The aim of this research was to establish effective e-learning practice in higher education. This was achieved by looking at examples of different pedagogic techniques employed in several cases. The effectiveness of these techniques was established by looking at the students’ outcomes on these courses. This study has adopted a sequential mixed methodology characterized by an initial phase of qualitative data collection and analysis, which was followed by a phase of quantitative data collection and analysis.

Empirical evidence is needed to corroborate the intuitions of gamers and game developers in understanding the benefits of Immersive Virtual Worlds (IVWs) as a learning environment and the role that music plays within these environments. We report an investigation to determine if background music of the genre typically found in computer-based role-playing games has an effect on learning in a computer-animated history lesson about the Macquarie Lighthouse within an IVW. In Experiment 1, music stimuli were created from four different computer game soundtracks.

With the progress of Digital Inclusion, it becomes important to address marginalised groups that face specific barriers in being part of the information society. From 2009 to 2011 within the framework of the nation-wide Initiative Internet erfahren, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics, Stiftung Digitale Chancen has accompanied three pilot projects and researched the hindrances and motivations of specific target groups including young migrants from Russia, women in the low-wage sector and disabled elderly people.

The purpose of this study is to analyse what is happening at schools regarding the integration and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and to examine teachers’ perceptions about what teaching and learning processes can be improved through the use of ICT. A multiple-case-study research methodology was applied. From a previous exploratory research, four different types of schools were determined. Data show there is a widespread view that ICT in teaching favours several teaching and learning processes.

This article evaluates the use of a community of practice model for redesigning a lecturer professional development course investigating the impact of mobile web 2.0 technologies in higher education. The results show a significant change in lecturer conceptions of pedagogy were achieved by this approach. Drawing on our experience of two iterations of implementing the new course model we propose a mobile social media framework for enabling pedagogical transformation as part of lecturer professional development.

There has been great interest in the potential use of multimedia computer-based learning (CBL) packages within higher education. The effectiveness of such systems, however, remains controversial. There are suggestions that such multimedia applications may hold no advantage over traditional formats (Barron and Atkins, 1994; Ellis, 1994; Laurillard, 1995; Simms, 1997; Leibowitz, 1999). One area where multimedia CBL may still prove its value is in the simulation of activities where experiential learning is expensive, undesirable or even dangerous.

Having implemented and evaluated over 35 mlearning projects in a variety of contexts in higher education over the past 6 years the researcher is ready to share the untold secret: not all mlearning projects succeed! This article critiques three of the researcher’s mlearning projects that can be classed as ‘‘failures’’ and compares them to successful projects to draw out critical implications for mlearning project design and implementation to avoid common pitfalls leading to potential project failure.

This paper takes a case study approach to provide evidence of the benefits of podcasting as a tool used to support a vocational qualification in the subject area of Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy (Nail Technology). It reflects on the experiences of both the lecturer and the students and concludes that podcasting is a valuable tool, supporting a range of learner needs and abilities.

John Slater, Seb Schmoller and a wider consultative group have framed some views on this question, in the form of a response to three questions: To get the next generation of comp scientists do we need CS in the NC? Where do we put CS? Should CS be only for those who are interested or for all?

HTML 5 is the most significant update of HTML in the last 10 years since XHTML was introduced. It promises a vastly improved user experience, increased browser features, cross compatibility and the ability to provide semantic content. In this paper we discuss the near future position for Higher Education in terms of technological transform, the proposed capabilities of HTML 5, and how they may change and how virtual learning environments are implemented in the future. We offer a set of education-based scenarios and how the emerging standard could benefit them.

The paper examines the notion that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have affordances that epitomize the features of our late modern age (Giddens, 1991) and explores whether these affordances (Salomon, 1993, p. 51) can be used to facilitate particular approaches to educational practice. It argues that a clear articulation of these affordances would enable us to understand how these technologies can be most effectively used to support learning and teaching. We believe that any one affordance can be considered to have both positive and negative connotations.

As educators’ awareness of their responsibilities towards ensuring the accessibility of the learning environment to disabled students increases, significant debate surrounds the implications of accessibility requirements on educational multimedia. There would appear to be widespread concern that the fundamental principles of creating accessible web-based materials seem at odds with the creative and innovative use of multimedia to support learning and teaching.

Instant messaging (IM) is the term used to describe the technology through which ‘users can set up a list of partners who will be able to receive notes that pop up on their screens the moment one of them writes and hits the send button’. While early use could be described as mainly for fun, IM today is a serious communication medium. Remarkably, it seems that educational institutions have been doing very little with it, while several studies indicate that it could indeed be a valuable tool in education.

The introduction of objective testing using computer software does not necessarily represent innovative assessment. Where tests occur as an add-on to a course, are timeconstrained, closed-book, invigilated, and where there is little (or no) feedback of results to the students, such testing is best regarded as an innovative technique for traditional summative assessment. A computer-based examination of this nature using the commercial software Question Mark has been operating for a number of years in the Department of Information Science at Portsmouth.

This paper reports on the use of action research in a case study involving two iterations of an online workshop implemented at two universities in late 2007 and early 2009 to prepare teaching staff for using wikis for student group work and assessment.

In recent years, the use of information technology to support learning in nutrition education has moved from mainframe-based programs to PC and Internet-based systems. Many lecturers are now exploring the use of the Internet and Intranets for education and this adds a new potential method for providing support to students. Some of these pages contain interactive elements that test whether students have learned the material. This paper is a case study that attempts to show how simple it is to build interactivity for students using JavaScript.

The use of computers for teaching and training has long been a controversial issue. Up to the 1980s, many educators who were keen to use computers to pass on knowledge developed various computer-based teaching and training materials, but most of these materials were capable only of delivering information in text with perhaps some computer graphics, and in many cases it proved difficult to raise learners' interest in the subject matters (Patrick & Fitzgibbon, 1988). In the 1990s, there has been cheerful news for procomputer educators; the latest multimedia technology could be the solution.

In today's complex world, simply knowing how to use tools and knowledge in a single domain is not sufficient to remain competitive as either individuals or companies. People must also learn to apply tools and knowledge in new domains and different situations. Industry specialists report that people at every organizational level must be creative and flexible problem solvers (Lynton, 1989). This requires the ability to apply experience and a definition knowledge to address novel problems.

Assessment of higher order learning outcomes such as critical thinking, problem solving and creativity has remained a challenge for universities. While newer technologies such as social networking tools have the potential to support these intended outcomes, academics’ assessment practice is slow to change. University mission statements and unit outlines may purport the value of higher order skills; however, questions remain about how well academics are equipped to design their curriculum and particularly their assessment strategies accordingly.

Two important factors need attention when contemplating how and where to use the new computer-based learning technologies. Firstly, in order to select the right kind of software, it is necessary to have a clear picture of the desired outcomes of a particular learning situation. There are many varieties of interactive multimedia available, and matching the tool to the job should be an early consideration. Of equal, if not greater importance, is the question of whether, for a particular learner, interactive multimedia is the most appropriate learning tool.

Despite the current consensus that adapting and reusing existing learning resources, including Information and Communication Technology (ICT), is a good thing, examples of this practice are few and far between. This can be traced to a number of factors. In particular, the 'not invented here&' syndrome (HEFCE, 1996) is no doubt still present. However, more important is the issue of the time and skills required to retrieve, evaluate and then adapt materials. This is compounded by the fact that identifying suitable resources in the first place can be complex.