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The purpose of this paper is to present selected literature on learners and collaborative learning in virtual worlds. Research in virtual worlds on collaborative learners is gradually emerging and will gain in significance, particularly in online and distance education environments. It will be argued that the design and functionality of virtual worlds provides a platform for collaboration, particularly for learners that have grown up with digitalized learning environments and may have developed a preference for them. The paper starts with a clarification of terms, a description of the various categories and a chronological overview of the emergence and development of these environments. The familiarisation with the subject matter continues through a discussion of the significance, opportunities and barriers that this medium offers and is followed by an examination of learners' characteristics and their implications for teaching and learning in virtual worlds. Drawing on recent examples of virtual worlds in education and some current statistics, the paper strives to meet the continuing education needs of practitioners and educator using virtual worlds. It concludes with an examination of the challenges and perspectives on collaborative learning in these environments and the trends in virtual worlds that impact the delivery of student learning.

This review paper provides pre-service and in-service teachers, principals and other educational professionals with the information needed to understand the concept of resilience to affect positive development in children and young people in their care. It reviews and critiques the most influential literature on resiliency over the last four decades and is structured in three parts. The first section deals with the definitions of risk and resilience and relevant terms (i.e. vulnerability, at-risk students, risk factors, protective factors) to clarify confusion and ambiguities of concepts. The second part outlines the development of the research on resilience using a historical perspective. It traces its origins in medicine and psychology into education and discusses the evolution of its body of work through four waves. The last part discusses approaches to promoting resilience.

This paper reports on Information Technology (IT) secondary school educators in Victoria and their involvement in an online community of practice. It examined the social effects of the online mailing list technology on their participation and factors that influenced their collaboration with other colleagues. In mapping these elements, the motivations of educators and the effects on online communities of practice can be distilled and then used to build and sustain other architectures of participation. It was found that mailing list subscribers seem to trade a currency of support, thoughts, ideas and answers, which helped them in their day-to-day teaching. Online communities of practice provide a convenient way to keep up professional networks while continuing to stay abreast with subject specific knowledge and skills. The findings of this case study may be generalised to other educational mailing lists to guide designers and managers and inspire educators to join and ultimately benefit from these text based online environments. (Contains 8 figures and 6 footnotes.)

Cyber violence and the antidote of cyber safety are fast becoming a global concern for governments, educational authorities, teachers, parents and children alike. Despite substantial funding for information dissemination on preventative strategies and the development of electronic responses to hinder perpetrators, the phenomenon of cyber violence has received little attention in the educational research literature. This review paper outlines the status on existing research into cyber violence. Documenting and summarizing the facts on the nature and extend of the issue will inform future debate. It also highlights the need for pre-service and in-service teacher education programs to prepare educators to manage this phenomenon.

This paper contributes to the understanding of cyberbullying by summarising the key themes in an up-to-date review of the academic research literature. The misuse of, and abuse in, online environments is ever-increasing and becoming a growing concern for educators, families and authorities around the world. It needs investigation to be understood and prevented to ensure safe and beneficial experiences for children and adolescents through networked and mobile communications. The various types of malice are described as is the frequency of their occurrences and the most prevalent tools for inflicting harm. Given this fast emerging global problem and the scarcity of empirical studies, there is a strong and urgent need for further research in. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

This article focuses on introducing Web 2.0 technologies and possible uses for student and teacher learning and collaboration. Many of these tools are already used in social and business contexts. These new and emerging applications are also gaining popularity in classrooms across all education levels. Various applications are introduced to raise awareness and encourage educators to explore these new avenues for teaching and learning. (Contains 1 figure.)

The purpose of this paper is to present selected literature on learners and collaborative learning in virtual worlds. Research in virtual worlds on collaborative learners is gradually emerging and will gain in significance, particularly in online and distance education environments. It will be argued that the design and functionality of virtual worlds provides a platform for collaboration, particularly for learners that have grown up with digitalized learning environments and may have developed a preference for them. The paper starts with a clarification of terms, a description of the various categories and a chronological overview of the emergence and development of these environments. The familiarisation with the subject matter continues through a discussion of the significance, opportunities and barriers that this medium offers and is followed by an examination of learners' characteristics and their implications for teaching and learning in virtual worlds. Drawing on recent examples of virtual worlds in education and some current statistics, the paper strives to meet the continuing education needs of practitioners and educator using virtual worlds. It concludes with an examination of the challenges and perspectives on collaborative learning in these environments and the trends in virtual worlds that impact the delivery of student learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]