Clues of importance contained in interactive processes between students with cultural diversity and networked systems can offer meaningful insights into effective instructional design. This paper revisits significant and seminal research contributions in the fields of technologically- mediated communication and culture to bring insights into designing effective technologically-mediated learning environments for culturally diverse students. In support this, a wide range of existing researches were reviewed. Mainstream of research focusing paralinguistic cuing and technologically- mediated communication were analyzed and then terms of culture and instructional design were elaborated in an attempt to prove the assumption of the study. Based on the literature presented thus far, there is good reason to conclude that technology-mediated communication involves a complex multimodal process requiring not only speech, but also gaze, gesture, and facial expressions. By furthering our understanding of the impact of cultural diversity in technologically- mediated learning environments, we surely ensure that more effective instructional designs emerge.

This paper introduces an enriched picture of 11 women faculty members’ use of technology to promote the teacher-student, student-student, and student life-learning connections. As a portion of an entire case study research conducted by the author in an American higher institution setting, this study suggests that technology can both promote and interfere with the creation and maintenance of these connections. It describes that connections are more influenced by the instructional strategies and methods designed by women faculty rather than the technologies applied to. To closely explore the context and process in explaining the phenomenon in real life situations, case study was used, and then conceptual categories were developed to illustrate relationships between varied factors within the context. A framework adopted allowed a more flexible lens to approach women faculty’s ways of using technology as dynamic and situational. The participants targeting eleven women faculty members in a mid-western tertiary institute of USA were collected by instructional designers that assisted these faculty members to teach with technology and were interviewed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, class observations, and artifacts such as course syllabi, handouts, PowerPoint slides, student exams and personal reflections. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and sent back to participants for a member check. Findings are that the teacher-student, student-student and student life-learning connections appeared to promoted. It takes careful and innovative thoughts that go beyond technological tools, and consider learners’ characters as well as the learning contexts to effectively promote these connections. An Exploration of Women Faculty’s Use of Technology to Enhance Connections

As e-Learning is now widely used in many countries and for many purposes, universities have also utilized e-Learning for effective teaching and learning, including Thai universities. Effective delivery of e-Learning is therefore an ultimate goal for teaching and learning in an e-Learning environment. More importantly, the impact of Mobility on e-Learning should not be overlooked, as it may provide possibilities for learners to learn without the limitation of presence and time. This study surveys teachers of the e-Learning Professional Certificate Program, one of Thailand Cyber University (TCU)’s flagship e-Learning courses, for their perspectives in Mobility and e-Learning Delivery Methodologies, particularly in the Integrative method as described by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Results have divided the Delivery modes with the application of Mobility into two groups. As a result of this study, the Integrative Delivery modes of twenty-two choices that have been preferences among fourteen TCU experts include a Discussion Group, Forum, Brainstorming, Conference, and Buzz Group. In the TCU experts’ point of view, to carry out e-Learning classes, it is important to motivate the passive learner to participate actively and to have the learners more interact more and have more mobility in sharing opinions and participating. While mobility may improve e-Learning delivery in many aspects, physical contact may still be needed for some modes, such as Personal and Office visits.

The paper reports on the findings of the recently finalized a project targeting students from higher education sector titled "Evaluation of teaching and learning delivery modes in Arts and Education subjects", which was supported by Australian Learning and Teaching Council for two years from 2008 to 2009. The research investigated student preferences for the mode of delivery of their teaching and learning [T/L] resources such as study guides, readings, supplementary language & learning materials. In addition to data related to this issue, very interesting data was also collected in relation to student preferences for onscreen versus hardcopy reading. Somewhat overwhelmingly, in all subject areas and age groups, as well as across the range of student backgrounds and levels of digital literacy, the findings indicate a very strong student preference for paper-based or hardcopy reading as against online and onscreen reading. These findings raise a number of important questions connected to the increasingly prevalent provision of student resource materials online in the tertiary sector. In this paper we question the appropriateness of educators and policy makers taking too seriously prevalent rhetorical tropes in the discourse of technology enhanced learning [TEL] such as the "Net.Generation" or "digital natives versus digital immigrants". Such tropes need to be handled cautiously we suggest. For in spite of the appeal of such buzzwords and catch phrases, the digital literacy and/or digital rapport of the present/next generation of university students may not be as strong or advanced as some university managers, policy makers, as well as enthusiastic TEL educators, may like to believe. In conclusion we argue managers, educators and policy makers in Higher Education [HE] should continue to ensure multi-modal forms of T/L resource delivery are provided to guarantee equity of access for an ever increasingly diverse university student cohort.

This paper proposes using learning outcomes as means to measure knowledge transfer. It is based on a study to assess the effectiveness of knowledge transfer using the knowledge management concept of externalization by means of weblog access. In the knowledge era, knowledge transfer from the instructor to learners is important since the goal of educational system is the learners gaining the knowledge through the process of knowledge transfer from the instructor. To address the assumption, the study was conducted both quantitatively and qualitatively and collected data from the respondents. For quantitative analysis, the author surveyed measuring different variables targeting 326 undergraduate students randomly sampled, and the multiple choice test using 5- point Likert scale. The reliability analysis was analyzed. For qualitative analysis, the author collected data from 60 students’ weblog. Studies have shown that knowledge transfer can be problematic, and an effective transfer of knowledge can be difficult. The difficulty arises when the transferred knowledge becomes ambiguous, disrupted (hence incomplete), and distributed all over (making it difficult to link them together. Five hypotheses were formulated to examine the relationship between key characteristics of knowledge and learning outcome, in addition to content analysis on the externalized knowledge in the form of learners’ weblogs. The findings revealed some significant results involving the key characteristics of knowledge. The implication from this study can contribute much to the instructors and learners in knowing what knowledge that the instructor can transfer to learners and what knowledge is gained by learners as learning outcomes. In addition, the learning outcomes can tell the instructor to search for the right methodologies for improving the knowledge transfer to learners.

Robotics technology has been well absorbed into Papert’s constructionist perspective (Papert, 1996) as well as that of Jonassen’s (2000). Robotics allows students to explore creatively, and increases students’ creativity toward computer programming, mechanical designing and constructing, problem solving, collaborating, and motion within an active, enjoyable, and immersive environment, including subjects such as physics, mathematics, and electronics. The principal objectives of this study were to assess the manner in which perceptions of learning robotics and planning lessons through robotics of pre-service elementary teachers could evolve, and to evaluate pre-service elementary teacher program via a case study of a university- based in Korea. This paper introduces a method by which robotics technology might be integrated into a pre-service elementary course, and also includes an analysis of pre-service teachers' robotics activities and their teaching strategy for developing instructions in using robotics.