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Full-Text Articles in Education

Fulfilling The Dream : An Online Early Childhood Teacher Education Course, Pauline Taylor Dec 2007

Fulfilling The Dream : An Online Early Childhood Teacher Education Course, Pauline Taylor

Associate Professor Pauline Taylor-Guy

This paper presents a study into the motivations, aspirations and characteristics of students who embarked on a new wholly-online early childhood teacher preparation program introduced at James Cook University in 2007. The inquiry contributes to a number of areas where there is currently little research. Australian studies into the experiences of first-year undergraduates focus on on-campus students, not on students who engage with tertiary studies wholly online, nor do they specifically relate to preservice teacher education. Contemporary research into e-learning is predominantly based on blended learning rather than solely online modes of study. In addition, there is little literature relating …


Education Research With Electronic Focus Groups, Kathryn Moyle, R Fitzgerald Dec 2007

Education Research With Electronic Focus Groups, Kathryn Moyle, R Fitzgerald

Professor Kathryn Moyle

An emerging trend in education research methods is to integrate digital technologies into the research process. Electronic focus groups represent one such innovation. Drawing on four examples of research and practice undertaken using a synchronous, digital system, this chapter reflects on how an innovative tool can assist in focus group research in the fields of school and higher education. The examples presented illustrate how some of the theoretical, practical and ethical problems that have arisen with traditional approaches to focus groups research can be overcome. It is anticipated that reflecting on such experiences and building upon the findings of these …