Abstract: Background: eHealth literacy refers to the ability of individuals to seek, find, understand, and appraise health information from electronic resources and apply such knowledge to addressing or solving a health problem. While the current generation of college students has access to a multitude of health information on the Internet, access alone does not ensure that students are skilled at conducting Internet searches for health information. Ensuring that college students have the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct advanced eHealth searches is an important responsibility particularly for the medical education community. It is unclear if college students, especially those in the medical and health professions, need customized eHealth literacy training for finding, interpreting, and evaluating health- and medical-related information available on the Internet. Objective: The objective of our review was to summarize and critically evaluate the evidence from existing research on eHealth literacy levels among college students between the ages of 17 and 26 years attending various 4-year colleges and universities located around the world. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review on numerous scholarly databases using various combinations of relevant search terms and Boolean operators. The records were screened and assessed for inclusion in the review based on preestablished criteria. Findings from each study that met inclusion criteria were synthesized and summarized into emergent themes. Results: In the final review we analyzed 6 peer-reviewed articles and 1 doctoral dissertation that satisfied the inclusion criteria. The number of participants in each reviewed study varied widely (from 34 to 5030). The representativeness of the results from smaller studies is questionable. All studies measured knowledge and/or behaviors related to college student ability to locate, use, and evaluate eHealth information. These studies indicated that many college students lack eHealth literacy skills, suggesting that there is significant room for improvement in college students’ ability to obtain and evaluate eHealth information. Conclusion: Although college students are highly connected to, and feel comfortable with, using the Internet to find health information, their eHealth literacy skills are generally sub par. College students, especially in the health and medical professions, would be well served to receive more customized college-level instruction that improves general eHealth literacy. [J Med Internet Res 2011;13(4):e102]

Abstract: Preface Publisher's Acknowledgments About the Author Access 1. Why Digital and Media Literacy 2. Research as Authentic Inquiry Analyze 3. Critical Questions, Close Reading 4. The Power of Representation Create 5. Composing With Media Across the Curriculum Reflect 6. Protection and Empowerment 7. Life Online Take Action 8. What in the World: Teaching With Current Events 9. Infusing Digital and Media Literacy Across the Curriculum Endnotes Bibliography Index

Abstract: This paper is a critical review of some recent literature around the ‘literacies of the digital’ in schools and higher education. It discusses the question: ‘what does the conjoining of the terms “digital” and “literacy” add to our understanding of teaching and learning in higher education’? It explores the continuing role of critical literacy in relation to the idea that digital literacies are transformative for pedagogy in this sector.

Abstract: Traditionally, educational researchers and practitioners have focused on the development of youths' critical understanding of media as a key aspect of new media literacies. The 21 st Century media landscape suggests an extension of this traditional notion of literacy - an extension that sees creative designs, ethical considerations, and technical skills as part of youth's expressive and intellectual engagement with media as participatory competencies. These engagements with media are also part of a growing Do-It-Yourself, or DIY, movement involving arts, crafts, and new technologies. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a framework and a language for understanding the multiple DIY practices in which youth engage while producing media. In the review, we will first provide a historical overview of the shifting perspectives of two related fields—new media literacies and computer literacy —before outlining the general trends in DIY media cultures that see youth moving towards becoming content creators. We then introduce how a single framework allows us to consider different participatory competencies in DIY under one umbrella. Special attention will be given to the digital practices of remixing, reworking, and repurposing popular media among disadvantaged youth. We will conclude with considerations of equity, access, and participation in after-school settings and possible implications for K-12 education.

Abstract: Background: The Internet has revolutionized the way in which many Americans search for health care information. Unfortunately, being able to use the Internet for this purpose is predicated on having access to the Internet and being able to understand and comprehend online health information. This is especially important for parents of children with special health care needs who are forced to make many medical decisions throughout the lives of their children. Yet, no information is available about this vulnerable group. Objective: For parents of children with special health care needs we sought to (1) describe their Internet access and use, (2) determine which child and household factors were associated with Internet use, (3) describe eHealth literacy of Internet users, and (4) determine which child and household factors were associated with greater eHealth literacy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional telephone survey of 2371 parents whose children with special health care needs were enrolled in Florida’s Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) programs (4072 parents were approached). To be enrolled in the program, families must have incomes that are less than or equal to 200% of the federal poverty level. The eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) was used to measure eHealth literacy. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted to address the study objectives. Results: The survey response rate was 58.2%. Participating parents were mainly female (2154/2371, 91%), white non-Hispanic (915/2371, 39%), English speaking (1827/2371, 77%), high school graduates (721/2371, 30%), married (1252/2371, 53%), and living in a two-parent household (1212/2371, 51%). Additionally, 82% of parents (1945/2371) in the sample reported that they used the Internet, and 49% of those parents used it daily (1158/2371). Almost three-quarters of Internet users had access to the Internet at home while about one-half had access at work. Parents who were African American, non-English speaking, older, and not college graduates were less likely to use the Internet than their referent groups (P < .001). About 74% of Internet users (1448/1945) reported that they knew how to find health information for their children. However, only about one-half (1030/1945) reported that they can tell high quality from low quality resources online or that they feel confident in using information accessed online to make health decisions. Multivariate regression results consistently showed that being a non-English speaker, having less than a high school education, and being older were all significantly associated with lower eHealth literacy (all P < .001). Conclusion: Low-income parents of children with special health care needs have access to and use the Internet as a source of information about their children's health. However, some parents are unable to distinguish between high and low quality information and are not confident in using the Internet. This information is timely because as the pressure to use the Internet to empower consumers and exchange information increases, issues related to access and disparities must be better understood. [J Med Internet Res 2011;13(3):e75]

Abstract: As the use of eHealth grows and diversifies globally, the concept of eHealth literacy – a foundational skill set that underpins the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for health – becomes more important than ever to understand and advance. EHealth literacy draws our collective attention to the knowledge and complex skill set that is often taken for granted when people interact with technology to address information, focusing our attention on learning and usability issues from the clinical through to population health level. Just as the field of eHealth is dynamic and evolving, so too is the context where eHealth literacy is applied and understood. The original Lily Model of eHealth literacy and scale used to assess it were developed at a time when the first generation of web tools gained prominence before the rise of social media. The rapid shifts in the informational landscape created by Web 2.0 tools and environments suggests it might be time to revisit the concept of eHealth Literacy and consider what a second release might look like. [J Med Internet Res 2011;13(4):e125]

Abstract: Background: Older adults generally have low health and computer literacies, making it challenging for them to function well in the eHealth era where technology is increasingly being used in health care. Little is known about effective interventions and strategies for improving the eHealth literacy of the older population. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a theory-driven eHealth literacy intervention for older adults. Methods: The experimental design was a 2 × 2 mixed factorial design with learning method (collaborative; individualistic) as the between-participants variable and time of measurement (pre; post) as the within-participants variable. A total of 146 older adults aged 56–91 (mean 69.99, SD 8.12) participated in this study during February to May 2011. The intervention involved 2 weeks of learning about using the National Institutes of Health’s SeniorHealth.gov website to access reliable health information. The intervention took place at public libraries. Participants were randomly assigned to either experimental condition (collaborative: n = 72; individualistic: n = 74). Results: Overall, participants’ knowledge, skills, and eHealth literacy efficacy all improved significantly from pre to post intervention (P 0.8 with statistical power of 1.00 even at the .01 level in all cases). When controlling for baseline differences, no significant main effect of the learning method was found on computer/Web knowledge, skills, or eHealth literacy efficacy. Thus, collaborative learning did not differ from individualistic learning in affecting the learning outcomes. No significant interaction effect of learning method and time of measurement was found. Group composition based on gender, familiarity with peers, or prior computer experience had no significant main or interaction effect on the learning outcomes. Regardless of the specific learning method used, participants had overwhelmingly positive attitudes toward the intervention and reported positive changes in participation in their own health care as a result of the intervention. Conclusions: The findings provide strong evidence that the eHealth literacy intervention tested in this study, regardless of the specific learning method used, significantly improved knowledge, skills, and eHealth literacy efficacy from pre to post intervention, was positively perceived by participants, and led to positive changes in their own health care. Collaborative learning did not differ from individualistic learning in affecting the learning outcomes, suggesting the previously widely reported advantages of collaborative over individualistic learning may not be easily applied to the older population in informal settings, though several confounding factors might have contributed to this finding (ie, the largely inexperienced computer user composition of the study sample, potential instructor effect, and ceiling effect). Further research is necessary before a more firm conclusion can be drawn. These findings contribute to the literatures on adult learning, social interdependence theory, and health literacy. [J Med Internet Res 2011;13(4):e90]

Abstract: Concerns are frequently raised about undergraduates being so immersed in web‐based technologies in their broader lives that they have difficulties engaging in more conventional study practices, such as academic reading and writing essays. The research reported on here examines this issue through a literacies lens. The project findings illustrate the complex interrelationship between literacies and technologies with the potential to disrupt conventional academic literacy practices. However, they also offer strong evidence for students’ ongoing reliance on the authority of the institution when it comes to accessing and utilising web‐based resources for their assignments. The authors suggest that, in order to understand the changes that are taking place for learners in today’s higher education, more attention needs to be paid to textual practice around learning and less to the technologies and their applications.

Abstract: Background: Consumer eHealth interventions are of a growing importance in the individual management of health and health behaviors. However, a range of access, resources, and skills barriers prevent health care consumers from fully engaging in and benefiting from the spectrum of eHealth interventions. Consumers may engage in a range of eHealth tasks, such as participating in health discussion forums and entering information into a personal health record. eHealth literacy names a set of skills and knowledge that are essential for productive interactions with technology-based health tools, such as proficiency in information retrieval strategies, and communicating health concepts effectively. Objective: We propose a theoretical and methodological framework for characterizing complexity of eHealth tasks, which can be used to diagnose and describe literacy barriers and inform the development of solution strategies. Methods: We adapted and integrated two existing theoretical models relevant to the analysis of eHealth literacy into a single framework to systematically categorize and describe task demands and user performance on tasks needed by health care consumers in the information age. The method derived from the framework is applied to (1) code task demands using a cognitive task analysis, and (2) code user performance on tasks. The framework and method are applied to the analysis of a Web-based consumer eHealth task with information-seeking and decision-making demands. We present the results from the in-depth analysis of the task performance of a single user as well as of 20 users on the same task to illustrate both the detailed analysis and the aggregate measures obtained and potential analyses that can be performed using this method. Results: The analysis shows that the framework can be used to classify task demands as well as the barriers encountered in user performance of the tasks. Our approach can be used to (1) characterize the challenges confronted by participants in performing the tasks, (2) determine the extent to which application of the framework to the cognitive task analysis can predict and explain the problems encountered by participants, and (3) inform revisions to the framework to increase accuracy of predictions. Conclusions: The results of this illustrative application suggest that the framework is useful for characterizing task complexity and for diagnosing and explaining barriers encountered in task completion. The framework and analytic approach can be a potentially powerful generative research platform to inform development of rigorous eHealth examination and design instruments, such as to assess eHealth competence, to design and evaluate consumer eHealth tools, and to develop an eHealth curriculum. [J Med Internet Res 2011;13(4):e94]

Abstract: The current generation of young children has been described as 'digital natives', having been born into a ubiquitous digital media environment. They are envisaged as educationally independent of the guided interaction provided by 'digital immigrants': parents and teachers. This article uses data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) to study the development of vocabulary and traditional literacy in children aged from 0 to 8 years; their access to digital devices; parental mediation practices; children's use of digital devices as recorded in time-diaries; and, finally, the association between patterns of media use and family contexts on children's learning. The analysis shows the importance of the parental context in framing media use for acquiring vocabulary, and suggests that computer (but not games) use is associated with more developed language skills. Independently of these factors, raw exposure to television is not harmful to learning.

Abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate Jordanian lecturers' attitudes towards the adoption of e-learning system. A number of hypotheses were formulated for this purpose. The findings of the study show that there existed positive relationship between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, computer knowledge, management support and intention to adopt. Whereas there existed negative relationship between normative pressure, computer anxiety and intention to adopt. Based on the results a number of recommendations were proposed, and suggestions for future studies were made. https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2011.03.016

Abstract: A B S T R A C T Introduction: The continued poorer health status of rural and remote Australians when compared with their urban counterparts is cause for concern. The use of advanced technology to improve access to health care has the potential to assist in addressing this problem. Telemedicine is one example of such technology which has advanced rapidly in its capacity to increase access to healthcare services or provide previously unavailable services. The important anticipated benefits of greater access to healthcare services are improved health outcomes and more cost-effective delivery. Methods: A national study was conducted to investigate the current perceived use and usefulness of telemedicine from the perspective of users and providers, and their views on how telemedicine could be expanded in Australia. In one component of this national study, the expert opinion of experienced providers of telemedicine services was elicited using a Grounded Theory approach and using semi-structured interviews which were analysed thematically. This article reports on the barriers to the up-take of telemedicine identified by this sub-sample. Results: The primary barriers identified were: funding; time; infrastructure; equipment; skills; and preference for the traditional approach. While funding is a well-known barrier to the up-take of telemedicine, the extra time required for a telemedicine consultation has particular implications for the workload of rural doctors. The comparatively poor internet access available in rural Australia combines with difficulties accessing some items such as a computer, to make equipment an issue. Even though lack of equipment skills was identified as a barrier, the providers in this study reported that rural doctors are adept at using the telephone/teleconferencing and facsimile. A preference for a traditional approach can reflect a lack of interest in learning computer skills or difficulty acquiring this skill set.

Abstract: This article presents the results of a study, which examined the current level of computer literacy of a group of Indonesian teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) and investigated factors affecting their use of computers in classrooms. Participants in the study were in-service teachers of EFL at Indonesian schools and universities. The teachers were invited to respond to a questionnaire containing questions related to the teachers' ownership and accessibility of computers, their level of ability to perform computer-based tasks, their personal and professional use of computers and their interest in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). The findings of the study provide a picture of the Indonesian teachers' use of computers in their local contexts and recommend increasing the teachers' online opportunities, skills and competencies in the use of computers for their teaching practices and professional development.

Abstract: This study examined the student characteristics of learning style, locus of control, computer experience and access, and online course experience on persistence of community college students in online courses. An online survey instrument based on the Barsch Learning Style Inventory (1996), the Abbreviated Measure of Internal–External Locus of Control (1974), and a computer experience scale that was developed by the researchers was completed by 225 students enrolled in online courses at five Florida community colleges. Logistic regression analysis identified a three-variable model (auditory learning style, grade point average, and basic computer skills) that was significant in predicting online student success. Academic and student support interventions are suggested for community college students who may be affected by these predictors.

Abstract: Normal 0 21 false false false SH X-NONE X-NONE Information technologies are an integral part of a contemporary society which bases its progress on knowledge being one goal of education. Beside acquiring knowledge, skills and routines, the goal of education is to create a complete individual who can rationally and timely make decisions, purposefully react in new situations and be trained for life-long learning. In order to accomplish all this, it is necessary to make educational process more creative, contemporary and adjusted to new generations of computer literate pupils who demand quicker and more frequent interactions, a lot of information at the same time, generations who quickly acquire rules of computer games. Computer games meeting pedagogical criteria should become an integral part of learning. Teaching with mathematical computer games, which fulfil pedagogical criteria, influences pupils’ motivation, learning, retention and forgetting. This paper provides a review of literature in this field and determines whether the use of mathematical computer games contributes to more efficient realisation of educational goals at all level of education. Furthermore, considering prior research we have attempted to establish whether the use of mathematical games for teaching has an impact on the formation of a positive attitude of pupils of different ages toward the subject of mathematics, their motivation and knowledge acquisition when compared to learning without computer games. Finally, we have analysed different research methods concerning this issue and assessed the impact of pedagogically designed mathematical computer games on the realisation of educational goals and quality improvement of teaching and learning.

Abstract: As companies expand their businesses to the international marketplace, they will rely on their employees to have skills in using web-based information and communication technologies (ICTs) for collaboration. To simulate this global environment in the classroom, the authors created a six-week project in which first-year introductory technology students from Bentley University in the United States and fourth-year multimedia students from “Politehnica” University of Timisoara, Romania, used a number of ICTs during a semester project to evaluate two similar online collaboration tools. In doing so, they were able to develop several 21st Century Skills for Digital Literacy as identified by Jenkins. Students created blog posts, videos, and collaborative documents to chronicle their learning, shared their results within ViCaDiS, an online learning environment.

Abstract: In this article we document observations of our own young children's usage of technology in their "out-of-school" worlds. How might these technologies and practices be changing the understandings and usage of texts and literacies of the children who enter into classroom spaces? What transformative possibilities might these home technology practices announce for teaching and learning within classroom environments? In both Canadian and Australian curriculum documents, as well as in OECD reports, the need to develop innovative approaches to educational practices and the inclusion of digital technologies is acknowledged as necessary in facing 21 st century challenges. We provide examples linking to media news stories in both countries, addressing the use of touch-screen technologies in schooling and examine how these presentations are very different from the practices we have observed in our homes, where the children have relative openness and freedoms with their device usage. Within the article we demonstrate, using media links and images, the ways in which our own children have begun to navigate digital devices and texts and to create new sorts of narratives that open possibilities for literacies in multiple ways, as "creators", "designers", and experts. We argue that, once translated into classroom practice, technological tools tend to be "domesticated" by practices that resist the transformative affordances of these tools, and may even provide barriers to student engagement and practice. Finally, we conclude the article by making some practical suggestions for creating opportunities for transformative technology use in education.

Abstract: This study examined the relationship between computer anxiety and computer selfefficacy of students and teachers in elementary and secondary schools. The sample included a total of 845 subjects from two private school systems in Turkey. The Oetting’s Computer Anxiety Scale was used to measure computer anxiety whereas the Murphy’s Computer Self-Efficacy Scale was used to measure computer self-efficacy of subjects. The results demonstrated that elementary students were less-anxious than secondary students; males had lower anxiety scores than females; and the difference between anxiety scores of students and teachers was not significant. However, students had higher self-efficacy scores than their teachers; elementary students were more self-efficient than secondary students; and males had higher computer self-efficacy scores than females. The correlation between the variables of computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy was moderate, negative, and significant.

Abstract: The development of digital information literacy (DIL) has been slow in comparison to changes in information communication technologies, and this remains an issue for the higher education sector. Competency in such skills is essential to full participation in society and work. In addition, these skills are regarded as underpinning the ability to maintain life long learning. Evidence suggests that simple exposure to technology is not sufficient to promote adequate levels of literacy.

Abstract: This study investigates the level of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). Additionally, it explores the effect of EFL teachers’ personal and technology-related characteristics in ICT use in English classes. Two hundred and forty-eight full time teachers participated in the study and filled in the personal information form, computer anxiety rating scale, computer attitude questionnaire, ICT use rating scale, and computer literacy questionnaire. The results of data analysis revealed that digital portable devices were used more than computer or network applications/tools in English classes and teachers used technology most frequently in teaching oral skills. It was also found that ICT use correlated inversely with teachers’ age, years of teaching experience, and computer anxiety. ICT use was found to be positively and significantly related to teachers’ academic credentials, computer ownership, computer literacy, and use; while ICT use was not related to attitude and gender. Multiple regressions showed that from among the variables that correlated with ICT use, teachers’ computer literacy and academic credentials could predict ICT use.

Abstract: The thing about digital literacy is its inherent squishiness. Educators argue whether the tool or the purpose matters most. They debate whether something being “electronic” constitutes “digital.” Does it need a screen? A keyboard? More than that, teachers must decide what it means to read and write digitally and how to assess those skills. Just as teachers were working to conclusively define literacy, digital literacy arrived on the scene and the discussion started again. In fact, the most solid of ground to be found in the debate surrounding digital literacy is the agreement that, whatever it is, it is important to the success of our students. Even then, not everyone is in agreement.

Abstract: 1. INTRODUCTION The top five challenges in teaching and learning with technology include the development of 21st century information, digital, and visual literacies to ensure that students are equipped with the skills needed to succeed in college and future careers (Educause, n.d.). Digital literacy is considered "an essential requirement for life in a digital age" (Bawden, 2008, p. 30). Often used interchangeably with computer or information and communications technology (ICT) literacy, digital literacy or competence, however, is a broader concept and does not automatically follow from the ability to use ICT tools (Ala-Mutka, Punie, and Redecker, 2008). Gilster (1997) first defined digital literacy as "the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers" (p. 1). Since then, a plethora of often inconsistent definitions of digital literacy have emerged that range from the technical aspects of operating in digital environments to the cognitive and socio-emotional aspects of work in a computer environment (Eshet-Alkalai, 2004). Such ambiguity obviously poses challenges for the effective design of curricula and courses targeting digital literacy. Determining what specifically should be taught is further complicated by a host of other issues: * Difficulties with clearly defining what a digital environment entails as rapidly changing technologies represent a moving target (Leu, 2002); * Lack of a common inventory of digital literacy skills or outcomes expectations; * Steady shift of introductory college level material to high-school curriculum (Yahya, 2010); * Disconnect between what colleges expect students to know and what students (often erroneously) think they already know as students' self-efficacy ratings exceed their actual performance scores (Easton, Easton, and Addo, 2006; Morris, 2010); * Claims that students who have been "born digital", i.e., only know a world that is digital (Palfrey and Gasser, 2008), are radically different and do not have to learn ICT but merely experience it (Nasah et al., 2010); * Very wide range of computer proficiency and online skills among students depending on factors such as socio-economic background and personal innovativeness (Hargittai et al., 2010; Nasah et al., 2010; Smith and Caruso, 2010); * Criticisms related to the exclusive use of or focus on products from one vendor, raising the issue of "propagandizing a specific vendor" or having higher education textbook publishers drive what the outcomes of a technology course should be (Hodge and Gable, 2010). * Concerns about making content relevant to different academic disciplines. Universities employ different methods to ensure computer literacy of their students including introductory and often required computer skills courses included in the general or liberal studies core (Van Lengen, 2004). In response to concerns about such a one-credit-hour course in software applications required of all students at a medium-sized university in the southeastern United States, a task force was formed in Spring 2010 to develop a better understanding of the digital literacy needs of students and determine core curriculum items that should be taught. Based on a survey conducted by the task force, we sought answers to three basic research questions: Q1. What are faculty perceptions of the importance of different aspects of digital literacy? Q2. What are the commonalities and differences between the colleges vis-a-vis the different aspects of digital literacy? a) What aspects of digital literacy need to be known by all students regardless of academic major or college affiliation? b) Are there significant differences in the digital literacy needs between the colleges? Q3. What are the implications of the digital literacy needs as perceived by faculty for course curriculum and course development, specifically the need for or redesign of the current one-credit-hour applications course? …

Abstract: This qualitative study examines the use of digital storytelling as an instructional intervention for bridging the digital divide among public school students in rural Bhutan. Primary participants for the study included elementary school children who had never been previously exposed to computer technology and were recipients of a donated classroom set of laptops. Results demonstrated how technology instruction and infrastructure inherently positions ethical and cultural differences between researchers, education personnel, school children and their families. The use of English became an inadvertent gatekeeper for who was chosen to participate in the classroom laptop program. Another major finding examines how Bhutan's social awareness for ''Gross National Happiness'' is inherently juxtaposed in contrast to Western perceptions of modernity and progress. Educators and administrators concerned about initial technology instruction in developing regions should find this study informative.

Abstract: The paper presents different approaches to distribution of software: open VS closed source and free VS non-free. The differences are presented from the Croatian user perspective showing their positive and negative aspects. Additional analysis of curriculum regarding computer literacy is done in the light of decreased funding for schools by the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports. User survey was conducted at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb to investigate usage of different software packages. Different approaches to computer literacy education are compared in the light of ongoing financial crisis in Croatia taking into account open and closed source software.

Abstract: The study was designed to investigate Nigerian science teachers' involvement, commitment and innovativeness in curriculum development, implementation and change. Resistance to change and reluctance to implement national curriculum have been identified as one of the reasons for falling standard in education. The author sought to find out if Nigerian teachers were always being carried along in the development and implementation of national curriculum. The sample consisted of 630 secondary school teachers drawn from the six southwestern states of Nigeria. Questionnaire tagged Teachers' Involvement, Commitment and Innovativeness (TICIQ) was used for data collection. The data collected was analyzed using frequency counts and percentage. The findings are: Teachers are often drafted to classroom implementation of curriculum reforms but are seldom involved in the development and how best to implement such reforms; The teachers are yet to embrace modern methods, approaches and techniques which include the use of computer interactivity and internet resources in classroom science teaching; While majority of them are proud to be teachers and may not opt out if given a second chance yet they frown at any attempt to lay them off on account of not being computer literate and internet compliant. The author concluded that teachers often show resistance and lack of commitment to implementation of curriculum reforms because they are seldom involved in the development and even how best to implement them. The author equally recommended the adoption of grass root approach to curriculum development involving all stakeholders including teachers who would implement the curriculum in the long run.

Abstract: Many studies report information overload as one of the main problems that students encounter in online learning via computer-mediated communication. This study aimed to explore the sources of online students’ information overload and offer suggestions for increasing students’ cognitive resources for learning. Participants were 12 graduate students from two online courses in the United States. Their learning experiences in both online discussions and on the course website were explored through semi-structured interviews. They also completed a background questionnaire that assessed three constructs that limit learner readiness and are likely to lead to online students’ perceived information overload: inadequate prior knowledge, inadequate English proficiency, and lack of technical skills for participating in computer-mediated communications. The findings suggest that varied learner characteristics led some students to be more susceptible than others to information overload. Emerging data-driven risk factors were: lack of efficiency in reading from computer screens, visual and auditory learning preferences, and time constraints. Difficulties associated with students’ perceptions of information overload are addressed and implications for course design are offered. Keywords: information overload; computer-mediated communication; cognitive load theory; online discussion DOI: 10.1080/21567069.2011.586678

Abstract: This study examined the effect of civil servants’ Self-Directed Learning Readiness (SDLR) and network literacy on their online learning effectiveness in a web-based training program. Participants were 283 civil servants enrolled in an asynchronous online learning program through an e-learning portal provided by the Regional Civil Service Development Institute in Taiwan. Data were collected via a questionnaire containing three parts: SDLR scale, network literacy scale, and online learning effectiveness scale. The findings indicated civil servants’ SDLR and network literacy were positive; however, participants’ involvement in online discussion was not appreciated according to the reported score of online learning effectiveness. Analysis of the data also revealed that three factors of SDLR (active learning, love of learning, and independent learning) and two constructs (Internet skill and information evaluation) of network literacy were significant predictors in predicting online learning effectiveness of civil servants. Additionally, civil servants’ SDLR appeared to be the most important element in determining their online learning success based on the research findings.

Abstract: College students are accessing virtual libraries whether they are on campus or learning from a distance. Academic institutions serving virtual patrons must remain focused on meeting the needs of those library users by continually examining their preferences, their searching behavior, and the information they seek. The purpose of this research was to determine if virtual patrons are satisfied with the resources and services being provided by a university’s online library. Following a web-based survey, demographic characteristics of students were analyzed to determine if any influenced students’ satisfaction. Using analysis of variance, correlation, and descriptive statistics, several demographic factors were found to influence student satisfaction with the library’s online resources: age, gender, achieved educational level, student status, and computer experience. One factor, computer experience, was found to influence student satisfaction with the library’s online services. Overall, students reported satisfaction with the university’s online library resources and services. Comments submitted to open-ended questions regarding areas for improvement to the online library provide library administrators with avenues for development to increase awareness of library services, focus improvement in navigation, and enhance student satisfaction.

Abstract: This investigation explores young children's computer skills development from kindergarten to third grade using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten (ECLS-K) dataset. The sample size of the study was 8642 children. Latent growth curve modeling analysis was used as an analytical tool to examine the development of children's computer skills using LISREL software version 8.80. Results indicated, not surprisingly, that the availability of a computer at home and a high socio-economic status were statistically significant predictors of children's baseline computer skills in kindergarten. The availability of computers in kindergarten, however, was a statistically significant predictor of the development of children's computer skills from kindergarten to third grade. Although there was no difference between girls and boys in their baseline computer skills in kindergarten, the rate of development in computer skills was higher for girls than boys. Results suggest that the availability of an adequate level of computers in kindergarten classrooms can help close the initial gap in children's computer skills due to socio-economic status and lack of computer access prior to entering school. Supplying kindergarten classrooms with adequate computers could positively contribute to children's long-term development of computer skills.