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Communication Technology and New Media Commons™

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2003

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Articles 61 - 74 of 74

Full-Text Articles in Communication Technology and New Media

Patterns Of Engagement In Authentic Online Learning Environments, Janice Herrington, Ron Oliver, Thomas Reeves Jan 2003

Patterns Of Engagement In Authentic Online Learning Environments, Janice Herrington, Ron Oliver, Thomas Reeves

Research outputs pre 2011

The use of authentic activities within online learning environments has been shown to have many benefits for learners in online units and courses. There has been renewed interest in the role of student activities within course units, as constructivist philosophy and advances in technology impact on educational design and practice. Courses based on these principles have been used successfully across a wide variety of discipline areas. In spite of the growing evidence of the success of authentic learning environments, they are not without their problems. In this paper we discuss patterns of engagement that have emerged from our own research …

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Exploring The Reusability Of Web-Based Learning Resources, Ron Oliver, Ralph Wirski, Philip Hingston, Arshad Omari, Graeme Brownfield Jan 2003

Exploring The Reusability Of Web-Based Learning Resources, Ron Oliver, Ralph Wirski, Philip Hingston, Arshad Omari, Graeme Brownfield

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper describes a project in the Australian training sector which sought to design and develop a digital repository of learning resources to facilitate their reuse and application in new learning settings. The paper describes the context in which the original resources were created and the development of a system to store and provide access to these resources. The paper concludes with an examination of the utility and functionality of the system and the limitations inherent in the reuse of digital resources supported by such systems.

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Designing Accessible On-Line Environments For The Visually Impaired, Ruchireak Permvattana, Ron Oliver, Frank Bate, Jean Macnish Jan 2003

Designing Accessible On-Line Environments For The Visually Impaired, Ruchireak Permvattana, Ron Oliver, Frank Bate, Jean Macnish

Research outputs pre 2011

Providing accessible Web pages is becoming a key concern for many providers of electronic information. There are many people who find accessing Web pages difficult and among these, vision impaired users are perhaps the group with the greatest needs. The Web is a strong visual environment and most designers use this aspect of the environment as a critical element in their interface and information design. Such strategies, while providing many opportunities for mainstream Web users, provide limiting and impeding outcomes for visually impaired Web users. There are a number of accessibility standards that now exist to inform and guide the …

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Implementing Courseware Management: Off-The-Shelf Purchase Or In-House Development?, Joseph Luca, Arshad Omari Jan 2003

Implementing Courseware Management: Off-The-Shelf Purchase Or In-House Development?, Joseph Luca, Arshad Omari

Research outputs pre 2011

In the past decade there has been a proliferation of courseware management systems being developed and promoted as a means of simplifying the creation and management of instructional websites. Implementing these systems can be resource intensive and require large budgets to cover aspects such as infrastructure, integration into legacy databases, training, maintenance and on-going support. With these costs in mind, deciding to implement such a system should be carefully considered. Are there other options? With the proliferation of many freeware applications, and powerful online databases, the ability to develop customised in-house solutions is now becoming more attractive and viable. This …

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Overcoming "Process-Blindness" In The Design Of An Online Environment: Balancing Cognitive And Psycho-Social Outcomes, Catherine E. Mcloughlin, Joseph Luca Jan 2003

Overcoming "Process-Blindness" In The Design Of An Online Environment: Balancing Cognitive And Psycho-Social Outcomes, Catherine E. Mcloughlin, Joseph Luca

Research outputs pre 2011

Learning environment research can contribute to our understanding of how psychosocial processes need to be balanced with cognitive outcomes in the design of units of study. The research on Web-based learning supports the assumption that the nature of social interaction affects student outcomes and student perceptions of the quality of the learning experience. The purposeful this study is to examine student perceptions of psychosocial processes in a blended learning environment using a learning environment survey tool. Students assessed the environments as favourable, but found that the quality of dialogue and peer support offered did not meet their needs. Implications for …

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Making Teamwork Equitable With Online Technology: A Case Study, Joseph Luca, Catherine E Mcloughlin Jan 2003

Making Teamwork Equitable With Online Technology: A Case Study, Joseph Luca, Catherine E Mcloughlin

Research outputs pre 2011

In many higher education institutions, teamwork is considered an essential part of the syllabus in helping to promote deep and meaningful learning as well as professional skills such as communication, collaboration and leadership skills. However, in many cases students are unhappy with teamwork activities, as they consider the distribution of marks to be unfair. In many cases, team members are all allocated the same mark regardless of the amount of effort or quality of work contributed by each individual. This case study attempts to resolve these issues by presenting a self and peer assessment strategy (supported with online technology) to …

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Cognitive Realism In Online Authentic Learning Environments, Janice Herrington, Ron Oliver, Thomas Reeves Jan 2003

Cognitive Realism In Online Authentic Learning Environments, Janice Herrington, Ron Oliver, Thomas Reeves

Research outputs pre 2011

The development of virtual reality and advanced computer applications have meant that realistic creations of simulated environments are now possible. Such simulations have been used with to great effect in training in the military, air force, and in medical training. But how realistic do problems need to be in education for effective learning to occur? Some authors and researchers argue that problems should be real, or that simulations should have ultra-realistic physical similarity to an actual context. This paper proposes that physical verisimilitude to real situations is of less importance in learning than 'cognitive realism', provided by immersing students in …

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Can Reflective And Executive Control Skills Be Fostered Online?, Catherine E. Mcloughlin, Joseph Luca Jan 2003

Can Reflective And Executive Control Skills Be Fostered Online?, Catherine E. Mcloughlin, Joseph Luca

Research outputs pre 2011

One of the crises facing the professions is the scepticism surrounding the nature of professional knowledge and whether individuals can cope with the increased complexity of society and the changing demands of the workplace. In order to develop these skills students need to be able to reflect on their learning experiences, integrate them with prior knowledge, self-evaluate and develop decision-making and planning processes. The development of reflexivity is presented in the context of an online tertiary unit where students proceed through the cycle of action, reflection, planning and abstract conceptualisation by engaging in a range of collaborative tasks including peer …

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Online Learning Designs In The Training Sector, Ron Oliver, Vivienne Blanksby Jan 2003

Online Learning Designs In The Training Sector, Ron Oliver, Vivienne Blanksby

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper describes current activities within the vocational education training (VET) sector in Australia where traditional views of teaching and learning for training are being challenged. The paper showcases innovative and leading edge applications of technology in the National Flexible Toolbox Project and draws on the history of this project to demonstrate current thinking within the Australian VET sector in relation to student learning. The paper examines the learning designs and resources that have been developed across the past five years in the National Flexible Toolbox Project and uses the outcomes to argue and demonstrate its findings.

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Home-Grown Courseware Management System, Arshad Omari, Joseph Luca, Andrew Dunbar Jan 2003

Home-Grown Courseware Management System, Arshad Omari, Joseph Luca, Andrew Dunbar

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

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Designing For Online Learning Communities, Christopher Brook, Ron Oliver Jan 2003

Designing For Online Learning Communities, Christopher Brook, Ron Oliver

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper investigates the development of sense of community among learners engaging in online learning where the principles of collaborative learning are considered key instructional strategies. In particular this paper explores the development of learner's sense of community as an outcome of engaging in instructor initiated activities that are intended to promote community development. The paper discusses design principles for the development of sense of community identified in contemporary literature. In addition it reports a case study that sought to identify the forms of engagement and activity that promote community development, the manner in which students responded to these and …

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Attempting To Ground Ethnographic Theory And Practice, Lelia Rosalind Green Jan 2003

Attempting To Ground Ethnographic Theory And Practice, Lelia Rosalind Green

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper is a response to continued discussion about the necessary and sufficient characteristics of a claim to 'ethnographic method' when made by researchers in the Media and Cultural Studies traditions. Many of the seminal studies informing-particularly-audience studies research have claimed that they were 'ethnographic'. But is this a variety of ethnographic that an anthropologist would recognise? And if not, what kind of ethnography is it, and why might it be more or less appropriate as a research fromework than straightforward 'interview' or 'focus group' research? Further, when might we say that an interview is conducted in the course of …

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Using Multimedia To Develop Students' Programming Concepts, Kacha Chansilp, Ron Oliver Jan 2003

Using Multimedia To Develop Students' Programming Concepts, Kacha Chansilp, Ron Oliver

Research outputs pre 2011

The growing use of computers and computer technology is creating a worldwide need for more programmers and computer professionals. The increasing complexity of programming languages and applications is demanding higher skills sets from the programmers who are being trained. Kann et al. (1997) suggest that the graphic representation of algorithms used in most textbooks are too abstract and insufficient for learners to develop the logical thinking required in computer science courses. Many programming students have problems due to a lack of understanding of conceptual and mental models (Soloway et al., 1981). This paper describes the development of an alternative teaching …

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Exploring Online Learning Community Development: The Relative Importance Of Influencing Factors, Christopher Brook, Ron Oliver Jan 2003

Exploring Online Learning Community Development: The Relative Importance Of Influencing Factors, Christopher Brook, Ron Oliver

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper describes an investigation into the development of learners’ sense of community using a model describing community development through presage, process and product stages. The study sought to explore the relative importance of design factors and to describe the relative influence of factors between the presage and process stages in the model. The study was facilitated through an investigation into the practices of a professional working in the field who was committed to the principles of collaborative learning and the development of a learning community. The findings reveal a strong influence of presage factors many of which had the …

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