In this paper we focus our attention on the use of social software as educational enablers for use in formal online education contexts. To this end we study the hypothesis that users have to acquire a set of important Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) skills. Such PKM skills are presented in the paper. They are also examined in relation to…

English competency is known as one of the crucial skills in various social contexts in Hong Kong. In tertiary educational setting, English courses do not focus solely on the development of the four language skills. Rather, they put emphasis on the application of English Language for academic use or instrumental use. This paper will investigate the…

In the education world, it is widely accepted that language learning is one of the pioneering disciplines in the application and use of the information and communication technologies, initially preceded by the widespread use of audiovisual resources which, finally integrated in the digital space, bring about the use of multimedia. Additionally,…

This essay shows the range to complexity for assessing academic service learning experiences. Corso recommends that instructors understand expectations for cognition, affective response, and communication competence as they place students into academic service learning experiences and as they assess learning outcomes within such contexts. Corso…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of teacher mediation on the mathematics learning of kindergarten students in a computer-assisted learning environment. A sample of 26 students was randomly selected and assigned into experimental and control groups. The experimental group was mediated by a teacher during the computer-assisted…

The study focuses on the use of technology to design an electronic learning community for students. The importance of social experience in education and social participation through communication is examined through discussion boards of two different freshmen courses offered at Zagreb School of Economics and Management (ZSEM). Effectiveness and…

This paper reports findings from research into the benefits of integrating podcasts into a first year undergraduate module on English Language and Communication at Kingston University. As part of a Faculty teaching and learning support scheme for first year undergraduates, six podcasts were developed to improve students' learning and study skills…

This paper reports the effects of program characteristics and faculty activities on students' experiences and, ultimately, the development of students' analytical and group skills. Data come from nationally representative samples of 4,330 seniors, 1,243 faculty members, and 147 engineering program chairs on 39 campuses nationwide. Findings…

This paper presents two elements of a broader set of findings resulting from a qualitative doctoral dissertation. This research gives voice to the learning experiences of 21 diverse adult learners who participated in a community-based multicultural immersion program. Key perspectives of their learning experiences were drawn from two main themes:…

Marine education research designs are discussed, and student learning outcomes while monitoring a coral reef is evaluated. Changes in environmental knowledge and attitudes, ecological intention to act, and direct reef experience were investigated. Differences between student pre-test and the post-test responses were observed, and analysis is…

The andragogical model of adult learning and education developed by Malcolm Knowles. the basis for much of "adult learning theory", is summarized and reviewed in terms of its assumptions, principles and recommended practices. By recasting the model as a theory with attendant hypotheses, it is then critiqued in terms of its theoretical adequacy and…

This paper explores the Web 2.0 ethos with respect to the application of pedagogy within 3D online virtual environments. 3D worlds can create a synthetic experience capturing the essence of "being" in a particular world or context. The AliveX3D platform adopts the Web 2.0 ethos and applies it to online 3D virtual environment forming a Web…

The 2005 National Adult Learners Satisfaction-Priorities Report presents the responses to the Adult Learner Inventory (ALI) of 20,466 students from 45 institutions, including four-year private and public, and two-year community colleges. The results include adult learner responses over a three-year time period, from 2002 through 2005. Highlights…

Developing intercultural competence within the context of the foreign language learning experience can help students acquire the ability to understand and adapt to difference as well as the ability to be flexible and open when facing new experiences. Although commonly assumed to be dependent on an international experience or encounters with…

Education is now a global product with institutions worldwide competing for students and finding ever more creative ways to satisfy student needs and preferences. With the continuing rise in the preference for flexible distance learning, educational institutions are finding that when students and faculty have significantly different cultural…