The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits and challenges using laptop computers (hereafter referred to as laptops) inside and outside higher education classrooms. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 156 university students (54 males, 102 females) enrolled in either education or communication studies. Benefits of…

Two instructors report our experience co-teaching an action research (AR) required as part of an e-learning master's degree. Adopting a practice-centered stance we focus on the course activities of participants (instructors and students), with particular attention to the careful crafting of course elements with the goal of achieving an…

This qualitative study examined an innovative methodology, combining screen capture technology and a retrospective think aloud, for exploring the use of Internet-based resources by elementary teachers. Pre-service and in-service teachers explored "The Balanced Literacy Diet," a free, interactive, and evidenced-informed professional…

The blended learning environment in university courses integrates teaching technologies in traditional (i.e. non-technological) learning contexts, most evidently through the adoption of a Learning Management System (LMS). Past studies on the use of LMSs have focused on the economic and technical challenges in LMS adoption (West et al., 2006;…

Technology plays a crucial role in facilitating collaboration within the scientific community. Cloud-computing applications, such as Google Drive, can be used to model such collaboration and support inquiry within the secondary science classroom. Little is known about pre-service teachers' beliefs related to the envisioned use of…

The purpose of this research study was to investigate if and how digital technologies could be used to support a triad-approach for student assessment in higher education. This triad-approach consisted of self-reflection, peer feedback, and instructor assessment practices in a pre-service teacher education course at a Canadian university. Through…

Technological innovations and the prevalence of the computer as a means of producing and engaging with texts have dramatically transformed how literacy is defined and developed in modern society. This rise in digital writing practices has led to a growing number of tools and methods that can be used to explore second language (L2) writing…

Using technology with children in play-based early learning programs creates questions for some within the Early Childhood Education (ECE) community. This paper presents how two faculty who teach in ECE-related degree programs integrated educational technology into their teaching pedagogy as a way to model to their students how it can be used to…

This paper assesses students' attitudes towards using tablets, such as the Apple iPad, in university classes. Tablets are found to be a substitute for laptop computers. Students initially expressed a great deal of optimism regarding the technology, and, although their views diminished slightly as they gained experience with using a tablet,…

The purpose of the study was to investigate differences in perceived student satisfaction in blended and online learning environments based on personality type. A total of 72 graduate students enrolled in blended and online courses at two research universities in the United States completed an abbreviated online version of the Myers-Briggs Type…

Educational Technology and Design 879 is a graduate course that introduces students to the basics of video design and production. In an attempt to improve the learning experience for students a redesign of the course was implemented for the summer of 2011 that incorporated an authentic design studio model. The design studio approach is based on…

The purpose of this study is to test the validity and reliability of three collaboration indices ("quantity", "equality", "and shareness") proposed by Jahng et al. (2010). The present study repeated the quantitative assessment of Jahng et al., and performed a further qualitative analysis to identify possible factors that might be associated with…

Does learner participation vary depending on the learning context? Are there characteristic features of participation evident in formal, non-formal, and informal online learning environments? Six online learning environments were chosen as epitomes of formal, non-formal, and informal learning contexts and compared. Transcripts of online…

Information and communications technology (ICT) is integrated throughout a student's lived experience in their post-secondary learning environment. In order for students with limited or no background with ICT to achieve their academic goals, a central part of their adaptation involves an intensive period of ICT help seeking. Using anecdotes from…

Media representations of massive open online courses (MOOCs) such as those offered by Coursera, edX and Udacity reflect tension and ambiguity in their bold promise of democratized education and global knowledge sharing. An approach to MOOCs that emphasizes the tacit epistemology of such representations suggests a richer account of the ambiguities…