This study examined factors influencing the use of electronic networks by science and engineering faculty (216 faculty members) at six small universities. Survey included e-mail, electronic discussion groups, accessing remote databases and remote computer facilities, and file transfer. For each service, data are reported for frequency of use by…

Presents results of a survey showing increased use of the Internet by language professionals (e.g., language teachers, translators, interpreters). Results of the survey show a qualitative improvement in the Internet for information retrieval, teaching, and idea exchange. If K-12 foreign-language teachers receive appropriate equipment and training,…

An ethnographic study examined the nature of social and cultural contexts as they shaped literary practices in a combined fifth/sixth-grade classroom. Research questions focused on the meanings given to the reading and discussion of literature within the embedded contexts of classroom and community. The five focal students for the study differed…

The research project described in this paper was conducted for three purposes: (1) to identify the program evaluation needs of secondary vocational educators in Wisconsin; (2) to identify those components of the state's previous evaluation system that educators wanted to keep; and (3) to develop a conceptual framework for revising Wisconsin's…

Research into indicators of learning occurring in e-mail discussion groups investigated how to maximize factors that enhance learning and networking using e-mail and how to minimize factors that inhibit learning using this medium. Data from a range of e-mail discussion groups formed the basis of the research, with focus on e-mail discussion that…

Compared patterns of group interaction for (n=28) fifth- and sixth-grade students during small group discussions designed to reduce misconceptions related to division. Highly interactive patterns of discourse were found to be associated with effective learning. (Contains 25 references.) (MKR/Author)

Online discussions can extend learning experiences beyond the time and space of the classroom, allowing students more time to process information, and an additional mode of expression for those who are less active in open classroom discussions. They may be especially appropriate for teaching sensitive or controversial subject matter such as…

This study, using content analysis technique, examined the types of job-related problems that the Turkish computer teachers experienced and the types of social support provided by reciprocal discussions in an online forum. Results indicated that role conflict, inadequate teacher induction policies, lack of required technological infrastructure and…

The purpose of this parent education project was to strengthen the Israeli family as an educational unit, to increase its ability and knowledge in the field of education, and to broaden the range of responsibility and influence of the family over its young children. The first stage of this project was devoted to problems of early childhood. A…

Discusses results of an action research study of second-grade students' group work which indicated that, when students were not given sample solutions for problems, they were more likely to use higher order thinking, take ownership of strategies, discuss solutions longer, and be more accepting of other views. (MKR)

Teachers, administrators, volunteers, and students involved in Adult Basic Education/English-as-a-Second-Language (ABE/ESL) programs in Washington were interviewed regarding their perceptions of assessment and their assessment needs. The primary objective of the study was to gather information that could be used in developing an assessment model…

"A Feel for Books" is a book discussion program for adult developing readers and their teachers and tutors conducted at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. The program consists of five or six meetings per year, each about 1.5-2 hours in length conducted at 2 local libraries; over 2 years, 40-60 persons regularly…

Educational institutions have rushed to provide online courses; however, too often schools have discovered the difficulty in transferring effective teaching strategies in the classroom to an online environment. A unique aspect of quality online courses is how they rely heavily on effective collaboration to create a meaningful learning environment.…

Previous research on online discussions has focused on university students learning higher level subjects. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether online discussions could be used effectively by secondary school students attempting to learn introductory level topics. Forty-­five male students, ranging in age from 13 to 15 years…

Efforts were undertaken to increase students' interactivity in an online course in adult development. The purpose was to increase students' engagement with the course materials, heighten their online discussions, and deepen their thinking about course-related concepts, theoretical principles, and research findings. Several strategies were used…