Education cannot adopt the linear model of scaling used by the medical sciences. "Gold standards" cannot be replicated without considering process-in-learning, diversity, and student-variedness in classrooms. This article proposes a nuanced model of educational scaling-and-diffusion, describing the scaling (top-down supports) and…

As a final part of this special issue, six Contributing Editors of the magazine were asked to review the six articles and to briefly reflect on themes across fields, on ideas or areas that might have the most potential, and/or to offer other new ideas for our field that the articles and issue overall triggered. These senior scholars in our field…

The diffusion of innovation is critical to societal progression. In the field of education, such diffusion takes on added significance because of the many stakeholders and accountabilities involved. This article presents the argument that efforts at diffusion which are designed from a top-down perspective are not sustainable over the long term…

This article describes some of the key affordances for learning of the generic class of handheld computers known variously as smartphones, palmtops, and thumbtops--using the Apple iPhone 3G as one of the most mature exemplars of this class--based on the authors' experiences with and reflections about the device over a period of a year. An argument…

In this article, the authors discuss the importance of studying identity in the context of 21st century learning. Identity is an evolving trajectory that is always in-flux or changing. In a fast changing 21st century, educators are recognizing the significance of identity work, in particular projective identity, as individuals participate in…

This article provides an overview of research in the Learning Sciences from a Design Research perspective, as it has been framed in Singapore by the National Institute of Education (NIE). The initial research agenda is considered in the light of challenges and the subsequent re-casting of objectives, based on the working out of a tripartite…

This special issue presents articles contributed by academics from the Asia-Pacific region on perspectives and progress made in online learning and information technology (IT). The articles discuss online learning and IT efforts in South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Guam, and New Zealand. (AEF)

Reviews technology integration efforts in Singapore. Discusses examples of online learning in schools under four broad categories: cyber conferencing, e-learning services providers, e-publication, and wireless technology. Describes ways information technology is being used at the National Institute of Education in Singapore, as a tool for…

Proposes a social constructivist adaptation of case-based reasoning (CBR) by incorporating computer-supported collaborative learning tools into the thinking and reasoning process. Explains goal-based scenarios (GBS) as translations of CBR into simulated learning environments and discusses the incorporation of facilitation cues and the inclusion of…

Discusses the notion of community, describes communities of practice, and considers community initiatives on the Internet. Suggests that social aspects need to be considered and that virtual communities are effective when used as add-ons to already existing social structures, not as stand-alone initiatives. (Author/LRW)

Discusses electronic learning via the Internet, suggests that simply presenting information to learners may not be the best way for learning to occur, and proposes a social constructivist approach based on Vygotskian theories of learning and situated cognition. Highlights include constructivist learning; constructivist models; and an example of…

Discusses learning within the context of communities of practice, analyzes Internet-based communities to discover why some online communities thrive and why members are motivated to participate in them, distinguishes quasi-communities from communities, and suggests future directions. (LRW)

Discussion of constructivism in learning focuses on a working constructivist framework for electronic learning that balances the individual and social perspectives. Presents two models of electronic learning: the first uses a traditional approach that focuses on the best use of media, and the second focuses on personalization and relationships.…

Discussion of the Internet and virtual communities focuses on differences between online and face-to-face communities. Topics include interdependency; infrastructure; intensity of participation; representation of members; accessibility to resources, information, and expertise; and activity theory as a framework for analyzing communities.…

Discusses community of practice, situated cognition, learning as demand driven, learning as a social act, and learning via ways of seeing. Expands these ideas through Vygotsky's writings, including zone of proximal development and the general genetic law of cultural development; and considers implications for the design of Web-based learning…