This exploratory analysis examined the nature of asynchronous, text-based communication in peer-directed educational discussions. The nature of communication changed over time and women exhibited greater tendency for epistolary communication than men. Initial posts, which were expository in nature, focused on disseminating information whereas…

This study used precepts of social network theory to examine the interactional and structural characteristics of communication in peer-mentoring conferences. Twelve discussion conferences were set up to support students during a teaching practicum experience. The conferences were governed by students with minimal instructor involvement. It was…

This descriptive pilot study employed the Grascha-Riechmann Student Learning Style Scale (GRSLSS) to examine student communication and interactions in an online educational discussion that occurred for fourteen days. Discussion activity exhibited conversational turns and messages appeared as conversation rather than expository. Individuals scoring…

This paper discusses Mapping Temporal Relations of Discussions Software (MTRDS), a Web-based application that visually represents the temporal relations of online discussions. MTRDS was used to observe interaction characteristics of three online discussions. In addition, the research employed the Practical Inquiry Model to identify indices of…

A study of the effects of reward structures on the ability of students to evaluate the correctness of their responses to open-ended questions in a computer-based instruction lesson found students' ability to evaluate responses was influenced by their incentive to achieve. In most cases, expert evaluators and students concurred. Order of item…

A panel of experts proposed and rated categories and indicators of constructivist-compatible principles for Internet-based courses. The categories and associated indicators provide an initial framework that may help educators apply constructivist principles to the development of Internet-based courses. (EV)

A system to monitor student reactions to what is occurring on a computer screen is described. The system produces a split-screen image of the computer screen and the student's physical (facial and bodily) and verbal responses. It was developed to help improve an independent-study prototype for a finance course at Pennsylvania State University.…

This study compared the effects of five constructed response answer evaluation strategies on both student achievement and instructional time during computer-based learning: (1) computerized evaluation only; (2) student self-evaluation; (3) computerized and self-evaluation; (4) self-evaluation with required elaboration; and (5) computer and…

Describes an online college course and student perceptions of the virtual-classroom experience. Students appreciated course flexibility and convenience and found it conducive to thoughtful analysis of class questions and commentary. However, they felt isolated from peers and instructor, and lack of face-to-face interaction hindered communication.…

To identify criteria for multimedia courseware evaluation, a panel of instructional technology experts completed an on-line World Wide Web survey in three modified Delphi rounds over a two-month period. Sixteen highly rated criteria were identified and categorized. The highest rated criteria focused on the categories of information content,…

Compared the achievement and attitudes of student library employees trained in two different ways: by instructor-led group instruction or by Web-based self-instruction. Found that both modalities performed equally and generally responded favorably to training; there were some differences in what students believed their training emphasized based on…