens of Activity Theory, this study takes a broad picture of an online course and examines the socio-cultural factors affecting the success of a distance course as well as their complex…

The presentation describes the revisions to a course and the resulting student attitudes and learning. Learning Tools was revised in 2003 from oncampus only to both oncampus and online delivery. Revisions were made by standardizing the two versions, updating the technology applications presented, and modifying the instructional strategies used.…

Four fifth grade classrooms embarked on a modified ubiquitous computing initiative in Fall 2003. Two 15-computer wireless laptop carts were shared among the four classrooms in an effort to integrate technology across the curriculum and affect change in student learning and teacher pedagogy. This initiative?in contrast to other 1:1 programs and…

Interactive activities offer innumerable possibilities within eLearning environments. As such, one possibility within the interactive activity realm is netconferencing, so as to support the learning objectives. Enhancements within the eLearning environment support the learner?s focus upon knowledge and conceptual framework of understanding.…

The results of a citation pattern analysis on the journal Educational Technology Research and Development (ETR&D) for the period 1990-99 are presented. Reference lists for the 260 articles published during that period were compiled along with over 1,600 citations of those articles in other social science journals. Breakdowns of most commonly cited…

Students taking hybrid or online classes are often unprepared for the kinds of skills that are needed to be successful in this environment. This report provides an overview of one approach, an interactive CD-ROM (SPARK), that faculty can use to assist students in narrowing the gap between needed online learning skills and their current technical…

This study identifies and posits guidelines for assessing the skills and knowledge of online distance ducators. Findings derived from Cooper?s (1998) synthesis research method reveal sixteen skills that may be grouped into six areas that are thought to be essential for educators to teach successfully online. The study also shows that factors, like…

This paper describes the experiences of three middle school teachers following a two-week summer workshop in which they were introduced to a technology-enhanced problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogy. Based on their collaborative experiences during the school year developing and implementing a PBL unit, the three teachers increased their confidence…

Although commonly considered something that is for "after school" and best left out of the K-12 curriculum, the creation of comic books incorporate several skills from multiple academic curricula. This paper outlines two summer programs, one offered to ages nine through 15 year olds and another offered to 15 through 18 year olds. The programs…

This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study that investigates what Technology Coordinators (TC) are expected to do and what they actually do. Schools have invested large sums of money on technology and they have high expectations for the educational outcomes associated with the use of such technology. A question then arises regarding…

Robert Burns wrote: "The best laid schemes of Mice and Men oft go awry". This could be considered the motto of most educational innovation. The question that arises is not so much why some innovations fail (although this is very important question), but rather why other innovations succeed? This study investigated the success factors of…