This paper describes how two research methodologies, grounded theory and action learning, were combined to produce a rigorous yet creative and flexible method for field study of a recent IT-based innovation, virtual teams. Essentially, an action learning program was used to train facilitators of virtual teams and generate research data while…

The recent revolution in information technology (IT) has significantly challenged society's perception and thinking about the world in which we live. Because of its many advantages, distance learning has been identified by educators, scholars, academicians, and researchers as one of the most effective ways to improve the quality of learning. This…

Information and communications technologies are radically changing the way that teaching and learning activities are organised and delivered within higher education (HE) institutions. A wide range of technologies is being deployed in quite complex and interactive ways, including virtual learning environments (VLEs), mobile communication…

The intersection of globalisation and information technology influences ethical positions and notions of responsibility within businesses and in distance education for school students. As the spatial and temporal distance between student and teacher increases, and is mediated by computers, there have been changes to the ways in which individuals…

Outlines key issues, principles, and planning and development issues for instructional design in virtual learning environments. Addresses new teaching strategies and support for teacher competence with information and communications technology. (Contains 21 references.) (SK)

Chris Dede, Wirth Professor of Learning Technologies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is a leading authority on learning technologies and the ways in which they shape education. As a teacher, researcher, and policy advocate, he is a visionary whose fascination with technology has been informed by his commitment to serving the highest…

Our essential premise in this article is that immersive learning is not new and that, as a practical matter, it is useful to view the relatively new virtual world platforms through that lens. By doing so, the premise continues, developers of learning experiences for these spaces will have a large theoretical base upon which to draw, as well as…

Discusses the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve education. Highlights include virtual discussions; the need for data about students to help them learn effectively; listening to students; current uses of ICT in teaching; feedback from students; and a proposed model for virtual classrooms. (LRW)

Most educational institutions lag far behind business and industry in the adoption and use of technology. This paper explores the applications of technologies that are currently being used in business and industry, to education. The following technologies are reviewed: virtual learning, wireless networking, collaboration tools, digital video,…

Reflects on seminar presentations within four major themes: (1) the acceleration of change in higher education owing mostly to information and communication technologies; (2) complementarity and contrast between virtual and classical universities; (3) institutional responses to change; and (4) quality issues. Proposes various agendas for further…

It is Deleuze & Guattari's description of smooth and striated cultural spaces (Deleuze & Guattari, 1988) which informs this exploration of pedagogical alternatives within the learning environments of cyberspace. Digital spaces work to constitute subject and text in ways which are distinct, and it is awareness of this distinctiveness which must…

Classroom practice in the real world has become increasingly incommensurate with the lived experience of students. Young people, consisting of all age cohorts and class fractions, have never known their world to not include the Internet. They have been utilizing this technology since before they started kindergarten, whether it was in games that…

This qualitative, explanatory study examined Post-RN baccalaureate nursing students' experiences of empowerment with distance education and computer conferencing (CC) for fit with the constructs of Kanter's (1977, 1993) Theory of Structural Power in Organizations. Seven post-RNs from Canadian distance education nursing programs were interviewed.…

Across the globe, progressive universities are embracing any number of MUVEs (multi-user virtual environments), 3D environments, and "immersive" virtual reality tools. And within the next few months, several universities are expected to test so-called "telepresence" videoconferencing systems from Cisco Systems and other leading…

This paper presents an interactive educational environment for use over both "in situ" and distance-based modalities of teaching. Several technological issues relating to the design and development of the distributed virtual learning environment have also been raised. The PROVIDE framework proposed in this paper is a seamless distributed…