The aim of this article is to provide a Habermasian-inspired approach to the application of educational technologies. Such an approach is advocated here in order to counter voices that are critical of the idea of applying technology in the classroom, as well as current (instrumentalist) views that uncritically and unreflectively embrace…

Time is an important communication variable that has been impacted by new technology and changed the way people communicate. This study of communication time use by college students provides an update to earlier studies by factoring in computer and telephone use--media that have forced a multitasking approach to communication. Undergraduate…

What do TV news workers do each day? For many of them, contributing to daily news broadcasts has changed greatly over the years. This evolution will likely continue for years to come. And more changes to news production are expected, according to Tom Weir, an associate professor at the University of South Carolina's School of Journalism and Mass…

We study in this article mathematics teachers' "documentation work": looking for resources, selecting/designing mathematical tasks, planning their succession, managing available artifacts, etc. We consider that this documentation work is at the core of teachers' professional activity and professional development. We introduce a distinction between…

Being literate in a real-world sense means being able to read and write using the media forms of the day, whatever they may be. For centuries, consuming and producing words through reading and writing and, to a lesser extent, listening and speaking were sufficient. But because of inexpensive, easy-to-use, and widely available new tools, literacy…

Data from international comparisons of educational performance provided by the PISA study show Russia is among those countries that are not highly ranked on students' basic skills, and is poorly ranked on ability to apply knowledge to problem solving. Data also show large regional differences within Russia. (Contains 29 notes, 2 tables, and 6…

Newspapers are dying. Are universities next? The parallels between them are closer than they appear. Both industries are in the business of creating and communicating information. Paradoxically, both are threatened by the way technology has made that easier than ever before. The signs of sickness appeared earlier in the newspaper business, which…

Recording class sessions so students can view them online is becoming routine on many campuses. But all that taping can lead to "uh-oh moments," such as when a professor's joke about the college dean ends up on YouTube, or a private comment to a student after class is inadvertently broadcast. Some lecture bloopers caught on tape are…

With the unveiling of the National Educational Technology Plan 2010, both preservice and inservice K12 teachers in the United States are expected to create a classroom environment that fosters the creation of digital citizens. However, it is unclear whether or not teacher education programs build this direct instruction, or any other method of…

Teachers, more than any other person in the school, have the greatest potential to get students engaged in school and in learning. Creating student-directed learning experiences that challenge, stimulate, and engage kids not only raises test scores, it also fosters life-long learners prepared for success in today's globally connected world. This…

This study examined the instances of a representational toolkit (RT) in one reform-oriented algebra textbook developed in the United States. The majority of RT uses were active (66%) as opposed to passive and connected (63%) in that the technology results were used in some other manner by either the textbook authors or students as they solved…

Purpose: The paper comprises an extended discussion of the possibilities that Web 2.0 applications offer to doctoral researchers, and where such applications fit in the early twenty-first century in the research environment. It explores the main issues associated with their use by doctoral researchers, and how these factors have influenced the…

This paper presents a patterns-based model of the evolution of learning and competence-building technologies, grounded in examples of current practice. The model imagines five simple stages in how institutions use "expeditionary change" to innovate more nimbly. It builds upon three assertions. First, the pervasiveness of web-based…

Technology is advancing more rapidly than at any time in history since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. In fact, experts say that the world is leaving the Industrial Age of the 20th century and entering an Information Age that will lead into the future. These advances mean that important changes are being made in all areas of life--and…

The people an educational institution is trying to reach--prospective and current students, alumni and parents, to name a few--are no longer passive recipients of press releases and newsletters. They are on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and any other social media platform that comes to mind. What can sometimes get lost amid the constant…