bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lip Region Segmentation with Complex Background
Authors: Wang Shilin , Liew Alan Wee-Chung , Lau Wing Hong , Leung Shu Hung
Published: May 2011

As the first step of many visual speech recognition and visual speaker authentication systems, robust and accurate lip region segmentation is of vital importance for lip image analysis. However, most of the current techniques break down when dealing with lip images with complex and inhomogeneous background region such as mustaches and beards. In order to solve this problem, a Multi-class, Shapeguided FCM (MS-FCM) clustering algorithm is proposed in this chapter. In the proposed approach, one cluster is set for the lip region and a combination of multiple clusters for the background which generally includes the skin region, lip shadow or beards. With the spatial distribution of the lip cluster, a spatial penalty term considering the spatial location information is introduced and incorporated into the objective function such that pixels having similar color but located in different regions can be differentiated. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm provides accurate lip-background partition even for the images with complex background features.
Visual Speech Recognition Across Multiple Views
Authors: Lucey Patrick , Potamianos Gerasimos , Sridharan Sridha
Published: May 2011

It is well known that visual speech information extracted from video of the speaker’s mouth region can improve performance of automatic speech recognizers, especially their robustness to acoustic degradation. However, the vast majority of research in this area has focused on the use of frontal videos of the speaker’s face, a clearly restrictive assumption that limits the applicability of audio-visual automatic speech recognition (AVASR) technology in realistic human-computer interaction. In this chapter, the authors advance beyond the single-camera, frontal-view AVASR paradigm, investigating various important aspects of the visual speech recognition problem across multiple camera views of the speaker, expanding on their recent work. The authors base their study on an audio-visual database that contains synchronous frontal and profile views of multiple speakers, uttering connected digit strings. They first develop an appearance-based visual front-end that extracts features for frontal and profile videos in a similar fashion. Subsequently, the authors focus on three key areas concerning speech recognition based on the extracted features: (a) Comparing frontal and profile visual speech recognition performance to quantify any degradation across views; (b) Fusing the available synchronous camera views for improved recognition in scenarios where multiple views can be used; and (c) Recognizing visual speech using a single pose-invariant statistical model, regardless of camera view. In particular, for the latter, a feature normalization approach between poses is investigated. Experiments on the available database are reported in all above areas. This chapter constitutes the first comprehensive study on the subject of visual speech recognition across multiple views.
Motion Features for Visual Speech Recognition
Authors: Yau Wai Chee , Kumar Dinesh Kant , Weghorn Hans
Published: May 2011

The performance of a visual speech recognition technique is greatly influenced by the choice of visual speech features. Speech information in the visual domain can be generally categorized into static (mouth appearance) and motion (mouth movement) features. This chapter reviews a number of computer-based lip-reading approaches using motion features. The motion-based visual speech recognition techniques can be broadly categorized into two types of algorithms: optical-flow and image subtraction. Image subtraction techniques have been demonstrated to outperform optical-flow based methods in lip-reading. The problem with image subtraction-based method using difference of frames (DOF) is that these features capture the changes in the images over time, but do not indicate the direction of the mouth movement. New motion features to overcome the limitation of the conventional image subtraction-based techniques in visual speech recognition are presented in this chapter. The proposed approach extracts features by applying motion segmentation on image sequences. Video data are represented in a 2-D space using grayscale images named as motion history images (MHI). MHIs are spatio-temporal templates that implicitly encode the temporal component of mouth movement. Zernike moments are computed from MHIs as image descriptors and classified using support vector machines (SVMs). Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed technique yield a high accuracy in a phoneme classification task. The results suggest that dynamic information is important for visual speech recognition.
Video Representation and Processing for Multimedia Data Mining
Authors: Ahmed Amr
Published: May 2011

Video processing and segmentation are important stages for multimedia data mining, especially with the advance and diversity of video data available. The aim of this chapter is to introduce researchers, especially new ones, to the “video representation, processing, and segmentation techniques”. This includes an easy and smooth introduction, followed by principles of video structure and representation, and then a state-of-the-art of the segmentation techniques focusing on the shot-detection. Performance evaluation and common issues are also discussed before concluding the chapter.
Association-Based Image Retrieval
Authors: Kulkarni Arun , Brown Leonard
Published: May 2011

With advances in computer technology and the World Wide Web there has been an explosion in the amount and complexity of multimedia data that are generated, stored, transmitted, analyzed, and accessed. In order to extract useful information from this huge amount of data, many content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems have been developed in the last decade. A Typical CBIR system captures image features that represent image properties such as color, texture, or shape of objects in the query image and try to retrieve images from the database with similar features. Recent advances in CBIR systems include relevance feedback based interactive systems. The main advantage of CBIR systems with relevance feedback is that these systems take into account the gap between the high-level concepts and low-level features and subjectivity of human perception of visual content. CBIR systems with relevance feedback are more efficient than conventional CBIR systems; however, these systems depend on human interaction. In this chapter, we describe a new approach for image storage and retrieval called association-based image retrieval (ABIR). The authors try to mimic human memory. The human brain stores and retrieves images by association. They use a generalized bi-directional associative memory (GBAM) to store associations between feature vectors that represent images stored in the database. Section I introduces the reader to the CBIR system. In Section II, they present architecture for the ABIR system, Section III deals with preprocessing and feature extraction techniques, and Section IV presents various models of GBAM. In Section V, they present case studies.
Criteria for the Implementation of Learning Technologies
Authors: Vallance Michael , Vallance Kay , Matsui Masahiro
Published: May 2011

The grand narrative of educational policy statements lack clear guidelines on Information Communications Technology (ICT) integration. A review of current academic literature fails to provide consistent strategies for institutions and practitioners determined to adopt ICT in an informed way. This chapter introduces criteria for the successful implementation of ICT-enabled tasks. It argues that the integration of ICT is best supported by a pedagogy that facilitates experiential learning and a development of academic competencies. The context for demonstrating the importance of the informed use of ICT is a research project entitled, “iPod therefore iWrite,” in which multiple-media content was developed by students in Japan and the United Kingdom.
Improving Learners' Speaking Skills with Podcasts
Authors: Travis Pete , Joseph Fiona
Published: May 2011

In particular, this chapter looks at the potential role of Web 2.0 technologies and podcasting to act as a transformational force within language education. Using a case study approach, the researchers describe a project to create a series of podcasts called “Splendid Speaking” based on authentic speech recordings of English language learners from around the world. The aim of the project was to utilize a Web 2.0 technology, podcasting, to improve the speaking skills of upper-intermediate to advanced level learners. Central to this project was the question of how popular a podcasting service would be with the target audience of English language learners and teachers. The Splendid Speaking podcasts were enabled by the use of Skype, a free Internet telephony system, and other low-cost and free software to edit and publish the podcasts. It is hoped that teachers and curriculum planners reading this chapter will be able to evaluate the possibilities of creating podcasts to deliver elements of their language courses.
A Business Planning Framework for WiMAX Applications
Authors: De Coster Rebecca
Published: May 2011

Mobile networking refers to wireless technologies which provide communications between devices. Applications for mobile networking have a broad scope as they can be applied to many situations in either industrial or commercial sectors. The challenge for firms is to better match market-induced variability to the organizational issues and systems necessary for technological innovation. This chapter develops a business planning framework for mobile networking applications. This framework recognises the fluidity of the situation when trying to anticipate and model emerging wireless applications. The business planning framework outlined in this chapter is a generic model which can be used by companies to assess the business case for applications utilizing mobile networking technologies.
High-Speed Multimedia Networks
Authors: Kanellopoulos Dimitris
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents high-speed networking technologies and standards such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Fast Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Resilient Packet Ring (RPR), Provider Backbone Transport (PBT), Provider Backbone Bridges (PBB), Transport - Multi Protocol Label Switching (T-MPLS) and Optical Transport Network (OTN). It considers the requirements imposed to high-speed networks by multimedia applications and analyses crucial issues of high-speed networking such as bandwidth problems, discarding policies and fast broadcast. Finally, the chapter discusses future trends in high-speed multimedia networking.
Emerging Telecommunications Technologies
Authors: Escudero-Garzás J. Joaquín , García-Armada Ana
Published: May 2011

The goal of this chapter is to introduce the novel concept of cognitive radio (CR) for wireless telecommunications. Cognitive radios are a new type of radio devices that include cognition and reconfigurability features. The raising number of studies in different areas of research shows their potential and the expectation created among the telecommunications community. In this chapter, the authors first introduce the reader to the new paradigm that cognitive radio networks have created; more specifically, they explain in detail the new next generation networks. Given that our intention is to introduce cognitive radio, the authors focus on the challenges in PHY layer and MAC sublayer and the most relevant studies in these fields. Finally, the integration of game theory and cognitive radio creates a new paradigm where the advantages of both technologies merge to solve complex problems.
Optimising P2P Networks by Adaptive Overlay Construction
Authors: Salter James , Antonopoulos Nick
Published: May 2011

Distributed Hash Tables (DHTs) have been used in Peer-to-Peer networks to provide query lookups in typically O(log n) messages whilst requiring maintenance of only small amounts of routing state. We propose ROME, a layer which runs on top of the Chord DHT to provide control over network size through monitoring of node workload and propose the use of processes to control the addition or removal of nodes from the network. We show that this technique can reduce further the hop counts in networks where available node capacity exceeds workload, without the need to modify any processes of the underlying Chord protocol.
Administrative Concerns for Distance Learning
Authors: Marcinkiewicz Henryk , McLean Jennifer
Published: May 2011

The establishment of a distance learning program is a significant effort. The prepossessing condition for such an undertaking is that distance learning be consistent with the mission and vision of the institution. Institutional endorsement is critical. The principal concerns for the implementation of a distance learning program are suggested by Gilbert’s (1978) model of human competence (Chevalier, 2003). The model proposes three co-requisite conditions: information, equipment, and motivation. Each of these has both an external and internal complement. The administration of an institution represents the external complement, while the faculty represent the internal complement. The two constituencies are mutually dependent in their respective contributions to meeting the three co-requisite conditions in order to achieve a successful distance learning experience. The three corequisite conditions and their complements must be met to achieve successful program implementation.
Administrative Strategies for Designing and Supporting Large-Scale Digital Lecture Recording Environments
Authors: Stephens Lisa A.
Published: May 2011

The advent of blended learning and digital recording options has complicated the challenge of administering technology classrooms. From students’ perspective, “capturing” real-time student/teacher interaction is especially valuable for distance-learning applications or for those in traditionally seated environments as post-class tutorial/review. Survey evidence suggests that students highly value the convenience and flexibility of “anytime/anywhere” instructional access.
Best Practices for Designing Distance Education and the U-M-T Approach
Authors: Simonson Michael
Published: May 2011

Distance education is defined by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (Schlosser & Simonson, 2006) as: Institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources and instructors. Distance education has two major components, distance teaching and distance learning. Distance teaching is the efforts of the educational institution to design, develop and deliver instructional experiences to the distant student so that learning may occur. Education and distance education is comprised of teaching and learning. This article focuses on distance teaching.
Challenges of Change Management in E-Learning
Authors: Partow-Navid Parviz , Slusky Ludwig
Published: May 2011

Higher Education, usually very slow in adopting changes, has become, in recent years, more receptive to them due to such external factors as expansion of the Internet, emergence of a new student body, and continued decline in government subsidies (Forlkers, 2005). E-learning is defined as the transmission of knowledge whereby the instructor and/or the student participate in the learning process from different places and/or different times (Henry, 2001). Many organizations have adopted e-learning with a hope to make learning process faster and better (Roshan, 2002, Needham & Thomas, 2005). However, recent studies have revealed that about 85% of students participating in e-learning and distance education fall short of completing their program. Low completion leads to low retention, which leads to low performance (Land, 2002). The problem, exacerbated by rapid changes in Information Technology, affects both the universities and the students. The university faculty attempts to deal with these radical technological and managerial changes by scaling instructions down to merely an automated text lectures with primary focus on the delivery of instructional materials ignoring other students’ needs. For students, e-learning may result in a limited experience coupled with little-known technologies for which they need extra guidance and ongoing support. The fundamental challenge is how to employ this new technology to provide students with the help they need when they need it (Gordon, 2003; Roberts, April, 2001; Sherbon, November, 2005).
Constructing Technology Integrated Activities that Engage Elementary Students in Learning
Authors: Judd Diane L.
Published: May 2011

This article presents four technology-integrated activities that engage elementary students in learning. These educational technology activities were designed to be easily duplicated and modified by teachers for their students. The constructivist framework of the activities motivates students to be creative and to use problem-solving skills. Most of the technology-integrated activities were developed using the Internet and/or Microsoft programs that are commonly available, such as MS Word (2007), MS Excel (2007), and MS Paint (2001). The curriculum-designed activities integrate technology into a variety of subject areas; mathematics, science, art, social studies, and language arts. The technology activities included are Playing Musical Computers with Creative Writing; What’s the Connection?; Be an Artist, Paint a Picture-Story; and Where in the World is…? Each technology-integrated activity includes a description, an illustrated example of the activity, engaging activities for student to construct their learning, and ideas for presenting and sharing the projects.
Distance Learning and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Authors: Altany Alan
Published: May 2011

Distance learning and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) are both ancient, yet both are new. Distance learning is now associated with online learning using digital technologies, but it goes back to learning by rudimentary means of correspondence between someone with something to teach and those with a desire or need to learn. Oral stories and traditions preserved and passed on the teaching of individuals and cultures. With the development of writing, epistles, letters, scrolls, then books became the favored medium. In the late modern age, correspondence courses used overland mail delivery for those exchanges, but that was replaced with audio (telephone, audio tapes) and video (television, video tapes) means. The common thread for all those centuries of such distance learning is that the process tended to see learning as transmission of information and knowledge from a knower to relatively passive receivers (students).
An Economic Model for Evaluating Costs and Benefits for Distance Education Programs
Authors: Bucker Jared
Published: May 2011

Distance education has to compete for scarce resources within an educational institution. Not only does a distance education program compete against more traditional forms of education; but, it also competes among countless options in the distance education field. In order to efficiently allocate these resources an educational institution must have an economic model with which to evaluate its distance education programs. This model must be able to assess all the costs and benefits of each program and investigate and identify factors which may yield empirical characteristics of financially successful programs, while conversely, avoiding any possible pitfalls. The development, analysis, and results of this proposed economic model could be used post hoc while modifying and proposing budgetary revisions. It is also hoped that this model can be used to continuously address fiscal solvency, while maintaining services and profitability.
E-Moderating
Authors: Salmon Gilly
Published: May 2011

In this article, the term “e-moderating” is used to capture the wide variety of roles and skills that the online teacher, lecturer, or trainer needs to acquire (Salmon, 2004). Online human supporters have a wider range of expertise compared to working with face-to-face learning groups. The role of the lecturer or teacher in all educational contexts needs to change to include e-moderating to realize the development and potential of new online environments, and to create e-learning rather than e-publishing of materials. Successful and productive e-moderating is a key feature of positive, scalable, and affordable e-learning projects and processes. Regardless of the sophistication of the technology, online learners do not wish to do without their human supporters. Most learners also mention the fun and companionship of working and learning together. Many lecturers naturally believe that learning to e-moderate has to do mostly with learning new software or computing skills (Barker, 2002; Bennett & Marsh, 2002). This is not the case. The revision of their roles needs to happen regardless of changes in technological applications. A critically important role for the emoderator is promoting the surfacing and sharing of understanding and knowledge through online writing and dialogue (Bygholm, 2002).
Enterprise Model
Authors: Lowenthal Patrick R. , White John W.
Published: May 2011

Institutions of higher education find themselves in precarious times. First, they are being expected to do more with less; most public colleges and universities are finding their budgets cut each year (Krupnick, 2008; Lyndsey, 2007; Will, 2003). As a result, many universities are attempting to save money by increasingly relying on adjunct faculty to teach courses (Finder, 2007). Second, technological change has forced colleges and universities to change the way they do business; specifically, to remain competitive and meet market demands, colleges and universities are offering more courses online each year. In the fall of 2005, an estimated 3.2 million students took at least one online course—800,000 more than during the previous year (Allen & Seaman, 2006). Enrollments are increasing by an estimated 33% per year (Tallent-Runnels et al., 2006). Third, in the age of standards and accountability, colleges and universities must account for student learning in ways like never before (Lederman, 2007). As a result of changes like these, colleges and universities are experimenting with types of organizational and administrative structures and business models that differ significantly from those used in the past. One such model, called the Enterprise Model, is described in this chapter.
Evaluating Quality in the Online Classroom
Authors: Blicker Lesley
Published: May 2011

learning in higher education began at least a half-decade ago when Web-based distance education started expanding at an exponential rate. Traditional quality measures associated with accreditation did not match the new climate of Internet-based teaching and learning (Parker, 2004). Multiple national and global pressures demanded that colleges and universities address issues of quality specifically related to distance Web-based courses and programs. Not the least of expectant stakeholders were state regulators and accrediting bodies. How could a teaching process so dissimilar to centuries of place-based, traditional classroom methods possibly embody quality education? In an attempt to address these questions, institutions and virtual consortia began developing quality evaluation instruments, best practice models, and guidelines for assessing quality in the online course. By applying a common set of criteria to courses under development, institutions could, if they chose, evaluate which courses were worthy of being added to their growing complement of Web-based offerings.
The Evolution of Online Composition Pedagogy
Authors: Oliver Eileen I.
Published: May 2011

The evolution of composition pedagogy from teachercentered instruction to writing workshop and successful practices in online courses has been dramatic (Gerard, 2006; Hawisher & Selfe,1998; Mahiri, 2004; Prensky, 2001). However, the teaching of writing often gets left out of discussions about online education even though English/writing teachers are rapidly increasing their use of Internet and computers to improve the communication and composing skills of their students at all levels (Vinall-Cox, 2005; Gerard, 2006; Doherty, 1994). Traditional composition pedagogy has been embedded with rigorous and parochial attention to classical forms. In their formal education, novice writers have been subjected to the archaic practices of rote memorization, strict grammatical exercises, and stringently subjective assessments of what is right and what is wrong with their composing skills.
A Framework for Assessing Technology-Assisted Learning Outcomes
Authors: Moore Anne H.
Published: May 2011

Colleges and universities have been actively engaged in integrating technology in teaching and learning activities since the early 1990s. These activities have been as varied as the university’s missions and the clarity of their aims for technology-assisted instruction allowed. In tandem with the widespread institutional support for new computers and software many faculty invested time and energy in learning how to use the new tools in their own teaching and disciplines; other faculty went further and became agents for transforming teaching and learning within their institutions and in their professional organizations. However, worldwide global changes are happening faster than change is occurring in higher education teaching and learning curricula and the resulting learning outcomes of students. Acquiring the intellectual capabilities necessary for technology fluency and information literacy generally and in particular within content domains remains elusive. Growing calls for students to demonstrate technology fluency competencies in their disciplines and chosen professions is a pressing challenge and a necessity.
Improving Evaluations in Computer-Supported Learning Projects
Authors: Nash John B. , Richter Christoph , Allert Heidrun
Published: May 2011

The call for the integration of program evaluation into the development of computer-supported learning environments is ever-increasing. Pushed not only by demands from policy groups and grant makers who desire greater accountability in lean times, this trend is due also because outcomes of computer supported learning environment projects often fall short of the expectations held by the project teams. The discrepancy between the targets set by the project staff and the outcomes achieved suggests there is a need for formative evaluation approaches (vs. summative approaches) that derive information that can be used to improve a program while it is in its development stage (see Worthen, Sanders, & Fitzpatrick, 1997). And in spite of the known benefits of integrating evaluation into the project development process, we note a lack of theoretical frameworks that reflect the peculiarities of computer-supported learning projects and the ways they evolve (see Keil-Slawik, 1999). This is of crucial importance, as formative evaluation will only be an accepted and effective part of a project if it provides information useful for the project staff. The purpose of this chapter is to outline the obstacles to integrating evaluation in computer-supported learning projects and then discuss two promising approaches that can be used to address these challenges.
Innovation in Web-Enhanced Learning
Authors: Klobas Jane E. , Renzi Stefano
Published: May 2011

While virtual universities and remote classrooms have captured the headlines, there has been a quiet revolution in university education. Around the globe, the information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure needed to support Web-enhanced learning (WEL) is well established, and the Internet and the World Wide Web (the Web) are being used by teachers and students in traditional universities in ways that complement and enhance traditional classroom-based learning (Observatory of Borderless Education, 2002). The Web is most frequently used by traditional universities to provide access to resources—as a substitute for, or complement to, notice boards, distribution of handouts, and use of the library (Collis & Van der Wende, 2002). Therefore, most of the change has been incremental rather than transformational. Adoption of WEL has yet to meet its potential—some would say the imperative (Bates, 2000; Rudestam & Schoenholtz- Read, 2002)—to change the nature of learning at university and to transform the university itself.
Instructional Immediacy Online
Authors: Melrose Sherri
Published: May 2011

Educators in both traditional and online learning events have consistently recognized a link between teachers who demonstrate warm, friendly behaviors and the creation of welcoming interactive learning environments. One critical instructional strategy that facilitates a sense of community and fosters a learning climate rich in social presence is immediacy. While teachers in face-to-face classrooms often demonstrate immediacy non-verbally through facial expressions and body language, teachers in online learning environments may be required to project immediacy exclusively through written messages.
Integrating Library Services into the Web-Based Learning Curriculum
Authors: Raisinghani Mahesh S. , Hohertz Cherie
Published: May 2011

According to the U.S. Department of Education (1998- 1999), 78% of all four-year public institutions offer distance education courses. According to the same survey, 67% of all students at these institutions have enrolled in one of these courses. Are university libraries keeping up with the trend of distance education? What programs and policies are in place to ensure access to library services for Web-based learning students? Must services to distance learners be equal to services provided to traditional students? This article is structured as follows: First we discuss the strategy of building a creative learning environment based on the learning orientation model before prescribing some guidelines for personalized learning in a Web-based environment. Next we outline the basis for library distance education services, and describe two case studies of libraries that are ensuring that distance education students are receiving equal access to library materials.
Meeting the Academic and Practical Needs of a Criminal Justice DL Program
Authors: Herbert Michael
Published: May 2011

The criminal justice profession is increasing demands that university graduates have not only the requisite professional knowledge, but also the ability to apply that knowledge to working scenarios. With that increasing demand comes the challenge for educators to find new and engaging ways in which learners can incorporate what they have learned in practical applications. One of the challenges for educators is stating the universal criminal justice learning objectives in a way that the objectives become performance indicators. This integration of academic and practical education can provide the learner with increased abilities to think like practicing professionals and use their criminal justice knowledge in ways that are directly related to scenario-based problem solving. Learning technologies now enable educators to improve distance learning programs through the use of scenario-based software that allows learners to apply recently acquired knowledge to solving workplace scenarios.
Online Collaborative Learning and Leadership Development
Authors: Day Tony W.
Published: May 2011

Learner interactions in the traditional classroom setting fail to develop leadership skills (Felser, 2005). Interactions occur in four ways: 1) between the student and the instructor; 2) collaborative interaction of the students; 3) interactions with the curriculum; and 4) with technology in the online setting (Jung, Choi, Lim, & Leem, 2002). Whether or not these interactions occur effectively can affect the success of the online learning process. Successful interactions facilitate the fostering of advanced learner proficiency in analyzing information and creating innovative means of interpretation. This process augments critical thinking skills that cultivate leadership potential (Billings & Kowalski, 2005).
Open Student Models
Authors: Alkhalifa Eshaa M.
Published: May 2011

When a student makes an error, the instructor wonders what possible misconception caused that error (Self, 1990) and attempts to correct it through altering the instruction method. Consequently, student models represent the system’s assumptions of learner knowledge and preferences without giving any guarantees that this model accurately reflects any of the information it contains. These models are utilized to present the right type of materials at the right point in time in the right presentation style (Fisher, 2001) in order to achieve optimal knowledge transfer. There are two main approaches followed when modeling student knowledge. The first attempts to delve into the cognitive workings of the student’s mind and tries to best explain how the results could be obtained. Some of those who followed this approach are Martin and Vahn Lehn (1995), Langley, Wogulis, and Ohlsson (1990), Ikeda, Kono, and Mizoguchi (1993), among others. The second approach assumes the process that occurs between the “inputs” and “outputs” that occur in a “black box” scenario. The researchers who adopt this presumption attempt to formulate a mapping between the situation and student response to that situation. Some of those who are following this type of modeling include Webb, Cumming, Richard, and Yum (1991) and Webb and Kuzmycz (1996).
Overcoming the Digital Divide
Authors: Mizell Al P. , Sugarman Cecil
Published: May 2011

We all know that technology has become a dominant force in today’s society for people of all ages. However, certain elements of society have less access to technology than others. In the literature, discussions and research on these discrepancies tend to focus on factors such as gender, sex, socioeconomic status, race, education, and employment. Occasionally, age is taken into consideration. In reviewing online articles related to the digital divide, it appears that there are many more articles, reports, and projects that focus on factors other than age. Few looked at the impact of the digital divide on senior citizens. One article, “The Internet and Older Adults” (U.S. Administration on Aging, 2004), reports that: Senior citizens comprise 13% of the U.S. population, but just 4% of the U.S. Internet population. Since their numbers are so small, there has not been much research about what these ‘wired seniors’ are doing online and how they feel about the Internet. It turns out that seniors who have Internet access benefit greatly from the resources available online—communicating with family, researching health information, tracking their investments—all from the comfort of their home or senior center. (paragraph 2) The term “digital divide” is often heard and freely used, but what is it? It has been defined by Carvin (2000) as: “…the gap between those people and communities with access to information technology and those without it. Yet, the fact is there are many divides, characterized by community, ethnic, economic, and age groups.” He goes on to add that “households earning incomes over $75,000 are over 20 times more likely to have home Internet access than those at the lowest income levels” (Carvin, 2000, paragraph 1).
The Pedagogy of Social Development in Online Learning
Authors: Woods Robert H. , Baker Jason D.
Published: May 2011

Optimal learning outcomes, whether in face-to-face or online settings, are inextricably intertwined with the establishment of social networks among participants engaged in a collaborative enterprise. Students who feel socially connected to other students and faculty are more likely to persist in coursework and report higher levels of learning than those who report being less connected (McDonald, 2002; Rovai, 2002; Tinto, 1987; Wegerif, 1998). But in the online setting, creating and maintaining a learning community is somewhat more challenging than in the face-to-face-setting. For despite advances in audio and video streaming technologies, online learning remains primarily a largely textual and asynchronous environment. The challenge in this setting might be stated as follows: “How do we adapt a series of threaded texts to make them build a socially interactive, diverse network of learners who experience a positive sense of community?” There are numerous pedagogical strategies that may be used to build highly interactive and socially rich educational environments. In this article, the researchers propose a model of “communal scaffolding,” which serves as a framework for a variety of online and off-line activities that can positively enhance the social dynamics on online courses toward the goal of increased cognitive and affective learning.
Social Connection Theory for Online Problem-Solving Groups
Authors: Molinari Deana L.
Published: May 2011

Scholars in business, psychology, education, psychiatry have tried to understand face-to-face (F2F) group process since World War II (Poole, 1985; Gersick, 1988; Bales, 1951). The desire was to identify those characteristics and processes that could be facilitated for optimal performance. Research findings influenced how groups are facilitated today. Researchers now focus on studying online groups. Is the process the same? Some internet oriented scholars find online communication differs (MacDonald, 2002; McIsaac & Blocher, 1998). A variety of disciplines need to understand the online environment (Posey & Pintz, 2006; Kling & Courtright, 2003). Instructors need a better understanding of the online environment and how the student experience is impacted before designing the online educational process (Bolen, 2003;Molinari, 2004; Molinari, 2003;Vrasidas, 2002; Brown, 2001). A grounded theory approach was used to study the critical thinking in two online groups working on a collaborative project. The goal was to develop a preliminary theory for further empirical study.
Stress of Nursing Students Studying Online
Authors: Molinari Deana L. , Dupler Alice E. , Lungstrom Naomi
Published: May 2011

Stress impacts both quality and length of life (Bowman, 2005; Sapolsky, 1998), but the stress of learning is yet to be understood. Recent researchers attempt to explain how stress can both increase and hamper learning, but no studies were found that linked learning stress to life long stress. Until recently no technologies could measure the biophysical variables in normal activities of life. Invasive technologies made it difficult to study people in vivo. The Allostatic Load Theory provides a foundation for the study as learning begins at the earliest stages of life and continues until old age (Alfarez, Wiegert, & Krugers, 2006; McEwen, 1998). Research indicates stress over long periods induces a variety of chronic diseases (Kiecolt-Glaser, McGuire, Robles, & Glaser, 2002; Blair, Granger, & Raza, 2005). Weight gain, hypertension, osteoporosis, immunosuppression, insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease are a few complications of long term stress (Karlamangla, Singer, McEwen, Rowe, Seeman, 2002). The ultimate result is death. Stress may be the largest public health issue for the new century.
Successful Strategies in Online Courses
Authors: Cooper Linda W.
Published: May 2011

Working adults are becoming an increasingly large percentage of the college population; with their busy schedules, they are insisting on “more flexible and convenient learning options” (NBEA, 2002a). Additionally, greater numbers of students are entering college having already acquired extensive computer and Internet experience. As a result of these changes in college populations, an increasing number of postsecondary institutions are offering online instruction to meet students’ educational needs. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education recently reported that nearly 2.9 million students enrolled in college-level distance education courses in 2000-01, more than double the enrollment of 1997-98 (CNN.com, 2003). As distance learning is gaining acceptance and more students are enrolling in online courses, the need for quality online programs is also increasing.
Teachers for the New Millennium
Authors: Lerman James
Published: May 2011

They say if you drop a live frog into a pot of boiling water, it will jump right out. But, if you place the same frog into a pot of water at room temperature and then gradually raise the flame under it, the frog will not notice the changes and remain in the pot until it is cooked. Now, you might ask, what is the connection between a frog in a pot and what a millennium teacher should know and be able to do? My view of the connection is that there are events and processes happening around us every day. Most of the time, we do not pay them much attention because they occur so frequently or gradually that from moment to moment they do not seem to signify very much—like the gradually rising temperature in the pot of the cooking frog. Once in a great while, a potentially transformative event occurs and it makes us jump: September 11, Columbine, sending a man to the moon, or Y2K hysteria. Usually though, we conduct our routines and make our way through the day or the semester and tend to rely on the comfort of the familiar, seemingly unchanging, landscape. Yet, were we to carefully study and reflect upon that landscape, we might discern important trends that hold meaning for how we conduct ourselves presently, and in the future.
Teaching and Learning Image Courses with Visual Forms
Authors: Zhang Y. J.
Published: May 2011

It is said that “one picture is worth more than ten thousand words” (Gonzalez & Woods, 2002). Human beings observe the majority of the information they receive from the real world from images. Images are convenient and important media for describing and storing spatial, temporal, spectral, and physical components of information contained in a variety of domains. With the progress of electronics, sensors, computer equipment, and network infrastructure, the applications of images, which are expanding over wider and wider areas, have attracted more and more attention in recent years. The use of images in teaching and learning is one of the popular application areas. In its general sense, the word “image” could include all entities that can be visualized, such as a still image, video, multi-dimensional signals, animation, graphics, charts, drawings, text, and so forth. All of them are in visual forms, and can be called general images. To treat these images, many new theories have been proposed and many new techniques have been exploited. A new discipline called image engineering, including all image techniques, has also established based on the accumulation of solid research results and the creation of many new applications.
Teaching Medical Statistics over the Internet
Authors: Knight Rachael , Whittington Kate , Ford W. Chris L. , Jenkins Julian M.
Published: May 2011

The potential for computers to assist learning has been recognised for many years (Jenkins, 1997), with reproductive medicine benefiting greatly from Internet technology (Jenkins, 1999). Following a detailed survey of information technology facilities and skills for postgraduate education (Draycott, 1999), a pilot Internet training programme in reproductive medicine demonstrated effective methods to deliver online teaching (Jenkins, 2001). Based on this experience, in 2001 the Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the University of Bristol, U.K. launched a postgraduate masters course in human reproduction and development, delivered principally over the Internet (Jenkins, 2002). This course has been under continuous evaluation and development since its launch, refining the application of learning technology to most appropriately meet students’ needs (Cahill, 2003). A particularly challenging module of the course considers research methods and statistics. This module was independently evaluated from both a student and tutor perspective, with the objective of identifying learning priorities and optimal educational methodology. This article presents strengths and weaknesses of delivering statistics education online, considering how best to develop this in the future.
Using Heutagogy to Address the Needs of Online Learners
Authors: Eberle Jane , Childress Marcus
Published: May 2011

In 2002, approximately 1,680 institutions offered over 54,000 online courses (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek, 2003). While there has been a dramatic increase in the number of such courses, the real question is, how effective are they? Are we, in fact, developing capable people who possess an ‘all round’ capacity centered on the characteristics of: high self-efficacy, knowing how to learn, creativity, the ability to use competencies in novel as well as familiar situations, possessing appropriate values, and working well with others (Hase, 2004)? Hase and Kenyon (2000) suggest that our education systems (especially higher education) need to develop proactive, rather than reactive learners. We must develop learners who can be ‘more-involved citizens’ (paragraph 25). This will only happen by changing our paradigm in which we teach and learn.
Virtual Teamwork in Distance Education
Authors: Jones Donna L.
Published: May 2011

In modern organizational environments, education included, teamwork is an essential skill that employees must possess to work effectively with others. Johnson and Johnson (1994) substantiate that “society has moved from manufacturing based work on which individuals generally competed or were independent from each other to information and technological-rich work in which individuals generally work in teams” (p. 1017). Dyer stated (Cherrington, Bischoff, Dyer, Stephan, and Stewart, 2001) that “in every organization people must work together in some form of collaboration or teamwork so the combined efforts are productive and people are helping each other rather than blocking or hindering each other” (p. 521). According to Gregory- Dawes (2000), a team functioning properly allows a group of people to give information and material to each other and adds a unique quality to problem solving, referred to as “synergy.”
Web Conferencing in Distance Education
Authors: Panton M. Michelle
Published: May 2011

Web conferencing is a technology that allows groups of individuals in a variety of diverse locations to communicate and share information without having to leave their desks. It provides features such as whiteboarding, screen sharing, chat, and polling. It eliminates the need to travel, reduces downtime, increases efficiency, and reduces costs. AT&T worked on proofs of concepts and prototypes for personal conferencing systems for 20 years and finally released its product in 1993 (Perey, 2003). Microsoft released NetMeeting in about 1995. Wooley now lists 95 real-time collaboration products and Web sites on his Web site, ThinkofIt. com. The growth of real-time collaboration has grown significantly and been more successful in the last few years, as the CPUs in PCs are faster, the PCs have more memory, and more bandwidth is available and cheaper. Frost and Sullivan’s 2002 report estimates that by 2008, $2 billion will be spent on Web conferencing (as cited by Perey, 2003). This technology allows a business to conduct training simultaneously, globally creating a collaborative learning environment while keeping costs down.