The age is here of distance learning and new forms of e-learning. The rate at which a variety of institutions are entering the distance learning arena is increasing rapidly. In spite of the increased popularity and presence of online learning opportunities, however, many researchers and practitioners are decrying the lack of a researchvalidated framework to guide their design. Other researchers and practitioners point out that what works in effective traditional learning environments may or may not work in online environments. These concerns are addressed in this article through a review of relevant research and the presentation of a learner-centered framework. This framework is based on the American Psychological Association's (1997) research-validated Learner-Centered Psychological Principles, developed from over a century of research. Educators, researchers, and policymakers continue to argue for updated learning and schooling models and the increased use of new and emerging electronic learning technologies (e-learning) that can better prepare students for an increasingly global, changing, and complex world. Lags between real-world and educational uses of technology and lack of access to new technologies continue to plague educators. Furthermore, in the 21stcentury world, content is so abundant as to make it a poor foundation on which to base an educational system; rather, context and meaning are the scarce but relevant commodities today. This alters the purpose of education to that of helping learners communicate with others, find relevant and accurate information for the task at hand, and be colearners and partners with teachers and peers in diverse settings and learning communities that go beyond school walls (McCombs, 2004). To address these issues, a bold new view of learning and schooling is needed. This new view must be one that builds on the best knowledge about

Administrators in higher education face decisions about what resources, activities, tools, partners, and markets are important to Web-based courses. Decisions in these areas can dramatically impact the effectiveness of Web-based instruction. It is our premise here that, before forging ahead with new partnerships and marketing

Two crucial aspects of implementing instructional technologies effectively in language classrooms are having an understanding of the capabilities of various technologies and evaluating the usefulness of the technologies in realizing curricular goals. This paper presents a situated study-- based on a prominent pedagogical framework-- of the implementation of threaded discussions, a widely used instructional technology, to meet constructivist curricular objectives in university ESL classes. The authors use constructivist principles as a framework to evaluate the three-semester process of their implementation of threaded discussions to fulfill constructivist curricular goals. Of particular interest is the extent to which the technology, as mediated by the instructors, promoted selected cognitive and social skills as well as addressed affective factors and individual differences in students. INTRODUCTION: CONSTRUCTIVISM AND CALL Recognizing the importance of determining how instructional technology can fulfill instructional goals, Bonk and Cunningham (1998) point out that "The blending of … technological and pedagogical advancements has elevated the importance of research on electronic student dialogue, text conferencing,

As is clear from reading the various chapters of this book, blended learning is more than fashionable; it is training and educational delivery method of choice. Blended learning is dominating news in higher education, in corporate America, and in governmental training settings. It is now standard part of the education and training lexicon. Organizations and institutions of learning must now account for blended learning in all its various disguises. Blended learning is seen in the linkages between instructors, learners, and classrooms located in two or states, provinces, regions, countries, or continents. Blended learning occurs in those exciting opportunities where students debate and discuss scholarly ideas in an asynchronous forum and then bring in the authors for a synchronous chat or videoconference. Blended learning happens when some course meetings or training events are conducted virtually rather than face-to-face. Such classes or training experiences can blend students located at various

This research used formative evaluation methods to examine a number of synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) systems for online learning. CMC systems provide an ideal venue for both knowledge construction and community building. The principles of learner-centeredness, constructivism, and sociocultural theories provided the bases for the design of synchronous activities such as student-moderated seminars in this study. Several synchronous online activities were introduced and evaluated. Based on the results of observers ’ logs, ratings on social presence, communication effectiveness, and communication interface, 10 desirable features of synchronous CMC systems were recommended. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) systems are indispensable for distance education networks. CMC systems, as defined by Kerr and Hiltz (1982, p. 2) “use computers to structure, store, and process communications.”

This paper presents a comprehensive picture of what has been investigated in terms of CALL effectiveness over the period 2000 – 2004 and determines why this question is still such a difficult one to answer. The study looks at both strengths and weaknesses in this body of work and singles out models of good design practice. While a perfect research design remains elusive, a positive trend towards combining quantitative and qualitative methods and including learning processes in the investigation can be observed. There is also a move away from simple comparison studies (teaching with or without computers) in favor of complex designs including a variety of variables under investigation and comparing different types of CALL. In this context, the usefulness of metaanalyses to determine clear cause and effect results, relying solely on effect sizes, appears questionable. The author argues that a series of systematic syntheses of findings related to one particular variable such as learning strategy or writing quality might produce more valuable insights into the potential impact of technologies on learning processes and outcomes and proposes a research agenda along those lines.

The purpose of this study was to investigate key factors influencing student satisfaction of online students. The Biner instrument (1993) was modified to accommodate questions relating to online courses. A total of 105 respondents from a sample of 303 online learners completed the online survey. The results indicated student satisfaction in online courses is influenced by 3 constructs: (a) instructor variables, (b) technical issues, and (c) interactivity. Results indicate the modified survey is a valid measure of student satisfaction in the online learning environment.

In this study, the author describes the nature and occurrence of knowledge-construction links (KCLs) in 3 6th-grade classrooms that varied in degree of learner centeredness. KCLs are operationalized as prior learning that students bring to their current classroom experiences and include school and nonschool experiences. They are hypothesized to facilitate a knowledge-construction process that values prior learning. In the more learner-centered classroom, KCLs occurred in conjunction with open and divergent dialogue, positive reactions to students ’ use of prior learning, and opportunities within the classroom that allowed students to gain new experiences on which they could draw in further knowledge-construction efforts. In contrast, KCLs were ignored or viewed as inappropriate in the least learner-centered classroom, dialogue about content was convergent, and performance goals were the norm. It is a basic tenet of cognitive psychology in general and constructivism in particular that new knowledge develops out of a process of construction (Noddings, 1998). Constructivists such as von Glasersfeld (1995) assert that new knowledge arises out of an individual’s active construction drawing on unique prior experience and knowledge, as he or she strives to make sense of the

This paper discusses the issue of learner participation in a net-based higher education course. With the starting point in recent educational policies formulated by the European Union and the results of an evaluation report from the Swedish Net University, I raise the question of which pedagogical aspects need to be considered in order to support active learner participation in these types of learning environments. Based on analyzed data from 19 semi-structured interviews with trainees on a Swedish net-based teacher training programme supported by Information and Communication Technologies, I attempt to show that in order to become a member of such educational online learning community, each trainee is required to be active and hold an inclusive attitude towards the other members. Further, it seems that the trainees often had to rely on and trust each other due to the sparse communication with their teacher trainers. I conclude this paper by discussing the need for a pedagogical approach that relies heavily on social, collaborative and ethical aspects of learning as a starting point for the design of online learning communities to support the kind of education needed for the 21st century.

refers to any technology used in the classroom, such as videos, audio recorders or even entire language labs. In collaborative learning, students work together as members of a learning community, engaged in activities such as working on a problemsolving task by questioning each other, and discussing and sharing information. What is the relationship between technology and collaboration, and how can technology best be integrated into collaborative language learning? This paper examines the notion of collaborative learning. A case study was conducted to examine how the use of technology-enhanced, collaborative language learning could enable students to work collaboratively in a university context. Participants, constituting a range of students in a variety of majors at the University of Tasmania, were invited to complete a questionnaire to present their views on this style of learning and how they perceive technology-enhanced language learning. Key words: collaborative learning, technology-enhanced language learning I.