EDTEC JOURNALS IN SCCI

· EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY

· ETR&D-EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

· INNOVATIONS IN EDUCATION AND TEACHING INTERNATIONAL

· INSTRUCTIONAL SCIENCE

· INTERACTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

· INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-SUPPORTED COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

· INTERNET AND HIGHER EDUCATION

· JOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING

· JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

· JOURNAL OF HIGHER EDUCATION

· JOURNAL OF SCIENCE EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY

· JOURNAL OF STUDIES IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

· JOURNAL OF TEACHER EDUCATION

· JOURNAL OF THE LEARNING SCIENCES

· LANGUAGE LEARNING & TECHNOLOGY

· LEARNING AND INSTRUCTION

· TURKISH ONLINE JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

· DISTANCE EDUCATION

Integrating intercultural online learning experiences into the computer classroom

St. Amant, K. (2002). Integrating intercultural online learning experiences into the computer classroom. Technical Communication Quarterly, 11 (3), 289-315.

"Technical communicators of the new millennium will need to develop certain skills to succeed in international online interactions (IOIs), and computer classrooms with online access can help students to develop these skills through direct interaction with materials and individuals from other cultures. This article presents exercises instructors can use to help students develop these particular skills."

Journal Review #4: focus groups and program evaluation

Stitt, B. G., Leone, M., & Jennings-Clawson, H. (1998). Focus groups and evaluation of criminal justice programs. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 9, 71-80. Retrieved September 30, 2006, from http://ejournals.ebsco.com/direct.asp?ArticleID=UL22137L0684025X

In recent years, higher education was under attack from the stakeholders demanding documentation of accountability. The assessment for producing empirical evidence of accountability was becoming of significant importance. In the light of this increasing demand, the authors came up with an innovative idea for use in evaluating criminal justice programs.

After summarizing some concerns related to the measurement of accountability and the program review process, the authors introduced and discussed the use of focus groups as an assessment tool. The advantages and disadvantages of focus groups as applied to evaluation of criminal justice programs were presented. The authors conducted a self-studying involving focus group while the department was undergoing an external program review. A number of the focus groups’ suggestions for program change were supported by the findings of the criminal justice educators who visited the campus and evaluated the program; thus, the reviewers’ suggestions were supported by students’ observations and opinions. This validation has proved extemely valuable, especially in increasing resources for the criminal justice program.

Based on the findings of the study, the authors concluded that focus groups could be a valuable, viable, cost-effective tool in program evaluation. Therefore, they strongly suggested that many academic departments should use the focus group method in their evaluation processes.

Journal Review #2: Evaluating public web info

Judd, V. C., Farrow, L. I., & Tims, B. J. (2006). Evaluating public web site information: A process and an instrument. Reference Services Review, 34, 12-32. Retrieved September 22, 2006, from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0090-7324.htm

In an effort to find an evaluation instrument for undergraduate students to use to evaluate public web sites, the authors analyzed the variety of instruments discovered from an intensive literature review and developed an appropriate instrument and its application in workshops with students.

Although a number of diverse evaluation instruments from the literature and from web-based sources were examined, none was deemed suitable for students to use. Based on the literature review and analysis, the authors asserted that the web evaluation instrument should (1) focus exclusively on the information aspect of a web site, (2) have some basis in theory or be based on accepted model, (3) be parsimonious, (4) be quantitative, with both absolute and relative measures, and (5) indicates whether or not the information should be accepted or rejected. Following these criteria, the authors created their own instrument with the goal of focusing on the process rather than the outcome.

The instrument, which included five ten-point scaled questions, was tested through three trials. A group of students were taught how to use it through two workshops. Based on their assessment of the learning environment, the authors concurred that the new instrument met the students’ needs and suggested the focus of an instrument should be on evaluation as a process.

Journal Review #1: Web Usability

Cook, R. S., Rule, S., & Mariger, H. (2003). Parents’ evaluation of the usability of a web site on recommended practices. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 23, 19-27. Retrieved October 8, 2006, from http://ejournals.ebsco.com/direct.asp?ArticleID=4CC788309A0DD582C28A

Based on the need for an accessible, practical, and parent-friendly curriculum on the Internet, the authors designed the Strategies for Preschool Intervention in Everyday Settings for Parents (SPIES) web site that was intended to provide practical information about recommended practices such as activity-based or embedded instruction to families whose young children had disabilities or were at developmental risk. To determine whether the site was an effective tool for disseminating information about recommended practice to families, the authors launched a parents' evaluation of the site.

After three research questions considering the site’s accessibility, practicality, and appropriateness were raised, twenty-one parents from ten states were recruited to conduct an online evaluation of the SPIES site, judging its content and ease of use. The data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods.

Results indicated that the Internet could be an effective medium for disseminating information about recommended practices to families. The parent group found the Web site to be helpful, useful, and responsive to their needs and time constraints. Although they said that textual information was easy to access, some parents did note that they experienced technological problems in downloading video.

From this evaluation, the authors also suggested that a web site providing procedural guidance could complement the provision of direct early intervention services, with content presented in multiple modes and for different learners.