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Descriptors:
Program Effectiveness; Teacher Attitudes; Cues; Information Technology; Space Utilization; Qualitative Research; Higher Education; Personal Narratives; Inquiry; Computer Simulation; Virtual Classrooms; Teaching Methods; Games; Computer Uses in Education; Role Playing; Ownership; Foreign Countries

Abstract:
This paper will present a study that explored the perceived impact of spatial practice in "Second Life" (SL) on teaching and learning from the point of view of participants in higher education (lecturers, developers and researchers). Narrative inquiry was used to access stories and experiences of space and spatial practice from staff perspectives. The findings indicated that ownership, spatial violation and replication were the concerns raised by participants in relation to spatial practice. However, participants also suggested that an understanding of social cues, spatial negotiation and spatial consideration were important issues to address for effective teaching to occur in SL. The findings of this study suggest that there remains relatively little in-depth understanding of the way space is implicated in learning in SL and that spatial practice also requires further research, in order to better understand their pedagogical implications when using SL as a learning space. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Preservice Teacher Education; Teacher Education Programs; Information Systems; Phenomenology; Course Content; Preservice Teachers; Educational Experience; Learning Experience; Virtual Classrooms; Interviews; Student Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Placement; Field Experience Programs; Supervisor Supervisee Relationship; Delivery Systems; Technological Literacy; Expectation; Distance Education; Educational Technology

Abstract:
Situated in the theoretical perspective of phenomenology, the purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of three preservice teachers who voluntarily participated in a field placement in a virtual school in the southeastern United States. The preservice teachers were paired with online teachers for four weeks. Their experiences were documented via four phenomenological interviews. Using phenomenological analysis, the interview data were analyzed, resulting in the essence of the virtual school field placement. The essence of the virtual school field placement was made up of six shared horizons, consisting of (1) communication with supervising teacher, (2) information systems at the virtual school, (3) modification of course content, (4) exposure to new technologies, (5) balancing act, and (6) unmet expectations. The results have implications for preservice teachers, teacher education programs, virtual schools, education policymakers, and teacher certification organizations. Suggestions for future research are provided. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Charter Schools; Parent Child Relationship; Interaction; Electronic Learning; Online Courses; High Schools; Parent Participation; Parent School Relationship; Virtual Classrooms; Interpersonal Relationship; Parent Teacher Cooperation; Motivation; Student Attitudes; Parent Attitudes; Traditional Schools

Abstract:
A belief commonly held in the K-12 education community is that parents can have a positive impact on their child's learning. However, little research has examined parental involvement in an online learning environment. In this study, researchers using survey data found that generally students and parents viewed parent-instructor and learner-parent interactions as motivational. Students viewed learner-parent interaction as significantly more motivational than did their parents. The quantity of reported parental interactions was generally negatively correlated with course outcomes. These negative correlations may be the result of parents' tendency to increase interaction levels following poor student performance and may not reflect the actual impact of parental interactions on individual student learning. (Contains 11 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Advanced Placement; Academic Achievement; Online Courses; Student Attitudes; Comparative Analysis; Advanced Placement Programs; Electronic Learning; Virtual Classrooms; Elementary Secondary Education; Educational Technology

Abstract:
The purpose of the research was to compare student performance on Advanced Placement (AP) exams from 2009 to 2011 at Florida Virtual School and to explore student perceptions of their online course experience compared with the classroom-based AP experiences. The data indicated that students performed at levels comparable to the national sample but higher compared with other Florida students. The data also showed that students perceived benefits to both their online and classroom AP courses. Both these findings lend credibility to the delivery of AP in an online format but also indicate that the design, delivery, and support of the instruction was paramount regardless of delivery model. (Contains 7 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Charter Schools; Special Education; Caring; Traditional Schools; Graduation Rate; Investigations; Virtual Classrooms; Nontraditional Education; Online Courses; Disabilities; Educational Technology; Public Schools; Educational Environment; Curriculum; At Risk Students; Learner Engagement; Distance Education

Abstract:
For students with disabilities who are at risk of leaving high school without graduating, virtual schools have become a popular alternative to traditional schools. One promising approach to increasing graduation rates is to design learning environments that serve students with disabilities through the 5 Cs framework designed to increase school completion: Connect, Climate, Control, Curriculum, and Caring Community. A utilization-focused evaluation guided our investigation to determine the presence of and application of the 5 Cs in a special education program in a public cyber charter school. Specific examples are provided, and recommendations for practice and future research are discussed. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Secondary School Mathematics; Geometry; Secondary School Students; Interaction; Problem Solving; Virtual Classrooms; Teamwork; Protocol Analysis; Sequential Learning; Sequential Approach; Pattern Recognition; Object Manipulation; Construction (Process); Reflection; Visual Aids

Abstract:
We analyze the interaction of 3 students working on mathematics problems over several days in a virtual math team. Our analysis traces out how successful collaboration in a later session is contingent upon the work of prior sessions and shows how the development of representational practices is an important aspect of these participants' problem solving. We trace the formation, transformation, and refinement of 2 problem-solving practices (i.e., problem decomposition and inscribe first solve second) and 2 representational practices (i.e., modulate perspective and visualize decomposition). The analysis shows how inscriptions become representations for the group through a historical trajectory of negotiation: Learners appropriate inscriptional resources over time as they develop their representational competencies. We show how analysis of the contingently relevant situation may reach into temporally prior episodes in which interaction relevant resources and practices are constructed. (Contains 4 tables and 9 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Colleges; Library Services; Public Libraries; Electronic Learning; Online Courses; Higher Education; School Community Relationship; Interpersonal Relationship; Virtual Universities; Virtual Classrooms

Abstract:
In late December, a set of articles and essays in "The New York Times" focused on the public library as a place, and on the changing meaning of that place with the rise of electronic books and the demise of brick-and-mortar bookstores like Borders. As librarians "struggle with the task of redefining their roles and responsibilities in a digital age," their libraries are "reinventing themselves as vibrant town squares, showcasing the latest best sellers, lending Kindles loaded with e-books, and offering grass-roots technology-training centers." The conversation about place versus the Internet continues, but now it has grown to encompass the fate of the college campus itself. Online learning and MOOCs (massive open online courses) have arrived, the argument goes, so place does not matter. The campus will become a relic, bound for desertion, like the ruins of Ozymandias. Within the next 50 years, half of American colleges will succumb to mounting financial pressures and shut down. The problem is not student debt or a flaccid hiring market. Big changes are coming because "the college classroom is about to go virtual." Just as with libraries, campuses that are dismal, disconnected, and underutilized as places will suffer, while the ones that are vital will have a shot at succeeding. Colleges will need to find ways--preferably creative and inexpensive--to make their places relevant: Link to local communities. Use those communities as places where students can apply their education to fix problems or enhance strengths. Find the unique characteristics of the local geography, and incorporate them into lessons. Provide spaces where students can connect both intellectually and physically with one another, and with their college work. People who predicted the death of the library made the mistake of thinking that libraries were merely useful for information distribution--an understandable error, given that libraries' central role involved passing around books and journals. But pundits now make the same mistake when thinking about the college campus. If college were merely about the "sale of information," the enterprise would have gone the way of Borders a long time ago. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Educational Technology; Teaching Methods; Electronic Learning; Online Courses; Learning Theories; Praxis; Computer Mediated Communication; Teacher Education Programs; Virtual Classrooms; Educational Development; Educational Environment; Case Studies; Technological Advancement; Influence of Technology; Research Methodology; Educational Change; Educational Practices

Abstract:
Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) in teacher education have a short history which is little longer than that of this journal. Twenty years ago they were the province of early adopters only and limited to email and, more unusually, asynchronous conferencing. Today, VLEs are widespread and mainstream, sophisticated and officially sanctioned components of many courses. Research in this field has borne some of the hallmarks of Underwood's seminal critique of research in education technology more generally, namely, failure to construct and build upon the history of the field; failure to use the language and theoretical perspectives of the field; a focus on technology rather than on its impact on practice; and an over-reliance on qualitative methods. The three snapshots which are used as a basis of the study show, to an extent, that the technology has moved from unreliable and primitive, to reliable, ambient and versatile. Less obvious in these snapshots are any substantial changes in pedagogy over time although social learning theories seem to have increasing prevalence in support of collaborative learning praxis. Throughout the sample, it is notable that the impact of teachers' online learning on teaching and learning in schools is still relatively rarely investigated. (Contains 3 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Education Work Relationship; Employers; Expectation; College Graduates; Employment Potential; Career Readiness; Work Environment; Virtual Classrooms; Work Experience; Foods Instruction; Science Programs; Student Attitudes; Industry; Technology Uses in Education

Abstract:
The expectation that universities will produce graduates with high levels of work readiness is now a commonplace in government policies and statements from industry representatives. Meeting the demand requires that students gain industry related experience before graduation. Traditionally students have done so by undertaking extended work placements. With increasing numbers of students competing for a limited number of placements, virtual and simulated work environments are becoming popular alternative strategies. This paper describes the simulation of workplace practices through the introduction of integrated contextual learning (ICL) into the Food Science Program at Curtin Univ. as a way of enhancing employability and increasing students' confidence that they are work ready. (Contains 3 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Electronic Learning; Computer Assisted Instruction; Web 2.0 Technologies; Web Sites; Social Networks; Instructional Design; Computer Software; Computer Assisted Testing; Computer Mediated Communication; Integrated Learning Systems; Educational Assessment; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Intercultural Communication; Cooperative Learning; Scaffolding (Teaching Technique); Communities of Practice; Student Attitudes; Teacher Attitudes; College Instruction; Comparative Analysis; Chinese; Student Characteristics; Case Studies; Adult Education; French; Learner Engagement; Personal Autonomy; Interaction; Pronunciation Instruction; Program Development; Program Implementation; Teacher Education; Open Source Technology; Virtual Classrooms

Abstract:
Computer-Assisted Foreign Language Teaching and Learning: Technological Advances highlights new research and an original framework that brings together foreign language teaching, experiments and testing practices that utilize the most recent and widely used e-learning resources. This comprehensive collection of research will offer linguistic scholars, language teachers, students, and policymakers a better understanding of the importance and influence of e-learning in second language acquisition. Contents include: (1) A Wiki Platform for Language and Intercultural Communication (Minjie Xing, Bin Zou, and Dongshuo Wang); (2) Engendering Interaction, Collaboration, and Reflection in the Design of Online Assessment in Language Learning: A Reflection from the Course Designers (Yuping Wang and Nian-Shing Chen); (3) Practising Language Interaction via Social Networking Sites: The Expert Student's Perspective on Personalized Language Learning (Marina Orsini-Jones, Billy Brick, and Laura Pibworth); (4) Scaffolding Role of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environment on Collaboration and Academic Literacy: Possibilities and Challenges (Ke Zhao); (5) Language Economy in Computer-Mediated Communication: Learner Autonomy in a Community of Practice (Jonathan R. White); (6) Facebook Comparison Research: Faculty and Student Perceptions of Social Media for Foreign Language Courses (Joseph M. Terantino); (7) Learner Engagement in Computer-Mediated Chinese Learning (Zhiyan Guo and Zhizhuo Guo); (8) Students in the New Millennium: How Much do We Know about Them? (Jianxiong Wu); (9) Using a Virtual Learning Environment to Promote Autonomous Language Learning for Chinese Students (Eoin Jordan and Mark Coyle); (10) Developing and Implementing an Online Chinese Program: A Case Study (Mingyu Sun, Yea-Fen Chen, and Andrew Olson); (11) Design of Language Learning Software (Vehbi Turel and Peter McKenna); (12) Getting Smart about Split Attention (Rae Lynne Mancilla); (13) Computer-Based Perceptual Training as a Major Component of Adult Instruction in a Foreign Language (Charles S. Watson and James D. Miller); (14) e-Assessment for Learning: Gaining Insight in Language Learning with Online Assessment Environments (Jan Van Maele, Lut Baten, Ana Beaven, and Kamakshi Rajagopal); (15) The Use of VLE for Monitoring Independent Language Learning in Large Cohort Provision: The Case of French Studies at the University of Manchester (Catherine Franc and Annie Morton); and (16) Computer-Assisted Pronunciation Training and Assessment (CAPTA) Programs: Requirements, the Current State of Affairs, and Challenges for the Future (Chiharu Tsurutani). Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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