The study aimed to design a program based on an e-community context to develop adult EFL learners' critical thinking. The study started with a review of the literature and previous studies related to critical thinking, its components, and e-communities where the study took place. The researcher designed the study instruments, including a pre-post…

The positive effects of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) on students' learning outcomes and processes have been widely reported in individual empirical studies and meta-analyses. More specifically, in the meta-analysis by Chen, Wang, Kirschner, and Tsai (2018), the effects were found to be attributed to the three main elements of…

Distance Education, nowadays defined more as Open and Distance Learning, dates back to 1800s. Once considered as using non-traditional approaches and delivery methods compared to conventional campus-based education, distance education now has become a mainstream form of education increasing its popularity and use in the 21st century. Distance…

Trends in higher education include accelerated online learning and an increase in adult learners. The retention of these learners is essential for universities. This study used an exploratory case study methodology to examine factors facilitating the retention of women in an accelerated, online teacher education program. Using the Priorities…

This article presents evaluation data regarding the MAPIS3 architecture which is proposed as a solution for the data-transfer among various tools to promote flexible collaborative learning designs. We describe the problem that this architecture deals with as "tool orchestration" in collaborative learning settings. This term refers to a…

Problem-based learning (PBL) challenges traditional views of teaching and learning as the learner determines, to a large extent with support from a skilled facilitator, what topics will be explored, to what depth and which processes will be used. This paper presents the implementation of problem-based learning methodologies in an online Bachelor's…

The research reported in this paper is an investigation of the application of adult learning principles in designing learning activities for teachers' life-long development. The exploration is illustrated by qualitative data from a case study of adult educators' and adult learners' insights and experiences of a teacher development course organised…

After the 1992 Further and Higher Education Reform Act enabled polytechnics and the qualifying franchised colleges to be renamed universities or higher education institutions, the dominance of the rhetoric of skill development aggravated long-standing schisms between further and higher education about whether or not degree-level courses should be…

This study examines the processes by which early childhood educators and their mentors negotiated the social and emotional aspects of their working relationships. Twenty-five mentors worked with over 200 infant/toddler caregivers and preschool educators as part of a community-wide professional development initiative. Qualitative data were obtained…

This research describes a qualitative, naturalistic case study of a situation-specific, in-depth exploration of the use of ten student discussion roles in and adult education, online asynchronous discussions. Discussion roles were designed in order to enable students to respond better and create deeper and more meaning-filled threaded discussions,…

This review represents research employing discourse analysis conducted by scholars interested in literacy issues in education across the age span--preschool to adult--during the last 10 years. Drawing from more than 300 studies, we discerned that a common theme was understanding how the literacy education of all students can be successfully…

This paper examines how emergent technologies could influence the design of learning environments. It will pay particular attention to the roles of educators and learners in creating networked learning experiences on massive open online courses (MOOCs). The research shows that it is possible to move from a pedagogy of abundance to a pedagogy that…

This article discusses "Universities of the Third Age", whose function is quite distinct from established universities' traditional role in teaching, research, and community services. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop a model of partnership between traditional universities and Universities of the Third Age, ensuring better…

In this paper, Larkin and Gould's (1999) activity theory methodology for defining work-related roles and Burns' (1963) analysis of organismic organizational form are merged into a model that describes associate and leadership roles and relationships in virtual organizations. The effects of a lack of shared physical space and face-to-face social…

Effective facilitation of experiential learning involves an array of knowledge and skills. Educators who facilitate open simulations--one form of experiential learning--benefit from having relevant theoretical frameworks to sustain an appropriate balance between being directive and supportive of their participants' freedom to learn. This ongoing…