Purpose: Scalability is an important research topic in the context of networked virtual environments (NVEs). This paper aims to describe the ALVIC (Architecture for Large-scale Virtual Interactive Communities) approach to NVE scalability. Design/methodology/approach: The setup and results from two case studies are shown: a 3-D learning environment…

This paper addresses issues of language use and negotiation and utilizes cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) as a framework to analyze and understand the complexity of the mediational and collaborative structures constituting computer supported collaborative writing in a second language (CSCWL2) activities. Following an introduction to CHAT…

Surely "massive open online course" (MOOC) has one of the ugliest acronyms of recent years, lacking the deliberate playfulness of Yahoo (Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle) or the droll shoulder shrug suggested by the word "snafu" (Situation Normal, All Fouled Up). The author is not a complete neophyte to online…

One of the "tidal dilemmas" addressed by the 2009 Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education conference concerned physical vs. virtual learning environments. Videoconference teaching is an alternative to traditional classroom instruction and a subset of the broader field of distance education. Based on my recent experiences…

This paper summarizes the pedagogical design, product development and empirical evaluations of the game series, Animal Class, in terms of design study. The design phases, as well as the evaluation phases (N=2718), were carried out between the years of 2005-2007. The pedagogical idea of Animal Class is to place a learner in the role of teacher in a…

The article explores the use of e-learning in Italian universities. The aim is to understand how the university system has faced this problem or opportunity to date and what weaknesses or developing perspectives may result from multimedia technologies applied to academic teaching management. After a brief review of the current position of Italian…

Online education has grown in popularity as a choice option over the past decade. A variety of studies exist on methodologies for content delivery and on the impacts of online education for specific communities. However, few works have considered the utility of online educational choices in comparison to physical schools. Using an expected utility…

This paper illustrates the experience gained within an online course, where a collaborative technique, namely Role Play, was used within an asynchronous text-based environment to trigger collaboration and interactions among students. In a pilot study, the technique was analyzed using an evaluation model and two different means: on the one hand,…

Annual "Profiles" reports are comprehensive digests of data on education management organizations. Analysis and interpretation of the data in this report are, for the most part, limited to describing general trends over time. The report is intended for a broad audience. Policymakers, educators, school district officials, and school board…

This paper examines the use of the 3-D virtual world Second Life to explore basic mechanics in physics. In Second Life, students can create scripts that take advantage of a virtual physics engine in order to conduct experiments that focus on specific phenomena. The paper explores two particular examples of this process: (1) the movement of an…

The trend with organisational adoption of virtual learning environments (VLE) seems to be cyclical. Initially, a decentralised approach was adopted, wherein each department implemented different learning environments or mixtures of technology, often developed in-house. The last five years have seen an increased centralisation of learning…

Creating a virtual classroom in which diverse students feel welcome to discuss and experience topics related to social justice, action, and change is a study in the value of connectedness and collaboration. Through a combination of technologies, pedagogies, and on-site experiences, virtual cultures develop that encourage the formation of demanding…

This paper argues that selecting a new Learning Management System (LMS) is a strategic decision about the future direction of your institution. However, the development of a robust methodology for the selection of a new LMS is particularly challenging given the fluidity of the e-learning environment. This is especially so when both quantitative…

The purpose of the present article is to examine the knowledge-practice based approach to technology-enhanced learning. Toward that end, the article reports the efforts of an elementary-school teacher and researchers in promoting genuine inquiry at the 4th and 5th grade of a Finnish elementary school. We will describe implementation and social…

The educational system around the world is undergoing a tremendous change in the area of knowledge and strategy. In general, the curriculum practices have revolutionized by the academicians and educational administrators. The learners have also demanded varied types of knowledge and skills required for their day-to-day activity. Nature and the…