Over the past 40 years, the goal of using technologies within learning and teaching processes has always been the incorporation of more effective practices and strategies to redefine the task of learning. Some authors claim that the exercise is not working; other authors beseech us to rethink learning processes to the extent that we are dealing…

This study investigates first whether news video in a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) program can foster second language (L2) comprehension and incidental acquisition of adjectives, nouns, and verbs. Second, this study examines the relationship between the participants' vocabulary acquisition and their video comprehension. The…

This paper describes an approach to conceptualising and performing Web 2.0-enabled learning design. Based on the Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge model of educational practice, the approach conceptualises Web 2.0 learning design by relating Anderson and Krathwohl's Taxonomy of Learning, Teaching and Assessing, and different types…

Educators participating in networked learning communities have very little support from integrated tools in evaluating students' learning activities flow and examining learners' online behaviour. There is a need for non-intrusive ways to monitor learners' progress in order better to follow their learning process and appraise the online course…

This study examines students' views on a blended learning module developed and offered at the University of Aveiro. The paper presents the module and the strategies, tools, activities and assessment. In order to examine the effectiveness of the module, data were collected from reflections, postings and questionnaires. Findings document students'…

Facilitation is a key factor in ensuring the success of class discussions. Traditionally, instructors are the ones who assume the role of facilitators in discussions. Online learning environments open opportunities for students to assume the role of facilitators. In well-designed online learning communities, spontaneous facilitation would likely…

A survey was conducted in a public, research university located in a large and diverse metropolitan area in the southeastern part of the USA. The purpose of the survey was to determine both the positive and negative personal, educational, social, and work related consequences of playing video games. Nearly two-thirds of the 203 participants in…

This paper describes a participatory design approach to the development of inquiry-based learning supported through a technology toolkit. The work is part of an interdisciplinary project--Personal Inquiry (PI). The paper focuses on the approach we adopted, concentrating in particular on the two mediating artefacts we used to guide and frame the…

Design research (DR) has been an emerging research paradigm in the field of educational technology as well as in education generally for two decades. Educational design research integrates design and research into a socially responsible approach to inquiry related to learning and teaching. Given its still relative novelty, design research requires…

The research presented in this paper shows the continued evaluation of a web-based interview simulation designed for human services and counseling students. The system allows students to practice empathetic helping skills in their own time. As a possible means to reinforce acquisition and transfer of these skills, interactive learning modules…

Learning designs aimed at supporting transformational change could significantly benefit from the adoption of socio-historical and socio-cultural analysis approaches. Such systemic perspectives are gaining more importance in education as they facilitate understanding of complex interactions between learning environments and human activity. The…

This study used two surveys, the Activities of Instruction 2.0 (AOI 2.0) and the School Technology Needs Assessment (STNA) to assess the relationship between teachers' level of constructivism and their level of technology use. Results indicate that constructivist practices and beliefs were significant predictors of technology use, after accounting…

This research examined the impact of formative quizzes on e-learning designed to teach volunteers how to tutor struggling readers. Three research questions were addressed: (1) Do embedded quizzes facilitate learning of e-content? (2) Does the announcement of upcoming quizzes affect learning? (3) Does prior knowledge interact with quizzing and…

This paper aims to find out two outcomes of feedback in the novice writers' graphic organizers, which are the novice writers' ability to align their ideas to their writing goal, and their perceived germane, metacognitive, extraneous and intrinsic cognitive loads when generating and revising ideas based on the feedback. Data was gathered from the…

Because of the recent revolutionary developments brought about by Web 2.0, the emergence and popularity of blogs as learning tools represent an important area of consideration by the higher education sector. Indeed, while many researchers have acknowledged the advantages of using blogs in this environment, it is clear that more investigation is…