The authors use their own experiences with social software to argue for the need for caution in its uses in education. They particularly draw attention to difficulties in engagement, the effects on identity, an emphasis on superficial issues, lack of coherence, and problems with authenticity and trust. While Facebook and Second Life appear to have…

This study examined how six teachers designed and implemented engaging learning experiences with information communication technologies (ICT) that involved pupils as active participants in learning. Each teacher designed and taught a unit of work (topic) and was observed for two lessons within the unit. The first observation occurred with only the…

An increasing number of K-12 school teachers have been using handheld, or palmtop, computers in the classroom as an integral means of facilitating education due to the flexibility, mobility, interactive learning capability, and comparatively inexpensive cost. This study involved two experiments in handheld computers: (a) a comparison of the…

Looks at the implications for curricular improvement and reform of the National Grid for Learning Strategy in the United Kingdom. A theorization of the possible relationships between different features of information and communications technologies and learning is offered, and the contrast between home and school based use of technologies is…

Discusses and compares the use of information and communication technology in K-12 schools in France and in the United States. Topics include students to computers ratio; schools having Internet connections; teacher's use of electronic and other resources; constructivism; and benefits of technology integration. (LRW)

Examines the possibility of supplementing conventional pedagogic methods with information technology-based teaching aids in the instruction of quantitative methods to undergraduate students. Considers the case for a problem-based learning approach, and discusses the role of information technology. (Author/LRW)

This paper presents a European Community supported project which investigated whether the use of electronic and mobile technologies in the hands of young learners might engage them in learning activities and start to change their attitudes towards learning. The mLearning system was implemented in a Europe-wide network of 14 schools with over 500…

Discussion of technology integration in teaching and teacher education focuses on policy and curriculum reform as they relate to information technology use for teacher education, based on experiences in Cyprus public schools. Discusses the need for shifts in pedagogical approaches and reforms in preservice teacher education and inservice…

The focus of this study is on lessons learned by collaborative partnerships that use ICTs to expand access to and improve the quality of secondary education in South Africa. Secondary education is the most strategic, and unfortunately the least developed education sector in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Empirical studies show that, in addition to…

The following article discusses an educational simulation created within Second Life (SL) in order to assist pre-service teachers (PSTs) in gaining more experience managing student behavior. The article discusses the development, implementation, and assessment of the simulation as well as student data on the feasibility of the approach in…

Game-based learning has been a popular development and recommended as an effective pedagogy in educating new generations of learners. Few studies, however, have demonstrated the efficacy of game-based learning on learners' academic performance with empirical data. The described learning outcomes of game-based pedagogy within the limited available…

Discussion of the development of distance education in Switzerland focuses on a history of the Swiss Virtual Campus and an explanation of the role of the Educational Technologies Unit of the University of Geneva (TECFA). Topics include the integration of information technologies, teacher training, and the management of metadata. Contains 35…

Focuses on learning to be, or forming an identity within communities of practice. Discusses activity theory, re-conceiving an activity system, and technologies that support learning within communities of practices; and illustrates concepts through community-based examples such as universities and schools. (Author/LRW)

This article reports on the collaborative journal review of an online professional community that was established to prepare this special edition for publication. The focus is on how Web 2.0 technology can be used to support a professional journal review community and to enhance active social interaction among reviewers. The theme of this special…

Reviews the characteristics of non-formal education as expressed in various academic-theoretical definitions, presents the links in this field to distance learning, and recommends future directions for exploring distance learning in non-formal education. Discusses the use of information and communication technology and considers problems with…