Authentic learning designs have been explored for some time now and have frequently been shown to provide learning settings that provide many meaningful contexts for learning. These meaningful contexts provide not only encouragement for students to learn but also a raft of learning enhancements including higher-order learning and forms of learning…

College students learn differently than their professors. This disconnect between learning styles is not a new problem, however the problem has been magnified by the technology driven environment which exists in contemporary higher education. Students who grew up using computers and Playstations while surfing MySpace blogs and listening to their…

Using collaborative critical reflection as an index, this study examines the asynchronous and face-to-face discourse of 28 suburban Chicago elementary teachers developing problem based learning (PBL) curriculum. Statistical analysis of the corpus produced by the 2 mediums shows that the asynchronous online network emerges as the medium of choice…

This study investigates how students and their teacher experience online courses and whether both parties perceive similar advantages and disadvantages in online learning. Both parties consider geographical independence advantageous and express the need for a well-structured course; this includes the administration as well as the content.…

This paper elaborates on the importance of a strategic foundation when digital learning or knowledge management (KM) solutions are planned and developed. It looks at some key issues of e-Learning and knowledge management (KM) through discussing the various stages (technologies) and potential benefits of e-Learning; the state of the e-Learning…

Is creative teaching something new? Is it not true that teachers have always found creative ways of making their teaching more creative, engaging and effective for their students no matter what century they were in and that includes those in the 21st century? It would appear therefore that "there is nothing new under the sun." However,…

While classroom teaching and management strategies are well documented, the online learning environment presents different challenges and benefits. Teaching in an online environment requires a special set of teaching skills since many of the strategies and tactics associated with best teaching practices are somewhat constrained by the primarily…

South Africa's public education system is going through massive transformation, moving away from limited educational opportunities based on race and poverty levels to social and educational inclusiveness. While there is still work to be done, the country's education officials are committed to increasing access to a quality education for all…

This paper describes a model of online learning communities characterized by online mentors (OLCOM), which has been implemented at a large southeastern state university. The OLCOM is a virtual online learning community, which incorporates online mentors to assist online teaching and facilitate online learning along with other members in the OLCOM.…

As computer-mediated communication (CMC) is becoming more mainstream in higher education (HE), the issue of social interaction online and its impact on learning has been raised. CMC theorists have argued that shared group identity produces the online social presence necessary for successful interaction but that other identities may be inhibiting.…

In recent years, the emergence of non-traditional educational experiences such as online learning and certification, combined with the growth of the life-long learning market, has presented a new set of challenges for the higher education community. Increasingly, the U.S. economy is technology driven, and the need for trained personnel to support…

Online education holds great potential for rural states like South Dakota, which has been recognized for advances in distance education. To maximize the potential of online learning, design elements that students believe are needed for successful online learning experiences must be identified. In this study, we present the qualitative and…

Multivariate statistical analyses were used to determine if there were differences in social community, learning community, and perceived learning between male and female students in 12 online graduate education courses in which female students (n = 162) outnumbered males (n = 31). Study results provided evidence that females felt more connected…

A structure for online discussion within a framework for deep learning provides three strategies for dynamic online discussion; flexible peer, structured topic, and collaborative task discussion. This article examines the discussion structure and the three separate roles demonstrated by the instructor in the promotion of deep learning through the…

Though the concept of online community has been heralded as a promising tool to support teacher professional development, a robust and meaningful definition remains elusive. This review draws together research on community, teaching, and learning in traditional and online settings. Examples of current efforts in the field of online learning…