Networked by Design brings together work from leading international scholars in the learning sciences that applies social network theory to teachers' social interactions and relationships. The volume examines the direct and indirect relationships and communities that teachers navigate, as well as the models, plans, and other interventions that allow them to exercise control over these networks. Each chapter draws from case studies or latitudinal research to investigate a different intervention and its outcomes. By presenting research conducted in a variety of scales and contexts, this book offers scholars, future teachers, and leaders diverse insights into how interventions in social capital and social networks can create impactful, meaningful teaching and learning.

The work presented in this book is based on empirical study undertaken as a case study to understand the challenges faced in massively open online course (MOOC) based learning and experimentation to understand the challenges for presenting theoretical and practical courses. The book proposes a flexible online platform. This solution provides flexibility in distance learning processes including course enrollment, learning, evaluation, and outcome of degrees. The proposed system not only gives students freedom to choose their courses in accordance with their needs but also use earned credit towards online degrees of any university of their choice.

This volume introduces Virtual Exchange (VE) as an innovative form of online intercultural learning and investigates the myriad of ways VE is being carried out across universities, ultimately arguing for its integration into university internationalisation policies and course curricula. Against the backdrop of increased digitalisation initiatives throughout universities given the effects of the pandemic, chapters focus not only on providing new research findings, but also on providing a comprehensive introduction and argumentation for the use of VE in university education and also in demonstrating how it can be put into use by both university decision-makers and educators. Reviewing the limitations of the activity, this timely work also fundamentally posits how VE and blended mobility more broadly could be developed in future higher education initiatives. This book will be of interest to researchers, academics, scholars, and students involved with Open & Distance Education and eLearning, approaches to internationalisation in education, and the study of higher education more broadly. Those interested in innovative methods for teaching and learning, as well as educational research, will also benefit from this volume.

This timely collection explores the role of digital technology in language education and assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic. It recognises the unique pressures which the COVID-19 pandemic placed on assessment in language education, and examines the forced shift in assessment strategies to go online, the existing shortfalls, as well as unique affordances of technology-assisted L2 assessment. By showcasing international examples of successful digital and computer-assisted proficiency and skills testing, the volume addresses theoretical and practical concerns relating to test validity, reliability, ethics, and student experience in a range of testing contexts. Particular attention is given to identifying lessons and implications for future research and practice, and the challenges of implementing unplanned computer-assisted language assessment during a crisis. Insightfully unpacking the 'lessons learned' from COVID and its impact on the acceleration of the shift towards online course and assessment delivery, it offers important guidelines for navigating assessment in different instructional settings in times of crisis. It will appeal to scholars, researchers, educators, and faculty with interests in educational measurement, digital education and technology, and language assessment and testing.

Designing and Developing Robust Instructional Apps advances the state of instructional app development using three learning paradigms for building knowledge foundations, problem-solving, and experimentation. Drawing on research and development lessons gleaned from noted educational technologists, time-tested systematic instructional design processes, and results from user experience design, the book considers the planning and specification of instructional apps that blend media (text, images, sound, and moving pictures) and instructional method. Further, for readers with little to no programming experience, introductory treatments of JavaScript and Python, along with data fundamentals and machine learning techniques, offer a guided journey that produces robust instructional apps and concludes with next steps for advancing the state of instructional app development.

Mobile technologies are one of the fastest growing areas of technology in education. For learners, they offer an appealing opportunity to transcend teacher-defined knowledge and approaches by being able to access multiple, alternative sources of information anytime and anywhere. While the pace of engagement with and research into the educational applications of mobile technologies has picked up dramatically in the last decade, there is no consolidated view of how to sustain the practices or opportunities that are being explored. Sustainability is a complex but crucial issue in mobile learning as educational institutions are usually required to make substantial investments in mobile devices and associated technologies, time and training to initiate mobile learning programs. The complexity of sustainable mobile learning programs is further exacerbated by the fast pace of change of digital technologies, where with every change, new possibilities are opened up and investments required. In addition, educators are still attempting to reconcile institutions of formal education with informal mobile learning. The book addresses these issues, with a particular focus on: exploring the challenges surrounding the sustainability of mobile learning in K-12 and higher education investigating the importance of sustaining mobile learning for diverse populations of students globally discussing theoretical models for the sustainability of mobile learning providing the reader with strategies for sustaining mobile learning. Presenting new research alongside theoretical models and ideas for practice, the book will appeal to researchers, academics, and postgraduate students in the fields of education and mobile learning, as well as those working in teacher education.

The building of communities outside of the traditional brick-and-mortar base of a school or university is at a significant point in time; virtual worlds bridge the gap between 2D web spaces online and 3D physical spaces of the classroom, providing teachers and students alike with opportunities to connect and collaborate in ways that were previously unimaginable. Providing insight into this new age of teaching, Using Virtual Worlds in Educational Settings presents a collection of practical, evidence-based ideas that illustrate the capacity for immersive virtual worlds to be integrated successfully in higher education and school settings. Examining research and stories from more than 1,000 students and six faculty members who introduced virtual worlds into their teaching and learning, this book contains practical examples of how virtual worlds can be introduced and supported, as well as reflections from faculty and students about their response to virtual worlds. This research will help teachers understand how to approach such a fundamental shift in pedagogy, how to liberate themselves from teacher-focused instruction and how to help students to develop their skills through collaboration. Outlining how and why virtual worlds could be the shift in pedagogy that teachers have been waiting for, Using Virtual Worlds in Educational Settings is an accessible, practical resource for educators to support their use of virtual worlds in teaching.

Based on a major research project funded by the European Commission, Populism, Media and Education studies how discriminatory stereotypes are built online with a particular focus on right-wing populism. Globalization and migration have led to a new era of populism and racism in Western countries, rekindling traditional forms of discrimination through innovative means. New media platforms are being seen by populist organizations as a method to promote hate speech and unprecedented forms of proselytism. Race, gender, disability and sexual orientation are all being used to discriminate and young people are the preferred target for populist organizations and movements. This book examines how media education can help to deconstruct such hate speech and promote young people's full participation in media-saturated societies. Drawing on rich examples from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Slovenia, and the UK - countries characterized by different political and cultural contexts - Populism, Media and Education addresses key questions about the meaning of new populism, the nature of e-engagement, and the role of education and citizenship in the digital century. With its international and interdisciplinary approach, this book is essential reading for academics and students in the areas of education, media studies, sociology, cultural studies, political sciences, discrimination and gender studies.

Fluency in Distance Learning offers a practical, hands-on, workshop style approach to creating an effective distance learning course. Full of specific ideas and strategies, the authors guide you through the process from beginning to end. Specific instructions are provided for setting up a course home page, developing interactive content, and utilizing a variety of multimedia resources. Chapters are focused on the following topics: Introduction: Insights into Distance Learning Chapter 1: KSA: Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes of Effective Distance Learning Instructors Chapter 2: Active Learning in Online Courses Chapter 3: Multimedia in Online Teaching: Creating Dynamic Content Chapter 4: Communication is Key Chapter 5: Assessment doesn't have to be a four letter word: TEST Chapter 6: Organizing and Designing Course Pages Fluency in Distance Learning distinguishes itself from other publications on distance learning with its straightforward, practical workshop format. Specific strategies and examples of effective distance learning course materials help instructors to build a quality distance learning course quickly and effectively regardless of the learning management system being used. A companion website contains multimedia files and interactive exercises to enhance the reader's learning and understanding of distance learning pedagogy and content development for online courses. In addition, all the necessary media files for trainers to deliver a series of professional development workshops on distance learning, are also available. Potential audiences include: Instructors in need of a textbook for a course focused on distance learning pedagogy; Instructors in need of a textbook for distance learning certification courses; Instructors desiring to transform traditional instructional materials to an effective distance learning delivery format; Administrators with a need to provide professional development training to distance learning faculty; Professional development staff who provide training in distance learning pedagogy, content development, and facilitation strategies. Instructional designers with responsibility of working with faculty to develop online course(s)

The Business Side of Learning Design and Technologies provides a ready reference with actionable tools and techniques for recognizing the impact of learning design/technology decisions at the project, business unit, and organizational levels. Written for early- and mid-career learning designers and developers as well as students and researchers in instructional/learning design and technology programs, this volume focuses on the business issues underlying the selection, design, implementation, and evaluation of learning opportunities. Using scholarly and practitioner research, interviews with Learning and Development thought leaders, and the author's own experience, readers will learn how to speak the language of business to demonstrate the value of learning design and technologies.

Mobile Learning in Schools explores the potential for using mobile devices in diverse school and college settings around the globe. It evaluates the exciting opportunities mobile initiatives bring and shares experience of where things can go wrong, in order to ensure that those embarking on new projects are fully informed. Drawing on a wide range of international perspectives, it unpicks knotty sociocultural issues, including lack of sustainability, behavioural and ethical concerns, and explores successful student learning. Key issues considered include: mobile learning in primary schools teaching and learning with mobile devices in secondary schools opportunities inside and outside school pedagogical principles and sustainability mobile learning for initial teacher training and CPD ethical considerations behaviour matters - disruption, plagiarism, cheating, cyberbullying assessing mobile learning. With annotated further reading and questions to trigger reflection and further discussion amongst readers, this thought-provoking text provides a detailed survey of this often controversial topic. It is essential reading for all those engaged in understanding the potential for using mobile devices to support students' learning.

First published in 1980 The Door Stood Open deals with an early demand upon open university policy. It deals with important themes like context of the younger students pilot scheme; demand for open university places among the younger age group; motivational factors and potential study problems; the impact of open university study on the younger students; students who withdrew from the open university; younger students who could not attend full-time courses and how the younger students fared. In an age when distance learning is becoming a norm, this book serves as an important historical document for educationists and policy makers.

An Instructor's Guide to Teaching Military Students is a resource for online and on-ground educators in private and public learning institutions around the world. The content applies to faculty members in liberal arts and research-oriented institutions, and vocational trainers. Topics are related to the creation of lecture material and delivery of course content in computer and information science, engineering, and engineering technology, healthcare, business and finance, marketing communications and general education courses in the arts and social sciences. Suggestions on providing feedback that is sensitive to the unique culture and experiences of military students are provided as well. The last chapter includes the opinions of academic and military experts on what progress has been made in meeting the needs of this particular student population, as well as predictions about future changes that will facilitate the transition from service member to scholar. The term, "military learners" has been adapted for this text to include active-duty service members and their families, veterans, members of the U.S. National Guard, and reservists, as well as U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) contractors. Language used that can be easily understood and applied by the novice instructor, or the seasoned professional. This handbook also provides useful suggestions on helping students translate their military training and experience into more active classroom participation.

In "Online Education: Global Questions, Local Answers", 24 college educators focus on the most important questions to be addressed by all scholar-teachers and administrators committed to developing high-quality online education programs. We describe these questions as "global" because they transcend the particular situations of individual institutions. They are questions that everyone involved in online education needs to address: What are the issues to consider when first developing and then sustaining an online education program? How do we create interactive, pedagogically sound online courses and classroom communities? How should we monitor and assess the quality of online courses and programs? And how should recent developments and innovations in online education cause us to reexamine our roles and responsibilities as educators in technical communication?While these global questions affect all of us in one way or another, they demand different local answers, such as those presented by the contributors to this text. Readers will need to consider which of these local answers might apply to their own situations and how these answers might need to be adapted to reflect the particular needs of their own institutions.

The process of integrating technology into education often overlooks that technology is a sign; it is not a neutral message conveyor, but rather a material artefact placed into a context inevitably subject to culture. In an original and novel combination, Decoding Technology Acceptance in Education brings together two academic domains not previously pursued together, yet which diverge in many ways: cultural studies and technology acceptance studies. Drawing on empirical data, Stockman demonstrates that teachers activate a meaning-making process through encoding and decoding signs around technology as an artefact of culture, and as a result their acceptance behaviour and decisions rely on the dynamics of the cultural whole to which they belong. In this study, technology acceptance is revisited as an issue of cultural negotiation; the common approach, which provides an instrumental view on technology as a neutral tool, is insufficient for the topic of technology acceptance. Rather than proposing yet another model of technology acceptance, Decoding Technology Acceptance in Education offers a renewed frame of mind and the conclusions it provides are of vital importance to the theoretical and practical advancement of technology acceptance studies, as well as to the practical integration of technology into education. Providing original empirical evidence for the influence of culture on educational decision-making, the book raises awareness for the importance of cultural research in areas where it has been under-considered. This book will be of great interest to researchers, academics and postgraduate students engaged in the study of technology acceptance and technology use in education, as well as those interested in cultural studies.

Designed for administrators and human resources professionals responsible for hiring educators, Preparing Educators for Online Learning offers a compelling look into the world of online educator preparation. As more and more educator preparation programs move part or all of their training online, hiring professionals need insight into the design and characteristics of quality online programs and how those translate into quality prospective employees. Framed by viewpoints and commentary from practicing administrators and HR specialists, as well as online professors and students, Preparing Educators for Online Learning , offers an explication of the components of a quality online program, research related to the effectiveness of online training, assessments for quality candidates, possible hiring guidelines and interview approaches, and commentary on the implications for educators, including higher education institutions and PK-12 schools, both now and going forward.

Designed for administrators and human resources professionals responsible for hiring educators, Preparing Educators for Online Learning offers a compelling look into the world of online educator preparation. As more and more educator preparation programs move part or all of their training online, hiring professionals need insight into the design and characteristics of quality online programs and how those translate into quality prospective employees. Framed by viewpoints and commentary from practicing administrators and HR specialists, as well as online professors and students, Preparing Educators for Online Learning , offers an explication of the components of a quality online program, research related to the effectiveness of online training, assessments for quality candidates, possible hiring guidelines and interview approaches, and commentary on the implications for educators, including higher education institutions and PK-12 schools, both now and going forward.

There are two distinct professional communities that share an interest in using innovative approaches and emerging technologies to design and implement effective support for learning. This edited collection addresses the growing divide between the learning sciences community and the instructional design and technology community, bringing leading scholars from both fields together in one volume in an attempt to find productive middle ground. Chapters discuss the implications of not bridging this divide, propose possible resolutions, and go on to lay a foundation for continued discourse in this important area.

As colleges and universities in North America increasingly identify "internationalization" as a key component of the institution's mission and strategic plans, faculty and administrators are charged with finding innovative and cost-effective approaches to meet those goals. This volume provides an overview and concrete examples of globally-networked learning environments across the humanities from the perspective of all of their stakeholders: teachers, instructional designers, administrators and students. By addressing logistical, technical, pedagogical and intercultural aspects of globally-networked teaching, this volume offers a unique perspective on this form of curricular innovation through internationalization. It speaks directly to the ways in which new technologies and pedagogies can promote humanities-based learning for the future and with it the broader essential skills of intercultural sensitivity, communication and collaboration, and critical thinking.

Educational research often discounts the uniqueness and ubiquity of software and the hidden political, economic and epistemological ways it impacts teaching and learning in K-12 settings. Drawing on theories and methodologies from English education, critical discourse analysis, multimodal semiotics and digital humanities, this volume exposes the problems of technology in schools and refocuses the conversation on software. This shifting of focus invites more nuanced questions concerning the role of software in school reform and classroom instruction, and takes a critical stance on software's role in education. This volume explores the ontology of software and the ways it is construed within educational policy discussions. It is beneficial to schools, companies, policy makers and practitioners seeking a more theoretical framework for technology in education.

Synchronous technologies, particularly interactive video conferencing (IVC), are becoming common modes of teaching and delivering college courses. The increasing popularity of IVC in the U.S. and abroad calls for more pedagogically effective practices for instructors using this technology. This volume focuses on innovative and proven approaches to IVC teaching in a variety of disciplines: English, history, biology, chemistry, geology, engineering, social work, and elementary and special education. Contributors hail from a pioneering university at the forefront of distance education and understand the practice and potential of IVC teaching at the highest levels. Chapters outline the challenges and benefits of IVC teaching from pedagogical, technical, and administrative perspectives.

Understanding Tablets from Early Childhood to Adulthood offers an alternative to dominant and populist narratives that young people are intuitively able to successfully use tablet devices. Adopting a research-driven approach, the book contests the ideology that touch-technologies are easier to understand, and identifies the factors that contribute to communicative encounters between users and tablets. Communication theory and cognitive psychology concepts and methods are employed to offer an epistemological exploration of user-tablet interaction with a focus on the use of these technologies in educational settings.

This book is a practical guide for any student considering enrollment in, currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from an online course. The authors, both with substantial online teaching and learning experience as well as seasoned professionals, deliver concise guidance to make the online learning journey enjoyable, productive, and most of all, worthwhile. Major topics include how to identify the best online program; comparing online with traditional education programs; finding an ideal work-life balance; managing time and staying organized; how to form good habits to maximize your chances for success; getting the most out of an online learning environment; and using your online education to succeed in your career. As the singular guide to success as an online learner, this practical book serves as the essential desk reference for every online student.

Teaching Online: A Practical Guide is an accessible, introductory, and comprehensive guide for anyone who teaches online. A leader in the online field, the fourth edition of this bestselling resource has been fully revised, maintains its reader friendly tone, and offers exceptional practical advice, new teaching examples, faculty interviews, and an updated resource section.

New to this edition:

• new chapter on MOOCs (massive open online courses) and open educational resources
• expanded information on teaching with mobile devices
• discusses the implications of the Higher Education Opportunity Act for online faculty
• illustrates how Google Apps can be used for educational purposes

Focusing on the "hows" and "whys" of implementation rather than theory, the fourth edition of "Teaching Online" is a must-have resource for anyone teaching online or thinking of teaching online.

Culture, Learning, and Technology: Research and Practice provides readers with an overview of the research on culture, learning, and technology (CLT) and introduces the concept of culture-related theoretical frameworks. In 13 chapters, the book explores the theoretical and philosophical views of CLT, presents research studies that examine various aspects of CLT, and showcases projects that employ best practices in CLT. Written for researchers and students in the fields of Educational Technology, Instructional Design, and the Learning Sciences, this volume represents a broad conceptualization of CLT and encompasses a variety of settings. As the first significant collection of research in this emerging field of study, Culture, Learning, and Technology overflows with new insights into the increasing role of technology use across all levels of education.