The answer to massification in higher education lies not in paper-behind-glass style e-learning. Such courses lack the necessary interaction to ensure success. There are perceived upper limits to where e-learning can be up scaled to accommodate large classes. The Community of Inquiry framework provides a convenient instrument to assess the quality…

As virtual worlds become more widely utilized in education to deliver instruction, the need to measure learning in this environment will continue to grow. Building upon McKerlich and Anderson's (2008) exploratory study, the researchers of this study utilized the Community of Inquiry's (CoI) Multi-User Virtual Environment Education Evaluation Tool…

This study examines the effects of interactive and learning structures enabled by different Learning Management Systems (LMS) on satisfaction and learner engagement in online courses. An LMS can support or hinder active engagement, meaningful connections between segments of the course, easy communication, and formative feedback by making it easier…

This article provides a personal perspective about the development of the seminal papers associated with the Community of Inquiry Framework. The framework and its construction are described. The main part of the paper explores the evolution of the framework and its associated methodology. Finally, research associated with the validation of the…

The process of learning involves interaction with the learning environment through our five senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste). Until recently, distance education focused only on the first two of those senses, sight and sound. Internet-based learning environments are predominantly visual with auditory components. With the advent of…

The Community of Inquiry Framework is based on the premise that online learning is a collaborative constructivist activity. However, not all courses are similarly oriented. In general, courses can be divided into constructivist and objectivist. In constructivist courses, learners develop solutions to problems through sustained discourse and…

Many postgraduate students cannot cope with the demands of higher education. In South Africa one in every six students never graduates. Poor preparation for higher education includes students' meager computer and information literacy skills. While computer literacy refers to understanding the use of computers, McMillan (1996) promotes the term…

This research involves the development and validation of a survey that measures users' acceptance of e-learning. A total sample of 386 university students from a teacher training institute in an Asian country participated in this study. Comprising two studies, the first study (n=197) initiated a generic questionnaire, and examined factorial…

Today's college students, particularly distance students, are increasingly dependent on the Web for their research needs. At the same time they lack the critical thinking skills required to successfully evaluate the actual credibility of online information, a critical aspect of information literacy. Furthermore, rather than access the online…

Social Networking Sites (SNSs) such as Facebook are one of the latest examples of communications technologies that have been widely-adopted by students and, consequently, have the potential to become a valuable resource to support their educational communications and collaborations with faculty. However, faculty members have a track record of…

This paper documents the development, implementation, and evaluation of "The Global Solidarity Network Study e-Broad Program (GSNSeBP)", an online social justice educational program that is blended into an onsite academic course. This global electronic program, which was developed through a partnership between Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and…

Development in the understanding and education of responsible citizenship is an important priority for higher education institutions. Evidence of this importance is expressed in the mission statements of many colleges and universities throughout the United States. As increasing numbers of students take advantage of distance education, it is…

A study by Mullen and Tallent-Runnels (2006) found significance in the differences between online and traditional students' reports of instructors' academic support, instructors' demands, and students' satisfaction. They also recognized that the limitation to their study was their demographic data. In an original report funded by the Alfred P.…

The present paper examines student use of and satisfaction with the Learning Management System (LMS), and how these dependent variables are correlated with organizational variables at one Israeli university. Data on 1212 course websites was gathered in 2007 from the LMS warehouse, the student-management database, the instructor-management…

Online peer assessment is an innovative evaluation method that has caught both educators' and practitioners' attention in recent years. The purpose of this study was to develop relevant questionnaires for teachers to understand student self-efficacy and motivation in online peer assessment learning environments. A total of 205 college students…