Institutions of higher education have increasingly embraced distance education with the number of students enrolled in online courses rapidly rising in colleges and universities throughout the world. Given its popularity and increased usage, it is imperative that administrators and instructors monitor the current state and future directions relating to distance education in order to meet the needs and challenges of tomorrow. Distance Learning Technology, Current Instruction, and the Future of Education: Applications of Today, Practices of Tomorrow provides present and prospective directions of online education from various research fields, reporting on discussions from students, faculty members, researchers, and practitioners. This innovative publication contains significant and unique research findings influencing future developments in technology-enhanced education and industry.

A selection of international perspectives on on-line learning and the virtual university. The essays are divided into three sections: Overview and Theoretical Background; Projects and Tools; and Conclusions and Visions.

Institutions of higher education are at the forefront of the technological interface with life and society. Such technological innovations within university research centers, university library resource developments, and new tools available for teaching and learning, are nurturing in new educational approaches and debates concerning the appropriate use of new technologies. Cases on Digital Technologies in Higher Education: Issues and Challenges provides a collection of practical case studies exploring the application of digital technologies in higher education along with strategies to address new challenges facing educational institutions in the 21st century. This book establishes a selective synthesis of research on technology to help guide individuals within institutions of higher education faced with technological change. Focusing greatly on engineering education, it addresses technological concerns in order to find solutions that will help maximize the utility of new digital technologies and minimize their adverse effects in a variety of learning environments.

Although the advancement of educational technologies is often discussed in a teaching capacity, the administration aspect of this research area is often overlooked. Studying the impact technology has on education administration not only allows us to become familiar with the most current trends and techniques in this area, but also allows us to discover the best way forward in all aspects of education. The Handbook of Research on Technology-Centric Strategies for Higher Education Administration is a pivotal resource covering the latest scholarly information on the application of digital media among aspects of tertiary education administration such as policy, governance, marketing, leadership, and development. Featuring extensive coverage on a broad range of topics and perspectives including virtual training, blogging, and e-learning, this book is ideally designed for policy makers, researchers, and educators seeking current research on administrative-based technology applications within higher education.

E-learning has evolved with numerous IT-enabled affordances, including many that involve digital imagery and informational graphics. Not only are traditional images like drawings, blueprints, and photos widely used in e-learning, but also many new graphics have become useful learning aids. Digital Imagery and Informational Graphics in E-Learning: Maximizing Visual Technologies offers useful methods for creating digital imagery as well as leading pedagogical theories and research on the implementation of inherited images. This advanced publication features applied, hands-on strategies related to capturing and authoring tools used to acquire and create graphics.

This book explores in detail the role of laboratory work in physics teaching and learning. Compelling recent research work is presented on the value of experimentation in the learning process, with description of important research-based proposals on how to achieve improvements in both teaching and learning. The book comprises a rigorously chosen selection of papers from a conference organized by the International Research Group on Physics Teaching (GIREP), an organization that promotes enhancement of the quality of physics teaching and learning at all educational levels and in all contexts. The topics covered are wide ranging. Examples include the roles of open inquiry experiments and advanced lab experiments, the value of computer modeling in physics teaching, the use of web-based interactive video activities and smartphones in the lab, the effectiveness of low-cost experiments, and assessment for learning through experimentation. The presented research-based proposals will be of interest to all who seek to improve physics teaching and learning.

What does best practice in online education look like? How can educators make use of the affordances offered by online environments to bring out the best in the children they teach? These questions are answered in this new textbook, written with experienced teachers, novice educators and teacher educators in mind. Meskill and Anthony offer a wealth of examples of what successful online teaching looks like, and provide a rich source of practical, conversation-based strategies for optimizing online learning. This book will inspire anyone teaching or planning to teach fully online, or in a blended or hybrid format, by demonstrating how well constructed online conversations constitute powerful teaching.

The face of education is constantly being transformed due to rapid changes in technology. It is imperative that leadership trends and techniques be evaluated in the educational field, particularly in reference to alternative learning programs. The Handbook of Research on Administrative Leadership in Open and Distance Learning Programs is a pivotal scholarly resource that discusses emerging issues surrounding the administration of non-traditional education practices. Highlighting relevant topics that include policy development, quality assurance, accreditation, and assessment systems, this publication is an ideal reference source for educators, academicians, graduate students, and researchers that are interested in the progression of open and distance education.

Despite the modernization of the educational process both in colleges and universities, the main way of transferring information from teacher to learner remains their personal contact in classrooms and educational literature. One of the effective ways to optimize teaching and learning is the technological approach to the organization of the educational process. Modern Technologies for Teaching and Learning in Socio-Humanitarian Disciplines aims to systematize technologies for teaching social and humanitarian disciplines and discuss educational technologies that the modern teacher can and should possess including tools for person-oriented learning and for setting and achieving learning goals. The content within this publication examines interactive technologies, social educators, and visual storytelling and is designed for educators, researchers, academicians, administrators, and students.

A major investment in professional development is necessary to ensure the fundamental success of instructors in technology-integrated classrooms and in online courses. However, while traditional models of professional development rely on face-to-face instruction, online methods are also gaining traction-viable means for faculty development.Virtual Mentoring for Teachers: Online Professional Development Practices offers peer-reviewed essays and research reports contributed by an array of scholars and practitioners in the field of instructional technology and online education. It is organized around two primary themes: professional development models for faculty in online environments and understanding e-Learning and best practices in teaching and learning in online environments. The objective of this scholarship is to highlight research-based online professional development programs and best practices models that have been shown to enhance effective teaching and learning in a variety of environments.

As the field of Information and Communication Technologies rapidly expands, the applications to language learning continue to grow. Computer-Enhanced and Mobile-Assisted Language Learning: Emerging Issues and Trends compiles the latest research into computer-enhanced language learning, as well as the integration of mobile devices into new language acquisition. Though new information is constantly coming out as technologies continue to evolve, this important new follow-up publication will be distributed worldwide among academic and professional institutions and will be instrumental in providing researchers, scholars, students, and professionals access to the latest knowledge related to research on computer-enhanced and mobile assisted language learning.

As emerging technologies drive innovation, educators and administrators have an array of resources at their disposal. Thank to outstanding developments in technology which have greatly improved the delivery of distance education course delivery, the number of students and educators taking part in online education has grown exponentially. Cases on Distance Delivery and Learning Outcomes: Emerging Trends and Programs provides a firm foundation of best practices for distance course delivery and learning outcomes in order to discuss the rapid developments in online education technologies. The cases presented in this reference publication detail best and emerging practices of distance education, issues that develop as distance education grows, and an international perspective on distance education. Discussing such topics as cost and design strategies of distance course design, communication and dealing with student conduct in distance courses, developing distance programs to meet student needs and how to manage the growth of these programs, as well as the use of new technology tools in distance courses, this essential reference publication provides professional developments through a case book for distance education practitioners, administrators, librarians, and students.

Due to advancing technologies and an evolving professional world, various strategies for preparing and engaging students are necessary for sufficient professional development. Methods that integrate technologies and skillsets related to technologies are becoming more prevalent and essential for success beyond the classroom. The Handbook of Research on Diverse Teaching Strategies for the Technology-Rich Classroom is an essential research publication that explores diverse teaching strategies and their applications to enhance and improve the design of curricula, the development of materials, and the assessment of students' knowledge and skills. Featuring a wide range of topics such as distance learning, social media, and management education, this book is ideal for educators, principals, academicians, curriculum designers, administrators, and researchers.

This work discusses issues relating to distance education and distributed learning. There are essays covering: rethinking assessment for the online environment; the role of collaborative learning in social and intellectual development; and the embodiment of knowledge in virtual environments.

Digital integration is the driving force of teaching and learning at all levels of education. As more non-traditional students seek credentialing, certification, and degrees, institutions continue to push the boundaries of innovative practices to meet the needs of diverse students. Programs and faculty have moved from merely using technology and learning management systems to unique and innovative ways to engage learners. The Handbook of Research on Innovative Digital Practices to Engage Learners is an essential scholarly publication that offers theoretical frameworks, delivery models, current guidelines, and digital design techniques for integrating technological advancements in education contexts to enforce student engagement and positive student outcomes. Featuring a wide range of topics such as gamification, wearable technologies, and distance education, this book is ideal for teachers, curriculum developers, instructional designers, principals, deans, administrators, researchers, academicians, education professionals, and students.

Information and communication technologies play a crucial role in a number of modern industries. Among these, education has perhaps seen the greatest increases in efficiency and availability through Internet-based technologies. E-Learning as a Socio-Cultural System: A Multidimensional Analysis provides readers with a critical examination of the theories, models, and best practices in online education from a social perspective, evaluating blended, distance, and mobile learning systems with a focus on the interactions of their practitioners. Within the pages of this volume, teachers, students, administrators, policy makers, and IT professionals will all find valuable advice and enriching personal experiences in the field of online education.

A volume in International Social Studies Forum: The Series Series Editors Richard Diem, University of Texas at San Antonio and Jeff Passe, University of North Carolina, Charlotte The purpose of this volume is to provide a review and analysis of the theory, research, and practice related to geospatial technologies in social studies education. In the first section, the history of geospatial technologies in education, the influence of the standards movement, and the growth of an international geospatial education community are explored. The second section consists of examples and discussion of the use of geospatial technologies for teaching and learning history, geography, civics, economics, and environmental science. In the third section, theoretical perspectives are proposed that could guide research and practice in this field. This section also includes reviews and critiques of recent research relevant to geospatial technologies in education. The final section examines the theory, research, and practice associated with teacher preparation for using geospatial technologies in education.

Technology Literacy Applications in Learning Environments presents readers with a view of technology literacy in a learning environment. While word processing skills are important, the development of technology skills covers the areas of presentation software, storage, human interaction, and virtual reality. Instructional technology is dedicated to discovering and developing the pedagogical skills of teaching and learning in a technology-enhanced learning environment. Technology Literacy Applications in Learning Environments discusses many important topics, such as: the defining aspects of instructional technology skills, the use of technology literacy in higher education, and the growing digital divide. This book provides readers a series of examples and guides that support instructional technology literacy, making it a necessary collection addition for academics, researchers, educators, and IT professionals everywhere.

In an environment where some countries are coming out of the recession at different speeds and others remain in a gloomy economic environment, education plays a vital role in reducing the negative impact of the global economic problems. In this sense, new technologies help to generate human resources with a better quality of education. Augmented Reality for Enhanced Learning Environments provides emerging research on using new technologies to encourage education and improve learning quality through augmented reality. While highlighting issues such as global economic problems impacting schools and insufficient aid, this publication explores new technologies in emerging economies and effective means of knowledge and learning transfer. This book is a vital resource for teachers, students, and aid workers seeking current research on creating a new horizon in science and technology to strengthen the current system of learning.